The key to creating a patterned shingle design is ensuring that your design is perfectly centered on the roof. Even a slight misalignment in the first row of shingles can throw off the entire pattern, so it's essential to start with a centered row. This means that the shingles at both edges must be cut identically; you cannot have one whole shingle on one side and half of one on the other. Instead, both end shingles should be cut in half to ensure symmetry.
I am using hexagon-shaped laser-cut shingle strips that I stained darker than their natural color, along with loose birch veneer shingles that I also cut into hexagons. The tutorial I followed focuses on the shingle strips, but if you have loose shingles and want to create a patterned roof, you can refer to another tutorial for guidance.
For the first row of shingles, I applied them upside down to create a straight line along the bottom edge of the roof. I plan to avoid using corner trim on this roof, but it may be necessary depending on how accurately I can make my angle cuts. If the corner shingles fit tightly together, I might not need trim. However, the quality of the wood can vary, affecting how smoothly the shingles cut. If corner trim is required for a stained shingle roof like this one, it should be stained to match the other shingles. It's best to design directly on your dollhouse roof rather than using a template. Templates can lead to misalignment and may not accurately reflect how the design will look once applied.
