How-To Guides
Dolls House Building & Decorating
From unboxing your kit to the final coat of paint — plan, dry-assemble and decorate your dolls house with confidence.
Congratulations on your new dolls’ house! A kit build is one of the most satisfying projects in the hobby, and a little preparation at the start pays off handsomely at the end. The phases below take you from opening the box to a beautifully decorated house — and if you have mislaid the manufacturer’s paperwork, you may find a copy on our Kit Instructions page.
Please note: the tips in this guide are based on a generic dolls house kit build and may not apply to your particular dolls’ house. Always refer to any build and decorating instructions the manufacturer has provided with the kit you have purchased.
The Build, Phase by Phase
From Flat Pack to Finished House
Unpack & Check
Unpack the kit carefully and find the instructions and parts list. Lay everything out in a large, clean space and use a non-permanent method — post-it notes are ideal — to temporarily mark each piece with its part number. Check that every component listed is present and undamaged. If you spot any issues with a kit purchased from Minimum World, please contact us.
Plan Your Build
Read the instructions for the correct order of assembly and plan the whole project — including how you would like to decorate and light your house, and at which stage of the build each element will need to be completed. Decide now whether you will be installing lighting: it is much easier to accommodate wiring or recesses for fixings before the kit is assembled (see our separate wired and battery lighting guides).
The Dry Run
Assemble the house without glue first. Follow the build instructions (ignoring any decorating steps for now) and, wherever they call for glue or screws, use masking tape instead. A dry assembly lets you familiarise yourself with the parts, check that everything fits together correctly and make sure you understand the instructions before applying any permanent fixings or adhesives.
Mark Up, Photograph & Disassemble
Once you are satisfied everything fits, mark up the pieces with helpful notes — post-it notes or a very light pencil — such as “facing upwards” on floors and ceilings, to make the real assembly easier. Take some pictures, make any amendments to your build plan, then carefully take the house apart again. Depending on the design, you may wish to assemble, glue and decorate intricate parts such as roof dormers or staircases before starting the main build — your kit’s instructions should say what needs constructing and decorating at each stage. For more tips, watch our YouTube tutorial on dry-assembling the E1119 Classical Dolls House kit.
Seal Every Panel
Now that you know each piece and where it goes, you’ll find much of the decorating is easier to do before the kit is assembled. Always seal the panels first: an MDF sealant, or a 50/50 mix of PVA and water, applied to all surfaces will stop paints and glues being absorbed — unsealed MDF swells and distorts. For the same reason, avoid water-based (emulsion) paint on your dolls’ house. Both sealants are widely available from DIY stores.
Paint Before You Paper
Satin-finish oil-based or acrylic paints are ideal for interior and exterior surfaces — a satin finish also makes the house easier to wipe clean with a slightly damp cloth every so often. It really is worth painting the walls and floors even if you will later be wallpapering and carpeting, because unpainted panels are dark and may show through, spoiling the final effect. A neutral cream shade gives a good interior base for wallpapers and carpets; a neutral, mortar-like colour suits the exterior walls, with a darker grey or brown shade for the roof.
Find Your Next Project
Explore our full range of 1:12 scale dolls houses and basements, ready for building and decorating.
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