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The Miniature Shop, Inc.
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The following tips are suggestions based on experience. You should always use your own judgement. The Miniature Shop takes no responsibility for any issues that arise from using these suggestions. Email us your tips and ideas for consideration to be added to this page. We'll even give you the credit if you want your name identified! Paint Glue Shingles Wood types and siding Wallpaper Electrical Wiring Flooring Moldings, Baseboards, and Chair Rails Exterior Trim and Components
Round brushes are manufactured to be uniform in size. Their width is measured on the hair just above the ferrule. A numbering system is used to represent the round brush sizes. The numbers correspond to the following approximate sizes: 3/0 = 1/64" 2/0 = < 1/32" 0 = 1/32" 1 = 3/32" 2 = 1/16" 4 = 3/32" 6 = 1/8" 8 = 5/32" 10 = 7/32" 12 = 9/32" 14 = 5/16" 16 = 3/8" 18 = 15/32" 20 = 9/16" 24 = 11/16"
You want to use carpenters or wood glue for the medium and upper grade houses such as Real Good Toys. You may want to look into the new stainable wood glue if you plan on staining any parts to be glued. If you are building one of the budget houses like Greenleaf or Corona you will want to use a tacky glue. To finish most house kits you will find that one 8 ounce bottle of glue should be plenty. Use Quick Grab glue for clapboard siding and shingles. One tube will glue about 10 pieces of clapboard siding or about 1,000 shingles. Of course your results may vary from the estimates above based on your individual use.
Tacky glue is great for securing the little parts in your dollhouse. Some of those parts might be doorknobs, keyholes, pictures, mirrors, etc.
Tacky Glue is best for dollhouse shells, shingles, trim, windows and doors, brick, light fixtures, landscaping, and wooden furniture. Quickgrab glue works well for siding, shingles, trim, windows and doors, and light fixtures. Elmer's glue works well for shingles, trim, windows and doors, brick, and landscaping. Bond glue works well for wallpaper ceiling paper, carpet, tile, brick, hardwood floor, and landscaping. Spray adhesive works well for wallpaper, ceiling paper, tile and hardwood floor. Mortar mix works best for stone Minihold works best for pictures. Plastic model cement works best for plastic kits and parts. Zap-A-Gap works best for metal kits, lights, metal and crystal.
Many dollhouses do not come with shingles so how many would you need to cover the roof? Generally, you will find every box, or bag, of shingles labeled with the number of square inches, or square feet, it will cover. You can also estimate that you might need 500 shingles for every 12 inches in width of your dollhouse. For instance, if your house is 27 inches wide, divide 27 by 12, then multiply by 500. This will give you an estimate of how many shingles you might need. Therefore, 27 / 12 * 500 = 1125 shingles. Again, this is only an estimate since most dollhouses come with differing roof lines. Your results will vary from the estimates above based on your individual use. So buy enough extra shingles just in case. It's always better to have more than to come up short, especially if you're staining your shingles. If your house has a porch, extension, or wing addition you might want to consider an additional 250 shingles for each.
Attaching shingles is easy. We recommend using Quick Grab glue. You will want one tube for every 1000 shingles. Due to the curling that will occur with your shingles, never use Elmer's wood glue to attach them. If you want a fancy copper flashing at the roof edge or valley between two roof lines, cut a strip of copper foil approximately 3.4" wide by the length of the roof and glue it in place suing Tacky Bond glue. Starting at the bottom edge of the roof, glue on the roofing material using Tacky Bond glue or hot glue. Work your way in rows from the bottom toward the peak of the roof, making sure you have an overlap of subsequent rows plus staggered vertical edges. Look at some real roofs to see how they look before starting. At the peak of your roof you can either bend an asphalt shingle in half and attach it perpendicular to your shingles, starting from one end of the house. Or, you can paint an angle molding the same color as the roofing and then glue it in place. For a very authentic look, glue one strip of strip clapboard to the bottom edge of the roof, under the roofing.
You can use the many styles of cedar shingles, asphalt shingles, or just paint the roof any color your desire. Mix up the styles if you like. Looking closely at many Victorian style homes you will see multiple shingle styles used on the same home.
There are several types of wood that you'll find dollhouses constructed from. Knowing what the characteristics of each type of wood kit will allow you to make an intelligent choice. You'll have a more enjoyable experience too! MDF is Medium Density Fiberboard, which is more sturdy than plywood but very hard to insert the brads into it for electrification. It's an extremely heavy product that does not finish as well on the exterior if it has milled clapboard. Luan plywood, which you would find with DuraCraft and most Greenleaf kits, requires filling in of gaps and sanding of edges. There's usually quite a bit of wood splintering with this type of wood. Cabinet-grade plywood, like you will find with the Walmer and Real Good Toys dollhouses, is our personal choice. This wood is the easiest to work with, heavier than luan, and lighter than MDF. However, you'll find this selection to be a bit more expensive, but worth it. Kits constructed of this material will assemble more easily, and with a good fit. If you are looking to build your first dollhouse we recommend choosing a kit made of the cabinet-grade plywood. It will be much easier as a starter project.
Milled siding is where the dollhouse exterior has the siding pre-cut into the exterior surface. It has a look much like you might see on a house today that has vinyl or aluminum siding. Milled siding is an option on many dollhouses. If you were planning on the exterior of your dollhouse to have clapboard style siding, then get it milled that way. Otherwise, you will have to buy, and install, clapboard siding, or some other type of siding, for the exterior of your house.
If you have a dollhouse that does not have any siding on it, other than the flat wood surface, you may want to put clapboard siding on it. This will give it a more realistic look. However, many people are just as content to paint the sides of their dollhouse. It's your choice. If you want siding you probably need to know how much to buy. Clapboard siding comes in sheets that are usually 3.5" high by 24" wide. Each dollhouse style is different, but a good way to calculate what you may need is pretty simple. In inches, add the width and depth of your house, then multiply by the height in inches, then divide that number by 108. That gives you an estimate of the number of sheets you need to buy. Keep in mind that this is an estimate. Things like gables, roof lines, windows and doors as well as how much you waste, is going to affect how many sheets you'll need. However, if you do put clapboard siding on your house, it will be more realistic.
Attaching clapboard siding is easy. We recommend using Quick Grab glue. You will want one tube for every 10 sheets of siding.
Even the professionals can not wallpaper a normal whole room from one sheet of wallpaper. You should count on using three sheets of wallpaper per room. Yes, that's right! Three sheets per room is needed because almost all rooms have three walls of which each wall will use one sheet of wallpaper. Wallpaper does come in sheets that are 11" high by 17" long however, unless you are doing a very small room or you don't mind a seam down the middle of a wall stick with the three sheet rule. You'll save yourself a lot of grief.
There a number of ways to attach your wallpaper. Never install the ceiling of your dollhouse, or roombox before finishing out the interiors. It’s very difficult to wallpaper a room in such a limited space if you do it after assembly. Also don't install your windows or doors until you have wallpapered or painted your walls. If you plan on electrifying your dollhouse you need to have that completed before you finish the walls, ceiling, and floors too. 1 - Spray the dollhouse wallpaper with Krylon matte fixative to make your paper resistant to fingerprints. 2 - Prepare the wall surface for the paper. The wall surface should be perfectly smooth. Fill in any imperfections with wood filler and sand the surface smooth. You'd have to do the samething to real walls! Apply two or three coats of gesso to the walls. Sand between each coat of gesso. Gesso is a primer used by artists. 3 - Match the patterns on the different pieces of wallpaper so they are correct. You don't want to attach your paper only to discover it's sideways, or upside-down! 4 - Measure the dimensions of each wall, height and width. Add 1/2" to the width (side to side). The extra 1/2" wider will allow you to have a slight wrap onto the adjacent side wall. Measure again. Accuracy is important. Wallpaper measures 11" while most rooms are 10" high. This gives you extra paper to match patterns and designs. 5 - Cut the wallpaper from the furthest walls in the dollhouse from where you are working. Use a metal ruler and x-acto knife - not scissors. Size the fit of your paper exactly to the ceiling. Any shortage or overage can be covered by baseboard or fold under the flooring. Also avoid any seams, they show up more in miniature. Always try to use a complete sheet of wallpaper per wall for seamless effect. 6 - Apply an spray adhesive, or liberally spread a miniature dollhouse mucilage (paste), glue, or gel to the back of the paper. You can use a stiff brush or any straight edge to apply the paste. If your paper is pre-pasted, just wet it with a sponge dipped in water, or dip the paper in a tray of water. Either way pre-pasted glue to activate 5 to 7 minutes before attaching to your wall. 7 - Wallpaper right over door and window openings. After the dollhouse wallpaper is in place, smooth the surface with a damp sponge or brayer (roller) to remove air bubbles and excess paste. Install your paper and sponge bubbles out with light pressure. If you use too much pressure you will remove the print from your paper and have to start over again. 8 - After the wallpaper dries, the openings can easily be cut out with an X-acto knife. Remember that your doors and windows should not be glued in at this point.
Before starting the interior and exterior of the dollhouse or roombox, you will want to do your electrification. Plan ahead and determine where you want your lighting, so this won't be so difficult for you. 1 - Make a separate plan for each room of your dollhouse or each wall of your roombox. The plan should be a sketch of where you want each fixture and outlet. Also show where you will be placing the incoming wire from the transformer. 2 - Be careful with your lighting fixtures. Most lighting systems and components are fragile. Shaking, pulling apart, or moving lights while lit may damage the fixture. 3 - The copper tape method of wiring is much more simple than using round wire. Stick the copper tape 1 inch above floor level for outlets. Run tape to other fixtures like ceiling lights, wall lights, fireplaces, etc. 4 - Connect the lighting fixture wire to the tape using a copper miniature tack on both wire sets.
Always install your flooring after the walls have been papered and painted. There are several different types of flooring of which we will explain the three most common. Carpeting and sheet tile flooring are very popular. Always cut the carpet or tile sheet to the exact size of the room. Give consideration to how you will match up to adjacent rooms at doorways. Along the outer edge of the back of the carpet or tile, apply Tacky Bond glue. Then carefully place the carpet or tile on the floor of the dollhouse. Apply pressure all around the edges to assure good adhesion. You can also use double-faced tape with your carpeting by running the tape along the outside edges of the carpet and down the center. Veneer hardwood flooring sheets are another popular option. Cut the flooring sheet to the exact size of the dollhouse floor. Give consideration to how you will match up to adjacent rooms at doorways and how you will match up to the flooring in adjacent rooms. Apply polyurethane to the flooring. After it dries, sand it smooth using fine sandpaper. Clean well with a slightly moist rag or tack cloth. Repeat until three coats are applied. Carefully install the flooring. Using quick grab glue, use a wallpaper seam roller or similar device to press down the floor. For approximately one half hour, watch to make sure that the flooring does not bubble up. If it does, press it back down in place. Place heavy objects. such as books, on the floor for several hours. Individual pine or hardwood flooring strips take a bit more work but provide a very nice option. Cut the individual strips to fit onto floor using random lengths. This will make the floor look more authentic. Apply a very thin layer of Elmer's wood glue to the bottom side of the strips and press them into place. Wipe off any glue that may seep through. Place heavy objects, such as books, on the floor for several hours. After the glue dries, sand the floor using a sanding block and fine sandpaper. Sand until the floor is smooth. Apply stain as desired. You can then either use an oil finish or polyurethane. If polyurethane is used, it will require two or three coats, sanding smooth between each coat. The amount of flooring you need will depend on a couple of factors, including: The size of the flooring sheet, the size and shape of the room, and how many rooms the same flooring is to be used in. One piece of flooring per room is best. Unless the rooms are very small do not try to make one sheet of flooring into two rooms unless they are very small. Room dimensions typically just don't work out to where you can get two rooms from a single sheet. Save scraps of carpet for stair runners
Moldings, baseboards, Chair Rails, door frames, and window frames are one of the last interior things to do. These are the type of additions that really dress up your dollhouse rooms. Select the wood shape that best suits the style of house, or just pick what you like best. Measure the length needed for each piece very carefully. Keep in mind that if you are going to miter your cuts, for instance with door frames, you need to measure and cut to the inside measurement. This means if your window width is 3inches, then the short edge of your mitered wood will be 3 inches and the long side will be slightly longer with the 45 degree cut. Cut the wood in a miter box, making sure the angle cuts are correct. Sanding, painting, staining or varnishing, should all be done before installing the molding. Apply Tacky Bond glue to the back side of the wood and carefully press it into place. Maintain pressure until it is firmly in place. Apply your moldings in the following order: door frame, baseboard, window molding, then chair rail.
If your house doesn't already have milled siding then the type of siding that you use is a personal preference. If you want to stick to the realistic stylings of your dollhouse then you need to determine what the style of siding was for that type of house. You can also decide to side it with what ever type of siding you personally like regardless of whether it was the right type for the style of your house. You can also just paint the sides in any color you like. The types of siding to consider are: - Paint - Clapboard - Stucco - Brick - Stone - Shingle - or any combination of the above All you have to do is choose a favorite color and start painting if all you want is painted exterior walls. You should probably sand and fill any holes. Two to three coats of gesso might be a good idea to act as a primer. Then follow up with two to three coats of your paint. This will achieve a smooth and uniform color. Stucco finishes can be created by mixing sand in the paint. The paint defines the color of your "stucco". A thick texture is what you want. If you need the material to be stickier you can add Elmers glue (clear drying type) to the mix. Then just pat it onto the surfaces. You can buy the texture material if you like or make it yourself as suggested here. There are several ways to do brick and stone. If you are using real brick (pieces of miniature brick sold here) you just used Tacky glue to attach the bricks to the walls. Fill the gaps with mini-mortar. Clean off any excess material with a toothbrush and water. You'll need a tile cutter to cut the bricks for edges and around windows and doors. The same approach is used with stone. Another approach is simulated brick or stone designed for walls or floors. Just follow the directions with the material for installation. Magic Systems also offers brick, stone, and stucco solutions that are pretty easy to use, and look very realistic. We also offer their products. Shingles are also a popular option. Either asphalt or cedar shingles can be used. You attach them as you would attach them to the roof. Clapboard siding is the most popular. See our answers for how to do clapboard siding.
The same general directions apply as in the "Moldings, baseboards, and chair rails" section. Basically, you want to paint first and then glue trim in place.
The same general directions apply as in the "Exterior Finishes" section. However, you can also use real pebbles for a stone fireplace. Just glue them on, either with tacky glue or a glue gun. Once dry use real grout or morter patch that comes in the caulking type of tubes. The all look very real. This technique looks especially good on log cabins.
The windows, doors, and stairs all all something you can do while you wait for the glue to dry on the house. Paint or stain all of the doors, windows, and stairs using a small brush. If painting, do three coats of paint. When the time comes, glue doors, windows, and stairs in place using Tacky Glue.
Some dollhouses come with a foundation. If your dollhouse does not come with a foundation, it can be added if you have the skill. Foundations are absolutely necessary when a round wire electrical system is going to be installed. Otherwise, foundations are merely decorative, yet add a bit to the realism. Therefore, as with everything else it comes down to your personal preference. Foundations can be painted, bricked, and textured. Any of the exterior finishing tricks are applicable to the foundation. If you have a house with a porch you may also want to consider building lattice work under your porch for added realism. We do offer lattice in our Building Supplies section.
You will want to attach these to your dollhouse after you have finished the exterior work. Consider using wood, brick, or tile for the floor finishes. Use matching shingles from your dollhouse for the roof.
This is really determined by the size of your house. Expect to use one 8 oz. jar of primer for every 4-6 rooms. Assuming you will put a primer coat on the exterior of your house you will need one 8 oz. jar of paint for up to 10 rooms. That allows for two coats. Each accent color that you plan on using on the exterior will require at least one 2 oz. jar of paint. |