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Once the shell of your dollhouse has been assembled, the decorative elements can be installed. This is one of the most challenging parts of the project. Period furniture, individualized rooms, wallpaper and decorations, lighting, customized window frames, and doorways all enhance a dollhouse’s appeal. Whether or not these elements are custom-made, assembled from a kit, or selected from ready-made objects, they can mirror the tastes and creative impulses of the maker.
Customizing a dollhouse can involve investing in some specialized equipment. But no special skills—other than patience and time—are required. If the thought of copying a real-life object seems too challenging, you can refer to one of the many dollhouse enthusiasts’ publications available. These are an excellent source of information on specific projects; many also provide tips on recreating objects using readily available items, as described in the Shop Tip below. Many publications also include plans, scaled to miniature, for reproducing furniture and other decorative items, like the chair shown at right.
The main concern in building objects in miniature is choosing an appropriate
texture for the materials you are using. Wood grain must be tight and fabric designs small enough in scale to realistically represent the object in miniature. The small stock needed is readily available from hobby supply shops, but many parts can be salvaged. The listing at right details some of the tools required for miniature work.
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Smaller than a child’s hand, the stick chair shown above can give a dollhouse a warm, lived-in appearance.
