I've spent a couple of weeks getting the dollhouse kit ready for assembly. I punched out all the parts, sanded them, and sorted them by component. I used rubber bands to keep related pieces together and placed small parts, like brackets, in a styrofoam bowl to prevent losing them. I must emphasize that inexperienced builders should not prepare their kits this way. It's better for new builders to wait until the instruction sheet calls for specific parts before punching them out. Removing parts too early can lead to confusion, even if they are labeled, and small pieces can easily get lost. I can identify about 95% of these parts just by looking at them, and I can figure out the rest during assembly. If anything is lost, I can recreate it.
Preparing the kit is time-consuming and requires a significant commitment, which many people overlook. When they see "kit," they often assume they will have a completed dollhouse ready for decorating by the end of the day. However, tab-and-slot dollhouses require preparation before assembly; they are not ready to go straight out of the box. The kit includes wood sheets, schematics, and assembly instructions. You must do the woodworking yourself.
This particular Willowcrest Dollhouse kit is older but intact. Unfortunately, some wood sheets were brittle, causing parts to delaminate, crumble, or break during removal. One sheet had incomplete cuts, which also resulted in broken pieces. Some of these can be repaired, while others will need to be scrapped and recreated. The pile of scraps on my desk consists of window parts that I need to fit together like a puzzle for repairs. Repairing is straightforward: just align the broken pieces, glue them, and clamp with a binder clip until dry. After that, you can sand them smooth and use spackle to fill any gaps if necessary.
When dealing with many similar square parts, it's best to sort them by matching their wood grain with larger walls or floors from each sheet and then checking how many square parts are needed according to the instructions. This method helps identify risers, steps, and other similarly shaped pieces. I always wait for that step in the instructions before looking for those parts.
I also prepared the siding and shingles included in the kit to save money. The siding comes in strips attached together in sheets, which you need to separate for use. This is easy - just roll the siding sheet at the joints one way and then the other; this loosens the strips so they fall off easily without pulling. These kits usually contain more siding strips than needed, so if you encounter a difficult sheet, it's okay to scrap it. If rolling doesn't loosen the strips, they will likely split when you try to pry them apart due to incomplete cuts.
I typically discard the kit shingles because they are hard to separate since they also come in sheets. However, these square shingles are different; you can roll the sheets like the siding. After rolling one way and then the other, the shingles come off in strips that can be snapped apart easily without wasting materials.
