Dora Kuhn 1/10 Scale German Dollhouse Furniture-Chistmas Cabinet Dollhouse

The holidays have come and gone, but 
it's still Christmas here in the cabin..........
The hubs was busy in the workshop during 
December building a cabinet for the last of the 
 Dora Kuhn furniture waiting for a home.  Originally,
I had hoped to have the proper Kuhn dollhouse,  
the hubs even offered to build a similar one, but in
 truth, there is simply no room in the cabin for a 
 large dollhouse.  The hubs suggested a tall cabinet.
Many European museums have beautiful cabinet  
dollhouses so, I thought it was a great idea.  I told
him I have 4 rooms of furniture and the rooms
needed to be at least 11 by 18 inches.  Just a simple
country cabinet.  I had no clue what he would come
up with, but he never disappoints.          

 He made the cabinet from old Missouri walnut
 he bought at a farm sale years ago.  I love the 
dentil trim around the top of the cabinet and 
 the hand turned door handle. 
 
He even installed lighting.
(I was secretly hoping for this.)

The interior trim work is just as 
beautiful as the outside.  Although,
most dollhouse cabinets have painted
or wallpapered walls, I wouldn't dream
of covering up the hubs detail work.

 The accessories packed away with the
furniture had a Christmas theme, so a year
round Christmas cabinet it is.  An eclectic 
mix of odd scaled collected whimsies, with
 touches of American and German traditions.
A "make do" dollhouse cabinet.    

The sisters that live in the cabinet are
vintage hard plastic German Edi dolls from
 the 1950's.  They are wearing beautifully crocheted 
holiday dresses.  Holly, in green, is named for the 
 traditional Christmas holly.  Ginger in pink, gets 
her name from my favorite Christmas delight,
 gingerbread.  Such sweet faces! 

With the exception of 2 older cabinets, 
the Dora Kuhn furniture in the cabinet is from
 the 1980's.  The furniture is in 1/10 scale.  Larger
 than the traditional American dollhouse 1/12 scale 
or 1 inch to 1 foot.  It is sturdily hand crafted and 
colorfully hand painted in the Bavarian folk art 
style called Bauernmalerei.
(pronounced  bow-urn-maler-rye)

This 1930's Kuhn cabinet finally has a 
permanent home in the dining room. 

I decorated several trees and
made tree skirts.  The hubs cut the 
top off a larger tree and made a new
base for the 9 inch dining room tree.
The German angel topper is a gift from
 my German friend Sigi. 

 Holly is putting the last ornament
on the Christmas tree, a ballerina from
 the Christmas ballet "The Nutcracker",
her favorite.  Prancer, the girls Fox Terrier,
is actually a German flocked Wagner
 Kunstlerschutz ornament.

 

 Years ago I attended a historic arts fair selling

hand made dolls.  The weaver's 12 year old 

 daughter visited often during the weekend and

admired one of my dolls.  She was learning to weave 
on a small loom.  I let her take the dolly home, 

with the promise she would weave several dollhouse
 rugs and mail them to me.  A few weeks later they
 arrived in the mail.  She did a beautiful job, I love 
the colors she chose and I'm delighted to have
 them in the cabinet.

The little poinsettias belonged to
my mother, she kept a small basket
of different flowers in her window sill.
In Germany it's called the Christmas Star.
I painted some small pots gold and 
added the flowers, a very special 
memory for me.

My pride and joy is the Seiffener German miniature 

Christmas matchbox that sits atop the buffet.

I made ornaments for the wreaths and smaller trees
from artificial floral berries dipped in glue then glittered. 

 I cut narrow ribbon in half to make the tiny bows.
Some of the tree toppers are gold glittered star 
shaped buttons from my button box.  In Germany,
it is not the custom to have wreaths inside the home,
 but wreaths on the front door are becoming more
common.  A borrowed custom from America.    

Ginger is the chef in the family.

She's been busy in the kitchen baking
breads, sweets, a gingerbread house
 and the Christmas turkey.

Can't you smell the wonderful aroma?
The reindeer is a wooden cut work ornament. 

  
This older large red cabinet from the
 50's has become the kitchen pantry.

Oh my......the cupboard is bare,

but inside it's beautifully painted.

When Ginger cooks, there is always 
lots of "washing up" to do.  A woman's 

work is never done.

Ginger is ready to decorate the gingerbread

house with the teeny, tiny candies.
(The hubs made the little house,
a future project for me to finish)  

The traditional American gingerbread 

house originated in Germany and comes

 from the story of Hansel and Gretel.  The

old witch lived in a Knusperhaus, literal 

English translation is "crispy house".

New bedding for the beds, in the traditional
red and white checked Dora Kuhn style.

I think one of the elves has been naughty!

Santa brought lots of toys this year!

Holly and Ginger's favorite gift,
are the tiniest Edi dolls dressed
in traditional German outfits.

The girls love to play with paper dolls and 
watch the Christmas movies that play non stop on 
the Hallmark channel during the holiday season.
(I admit I watch them too and keep a box of Kleenex handy.)

  The hubs made a movable room 
divider for the bottom floor.
Another wooden cut work ornament hangs
over the bathtub.  Surely the pretend bubbles 
in this house are shaped like snowflakes.

The remaining room has become an entrance
for the Christmas "little people" who visit in the 
dark of night.  Perhaps the visitors are tiny German 
Christmas elves that fly about with their delicate 
butterfly shaped wings.  Maybe they are the "Wichtel",
 creatures that live in the cellars of German homes.
They are joking and sometimes naughty.  I think
the visitors are called "Heinzelmanner".  They live
 in German homes year round.  They are helpful and kind.
They come at night to do the cleaning, sewing and tidying
up.  It must be them, the cabinet dollhouse is always 
in perfect order.

It's so pretty with the lights on.

 
Thank you Steve, for a wonderful Christmas
gift.  I'm so proud of this beautiful cabinet.
You've made a family heirloom that will be
enjoyed for generations to come.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stop by Sigi Ulbrich's site to learn more about
the original Dora Kuhn 1/10 scale dollhouse.

  Dora Kuhn 1/10 Scale Dollhouse-Tortula

Photo courtesy of Tortula

Photo courtesy of Tortula
  
 Also, take a peek at Sigi's beautiful German 
dollhouse Christmas decorations.
  Christmas In The Dollhouse-Tortula  

  If you would like to learn more about the German
Edi Dolls, Sigi publishes and online compendium.
   
Edi Doll Compendium-Sigi Ulbrich at Tortula
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you Sigi for your valuable information,
 enthusiasm and lovely dollhouse gifts. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Best Wishes for a wonderful New Year!