A Doll's Life

Gallery of Examples

C.J. Stutz — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:53:00 +0000

These are pictures of several different rooms, from different dollhouses and roomboxes. Although each room represents a different historical period and architectural style, I created the components using the same basic techniques we've been covering. As always, please feel free to post any questions or comments.

I created these two rooms using the applique technique. The white on green simulates the plaster appliques, which were so popular in Edwardian architecture. The blue on blue simulates the comparatively simple woodwork, which was common in working class colonial American homes.

I created this half wall using the inset panel technique. Paneling only one wall can help to add some architectural interest to the room.

Here, in the library of the Hampton, I combined floor to ceiling paneling with wainscoting.

In the dining room of the Hampton, I combined floor to ceiling paneling with wainscoting. Here, I replicated a classic Georgian style, where the door blends into the woodwork. Georgians were obsessed with symmetry; it wasn't unheard of to go so far as to balance a working door at one end of the room with a pretend door on the other. More practically, many Georgian architects compromised symmetry and practicality by hiding doors in the woodwork.

Here, in a roombox, I used trim to frame wallpaper panels. In colonial America, wallpaper was very expensive; trading ships imported it from China, where artisans painted it by hand. Even wealthy homeowners could only afford a little at a time, particularly since they had to replace it every few months. In an era where artificial light came only from candles, kerosene and whale oil, decorations got very dirty very quickly. Panels such as this were actually removable; the homeowner (or, more likely, his servants) could remove it from the wall, change the paper inside of it and replace it.

I created a different look for the wainscoting by reversing the trim; instead of an inset panel, I created a raised panel.

Oh, No!

C.J. Stutz — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 19:33:00 +0000

Woodworking is serious business; here, more so than with any other art form, you can actually kill yourself if you're not careful. It's absolutely vital to observe some basic safety precautions, because, believe it or not, you're risking more than just losing a finger or two. If you're not careful, then you're risking brain damage, skin cancer and even, for pregnant women, birth defects.

1. One of the reasons I prefer working with non toxic materials is, many traditional woodworking media are carcinogenic. An acquaintance of mine, a master restorationist, had to retire early, because he got skin cancer in his fingertips. His doctor told him that, unless he stopped working with the shellacs, dyes and resins of his trade, he would lose his hands. It goes without saying that this is an extreme example of what can go wrong--but it's also an important object lesson in the value of safety gear. If you're using shellac, then use plastic gloves.

2. My cousin, who is also a professional artist, works primarily with oils. He told me the other day about how so many people don't realize that oil paints contain lead, arsenic and a whole host of other poisons. If you use your fingers to paint, then you need to use some sort of protective lotion, like Art Guard Hand Barrier Cream. Otherwise, your fingers are going to absorb whatever is in the paint like little sponges.

3. If you use spray finish, and I do, then only use it in a well ventilated area. Even "non toxic" spray finishes can be dangerous. If you feel yourself getting light headed, or disoriented, then leave the room immediately and consider calling your local poison control center. The warning labels are on the can for a reason. When I was in college, a professor of mine told us that spray finish can cause birth defects.

4. Wear protective glasses. Even the most careful woodworkers have accidents. Small pieces of wood can catch on the gate of your table saw and shoot back out toward your eyes. Trust me, sawdust is the least of your problems.

5. Watch your fingers. Need I say more? This means not only paying attention while using power tools, but also never trying to make fine cuts with dull blades. If you put pressure on a dull blade, then it's going to slip right or left--and into your hand.

Tools are expensive, yes--but your biggest investment is in yourself. The reason you're reading this blog, after all, is because you're willing to invest time and energy in something you love. That's a big commitment, and it says a lot about how much you value your health and happiness. You spend so much time, money and energy on miniatures--don't let this hobby turn into a horror story.

A Note on Hardware

C.J. Stutz — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 13:15:00 +0000

I, personally, think expensive hardware is worth the money. It makes a huge difference to the believability of your room. The most commonly available hardware is Houseworks, which is OK but not great. All of Houseworks' hardware is brass, for starters, and brass isn't exactly the right look for many houses. Its also extremely simple. Houseworks' whole product line is really best suited for Victorian, or modern, dollhouses. While there's absolutely nothing wrong with either, and nothing wrong with simple styles, in general, using Houseworks should be a style choice--not your default option. There's absolutely nothing wrong with vanilla, and sometimes vanilla is exactly what you want--but before you reach for vanilla yet again, try another flavor! There are so many flavors to choose from.

Some of my favorites are,

1. Olde Mountain Miniatures (available from Earth and Tree Miniatures, www.earthandtree.com, or directly from their website, www.oldemountain.com) makes historically accurate American colonial hardware in a variety of styles. The entire line is of wonderful quality, and perfect for a colonial or federal house. A noteworthy feature of the line is the fact that Olde Mountain Miniatures divides it up by time period and geographic area. If you're really into historical accuracy, then this is very valuable. I'm currently building a historically accurate New Hampshire colonial, and I appreciate the fact that I can purchase hardware that's historically accurate not only for colonial America, but also for colonial New Hampshire.

2. Designer Home (available from Earth and Tree Miniatures) has a wonderful line of Victorian hardware. Although its similar to Houseworks, its much more detailed. I used Designer Home hardware in the Hampton.

3. Mainly Minis (www.mainlyminis.net) sells a working Westminster chimes doorknob and doorbell. It comes with its own seperate electrical circuit and battery box.

Don't be afraid to get out there and look around!

Making Your Own Door, Part III

C.J. Stutz — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 23:38:00 +0000

The third basic kind of door we're going to make is an inset panel door. This is probably the trickiest kind of door to master, not because it's so challenging but because it requires a high degree of accuracy and quite a bit of patience. If you can master these three kinds of doors, then you have the skill set you need to reproduce any door you want.

I personally find the inset panel door to be very fulfilling. It's fun to make, and it looks really beautiful when its done. As before, you want to start with two door panels. Here, I tend to use one 1/8" thick panel and one 1/16" thick panel. The 1/16th panel is going to become the inset side of the door.

Again, start by marking out guidelines on the door panel (see above). Then, cut and glue trim to form two panels. Here, instead of an applique, we're making an inset; look for trim with a small lip, such as wainscoting trim. When you cut the trim, make sure that the lip points outwards--when you set the completed trim panel into the door, it should be flush with both the outer panel and the inner part of the door. After you assemble the panels, place them on the door. You're now ready to form the outer panel.

First, cut and assemble the outer panel. For this step, I use 1/32" thick wood, because its exactly the same thickness as the lip on most trims. I'm a perfectionist, so I really want all of my pieces to fit together tightly.

When you assemble the outer panel, it should be flush with the edges of the inner part of the door. The completed trim panels should fit comfortably inside. Be careful not to make the fit too snug--wood expands and contracts when wet, and you don't want to carefully stain and varnish the trim panels, only to find that they don't fit! A good tip, here, is to stain and varnish the trim panels before you create the outer panel.

Now, using your glueing jig, very carefully glue the outer edges together. Here, I'm using a piece of scrap wood to make sure that the bottom edges line up.

Now, insert the completed trim panels into the outer panel. Make sure they fit, and that the fit isn't too tight. Very carefully, mark the edges of the panels, just under the overhanging lip of the trim.

Now, you're ready to cut the center section of the outer panel, and glue it in. Usually, I glue the center section with the completed trim panels in place, to ensure that, after my outer panel dries, they still fit. The fit should be snug, but not too tight--there should be just the slightest amount of wiggle room. Here, I taped the center section to the rest of the outer panel, to make sure that the pieces dried flush together.

At this point, you should have four pieces: the inner part of the door, the outer panel and two completed trim panels. Set the completed trim panels aside, and stain (or paint) the two remaining panels.

After they're dry, it's time to glue them together. When I'm staining a door, I prefer to finish the outer panel before I glue it on; I apply three coats of spray. However, I wait to sand the outer panel, or apply a finish coat, until after I assemble the door. Spread the back of the outer panel with quick grip, and lay it gently onto the inner part of the door. Hold the two panels together for a few minutes, and then weight them together. I, personally, wait until after the quick grip sets (about 45 minutes) to sand, because I think the final finish comes out much smoother. I sand the outer panel lightly, and then, using a small amount of tacky glue, I attach the completed trim panels. then, I apply a last, light, finish coat of spray.

Your inset panel door is now complete. This is a basic strategy you can use to create almost any door. Here, we used it to create sunken panels; if you reverse the direction of the trim, i.e. point the lip inwards instead of outwards, then you can use it to create raised panels. Also, depending on what kind of trim you use--thin or thick, ornate or simple--you end up with a very different look.

Making Your Own Door, Part II

C.J. Stutz — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 22:30:00 +0000

The next door we're going to make is a variation on the simple door. Here, we're going to use an applique to create raised trim. We're going to start with the same two panels as the plain door. Here, before you start to cut any trim, you need to do a little advanced planning--what trim are you planning on using in the room? You want the door to match, or at least coordinate. When I'm working on a house, once I reach this stage I do a "walk through" where I place the trims and other components I'm planning on using in the appropriate rooms. That way, as I'm going through making the different doors, I have a constant visual reminder of what goes where. Especially with bigger dollhouses, it's surprisingly easy to confuse yourself.

Once you sort yourself out trim-wise, the next step is to mark out the door itself. Sometimes this is more important than other times. Below, is an example of one of those times when it's vitally important.

This is the dining room in the Hampton. I wanted the door to blend in with the panelling, so I measured the panelling at the same time I measured the door. Generally, this involves having some sense of how high you want the panelling to be. Don't be afraid to tape the door into the door hole and draw on it, right along with the wall. This isn't rocket science, but it does require patience.

Generally, I like to start my applique about 1" from the bottom of the door, 1/2" from the top of the door and 1/2" from each side. Mark the distances (whatever distances you choose) with a ruler, and draw them in. You're going to use the door as your template to create your appliques.

Select a length of trim and cut it on an angle using your mitre saw.

Place the trim against the door and, using your template, mark off the trim.

Now, you're ready to cut the trim. Below, I've made my own 45' angle jig. You can also buy an angle jig from the friendly folks at Smaller Than Life. They also sell PREAC saws, as well as many other tools. I place my trim against the stop and move the jig along the arm until the cutting mark is level with the blade. Then, I tighten the stop on the arm in place. I can move my jig up and down, and cut as many identical lengths of trim as I need. This is a very handy skill to practice, because it has all sorts of applications.

As you cut the lengths of trim, lay them out on the door.

Now, you're ready to assemble the trim. I use a gluing jig, from Smaller Than Life. It's worth its weight in gold--I absolutely love it and use it all the time.

Once the trim is assembled, it's time to stain or paint. Finish the door itself, before you glue the appliques to it--this makes it much easier to smoothly sand the door. Once the door and the appliques are dry, you can glue the appliques to it. You don't have any guidelines anymore, but you can mark guidelines out with tape or make very light pencil marks and lightly touch them up with paint after the glue dries. If you're staining, then you should wait to spray or paint on your finish coat of varnish until after you glue the appliques to the door.

At this point, you should have two finished door halves. Now, it's time to glue them together. I use quick grip for this procedure, although any tacky glue would work. Spread your glue along one door panel, and massage it around with your finger until you have an even coating. Remember, time is of the essence, here--you don't want the glue to dry! Work as quickly as you can, while still being precise. Very carefully place the two door panels against each other, and press. Hold the panels together for a few minutes, or until the glue begins to set. Now, lay the door down on a flat surface and, very carefully, weight it down. Unless you weight the door, it's going to warp, and you don't want that. Heavy books, in my experience, make the best weights. I use my old law school casebooks. Be very, very, very careful when you place your weights--you don't want the door panels to shift against each other.

Below, is an example of a door with raised trim. This is the master bedroom in the Hampton. Here, the height of the panels isn't important.

Making Your Own Door, Part I

C.J. Stutz — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 23:46:00 +0000

Why make your own door?

1. It looks better.

2. It costs less. Finishing one pre-made door costs 14.00 for the door. Meanwhile, making one door from scratch costs 3.00 for a 1/8" thick strip of basswood and 1.20 for a strip of chair rail. Yeah, that's 4.20, so what? What if you want to use more expensive trim? Some trims are as much as 3.00 for a single length and, after all, if you want a complicated door, with recessed moulding, that's more! OK, well, let's compare. Doors are usually around 6.5--7" tall, which means that you can get 3 door pieces for every strip of basswood--that's enough to make 1.5 doors. If you add on trim (let's assume that you need 3.00 worth of trim for each door), then you bring your grand total to 4.80 per door. That's almost 3 doors for the price of one! If you use cheaper trim, then you bring your price down to 3.00 per door. That's 4.5 doors for the price of one.

The first door we're going to make is the easiest--the plain door. Below, is an example of a plain door already in the dollhouse. Doors like this were common in the "non public" areas of older houses--i.e. the kitchen, servants' quarters, or attic. Doors like this are still common in modern houses and apartments.

If you have a pre-made door, then start by taking it apart--you can use it as a template. The door should separate into 3 parts: the frame, the threshhold and the door itself. Also, don't be shy about using the door frame and threshhold for this door--it's easier than making your own, and it's less wasteful.

The next step is to reproduce the door. A standard door is about 1/4" thick, so I'm going to use two 1/8" thick lengths to form my door. I'm going to use my PREAC table saw, a must for any miniaturist's studio, to cut two pieces of wood the exact same length and width as the pre-made door.

Place the door length-wise along the arm of the saw, and snug the stop against the side. Remember to cut two!

Now, place the door width-wise against the blade, and snug the gate against it. Again, remember to cut two!

I suggest cutting the door length-wise before you cut it width-wise because it conserves wood--wood is expensive, and you want to preserve as many large sections as you can. It's pretty discouraging when, halfway through a project, you realize that you have plenty of wood--but its all half an inch too small.

Also, when you're working with a table saw, sometimes you can inadvertantly snug the gate too tight and end up with a length of wood slightly too small. A good trick is to slowly run the pattern piece (in this case, the pre-made door) in and out of the lane a few times. Make sure, here, that it doesn't hitch against the blade--if it does, then your lane is slightly too small. The pattern piece should glide easily in and out of the lane.

After you cut the two pieces, you're ready to stain, paint, or whatever else. At this point, if you're making a simple door, then you're done!

The Doors!

C.J. Stutz — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 12:32:00 +0000

Order matters, which is the main reason why planning is so important. In the first dollhouse I ever completed (notice I say "completed," not "began") I did each door only after I finished the rooms that it connected and I left the windows until absolute last. Needless to say, nothing ever looked quite right. Installing the doors first allows you to achieve a much tighter fit with all the trim in the room. Ultimately, you're going to end up with a room that looks much more like a room in a real house.

Today I'm going to talk about finishing a pre-made door. In the next couple of posts, I'm going to teach you how to make a variety of different doors from scratch. Trust me, you're a better woodworker than you think--within a few weeks, you're going to be a door making champion.

1. Pick a door, any door. For the purposes of this post, I'm going to assume that you're working with a standard Houseworks 6 light door. The term "light" actually refers to the 6 little inset panels in the door. But, regardless of what door you choose, the procedure is about the same so bear with me.

2. Sand that baby. The trick here is to be (don't I know it) firm but gentle. This should resonate with the parents out there: you want to get rid of the obvious flaws, but not push so hard that you rough off the beautiful, crisp edges. These are, after all, what make the door interesting. Start with a finer grit of sandpaper than you think you need, maybe 240, and go slowly. A little bit of sanding sponge (they tear pretty easily) works great to sand down those beveled edges.

3. If you're staining one side (or both sides) of the door, now's the time to do so. If you're staining (or painting) both sides, order isn't as much of an issue, but the reason you want to tackle the stain before the paint is, wood is porous! Any gesso or paint that gets on the wood now is going to stay there, and that's not really the look you want. Stain the door (remembering the sides of the door), and lay it aside to dry. After it dries, apply your first coat of varnish. I use matte or semi gloss spray varnish, here. Sprays, unlike liquids, don't leave brush strokes. It's very important, however, when working with a spray to apply very, very, very thin coats. Don't try to cut corners on this step. Waiting about 30 minutes between each coat, apply 3 thin coats of varnish. After the door is completely dry (usually about 2 hours), lightly sand the door with either 400 grit sandpaper or an extra fine sanding sponge. If you sand through to the wood, it's OK--you can fix it. Using a small brush, touch up the area with stain. If you're using a water based stain, then mixing a little bit of brown acrylic paint into it helps to thicken it up and increase coverage. And remember, real wood doesn't look completely uniform and that's what makes it so expensive.

4. Remove any dust from the crevices of the door with a clean, dry craft brush and repeat the sanding and spraying procedure. After the door is clean and dry, spray a single, final finish coat on and leave it to dry.

5. If you're painting the other half of the door, then now's the time to break out the masking tape. I use 3M painter's tape. It works well, but nothing's foolproof--this is a tough step. If you're using a pre-made door, you might want to consider staining or painting both sides of the door the same color. Run the tape around the sides of the door, creating as straight an edge as you can. Use your fingernail (or a scrap of wood) to gently press the tape into the door. You want to ensure a tight seal, here. The tape is going to give you a smooth division between the stain and the paint.

6. Break out the gesso and gesso that baby. After the gesso is completely dry, lightly sand the door. It should feel smooth to the touch.

7. Break out the paint. As with the walls, you want to start out with a slightly watery first coat--except around the edges of the door. Here, you want to apply the paint full strength, angling your brush strokes towards the tape. Once you're finished painting the door, set it aside to dry for at least a couple of hours. Once the door is dry, gently remove the tape. If you painted both sides of the door, you can use the same technique with the tape to separate the colors of paint from each other.

8. The frame of the door breaks into two parts: the lintel and the threshold. The lintel is the part that encases the door, and the threshold is the part that sits on the floor. In most houses, the threshold matches the surrounding floor--wander around your house and have a look. If, for example, you're going to be installing hardwood floors, then you might want to paint or stain the threshold to match. If you're going to be installing carpet, or tile, then you might want to paint it a brown or cream, to coordinate. In most houses, the lintel matches the trim on the door. Keep in mind that the lintel will be visible after you install the door.

9. Once you've finished the door, it's time to install hardware. If you're yearning for something other than the basic brass options, then my friends at Earth and Tree, www.earthandtree.com, have an awesome selection. Personally, I like to use something different every time.

10. Now, reassemble the door with the frame. It can be especially tricky to realign the threshold with the lintel, and I usually use a gluing jig for this step. If you don't have one, then small clamps work just as well.

Your door is ready to install. Personally, I don't use the trim that comes with pre-made doors, but that's a matter of personal taste. At this point, if you're using pre-made doors, you want to go through your house and install them all. If you're making doors from scratch, then tune in next time!

Painting the Walls

C.J. Stutz — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 13:33:00 +0000

Believe it or not, this part is trickier than it seems. It's just paint, right? Do I really need to go there? When it comes to paint, the possibilities for disaster are pretty much endless. My personal favorites include obvious brush strokes, ridge marks and, my personal favorite, gloppy puddles that appear for no reason. Here are some thoughts on how to avoid these common pitfalls and make the most of your painting experience:

1. Start with good quality paint. Yeah, I know. But seriously, it does make a difference. A lot of people will tell you to start with a super expensive brush and, yeah, maybe that makes a difference. Considering as how I live on planet Earth, where I need to use my hard-earned money to buy things like groceries, I wouldn't know. I've found that the cheapo packs of craft brushes work just as well. Now, I don't get the ultra cheapo (like, 20 cents a brush) brushes, I get the slightly more expensive (8 bucks for 5) brushes. You can find packages of them at Michael's, emblazoned with inspiring names like "craft brush value pack." Basically, the difference is that these brushes are fake and the nice brushes aren't. The brushes with the white bristles (my personal favorite) are fake (faux, for you fancy people) white sable, just as the brushes with the reddish brown bristles are fake red sable. The bristles came off an assembly line, instead of from an animal. Apart from all other considerations, I can totally get behind not ripping the hair out of some hapless ferret by the roots. I don't dig hurting animals. Likewise, the bristles make it into the brush in basically the same way, too--they're gathered together in a big ponytail by a machine, glue is dabbed on the end of the ponytail by another machine, and they're inserted into a little metal cup. This little metal cup, called a ferroule, is then crimped shut by yet another machine. Finally, the ends are trimmed into a uniform shape. Voila, you've just achieved brush. Again, the difference is in the materials used--artificial glue instead of horse hoof glue (yes, "real" glue comes from horse hooves). One really good reason for studying art is that people can't BS you about materials quite as easily--a lot of "fine art" supplies exist to lure in suckers. Don't be one! Anyway, you can check out my work and decide for yourself if it sucks.

2. Decide, well in advance, what room is going to feature which colors. Nothing ruins even a really great paint job like poor planning. A neighbor of mine recently invited me over to admire her newly renovated kitchen. She'd spent a lot of money on it, and she'd gotten a great deal, at least when it came to workmanship: nicely crafted woodwork, expensive fixtures, professional paint job. The only problem was, everything in the kitchen was school bus yellow and candy apple red. I felt like I'd walked into a McDonald's. The moral of the story: coordinate! Remember, in a dollhouse, you can see all the rooms at once. For the Hampton, I chose a color I really liked, moss green, and worked around it. The master bedroom is blue, the library is yellow, and everything else falls somewhere in between on the color spectrum. Green (a mixture of blue and yellow) is the unifying theme.

Also, keep track of what other finishing materials you plan to use, when you select colors--what do you have in mind for the floors? The trim? I'm planning to use some stained woodwork, some painted woodwork, some carpet and some linoleum. I need to make sure that these choices are all going to blend in. For example, the stained woodwork is going to be mahogany, because mahogany--in addition to looking expensive--has a lot of yellow tones in it. It's going to go really well with my overall color theme. I tend to take materials on test-runs--as you can see, the carpet is just sort of hanging out in the master bedroom, while I get a feel for whether I like it there or not.

Also, note that I left a couple of the walls blank--I'm going to be installing floor to ceiling paneling. I know I've said this before, but it bears repeating--the more planning you do beforehand, the better off you're going to be later on. It's a pretty sick feeling when you realize, halfway through working on a room, that you have absolutely no idea how you're going to make it work with the rest of the house.

3. Mark off the ceilings (if you finished them in the last step) with masking tape. Duh.

4. Get some (clean!) water. Do not use brush water, people. Pour a little paint into a Dixie cup and add water until the paint is the consistency of heavy cream. Yes, you want it a little too watery for this step. The point is not to cover well, but to lay a solid base coat. Plaster (and all forms of gessoes are just reconstituted plaster dust) is extremely porous. If you use thick paint, then you're going to end up with blotchy, ridgy walls. Lay on your first coat of paint. It's not going to look great. Wait for it to dry, and lay on another coat. Wait for it to dry. Lightly--and I mean lightly--sand. I really like extra fine sanding sponges for this. Now, you can start using a little more paint and a little less water. The learning curve here is really steep--you're going to find that you get a feel for what you're doing really quickly. Build up coats until you achieve opaque coverage.

Some troubleshooting techniques:

Don't give into the temptation to rush. These first steps are the slowest, but they yield the best results.

If you see little "holidays" (white spots, blotchy spots, strange areas) appear after you've just laid on a nice coat of paint, don't try to touch them up. If you do, then you're going to end up with a royally painty mess on your hands. Sit on your hands if you have to, but wait until the walls are fully dry before you play touch-up.

OK, so you have blotches and ridges--now what? First, wait for the wall to dry. Grab some sand paper (For this, I tear off part of a fine sanding sponge), dip it in some clean water and gently sand over the area. Rub in a circular, not a back and forth, motion. Wipe off any stray grains from the sandpaper with a damp cloth. Once the area dries, lay on one or two light coats of gesso. After the gesso dries, you can lightly sand it with an ultra fine sanding sponge.

OK, so you have visible brush strokes--now what? Depends on how bad they are. If they're bad, see above. If they're visible to the eye, but not too bad to the touch, then lightly sand the wall with dry sandpaper. Again, rub in a circular motion. Remember, it's better to spend too much time on this step than too little!

Plastering the Walls

C.J. Stutz — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:13:00 +0000

Everyone has their own personal preference, and I'm going to teach you mine. The most common method (which I dislike) is to use wallpaper 100% on every surface possible--the reason being, it's relatively easy. Once you get the hang of hanging wallpaper, you can speed through the house. Here, the good news and the bad news are the same news: you get professional results, but your house doesn't look very good. Too much wallpaper looks busy--all these little designs, side by side, are a lot for the eye to take in. Picking coordinated colors is a big issue in any dollhouse decorating project--unlike in a real house, where you see only one or two rooms at a time, in a dollhouse, you very often see all the rooms at once. Any plan should take this issue into account. To that end, I prefer to plaster at least some of the walls in any dollhouse I build.

OK, you're probably going to read on and go, "Is all this necessary? Why can't I just gesso and sand the plywood?" The answer is yes, it is and the reason you can't is, the grain of the plywood will raise and show through. No matter how many coats you apply, you're going to end up with gessoed plywood instead of dollhouse walls. It's really an issue of scale and, for me, being an obsessive perfectionist. The technique I describe here can be a little challenging to master at first, but becomes much easier over time and provides beautiful results. I promise you, with all these building and decorating techniques, the learning curve is very steep--you're going to be creating things you love in very little time.

To complete the basic finish work on the walls, you're going to need 9 things:

1. Artist's bristol board (vellum or smooth, it doesn't really matter)

2. Mod Podge

3. Gesso

4. A brayer (my brand preference is Speedball)

5. A rubber squeegee

6. Scissors or an X-Acto knife

7. A pencil

8. Trash bags

9. A cheap painter's brush

All of these things are available at any major craft store, such as Michael's. Ask for help if you can't find them all right away.

The first thing you want to do is lay down trash bags beneath your work area. This procedure can get messy, especially if you've never done it before. Make sure nothing valuable is lurking nearby.

Cut out pieces of bristol board the size of the room you're working on first. Don't forget, you can do the ceiling, too. Remove the pieces of bristol board for a minute and, using your painter's brush, slather some mod podge onto the surfaces of the room that you want to cover. Don't skimp--too much is better than too little. Remember, the idea here is to provide a good adhesion, not to look pretty. Below, you can see how the mod podge should look when it's on the wood--thick, visible, but not dripping.

Next, you want to apply the bristol board. Keep in mind, you need to work relatively quickly here--you don't want the mod podge to dry. After you've pressed each piece of bristol board into place, roll the brayer over it (using some solid downward force) to force the air bubbles and wrinkles out. You can also use the squeegee to get into tight spots, like corners. Keep going over the bristol board until it begins to feel dry to the touch--you don't want any last minute air bubbles appearing. A thick paper like bristol board can sometimes be challenging to work with, because it twists and buckles as it begins to dry. Anticipate this problem, and you're going to be home free.

After you're done with each room, go around the edges (don't forget holes for doors and windows!) and very gently wipe away globs of excess mod podge with a slightly damp paper towel. It's better to remove these globs now, when they're easy to remove, than wait until they dry.

After you're done with all the rooms you plan to do, make yourself a cup of tea and read a book for awhile. You should NOT do anything else until the bristol board is completely--and I mean completely--dry.

When the bristol board is completely dry, use an x-acto knife and a hard surface, such as a piece of plywood, to remove the excess paper. You can lightly--and I mean very lightly--sand along the edges with 240 grit sandpaper to remove any paper fluffies. Press the piece of plywood against the inside of the wall (against the bristol board you want to cut) and gently run your (very sharp) x-acto knife down along the edge. This way, you're removing the paper with as clean a cut as possible. You want to make very sure to avoid pulling or tearing, which is why it's so important to save this step until the bristol board is dry. Remove excess paper in window holes in the same way. Below is the Hampton with excess bristol board partially removed. Note that, here, I left some walls blank because I'm planning to use other treatments (such as wood paneling) on them.

The next step is to apply an even coat of gesso to the bristol board. Ultimately, you want to apply 3 coats, and make sure that the gesso dries completely between each coat! This is the "plaster" on the walls. Don't start trying to sand until you have at least 3 coats and, even then, be very careful--vigorous sanding is going to cut right through the gesso and rip up the bristol board underneath. If you find that you end up with gesso ridges on your walls, sand them down very lightly with wet sandpaper. A good way to avoid this problem is to keep the gesso a little bit runny by mixing it with water before you apply it. It's better to put on 5 thin coats than 3 gloppy coats.

After the gesso dries, lightly sand it with dry 240 grit sandpaper. You're now ready to paint!

A note on order: you'll notice that I haven't mentioned the floors, other ceiling treatments, or wallpaper yet. There's a good reason for this: gesso is not only messy, but also permanent. So is acrylic paint. You do NOT want to start installing your beautiful (and expensive!) treatments until you complete this step. Doing things in the proper order goes a long way to eliminating many of the common construction problems we miniaturists deal with. Don't worry, we'll get there soon!

Problem Avoidance!

C.J. Stutz — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 13:23:00 +0000

Yes! You, too, can practice problem avoidance! It goes like this: before you put together the shell (or start doing anything, if it's already put together), practice a construction "dry run" in your mind. Where are the doors? Where are the windows? Is there any part of the house that's going to get blocked off? The Hampton features a "secret room" to the right of the bedroom and directly behind the bathroom--if I put it in before doing any of the finishing, then I'd pretty much be making it impossible for myself to paint the walls, add flooring or add a ceiling. Below is a picture of the floor without the walls, which form the secret room, installed.

Instead, I build the house without the secret room, and put the walls that form it aside for later. I'm not going to do all the finish work to the room before I install it, but I am going to do about half of it--the walls, flooring, and ceiling (but not the trim).

Pick Your House...

C.J. Stutz — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 17:30:00 +0000

A great option for those of you who either don't want to waste time putting together a kit or find all those little bits and pieces intimidating is to purchase a pre-constructed shell. The dollhouse pictured here comes from my friends at Earth and Tree Miniatures, http://www.earthandtree.com/.

It's a wall-hanging dollhouse called the "Hampton." It's a great starter house, because it doesn't have a really challenging exterior (no windows!). It's relatively small, but it still has plenty of architectural interest. Over the next few weeks, I'll be turning this shell into some lucky doll's new home.

Which Dollhouse?

C.J. Stutz — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:44:00 +0000

A note on selecting a dollhouse: start small! It's really tempting to, with your first or second house, set out to achieve all your construction and decorating fantasies. Finally, a chance to have that victorian parlor you've always wanted, install that really pretty wainscotting you've been saving, build a cute little window seat! You know what you're doing, after all, you have a number of room boxes under your belt. No! Stop! Intuitively, it might seem true that a 10 room dollhouse is really just 10 room boxes stuck together. It isn't. A dollhouse, even a small dollhouse, takes a LOT more work--and money--than you think. Things go wrong in any craft project, and in a dollhouse, those things can multiply exponentially--very quickly.

You're going to lay down flooring wrong, end up with inexplicable bubbles in your wallpaper, try a few new techniques that backfire horribly. A dollhouse can be, among other things, a huge money pit--and even worse than having to lay that pretty flooring you love so much twice is having to pay another 45 bucks for it. Pretty soon, you're stuck with a half finished dollhouse.

Trust me, I know--and if you think I'm the only one with a few half finished dollhouses under her belt, check eBay. A small dollhouse only seems boring until you take it out of the box and start to actually try to put it together--and start to freak out!

Before You Start...

C.J. Stutz — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 11:48:00 +0000

This post marks the start in a series on how to build a dollhouse. You're going to be following along with me, dear reader, as I do just that. However, before we get to the fun stuff (watching me suffer), we need to get through a couple of preliminaries. Every book you read starts with the really boring "now preparation is important" speech, and I'm going to start that way, too. I'm going to start that way because, with the first couple of dollhouses I built--and never completed--I ignored it. I wanted to jump right in. I still do. The only difference is, now, I have a designated studio space so it's a little easier to do. But seriously, you need to pay attention to preparation. If you know anything about crafting, then you already know the basic "buy high quality glue"-type recommendations. I'm going to spare you those and, instead, give you my own list.

1. Designate a space for working on the dollhouse and nothing else. When I was in law school, my current dollhouse project lived on my kitchen table. This not only made for awkward dinner parties (my kitchen table was also my only table), but also for even more awkward crafting sessions. I'd have to unpack my supplies, work for an hour or two, and then pack them up again. I lost pieces, I forgot which moulding went to which room, etc. A good rule of thumb for space is, designate about twice as much as you think you're going to need--believe me, you're going to spread out.

2. Invest in some furniture--at a bare minimum, a table and a workbench. This doesn't have to be expensive. I still use the cheapo tables I bought at IKEA years ago, and they still work great. If you want a high-end workbench, Sears sells the entire Ultimate Garage series. It's affordable and sturdy. The idea here is, your dollhouse can live on the table and your tools can live on the workbench. If you have any extra money or space, consider investing in another workbench, to hold your "in progress" pieces--it's nice to be able to lay out all those little bits of molding you're sanding.

3. Invest in some organizational supplies. I buy all of mine at Target. Whether you use drawers, bins, whatever, find a way to keep your various woods, trims and other supplies seperate. I particularly love Target's small plastic kitchen organizers, little trays that are about 10" x 7". I have a ton of them (they cost about 1.50 each), and I put the bits for each room in a separate bin. That way, no matter how complicated things get, I'm still organized--and portable.

While it's tempting to go on and on about all the tools, tricks and storage ideas you need, I'm going to give it a rest. Lists like this are inherently difficult because everyone's at a different place in terms of available space, budget, and skill level. If you have any specific questions about tools, then ask me--and if you have some better ideas than mine, then please educate me (and my readers).

Welcome to A Doll's Life!

C.J. Stutz — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 19:35:00 +0000

A Doll's Life is my new blog. I'm CJ Stutz, an artist and miniaturist living and working in Lowell, Massachusetts. After spending years building dollhouses when I had the time, I became increasingly frustrated--somehow, I never had enough time! I found that I resented my time away from my studio. So, this summer, after graduating from law school, I decided to leave the legal profession and pursue my first love full time. In this blog, I plan to chronicle my adventures and misadventures.

Building a dollhouse is often a comedy of errors. When I was first learning to build dollhouses and other miniatures, I made lots of mistakes--I wish I'd had someone to talk to, someone to give me advice and reassure me that I was not the first person to end up with warped wallpaper, buckling floors and bizarrely striped paint.

Here, you can follow along with me as I tackle various miniature projects. I hope to get lots of feedback, so we can create a genuine discussion forum for whatever ideas, issues or problems we all have. This blog is a companion to my website, http://www.cjstutz.com/, where you can learn more about me and see pictures of some of my art. Check back soon for the start of my series on building a wall-hanging dollhouse.