Step 1. Measure new window hole opening.Step 2. Go to Woodcraft and buy small saw.
Step 3. Drill holes to be able to get saw blade into corner.
Step 4. Saw sides (plywood has a fun tendency to splinter when sawing. Have to patch and sand later for smooth finish).
Step 5. File between drilled holes to be able to insert saw. (Just bought dremel tool to eliminate this tedious step).Step 6. Saw top.
Step 7. Sand. Fit window.
Step 8. Sand again. Fit window.
Step 9. Keep sanding until window fits.
Step 10. Nine more windows and doors to go. Ugh.
The second window took 20 minutes so I'm improving. Hopefully the completely customized dollhouse will be worth all of the work and arguments with my husband over how to use/clean/store tools properly. With all of the materials and tools I had to buy to make the improvements, a kit definitely would have been cheaper.
I read somewhere that it's cheaper to fix up an old dollhouse than to buy a new one.
ReplyDeleteFixing up an old dollhouse is exactly like rehabbing an old house -- there are always issues arising from the construction methods of its era, non-standard parts, old finishes that don't strip cooperatively, damage you didn't know about until you pulled hard, and so on. Sometimes you might save some money, but the major reason to do it is either that you love the house or that you're in a DIY mood.
It's still a great project.