Dollhouse Roofing

In this second dollhouse remodel roof post, I explain how to cheaply make asphalt dollhouse roof shingles. The materials used are simple. You will need 220 Grit Multipurpose Sandpaper Sheets, an X-ACTO Knife, an Acrylic Craft Ruler, and Rubber Cement. Check out my earlier post on how to calculate roof area.

My first step was to sand all roof thoroughly using 220 Grit Multipurpose Sandpaper Sheets. My antique dollhouse had a flat white house paint that covered the entire structure. The structure was not well painted and had many drips and streaks all over it. I didn’t go too overboard with the sanding. Most of it was going to be covered up by the sandpaper shingles.

How to find the dimensions of your dollhouse.

Now you will need to know how large or small you need to make your shingles. The best way is to find out the scale of your dollhouse.

Measure one of your rooms from floor to ceiling. All of the rooms in my dollhouse were nine inches. A typical Victorian home had ceilings between eight to ten feet tall. My measurement put mine in the middle at nine feet tall in real life. This measurement made a 1:12 scale as my nine inches equals nine feet. This measurement is a typical dollhouse measurement and makes things easy to convert.

Dimensions of your asphalt shingles.

I used the 1:12 scale to figure out the proper asphalt roof shingle measurement for my roof. I didn’t purchase a premade dollhouse roofing material from an online dollhouse store. So, I needed to come up with it on my own using sandpaper. This method is not only fun but inexpensive.

First, I found a typical asphalt three-tab shingle online sample. It measured 36″ in length and 12″ wide. Each tab was also 12″ long. With the 1:12 scale, each shingle set is 3″ long and 1″ wide. Each tab is 1″ long as well.

As I started cutting, I decided to make my shingle sets slightly wider. I chose one and a half-inch width instead of one inch wide. This choice gave me more material to glue on to the roof later. Also, I chose to make large sheets of shingles instead of three tabs long. The complete strip gives a cleaner look on the roof.

Prepare the Asphalt Shingles

Next, using a Self-Healing Cutting Mat measure and cut your shingles in the appropriate size. Cut each extended strip to a width of one and a half inches. Then use the Exacto knife to slice each tab to one inch long.

To give the shingles some depth, cut a sliver off the next tab. It will give a slim gap in between each tab found on a regular size asphalt shingle.

As a tip, I found it easy to make the first cut with the Exacto knife. Then, I used a pair of scissors to trim the gap. When I cut the sliver with the knife, the sandpaper moved too much and ripped. Also, it is best to change out the blade on the knife often. The sandpaper will dull it fast, making it hard to cut.

Measure and Glue Shingles to Roof

Pick the part of your roof you want to work on. I chose a section that I didn’t need to do any major renovations. First, paint any parts that may be near your shingles that you will not be able to get to later.

With the long strips of cut tabbed shingles, I laid the first one against the bottom part of the roof. My tower had an angled roof, and I needed to trim the shingles. A pencil makes a great line on sandpaper. Cut a slightly large piece as you can always trim the excess later to make sure the shingles fit perfectly. I will explain why later. Then begin to glue with the contact cement glue. Be sure to apply glue on the roof and the back of the shingle strip for proper adhesive.

Make an Attic Window with Stained Glass

Prepare those pieces if you have an attic window or skylight. Do this after all your roof shingles are glued down. My Dollhouse Round Window w/Interior Trim and Glass was first painted with a few coats of white acrylic paint.

The plastic “glass” insert was already taken out to paint the wooden trim. I didn’t want to leave it blank but to spruce it up, like turning it into a stained glass piece. You can buy special pre-made stained glass inserts online, but they cost more money. I had a perfectly good piece of plexiglass, so I made my own for free.

First, I cleaned it from all debris and fingerprints. Then using a penny, I made concentric circles around the plexiglass with a fine tip Sharpie. Next, I colored in the parts with different colored Sharpie markers. The coloring will rub out the Sharpie black lines, so color with care. Mine ended up turning out in the picture. Lastly, I used light glue to attach the dried, stained glass to the painted window trim. Then I pushed it through the pre-cut hole in my shingled roof.

Using Roof Trims to Finish

Now it is time for the finishing trim. This part makes the roof look finished and look amazing. There are also many different types of trims.

The first and cheapest is using the shingles for the corners. When gluing shingles to the corners, it leaves an unfinished look. I like to cut small and long slivers of shingle and glue them folded over the edges. Look to the picture for more detail. I love this finished look on the roof tower of my dollhouse.

The second trim is the picket detail trim I used on the top of the tower. This is optional and can be found at almost any dollhouse site online. I measured the trim strips on both sides. Then I sliced them with my razor blade. After that, I snapped the wood in two. Next, I painted each piece on all sides and glued down with cement glue.

A third type is a 3/8″ corner wood molding. This type works great for gabled edged trim on the roof. It covers the unsightly edges of the cut shingles. The same holds true for roof ridge trim. It covers the ridge of the roof. This gives the dollhouse roofing a classic Victorian style. Painted in white, it pops along the brown roof shingles.

Similar to the other wooden trim, score the wood on each side. Snap it to your measured size. Then, paint it and finally, glue it down with cement glue.