How Can I Build a Doll House

There are some things you need to ask yourself before you begin to build your doll house. Do you have a space in your home or a workshop where you can work on your project and it will not be disturbed during the entire project? How much time do you have to devote to this woodworking project? What is your level of expertise? What type of plans will you use for your level of experience? Once you've tackled these questions and are ready to begin you'll need to know the following.

What type of wood will you use? Two common choices are MDF and plywood. Of course there are more expensive types of wood but if you are just starting out these would be your best choices.

MDF is a type of hardboard, which is made from wood fibers glued under heat and pressure. MDF can be dangerous to use if the correct safety precautions are not taken. MDF contains a substance called urea formaldehyde, which may be released from the material through cutting and sanding. Masks and goggles should always be worn at all times. However, it is easier to work with because it is easy to cut and it doesn't splinter. However, MDF is thick and could alter your measurements so you need to allow for the difference in thickness when measuring.

Plywood is easy to work with and it comes in large sheets. However, plywood does splinter so you will want to take this into consideration. You could need only one piece of 4 foot by 8 foot plywood for the complete outside of the house.

Once you've decided on what type of wood to use, be sure to assemble all the tools you will need. Here's some of the tools you'll need: an all-purpose saw; needle-nose pliers; light weight hammer; small hacksaw; small plane; cross-headed screwdrivers; wood glue; craft saw; craft knife and lots of spare blades; sharp scissors; ruler; pencils; and a set of different sandpaper grades.

Be sure and read all the instructions before you begin. Lay out the instructions so you can refer to them. Don't forget to take progress pictures. When you complete your doll house you can have the pictures to show how you progressed to the end of your project. Remember doll houses are built by two standard scales - either the 1/12th scale or the 1/24th scale. The ½ scale is 12 times smaller than real size and it's the easiest and most popular scale.

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