Building Your Own Dollhouse

Dollhouses, since the turn of the 17th century, have never failed to captivate both children and even the child at heart with its whimsical appeal. Dollhouses were invented as toys for the privileged. At present, the dollhouse is still widely popular among kids and adults, who even care for and furnish it with lavish trappings to make it look even more amusing.

There are a lot of ways by which you can start building your own dollhouse. You can begin by designing your own plan, building a dollhouse from a kit or an existing plan. Building a dollhouse from a kit is by far the simplest way to get you started on your dollhouse. Especially if you lack, or have no experience on building dollhouses yet, making one from your own design or an existing plan can be harder than in seems. If you are a newbie, you may want to build your first dollhouse from a kit.

There are also ready-made plans of dollhouses available in the market if you cannot think of a particular design. But if you are more comfortable building from your own plan then you may do so. Here are some tips to get you started in building your own dollhouse.
First is to decide what purpose your dollhouse is for. Whether you are going to use it as decoration for your collection or a playhouse for your children, deciding how you intend to use your dollhouse can help you figure out how to and what to make it with.

Next step is to determine your scale. Miniature dollhouses are usually on a scale of 1/12 scale or 1 inch per real-life foot. There is a wide selection of furnishings and other accessories available for this scale because it is commonly used. The standard room for a dollhouse is usually eight inches high although room sizes may differ. You may increase an inch or two to your dollhouse’s room to achieve more space to it.

Also, decide on the dollhouse’s size and shape. A one-story, one-room cottage is the simplest dollhouse you can achieve. If you want it more lavish you can choose from as many multistory blends like gingerbread Victorian dripping and Venetian palazzo, among others. You can now start making it.

Create a pattern with the use of a paper, pencil and ruler. A simple cottage will need six pieces inclusive of two roof pieces, the base and three walls. The fourth wall, on the other hand, is used for play and display purposes. Make sure to keep measure the scale properly and mark holes for the door and window. ¾ inch and 3/8-inch plywood make a good solid base and nice wall and roofing material, respectively. Mark the wood using your pattern pieces.

Cut the wood by hand or you can use a circular saw to save more time. Cut out the doors and windows, drilling holes in all the cutouts’ corners with an electric drill. Then, smoothen out the edges with sandpaper. Connect the walls to the base using wood glue and nails, doing the same with the roof as well. Finish it off by polishing the nails over again with sandpaper and painting it, if desired.