Constructing A Dolls House

Choice:

There is a lot of discussion about what type of material is better for dolls houses or other scale buildings, should you use MDF (medium density fiberboard) or Birch Plywood? What are the differences for dolls house or miniature scale buildings?

Medium Density Fiberboard - MDF

MDF is Medium Density fiberboard (not particleboard). It is a durable wood product with an even density throughout. This makes it easy to cut precise edges and shapes. On a dolls house this allows detail like a pre cut exterior siding finish which requires no cutting and gluing of additional pieces of wood siding. MDF requires power tools to cut well, it creates very fine dust. It is very resistant to water penetration, although it will dent and split more readily than plywood. MDF is usually found at thicknesses of 1/4 inch up. 3/8in. MDF is the most common thickness for dolls houses and similar structures.

MDF has a very even surface. Unfortunately it does dent and chip. It is also much heavier than a similar thickness of plywood. Large doll houses or other

structures made of mdf will be very  heavy. MDF does not take nails

or screws easily. Joins are best glued and dowelled.

MDF is very hard to attach brads to, so electrical systems which use

brads and pins  may be difficult to attach. MDF can be milled, so doll houses with exterior trims such as siding, may have this texture milled

into the mdf, making initial finishing much simpler but future exterior changes or additions will be difficult or impossible.

 

Baltic Birch Plywood

Baltic Birch Plywood is a plywood with a very fine wood grain available in several different ply numbers and thicknesses. The more plys (layers) there are, the more stable the board is. Baltic Birch plywood has a finer grain than does most other plywood. Its method of construction means there are no holes or voids in between the layers. It can be found in thicknesses from 1/8 inch up. Baltic Birch plywood does have a wood grain, but it is a very fine and flat surface which takes paint well. Baltic Birch Plywood can be used at a thickness of 1/4 inch to construct dolls houses and other miniature buildings.

Baltic Birch Plywood is considerably lighter than MDF of a similar size. It is stronger for it's thickness than MDF. Plywood easily accepts screws, nails and brads. Using electrical tapewire systems in plywood structures is easier than in those made of MDF.

Baltic Birch Plywood is considerably lighter than MDF of a similar size. It is stronger for it's thickness than MDF. Plywood easily accepts screws, nails and brads. Using electrical tapewire systems in plywood structures is easier than in those made of MDF. To construct dolls houses which need a finished interior, you need plywood which is good on both sides, or you must cover the surface with another covering.

 

Site Design  -  A Tiny World -  2011

Preperation

If you have purchased a kit, your house has just been delivered you open the box and then you see all those pieces that need putting together (please don't be put off it will be well worth it).

The first thing you need to do is find a space big enough to work on (the kitchen table is normally big enough) then find the instruction leaflet and contents list and check you have all the correct parts listed. If you are missing any parts or any pieces are broken then contact the retailer, who will advise you what to do next.

Next using the questions below write down your answers and then separate the parts mentioned in each question so that they can be worked on separately:

1. How do you want to treat the walls, windows,exterior door and exterior trims like quoins window sills etc and what colour do you wish to use i.e. paint, stain, varnish?

Choose which treatment you wish to use and then separate all of the items from the rest of the house.( Place them on a tray that can easily be moved around and the items can be painted or stained on the tray).

2. How do you want to treat the interior doors and again what colour do you wish to use? Then separat the same as the items in question one.

3.How do you want to treat the stairs ie complete carpet, carpet up the middle or painted/stained. Then separate onto the tray with the other items.

 

Assembly

Once you have separated these items you should be left with the main body of the house, for this next bit you will need to have some masking tape to hand so that you can build the house without gluing it, it is best not to glue the house yet.

Following the instructions received with the house put together the back, sides and floors using the masking tape to hold the edges together, this gives you a good idea of the size of the house and of the rooms.

Leave the house built like this for a day or two so that you can decide what rooms you want and where you want them.

Once you are happy with the layout you can assemble the house.

 

 

Quick Build Instructions

1. Read ALL of the instructions before beginning assembly.

2. Assemble shell according to instructions.

3. Install basic wiring if you plan to do so. If you are going to have electric lighting in your doll house you should plan this before you start dolls house building. If you have an MDF doll house you can very easily disguise the lighting wires by cutting small v shaped grooves in the floor of each room of your house to run the wires along. These can then be covered with carpet so you can't see they are there. You need to plan your lighting and cut the grooves before dolls house building. You don't need to plan where every light will go but you need to have an idea of where you will place your lights.

4. Paint or paper ceilings.5. Paint or paper the walls.

6. Install carpeting, hardwood or tile flooring.

7. Paint or stain any interior trim such as window and door casings.8. Paint or stain staircases. Install staircases.

9. Install windows and doors and all interior trim and mouldings.

10. Furnish & accessorise the project.

11. Populate the project. No house would be complete without a doll family & pet/s to live in it.

12. Enjoy the process. Take your time, sometimes people are in too much of a hurry to finish a project.

13. Please note : The dolls house hobby can be very addictive! Miniaturists rarely stop at one project.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to build a house?

Answer - Never rush it! Some higher quality houses are glue together and some are screw together. When building a glue together kit, don't try to do it all in one go. Wait for glue to dry thoroughly before adding further parts and similarly wait a day between coats of paint. The finished house will be much better through having patience. Some of the budget houses are screw together and could be built in a couple of hours.

Should I wall paper first then build or the other way round?

Answer - This is really down to your preference, though many instructions say paper first. Don't try to wrap paper around a corner like you would with paper in your full sized house as it rarely looks good. Better to cut each wall individually.

How do I get a good finish on the paintwork?

Answer - Use a small foam roller as it gives a very fine texture to the finish with no brush marks. It means doing more coats but the finish is much better.

Step By Step Instructions

If you have found this interesting, please visit our information pages. We have instruction pages on fitting electrics and interior decorating as well as a host of other miniature information.