We got a new robot vacuum- which I am excited for! But I did NOT realize how much space it takes up. And that it’d be black (why didn’t I order the white?!). If you are also in ugly Vacuum hell, I found the best solution- a dollhouse vacuum garage. It’s cute, it holds extra supplies, and you get to look at a pink mini house instead of a vacuum docking station. You’re welcome. Here’s the tutorial-

how to make a dollhouse vacuum garage

SUPPLIES

Dollhouse
2×4 (you only need 1)
Screws
Tie Plate (to join 2 pieces of wood)
Vacuum
Mountain Morn (paint)
Floral Clip Art
Sticker Paper

step 1- sizing

Start by finding a dollhouse that will fit over your vacuum docking station. I spent a lot of time looking at the measurements of my vacuum (I have the Dreame x60 Max Ultra Complete) and comparing it to the size of dollhouses. I looked for little homes made of wood so I could cut into the floors as needed.

When looking at the house, it’s ok if the ramp will stick out, but you want the main part of the docking station to be covered. And for the dollhouse to be tall enough to go over it. I also choose a dollhouse with hinged doors so it can open for the vacuum as it goes in and out. When you find one that suits you, order it.

Assemble the dollhouse as shown in the instructions. It’s important to see it all put together before modifying it. Plus, it’s so cute!

step 2- cut

Next, we’re going to start cutting into the dollhouse. This part is painful- especially since it’s a brand new dollhouse. Unfortunately, the first and second floor can’t remain intact and still fit over the robot vacuum docking station. Take the dollhouse apart and cut off 1-1/2″ off the two side pieces on the first and second floor.

Essentially you’re cutting out the majority of the floor while keeping the side pieces that fit under the windows to construct the house. This is key to making the DIY dollhouse vacuum garage.

For the 3rd floor (aka the attic)- that needs to remain 1 solid piece except the two back corners. There, use a jigsaw to cut 1-1/2″ x 2″ notches out of each side of the back of the 3rd floor. In the picture, you can see the support 2×4’s we’ll cut shortly.

And I need to apologize. I did not take pictures when we were making this. I was busy running around getting ready for a trip. But we’re going to power through because this idea is too good to gate keep it!

Cut 4 pieces of 2×4’s. For the bottom of the dollhouse, cut 2 pieces that are 12-5/8″ long. And for the sides, cut 2 pieces that are 21-1/8″ long. Cut one side with a 45 degree angle.

These pieces will be used to raise the dollhouse off the ground so the robot vacuum can enter and leave the docking station. Plus, they’ll act as support since the dollhouse is in need of that after hacking a lot of the floors apart.

Cut one last piece of 2×4 to 16-1/8″ long. This will be the roof support piece.

step 3- assembly

And now, use a tie plate and screws to join the bottom 12-5/8″ piece with the side 21-1/8″ long support piece of 2×4. Make sure the angled side is facing out.

Put the dollhouse back together. Do NOT use the back wall piece. With the back wall it makes the dollhouse a little too narrow to go over the docking station. The house will be wobbly at this point.

Use screws to connect the side pieces of the first floor to the base 2×4. Then place the 16-1/8″ piece of 2×4 on top of the roof floor between the angled side supports.

This doesn’t need to be screwed in. It acts as the final extra support. At this point the dollhouse should be nice and sturdy.

step 4

Finally, all that is needed is finish work. Paint the visible part of the 2×4’s. I used the color Mountain Morn by Behr.

Because we don’t use the back piece of the dollhouse for this DIY, there will be an empty slot on either side of the dollhouse. To deal with that, I printed a picture of flowers on sticker paper. Then I cut it out with scissors and covered it right up.

We’re going to finish up the dollhouse vacuum garage by simply putting it over the docking station. It should fit perfectly!

The roof is easily removable (since the attic is intended to be played with. Take it off and you have a storage for any extra robot vacuum pieces!

Our vacuum came with extra cleaning solution. We just open the door and place it on the ledge from the second floor. It fits perfectly!

after

I am so excited with how the dollhouse vacuum turned out! It is adorable and matches my house exactly!

It was so fun seeing it perfectly work and my vision coming to life! Such a great excuse to have another dollhouse in my home- lol.

The pink and green dollhouse makes me so happy to see. I love how it works to house the robot vacuum and its docking station.

price breakdown

For the cost breakdown, we bought the Dollhouse to make this project. That cost $120. Which is not cheap, but it did save us a ton of time! We had the 2×4’s paint, and stickers at home. So the dollhouse was the big cost for us.

time spent

This project took less than 3 hours to accomplish. And probably since you can follow these instructions, it’ll be faster for you!

Who knew a dollhouse could be the perfect home for a robot vacuum?! I am so happy with how this little vacuum garage turned out. Instead of staring at a bulky black docking station, I get to look at an adorable pink and green dollhouse that fits right in with the rest of my home.

I especially love that it isn’t just pretty. It hides the docking station, gives us extra storage for vacuum supplies, and still lets the robot vacuum come and go as needed.

The best part? This entire DIY took less than 3 hours and cost about $120 for the dollhouse (even less if you already have one!). If you also have an ugly robot vacuum docking station taking up space in your home, consider this your permission to turn it into a tiny house. And add some whimsy to your decor!

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