7 Common Dollhouse Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

If you're new to the world of dollhouse miniatures, welcome! It truly is a magical place with no limits on your creativity and can-do spirit.

One of the most exciting but also daunting activities you'll undertake is to assemble your very first wooden dollhouse kit. In a previous post, we talked about the best dollhouse kits to buy based on everything from your skill level to your available time commitment.

If you already made a good choice and are ready to tackle your first dollhouse kit, it's worth it to know how to avoid common mistakes. Here they are!

7 Common Dollhouse Mistakes

1. Choosing the wrong dollhouse kit. Your first build is not the time to go big. Instead, choose simpler designs that don't require as much skill to get your feet wet. Another option is to start with a simple room box. 

2. Not having the right tools. Newbies are often surprised at just how many dollhouse building supplies are needed to put together a dollhouse kit. That's why it pays to read through the instructions before you start building so you can assemble all the dollhouse tools you'll need before you get started.

3. Underestimating the time commitment. Remember how they tell you to assume it will take 20 percent longer to get somewhere than you initially estimate? Well, the same applies to building a dollhouse kit.

4. Underestimating the cost. Unfortunately, the cost of the dollhouse kit or the room box is just the beginning. You'll also want to budget for dollhouse building supplies, wallpaper, flooring, shingles, and any other decorative elements you'll want in your mini home. 

5. Using a hot glue gun. Ask any dollhouse building pro and they'll tell you this is a big no-no. You'll want different glues on hand depending on what stage of the project you're working on. Check out our past post on how to choose a dollhouse glue to find out which ones you'll need. 

6. Feeling compelled the instructions to a T. Instructions are a huge help of course--but you don't have to follow them exactly. In fact, many people make modifications to their dollhouse. It's called dollhouse kit bashing--and it can be as simple as upgrading a window or as complicated as combining two dollhouse kits.

7. Installing baseboards before wallpaper. Applying the wallpaper first lets you hide the wallpaper's edges beneath the baseboards. 

We hope these tips help all the newbies out there. If you have any tips that aren't on the list, feel free to share them below!