These dye-cut, tab-and-slot furniture kits can be customized to your liking. There's no need to search for pre-assembled furniture that may not match your desired style. With these kits, you can create anything from Victorian to contemporary designs, or even bring back a specific era. The options are limitless. Ordering all the sets provides enough furniture to fill a reasonably sized dollhouse. When assembled properly, these kits are sturdy enough for small hands to play with and are ideal for beginners who want to try decorating before investing in more expensive miniature furniture.
For assembly, I used wood glue and small clamps, but tacky or white glue works too. Although I had only two clamps, I recommend getting at least four to minimize waiting time for the glue to dry. Small clamps are essential for building these kits, as most parts fit together without tabs or slots.
You can stain the pieces before assembly, but I found that glue adheres better to unfinished wood. Use glue sparingly; a little goes a long way with these lightweight parts. Excess glue will be visible after staining since stain does not cover glue. Keep the glue at the joints and clean up any spills with a damp cloth. You can also sand off any excess glue once it has dried. If you choose to stain the parts first, let them dry completely overnight before gluing them together for better adhesion. Avoid varnishing the furniture before assembly, as this will prevent the glue from sticking.
Always remember to stain all pieces before adding mirrors, pictures, plastic, or upholstery. If you plan to paint the pieces different colors, paint them individually before assembling. This is similar to painting dollhouse components. It's more challenging to paint tiny parts different colors after assembly, so always paint first. Use paint sparingly to avoid drips and allow everything to dry between coats.
I use bottles with fine steel tips for my wood glue, which allows for precise application in small amounts—perfect for tiny parts. You can find various sizes of tips for this purpose, similar to what I use for building 1/144th scale dollhouses.
