I filled the small gap in the staircase with spackle, then sanded and painted it smooth.
Next, I started siding the back walls. When applying the siding here, ensure it is flush with the edge facing the dollhouse, as that edge has no trim and needs a clean finish. After the siding dried, I glued on the last two corner boards and the top fascia. I wanted to start shingling today, but the shingles that came with the dollhouse are unusable. They are old and brittle, cracking and splitting when I try to cut them. It would be too difficult to hand-cut each strip, so I discarded them and used different shingles instead.
I completed all of the interior trim work, trimming and varnishing the ceilings and floors. I used skewers for the ceilings and thin sticks for the baseboards, along with small wooden pegs around the attic dormers. I glued on the curtains using hot melt glue, attaching them only to the interior window trim so I can redecorate later if I wish. I also finished all of the back edge trim work.
For shingling, the easiest method is to create a paper template and glue a finished panel to the roof of the dollhouse. I bought a roll of brown postal paper, which will blend well with my stained shingles. Unsure of what color to stain them, I chose a dark shade that matches the interior trim, thinking it would complement the dollhouse's color scheme. For the dormer rooftops, I simply applied shingles directly over the roof ridge.
