Six Steps to Creating the Perfect Dollhouse

Each dollhouse is its own unique creation. No dollhouse will be exactly like another, nor should it be. Nevertheless, there are certain steps to the process that, if followed, will help each dollhouse to become a harmonious and balanced whole. Of course, rules are made to be broken, so any of these tips may not apply to your particular design. Just be aware of the purpose behind these guidelines. That will ensure that your unique ideas work in harmony with the principles of balance and design.

1. Be aware of the purpose and function of the dollhouse.

Before you ever begin dollhouse construction or even planning, it is important to make an overall assessment of the project. Who will own the dollhouse? Will it be a toy or a display item? Where will the dollhouse be located? How much space is available for its display? What are the interests of the dollhouse owner and how will these interests be incorporated into the design? What will the style and era of the dollhouse be? If the style is eclectic, what overall theme will tie the individual rooms together? Be sure that you narrow the focus of the project before you begin.

2. Determine the structure and style of the dollhouse.

Choose a scale for the miniaturization. The most common scale in the United States today is 1:12, where one inch of dollhouse equals one foot of a full-sized home.

The most popular option is to purchase a dollhouse kit. This will give you all the precut pieces necessary to build the model of your choice.

If you decide to design the dollhouse yourself, determine which building materials you will use and how large the finished product will be. Now you will need to draw the layout. Dollhouse layouts are can be created on paper or with the help of software. From a simple shareware program to AutoCAD, many programs are now able to give you a three-dimensional layout of the dollhouse before you begin.

3. Design the interior of the dollhouse.

Keep in mind the form and function of the dollhouse as well as the architectural style when planning your interior decorating. As with the exterior design, be sure to lay out the interior carefully before you begin decorating. Decide on a cohesive theme for the interior, but design each room individually. Draw up a floor plan on the same scale as the exterior shell. Be certain to mark out existing architectural features such as doors, windows and any special elements. Choose a focal point for each room and design the rest of the room around that focal point.

4. Pre-wire the dollhouse for electricity before furnishing the interior.

Lighting can be an exciting part of your interior design plan. Be sure to wire the necessary electricity before adding any other interior features. In this way, the wiring can be hidden behind paint, wallpaper and flooring, creating a much more realistic look.

5. Decorate the interior of the dollhouse.

Follow your interior design plan but leave yourself room for inspiration and imaginative creativity. Expect this to be an ongoing process, not something completed in a weekend. Enjoy the process of shopping for just the right furniture, flooring and all the little details.

6. Decide who will live in your dollhouse.

Some dollhouses are left empty, functioning strictly as design showcases. However, adding a few doll occupants will give your dollhouse a feeling of warmth and life. Take your time deciding on the perfect doll occupants.

Do You Know How To Make Halloween Miniatures?

Halloween, is supposed to be the scariest part of all celebrations. It fills a spirit of having spooky decorations and lighting Jack o lanterns. The fun is doubled when you have a dollhouse. Be it decorating it for holidays or daily routine life, the dollhouse becomes a big attraction all year round.  So, when Halloween rolls around, you get a bunch of opportunities of decorating your mini dollhouse with lots of “Do-it yourself” plans.

The basic step to get started with your scary decorations for dollhouse would begin with gathering craft items. Heavy stock paper is just the best item and light enough, other items comprise glue, scissors, tape, craft sand, colored clay and varnish.

With the help of internet and various guides on making Halloween miniatures, you will come across a number of projects which will assist you in dressing up your dollhouse for the spooky season. Although not all projects are available for free of cost, but for you to decorate your dollhouse at no charge some projects are enlisted below:

Coffin cases –

A lot of scary and black coffins in numerous patterns are easy to find on internet. And with the help of a computer, printer, paper you are ready with a coffin case.

Table settings –

Holiday paper cups and plates can be created using ready-made patterns available all over the internet. You can take out as many printouts as you want. Same material as used for making coffin cases will be required, but glue is mandatory. You can use varnish so as to ensure that these decorations can be used for more than one reason.

Window decorations –

To decorate your dollhouse windows and give a scarier look, spooky ghosts, jack-o-lanterns and witches can be utilized.

Trick-or-treat bags –

Using the printed ready-made patterns and those extra special touches for decorating your dollhouse makes it easier to give a spookier and scarier look.

Miniature jack-o-lanterns –

Using child’s play clay can help you make a jack-o-lantern for your dollhouse. For making the pumpkin, just shape the orange clay. Black clay can be used to make the eyes, nose and face. 

Apples and candy apples –

Using a standard wooden basket filled with miniature apples is a good way to enhance the look. The miniature apples can be crafted from clay or purchased from any toy shop, etc. Also, mere adding of toothpick pieces to clay apples can bring out the look of candy apples. For giving the look for the nuts, using light craft sand is a good idea.

Most of the websites are offering ready to go plans to decorate your dollhouse for a great Halloween. You can go through the guides available to bring out the best of your decoration. Follow the guide, work slowly and carefully, implement your own ideas, style, and preferences too. Some methods require sticking, cutting, and pasting while many stores give away ready-made items to go with your dollhouse. Decorating your dollhouse should be great fun, sharpen your artistic abilities and bring the best out your mind. Especially, weekend is the best part to tackle the easy and fun project of making Halloween miniature for your dollhouse.