Tiny things are made of awesome!

Welcome! 

My name is Gina, and I have been working with miniatures for over thirty years. I specialize in one-inch scale, tab-and-slot, all-wooden dollhouses, but I have also assembled several cabinet-grade dollhouses and dollhouses in other scales. Please visit my gallery to view all of my dollhouses. 

I created my blog, More Minis Dollhouses, to introduce new miniature enthusiasts to this wonderful hobby through easy tutorials and step-by-step dollhouse constructions. My mission is to assist new miniaturists and novice builders in becoming familiar with the tab-and-slot dollhouse assembly process. 

More Minis Dollhouses will always be your top destination for step-by-step assembly blogs featuring popular tab-and-slot dollhouses from Greenleaf and Corona Concepts. Whether you're an experienced builder or new to the hobby, I've compiled years of dollhouse assembly experience to create the most comprehensive tab-and-slot dollhouse blog available.

Don't forget to visit More Minis Miniatures for tips and tutorials on DIY miniature room boxes and dollhouses.

My Farewell To The Miniature Community 

Introduction To Dollhouses

More Minis Dollhouses Project Planner
Frequently Asked Questions
Types Of Dollhouses
Finishing Your Dollhouse
Displaying Your Dollhouse
Preparing A Dollhouse Assembly Area

Dollhouse Assembly Guides

Dollhouse Shell Assembly Guide
Dollhouse Siding Guide
Dollhouse Roofing Guide
Dollhouse Shingling Guide
Dollhouse Wallpapering Guide
Dollhouse Flooring Guide
Dollhouse Window Guide
Dollhouse Door Guide
Dollhouse Back Cover and Display Case Guide

Blogged Dollhouse Assemblies

The Alison Jr Dollhouse
The Arthur Dollhouse
The Arthur Dollhouse (Quarter Scale)
The Aster Cottage Dollhouse
The Beacon Hill Dollhouse
The Beacon Hill Dollhouse Revisited (Advanced)
The Beacon Hill Dollhouse (Micro Scale)
The Brimbles Mercantile Dollhouse
The Buttercup Cottage Dollhouse
The Buttercup Cottage Dollhouse Revisited
The Buttercup Cottage Dollhouse Revisited Again
The Chantilly Dollhouse (Half Scale)
The Cheltenham Dollhouse
The Cheltenham Dollhouse Rehab
The Coventry Cottage Dollhouse
The Custom Rehab Dollhouse
The Diana Dollhouse (Half Scale)
The Emerson Row Dollhouse
The Fairfield Dollhouse (Half Scale)
The Fairfield Dollhouse (Half Scale) Revisited (Advanced)
The Garfield Dollhouse
The Garfield Dollhouse (Micro Scale)
The Glencroft Dollhouse
The Glencroft Dollhouse Revisited
The Gloucester Dollhouse
The Harrison Dollhouse
The Haunted House Dollhouse
The Lighthouse Dollhouse (Half Scale)
The Lily Dollhouse
The Lily Dollhouse Revisited (Advanced)
The Loganberry Mill Dollhouse
The McKinley Dollhouse
The Orchid Dollhouse
The Pierce Dollhouse
The Pierce Dollhouse Revisited
The Primrose Dollhouse
The Rosedale Dollhouse
The Rosedale Dollhouse Revisited
The Storybook Cottage Dollhouse
The Sugarplum Cottage Dollhouse
The Sugarplum Cottage Dollhouse Revisited
The Tennyson Dollhouse
The Vermont Farmhouse Jr Dollhouse
The Vineyard Cottage Dollhouse
The Washington 2.0 Dollhouse
The Westville Dollhouse
The Willowcrest Dollhouse
The Willowcrest Dollhouse Revisited (Advanced)

Blogged Furniture Assemblies

Chrysnbon Furniture Kits
Greenleaf/Corona Concepts Furniture Kits

More Information

Gingerbread Buttercup Cottage Dollhouse (Half Scale)
Quarter Scale Dollhouse Projects
Spotlight - Greenleaf Dollhouses
Real Life Sized Dollhouses
More Minis Dollhouses Greenleaf Gazette Features
Terms and Conditions
More Minis Dollhouses does not sell dollhouses, dollhouse kits, accessories or assembly services. Therefore, if you are interested in any of the dollhouses featured on this blog, you must purchase the unassembled, unfinished kit directly from the manufacturer or your miniatures dealer. After that, bookmark this page for assistance with your assembly.

My Farewell To The Miniature Community

The Dollhouse Hobby: From Gatekept Guild to Open Access, and Somewhere In Between

I’ve been building wooden dollhouses for more than thirty years, and I’ve watched this hobby go through transformations I could never have imagined when I started in my early twenties. When I look back now, it’s like watching two different worlds connected by glue, paint, and an awful lot of sawdust — one ruled by exclusivity and quiet secrecy, the other by YouTube playlists and DIY kits.

When I first entered the world of miniatures, it was a tightly guarded realm. You had to earn your place. That meant traveling to shows, joining expensive clubs, networking with artisans, and—if you were lucky—seeing your work featured in a magazine. Techniques were secrets to be traded only after years of mutual trust. Supplies were specialized, and tiny creations sold for prices that made the hobby feel like an investment portfolio rather than a pastime.

The truth is, I never liked that system. It was talent bottled up and shared only among a few, and it made the hobby inaccessible to anyone without means or connections. I’ve never believed art or craftsmanship should belong to an elite circle.

But now, all those walls have crumbled, and somehow it doesn’t feel entirely like a victory. The internet has made tutorials for every skill imaginable available to anyone who wants to learn. The knowledge that used to be hard-won is one search away. Clubs have vanished, magazines are relics, and shows draw smaller crowds each year. Kits—pre-designed, mass-produced, and often imported—dominate the market. You don’t have to know how to build a dollhouse anymore; you just have to assemble one.

It’s not that I want to go back to the elitist days, but I miss the sense of mastery that came from learning by doing, experimenting, and connecting with artisans who lived and breathed the craft. I miss the smell of sawdust in vendor halls and meeting people who obsessed over wood grain and miniature joinery. Today, it feels like the soul of the hobby is fading — not from gatekeeping, but from over-simplification.

Still, I have to believe there’s a middle ground. The same technology that diluted the craft can also preserve it. I’ve seen young builders take a humble kit and evolve into true artisans, incorporating 3D printing, laser cutting, and old-fashioned hand tools in the same project. Maybe that’s where our community’s future lies — not in reliving the past, but in blending tradition and innovation to rediscover the artistry that made this hobby magical in the first place.

After three decades of building, I’ve decided to set down my saw and glue for good. I won’t be constructing new dollhouses or blogging about new projects anymore. Instead, I’ll simply nurture the collection I already have — repairing broken hinges, dusting off tiny rooms, and maybe adding the occasional enhancement. The miniature world gave me years of joy, patience, and purpose, and though I’m moving on to new interests, part of me will always live inside those little wooden walls.

Don’t worry, this blog will remain to help new builders experience the same joy I’ve felt over the years.

Gina - 2025

The Alison Jr Dollhouse Day 27

The front of the dollhouse is finished, the most difficult part due to dormers. Templates couldn't be used, so each shingle was adhered directly to the roof panel. 

The shingle pattern differed slightly from the reference photo; cross designs and dots were swapped because the pattern didn’t line up, likely due to a different lap width. 

Despite this, the adjustment worked, and the dollhouse is now complete. 

The Alison Jr Dollhouse Day 26

The tower pattern remains cohesive, wrapping around the left side of the dollhouse. This approach ensures design continuity while accommodating the tower's unique shape and placement relative to the rest of the structure.

The Alison Jr Dollhouse Day 25

The shingling process has begun. Though tedious due to the pattern followed, it will be worthwhile. Since the dollhouse lacked customization, the shingle pattern adds detail, though modified for the lap width used. 

The right side is complete, using templates to adhere shingles. A faux stain of diluted acrylic paint in dark and light gray provided contrast, and sandpaper was used downward on the shingles for a rougher texture. 

This method aligns with recommended dollhouse shingling techniques, including starting from the bottom, using templates for consistent shingle size, and applying paint and sanding for texture and contrast.

The Alison Jr Dollhouse Day 24

I installed the front porch step today and continued the same foundation paper around the step to match.

The Alison Jr Dollhouse Day 23

Today I worked on the interior trim, which took several days to complete. Though tedious and time-consuming, it’s essential — without trim, a dollhouse looks unfinished. The trim tidies rough edges, corrects wall and floor slants, and hides gaps or uneven wallpaper edges.

For this dollhouse, I added both flooring and ceiling trim and framed the walk-through openings. Finding strip wood has become difficult — Michaels no longer carries it, and Hobby Lobby’s stock is limited. Buy all you need at once since restocks are unpredictable. I had to visit two Hobby Lobby stores to find enough, and I suspect these materials may not be available much longer.

As alternatives, you can use Skinny Sticks, fabric trim, or even dowels for floor and ceiling trim. In this hobby, flexibility is key. 

The first-floor staircase opening includes a groove fill for a clean floor transition, but the second floor does not. To finish the exposed third-floor edge, cover it with a scrap of wallpaper matching the second-floor staircase room. This creates a polished look, while the other edges can remain as they are since they won’t be visible.

        

       

The Alison Jr Dollhouse Day 22

I finally installed the foundation paper. It’s lighter than I wanted but looks fine. I’ll leave the back foundation painted only.

I also added a doorknob to the front screen door.

The dollhouse looks rough without trim, but I bought all the trim Hobby Lobby had so I can start the interior trimming tomorrow. I may need to return for the back edge trim later, but there’s still time for that.

The Alison Jr Dollhouse Day 21

Today I installed the tower and all the gingerbread trim. 

I added a cork scrapbook paper “floor” to the tower room to give it an outdoor feel since I plan to turn it into a rooftop garden with a small “shed.” The tower walls aren’t as straight as I’d hoped, but it’s not noticeable unless you look at the roof from above. 

Keep your brackets and gingerbread as straight as possible. You may want to measure the side walls to space the brackets evenly, though I eyeballed it and it turned out fine. 

   

The Alison Jr Dollhouse Day 20

With the wallpapering finished, I was able to move quickly on the dollhouse. I installed the top roof, painting both sides beforehand to make the process easier. One side serves as the third-floor ceiling, and the other as the flat exterior roof, where I plan to create a rooftop garden since there isn’t enough space for a side garden like the Vermont Farmhouse Jr. Dollhouse had.

Next, I added the final third-floor windows, including the dormers. The dormer windows were somewhat confusing, so I’m not sure if I used the correct trim, but I’m happy with how they turned out. The dormers must be fully assembled separately before attaching them to their openings.

Be sure to paint all sides and edges, as it’s hard to know which parts will be visible from either the interior or exterior. This includes the edges around the roof panel openings where the dormers are glued.

The Alison Jr Dollhouse Day 19

I’m now moving to the top section. Before installing the roof panels, paint and attach the roof trim to keep the panels secure and prevent them from sliding.  

I primed and wallpapered the roof panels before assembly. Although this can be done later, I ran out of Stik Flat glue and switched to Mod Podge because I didn’t want to buy more small jars at $7.99 each or make a 20-mile trip to Hobby Lobby. The higher price on Amazon made that option impractical.  

Mod Podge isn’t ideal for wallpapering dollhouses, especially large one-inch scale panels, because it wets the paper too much and dries too fast, leaving little time for adjustment. However, it works adequately on unassembled walls.  

Let the wallpaper dry naturally. While wet, Mod Podge can cause warping and wrinkles that will crease if flattened prematurely. Once dry, it will shrink and smooth out.  

I also assembled and wallpapered the tower room.

    

The Alison Jr Dollhouse Day 18

I’m preparing to install the staircases now. You can choose to leave them out if you prefer, as some people dislike how much space they occupy. However, that would require modifying the floors since they already have openings for the staircases. If you intend to use the original finished floors without covering them, you’ll run into problems by omitting the staircases.

The staircases come pre-assembled, and all you need to do is finish them. I’m painting mine white. They arrive in four parts that must be joined to form two complete staircases.

Before installation, you must apply groove fill to the second-floor staircase opening. Once that’s done, insert the staircases into the dollhouse. This step can be difficult, especially for the second-floor staircase, and you’ll likely need a mallet to fit them in.

The staircases do not include railings, which must be purchased separately. As I mentioned earlier, I’m keeping things simple and don’t plan to spend extra money on this project. After all, the Critters can climb trees, so they should manage these stairs just fine without railings.

The Alison Jr Dollhouse Day 17

I installed all the interior window and door trims today before moving on to the top of the dollhouse. Instead of preassembling the window trim, I installed each finished piece directly onto the windows and then adjusted them in place. The interior Hobby Lobby door fits perfectly and works well with the interior openings. This will be the only interior door used, as the remaining openings will be left as pass-throughs.

The Alison Jr Dollhouse Day 16

The porch assembly was not too difficult, but many of the parts did not align as well as expected. It requires some patience and viewing from different angles to attach the pieces correctly and keep them straight. I also added the shutters and window boxes. Assemble all the shutters at once and side by side to ensure they are even.