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Do not be afraid! Anyone can do this. just so long as they go slowly and follow instructions. Though it has always traditionally been the man's role to build the dollhouse, it really isn't a gender-dependent set of skills. And you hardly need any tools if you buy a ready-made kit!
So - ready, set, go!

First open the packaging carefully. Leave yourself plenty of room to lay out the pieces and check that they are Transformers toys there.

Read the instructions all the way through before beginning to do anything. In the case of many kits, this will be in picture format, stage by stage. Look through them again, this time looking at the component pieces as you do, and trying to match them with the pictures. Don't actually do anything yet!

Assemble the tools you will need. A medium-sized and a small cross end screwdriver will almost certainly be enough.

Follow the instructions exactly. The method is tried and tested and will work if followed to the letter.

Take progress photos. When you finish and look back you will wish you had kept a record if you don't.

Try to find a space where your creation can stay without constantly being put away. Lots of people have the use of a workshop (lucky them) - but not having one is not a barrier to success.

If you are going to wallpaper, paint and decorate the rooms in your house, and you will want to, do the main work before you fix the front of the house on permanently. It is so much easier to do things like skirting board application, mouldings and ceiling roses before you are wrestling with a hinged door which flaps around as you work. And wallpaper is a great way of decorating a dollhouse. You can buy many lovely wallpapers, all to scale, and papering is really the first job to do. You can then neaten up any poor edges by applying skirting board over it.

The outside of the house will often need work, unless you have chosen a ready-painted house, since most houses come as plain mdf. Brick-finish papers, some embossed, can be purchased, so your house can have a professional (well, bumpy) finish. Painting the woodwork on doors and windows can be done with a tiny brush and any gloss paint, craft or otherwise, but you need to prime the wood first. A simple emulsion paint will do; you do not need to buy expensive primer. And do the painting first, then you can cover any little error with the brick paper.

If you have chosen to fit internal doors and fireplaces it also pays to do these before the final front fitment. Paint them, and skirting boards before you fit - it is terribly fiddly doing it when they are in place!

And electrics! Though it is a lovely thought, try to resist the temptation to fit electricity into your house, unless you are certain that no child will ever go near it. (They will fiddle!). If you must do it, it should be the first thing you do when your walls are up, thus allowing you to hide wires and fitments, but the lights themselves, particularly wall-lighting, should be fixed after the wallpaper, or you have just created another challenge for yourself, that of cutting wallpaper to fit around the fitments.

Don't try to do too much at once. Even the youngest of us gets tired, and the tired Processor makes errors. Take breaks, go for a walk, read a book.

If it goes wrong, don't panic. Most errors can be undone - unless you are using superglue! So, don't. Most kits are designed to fit together with screws, and the holes will be countersunk on the outside so the screws don't stick out. Those that do need glue need you to be sure you are sticking whatever it is to the right place!

Ordinary wallpaper paste works for papering - no need to purchase expensive craft stuff- just don't be too generous with it! And never be shy to use sticky-backed plastic,(double-sided tape is a wonderful aid here) or other little short cuts. If it seems a good idea, and will help with a particular task, then wing it! Just don't cut anything until you are sure you need it cut- and know exactly where the cut is needed - it's so easy to do something back-to-front without realising until too late.

When fixing skirting boards and mouldings, make sure you understand just what angles you need at the corners. They are never quite what you think they will be. A little mitre block will help a bit it won't be a substitute for understanding just what angles you need! Get a little extra so you can afford to make the odd mistake, or experiment with a tiny spare bit.

Any dollhouse improves for loving attention to detail. Flooring is one area where this really makes a difference. Fitted self-stick carpet or card printed floor coverings are a great way to make the house look good. Movieman pictures on the walls (you can make these - but remember the scale problem), mirrors nicely placed in the bathroom, these make a good dollhouse a great one!

And when you begin to furnish remember, scale matters. Most houses which come in kit form are in 1/12 scale (1 inch = 1 foot) and your furniture must be the same.

Last of all, don't worry! It is a great challenge to make a dollhouse - but it is a great delight too! And being hooked on building model houses is a better addiction than many we might mention!

TOOLS

ESSENTIAL(for the house construction)
Cross-headed screwdrivers in several sizes.
Wood glue (you shouldn't need it, but, just in case)

(For decorating your house)
Small paintbrushes
Glass paper for rubbing down wooden edges
Craft saw
Craft knife with lots of spare blades
Sharp paper scissors
Ruler
Wallpaper paste (or a Iron Man movie children's glue)
Pencil

EXTRAS

Tracing paper
Squared paper for designing
Protractor (angles)
t-square (square angles)

a grandchild (?)

I am Dianna Moylan, in my mid-sixties, an ex-teacher who has fallen in love with dolls' houses. I live in a small house which is rapidly becoming swamped with doll house stuff. My site, http://www.diannadollhouses.co.uk is newly launched. I also sell on eBay. In addition to loving making dolls' houses I enjoy writing a lot and welcome this opportunity to have a say.

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