Creating A Rooftop Garden For My Dollhouse
- Sparkling Diamond
- May 4
- 6 min read
**If you prefer to watch the video version instead of reading you can find it here.
I've been wanting to make a miniature garden for some time for my inner child to play in. I had a piece of plywood that I sketched out a plan on, intending to give it a secret garden vibe because that was one of my favorite books as a child. I finally came up with the idea to make a rooftop garden because I have limited space in my apartment and decided to make everything removable for whenever I decide to move again to make moving it a bit easier. This is what I came up with.
First I started with flowerbeds. For the first one I used a coaster found at a thrift store.
I used a small piece of cardboard roll for support in the center and a piece of cardboard for a shallow bottom because I didn't want to fill up the whole thing.
Here you can see what it looks like from the bottom after I glued it together.
I put a birdbath in the center and used snippets of fake flowers for plants. Then covered the cardboard with coffee grounds for dirt.
Having palace gardens in mind , I thought that it would add a finishing touch to add a vining plant, so using embroidery floss and tiny green Styrofoam balls I created some vines.
Can you imagine yourself in beautiful garden, on a misty late spring morning, watching an oriole bathing in the birdbath in tune to the early morning melodious chorus of birds singing their hearts out to the new day?
Here is the second one, built the same way, but with different plants.
I added a tiny birdhouse and some flowers...
Some wooden boards made a stand for a marble as a gazing ball decoration.
Here you see the two side by side in front of a pretty calendar page as a backdrop.
This is a napkin ring that came with the coasters.
Using leftover flooring paper I glued it inside for a wood look and used a piece of cardboard for a fake shallow floor.
Hot glue served as a brace to hold it in place.
A box of wood pieces came with my dollhouse and in it was this broken swing. I didn't have the motivation to try to fix it so I took off the broken pieces which left me with the seat.
I added posts in the four corners.
Then using thin popsicle sticks I built lattice in between the posts on each side.
Progress...
And finished... I put a pot on either side for vining plants.
Just to give you an idea...
I painted the whole arbor with light blue paint as I didn't have good quality white paint.(The outside of the house is the same color.)
Getting ready to add the plants...
I filled each pot halfway with coffee grounds first before adding the plants.
Ready for plants...
First plant is "growing"...
I added them one by one, each one draping uniquely...
I put 3 on each side to make it look full.
Now it's time to add flowers...
I filled in the other half of the surface with "dirt".
I added a number of different color roses to make it look like various kinds of roses were growing together intertwined with each other, filling the air with beautiful scent.
Some more colors...
The top...
Looking up...
And finished...
The back...
Time to add some softness... Using some cardboard and foam I created a cushion, covering it with fabric.
It's starting to feel very inviting...
Next a white velvet blanket with some trim...
The back...
The trim edges hidden from sight...
Added to the bench...
Pillows made from fabric, stuffed with polyfill and hand stitched shut...
Adding trim to the first pillow...
Don't you wanna just curl up with a book?
For the second pillow I wrapped some lace around it and added a ribbon...
I remembered a little embellishment I had that fit perfectly on the first pillow.
Does it look inviting to you?
A pretty calendar page for a backdrop. It gives a castle garden vibe, me thinks...
I think these were once Easter favor decorations that I had found somewhere. They had fake flowers which I removed and with some cardboard, foam and fabric I added some cushions to turn them into seats.
One end of the roof I decided to turn into a patio. I used wide popsicle sticks that were colored. It was a bit too bright for me so I painted over them to lighten the colors.
For the fire pit I used an old glass lid and glued some bricks around the edge for a rustic look. Then added some grit inside for the bottom.
A few tiny twigs cut to size added the finishing touch of firewood ready for a cozy summer evening on the rooftop to watch the sun go to bed over the horizon
Coming together...
Seats added...
The third round flowerbed...I wanted to add a brick look to the outside but couldn't figure out how to add a realistic touch to the rim...
I had the little pitcher for a long time. It's handle had been broken and glued back on. I also had an extra "eggshell" so together it made another fountain. The morning glory vine hides the broken handle and the pretty purple flowers added a realistic touch...
I added a little tree on the other side...
The bricks had come with the dollhouse and I thought they'd add a more realistic touch than white brick paper... and it would be possible to add a rim as well...
I added more pearl vines to finish it off...
For the water fountain I used cardboard for the base and added grit on top to cover it. I tried adding fake water but it wasn't as clear as I wanted it to be.
I ended up just using hot glue for water... I added a birdhouse and a few more bits and pieces to finish it off...
Somebody forgot to pick up the stick when they were cleaning up the flowerbeds...oh wait, it's actually beneficial for the environment... 🦋🐞🐜
The three round flowerbeds...
Decorating a little straw hat and basket...
Looks like someone had fun picking some flowers...
Time for a rest...
I didn't have enough wood flooring paper to make all the planters the same so I used some snippets of white brick paper for these two...
Looks okay to me...
The inside of the base...
I think these pillars were originally intended for wedding cakes but I found another use for them...
Adding some vines...
And a blooming bush...
Finished...
I don't know what these are called but I had several of varying sizes and decided to use one for a "ball" tree, topiary or whatever it's called...
I used a small branch for the brace. I wrapped the vine around the ball to cover it with a stem going down to the pot... I also added a fake floor in this one so I don't waste more hot glue than I need to...
I added some porcelain flowers and clipped off the stems so the flowers fit into the ball better.
For the fence I cut sticks from branches from my yard and used wire to wrap them together into a fence... I would have preferred a white picket fence but didn't have the right materials so this has to work for now...
A long fence...it would look good in a rustic setting...
I wanted to make the fence removable so it doesn't get broken in moving so I used some curling ribbon and my hand stapler to make pockets for the fence to sit in.
It was definitely a bit of a mess to get it fastened and not near as neat as I wanted it to be.
The bottom... I'm not sure that I like it...
The top...
Close up...
And done...
I had some multicolored string lights left from a gingerbread Christmas tree kit from several years ago that fit perfectly...
View from above...
The entrance...
The first flowerbed...
The second one...
From further away...
From end to end...
The patio end...
A closer up ...the pillars are intended to make the patio feel more secluded from the rest of the garden...
Close up of the arbor's coziness...
The third flowerbed...
I'm quite pleased with how it turned out but I do think more and more that a white picket fence would look much better. This fence would be perfect for a rustic fairy house and this house is not that.
And now in closing, I thank you for coming along for the tour and my heart's wish is that it will be the perfect inspiration for someone somewhere in the universe to create something beautiful whether in miniature, or better yet, in real life. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!
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