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A six-foot, three-story dollhouse scaled for 18" dolls — two sheets of plywood, real rooms a kid can reach into, and caster wheels because it's furniture-sized.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sides and center divider Tops cut to the 45° roof angle — layout method in step 1. | 3 | 3/4" × 23 3/4" × 73" | 3/4" plywood/MDF | ☐ |
| Bottom | 1 | 3/4" × 23 3/4" × 48" | 3/4" plywood/MDF | ☐ |
| Upper floors | 4 | 3/4" × 22 7/8" × 23 3/4" | 3/4" plywood/MDF | ☐ |
| Roof panels Or one 3/4" plywood panel at 49-1/2" x 17-1/2", measured and cut to fit. | 5 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 49 1/2" | 1x4 | ☐ |
| Roof front board | 1 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 49 1/2" | 1x4 | ☐ |
| Roof front returns | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 14 3/4" | 1x4 | ☐ |
| Back | 1 | 1/4" × 48" × 61 1/2" | 1/4" plywood | ☐ |
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Plywood or MDF, 3/4", 4x8 sheet MDF paints smoother; plywood is lighter and holds screws better. | 2 each | ☐ |
| Plywood or MDF, 1/4", 4x8 sheet The back. | 1 each | ☐ |
| 1x4, 12 ft Roof and base trim — one more if trimming the base in wood instead of adding casters. | 6 each | ☐ |
| 1x2, 8 ft Window trim and optional shutters. | 4 each | ☐ |
| Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4" | 60 each | ☐ |
| Finish nails or staples, 1-1/4" | 100 each | ☐ |
| Wood glue | 8 oz | ☐ |
| Caster wheels The source's choice over a trimmed base — a 6-foot dollhouse moves a lot. | 4 each | ☐ |
| Primer and paint | 2 quart | ☐ |
Overall cost: $$$. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools: Circular Saw, Jigsaw, Speed Square, Tape Measure. Materials: Plywood or MDF, 3/4", 4x8 sheet
Break down the sheets (or have the store rip them to 23-3/4" widths and just crosscut at home). Longest pieces first.
The 45° roof peak, no protractor: find the top center of each tall panel — 11-7/8" from either side — measure DOWN 11-7/8" on the sides, and connect the marks. That diagonal is your 45°.
Mark every window and door now and cut them with the jigsaw while the panels lie flat. A window cut into an assembled dollhouse is a punishment; the same window cut on sawhorses is a pleasure.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig. Materials: Plywood or MDF, 3/4", 4x8 sheet, Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4"
Attach the two sides and center divider to the bottom panel — 3/4"-setting pocket holes with 1-1/4" screws, holes facing down and inward where dolls won't testify to them.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig. Materials: Plywood or MDF, 3/4", 4x8 sheet, Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4"
Add the four upper floor panels with pocket holes drilled on their UNDERSIDES — invisible from every doll's-eye view. Floor heights set the room ceilings; an 18" doll wants about 22" of clearance to stand with hair intact.
The source made the top floor one big room, which leaves no center bearing under the ridge — so a plywood roof panel works for the big slope: glue and nail it with the top edge flush at the peak. (Going all-1x4 works too if you kept the upper divider.)
Tools: Brad Nailer, Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig. Materials: 1x4, 12 ft, Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4", Wood glue
Pocket-hole the 1x4s into a single roof panel flat on the bench, then set and fasten the whole panel to the front slope. Building it as a unit first is why its board gaps stay even.
Tools: Brad Nailer. Materials: Plywood or MDF, 1/4", 4x8 sheet, Finish nails or staples, 1-1/4", Wood glue
Glue and nail the 1/4" back into every wall and floor edge it crosses. Beyond keeping dolls from falling out the back, the panel is the shear web that stops a six-foot case from racking when it's rolled.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: 1x4, 12 ft, Caster wheels
Screw the four casters to the bottom corners — the source's pick, and the right one for a piece that weighs as much as a dresser and lives in a kid's room. Prefer the furniture look? Trim the base in 1x4 instead.
Tools: Brad Nailer, Tape Measure. Materials: 1x2, 8 ft, Wood glue
Measure each window opening and build its 1x2 trim to fit snugly, gluing the pieces in place. Fitted one-by-one because jigsawed openings vary — the trim is what makes each one look intentional.
Tools: Brad Nailer, Random Orbit Sander. Materials: 1x2, 8 ft, Primer and paint
Prime and paint — this is the step where it becomes THE dollhouse, so let the resident designer pick colors. 1x2 shutters flanking the windows are the plan's someday-flourish; glue them on whenever the renovation budget allows.
Sand every opening edge a hand will reach through before handover. Then stand back: you built a house.