My Dolls House Diary #31 - How to Make and Fit Dolls House Doors

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@little_bits_n_pieces_by_julie
Hello,
In this video, I show you how to make and fit doors in your dolls house. I'll show you how to make two styles of door - a half-glazed door, and a more traditional, panelled door. I use the pin-hinge method to hang the doors and also show you how to create a frame.
I really hope you enjoy this video and that it inspires you to have a go at making your own dolls house doors.
If you enjoy making dolls house furniture and miniatures, you might like my books; I've published 5 so far and they're all available to purchase from Amazon - just search for Julie Warren.
I also have a Patreon page, where you'll find more great videos every month. Patreon is a paid membership platform and your support means I can continue to make video tutorials, not only on Patreon, but also here on KZbin. For details of how to join, pop over to my page: www.patreon.com/littlebitsandpiecesbyjulie
Thank you for watching and Happy Miniaturing!
Julie. xx

[@kathleenwallace2360]

Your tutorials are by far the best I’ve seen. They are meticulously detailed, but not boring. You inspire confidence because you not only show how to do something, but also why you are doing it. That is the best kind of teacher. Thank you for this door tutorial. As one other reviewer stated, I also haven’t been able to find one on the Internet.

[@JulieWarren]

Thank you so much Kathleen, that's really lovely to hear. :)

[@janealace]

Very nice looking door's. Thank you for the tips. Beautifully done.

[@nm9412]

I’m so glad you are the only miniaturist that does not make things from kits. I like how you make them from scratch. Thank you.

[@georgecunningham9175]

Regarding the swing (opening direction) of interior doors - with the exception of the guest bedroom, the direction you have chosen is the traditional swing - the door opens and blocks the view of the rest of the room so that there is that tiny bit of time for the occupant(s) of the room to announce that they are IN the room and for the servant to Go Away.....and the servant has not seen the occupant(s), be they in a compromising position or not. The more "modern" way is for a door to open and rest against a wall, thus revealing the entire room to anyone entering. I avoided making the choice by purchasing pre-hung doors.......... NOTE: I had to wait until year two of my cultural archaeology studies at university to learn that bit of useless trivia, and this is the first time in three quarters of a century I have had occasion to share that knowledge publicly................ Thanks for that!

[@judithporter1091]

no learning is ever wasted...........

[@ElisabethHeinemann]

Thank you, George. I loved learning this cultural detail. 👏🏼

[@JulieWarren]

Thank you George, that's really useful and interesting information. :)

[@georgecunningham9175]

@@JulieWarren Not sure how useful it is, and I'm very sure that the audience that would find it interesting is limited, but I am a font of cultural information such as this. I spent part of my childhood living in a century old house, run on Edwardian (sometimes Victorian) principles (with 2 footman no less), so I lived a lot of this "history" (and trust me, my mind and body show it!!!!) So - if you ever want to know why the butlery sink was lined with LEAD (sometimes copper), just ask me.........

[@suzi1980]

This is useful information to know! Thanks for sharing.

[@Miniaturegalaxy-ly8gf]

Excellent keep going ❤

[@rhreahoward7835]

You are awesome, thanks for all the helpful hints.

[@JulieWarren]

You are so welcome!

[@carriannfletcher224]

I have real hope that i can do this myself. I love your tutorial style ❤. Subscribed straight away! Thank you so much.

[@marcellawilliams1520]

I love your videos and how long and detailed they are. Please don’t change your approach to teaching beginners like me! Thank you so much for sharing 😊👏🏽🥰

[@JulieWarren]

Thank you so much Marcella, that's appreciated. xx

[@nans969]

This is wonderful. I don't know why this came up on my recommendation. I made a couple house. 1st one was a 3 story victorian. My husband got me a kit before his 1st patrol after my son was born( he was in the navy. ) in 1994. Took me a year to finish it. I've never done anything like that before. I loved it. But, as my son got older. And a few moves. Life got in the way . I lost intrest. Still have the house. Was damaged in a couple moves. After watching this, I plan on dusting off my doll house tools. I did make a couple smaller ones for a friend's daughter's as birthday gifts. I need to fix some damage. And since I kind of know more and how to , I should be able to renovate and fix my house. Your videos got me interested again. Thank you.

[@JulieWarren]

I'm so pleased you've decided to dust off your old dollhouse and start renovation. I wish you many happy of miniaturing! xx

[@coalcampcrafter8348]

Oh my gosh, are you connected to my search engine? I spent yesterday trying to find a good way to put in doors, and I wake to to this video today!! Thank you, you are awesome!

[@JulieWarren]

That is spooky! I'm glad you found me! :)

[@coalcampcrafter8348]

@@JulieWarren I brought 2 of your books and I'm in mini heaven!! Thank you!

[@heathergrace7434]

Thankyou so very very much for your wonderful videos! I am a gran in South Australia, and I am restoring a similar dolls house that I bought cheaply. It has good "bones" and clear cut door apertures that have helped me to follow your instructions. So enjoyable! On the aged pension it was impossible to buy ready built doors that didn't quite fit anyway. I found some lovely off cuts of wood in the shed that suited the project well. I applaud your frugal use of wood glue, I seem to get it everywhere as well as on my fingers and many times it takes so long to grip. All in all it is a wonderful lesson thankyou again Julie.

[@JulieWarren]

Thanks so much, Heather, I'm glad you found this episode helpful. And that you're enjoying restoring your dolls house. :)

[@Darryl603]

Hi Julie, The doors you built look absolutely fantastic! Your craftsmanship is brilliant! Great job! Thank you so much for taking the time to share. See you next time : )

[@JulieWarren]

Thanks so much! 😊

[@CraftyMoore]

A great tutorial - thank you!

[@coby9896]

Thank you Julie. I have been waiting for this episode to see how you tackle this part of the renovations. You made it look so easy and imparted your method and experience so clearly that I can’t wait to have a go at making my own doors. George is right about the traditional door openings based on privacy issues. Glad that this trivia is now shared around the world amongst Julie’s viewers.

[@JulieWarren]

Thanks Coby, I'm glad you enjoyed this episode. I found George's comment really interesting, but thinking about it, that does make sense! :)

[@sanadinale412]

It's very nice ;.. and you are the best To explain details .

[@JulieWarren]

Thank you so much 😀 That's very lovely to hear.

[@sanadinale412]

Many thanks to you...dear sister .

[@alisoncraig6346]

Thank you Julie, I would never have thought to use skirting mouldings for door frames, another useful tip!

[@JulieWarren]

Thanks Alison. I think they look nicer than the 'scored' strips you can buy. :)

[@michellekosek1721]

Great tutorial Julie! Your voice is so calming, and gives us beginners confidence. Your explanations are spot on!

[@JulieWarren]

Thank you so much!

[@suzi1980]

I found this really interesting that the doors you fit into dollhouses are reverse to how they would be in a real house.

[@JulieWarren]

As I explained in the video, you should fit them whatever way they look best leading into the room.

[@user-lg5vp5cr9q]

Absolutely fantastic tutorial. Your attention to detail is so inspiring. Thank you Julie for sharing. 😊 Cheers Robyn

[@JulieWarren]

You are so welcome!

[@nm9412]

Wow I learned so much making doors! Thank you Julie!

[@mikeandlisafleming3963]

Another great tutorial! Congratulations on 25K! As one of your earlier subscribers, I have so enjoyed this journey with you these past few years.

[@JulieWarren]

Thank you so much Lisa. You've been there since the early days and I think you were my first Patron, so thank you so much for your support over the years. It's truly appreciated. xx

[@mikeandlisafleming3963]

@@JulieWarren ❤️

[@1sixscalecrafter351]

Hi Julie Warren, Good day to you. CONGRATULATIONs to you on your 25k Subscribers. Excellent and Well Deserved. Thank you for sharing your time, talents, ideas, knowledge, tips, tricks, fun, and Creative Videos. I been watching your You Tube Channel for a few years and I always learn some thing new and really enjoy your easy to follow instructions. You have inspired so many people with your passion for this wonderful miniature hobby world and show us all how much fun it is making miniatures. Cheers to you. You and your friendly cute squirrel makes me smile. :) Didn't mean to write a book. lol Take care, be well, be safe, and have a wonderful week. Wishing you the Very BEST and many many more Subscribers. Happy miniaturing ✌ Teddy 1SixScaleCrafter

[@JulieWarren]

Thank you so much, that's very kind of you. Happy Miniaturing! Julie. xx

[@jojosmumdorothy2829]

I've just brought a new front door so this will be very useful for me thankyou clever lady

[@JulieWarren]

You’re welcome 😊

[@vickytimmerman1365]

Wonderful!!!!!

[@JulieWarren]

Many thanks!!

[@marianatalia5967]

What a beautiful job you do. Thank you for sharing it with us.

[@JulieWarren]

Thank you so much!

[@thesandyspade6642]

I like that so much better than the purchased doors. This has been a great tutorial!

[@JulieWarren]

Thank you, I'm glad you found it helpful. :)

[@LynnB1705]

You're a bit behind me with the classic corrie lol. I am up to the Tommy Harris murder. I much prefer the classic to the new ones because although they had some tragedies they also had lighter hearted storyline. They didn't have to bang home a message either. By the way an old neighbour of mine works at lakeland in Lakeside!

[@davidalanmors3233]

Just marvelous. Thanks

[@katherinesherwood764]

Thank you Julie, was waiting for a good door tutorial, well done.

[@JulieWarren]

You’re welcome 😊

[@jojosmumdorothy2829]

Aww hello marie x

[@JulieWarren]

I'm not sure if she's seen the video. I hope so. :)

[@jojosmumdorothy2829]

@@JulieWarren I hope she did too bless her

[@lucycaldwell7113]

Beautiful door, and beautifully explained. Thank you, Julie!!

[@JulieWarren]

You are so welcome!

[@ElisabethHeinemann]

Very helpful, thank you Julie 🙏🏼

[@JulieWarren]

You are so welcome!

[@elianelima6113]

Parabéns Julie pelo seu trabalho ,abraço do Brasil.👏👏👏👏👏👍👍👍👍👍👍❤❤❤❤❤

[@JulieWarren]

Thank you so much.

[@zoepatch3780]

Great as usual 👍

[@JulieWarren]

Thank you so much.

[@marthatownsend7702]

Another Great Teaching...TY Julie :)

[@JulieWarren]

You are so welcome

[@mariarosadebonis7419]

Ti seguo con tanta ammirazione e fantasia perché non parlando la tua lingua seguo i sottotitoli in Italiano😒🤪&.fortunatamente tu sei molto precisa nelle riprese e nei passaggi manuali Grazie🇮🇪🌹❤️

[@JulieWarren]

Grazie mille per la visione. Sono felice che i video ti piacciano

[@elianelima6113]

Julie eu sou encantada pelo seu trabalho.

[@JulieWarren]

Thank you so much, you're very kind.

[@artbylesleymilne]

Thank you! We dont get kits here in South Africa so Im making everything from scratch and this will help so much!

[@kerrydillon]

As a fellow South African I can't afford the wood either as everything here is so darn expensive, so I have to make everything out of cardboard! But following tutorials like this does help a lot. I also appreciate the fact that Julie does measurements in mm's too!

[@artbylesleymilne]

@@kerrydillon I so agree! I'm using mountboard and the grey backing board instead of wood, Where are you? I'm in Table View Cape Town :)

[@kerrydillon]

@@artbylesleymilne I am in Port Alfred, and here there is absolutely NO shops to buy anything for miniatures, let alone much else :( But thank goodness for Takealot ;)

[@JulieWarren]

Thank you so much, I'm glad this will be of help to you.

[@melafuentes6905]

😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@JulieWarren]

Thank you.

[@jamesfitzpatrick9869]

Hi ju.ie wonderful,l channelyou are a very gifted lady a.so a very calm approach to your subject keep going your doing we,. Please can you tell me what woods you work with and if you sell them thank you James

[@JulieWarren]

Thank you James. I use Obeche and Basswood, which are both available from my Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/uk/shop/bitsandpiecesbyjulie :)

[@Lulis56]

Beautiful attention to detail! Do you ever find that gauge wire isn’t sufficient for the hinges? My dollhouse is for my 4 year old granddaughter so I’ll be using 18 or 20 gauge wire but could use pins if it’s enough! She needs to open every drawer, cupboard and door available! 😬

[@aimeezamora3525]

Sorry if you have mentioned this previously but what is your preferred choice of wood to use to make doors/furniture? Your tutorials are great and just what I need after discovering the dollhouse I am renovating does not have standard sized doors (after ripping them all out!)

[@JulieWarren]

I've used Obeche for these, but also like Basswood. (Both are available in my Etsy shop, by the way :) )

[@RadarRider226]

Hi Julie, excellent tutorial. Do you have any tutorials on how to repair a door that’s been removed from the frame by the pins? My daughters cat raided our doll house and managed to rip two doors out of their frame. The walls surrounding the molding are wallpapered, and I’m nervous about using a heat gun to loosen the frame from the walls. I’ve tried to pop the doors back in place, but it’s not going so well. We inherited a gorgeous dollhouse that was meticulously detailed, and the door frames are stained, not painted.

[@JulieWarren]

Oh dear, that is annoying! I'm afraid you really do need to get the frame out to pin hinge the door properly back in place! My only other suggestion would be to glue the loose door into the frame and have it for show only. What a shame. :(

[@CraftyTash]

Your door looks wonderful. I noticed the paint looks lovely and smooth, is that purely down to sanding the wood and the coats in between? I have used acrylic paint but find it very thick. What paint do you recommend please?

[@JulieWarren]

Thank you Natasha. I use emulsion paint - the little sample pots you can buy at your local DIY store are ideal - and yes, sanding is the key! :)

[@laurie4275]

Thank you for this! I needed it! Im restoring a custom built dollhouse from the early 1970s, that came without any interior doors. Even though it is 1/12 scale, ready made doors wont work for me. You made this appear do-able for me. Also your voice is so soothing, this is like an asmr video. 🙂 Im curious... a window on an interior door??? Is that an English thing? 😄

[@JulieWarren]

Thanks Laurie, I'm glad you found it helpful. I'm not sure if a window on an interior door is just an English thing, but that's how I wanted it! I'm a firm believer you can have whatever you want in your dolls house, whether it's a 'thing' or not. :)

[@cherylcurry2437]

I love your videos! I am building a dollhouse for my one and only granddaughter and have never done this before. This miniature world is so much fun, I am surprised how much I enjoy it. Can you tell me what type of paint I should be using? I noticed that when I made a pot hanging rack the silver acrylic craft paint looked chunky. It is ok but not nearly as good as your project builds.

[@JulieWarren]

Thank you so much Cheryl. I'm so glad you're enjoying this wonderful hobby. I use normal household emulsion paint for furniture and other wood projects. The little sample pots you can buy are ideal. I haven't used acrylic on wood, but would suggest gently sanding between coats as the paint tends to lift the grain, which was probably what gave it a 'chunky' look. Hope that helps.

[@conchitapeltier2733]

Quel dommage qui vos ouvrage ne soit pas traduit en Français et que vos mesure soit souvent en mm et non en cm j aurai tant aimer faire une si belle maison pour le noël de ma petite fille mais sais toujours un régal de regarder vos vidéo

[@JulieWarren]

You can easily convert mm into cm, just divide by 10. I'm glad you're enjoying the videos.

[@PetrikNZ]

Have you ever or do you see any possible future issue that the acetate comes loose? It seems there's a fair gap, would it prudent to fill it, like window putty? Possibly tricky without making a mess of the window.

[@JulieWarren]

If you have any gapping, you're probably cutting your acetate too small. Cut as I did in the tutorial, to leave a good border around the edge. The acetate is then glued into place and sandwiched between the frame pieces, so will not come loose. Hope that helps.

[@PetrikNZ]

What I was meaning is the play in the spacing, if that makes sense. The acetate is a fraction of a mm, but the depth of the space created by the framing will be around a mm or more depending the wood thickness. So if you didn't have glue, or the glue lets go, then the acetate will flap around in the cavity. It won't come out granted, but it will be loose.

[@JulieWarren]

@@PetrikNZ I understand what you mean, but not really sure why this is such a worry - the acetate is going nowhere. I'm just showing you how I do things, if you don't like my methods, please use your own.

[@Dilotti]

Amazing !!! what is the scale of this wonderful doll house ?

[@JulieWarren]

Thank you. It's a 1/12th scale dolls house.

[@mariep-MAPAT]

Hi, I'm fairly new to your channel. I love what you do! I have a question: how do you keep your dollshouse and furniture clean? I especially have problems with my narrow stairs. Thanks. Hi from Belgium!

[@JulieWarren]

Welcome Marie. I use a soft paint brush, about 2 inches wide, so gently dust everything off.

[@mariep-MAPAT]

@@JulieWarren Thanks

[@suziofftheplanet977]

HI Julie, just following your videos and on my second dollhouse, the Mayfair which is a similar layout to yours. So excited about that. However, I discovered that it comes with plastic windows and doors. Would you recommend changing those out for wood windows? And is that a better option ? Thank you for everything x

[@JulieWarren]

I would probably change the windows to wood if it were mine. I think wooden windows look nicer and you can paint them, too. xx

[@suziofftheplanet977]

@@JulieWarren I have ordered wood doors, it took me a while to find them as they have to be smaller than the usual 1/12th scale . For some reason the Mayfair designer has put in slightly smaller internal doors. I have tried getting the plastic ones out without success; I couldn't even get just the doors out and leave the frame! so I am now trying ways to make them look better than the ghastly, light brown colour they are at the moment. I'll probably keep the wood doors for other projects. :/

[@suziofftheplanet977]

@@JulieWarren I finally, couldn't bear the plastic doors and frames, and got them out. Took me most of the day to get 6 sets out as so heavily glued in. Even using a hairdryer! Broke two MDF walls but PVA plus superglue came to the rescue and if necessary, I'll get two new pieces cut. Thanks for helping me make up my mind :)

[@suziofftheplanet977]

So, the saga of the doors continues. Having got the plastic doors and frames out, I ordered wood ones. They arrived and didn't fit (Arghhh). so now I am watching this episode on repeat and making my own doors. You make it seem so easy :). Thank you for all your hard work !!

[@susanann4171]

Hi Julie, what are those pins you use? Thanks

[@JulieWarren]

Hi, they are normal dress making pins. :)

[@sandyhellebrand8740]

I just finished binge watching episodes 1-31. Am I now current? Is there an episode 32 that i am not finding? Thanks in advance. beautiful inspiring work.

[@JulieWarren]

Thank you Sandy. No, you're up to date. I start filming ep 32 tomorrow (23 June 21).

[@sandyhellebrand8740]

@@JulieWarren Thank you! I'm very new. I inherited 16 House of miniatures furniture kits 20 years ago. I just started building them and watching you work has helped me so much. I'm almost half way through the kits. Once I finish them, I will figure out what house kit I have enough confidence to try to build. So much thanks!

[@diannayager3893]

Subtitles?

[@JulieWarren]

Hi Dianna, for sub-titles you need to click on the 3 buttons in the top right hand corner.

[@rosemarymortonjack9387]

Why do dolls house doors always sit in a complete frame with a raised threshold? No interior doors in a real house have a raised wooden threshold and it would be inconvenient to step over them if they did. Why is it necessary to have this pattern in a dolls house I wonder?

[@JulieWarren]

It makes it easier to fit the doors. The bottom hinge needs something to go into. Door in a real house are fitted in a different way.

[@rosemarymortonjack9387]

@@JulieWarren Many thanks, and yes, I know it makes it easier to fit but you have overcome the difficulty as shown in your tutorial on the attic. No threshold to stumble over. And the door does open! The lumpy unrealistic look of a threshold always bothers me. Might there be a tutorial on that?

[@judithporter1091]

excellent tutorial as always - thank you

[@JulieWarren]

Thanks Judith.