| At one time, dollhouses were the exclusive | | | | available as well. You could create a dollhouse out |
| province of the extremely wealthy. Dollhouse | | | | of cardboard, shoeboxes, foil pans or many other |
| craftsmanship was a skill known only to a few | | | | items that you already have on hand. While a |
| highly trained artisans and every piece, from the | | | | dollhouse made out of these materials may not |
| shell to the furniture, had to be specially | | | | last as long as one crafted from wood, the |
| commissioned. These dollhouses were beautiful | | | | dollhouse will be much lighter weight and easily |
| showpieces for those who could afford them, but | | | | portable. This is a great option for making a |
| were out of reach for the vast majority of the | | | | dollhouse designed to be played with rather than |
| population. | | | | displayed, since the low construction cost makes |
| Now, however, mass production and lower | | | | the dollhouse easy to replace when necessary. |
| material costs, combined with the do-it-yourself | | | | Dollhouse furnishings need not be expensive either. |
| craze, have made beautiful and inviting dollhouses | | | | Take advantage of the wide selection of |
| affordable for everyone. While some still spend | | | | printables that are available across the internet. |
| thousands of dollars per dollhouse, this is no longer | | | | Printables are pieces that are designed to be |
| necessary. With a bit of ingenuity and some | | | | printed out on your computer printer, attached to |
| guidance, plus a bit of carpentry skill and an | | | | some form of backing (cardboard works well) and |
| artistic eye, you can create an inviting and | | | | folded and shaped for installation into your |
| aesthetically pleasing dollhouse on even the | | | | dollhouse. Many printables are completely free for |
| tightest project budget. | | | | personal use; others are available for a very small |
| If you want to build the dollhouse from a kit, | | | | fee. Printables are available for everything from |
| many budget options exist. Generally, a budget | | | | wallpaper to furniture and from flooring to hat |
| dollhouse kit will be constructed from 1/8" | | | | boxes. You can furnish your dollhouse quite |
| plywood or a combination of plywood and MDF | | | | extravagantly using only printables. You can also |
| pieces. Many parts will be made of pre-formed | | | | make your own printables from photos and |
| plastic. These kits are well made and pleasing to | | | | scanned images that you then manipulate in your |
| look at, although the thinner construction makes | | | | favorite photo-editing program. |
| them less durable in the end. However, if you are | | | | It is entirely possible to build and fully furnish a |
| not planning to create an heirloom to survive | | | | large dollhouse on a very small budget. Be willing |
| generations, the budget kits offer a lot of value | | | | to think outside the box and use your imagination |
| for your money. You can get small kits for under | | | | and creative skills. Many books and websites are |
| $30, with a reasonably large budget kit averaging | | | | available to help with your project or simply give |
| around $100. Be sure to shop around, particularly | | | | you ideas from which to start. Once the province |
| online, as prices can vary widely. | | | | of wealthy aristocrats, the dollhouses of today |
| Another option is to build the dollhouse yourself. | | | | are accessible to all. Remember that the building |
| While plywood is the most commonly used | | | | process is part of the fun. |
| material in dollhouses today, other options are | | | | |