Calgary

Elbow Park resident creates fancy Little Free Library

Hundreds of Little Free Libraries have popped up in neighbourhoods around the city over the past four years, but none have been quite as fancy as the newest one created by Flora Stevenson in Elbow Park.

Flora Stevenson built it out of an antique dollhouse

Flora Stevenson built what is arguably the fanciest Little Free Library in the city at her Elbow Park home. (Lisa Robinson/CBC)

Hundreds of Little Free Libraries have popped up in neighbourhoods around the city over the past four years, but none have been quite as fancy as the newest one created by Flora Stevenson in Elbow Park.

"It's a beautiful, handmade, really old dollhouse that I found on Kijiji to make our Little Free Library," Stevenson told the Calgary Eyeopener.

After moving  to the neighbourhood about a year ago, Stevenson said she was inspired to create a Little Free Library for her two children, ages three and one.

It now sits in front of Stevenson's home in the 300 block of 38th Avenue S.W.

"I've always loved the project Little Free Library and I wanted to make something creative and something my kids would love," she said.

"I wanted to make this library a dollhouse so my daughter would be excited to put her little books inside. We have children's books inside and adult books as well, but we wanted lots of kids around our house."

Made out of teak and described as stunningly beautiful, the dollhouse was being used as a liquor cabinet by its previous owner, said Stevenson.

"Hopefully it's going to stay as beautiful as it is today for many years," she said.

It's only been up for a few days, but the Little Free Library is already getting good use.

"There's been a few times where I come home and there are people standing outside," said Stevenson.

"That's actually pretty cool because you get to know your neighbours. We already met different people we've never seen before because they're walking their dogs and they stop and there's kids around. It's wonderful."


With files from the Calgary Eyeopener