Khadi

I have built Garfields. I can possibly help. What are you trouble with?

This dollhouse is amazing. I got to see it when I was at Windsor Castle years ago. It's definitely worth visiting if you have the chance.

I have a horrible time with the directions. I treat my dollhouses as puzzles. I find which pieces I need from the directions and then treat them as a puzzle until I get them correct. I do lots of dry fitting and never glue anything until I'm sure I have it correct.

I have, and he is. His other favorite activity is to climb up the stairs in my Garfields- No small feat for an 11 lb. cat.

I have had some luck with velcroing thin sheets of plastic to the backs of some smaller dollhouses to keep my cats out. I have also tried plexiglass that I could slide in and out of tracks that I made from wood trim. Mr. Kitty got those off because he has fine motor skills above and beyond the average cat. It would probably be safe with a bird though.

This house has a lot of space and possibilities. If you're feeling brave, I would recommend increasing the size of the windows upstairs so that you can use real windows. The upstairs windows are small and low. I used square windows because the standard windows won't fit.

I have an X-Acto knife kit that I use heavily, especially, for making small cuts like increasing window size. I cut a little bit at a time until I get a deep enough cut to cut through the wood. The largest blade can handle a good bit of force. The key is to buy X-Acto and not a cheaper imitation. I made that mistake once or twice. The imitations are weak and useless.

Thank you for sharing a look at the fruits of your amazing talent. Each house is so unique and creative.

You can also list it on Ebay as a local pickup only. It's not hard to set up an account.

Welcome! The Garfield is a great house to start with. I have built/ am building four of them as part of a giant castle. Despite its size, I have found it one of the easier dollhouses to build. You may want to consider painting or partially wallpapering and flooring before you put it all together as some of the areas are a bit tricky to reach. Otherwise, it is a very forgiving house with a lot of flexibility in design. Good luck, and I hope you enjoy!

I wish I did have some suggestions for you. I must confess after weeks of soaking and scoring with no luck, I finally gave up and sold my Lily. I hope you have better luck than me. It's a cute house.

Welcome! I think you have to have five posts before you can attach photos.

I use these resin dolls in my 1920s dollhouse. They're about to sit down to a formal dinner before going out for the evening. On a funny side note- I've been looking everywhere for those cups below the radio. I guess I finally found them. 😅

I found this on Amazon. It was an inexpensive one that you build yourself, but it looks nice and seems sturdy. It was also easy to build.

Like many builders, I have cats that make it difficult to fully decorate my dollhouses. So, when I saw this cabinet, it seemed like the perfect solution. Originally, I thought I would use it just to display furniture and items not currently being used in my houses, but now I'm leaning more towards making room boxes out of the shelves using cardboard covered in wallpaper for backdrops. Pardon the image quality. I have a hard time finding a resolution that looks good on this forum.

I wonder if something could be made using a CriCut, a debossing tool, and cardstock. I'll have to experiment.

I've used foam core to build fireplaces and walls. I bought a hot knife to cut foam core. I found it's a lot easier to cut with than a regular knife. The key is to keep the knife moving or it will leave burn marks on the foam. I also cut it on top of scrap wood so that I don't damage anything underneath.

Welcome! I have to ask- Is your pet a jumping spider?

I've built too inverted Garfields. It's easy to do as long as you don't forget and switch a piece. The only thing I would check first with the Glencroft is the roof. Can you get it to bend the opposite direction. Otherwise, it should be fine. I would just dry fit as much as possible to make sure everything works.

That was my thought too. It looks like the play dollhouses that I've seen where I work. That being said, the rooms are huge. It could be fixed up really nicely.

I flattened the roof on an Orchid. I left the upstairs as one open room, and it had plenty of space. I'm sure you could still divide into rooms also.

Hello, I was wondering if anyone has the a windows sheet from the Garfield that they are not using. In particular, I am looking for the sheet that has the french door windows. I have replaced most of my windows, but I like to use the french door inserts for the narrow tower windows. Thanks

Welcome! Check out Ebay and Etsy for a variety of reasonably priced furnishing and decor. There are also multiple online stores including Miniature Crush and miniatures.com. I would explore the gallery on this website and images online to get ideas. There is no one way to decorate a dollhouse. It's just a matter of finding what "speaks to you". Best Wishes!

Welcome. Tape parts together first to make sure they fit correctly, and you have them in the correct place. Once you are sure that all is good, then you can glue. You may want to retape it while the glue is drying to hold it in place. Paint your ceilings and other parts that you wish to paint before you put it together. It will make it easier. (Speaking as someone who always forgets to paint her ceilings before gluing and then has to practically stand on her head to paint.) Some people wallpaper first while others prefer to wait until it is glued together. Personally, I prefer to measure and cut wallpaper before gluing, but not install it until after I glue to ensure that I have some overlap at the corners to hide the seam. I hope this is helpful. As Holly mentioned, there are a lot of great dollhouse blogs to give you ideas and strategies. And, don't worry if you make a few mistakes. We all do. It is a learning process. Best wishes!