Miniatures D.I.Y. Resources

Resource material for miniaturists, for reference and inspiration. Historical period guides and house plans, design tools, and useful crafting tips to help plan and build your miniature scenes.

Articles by TreeFeathers

  • Southwestern styleNew Mexico & Adobe Style

    Creating a southwestern scene? This article will help you get the details right, whether it's choosing the perfect adobe color or the right tile for floors and countertops.

Craft Info & Techniques

  • Rye Milled Dollhouse KitTom's Dollhouse and Miniature Tips: Great tips for building a dollhouse from Tom's Mill at Earth & Tree Miniatures. Siding, roofing (including thatching), electrical & wiring, and more. (Menu on right side of page.)
  • Aging or Weathering New Wood: Learn how to get a beautiful aged silver finish on wood using vinegar.
  • Greenleaf Dollhouse Articles: Numerous projects, articles, and tips. Information on dollhouse construction and electrification, resources for smaller scales, articles about historical styles and techniques.
  • A Beginner's Guide To Model Cars: Thanks to Daniel & Nic for submitting this link! Lots of resources here for model car builders - guides and tips, background info, and hobby groups. (This resource page is provided by a car insurance company, so there's also some bonus driver safety information at the bottom.)
  • Metric-Imperial Conversion Charts: Charts for any measure you need to convert, as well as a tool that will do it for you automatically.

Tools & Supplies

  • Micromark: The small tool specialists.
  • Dremel: A staple in any miniaturist's toolbox.
  • Christmas Trunk KitKITZ! Miniatures: Great source for hard-to-find mini supplies & tools, fabrics, trims, rhinestones, flocking, and of course, kits.

Finishing & Decorating

  • Brodnax Prints: Beautiful miniature period wallpapers and borders.
  • Fairy Meadow Minaitures (AU): A comprehensive selection of wallpapers and flooring. This source is recommended by numerous Australian miniaturists.
  • Jennifers Free Dollhouse Printables: A huge collection of beautiful printable wallpapers that you can make yourself! Organized by era with a lot of useful info. Well worth a visit.
  • Miniature Luxuries & Papers: Decals to design your own "handpainted" mininature furniture, rooms and accessories. Available in 1" and ½" scales. Also wallpaper, fabric and rugs.
  • Susan Bembridge Designs (UK): Stunning reproductions of classical wallpapers, fabrics, and flooring.
  • Paper Mojo: Decorative and handmade papers of all kinds - use them for unique wallpaper, miniature crafts, or whatever you can think of.

Design & Historical Reference

  • Loosely organized by time period, with more general resources listed first.
  • History of Furniture Timeline: Fascinating timeline of furniture styles and wood preferences from the 16th century to modern times.
  • Swiss Gothic Cottage 1879Historic house plans and pictures: Historically accurate house designs and floor plans from original 1835 to 1935 pattern books, mostly French, English, and American. Fascinating!
  • Period Style Guides: A resource list from About.com covering websites devoted to period styles of interior decor.
  • Virtual Room Designer: An online utility that allows you to try out different colors and materials for walls, ceilings, and floors. Intended for life-size home design, but very useful for planning your dollhouse rooms.
  • Medieval & Renaissance:

  • House Greydragon: Aimed at medieval recreationists, this site has plans for medieval furniture, info on the design & construction of medieval tents, 14th century costuming tips, and more.
  • British History

  • Medieval English LadyEnglish Historical Fabrics: A handy reference page intended for historical novelists to help you keep your mini scenes & costumes in period.
  • Geffrye Museum of Historical English Interiors: Showcases the changing style of the English domestic interior in a series of period rooms from 1600 to the present day.
  • The Georgian Index: A wealth of information about the Georgian period in England and America.
  • Regency Research Links: All sorts of research resources for the English Regency period (c.1800-1820), covering food, fashions, military and many other facets of daily life.
  • American History:

  • 1770s fireplaceColonial America: the simple life: Learn about Colonial American furniture, food and drink, interior lighting, and early American fireplaces and cooking.
  • What Things Cost in 1803: Want to know what the major epidemics in the USA between 1657 and 1918 were? Or when mailboxes first became common in the US? Head on over! Also some great graphics for printies - old 'Wanted' posters and samples of Colonial currency.
  • Window to the Past: A compilation of articles from 19th and early 20th century periodicals.
  • Victorian Era:

  • historic kitchensOld House Living: Illustrated historic design articles about different aspects of decoration and construction of houses from the late 19th to early 20th centuries. Learn about historic house colors, appropriate wallpapers, fabrics, tiles and other décor.
  • Victorian Interiors: A wealth of detailed information about Victorian homes, including history, architecture, interior design, furniture, and more.
  • 20th Century:

  • Early Twentieth Century Homes: An informative blog about the early 20th century, with pictures and info drawn from house and decorating books of the period.