Horse Stables for American Girl or 18" Dolls

Step 1

Start by building three trusses out of the lx2s. Clamp all joints and attach with glue. What I did was first put together all three roof trusses by attaching at the top with a 3/4" pocket hole and 1 1/4" pocket hole screw. I laid these flat to dry and then built the walls. Then I centered the trusses on the walls and attached. Overhangs were about 1 1/4" for me. I built one on top of the other to make sure they all matched up. TIP: If you find your wood is splitting, try setting your pocket hole jig to the 1/2" setting and using 1" pocket hole screws.

Step 2

This should be the easy part but it was actually the hardest part! The reason is my drill was too big to fit inside and attach the pocket hole screws. I ended up using a screwdriver and hand attaching. If you are painting, an easy solution is to simply place the pocket holes to the outsides so you can fill and paint them. Another option is to just drill the pocket holes on one side, and then attach all four back pieces to the center truss. Then attach the outside trusses with countersunk wood screws from the outsides to the back. Remember to rotate your trusses so that the pocket holes are hidden to the insides unless you are painting - then you might want to keep them on the outside to fill, sand and finish them easier.

Step 3

Once this step was done, it was all cake. Or frosting I should say! I applied glue and nailed the roof pieces on. I used the roof pieces to square up the horse stables.

Step 4

Now I really considered no bottom, but the project needs it for structure. If you didn't want a bottom, you should at least place 2 - 1x2s 24" long hitting each of the truss legs on front and back. I screwed the plywood on with 2" wood screws and wood glue, using a countersink bit to keep my wood from splitting. This really squared things up and made the horse stable sturdy.

Step 5

Finishing

Sand all surfaces, starting with a medium grit and finishing with fine. Wipe off the dust, fill any holes or gaps with wood filler, and sand smooth once dry. Apply primer if you're painting, then finish with your choice of paint or stain and seal with a durable clear topcoat. For outdoor projects, use exterior-rated primer, paint or stain, and sealer so the piece stands up to the weather.