I finally customized a dust cover for my dollhouse after some time and effort. This project had many challenges, and making the dust cover was actually more difficult than assembling the dollhouse itself. While you can order a custom display case for a few hundred dollars, I managed to create mine for under $50, though it wasn't easy.
The case needed to be large enough to cover the entire dollhouse, which is in half-inch scale. To make it lighter and easier to work with, I chose thinner acrylic that can be cut with scissors instead of the thicker kind that requires a craft knife. Longer cuts are harder to manage, so scissors made the process much simpler. Using thinner material also kept the dust cover lightweight and easy to lift. I avoided the acrylic at the hardware store, even though they offer straight cuts, because it was too heavy.
It can be tricky to tell if a poster frame has thin or thick acrylic until you open it. A good rule of thumb is where you find it in the store. Frames in the housewares section usually have thick acrylic, while those near the posters are more likely to have thin acrylic. Thinner acrylic also means cheaper frames.
To hold the thin acrylic together, I made a frame using painted wooden sticks. I measured their height and glued them in an L shape to form corners. After measuring and cutting the acrylic, I sanded its edges slightly to help the glue adhere better. I attached the acrylic to the corner frames, creating a four-sided display box. I added an extra frame across the top for stability and to secure the top cover.
For the top cover, I cut a piece of acrylic that rests on the horizontal frames and secured it with small pieces of clear packing tape on each side. The tape is nearly invisible. This case is light enough to lift easily for access to the dollhouse's interior and landscaping. Its purpose is to keep out dust and hands, but it won't protect against impacts. Most dollhouses don't need such a large custom display case, but my Fairfield Dollhouse has an architectural design that makes it hard to cover just the back openings. It's also small enough that it collects dust quickly on its exterior and landscaping, so covering it completely is more effective.
Although making this case was challenging and time-consuming, it's worth it in the long run. My other dollhouses have back dust covers, and they have stayed dust-free with their miniatures safe for years.
You can visit this dollhouse gallery here.
