Dollhouses- History And Evolution

Interestingly, the tradition of Dollhouses started as playthings for adults about four hundred years ago. These were known as “baby houses” and they were basically cabinets with rooms that had miniature household items in them. These baby houses were quite expensive and only very few rich people could afford them. With the passage of time these baby houses evolved into small dollhouses.

Dollhouse as a hobby has suddenly spurted in the past few years with thousands of people making their own dollhouses and furnishings. Suddenly this hobby has spread into other areas as well, with people creating miniature hotels, pubs, shops, restaurants, gardens or cafes in addition to the dollhouses. There are others who would like to create miniature villages having gardens, pubs, houses and shops. It is a never-ending hobby and one creation is the stepping stone to another.

The houses can either be bought or built to your own specifications depending upon how much money you want to spend for your dollhouse. Dollhouses are available in different styles and pertaining to different periods of history such as Tudor, Georgian or Victorian. Moreover, different sizes of the dollhouses are available starting from one-roomed ones to those with twelve or more rooms. MDF or Birch Plywood is mostly used to make these dollhouses. Moreover, the furnishings are also available in different forms.

An important aspect of miniaturization is that furniture and accessories are only available in a standard size, which is on a one-twelfth scale as compared to the original size of the object. If you make a dollhouse to a non-standard size, you will find it difficult to procure proper fitting accessories and furnishings.

Shops for dollhouses have mushroomed all over the world. Apart from Britain and America, other countries are also having such shops that can supply everything connected with this hobby.

Many dollhouse fairs are also organized and it is worth going there as many new products and ideas can be obtained from there. These fairs are also ideal for those who are just planning to start indulging in this hobby.

If you are serious about this hobby, you should join any of the various clubs that meet every month and provide the platform for exchanging ideas related to making and decorating dollhouses.

* For making a Victorian style sewing box, take a thick brass rod and paste a pillbox and a small button on one side of the rod. Thereafter, paste a small button on the other side of the rod. A smaller button should then be pasted on the large button.

* For making glass room boxes you can buy discarded aquariums from yard sales for a couple of dollars. The larger ones can be used for making big houses. Lights can be fixed in them and you can use your original ideas to make it the way you want.

* You can make full size trees by using yucca skeletons as their beautiful shape can be decorated with foliage.

* Accessories and furnishings can be created by using beads and fancy clothing procured from yard sales. Even if the clothing is stained it does not matter.

* During fall, you can collect the bones and other droppings from the trees which can be used for making mini persons and other articles.

* For the flooring, you can buy a 5 X 18 inch oak trim with about half an inch thickness. Slice it into very thin strips and use the same for the flooring the whole house.

* Toothpaste caps can be painted to make beautiful lampshades.

* The plastic containers that come with the pizzas can be converted into small tables or stools.

* Use colored cardboard to make floor tiles of the dollhouse. Cut the cardboards to the shape of the tiles and seal on a thin card with polyurethane.

* Paint all mismatched furniture items of the dollhouse with the same colored paint and create old stonewalls by using a pale or milky paint and mark out individual stones with a pencil.

* For making a fancy footstool for the dollhouse, use a champagne cork and cover its top with velvet. Long fringes can be tacked on the sides.

* Make a wall or ceiling molding with thick lace or eyelet having a regular geometric pattern. It can be stuck with glue and painted.

* A realistic stone chimney for the dollhouse can be made by using large stones from aquarium gravel and sticking them with white glue and filling with Plaster of Paris.

* For wide plank flooring for your dollhouse, you can use tongue depressors and for an outdated ribbed tin roof, aluminum foil can be glued on dowelling or on plastic coffee stirrers.

Use the above ideas for your dollhouse and let your imagination and creativity run wild.

Things to keep in mind

Firstly, you need to select the dollhouse. Your selection depends upon the person for whom you are buying it. Secondly, you need to plan the budget for the dollhouse. Keep in mind the cost of painting and accessorizing your dollhouse.

Depending upon your choice the size can vary from 2-20 rooms in your miniature dollhouse. Consider the space you can spare for the dollhouse before buying one. These dollhouses can be as big as 6 feet in length. If you do not have extra space then you can go in for room box or wall hanging dollhouse kits.

Next, you have to see the style of the dollhouse, as there are various options available. Some examples of the dollhouse style are Georgian, Arts and craft, Victorian, Southwestern, and Tudor.

The cost of the kit depends upon the material used. You can try kits made of birch plywood or MDF etc for fun. Any dollhouse is incomplete without the furniture and accessory.

The time required to assemble the dollhouse depends upon the complexity and the size of it. You can buy pre-painted or wall papered kit as it saves time. However, the only limitation is that you have limited choice. Finally, you need to decide from where you want to buy the kit. You can get the kit for less money from thrift store, flea market etc in comparison to miniature store. The only advantage of buying it from the miniature store is that it will help you in assembling the kit and answer all your queries.

You are investing your money and time while purchasing and making the dollhouse. Therefore, you should be careful while buying as one mistake can risk your investment. Keep your budget, time, space and interest in mind while buying a dollhouse.

The popularity of this hobby is apparent from the fact that many websites and magazines are exclusively dedicated to dollhouses. Many suppliers provide materials and accessories for dollhouses. Moreover, dollhouse clubs and Internet chat rooms have added to the popularity of this hobby.

The essential requirement to develop this hobby is that you must be a multi-faceted personality combining the qualities of a carpenter, architect, seamstress, upholsterer, brick layer, interior designer and a landscape engineer.

Reason behind the Popularity of Dollhouses

1. It presents a realistic picture of the home that you want but cannot afford. It is the realization of your dream house.

2. Just as our ancestor’s creations have been preserved for us in museums and private collections. The creations of today will also become relics of the past for the future generations.

3. This hobby helps in curing some diseases and medical conditions.

4. It helps in educating children and provides a good platform for playing. In addition, it also provides them with a good social environment.

6. In ancient times, dollhouses and furnishings were offered at the funeral so that these would serve departed in the other world.

The popularity of dollhouse hobby has spread like wild fire throughout the world and thousands of collectors are enjoying this hobby. People are getting the opportunity to hone their creative talents. Creating a dollhouse gives a lot of personal satisfaction.

Many online sites allow the collectors to get more information regarding their hobby. Many clubs have also sprung up where people can meet regularly and exchange views and information regarding this hobby. Moreover, many fairs are also organized where the original creations of the people are displayed. Others can visit these fairs and gain knowledge from them. Visiting these fairs is very essential for the new entrants to this field as they can gain from the experience and expertise of others.

Making a dollhouse serves two purposes. It transports you back to your childhood and it allows you to use your creative abilities.

Tips for Fixing The Wallpaper in Your Dollhouse

1. Smoothen the walls of the dollhouse by light sanding or priming and cut wallpaper to the required size with an x-acto knife. If the wallpaper has a pattern, remember to match the pattern while fixing it.

2. Use a soft foam brush to apply paste to the wallpaper with straight even strokes ensuring that all areas are covered.

3. You should wipe your hands before applying the wallpaper on the walls of the dollhouse. Start from the top left hand corner and keep smoothing out the wallpaper as you move down. You can either use your hands or a plastic card. Proceed in one direction so that the air bubbles move out. In the beginning press gently so that the paper falls into position and then press harder.

4. Use a sharp x-acto knife to trim window or door openings of the dollhouse.

5. Avoid leaving any dry spaces on the wallpaper and ensure that there is an even coverage of glue; otherwise, air bubbles will form on the dry spaces. It is better to apply the paste on the wallpaper rather than on the wall so that there are no dry spots.

6. You can spray a matte sealer if you find that there is no vinyl coating on your wallpaper.

7. You might spoil the wallpaper if you don’t use a sharp x-acto blade for cutting it.

8. While covering the electrical areas, it is safer to wallpaper a poster board and then paste the poster boards to the wall with Tacky glue.

9. Basically, you would need the following items for fixing the wallpaper: the dollhouse itself, wallpaper, X-acto knife having #11 blades, paste, 1 inch soft foam brush, soft cloth which should be slightly damp and a metal cork-backed ruler.

It is not difficult to wallpaper your dollhouse provided you are a bit careful and follow certain guidelines. Before starting the work, you should measure the room properly to determine how much wallpaper would be required. You should always buy slightly extra than what you have calculated. You will find it difficult to match the color if you wish to buy a small quantity later on. Moreover, while wallpapering your dollhouse, you should always use wallpaper paste and not any hobby glue. It will make it easier for the paper to be slid into position.

The Environmental Conditions to Avoid For A Dollhouse:

Dust- It is difficult to remove dust from the dolls. Therefore, it is advised that you keep your dolls inside a showcase or shelf that has a glass to avoid dust. Fabric gets faded due to dust. You can notice the difference in color on vacuuming or dusting the dollhouse.

Smoke- It can spoil the look of your dollhouse so it is necessary to prevent it. The texture of your dollhouse detoriates due to the smoke emitted from cigarette, emission from cars etc. It also results in stains that are yellow in color giving it an oily finish. It also affects the smell, feel and sight of your miniature dollhouse.

Sunlight- It spoils the look of your dollhouse as it leads to the fading of the wallpaper and furnishing. Cracks may develop in the furnishing of your dollhouse due to sunlight. You can use a dark film layer on the windows close to your dollhouse to protect it from the harsh sunrays. The harmful UV rays not only fade paper and fabrics but also have adverse affects on wood.

Water- If you place your dollhouse in the basement then dampness can spoil it. You should protect it from dampness in order to prevent the growth of fungus and moulds. You should place your dollhouse in dry environment with normal temperature to keep it looking like new forever.

Pets- Your pet can break your dollhouse while playing around the house. Dogs may chew a part of the dollhouse or they may utilize your dollhouse as their personal den. Not only dogs but other pets such as cats also damage to your dollhouse. Therefore, you should keep your pets away from the dollhouse. For protecting your dollhouse from pets, it is advisable to enclose it in a plastic case.

The above-mentioned factors ensure a long life of your dollhouse without any damage occurring to it. You should take good care of your dollhouse by keeping it in favorable conditions so that it can last for long without any problem.

Painting

If you just want to paint the exterior of your dollhouse, you can use a quick drying satin paint that can be used for both metal and wood. It can be recoated and it is washable and hard to wear. It is not very expensive and it can be applied with a small foam roller and a small sponge applicator. The various effects that you can give with this paint are Sandpaper tiles, Brick effect, cobblestone and pebbledash.

Roofing Materials

There is a wide variety of roofing materials available and it might be difficult to choose which one to use. The most common ones are roof tile papers, real slate tiles, wooden shingles, thatch, self-adhesive roof tiles and terracotta roof tiles. Each one of these has its own beauty and characteristics and you can use the one that you feel will give the best effect.

Accessories

This is a very important aspect of decorating your dollhouse, as it will be visible all the time. The accessories should match the basic style of your house or the place where you intend to place the dollhouse. You can use plaster moldings, plants, flowers or street lamps to decorate your dollhouse.

General tips

1) Make a plan of what you want to do. You can start with a color diagram to see which colors would suit the most. Consulting books in the library and looking at real houses will be very useful.

2) Paint the house before assembling it if you are using a kit to build a dollhouse.

3) You should avoid painting the grooves as the joints make a tight fit if you are using a kit.

4) For achieving the desired result, try it out on a test area before working on the entire house.

There are many types of paint that can be used such as primer, Vinyl silk, Gloss paint, and Sandtex. Each one of them has its own characteristics and you can make your choice for the type of finish that you desire.

You can also create a brick effect on the exterior of your dollhouse and use different types of roofing materials to decorate it. Moreover, you can even decorate the windows and moldings of the dollhouse.

Firstly, you need to look at the design of the dollhouse. As the design should be compatible to the design of your house that is it should have a bedroom, kitchen, drawing room etc. you can find various designs in a dollhouse, which extend from simple dollhouse to a penthouse.

Secondly, if you are purchasing the dollhouse for your kid then it should be of appropriate height. All the toys should fit in comfortably. There should be enough space in the wood dollhouse for your kid to play and store his/her stuff.

How To Build A Dollhouse

If you enjoy making things out of wood then you are in for a good time. You will have a great experience while making the building of wood dollhouse. If you do not like to play the role of a carpenter, then look at it as learning experience.

Using a simple plan helps you in creating a dollhouse on your own. For building the dollhouse, you require a bookcase with shelves, which is high enough for the dolls. Other requirements are cardboard, wooden ply, strips of carpet and wallpaper glue and paint. Once the bookcase assembly is done, you need to first cut the carpet to required size and then glue it. You can cut walls out of cardboard or ply for the sides and back. Then, glue wallpaper to the walls facing inwards and you can paint the other side of it. For interior walls use cardboard or ply and then glue wallpaper on both sides of it. You need to cut out the doors and windows. Wedging the interior walls and screwing the walls is the last step. Once the assembly is done you, have your dollhouse ready with the use of a simple plan.

You will have your dream dollhouse ready by using the above plan. Wood dollhouse is a good investment, as it will last for lifetime and needs less care and maintenance. You may have problems in assembling the dollhouse kit so it is advised that you buy a user-friendly dollhouse kit.

Dollhouse Furniture

You can purchase some furniture like kitchen equipments, fixtures for bathroom etc as you may take time to learn the art of making furnishing. The progress of your project is visible only when you work consistently. You can get the furniture from the dollhouse shop. This shop has everything from the kitchen sink to the umbrella stand.

Hand made furniture is also an option. Women and craftsmen work hard to make the miniature items for the dollhouse. These pieces are exquisite and can be costly.

A good idea is to make some of the furnishings on your own. By doing this you will be satisfied and content with the product. You can start by making one piece of furniture. Keep creating, as with time you will become good enough to furnish the entire wood dollhouse. You should remember, “Practice makes a man perfect”. Making the furniture on your own gives you a feeling of achievement. You will feel a sense of pride while disclosing that the furniture in your dollhouse is your own creativity. You will have a lot of fun during the entire process. There are various websites and books that give tips on furnishing your dollhouse. The dollhouse club website is of great help if you are interested in creating the furnishing on your own.

Here are few ways that you may find helpful for making and decorating your dollhouse:

How to Prepare Soil

There are various ways of making soil for your garden.

* Use unused tealeaves to make soil for the flowers in your garden. You need to put PVA glue in the place required for soil. At this place, sprinkle the tea leaves. After sprinkling, pat the leaves with your fingers so that they get firmly fixed.

* Semolina, soil and PVA glue can be used. You need to apply PVA glue to the floor and then sprinkling semolina or soil on it.

* Bathroom sealant can be mixed with semolina to get that effect. Let the mixture dry for 5-10 minutes. For creating crumbs, you need to rub it with your fingers as it produces fine soil, which is perfect for bedding plants.

* If you want a clumped earth effect, you need to mix bathroom sealant with pudding rice.

How to Create Turfs

For creating turfs, you should cut strips of grass from a grass sheet of measurement 1.5″x12″. Then cut them into 8cm length. After cutting, you need to roll the strips so that you have a small flat piece. Now with the help of glue, you have to stick the roll. Create more rolls like this and pile them in the garden indicating that the gardener has to lay them.

Path Creation

Foam board can be cut in proper shape and size to create the path for your garden. To give it a real look you can distress it with a knife. Now you need to put a base color to the path. You can use a brush to dab patches with a darker shade on the path to give the effect of aging. You can make holes with a needle or nail and then glue grass into it.

How to Create Plants and Trees in Your Garden

You can get small artificial plants from aquarium shops. You can buy different colored pebbles and stones from the same shop and stick them with the glue. For creating rocks, you need to glue the stones and pebbles in one area of your garden. Keep on gluing until you obtain the desired shape and size. Once done leave it for drying. On drying, open a tea bag and split it to give the effect of dirt. Put glue in some places between the stones and sprinkle the tea leaves on it. For creating, rock plants glue greenery and plants at some places in cervices.

These were the easy ways to help you in creating a garden for your dollhouse. So, go ahead and enjoy this different type of gardening.