Anybody ever make a dollhouse?

[Judson Green]

Some former clients (I say former cuz I'm not really a woodworker for hire anymore) asked me to make a dollhouse for their new baby daughter. I'm on board, it sounds like a fun project and there's tons of dollhouse stuff out there on the world tube, but I'm having a hard time figuring the scale - like how high/tall should the ceilings be?

I'm guessing that dolls are scaled similar model trains (HO, N and so on)

They've got no dolls or doll furniture, so I'm pretty free to do as I please.

Any advise or pictures of your dollhouse build would be appreciated.

[Dave Verstraete]

My first thought when I saw this topic was "Run Forest Run". I attempted to put a doll house kit together once. I am way too fussy to attempt that again. I would make a plan that I was happy with and cut it out myself.

[Walter Plummer]

I made one for a friend for her mom a long time ago. If I remember correctly the scale was 1"=1'. We bought some trim and lights to that scale. Did a quick search and found this: http://miniatures.about.com/od/dollhouseminiatures/tp/Scales-For-Dolls-House-Miniatures.htm . 1"=1' was pretty easy but it was on the big side. Good luck.

[Andrew Kertesz]

I made one once but never decorated/completed the inside or outside. I bought some plans and used BB plywood. Most kits use thin material that is pre-warped just to make it interesting. I would consult with your customers to see how big they are looking to go. Obviously the larger it is the harder it is to move around.

[William C Rogers]

I did one from a kit. Approximately it was a 2' cube. There were a lot of pieces. Andrew is right on the thin warped part. One thing I remember is each shingle was individually glued on. I did finish it. A apin painting etc, but the granddaughter loved it.

[Matthew Hills]

Make sure it is age appropriate. (when were they thinking that this new baby daughter would be receiving this?)

In the "miniatures" world, the 1:12 scale is very common. Lots of highly-detailed, delicate models. But I'd only think of that for older kids.

Consider these dollhouses designed for (>3yr olds): http://usa.plantoys.com/product/function/dollhouses-accessories/
They are good in that they provide lots of access for clumsy little hands.
My impression is that they are still too fiddly for the 3 year olds I've seen.

Maybe a very simple house for stuffed animals?


Matt

[Brian Holcombe]

I vote for rough hewn timber frame!

[Frank Drew]

Many years ago I helped a friend and fellow furniture-maker complete a kit doll house for his daughter. We were both rather shocked by how much work it was, shocked in the sense that we could imagine many of these kits never getting completed due to the complexity and necessary skill level of the project.

[Moses Yoder]

I would make my own design, whatever scale, and keep it simple. Children will fill in the simplicity with their imagination. For design I would think like a little girl planning on getting married in the house; a nice central stairway to walk down, a ballroom, a turret with a bedroom at the top, but not really detailed, just suggestions.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I vote for rough hewn timber frame!

Hear, hear !!

With authentic joinery. Great reason to get a set of very expensive, very small, Japanese paring chisels.

[Judson Green]

I vote for rough hewn timber frame!


Hear, hear !!

With authentic joinery. Great reason to get a set of very expensive, very small, Japanese paring chisels.

Yeah that would be cool but I not for this guy.

Check this out!
http://youtu.be/QnVKU25GQZM

[Judson Green]

I would make my own design, whatever scale, and keep it simple. Children will fill in the simplicity with their imagination. For design I would think like a little girl planning on getting married in the house; a nice central stairway to walk down, a ballroom, a turret with a bedroom at the top, but not really detailed, just suggestions.


I'm not sure thinking like a little girl is something I'd like to talk about in polite company (especially on the Internet, at least not forum:eek:), but I understand what you mean. Channeling my feminine side 37 -38 years in the past might prove to be difficult at least for this neanderthal.

[Myk Rian]

Stick built, with plaster lath walls. Victorian style.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Stick built, with plaster lath walls. Victorian style.

Ouch!!. Dude - you are killing him.

But, then. along the same line of thought - check out the Thorne Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago. That right there will put you off your feed.

[Don Jarvie]

Find out what type of dolls the people have in mind. Barbies are 9 to 10 inches tall so the house needs to be bigger to accommodate the size. Others are smaller. My 2 year old likes the Disney dolls that are about 4 inches tall so a smaller house would be better.


i see that it's a newborn but you may want them to use it for a while.

[Tony Haukap]

Back in the late 70s Elmer's (yeah, the glue people) had an advertisement that ran in the various wood working magazines that featured "Elmer's Dollhouse." They had plans you could send for and I remember sending for the plans, never built it though, but it seemed like it might be a fun project... probably still have the plans around here somewhere.
http://i58.tinypic.com/2s7xdhc.gif
http://i58.tinypic.com/30hncza.jpg
http://i58.tinypic.com/2s7xdhc.gif

[Evan Patton]

I made one. Hours and hours, beautiful stairway, hundreds of cedar shingles. Daughters never used it--was too small for Barbie and too big for the furniture. Kids these days! Anyway I donated it to Kindercare and they seemed to be happy to get it.

[Tony Haukap]

I just remembered that Norm Abram did a dollhouse version of the New Yankee Workshop (episode #602)...
http://i58.tinypic.com/2s7xdhc.gif
http://i61.tinypic.com/2mov4pf.jpg
http://i58.tinypic.com/2s7xdhc.gifLooks like he sized it for about a 5" doll height. Windows appear to be routed openings without any trim or glass... very simplified compared to "Elmer's Dollhouse" but it could be a case for "it's what's inside that counts."

[Rod Sheridan]

I made one for my daughter, log frame construction with a fireplace covered with real slate I brought back from Baffin Island.

She still has it...................Rod.