This simple dolls house room box is made from pieces of book board, also known as binder's board or Davey Board. This is an inexpensive way to create room boxes for a class project on housing, or to create shadow boxes in specific sizes. It is also a good way to build up a series of boxes for an eventual collection in a baby house. These boxes can have a roof, or be left open, or built with a glass top. They can be built in a series of sizes. The box dimensions shown here for a 1:12 scale roombox, can be combined with a half size box to make standard rooms for a four or six room dollhouse. To create a larger display, two of these boxes can be combined with a half size box to make a large single floor of a dolls house. The box depth created here will fit in a standard sized bookcase.
Davey board is a sturdy single ply paper board used for book binding. It is often used to make dolls house miniature furniture as well as book covers and sturdy decorative boxes. It is inexpensive, acid neutral, and requires only a sharp knife to cut. It is easily obtained from art supply stores. It can be glued together to make stronger walls, but the dolls house roombox shown, 10 1/4 inches deep by 12 1/4 inches wide, by 9 inches high, can be built with a single layer of 3/32 inch thick Davey Board. For children's projects, where the project does not need to be kept for many years, illustration board or recycled box board can be used.
This project requires approximately $5 worth of materials to make. A single sheet of Davey board will create at least one room box. The exterior can be covered with recycled brown paper, or tissue paper. The combination of paper and glue wrapping the box on the outside and the inside help to strengthen it.
