The 5WH of Dollhouse Building

A dollhouse made for children to play with. It is
both durable and simply built. It is made with
wooden parts and the furnishings may be re-
arranged inside of any of the four rooms.

        Who, what, where, when, why, and how to plan a thousand small details that go into the making of a dollhouse. Just to begin this process requires much more study than many people anticipate. 

       Think about who you are. What are your tastes and interests? Dolls may live in any kind of a built environment; the doll's home does not need to be an ordinary residence with walls, floors, doors and chairs.

       What will be needed to accomplish this long term goal: the gathering and selecting of supplies, the organizing of those materials, the time table for crafting all of the chosen elements. Is it realistic to craft the dollhouse from scratch? Perhaps, it would be better to build a dollhouse using a kit? Or, maybe, you would just like to craft furnishings or dolls to go into a completed dollhouse instead?

       Where is the building of the dollhouse to be accomplished? It will take many long hours to complete this task: will it be stored while under construction, if so should it be kept in a room designated for it? Do you have a workbench in a spare room or in the basement? 

       When will you have time to work on the dollhouse and when will it need to be finished, if ever? Will you be working on it one night a week or will you be working on it for three weeks in a row, or perhaps you will be working on it for one year prior to Christmas or a birthday?

       Why have you decided to build a dollhouse? Are you building the dollhouse for yourself or as a gift for someone else? Is the ultimate intent behind it's building to gratify your own interests or is this dollhouse to be a toy for a young child? This is an important decision that will determine so many other choices to be made about the dollhouse design and materials in the future.

       How will the dollhouse be displayed once it is finished? Will it need electricity for special lighting, do you have a display space in mind for others to view the dollhouse or even play with it?

       If you can answer these questions with ease and clarity, construction on that future home for your most cherished doll friends has a realistic future!

The Nostell Doll's House is one-of-a-kind. Built in the 1730s in England; it's furniture is period
perfect and was not built for children to play with but to tell a story about how people once lived
 and what they valued in their homes... It is a model, a three dimensional way to describe
history and culture.

This dollhouse is made of clay, a material not normally 
used for crafting toys in Western culture. The artisan, from
Mauritania, made and important choice in the selection of
his materials. He or she chose to use what was available
and affordable; the end result . . . quite charming!

See More Dollhouse Types:

• Tynietown Dollhouse Model 
• Schoenhut Dollhouse
• Arrow Handicraft Corp of Chicago
• Rich Toy Dollhouses
• Mid-Century Modern Dollhouse Design
• Turn a Bookcase Into A Dollhouse