Victoria's Farmhouse Dollhouse Kit by Real Good Toys

When deciding on a dollhouse kit, price is likely an important consideration. There are many types of dollhouse kits on the market – from simple to extravagant and everything in between. There are two main types of dollhouses: the dollhouse for the collector and the dollhouse for play. In this blog posting, we examine the three most popular types of dollhouse kits.

Die Cut Dollhouse Kits
The least expensive dollhouse kits are tab and slot die cut dollhouse kits made of 1/8” or 1/4″ thick plywood. These kits are commonly referred to as die cut dollhouses as large steel dies make cuts into thin sheets of plywood scoring the shape of one part of the dollhouse kit to be “punched out” and fitted together with other scored pieces in the kit. This method of manufacturing produces dollhouse kit components with very elaborate designs which often appeal to collectors. Die cut kits usually require more finishing time as the builder of the kit will need to spend more time sanding and filling to give the tab and slot design a finished appearance. Also, these kits are usually not strong enough to hold up to the rugged play of young children. Die cut dollhouse kits will include windows and trim cut from the same thin plywood material and some dollhouse kits may contain roof shingles. Glue is usually the only thing needed to assemble the pieces in the die cut kit. Greenleaf and Corona Concepts are two popular manufacturers of die cut dollhouse kits.

MDF Dollhouse Kits
If you are looking for something a bit sturdier, consider a dollhouse kit made of 3/8” thick MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard). MDF is not particle board. Rather, it is a dense material which consists of wood fibers mixed with a resin compound. Unlike die cut dollhouses, MDF dollhouse kits are made of engineered, pre-cut 3/8” thick pieces that are ready for assembly with nails and glue. The sturdier concept also allows for clapboard siding that is milled directly onto the exterior of the house. MDF kits are sturdy and great for child’s play. Real Good Toys is a very popular manufacturer of MDF dollhouse kits.

Plywood Dollhouse Kits
For a little more money, you can step up to a dollhouse kit made of 3/8” thick cabinet-grade plywood. Also made by Real Good Toys and similar to MDF kits, plywood kits feature engineered pieces are ready for assembly with nails and glue. Plywood dollhouse kits contain exterior siding with milled clapboard, brick or a smooth texture, which you can apply stucco directly too. Both MDF kits and plywood kits in 3/8” thickness aren’t quite as elaborate as die-cut kits, but are much sturdier and feature quality materials resulting in a quality finished product. There are a range of architectural styles to choose among from simple farmhouse to elaborate Victorian dollhouse kits. Real Good Toys makes several high-end dollhouse kits that feature intricate details including molded railings, porch posts and pitched roof lines.

It’s important not to let the exterior style alone become your deciding factor when choosing a dollhouse kit. The material and the ease of construction should be important factors when choosing the right dollhouse kit.

Front Opening Vermont Farmhouse Jr. Dollhouse by Real Good Toys

The dollhouse hobby. It starts with one simple question: to build from scratch or not to build from scratch? If you are new to the hobby and want to construct your first dollhouse kit, the first question you will have to ask yourself is if you want to build a dollhouse from scratch using a set of dollhouse plans, or if you would rather build using a pre-fabricated dollhouse kit.

If you decide that you would prefer to be your own dollhouse contractor, keep in mind that you will need some advanced woodworking skills to design, measure and cut your dollhouse pieces from plywood. Building a dollhouse from scratch isn’t too different than building a real house from scratch. If you are new to the dollhouse hobby or don’t have a flair for using a jigsaw, then a dollhouse kit may be the ideal solution for you.

If you decide to go with a miniature dollhouse kit, we recommend a kit manufactured by Real Good Toys. The dollhouse’s durability will hold up to many years of child’s play. If you plan to construct and decorate the doll house to be displayed as a proud showcase piece, rest assured the quality of materials will make your finished dollhouse an heirloom to be treasured by future generations.

Here are some advantages to building a dollhouse using a dollhouse kit:

1. Easy-to-Assemble: Dollhouse kits contain engineered parts that are pre-cut and ready to assemble. No headaches purchasing raw materials, measuring or sawing.

2. Variety: There are so many different styles and sizes of dollhouse kits to choose among. Whether you fancy a Victorian dollhouse mansion or a simple farmhouse, a dollhouse kit exists. When you decide to go with a dollhouse kit, you are sure to find the exact size and style you desire.

3. Quality: Dollhouse kits, specifically those made by Real Good Toys, have a reputation for quality. Unless you are a skilled carpenter, you will run the risk of making design and construction errors that compromise the quality of your finished product.

4. Unique Architectural Features: Choosing a dollhouse kit allows you to choose beautiful architectural details that would be difficult for you to craft on your own. These architectural details are already built into the kit! These features include interesting pitched roofs, wraparound porches and other details that complete the look of a particular architecture.

5. Options to Upgrade: If you decide to upgrade your dollhouse kit, additions to certain kits are available. You can add on an extra porch or 2-story addition either now or later.

Keep these valuable points in mind as you research and plan your dollhouse miniature projects. Enjoy!

Follow these simple steps for perfect-fit dollhouse doors:

The doors of your dollhouse kit must be fitted in exactly the same way your windows would be installed. See our posting on How to Install Dollhouse Windows. When installing your miniature doors, it is essential that the door frame is flush with the interior wall. If the door frame is not flush with the interior wall, fill in the opening edges with 1/8-inch square wood to build up the door frame so that it is flush with the interior wall. The door trim will fit on top of the square wood pieces, giving your doors a professionally installed look.

Dollhouse interior doors will include wood frames around all four edges of the door. This includes a frame at the bottom of the door called a threshold (this is the lower sill of the doorway). The threshold helps the door to maintain its shape and contains the pin where the door pivots to open and close. You won’t usually find a threshold in real homes since it would make it difficult to install carpeting and hardwood floors that extend from one room to another.

Always test fit your doors, but don’t install them until your dollhouse carpeting or flooring is installed. The reason this is important is that you will want to remove the threshold of the door so that you won’t have to install your dollhouse flooring around the bottom threshold. This will give your dollhouse flooring a smooth, flowing look as the floor seamlessly extends from one room to another.

To remove the bottom threshold of the dollhouse door frame, cut the threshold from the vertical door frame making sure that the bottom of the vertical frame is almost even with the bottom of the door. Leave about a paper thickness of clearance between the bottom of the door frame and the flooring just in case you need to tape wire lighting or later decide to redecorate.

After you have cut your threshold, mark the location of the door’s bottom pivot pin on the floor and punch a new hole for that pin with a map pin. Test the door and frame to be sure the door swings properly.

If you are installing dollhouse carpeting, leave enough clearance, so that the door can swing open and closed. You will need to make sure the door is shorter than the side door mouldings. Place a sample of your carpet underneath the door to ensure that there is enough clearance to accommodate the carpet pile height so the door can swing open and shut. Also, the lower pivot pin may be too short to extend through the carpet. If this is the case, remove the old pin with a pair of pliers and replace using a regular straight pin.

Lastly, fit your trim around the edges of the dollhouse door frame. If you are upgrading to a more ornate trim (custom interior doors should have matching trim on both the inner and outer door frames), make your cuts on the replacement trim strips using a razor saw and mitre box. After your cuts have been made, fit the trim around the door to make sure you are happy with the end result. Lastly, don’t glue your doors or trim until all wallpaper, interior painting and floor finishing have been completed.

Zoolabees Dollhouse Miniatures carries a wide selection of dollhouse miniatures including miniature furniture, accessories, lighting, building supplies, dolls and dollhouse kits.

The above blog posting contains excerpts from Robert Schleicher’s Creative Dollhouses from Kits.