Tools used for making miniature projects for dollhouses, room boxes, and dioramas
Some tools are adapted for use in miniatures - see diy tricks of the trade
Others on this page are store bought.
For tools used by your mini people, see workshop or toolkits
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Tools for sale
- have you a section in your shop for tools? Put the direct link to that page here.
American Science and Surplus - lots of tools for crafting here. Scroll down to Picasso's pal, an excellent paintbrush holder/cleaner. Neat!
Busy Bee Tools - Canada's largest woodworking and metalworking retailer, with 10 locations and an eCommerce division.
Craft Optics - magnifying glasses, not cheap, use your prescription
Garrett Wade - interesting small-scale tools
Jane's Tools - Wide range of crafting tools at reasonable prices
McMaster-Carr - they have just about EVERYTHING for fabrication of just about anything.--acrylic rods, plastic sheets, Styrofoam sheets, wire, sheet metal, etc.
Lee Valley - a Canadian company, with many ingenious tools which can be used by miniaturists. 1 1/2 “ pocket square
Magnetic Gluing Jig - from ToolMonger
- beauty supply shops have potential miniature making tools - emery boards in different shapes, sizes and grits, nail tools for positioning, shaping clay and whatever you can think of, tweezers, and clippers for wood and wire. Look at the nail polish (paint), tiny decals and rhinestones. Makeup and powders can be used for tinting, shading and general colouring projects Check the brushes out too!.
- traveling with your minis or do you want to organize your tools? Check out the Creative Doll's blog.
Books
- Books about miniature tools projects (also books with chapters about them)
Links
- links to sites showing how to use tools to make miniatures
Drying Rack for Miniatures - from Joanne's minis. I made something very similar for baking my polymer dolls, using air-dry clay to fit in the bottom of a foil tray with a lid. That way the arms and fee don't burn!
Glossary - from Anna-Carin Betzin
Fine Woodworking - a series of videos showing how-to woodworking secrets. This link is for making a scratch stock for moldings and trim.
Hobby Laser Cutter - how to choose
How to Sharpen a Blade - by Rachelle
Mini-tablesaw/Router/Shaper for Dremel - from Instructables
Sharpen Scissors - from Practically Functional
Specialized Hand Tools for Miniature Woodwork And Dolls House Furniture- from The Spruce
Dremel Guide and Tutorial Tips - from MNPC Tech
Dremel Tutorial - by the Handcocks
Dremel Bits - from Blue Roof Designs
Measure for Success - from George the mini Guy, a blog with all sorts of tips. Here he discusses various rulers he uses.
Miniature Tools - Pinterest board by Donna Post. Lots of techniques and tutorials
Rotary Cutting Mats - from Nifty Notions, aimed at people who work with fabric, but has some comments on care of green self-healing mats.
Tips and Tricks - from Hirstarts
Tools for Use with Miniatures - from The Spruce
Videos
- YouTube videos about miniature projects related to this subject
Tips/Hints
- Make your own Mod-Podge for decoupage
- Homemade Gesso
- Check this out for storing sharp tools safely
- The nail art section in dollar stores, beauty supply stores and any other stores carrying nail supplies are just made for miniaturists. Look for very fine glitter, jewels and other tiny things made to stick on fancy nails and some wonderful tools. For example, a fine detailing brush with a bent head and a ball tip on the other end - makes painting inside micro houses and touching up painted corners easier. (And the ball tip is for dipping in paint to make tiny dots.) Another find (if you use the spaghetti method) was a tool with a tiny silicone tip on each end meant exclusively for picking up the no hole beads to position them.
- Paper Mitre Box - from MicroJivvy, prefect for frames and moldings.
- Purchased jigs are wonderful but If you want to make your own jig (portable, for your tool kit), find a small metal box with cover, like an Altoids tin, or a medium size flat rectangular box, like those decorative ones for cookies, tea or notecards. Put a piece of graph paper on top covered with some waxpaper. Use a few Legos as your wall or corner, then add some magnets to hold the Legos and your glued item in place until it dries. You can just line things up on the graph paper/waxpaper combo and use rectangular straight sided magnets to hold. Found magnets inexpensively in Harbor Freight. When finished everything stores inside the box. For larger projects, use a flat metal cookie sheet. The Harbor Freight magnets are so strong that if a couple are placed underneath the jig, another few can be used on top to hold the project in place.
- Legos with a Lego board are also used as a jig.
Ideas about what is needed for these projects
- links to inspiring pages
- ideas for shop names
- YouTube videos on the subject
Hits:
