SusanL Posted September 27, 2018 Share Posted September 27, 2018 Hello! My name is Susan and I live in Tampa, FL. I just received my very first dollhouse kit for my birthday. I have wanted one since I was a child. My kids are all grown up and out of the house and I have found a new hobby. I read the instructions for the first time tonight and I am feeling overwhelmed. However, I will just take it one step at a time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mid-life madness Posted September 27, 2018 Share Posted September 27, 2018 Welcome Susan. Which house did you get? It is overwhelming at first, but reading and labeling the pieces helps to get a better grasp on what goes where. Some kits have you assemble the windows at the beginning. You can do this further along in the build. It makes it easier to paint them before assembled, and install after the interior wallpaper and paint is done. One step at at time is the name of the game! You can do it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted September 27, 2018 Share Posted September 27, 2018 Welcome to the little family, Susan. Does it help that I still get that "OMG, what have I done?" whenever I open a new kit box (I've been doing this for over 25 years now.)? 14 minutes ago, Mid-life madness said: ...One step at at time is the name of the game! You can do it! Carrie said it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NellBell Posted September 27, 2018 Share Posted September 27, 2018 Hi Susan , Welcome What house did you get? Stay calm and read everything again . It usually takes me more than a few times to understand the directions . I would say the best thing I learned is to dry fit the house it will really give you an idea of how the house goes together. Have fun and ask questions when you stuck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted September 27, 2018 Share Posted September 27, 2018 What Nell said, Susan. Get yourself a roll or two of blue painter's tape or beige masking tape and put the basic shell of the house together whilst reading the instructions. If you are building a tab & slot house like Greenleaf or Corona Concepts you can sand or shave the parts to fit together more perfectly and with the shell together you can put interior walls where they need to go to figure out where you will want to decorate before committing to glue or stairs and never being able to fit your hand or a paint brush in after it's together forever. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qubanqtee Posted September 27, 2018 Share Posted September 27, 2018 Hi Susan! Let us know which house kit you received - it doesn't have to be a Greenleaf kit, we just love dollhouses and building here and it's perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed...Rome was built in a day and neither are any of our houses lol....we have a good time here and theres a wealth of knowledge so chime in and ask away, there's great advise on here! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SusanL Posted September 27, 2018 Author Share Posted September 27, 2018 Thanks for all of the encouragement. I got the Lily house kit. I got my space set-up and most of the supplies. I have read through the tips and directions twice so far and will need to do so again. I like to idea of dry fitting the house first. I didn't realized there would be an option to paint and wallpaper before the house the was finished. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted September 27, 2018 Share Posted September 27, 2018 Priming, painting, staining, wallpapering can usually be done at any stage of the building process, but remember two things: Wood glue sticks bare wood to bare wood better and more permanently than paint to paint (during the dry fit I take a pencil and trace along the corners where one wall abuts the adjacent wall, and then if I have to prime and paint first I can run a strip of masking/ painter's tape where I need to glue after); and hot melt glue will break down over time and let the house fall apart. What works for me is to decorate those areas I will never be able to access once the house is glued together, then I start building and decorate the interior as I go and install the interior door and window trims last (and any interior doors). Once I have the shell together I work on finishing the exterior and install those door and window parts; and last I put on the roof and do whatever I'm going to do to it. Other folks have different ways of working that work better for them; it's all very individual and personal. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
My Miniature Madness Posted September 28, 2018 Share Posted September 28, 2018 Hi Susan and welcome! Just thought I'd chime in and give a link to Gina's day by day Lily assembly blog. The photos and instructions may be very useful! http://moreminis.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-lily-dollhouse-blog.html Also, for general assembly instructions, you can find good info broken down by category here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/more-minis-dollhouses/dollhouse-assembly-guides-and-information/1571725136200735/?fref=mentions&__xts__[0]=68.ARAK8iYsADG1fMQDqG6ojyNFT3MTARW0MpcxFnoy2Joq5sfk199yq2OpgeIjGaaSvBN5QOedBcsVUwBzuoPy8cd-mHh6v1ZaGx_W03zersMBFfTEfO3EXX18UahoFJoGsPnUmIMfft0nQ_-E98UrO0HfOQr0GOp59YP3kCQrOensHhBGougXHA&__tn__=K-R Good luck and have fun on your new adventure! Jodi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mesp2k Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 Hey Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeonaMalone Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 Hi to all, Newbie here too. Feeling great to join this community. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 7 hours ago, LeonaMalone said: Hi to all, Newbie here too. Feeling great to join this community. It's OK to post your own intro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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