I have seen this black metal framed house in various styles from different stores, but they were all a bit more than I wanted to spend. So, I decided to try and make my own. I was very happy with how it turned out, and it is satisfying knowing I made that. I also decided to paint mine gold instead of the black I always saw them in to match my decor better. I also hung mine on the wall, but you could also just set it on a table.
Supplies:
- Wood dowel rods. I purchased mine from dollar tree. They have them in their crafter square section, but if you wait till the summer you can get really long ones in the grilling supplies. These are also a little thicker too.
- Wood for the base. I used my Glowforge to make this, but you could use a piece of wood you already have, or make your own bottom out of the large popsicle sticks. To learn more about what a Glowforge can do, then check out this link.
- I suggest some good cutting pliers to cut through the dowel rods easier.
- Hot glue gun and glue
- Acrylic paint or spray paint. This is the gold paint I used.
I started off by making the base on my Glowforege. I did not want mine to large since I will be hanging it on the wall. I made my base 5 inches long by 3.5 inches wide. Feel free to make the base whatever size is best for your intended purpose, but just note the other measurements will be different than mine.
long rod 
angled roof rod 
base 
base 
total pieces you will need
Once you have the base done it is time to start building the walls. I started with my tallest dowel rods, which will be the sides. For all my dowel rods I just laid them how I wanted and judged the height I wanted based on how they looked. Remember you will still need the roof on top of these long dowel rods when figuring the height you want. My 4 long dowel rods are just shy of 6.5 inches. Once I cut one dowel rod, I used that one to measure and cut my other three dowel rods. Once all four sides are cut, use your hot glue to glue each rod in one of the corners. Be sure to make these as straight as possible.
Now for the roof. Again, before cutting anything lay the dowel rods in the angle you want the roof to be. You can make it taller or shorter than what I have. Once you have the desired length of the dowel rod cut it. Mine were about 3 inches each. You will need a total of 4 of these pieces. These four pieces may need to be slightly different sizes if your 4 base dowel rods are not straight. When gluing these into place I found it was easier to glue two at a time, since they lean against each other and can support each other as the glue dries. The end of the dowel rods will not lay completely flush with each other, but this is okay. The glue will be added to fill in this gap. Once things are dried apply a little extra hot glue to make sure the ends are filled in, including the bottom. Once everything is painted these glue spots will look like welded pieces. So, it is okay if there is a bit of glue on it. I even added more glue once I finished the entire house. The glue also makes it more stable.
Next, we will make the middle supports for the roof. You will need 3 pieces total. These pieces may all be slightly different lengths depending on your angels and how straight everything is. So, I recommend laying the dowel rod across the area first to measure how long it needs to be for all three pieces. You can always cut it a little longer than needed and sand down the edges till it fits nicely. Once you have all three of these pieces cut and to the correct size, glue them in place. These pieces will connect the roof pieces at the two ends and at the middle. I recommend gluing them one at a time. Again, do not be skimpy with the glue. You could add two more dowel rods, one across the back and one across the front if you desired. This would separate the roof from the side of the house more. I chose not to do this since I want to place something a little taller inside my house.
You could be finished with the Contruction process if you wanted to. I decided to add a little boarder around the base of my house with the dowel rods. Mine were about 4.5 inches long and 3.75 inches long, but make sure you measure your specific house because things may be slightly different. You will need two of the longer dowel rods and two of the shorted dowel rods. Also, one side may be slightly smaller or longer than the other even though they are supposed to be the same. So, measure each piece individually before cutting. When gluing these into place I glued the ends that will be touching the very long dowel rods that go straight up as well as a thin layer across the bottom of the base that the new dowel rod will be laying on.
Now the constructions is done. Go back and apply glue to any pieces that feel a little week or look like they could use more. Once everything seems sturdy and dry you can apply the paint or spray paint. I painted mine a gold color to match the other items on the wall it will be going next too. Another common color would be to paint it black, but choose whatever color you like and that matches your décor. It may need a few coats of paint, but once it is dry you are finished.
This piece was surprisingly strong and can hold a little bit of weight, but just be careful not to overdo it. When hanging this piece on the wall I hung it from the top as well as placed two nails at the base for it to rest on. I even painted these nails gold to help them blend in. I think I went a little overboard, but it is better to be safe than sorry. Check out this post to see what I filled my house with and what it looks like hanging on the wall.
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