We built a dollhouse in Australia. I don’t know how it started, but both my parents were very involved. It was made of sheets of balsa wood. My dad did the planning and construction, and my mother did the decorating, with the help of my sister and me. We carved furniture and appliances out of balsa wood, which is very soft, and then painted them. My mother and I sewed little blankets and upholstered furniture. My sister didn’t really do much but make a mess (she was only 2 or so).
The house was huge and covered nearly the entire the dining room table. My dad wired it and somehow he made lights for the inside.
When it was time for us to leave Australia, we were all heartbroken. We gave the dollhouse to some friends of my parents and they promised they would finish it. I think about that dollhouse all the time.