subject: What To Look For When Buying A Wooden Doll House [print this page] A wooden doll house is one of the nicest gifts you can purchase for your daughter. Doll houses let little girls explore their imagination and if you are planning to purchase an unassembled or DIY kit for a wooden doll house, it will develop your child's patience and creative skills as well as giving your family precious time to bond with each other.
To help you buy the ideal wooden doll house for your little girl, here are several tips to keep in mind.
Scale
The standard scale for doll houses, whether wooden or not, is 1:12. Simply put, the size of the doll house is twelve times smaller than it would be in real life. This is also the ideal size if your little girl intends to use the doll house for her Barbie dolls.
Of course, there are some models that use smaller or larger scales. You can use that, too, if you deem it preferable for any reason.
Types of Wood
The two major types of woods used for doll houses are plywood and MDF. Some models, however, use other types of woods.
MDF is a compressed, man-made form of sawdust and glue. It is a popular choice for wooden doll houses because it's durable and affordable, it's easy to cut, and its smooth surface is paint-friendly. The fact that it doesn't splinter is also a plus for your children's safety.
Some people, however, dislike using MDF because it's not genuine or top-quality wood and it working with it also generates a huge amount of dust.
Plywood is thinner than MDF, which makes it less durable. It has a somewhat rough surface and even with a layer of paint, the grain of the wood can be still visible. Youll see it mostly used with collector's edition of doll houses because they're perfect for fancy doll house trimming and other small elements. Plywood comes in large sheets and because of their lightweight quality, they're easy to transport from one workplace to another.
An example of rarely-used wood for doll houses would be oak. They are rarely painted when used for making doll houses because their natural look is worthy of appreciation already. Besides, with the price you'd be paying for such materials, you should let people know that youre using oak for your doll house, don't you think?
Style
Lastly, consider the style of doll house you intend to purchase. This is especially important if you are planning to purchase a DIY kit rather than a finished one. Consider the level of difficulty involved.
Remember these tips when you go shopping and you'll come home with a wooden doll house that's sure to bring a smile to your daughter's face.
