The free plans and instructions for this traditional front opening baby house use only a single sheet of plywood and some standard wood trim. It is designed to fit in with standard sized bookcases placed against a wall. The case can hold individual roomboxes, or it can be built with fixed shelve and partitions as a standard dollhouse. Adjust the trim and details on the front opening doors to suit your own style, or follow the suggestions for a traditional finish.
1. Build the Doll House Case
Photo ©2008 Lesley Shepherd, Licensed to About.com Inc.
Free plans and instructions to build a traditional styled dual purpose dollhouse or baby house in 1:12 scale shown here with plywood and bookboard roomboxes. As designed, the dollhouse is the depth of a standard bookcase, and accepts the basic roombox sizes listed below. The case can be used to store individual roomboxes until you have a full doll house collection, or it can be finished on the interior as a stand alone dollhouse with fixed floors and partitions.
If the case is set up to hold roomboxes, the adjustable shelves allow it to be used as a bookcase should the owner's interests change.
2. Make Front Opening Doors For the Baby House Case
Photo copyright 2008 Lesley Shepherd, Licensed to About.com Inc.
Instructions for how to plan and fit your choice of windows and doors into the front opening doors of the basic dollhouse case outlined above. If you build the house according to the plan measurements, one sheet of 5ftx 5 ft Baltic birch plywood will complete the entire house of case, doors and shelves.
3. Add Traditional Quoin and Cornice Trim to Finish the Case
Photo copyright 2008 Lesley Shepherd, Licensed to About.com Inc.
Instructions on how add quoin and cornice trim made from standard wood moldings to the front of a basic dollhouse for a traditional townhouse house style.
4. Make Basic Dollhouse Roomboxes from Baltic Birch Plywood
Photo ©2008 Lesley Shepherd, Licensed to About.com Inc.
These plywood roomboxes can be connected to make a doll house, or used as single room displays. They are designed to fit in a standard bookcase, and can be given glass roofs or framed glass fronts to protect the contents from dust.
The townhouse dollhouse shown above will hold three standard roomboxes and three half size roomboxes to create a townhouse collection of entrance hall, living room, dining room, bedroom, bathroom and staircase.
5. Make Simple Dollhouse Roomboxes from Book Board or Cardboard
Photo ©2008 Lesley Shepherd, Licensed to About.com Inc.
Simpler and less expensive to make than the plywood roomboxes, boxes made of bookboard or Davey board will stand up to careful use for many years. These roomboxes are built the same size as the plywood roomboxes to allow them to fit on standard bookshelves.
6. Choose an Electrical System for a Dolls House
Photo ©2007 Lesley Shepherd, Licensed to About.com Inc.
What do you need to know before you start wiring a dolls house? Will it be easier to use round or tape wire?
