Much like painting your own house, painting the interior walls of a new miniature dollhouse kit can be tedious work, but the fun happens when you begin to see everything come together in a beautiful fashion.
To begin this easy process you will need to have some paint on hand. Paint is not included with most dollhouse kits, so this will need to be purchased this separately. Use a non-acrylic based paint as these can leave streaking. Premium latex paints (in either a flat matte or satin finish) are recommended. These are east to come by, don’t come with a heavy price tag, and are available in a wide range of colors. Visit your local hardware or diy store. Specialty paints for dollhouses also exist through craft stores and specialty websites, but generally cost more.
There are lots of options for how your dollhouse appears when finished. If you need inspiration, look to home decorating magazines. Though intended for full size homes, the color combinations will work just as well in a 1:12 scale dollhouse. Choose trim and accents colors at the same time you choose your main wall colors. Also, be sure to choose a roller or paint brushes that are of high quality. These will prevent streaking and will provide an even coat.
A wood sealer is recommended as a first coat. This will prevent the wood from absorbing the paint and will make the process of painting your interior walls much quicker. Sealers and primers can be found in the same places where you would buy interior latex paint. Apply your sealer before you’ve assembled the dollhouse walls. Prepare surfaces for the sealer, by removing doors and windows and covering – with tape or cloths- areas that are not meant to be painted. You may also need to sand away rough areas. This is easily accomplished with an emery board- typically used for filing nails.
Once prepped, you can begin sealing, then painting the surfaces. Paint your trim and detail work first (this is much easier to install finished after your dollhouse walls have been painted). Next, apply your first coat of paint to your dollhouse walls before assembling. Be aware that you may need as many as three coats of paint to achieve the desired result. Be sure to lightly sand each coat before applying the next coat of paint.
This dollhouse decorating project is one of the most enjoyable and will have the largest impact on the look of your interior. Spend the extra time to tape any pieces you don’t want painted. The result will be beautiful and one you will enjoy looking at for years to come.
Dollhouse Miniature Garbage Can
Living green is quickly becoming the way of life as more and more individuals recognize the importance of protecting the environment for future generations. If this is a trend that you willingly embrace, and you want to show how very dedicated you are to the cause, consider building a green dollhouse for your children to demonstrate the small ways a household can help in the effort.
Of course, miniature recycling bins and even solar panels on the roof of the home are a must, but more than that, you can build the home and its furniture in a way that exude the “reduce, reuse, recycle” motto of green living. Look to your own recycling bin for building materials. Consider using scrap lumber (or even twigs and branches from your own yard) to build the shell. Dollhouse wallpaper could be crafted from the pages of tossed magazines, curtains could be made from old wrappers of edible goods, and the card stock from old cereal boxes could easily be crafted into tiny and adorable pieces of dollhouse furniture. With careful and thoughtful craftsmanship, no one would even know that these were found materials. Fabric scraps from your own sewing room can be used to cover any cardboard construction including walls, floors and furniture, and the paint that is left in those old paint cans in the garage can be used to spruce the tiny place up a bit.
Once the house and furniture are built, you can begin to add to it the items that make a real home green. Just as you may have thought to add the solar panels or the recycling bin before, you may also consider crafting a wind mill for the backyard, a wood stove to cut down oil consumption or even a compost bin.
Don’t forget to embellish your miniature green home with special miniature accessories. Look to nature for inspiration: small twigs in a vase, a bowl of tiny pebbles and dried and pressed flowers framed into miniature dollhouse art for the walls. These small touches will say a great deal about the point of your project. Plus, it will be fun to watch it all come together!
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.
