How To Build A Scrap Wood Dollhouse

                                                        Picture from Martha Stewart 

Here is a great way to make a really simple little dollhouse. It is really just a wall and a floor but it can be decorated just the way you want it and furnished with dollhouse furniture. This article is quoted from Martha  Stewart
http://www.marthastewart.com/869632/scrap-wood-dollhouse
                                                               


Use extra wood to build a simple dollhouse for your child with this how-to from blogger Joel Henriques's "Made to Play!"


Tools and Materials
Two pieces of wood in any size (our floor board was 7 inches by 9 inches and our wall board was 8 inches by 9 inches)
Nails or screws
Paint, stain, or finish
Wood glue
Saw
Drill
Beeswax
Various found objects, scrap wood, scrap fabric
Scrap-Wood Dollhouse How-To
1. Sand boards and nail or screw together along one edge. Paint, stain, or finish as desired.
2. Use found objects and your imagination to make furniture and decorations:


To make a bench, attach two 2-inch rectangular scrap pieces of wood together with glue. Upholster by wrapping a thin rectangle of cardboard with scrap fabric.
To make a potted plant, cut a small section of a dowel, sand, and drill a small hole in the middle of one end. Stand a twig or plant clipping in the hole. (Tip: To smooth and protect scraps of wood, rub with beeswax.)
To decorate the wall, scan and shrink children's artwork, draw your own, or hang a small printed photo.
To make a rug, cut a piece of faux fur or fringe the edges of a small piece of fabric.

Quoted from Martha Stewart

This is a really simple little dollhouse. In Fact it's not a dollhouse at all really but just a wall and a floor. But little girls love it and can play with it for hours. For more in formation about building dollhouses see our website  Dollhouses. You can also see a video at  Dollhouse video.

Dollhouse Building Materials

Dollhouses can be successfully built from a number of different materials.Plywood of various types and thicknesses is very often used. Fiberboard and even heavy cardboard are easy to cut and work well. Here is an articl on the subjecte published by About.com: http://miniatures.about.com/od/materialsforminiatures/bb/mdfbalticbirch.htm which was authored by Leslie Shepherd:  http://miniatures.about.com/bio/Lesley-Shepherd-26104.htm

Learn which materials are used to build dolls'houses and scale buildings. The materials you use may influence your choice of building components like windows and doors, or determine how you should best finish your house. Each type of materials ans pros and cons. Before you start construction, read about these materials to familiarize yourself with the tools, techniques, and characteristics of the various building materials.
Baltic Birch Vs Medium Density Fiberboard


Dolls houses and other miniature scale buildings often come as kits or completed structures made from MDF (medium density fiberboard) or Baltic Birch plywood. There are pros and cons to each material which are discussed here. Both materials give off some gasses, so they should never be left unfinished. Plywood structures are lighter and can be built to be dismantled or added on to at a later date. The decision of which to use is personal, but this article gives you some of the pros and cons of each material. If you use MDF, make sure you prime it before you paint. How to Prime Mdf
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 / Aircraft Plywood? What are the differences for dolls house or miniature scale buildings? Each material has strengths and weaknesses that may affect how your scale building survives, or even the technques you use to build and finish it.
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. 3/8 in. MDF is the most common thickness for dolls houses and similar structures. Lines for Electrical Wiring can be easily "cut" in MDF with common grout cleaning tool or grout saw
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. It is often found sold as 'aircraft plywood' in hobby and model stores.
Pros and Cons to Using MDF for Dollhouses and Other Miniature 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. As MDF absorbs water, it is best primed to prevent 'fuzzies' from occuring on a painted mdf surface.How to Prime MDF For a Better Paint Finish
Pros and Cons to Using Baltic Birch Plywood for Dolls Houses & Other Structures


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 worst side with siding or some other finish.

The above article is quoted from About.com: http://miniatures.about.com/od/materialsforminiatures/bb/mdfbalticbirch.htm

Building dollhouses is a great home business and can be an excellent money maker. See this video for info: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWgqZ1vN3bU. You can start your own businees building dollhouses. See our website  http://www.builddollhouses.com