Vermont Farmhouse Jr. Dollhouse Part 1: Assembling the House Body

The first phase of my dollhouse build was all about preparation, patience, and setting a solid foundation (literally) for everything to come. This stage may not be the most glamorous, but it’s one of the most important. Here’s how I approached prepping, painting, and assembling the core structure of my dollhouse.

Supplies Used:

• Aleene’s All Purpose Tacky Glue
• Foam Brushes
• Masking Tape
• Baking Soda (for adding texture to exterior paint)
• Micro Sander with Various Grit
• BEHR Semi-Goloss – Stonewash Brown

This post includes affiliate links and if you click and make a purchase, I might earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you), which helps me keep creating and sharing projects like this. View my full list of tools and materials I use for my dollhouse project here.

Step 1: Organize All Walls & Floors

Before opening a paint can, I laid out all the walls and floors to understand what needed to be painted and how each piece would eventually fit together. This helped me avoid painting unnecessary areas and saved time later.

Important note: There’s no need to paint the underside of the bottom floor. However, I did paint the underside of the middle and top floors white since these would become the ceilings for the floors below. 

Step 2: First Coat of Paint

Once everything was organized, I applied the first coat of paint to all visible surfaces. This coat is less about perfection and more about building a good base.

At this stage, I also went through the box and identified all the trim and detail pieces. I labeled each one with a Post-it note so I wouldn’t have to guess later. This step saved me from a lot of confusion down the line.

Step 3: Sand & Second Coat

After letting the first coat dry for a full 24 hours, I lightly sanded all painted surfaces to smooth out brush marks and imperfections. Then I applied the second coat of paint, which really helped even everything out.

Step 4: Assemble Walls & Floors

Once the second coat was completely dry, I glued the walls and floors together.

Pro tip: Use a lot of tape to hold everything in place while the glue dries. Don’t be shy here, the tape is what keeps everything aligned while the structure sets.

After another 24 hours of drying time, I moved on to the roof.

Step 5: Attach the Front Roof (Only)

I glued only the front roof to the house at this stage. I did not attach the gable or the back roof yet.

To make sure the roof was perfectly centered, I used this simple trick:

• Mark an X at the center of the top of the front wall
• Mark another X at the center of the roof
• Line up the two X’s before taping the roof in place

Then I taped it really well. Learn from my mistake here (lolz): some of my tape loosened, which caused the roof to shift off-kilter. I ended up using a hair dryer to gently heat the glue, remove the roof, and reapply it correctly.

Step 6: Final Coat & Texture

With the structure fully assembled and the roof attached, I applied a third and final coat of paint. For this layer, I mixed a bit of baking soda into the paint to add subtle texture. It gave the walls a slightly aged, plaster-like finish that I absolutely loved.

Step 7: Affix House Body to Foundation

Now that the house body is complete, simply add glue and affix it to the foundation. The back of the house should sit flush with the foundation, leaving the excess foundation towards the front of the house (this is where you will build the porch).

Wrapping Up Phase One

Phase one was all about slowing down, letting things dry properly, and setting myself up for success in the next stages of the build. With the walls painted, floors assembled, and roof aligned, the dollhouse finally started to feel real and I was more than ready to move on to the fun details next.

Stay tuned for phase two: Wiring The House!