Purchased dollhouses are lots of fun, but there's something magical about being able to make your own. Using basic paper folding techniques and artfully designed printables, your child can easily create her own two-room or four-room paper dollhouse.
Two Room Paper Dollhouse
This dollhouse is made from a form that is known as the organ base in origami. To begin making your dollhouse, you will need to print our free dollhouse paper and cut it out along the lines so you have an 8-inch by 8-inch square. Click on the image below to download the PDF file to your computer. Print it using the high quality settings on your printer.
If you need help downloading the printable, check out these helpful tips.
Start with the white side of the paper face up. Fold the paper in half horizontally. Then, fold it in half vertically. Unfold. Fold the left and right sides in to meet the middle crease. Unfold.
Stick your finger between the two layers of paper on the left side. Crease and fold flat. In origami, this is called a squash fold. Repeat the fold on the other side.
Flip your paper over. Fold both sides over so they lay flat. Stand the house up and adjust the folds so they are both at a right angle. If necessary, add a bit of glue beneath the roof area created by the squash folds to help your dollhouse stand properly.
This dollhouse is perfect for Lego minifigures and other similarly sized toys. If you want to make a dollhouse suitable for use with larger dolls, try folding the project using a large square cut from a roll of brown kraft paper. Decorate the house with markers, crayons, and images cut from old magazines. Try challenging your child to make her dream house or to create a seasonal table centerpiece such as a nativity creche for Christmas.
Paper Dollhouse with Four Rooms
This paper dollhouse is made in a way that is very similar to the first example, but creates a house with four different rooms. You will need to first print our free dollhouse paper and cut it so you have an 8-inch by 8-inch square. Click on the image below to download the PDF file to your computer. Print it use the high quality settings on your printer.
Start with the white side of the paper face up. Fold the paper in half along one diagonal to create a large paper triangle. Unfold. Fold the paper in half along the other diagonal. Unfold.
Turn the paper over so the patterned side is face up. Fold in half horizontally. Unfold. Fold in half vertically. Unfold.
Use the diagonal creases to push the paper flat so you have a triangle with two layers. In origami, this is called the waterbomb base form.
Fold the left and right sides of the paper up to the top. Fold only the first layer of paper so you have a triangle shape on the bottom layer and a diamond shape on the top layer. Unfold both of these folds.
Stick your finger in between the pocket formed by the top layer of paper on the left hand side. Press the paper flat using the squash fold technique that you used to make the two room dollhouse. Repeat this process on the right side.
Flip the paper over. Fold the left and right sides of the paper up to the top. Unfold, then make two more squash folds.
Use a glue stick to glue the inner flaps of the four squash folds you created so they will lay flat when the dollhouse is opened. Stand your model upright and adjust the folds so you have a house with four distinct sections. If you're having trouble getting your house to stand upright properly, add a dab of glue to the inside of the model to secure the front and back of each wall.
As with the two-room paper house, this model could be folded from a large square of brown kraft paper if you wanted to make a house for use with larger dolls.
Dollhouse Crafts Provide Hours of Entertainment
Paper dollhouses are easy to make and can be folded flat when not in use, which makes them ideal for keeping kids busy while traveling. Bring along a few of your child's favorite dolls and a stack of paper to keep her occupied all day long.
