Use extra wood to build a simple dollhouse for your child with this how-to from blogger Joel Henriques's "Made to Play!"

Tools and Materials

• Two pieces of wood in any size (our floor board was 7 inches by 9 inches and our wall board was 8 inches by 9 inches)
• Nails or screws
• Paint, stain, or finish
• Wood glue
• Saw
• Drill
• Beeswax
• Various found objects, scrap wood, scrap fabric

Scrap-Wood Dollhouse How-To

1. Sand boards and nail or screw together along one edge. Paint, stain, or finish as desired.
2. Use found objects and your imagination to make furniture and decorations:

To make a bench, attach two 2-inch rectangular scrap pieces of wood together with glue. Upholster by wrapping a thin rectangle of cardboard with scrap fabric.
To make a potted plant, cut a small section of a dowel, sand, and drill a small hole in the middle of one end. Stand a twig or plant clipping in the hole. (Tip: To smooth and protect scraps of wood, rub with beeswax.)
To decorate the wall, scan and shrink children's artwork, draw your own, or hang a small printed photo.
To make a rug, cut a piece of faux fur or fringe the edges of a small piece of fabric.
To make Champagne chairs, see our how-to on the Crafts Dept. blog.