This Dad Used His Vintage Toy Collection to Create a Homemade “Schitt’s Creek” Playset
If spending time at home during the pandemic inspired you to get a little crafty with items you already had in your home, you’re far from alone. One “Schitt’s Creek” superfan transformed his vintage toy collection into a DIY playset inspired by the fictional town from the hit TV series, sharing that he hopes the sweet tribute is for his toddler, a (hopefully) future fan of the beloved family show.
Todd Cameron, a wedding DJ and karaoke host, recently shared photos of his impressive homemade version of the fictional family’s adopted town on Facebook and on Twitter, revealing that he used five months worth of spare time — and no doubt plenty of creativity — to renovate his vintage toy collection to the show’s instantly recognizable downtown, and it was all inspired by his son, Jack.
“My (almost) 3 year old loves toys and I love Schitt’s Creek and so I used 5 months worth of spare time to renovate my vintage toy collection into my favorite town,” Cameron shared in his post. “In the upcoming years, Jack will learn many valuable lessons such as how to fold in the 🧀 and that a man having a husband is nothing out of the ordinary 👨❤️💋👨🏳️🌈. Won’t you join me for a little stroll through the slice of paradise I like to call the town where I currently am?”
The impeccably detailed display features many of the famous landmarks fans know and love, including the Rose Apothecary, Café Tropical, and — of course — the Rosebud Motel. Cameron told PopSugar that he intended for the project to simply include the into the Rose Apothecary and Café Tropical but his spark of creativity blossomed into a full-fledged playset, including Bob’s Garage, Roland and Jocelyn Schitt’s house, and even Mutt’s barn. He started with an old Sesame Street set and then began working with vintage Fisher-Price toys.
“The idea was never to use five months of spare time, but once I start on a project, I keep going until my mind is satisfied with the result,” he told PopSugar. “My process for each building is just to start with getting the basic shape and structure right and then start in on the details, which to me, are my favorites to work on.”
Cameron’s intricate creation includes all the important details, including the NSFW town sign, Moira’s wig wall, the bus stop bench with Ray Butani’s face on it, Jocelyn’s cheese ball, Johnny’s handwritten signup sheet for access to the family car, and even Stevie’s Sarah McLachlan poster. He created miniature figurines of each main character using Little Tikes dolls, too.
Even though Jack isn’t quite old enough to watch the series that inspired the playset, he loved watching his dad’s project come to life. “Every day for the past three months, my son would approach me working on a different building or character and say, ‘You make for me?'” Cameron told PopSugar. “And I would respond, ‘Yes, I am! They just aren’t ready yet.’ He would always say, ‘I’m so excited!'” He added, “[I realized] that I had given the town of Schitt’s Creek to my son — how very Johnny Rose of me!”
The playset isn’t the only “Schitt’s Creek”-inspired creative project the Nanaimo native has brought to life. Last summer, after his job as a wedding DJ was disrupted by the pandemic, he created a stop motion music video for Alexis Rose’s hit song “A Little Bit Alexis” using Fisher-Price toys, garnering attention from the show’s stars — series co-creator Dan Levy even called it a masterpiece on social media.
For Halloween, Cameron debuted an elaborate holiday display devoted to the Rose family — and yes, there was a fitting tribute to Moira’s return to the big screen, “The Crows Have Eyes III: The Crowening.” Cameron and his wife even dressed up as Moira and David for Halloween, explaining to PopSugar that the beloved series is “the only show that consistently makes [him] not only laugh out loud but also often shed a happy tear or two” — a sentiment its many fans of all ages can surely relate to.