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Ok, here's the thing...
I really want a dolls house, but I'm too poor to buy one and can't find one I really like anyway. However, I was looking through my mum's old dolls house magazines the other day and there was a picture of one made out of papier mache. As I am useless at woodwork I thought, "Perfect! I could do that!"
Unfortunatly there were no instructions, just the picture, and although I've done a fair bit of PM in the past, I'm not sure where to start.
So, here's my questions;
1. Would it be ok to build the whole thing out of card and masking tape and then PM over the top, or would it be better to cut the walls out of cardboard and give them a few layers of PM before I put it together?
2.I'm intending it to have a 'cob cottage' feel to it, so it doesn't matter too much if the walls are a bit lumpy/bumpy, but I'm a bit worried about getting the floors fairly level, as I don't want all my furniture falling over; any tips for that? Would I be better off using thin plywood or something rather than the corrugated cardboard I'm intending to use for the walls?
3. I'm a bit confused how to hinge things, like the doors etc; would cloth hinges stuck under the PM work? Or would I be better off screwing and gluing metal hinges on after it's dry? Would they hold?
Thanks in advance; lovely site btw, very informative 
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Hi Fluttermoth,
You have just touched on my second love after papier mache - dolls houses! My home is full of them.
I don't see any reason for you not to make one out of papier mache, but it would take a lot of patience keeping your panels flat. By panels, I mean a sheet of corrugated cardboard covered in strips of papier mache. You would need to brush some diluted pva glue onto the cardboard first to seal it. This won't stop warping alltogether, but will contain it a little.
You could make several large panels and then cut them to size for your walls and floors inside the house. One large panel for the whole back, and two for the opening front.
When each panel is covered with papier mache (both sides) and before it is 100% dry, lay it down on a table and put the largest, heaviest book you own on top of it.
Cloth hinges could work well and could be hidden under the paper strips. If you can get hold of any strips of wooden mouldings, these could be glued into the corners of your rooms to make "cornices" and these would help to strenghthen your house and keep it nice and square.
Next you would want to make some papier mache people - and a dog and cat! Better not worry about that at this stage though. You have almost made me feel I would like to make a papier mache dollshouse myself - the only problem is that I don't think I have room for any more!
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Corrugated cardboard would give you the most strength, in my opinion.
When you're sealing the cardboard with the diluted (about 50/50) per Jackie's suggestion, be sure to coat BOTH sides of the cardboard. Much warping of both cardboard and wood is caused by treating only one side with adhesive or paint.
Level floors are the result of careful measuring. Measure two or three times and don't get distracted. A small bubble level will help, too. If you can do the entire second floor as one piece, it might be best. Even if it sags a bit due to the span between outside walls, measure your lower-floor walls carefully and then use them to 'shore up' the second floor.
It sounds like a good winter project! Have fun!
Sue
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If it is any help I have just made the children in my class a victorian paper puppet theatre out of papier mache. I used an old 12 bottle wine box which formed the walls floor and ceiling of the theatre. The whole structure maintained integrity and was strengthened by the layering of paper and glue. In this instance I used pva (Elmers glue) with no other bonding agents. Partly for speed and partly because being a plastic based glue it doesn't soak into the cardboard and make is squishy.
It won't give you an elegant house initially, unless you work to a bigger scale and glue boxes on top of one another to form floors. You will also need a very sharp craft knife for cutting window and door apertures.
Have fun.
Charlotte
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To join pieces of cardboard, especially the corrugated sort or mounting board, dribble neat PVA along the edge to be joined, leaving a few gaps, especially at the ends. Put some dabs of hot glue in those gaps and bring the pieces of card together. This has to be done quickly. The hot glue bonds it fast, while the PVA will slowly form a strong joint.
DavidO
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Clever idea, David!
Sue
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Thanks Sue.
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That was a nice idea for making your own doll house.It is the best as long as you want to have it.I think you can use gluegun for the attachment of cards to make it more strong than masking tape.
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I like to PM over foam board (also called foamcore) instead of cardboard because it doesn't warp quite as readily, and makes a good underlying construction material for things like doll houses, boxes, shelves, etc.--and you don't get the ridges, either.
Last edited by Owlbaby (2009-06-04 04:12:24)
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