Playing and displaying dollhouses has been popular since the 1700's when the affluent were engaged in the hobby.
It is a great creative sport where children can grow in social skills and storytelling, and, adults can enjoy the creative and relational aspects through design, clubs, and forums.
So how do you get engaged in a dollhouse hobby?Let's explore 7 steps to building an enjoyable dollhouse hobby by considering use, size, strategy, selection, tools, construction, and furnishings.
Step 1Evaluate the use for your dollhouse.
For child's play, the younger the child the sturdier the construction should be.
Consider a 3/4 or 1/2 inch base with 3/8 inch sides and roofing, or select plastic construction.
As an adult collector, consider the finer and more delicate models for display.
Step 2Determine the most appealing size or scale.
Selecting the scale you will use depends on 3 basic considerations:

• If you have dolls that you want to fit, select the size that provides several inches of ceiling headroom and a comfortable fit in furniture.
  This may mean building a non-standard size with custom built furnishings.
  
• The most popular size is 1:12 where 1 inch equals 1 foot.
  This scale provides a very large selection of products.
  
• If space is an issue or you love miniatures, opt for the 1:24, also called half scale.
  1 inch equals 2 feet, or 24 times smaller which is becoming more popular.
  The downside is a smaller availability and selection of product.
  

Step 3Decide on a strategy for acquiring a dollhouse.
Three obvious strategies include making your own from scratch, buying it ready made, or buying and assembling a kit.
Making your own will require some skill and the right tools.
If you are a DIY enthusiast and adventurous, you might even design your dream doll house using Google SketchUp, a free 3D modeling software package.
Step 4Select your dollhouse.
There are wonderful models to select from.
The most popular styles include Tudor, Victorian, Georgian, Colonial, and modern.
If you are starting from scratch, you may want to try an easy 1-2 room single floor cottage.
Purchasing door and window units adds to the ease of construction and professional look.
Step 5If you are constructing your own, add the right hobby hand and power tools to your workshop.
There are many precision hand tools that will aid in your more intricate work such as mini clamps and helping hands, mini hammers and pliers, and mini table saws and lathes.
One great versatile tool, the Electro-File, will help cut, shape, sand, and finish your delicate models.
Step 6Now comes the fun of building, wiring, and adding décor for floors and walls.
To build:Design or buy a pattern.
Then cut and organize your parts.
Consider painting them prior to assembly.
To wire: Plan out your working lights, ceiling, floor and table locations.
The most popular wiring is twin wire or the socket strip method.
Drill holes and run wires along the wall edges from each light into a socket board best placed at the back of the house.
The socket board attaches to a transformer that then plugs into your house outlet.
To add décor: Add wallpaper and paint, and floor coverings of doll house tile, wood, or carpeting.
And, be sure to read all of the directions.
Step 7Now you're ready to furnish your home.
A wide range of quality and price of furnishings and dolls are available.
The range is huge.
For example, my relatives had a neighbor who built intricate working models of custom doll furniture priced up to $10,000 per unit and he had a two year backlog.
For the more faint of heart, you might try eBay.