How to Build a Large Barbie House

Building a large Barbie house for your kids is a fun way to get started with a woodworking hobby. You'll learn some basic woodworking skills such as measurement, cutting, nailing and general construction--and your kids will be delighted with their Barbie dolls' new large, customized "living" space. Once you've finished building Barbie's main house, why not use the skills you've learned on another house project? As you know, Barbie's wardrobe alone may require a separate outbuilding.

Things You'll Need

• 4 plywood boards: 2 by 6 by ¼ inch
• Staples
• Staple gun
• 2 plywood boards: 1 1/4 foot by 6 inch by ¼ inch
• 1 plywood board: 4 x 4 by ¼ inch
• Jigsaw
• Sandpaper
• Paint (any colors)

Instructions

1. Build a wooden box frame using four 2-foot by 6-inch plywood boards. Attach the pieces by driving staples into each corner of the frame using a staple gun.

2. Attach two 1 1/4-foot by 6-inch plywood boards to each other at a 90-degree angle, using the staple gun to attach the pieces.

3. Attach the right angle created by the two 1 1/4-foot boards to one side of the frame, using the staple gun. The right-angle boards should be attached to the frame so that the angle and frame together create a square with a triangle above it.

4. Insert a 2-foot by 6-inch plywood board into the frame and attach it to the frame using the staple gun. This board should be placed one foot from either the top or bottom of the frame parallel to both the top and bottom.

5. Place the structure over a 4-foot by 4-foot plywood board. Trace the outer edges of the structure onto the board with a pencil.

6. Cut out the shape from the board with a jigsaw and attach it to the structure to create a house-shaped wooden box. Use the staple gun to attach the pieces. You should now have a plain Barbie doll house with two floors and an attic.

7. Sand down the wood until it’s smooth. Now it's time to go for the glitz: Paint and decorate your Barbie house. Decoration can include painting furniture into the inside of the walls, creating closets fashioned from cardboard, cutting windows and adding doors to the exterior, and painting or gluing on small artificial bushes or plants for outdoor landscaping. Let your creativity run free, but first make sure to consult your Barbie house's intended owner, who will have her own ideas about the paint tones and décor choices.

References

• Crazy For Barbie: Build Barbie Dollhouses

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish