IvoryCate Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Hello. My name is Catherine. I'm a craft junkie with my first dollhouse kit and a ton of questions. I've always loved dollhouses, and finally got my first kit (a Magnolia) a while back. I opened it, took a look at the instructions, and got cold feet. Need a bit of a shove and maybe some handholding to get started on it. ANY hints at all on getting started would be much appreciated. My daughter sez, if we can put together an Asian Ball Joint doll, we can put together a dollhouse. I'm thinking there's a lot more to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodentraiser Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Hi and welcome - another Washingtonian! I'm in Bremerton, Lisa is in Poulsbo, Chekmouse is in Allen and there are a couple more new members on the Seattle side. Any questions - just ask! This is a great forum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IvoryCate Posted August 24, 2009 Author Share Posted August 24, 2009 Hi. Thanks. I'm just sitting here looking at the instructions wondering what I need to go out and buy to get started. Is there some sort of list of "You Need These" (e.g., I saw someone using a hand sander--would that be a good idea?) that might give me a general idea what people use on these kits? I know what the kit instructions say, but I also know that as a long-time crafter, I would be able to give a true newbie such as myself a list of what I use when I'm, say, sewing, or starting a batch of soap, that might be a lot more specific/helpful. Again, thanks bunches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natalie Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Hi Catherine, welcome!!! I am also fairly new to building dollhouses, I started with the Greenleaf Garfield about two years ago and just finished it (pics are in my gallery)..clearly I'm not too zippy! My mom and I worked on it alot together, which also made it very special. I spent a few days really going over the instructions and I also read cover to cover "The ABCs of Dollhouse Finishing," which gave me some really good information that the specific instructions just don't include. I also asked a very lot of questions here, and believe me, you'll get a lot of really great input. Good luck to you, can't wait to see pics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natalie Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Oops, just saw your next post. I pretty much started out with the equipment the instructions listed plus those that the ABC's book suggested. Of course, I spend nearly every day at Home Depot getting additional stuff, too! But sandpaper (a few different grits/grades/whatever), Xacto type knives, a couple of kinds of glue (I mostly use Quick Grip and Tacky -- DO NOT use a hot glue gun!), loads of shop rags, painters tape, I primmed all my pieces with a pigmented primer, and a selection of small clamps are really handy. Also, I think everyone here would recommend doing a dry build (also pics in my gallery) of all the major components so you have a good fixed picture in your mind of what each step accomplishes. I pretty much punched out all of my pieces and labeled them prior to starting. I know this isn't really recommended, but it worked for me to have all the pieces out, sorted and preped to go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Welcome to the little family, Catherine. If you go to the brown bar at the top of the page and click on "Blogs" and go to the Team Magnolia blog, it's the latest kit we built & blogged. IMO it's the most elegant kit we've built to date. I was asked to build the plain, undecorated, unbashed kit; so when I finished the blog I went back and made an album as I decorated and bashed the house. There are mini posts on the subject of getting started with a build, but I use this approach with each and every kit I open: Open the box and sniff the lovely new wood smell. If your kit comes with sandpaper, pet the wood with it (otherwise get yourself a square of sandpaper to begin with); get acquainted with it and let it know you're friendly. Take the paperwork and transparent plastic sheet out of the box; I find that the Warm-Up sheet is a good place to store the plastic sheet of window inserts, to protect it from getting scratched. Pay VERY close attention to where you put it. Read over the instructions. Put everything back into the box and close it and go make yourself a cup of tea. Next time you open the box, read the instructions again, looking at the schematics sheets. I sort the plywood sheets into numerical order (ascending or descending depends on where the instructions start). Read over the instructions until they seem to make sense. Before you begin to build, two things: the windows stay a lot cleaner if you wait to attach them to the house until it's decorated. I stain or prime & paint the trims and set them aside (in a ziplock plastic bag) until I'm ready to install them. Doors can be installed as working doors, I wrote a "Quick Tip" for the July issue of the Greenleaf Gazette on hinging doors. The other thing is please do not use hot glue to build this or any dh. Some of us have good luck with tacky glue and some of us use carpenter's wood glue. Don't worry if you think the kit starts talking to you and telling you what it wants, this is normal and desirable; if you listen to the kit your results will be outstanding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_the_haunted Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Hi and to the group! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfie Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Hello and welcome to the forum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shy Spirit Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Hi Catherine, welcome to the community! Natalie and Holly have covered a lot of the basics - and as you encounter obstacles, please do ask questions. People here are champing at the bit to help out! :woohoo: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin1056 Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Catherine :woohoo: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLyn M. Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Welcome Catherine!! I joined last Nov.My first completed house was the Spring Fling contest house.I just took a deep breath set out all my wooden sheets in order and took another deep breath and and started with instruction #1 and as I finished each step-I crossed it off.Elmer's glue and masking tape are my best friends!!You'll much instruction and encouragement here from everyone.Good luck and glad to welcome you.!! :jawdrop: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IvoryCate Posted August 25, 2009 Author Share Posted August 25, 2009 Wow! Thanks. I'm feeling better already. Thanks for the advice about the hot glue. The kit instructions seemed so set on using it. Good to know I don't need to go out and buy a glue gun for this. My daughter and I picked colours yesterday. Is the latex paint recommended in the instructions a good idea? (I haven't purchased paint yet, we just decided what colours we want to use for the house and each of the rooms.). And stain for the floors. At least, that's what we're thinking at the moment. I'll get pictures up as soon as anything's happened. Thanks again. -Catherine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo Med Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 Hi Catherine, welcome to the forum. I'm new at this too, started in January this year and I have found that this is a great place to ask for help. Members are always very encouraging too so when you hit a rough spot, as everyone does from time to time, there's a wealth of advice and support to get you motivated again. I am sure that lone builders without this kind of network, could easily give up - hence the many unfinished kits I see on e-bay. I have learned that there is nothing that is unrepairable so whatever goes wrong, there is always someone on here who can tell you how to correct it and move on. Best of luck and enjoy your kit - I'm really loving doing mine. Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 Interior latex paint is the way to go, especially white; flat finish makes great primer and you can use your acrylic craft paints to tint small amounts of semigloss or satin to obatain custom colors for painting your dh (straight acrylic paints, besides being expensive, tend to give a flat finish). Priming first helps to seal the wood and gives a nicer finish under paint/ wallpaper; don't prime or paint what you may want to stain; you can always go back if you or the house change your minds and paint over stain, but you can't really stain overf paint. Most paint companies are following Benjamin Moore's lead and putting out their custom colors in small sample-sized pots that are perfect for painting 1:12 sized houses (and smaller). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasbuilder Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 Hi Catherine. Welcome to the Forum. I was raised in Bellevue and Woodinville so know well where Sammamish is although it wasn't there when I was a kid. This place is in Totem Village just outside Kirkland and is a wonder to visit. http://www.dollhousecottage.com/welcome.htm Jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa_F Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 Welcome to the forum Catherine, you're gonna love it here! There are so many talented miniaturists on this forum and it's got to be the friendliest forum I've ever visited. I'm looking forward to seeing photo's of your build! The Dollhouse Cottage is a wonderful place to visit, as Jerry mentioned. Then there's Dolly's Dollhouse in Seattle - she doesn't have a website but if you google it you will find an address & phone number. The owner is an absolute delight, but when visiting her store it's best to plan a nice block of time to go because she's quite the talker and the store is full of stuff from floor to ceiling and it's not the best organized store you'll ever visit :jawdrop: Then there's the Seattle Dollhouse Miniature Show every September & March - I've been a few times the last few years & it's always a lot of fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 Hello Catherine, welcome to the forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IvoryCate Posted August 25, 2009 Author Share Posted August 25, 2009 That's what I'm looking forward to--getting the stuff to put in the house once it's finished. When I was a kid living in Dayton, Ohio, we used to make what was then considered the long (20 mile) trip to the Dayton Mall. There was a hobby shop there that sold dollhouse miniatures. I'd just stand there and look at all the great stuff and wish. Now I have my chance to start outfitting my first dollhouse (some, erm, 30 odd years later). Can't wait. I'll have to check out the miniature show. Sounds like something my daughter and I would love to attend together. Closest we've come is the dollhouse display at the Puyallup (State Fair, for non-Washingtonians). Thanks for the advice about the paint. I was thinking those little paint samples would be just the thing... (Plus my Mom is into redecorating her house every couple of years. She probably has some paint lying around that I could use...). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbie4159 Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Hi Catherine: welcome and glad to have you! Debbie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodland_miniatures Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Hi, Catherine, and welcome! This is a great forum with very generous and knowledgable folks more than willing to help you out with whatever. I've not yet built a dollhouse either and so the answers you've gotten so far are just what I need to know, too! I'm a native Seattleite just recently relocated east of the Cascades - some of my best childhood memories include swimming in Lake Sammamish, it's a wonderful lake! Did you ever get to the Museum of History and Industry, in the U. District in Seattle, and see that wonderful Colonial dollhouse they've had on display for just about forever? It's called the Hammons House and it is spectacular - I used to spend hours looking at it every time we went to the museum. Guess you could say I got hooked on minis when I was just barely tall enough to see into this house! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 And if you should discover that some of this stuff is expensive, we have tutorials and suggestions for making your own minis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynette Smith Posted August 29, 2009 Share Posted August 29, 2009 Hi Catherine! Greetings from a displaced Washingtonian native! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 Welcome to the forum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marivigano Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Hi Catherine and welcome http://marivigano.blogspot.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miniwendy Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Welcome! Enjoy building your Magnolia- you'll get plenty of help here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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