Free American Girl Dollhouse / 18 Inch Dollhouse Plans. This three story dollhouse features five large rooms. It's easy to build with our step by step diagrams, shopping and cut list, and lots of reader submitted photos.
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Want to build an American Girl Dollhouse, but in a smaller version? We have created a new plan that is very similar, but only two stories. I found my daughter couldn't reach that third story, so the shorter version worked better for us.
Does your child love American Girl or 18" dolls?
American Girl dollhouses are outrageously expensive. Have you considered a DIY dollhouse?
Here's how we built our DIY dollhouse -
We cut the plywood into strips 23-3/4" wide by 8 feet long. You'll get four strips from the two sheets of plywood. Have your home improvement store do this for you if you don't have a table saw or a truck, just make sure the strips are exactly the same width.
Then cut the tops into the house shape for the two sides.
Then to cut the doors and windows out,
I drew the windows and doors out on each of the panels, and then drilled holes on each side, inside the lines,
Then it's just a matter of connecting the dots,
Cutting out the windows and doors was probably the most time consuming part of this whole project.
I used a Kreg Jig to assemble the pieces. There's not alot of joints, but because the pieces are so huge, it was a little cumbersome - but nothing I couldn't manage on my own. You don't have to use a Kreg Jig - you can also use 2" self tapping wood screws.
The window and door trim makes a huge difference on the dollhouse. Here's how I built it -
I nailed together 1x2 "boxes" first with 1-1/4" brad nails and glue.
Then I just placed the trim in the openings and nailed to the plywood edges.
Our happy client made a few requests that aren't in this plan - we did not add the bottom trim and used caster wheels instead. And instead of the two rooms upstairs, we made one full room upstairs (but had to add a 1x2 at the top to support the 1/4" plywood on the back.
I also added veneer edge banding to all exposed plywood edges to finish them off.
For the floors inside the dollhouse, we wanted to keep the wood, so we used Rustoleum Wood Stain in Dark Walnut.
It's a one step - just apply and wipe off. Easy enough for my seven year old to help out!
We also applied RustOleum polyurethane over the stain to protect the floors (just like a real wood floor. ).
Then we taped over the floors with painter's tape (until we ran out and had to use duct tape) and newspaper,
A quick sanding, and she's ready for primer!
Jacob sprayed the dollhouse with primer,
And then I painted carefully the blue exterior paint on the outsides.
We LOVED how it turned out.
But we wanted the roof to stand out a little more,
So I picked up some RustOleum textured spray paint and sprayed the roof. It loos like roofing.
This dollhouse plan is VERY big. If you need a smaller dollhouse, we have one other plan that would fit in almost any space.
The rooms are not full depth, but I found my daughter preferred to play on the floor with her dolls, and just used the dollhouse to store and display her American Girls and their accessories.
The plans for this dollhouse follow. You can easily customize to different size and of course, paint or stain any way you imagine.
WALLS AND FLOORS
WINDOWS - CUT TO FIT
Please read through the entire plan and all comments before beginning this project. It is also advisable to review the Getting Started Section. Take all necessary precautions to build safely and smartly. Work on a clean level surface, free of imperfections or debris. Always use straight boards. Check for square after each step. Always predrill holes before attaching with screws. Use glue with finish nails for a stronger hold. Wipe excess glue off bare wood for stained projects, as dried glue will not take stain. Be safe, have fun, and ask for help if you need it. Good luck!
First, cut out all the pieces. If you don't have a truck or tablesaw, it might be easier to have your home improvement store rip your plywood into 22-3/4" widths, 8 feet long. Then cut the longest pieces first. The top roof angle is 45 degrees. You can easily find this by finding the center of your side and middle panels (at the top). This distance should be 11-7/8" from the sides. Then measure down 11-7/8", and draw a diagonal between the two points. Then mark out all windows and doors and cut out with a jigsaw.
Once the pieces are cut, attach the floor to the walls. I used a Kreg Jig set at 3/4" and 1-1/4" pocket hole screws.
Next, add the floors. I used 3/4" pocket holes on the underside and 1-1/4" pocket hole screws.
Because we opted for one large room on the top floor, I opted to use plywood for my roof (no center support without the divided upper room). Keep top edge flush as you attach room with glue and finish nails or staples.
For the roof front, we just used 1x boards. If first attached together with pocket holes, and then attached the entire roof panel on top.
For the back, I used 1/4" plywood and nailed it to all of the walls and floors with glue.
We opted for caster wheels instead, but you could also finish out the base with 1x boards. Shown in the diagram is 1x4s.
I measured each window and built the window trim to fit snugly, gluing in place when I was done.
I haven't added shutters yet, but this is what 1x2 shutters would look like.
Finishing Instructions Preparation InstructionsFill all holes with wood filler and let dry. Apply additional coats of wood filler as needed. When wood filler is completely dry, sand the project in the direction of the wood grain with 120 grit sandpaper. Vacuum sanded project to remove sanding residue. Remove all sanding residue on work surfaces as well. Wipe project clean with damp cloth.
It is always recommended to apply a test coat on a hidden area or scrap piece to ensure color evenness and adhesion. Use primer or wood conditioner as needed.
