Plan Ahead

• 1). Read through all the instructions to get an idea of how the house should be put together. Try to understand the logic of putting floors down first, why some interior details have to be completed before putting walls up, and what pieces should be painted or stained before they are glued into place. This will help you understand how to complete the project with the highest detail and the fewest errors.
  
  
• 2). Think of neat upgrades. Do you want a hardwood floor instead of the plywood that came with the kit? You can make a hardwood floor for a doll house by gluing small strips of wood down a few at a time. Sand the glue off, and finish sand with 160, then 220, then 320 grit. Stain and varnish, then continue with the instructions.
  
  
• 3). Do you want to put in lighting? Many kits come without lighting, but you can buy an LED lighting kit and install it as you build so that none of the wires are visible.
  
  
• 4). Punch out the wooden parts of the kit carefully so that you don't chip the pieces. If the pieces don't come out easily, use a utility knife to cut them out. Sand the pieces that are going to be finished with paint or stain. Use 120 grit for the edges of all pieces, and use 160 through 320 grit for flat surfaces for a more professional finish.
  
  
• 5). Finish the interior walls before gluing them together. You won't have very good access to these walls after you glue up the structure, so do all the sanding, cutting, painting and wallpapering of interior pieces before it's too late.
  
  
• 6). Glue the walls according to the kit instructions. Use a carpenter's square where possible, and do just two adjoining walls at a time so that the whole thing doesn't fall apart. If you can clamp the walls to the square, do so. Otherwise, use masking tape to hold joints seamlessly together while drying. Wipe off excess glue with a cotton-tipped swab or a paper towel before it dries.
  
  
• 7). Add interior staircases, molding and other accessories before you put on the roof and doors. Any item you can sand and paint before you glue it into place will look better when you are done.
  
  

Exterior Finishing

• 1). When the interior is finished, put the roof on according to the kit instructions. If your roof doesn't come with shingles, consider buying or making shingles for a more realistic doll house. The ends of popsicle sticks make very acceptable shingles. Paint or stain the shingles before you glue them if possible.
  
  
• 2). Paint large flat surfaces on the exterior before you apply trim or gingerbread. This is much easier than gluing everything together, then trying to paint or stain different colors on the tiny trim pieces.
  
  
• 3). Prepaint trim and gingerbread before you glue it on the exterior. Check that the pieces fit before you put the glue on to avoid a sticky mess while you resize misfit pieces. Finish by installing doors and any other items included in the kit. Depending on the scale of your doll house, usually 1/2 or 1 inch to the foot, furnish your doll house with appropriately sized furniture.