Need to add a room?

Earlier I mentioned that, here at Building Faith Play Therapy Toys, Inc., we often have to add an extra room (usually a bathroom) to kit doll houses because, for the purpose of play therapy for abused children, our doll houses must have a minimum of 5 rooms (including 2 bedrooms and a bathroom, plus a living room and kitchen). Yet many popular and affordable doll house kits have less than 5 rooms.

So we got creative and developed our own model for easily adding an extra bathroom (or any room). This process can be used just as simply if you want to add extra living space…even on both sides of the house.

For this demonstration, we will add a bathroom.

Here is a basic 4 room doll house:

We built this bathroom to attach to the house on the right side (when facing the back of the house).

Using a piece of craft wood which you can find in almost any large arts and crafts store, 12″ X 24″, and 1/4″ OR 3/8″ thick, we:

1.draw the shapes of the various pieces-roof, floor, back wall, side wall, and the front, back and side foundation walls,

2.cut them out with a jigsaw,

3.sand the edges,

4.decorate the walls with wallpaper or paint as previously discussed in an earlier blog about decorating the house before assembling it,

5. (remember to) paint the ceiling,

6.create a floor covering according to your taste, and

7.glue the pieces together with WOOD GLUE.

Allow to dry for at least 12 hours.

(When building a bathroom, it is important to create a floor plan/size that is large enough to accommodate your bathroom fixtures…tub, sink, toilet.)

While the glue is drying, you will need to cut a doorway in the exterior wall of the house to allow access from the main house to the newly added on room. This can be done with a jigsaw or keyhole saw.(Actually, it is easier to cut this opening while assembling the house kit but we rarely have that luxury so don’t worry if you have already assembled your house.) We use a jigsaw and cut an opening that is 2″ wide and about 6″ high (assuming your dollhouse is 1/12 scale) on the front edge of the exterior wall where you will be adding the new room. (See picture below. Notice the doorway opening that was cut in the exterior right wall of the main house to permit entry to the bathroom from the kitchen.)

 

Once the glue has dried completely on the new room, use WOOD GLUE to attach it to the side of the house.

Also at this time, glue 2 support blocks underneath the bathroom floor, making sure the glue is applied to both the inside foundation walls of the bathroom AND the exterior foundation wall of the main house. (See picture below.)

Allow glue to dry for another 12 hours.

Finally, from inside the interior foundation wall underneath the main house, drive a screw through the foundation wall into the support blocks. This stabilizes the add-on room so it stays in place permanently. (See picture below.)

And there you go!

This same process can be used to add rooms of any size on either or both sides of your house so your doll family has plenty of living space! Maybe you want to add a play room, or a den…perhaps a library or music room. We’ve even added a ground floor master bedroom. Enjoy!

Copyright 2017