A recent article published in Dollhouse Miniatures Magazine asks its readers to provide their most indispensable tools when building dollhouses and other dollhouse miniature projects. Here’s a list of the most important tools to top their list:

One-Inch-Scale Ruler: A standard architect’s ruler is a must-have when working with dollhouse miniatures. This handy ruler will allow you to easily transfer full-sized measurements into scale measurements, instantly! Look for the left end of the 1″ scale which is divided by 1/12″. It’s available at most office supply stores.

Miniature Bench Lighting: When working with tiny items, good lighting is essential. Use an incandescent light at a sharp angle to avoid shadows. Use color-corrected fluorescent lighting for painting when color matters because the incandescent light can drastically affect how colors appear under this type of lighting. A combination of both types of light work well when clear coat finishing furniture.

Plastic Picks for Teeth: These picks are similar to wooden toothpicks, but are made for teeth. Unlike wood, plastic doesn’t encourage things to stick or absorb. These picks are usually shaped somewhat like a hockey stick and can usually be located where toothpaste and floss are sold.

Storage with PVC Pipe: Cut various lengths (6″ to 15″) white PVC pipe, wire or tape them together and attach to a box bottom. These pipes can stand vertically or lay horizontally for storage of wood dowels, molding, metal rods, etc. A larger diameter PVC can attach to your garage wall for larger pieces.

Teflon Pressing Sheet: Teflon pressing sheets can be used while painting, sanding, gluing or even ironing. The dried paint and glue can be washed off or scraped off using an old credit card. These sheets are practically indestructible, but be careful not to cut on them. These are usually found in fabric stores and are available in different sizes.

We hope you will find these tips provided by readers of DH Miniatures magazine useful. Please visit our other blog postings for more helpful tips and suggestions.