Let's Build a Dollhouse
Page 1
CUTTING OUT THE DOLLHOUSE
Below is the printable cutting plan. To save the plan to your computer,
with your mouse over the image, right click and select 'save image as'
.
Print two copies, one for the person who is cutting out your dollhouse,
the other for you to follow along.
This step is very easy
Let me begin by saying that I don’t pretend to be a carpenter.
My way of building a dollhouse is probably not the best way. It is simply
the easiest, and most economical way that I know.
I am happy to share it with you.
The most crucial part in building just about anything
is to have all the parts perfectly square.
If you start out building a dollhouse with walls which aren’t cut at a
perfect 90 degrees, you would be off to a bad start. And it could only
get worse from there.
These days, building supply stores, like Home Depot [HD]
offer a cutting service. It’s awesome!
They have enormous saws, which can cut out almost your entire dollhouse
PERFECTLY in minutes. My local HD gives you the first three cuts free,
and charge $1 per cut for each cut after that.
All you have to do to get started is to download the Cutting Plan [right] Print out two copies. One is for the nice Home Depot person who is operating the saw, and one is for you to follow along. It important to write the name on each piece.
Next go to the Home Depot and pick out a piece of ¼ inch thick plywood 4 feet x 8 feet. DON’T TAKE IT HOME ! Take the plywood to the big totally awesome saw, it’s at the back of the store in my local HD. Have the operator cut out your dollhouse. All you have to do is hand him the printout you made of the Cutting Plan.
As long as you write the name, with a pencil, of each
on the part itself, as the HD person hands it to you, you will have no
problems assembling your dollhouse. It is pretty simple, the middle floor
is slightly different in size to the other 2 floors, and it’s important
to mark it correctly.
PLEASE REMEMBER
Lay all of the pieces of of your dollhouse flat when you get them home. Under the bed is a great place . If you lean the pieces against a wall they may bend a bit.
A Few Words About Plywood
Actually, I have very few words to say about plywood as
I don't know that much about it myself. I just know whenever I buy it;
it is referred to as ''good on one side plywood'' .
I really don't know if there is ''good on two sides'' plywood, Or ''not
good on either side'' plywoodl.
"Good on one side plywood'' is just fine for making dollhouses. Just take a look at the dollhouse parts and decide which side looks the best. Use the better side for the inside of the dollhouse. If there are big knot holes in the ''bad'' side, simply fill them with Polyfilla and sand.
When you leave Home Depot with all the
parts cut out, you are well on your way to building your dollhouse.
There is a lot more work to do yet, but it's okay to feel excited at this
point.
I do.
To Save the plan to your computer hold your mouse over the image, right click and select 'save image as'. Print the plan and take to your local Home Depot to get your doll house cut out.
Take a look at the cutting plan before you go to Home Depot or where ever you are having it cut .
It is pretty simple, the middle floor is slightly different in size to the other 2 floors, and it’s important to mark it correctly.This is because the saw eats up about 1/16th of an inch with each cut. Be sure to use this as the middle floor.
Use your copy of the cutting plan to follow along as
the HD man cuts.
Use a pencil to write the name of each
piece as the HD man hands it to you.
I hesitate to put an exact number of cuts needed for cutting out the
rest of the pieces. I find it best not to get bossy, and I just let
the HD man decide how he wants to approach it. The HD cutting service
does not offer angle cuts, so all of the pieces of your dollhouse will
be rectangular we will cut the gable ends next.
Cutting the gable end walls
NOTE: Our local Home Depot now requests that you make an appointment
if you need more than 3 cuts .
This picture is here to remind you that the
walls of
the dollhouse need to be sanded painted in
order to seal the wood. Fill in any holes in the plywood with polifilla
and sand everything.
You don't have to use a
paint brush, a roller makes the task very easy.
It is a good idea to do paint the cut out walls this before you go any further. I used an interior latex paint which I had leftover from
painting my real size house.
It is tempting to skip the part but you will regret it if you do, because painting on bare walls after the dollhouse is already constructed will be much more difficult.Wallpaper won't stick either as the glue gets ''sucked in'' to the thirsty bare wood. It is worth the time in the long run.
Don't paint the floors, unless you are sure that you don't want to stain them
NOTE
The inner walls of the dollhouse are not included in this plan.
We will get to that later.
You can click here to see
the cutting plan for the inner walls
Next
Page 2
Cutting the gable end walls