How to Build a Doll House

Doll houses are not only popular with little girls who love to have a house where their dolls can stay, but making doll houses is a popular hobby for adults. Over the years doll houses have become collector's items. There are even museums dedicated to these miniature houses. The final doll house will be a treasured gift for a little girl and will remain a family keepsake even after she grows up. Building doll houses is a joy!

Things You'll Need

• Hardwood
• MDF medium particle fireboard
• Jackknife
• Circular saw
• Graph paper
• Pencil
• Measuring tape and scale
• Carpenter's wood glue
• Duct tape
• Paint
• Wallpaper and other decorative material
• Hammer
• Small Nails

Instructions

Measurements

1. Make your measurements.
   Draw the correct measurement of the interior and exterior walls.
   Measure two large rhombus shaped pieces for the front and back of the roof.
   Measure a narrow strip to make the joint at the top of the roof.
   Measure another strip to make a beam to rest the back portion of the roof.
   Measure two triangular pieces to form the sides of the roof.
   Measure the base of the doll house.
   Measure the number of doors and windows you will need on each wall. The back of this doll house is open so that the child can move her dolls around.

2. The Woodwork
   Buy the required amount of MDF board, based on your measurements for the walls and the roof. Buy a piece of hardwood to make the base of the doll house. Cut the wood and the MDF to measure with a saw. Sand all the pieces of wood until they are smooth.

3. The Walls
   Cut the doors and windows with a jackknife according to your plan. On the MDF walls, glue the exterior and interior walls to the base one at a time. It will be easier if you fix the exterior walls first and then put in the interior walls. Secure the joints with duct tape until the glue dries. Fix a beam between the two side exterior walls at the back of the house to rest the roof.

4. The Roof
   Cut the MDF pieces required to make the roof. Fix the first rhombus shaped pieces of MDF to the top of the front exterior wall. This is best done by laying the doll house flat on the surface. Fix the other end of the rhombus to the beam that forms the top joint of the roof. Fix the other rhombus to the top roof beam and the beam at the back of the doll house. You can use small nails for the roof to keep it firm.

5. The décor
   You can now paint the exterior of the house. If you want, you can put up wallpaper in the rooms. You can also put in carpets and furniture after the paint has dried and it is ready for the doll to move in.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear goggles and gloves while cutting the wood for added safety. Before decorating the house, make sure that all surfaces are properly sanded and that there are no rough edges.

• Avoid the temptation of using plywood for doll houses. Plywood is not firm enough for the house and it splinters easily.