Today, I prepared my workspace for assembling a larger dollhouse in my dining room, where I have limited space. I covered the table with a thick plastic tablecloth, securing the corners with masking tape to prevent it from sliding and to protect the table's edges. I organized all the tools I would need in a drawer from my craft cart, making it easy to find everything since they are all in one place. I placed this toolbox on a chair, keeping all my materials, including the dollhouse sheets, together for better organization.
After opening the dollhouse box, I numbered the sheets with a black marker for quick reference and propped them up in sequential order. This setup allows me to flip through them like pages in a book, making it easier to find what I need. I kept the box underneath to catch any loose parts that might fall. While some builders worry that propping up wooden sheets could cause warping, I haven’t experienced this as long as I assemble in a low-humidity area.
I cut out the front and back views from the kit box with a box cutter, as this image is very helpful during assembly. It's important to keep the acetate dollhouse windows away from my workspace until I'm ready to use them to avoid scratches and damage.
I started by building the foundation sub-assembly, ensuring it was clamped squarely and tightly while it dried. The next step involves assembling the dollhouse shell according to the instructions. I find it helpful to dry fit the pieces first, then lift them slightly to apply glue and clamp them together. This method prevents glue from running everywhere and minimizes mess. Masking tape is essential during this process since there are few areas for clamps.
Once the structure is assembled, I reinforced the joints with additional wood glue, as all of it will be covered later with wallpaper and flooring. It's crucial that all joints fit tightly and flush without any gaps; otherwise, future components like staircases and partitions may not fit correctly. Using a mallet can help tap stubborn tabs into place.
After assembling the shell, I moved it aside but double-checked that nothing had shifted during construction. It’s important to ensure everything is still tight and straight, especially the foundation support beam, which can shift easily. If it's leaning, I can adjust it from underneath without lifting the dollhouse. Currently, I'm only able to apply extra glue on the wall and floor joints. Tomorrow, I plan to lay the dollhouse on its back to reinforce all wall-to-wall and wall-to-ceiling joints.
I began working on the staircase assembly next. Patience is key here; I only punch out the pieces specified in the instructions and mark them immediately for easy identification. Sheet 12 is divided into 12 and 12A, which can be confusing since the schematics don’t match these sheets. To simplify things, I recommend selecting 10 treads and 10 risers from anywhere on the sheet while ensuring you have the correct first riser for your staircase. If you plan to stain or paint your staircase completely, assemble it first and then stain/paint everything at once after it has dried. I chose a mixture of varnish and acrylic paint for staining.
After assembling with risers in place, I stained treads and landings separately and used spackle to smooth out any gaps since this assembly will be covered with trim. Before installing the staircase assembly, I glued on as much trim as possible but made sure to follow instructions closely so that parts added before installation don’t interfere with fitting into the dollhouse. I also used staircase punch-outs for decorative designs on top of the trim.
While waiting for the staircase to dry, I turned the entire shell upside down to reinforce all wall and ceiling joints with glue before letting them dry completely.
