What To Do ... Mommy Of Two: I made a FREE dollhouse today!

I have been looking for a cheap dollhouse for Super Girl for Christmas...I have found cute EXPENSIVE ones! I even looked into a kit to make one, even cardboard ones...they were all really pricey. So I started looking online for do it yourself instructions for either wood or cardboard. I found this awesome website

http://letsbuildadollhouse.com/

It has directions for a beautiful and big wooden dollhouse. So I looked through all the directions and thought, "I can do this with cardboard!" So I drew up a plan for one similar to the one I found online...

Then I went and measured the cardboard we have. It turned out to be smaller than the plans called for, so I just adjusted it to that size. You need two pieces roughly the same size for all of the architecture. One big piece is the outer shell of the dollhouse. The other is used to make the roof and floors. This is my big piece already scored...

I figured the depth to be 1/2 the depth of the cardboard. This way I could make 2 floors and didn't have to worry about a lot of cutting. Mine came out to be 11 inches, so I measured in from the outer edge on each side and marked in 11 inches. I then scored it with a butter knife (see above picture) I used a box cutter and a butter knife alot during this whole process...

After I had my big piece scored, I measured out where the tabs would be to hold the floors in place. I marked up my board (I knew I was going to wallpaper, so I didn't have to worry about excessive marking. If you are not using wall paper, you should mark using a pencil). Then I cut out each hole, 1" wide and 1/4" tall. I found it easiest to cut the sides first, then the middle line...

Then I cut the bottom and top lines...

I pushed my butter knife through the top and bottom line, then flipped the cardboard over and cut out the sides from the back. I used my butter knife to punch out the cardboard...

After I had the holes cut out everywhere, I cut out the 2 floors and marked the places for the tabs. I cut the tabs out using my box cutter...

I would later learn that the tabs need to be about 1/2 the size of your hole to allow wiggle room during assembly.

I then cut out the roof. I used a piece of cardboard that was 2 times the depth of the house...in my case 22", and 2 inches wider than the width of the house, 24" for me.

I scored the board in the middle and folded it to the angle I wanted. I then traced the angle on another piece of cardboard and cut out 2 triangles for the sides of the roof. I used hot glue to glue them to the roof. Then I got out several sheets of black construction paper to make shingles for the roof. I started out by folding the paper into 12ths...1st in half...

Then 1/2 again same direction...

Then into 3rds...

I cut all the paper apart along the lines. The I used one to make a template of the shingle shape...

I started from the bottom edge of the roof, making sure to hang over for later gluing under. I also made sure to overlap shingles so no brown showed through and wrapping over the corner edges as well...

I worked my way up the side, making sure to offset each row of shingles...

I only glued the top strip and sometimes a small dot under the shingle to keep it down...

I did both long sides first, then I did the short sides. Sometimes I had to cut the shingles to fit the triangle crest...

When it was all done, I made a small scalloped strip to go on the top crest of the roof...

Now it's time to cut out the windows. I chose 4"X4" because that's what my frames would fit (frames come a few steps later). So I measured to the center of the room wall and cut my 4X4 openings there. I only cut windows in the side walls, but you can do it wherever you want...

Next is wallpaper. I made the mistake of doing the corner of one room before I had the floor in, it got torn up a bit. So just do the other sections...

The next step was making windows. I made 4 windows, but each takes 2 window frames (1 inside and 1 outside). I used craft sticks (Popsicle sized) and my framing square. Each window uses 6 sticks...

I backed only the 4 outside frames with clear plastic, but it looks better if you back all 8...
Before you install the windows, you should have your windows cut out, and your wall paper/paint done. I got consumed by this project and forgot to stop and take pictures along the way, but here is the 1st installed window on the exterior...I got the brick pattern online and just printed a bunch... http://www.jennifersprintables.com/woodbrickandtiles001.htm

After the windows are cut you can install the floors. I would suggest covering them before you install them. This is the hardest part. I ended up needing some added pressure while the glue dried...

After the floors are installed, then you can do the wallpaper in the corners. (I just used colored computer printer paper) Then just place the roof on, and TADA!!! You have a house!