Have you ever wanted to own a haunted house or abandoned asylum, but just don’t have the resources? Do you crave the smell of craft glue and sharpies? Today, Dirgeling, is your day.

I am currently furnishing a witch’s cottage in 1:12 scale. A warning to the wise—making dollhouse miniatures will cast a spell on you! While searching the dark corners of the web for furniture ideas, I discovered a site called Haunted Dimensions. It features the work of Ray Keim, a multi-media artist and design wizard who makes props and models for Universal Studios and is a key member of their Halloween Horror Nights team. Out of the kindness of his dark heart, Keim has made paper model versions of his larger haunted house models freely available for download. Yes, you heard me. Free. All he asks is that you credit him and not repackage or sell his work. Other than that, you can craft to your heart’s delight!

Fancy a replica of the Norman Bates house from Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 classic, Psycho?

....................When you download and print the PDF from the site, you will get detailed instructions and the building pieces, ready to cut. All of the pieces are in living color, but in honor of DIRGE and my love of German Expressionism, I decided to print them in black and white on plain white cardstock. (You really can’t use regular paper for this project, or you’ll get drooping walls and a flaccid steeple. No one likes a flaccid steeple!)

For added dimension, I used a fine-tipped permanent black marker (sweet fumes!) and added detailed lines and shadows. I also used a black colored pencil for more subtle shading. It was incredibly relaxing. Before assembly, I also used a craft knife to cut out the little window panes.