DIY Network

Bookcase Dollhouse Build a fab pad for your fashion dolls. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-210

Create a hipster hideaway—or traditional townhouse—for your fashion dolls.

Some of us never outgrew fashion dolls; others rediscovered them when our own children fell in love with the 12" divas. Whatever the reason, millions of us share our homes with the foot-high fashionistas—along with their clothes, shoes and even dwellings.

Michele Beschen has a perfect small-scale construction project for anyone who lives with fashion dolls: A dollhouse sized just right for them, sturdy enough to stand up to playtime and roomy enough for all their tiny possessions. All it takes is a small bookcase, a little extra wood and a lot of imagination.

Scroll down for Michele Beschen's B. Original how-to, and get started on your doll's dream house.

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Fashion Doll House

Materials:

small bookcase
extra shelves/wood
scrap wood or flat angle brackets
wood glue
screws
brad nails
drill
screwdriver
hammer
box cutter or utility knife
casters
sandpaper
deglosser
primer and paint
decorative papers, textured wallpaper

Figure A

• This project works best with a small bookcase that has four removable shelves. If your bookcase doesn't have that many, you can purchase extra shelves or simply find pieces of wood the appropriate size.

• To build the roof, take two extra shelves (or similar wood) and cut one edge of each shelf at a 45 degree angle. Glue the shelves together at the cut edge (figure A).

• Brace the glued joint with either a small triangle of wood (figure B) or a flat angle brace (figure C). Nail the triangle in place with brad nails; for the angle brace, drill pilot holes and use screws to install.
  

  Figure B

  Figure C

  Figure D

  
  

  	Figure E
  	Figure F
  	Figure G

• Place the roof on top of the bookshelf (figure D) and secure to the structure with triangle braces at the corners.

• On the inside of the house, use extra shelves or other wood to divide the space into four rooms. Place a full shelf horizontally about halfway between the top and the bottom, making sure to leave plenty of headroom for the dolls (figure E)

• Cut a second shelf or other wood to size and use as vertical walls; secure these with brad nails.

• Inexpensive bookshelves usually come with a thin back panel, allowing you to user a box cutter or sharp utility knife to cut windows. Remove the back panel and create windows, doors or other touches (figure F). Nail the panel back into place using brad nails.

• As a final structural touch, you may want to add casters to the bottom of the house to make it easier to pull out for playtime.

• With the house built, it's time to decorate! If the bookcase has a slick (polyurethane or laminate) finish, scuff up the finish a bit with some sandpaper and apply a coat of deglosser before painting.

• In addition to painting, you can use decorative papers or textured wallpaper to line the walls. Don't forget carpet, window trim and other decorative touches (figure G). After all, your mod fashion dolls need a hip hangout.

Even the coolest dollhouse needs furniture. Check out Michele Beschen's how-to on fashion doll furniture to get started.