Building Floors and Levels for Your Mouse Mansion

One floor is lovely, but a mansion needs levels. There's something so satisfying about peering into a miniature house and seeing a whole stack of rooms — a cosy bedroom upstairs, a kitchen below, maybe a little attic tucked under the roof. Adding floors is how you turn a simple box into a proper house.

The key to good floors is making them sturdy. Nobody wants a second storey that sags in the middle (least of all the mice). This tutorial shows you how to measure, cut, and secure extra levels that will hold up to whatever you build on top of them.

Step by Step

Step 1: Measure the Internal Width

Measure the inside of your box where the new floor will sit. Measure the width and the depth carefully — even a couple of millimetres off can mean the floor doesn't fit snugly. It's better to cut slightly too large and trim than to cut too small and have gaps. Write your measurements down before cutting.

Step 2: Cut Your Floor Pieces

Using your measurements, cut a rectangle of sturdy cardboard for each floor. Corrugated cardboard (the kind with the wavy layer inside) is ideal because it's strong without being too thick. If you only have thin cardboard, cut two pieces and glue them together — a double layer makes a big difference in strength.

Step 3: Create Support Tabs

Cut small strips of cardboard about 2-3cm wide and fold them into L-shapes. These are your support brackets. Glue them to the inside walls of your box at the height where you want each floor to sit. Space them evenly — two or three brackets per wall is usually enough. Let the glue dry completely before you try resting the floor on them.

Step 4: Glue the Floor in Place

Run a line of glue along the top of each support bracket and carefully lower the floor piece into position. Press it down firmly and hold it for a minute while the glue begins to set. Check that the floor is level — you can rest a marble on it as a quick test. If it rolls to one side, adjust before the glue dries.

Step 5: Reinforce

Once the glue is completely dry, add strips of tape along the underside where the floor meets the walls for extra security. If you plan to put heavy things on the floor (like a fully furnished room), consider adding a small cardboard pillar or column underneath for additional support. You can disguise it later as a piece of furniture or a room divider.