Homemade Wednesday: Keats' Playhouse

Today I'm making a three dimensional model of Keats' birthday playhouse. Ironing out the details is really important to me before I start cutting and sewing. You already know my penchant for graph paper, so you won't be surprised that I measured everything out, scaled it down, cut, folded, and taped it together. And yes, I'm regretting not cutting out the windows so that I could more accurately see the lighting inside the playhouse. Can you see my plans for our real house spilling over? Yeah, I'm a nerd.

The inside windows and door.

Inside there will be a real bookcase with some of his favorite books and toys and a small chair, creating a little solitary spot to let his imagination run wild. There will be a fake fireplace and a rug that has yet to be chosen. The interior walls will be made out of fabric that looks like wallpaper (I'm really excited about the fabric I chose) and hung on the walls will be fabric frames with real photographs and drawings in them. I'll make the frames so that we can switch out pictures as time goes by. I really want this playhouse to be able to grow with him and last a long time. Especially since (spoiler alert!) Birch and I are starting to figure out when we'd like to have our second child.


The exterior walls will be stitched (with batting) to look like sideboards with plants sewn over some areas (mostly vegetables and fruit) as well as select varieties that will be attached with velcro so Keats can collect them and use them in his eventual play kitchen with his daddy. I'm considering putting fake solar panels on the roof but we'll see about that... it may push me a little too far into the nerd camp. (Although it could also confirm my awesomeness... whatever.)

The outside of the playhouse.

Photo frames have been cut out on paper, as have windows.

Tomorrow I'll figure out the fireplace placement (as I got a bit too excited about picture frames and put them all over the wall, leaving no space for the fireplace) and design some of the two-dimensional fruits and vegetables.

Planning this all is so much fun, I can't wait to get sewing and watch it come together.

Tonight, though, I'm dashing up to San Francisco with my man (leaving Keats with his grandma) to celebrate my birthday. Should be a blast!