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Make Front Opening Doors For A Dolls House or Baby House

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Materials Needed to Make a Basis Set of Front Opening Dolls House Doors

Layout diagram showing how pieces for a baby house are cut from a single sheet of Baltic Birch.

Layout diagram showing pieces of a baby house case for dolls house roomboxes cut from Baltic birch plywood.

Photo ©2008 Lesley Shepherd, Licensed to About.com Inc.

To Make the Baby House/Front Opening Dolls House Doors you will need:

  • Baltic Birch Plywood The townhouse doors shown used the remainder of the wood laid out in the Baby House Case Plan. If you are fitting doors to a different design, you will need enough 3/8 or 1/2 inch Baltic Birch Plywood to fit across the front of your house, plus a cutting allowance. You could also use MDF or good both sides plywood.
  • Table Saw to cut the pieces to size. If you don't have a table saw you may be able to arrange for a lumberyard to cut the pieces for you.
  • Overlay or Cranked Door Hinges The case built for the baby house requires two sets of overlay hinges sized to fit the wood you are using. I used half inch hinges to fit the 1/2 inch plywood. Overlay hinges have a cranked cabinet leaf so all screws can be driven cross grain. They are available from dolls house supplies or cabinet making suppliers. www.leevalley.com sell them as part 00H58)
  • Birch Edging Tape to finish the edges of the plywood doors and the exposed plywood edges on the door and window surrounds, iron on wood edging tape was used.
  • Iron to apply edging tape.
  • Sharp box cutting knife to trim iron on edge banding after it is applied.
  • Carpenters Glue to glue case together.
  • Dollhouse Doors and Windows I used a door from Dijon and standard Georgian Windows, available from many dolls house suppliers. The windows were chosen to suit a plain house front, as well as to allow a child clear views into the spaces inside.
  • Power Jigsaw to cut window and door openings.
  • Sharp Chisel to cut recesses for the door hinges.
  • Sanding Block or power sander.
  • Sandpaper Use a finishing grade paper (180 or higher) Baltic birch plywood will need little sanding.
  • Fine Steel Wool to prepare the wood for finish and to sand the finish between coats.
  • Wood Finish of your choice. I will use a clear polyurethane varnish to show off the wood.

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