Miniature Book FAQ

  • What's the deal with blank books?

    If you're reading this on my website, then you probably already know. I get this question a lot on eBay, though, from non-miniaturists who come across my listings. Blank books are used as props in miniature settings. The real pages provide a more realistic look than wood or foam, when the added detail of interior printing is not needed. They are an economical means of filling up bookshelves, or using as accents stacked on a desk, or stuffed in a school-bag.

    For special books that will be displayed open, I also have a selection of fully-printed readable miniature books.

  • Why do you give so much information (dates, historical info, etc.) about the books when they're just blank books?

    Short answer: I love books!

    Longer answer: Many miniaturists enjoy recreating specific time periods in their scenes. The little bits of info I provide enable people to choose books appropriate to their settings, and give that extra bit of realistic detail. What would a well-educated Edwardian woman read? What books were all the rage for young boys in the 1920s? Pop on over to the Index by Year and find out!

  • How can I display my miniature book?

  • My book won't lay flat anymore, what can I do?

  • How do I care for my hardcover and gilt-page miniature books?

  • Do you wholesale your miniature books?

    Yes, all my standard-cover miniature books are available for wholesale (not the hardcover or readable books.) Email me for more information.

  • What the heck does TreeFeathers mean, anyway?

    I'll admit, it made more sense back when I was making Christmas tree ornaments for a living, but then the miniatures took over.

    Well here's the story: TreeFeathers is an old family joke in a branch of my family, the Trefethens. The Trefethens came from Cornwall originally, and settled in Maine in the 1600s. Apparently, Cornish names can only be understood by the bearers, because for the last four centuries or so Trefethens have become accustomed to the following conversation:

    Trefethan: Hello, I'm [insert name here] Trefethen
    Non-Trefethen: Tree-what? Tree feather?

    And so it became a joke name in the family (there's also a ThreeFeathers variant - you can tell what branch of cousins someone is from based on which version they use.)

    I also like the sort of "Where the Sidewalk Ends" silliness of it. My favorite book of poems ever!