How I Made a Free Stair Plug Using Scrap Material

Today I want to show you a quick little money-saving trick I stumbled into while working on my Vermont Farmhouse Junior. I used the filler blocks from the kit packaging as a stair plug, and it worked perfectly.

Why buy a stair plug when you already have one?

Stair plugs do sell on Real Good Toys for about $8. That is not a huge amount, but if you already have scrap material lying around that happens to be the exact same thickness, there is really no reason to spend the money. The filler blocks that came tucked into my packaging were a perfect match, so I figured I would just cut one to size and use it to fill the stair plug opening. That is exactly what I did.

What you will need

• Scrap MDF filler blocks (from your kit packaging)
• A handsaw
• Wood glue
• A popsicle stick and masking tape
• Wood filler
• Sandpaper

Step by step

First, I measured the stair plug opening and trimmed the extra filler block down to size with a handsaw. Take your time here so the piece sits flush.

Next, I used wood glue to fix the MDF to the left side of the dollhouse, which is the wall side where my staircase sits. Yours might be on the opposite side depending on how you chose to install your flooring, so just go with whatever matches your build.

Then I got a little scrappy. I used a popsicle stick and some masking tape to hold the stair plug in place while the glue dried. It is not fancy, but it does the job.

Once it was dry, I went in with wood filler to fill all of the gaps. I added it on both the top and the bottom just in case, then smoothed it out. After the filler dried, I sanded off the excess until everything was nice and even.

The result

And that is it. My floor now has a finished stair plug, and I did not spend a single dime to get there. If you have leftover filler blocks from your kit, hang on to them. They are perfect for little fixes like this one.

Happy building!