Did you or any of your siblings have a dollhouse growing up? Or maybe your children own one. The dollhouse has been a popular toy for centuries, and despite how many more complex, technologically advanced toys are available these days, dollhouses retain their unique charm. For some kids, it’s reenacting a life in miniature that holds the appeal. For others, it’s playing interior designer. There are even adult hobbyists who are hooked on a dollhouse’s charm, and spend hours creating or collecting custom miniature houses and furniture.
A dollhouse is often a microcosm of what the dollhouse’s owner sees as the “perfect home.” So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there are log cabin dollhouses — after all, for many people, a log cabin is their dream home!
Log cabin dollhouses to buy and make
Real Good Toys, a dollhouse manufacturer in Vermont, offers a wide variety of heirloom-quality dollhouses, both premade and unfinished for the buyer to assemble at home. Crockett’s Log Cabin Dollhouse is a charming 18-inch house featuring log siding and roofing and even a plank-look floor. While the dollhouse is often marketed to girls, Real Good Toys suggests that this one is a great fit for “any boy who likes adventure.” This kit comes with all the supplies and instructions that a young adventurer would need to construct their very own miniature log cabin.
But just like some full-sized log cabin lovers want to hew their own logs and piece together their own dwelling, a dollhouse kit isn’t for everyone! That’s why one WikiHow user has provided complete instructions for making your own pint-sized log cabin from scratch.
The instructions recommend building a solid frame for the house out of softwood lumber first. Then, once the structure of the house is in place, use a table saw or circular saw to shave thin strips of bark from the outside of real tree limbs. These will form your “logs,” which will function more like siding in this case.
To apply the logs to the house frame, use staples, screws, or brads, being careful that they don’t poke through into the interior of the house. Then, you’ll build gables, a ridge, beam, and rafters for the roof. The website recommends thin strips of softwood lumber for “shingles” for the roof, but you can get creative. Finally, cut doors and windows where you choose in the structure.
If this is intended to be used as a dollhouse, leaving off one wall and a portion of the roof will make it easier to access. Otherwise, it can be used as a garden decoration, mailbox, or even a pet accessory.
Looking for a full-sized log cabin?
If a miniature log cabin isn’t enough for you, there’s good news: TruLog steel siding can give you the log cabin look for an affordable rate. Plus, our steel log siding is maintenance-free, to leave you time for your hobbies — be they log cabin dollhouse building or otherwise! Contact us to get a quote and take the first step into turning your house into your dream home.
