Doll's House Dolls Book

'Make and Clothe Your Own Doll's House Dolls' by Ellen Bedington

This is a companion volume to one book I have already reviewed - 'Design and Build Your Own Dolls House' (look under the blog label Book Reviews').
  In this book about making and dressing dolls in 1:12 scale, the author, an experienced doll maker, takes you step-by-step through the processes of making four different kinds of doll: a shoulder-plate doll, a flange-neck doll, using a mould and modelling a doll.

Making and Dressing Different Dolls

What I really like about this book are the detailed instructions and the very clear photographs that illustrate each step and technique. I have never made a doll but after spending a lot of time reading this book, I feel quite confident about starting one, with the book by my side every step of the way, of course!
  'Dressing the dolls' section of the book uses the same set-up of instructions and photos. The dressed dolls are then displayed in little scenes to show you what they would look like in your dolls house or room box.

Dolls to make and dress

The only downside of this book, I thought, was that the clothes to make for the dolls was limited to Victorian and Edwardian era styles of dress, perhaps because Victorian dolls houses seem to be the most popular with miniaturists.
All in all, this is a very handy book to add to your library, especially for beginners in the making of dolls house dolls scene!

An Edwardian Doll's House Carousal Pop Up Book

I have this Edwardian Doll's House Carousal Pop Up Book in my library of books about minis and dolls houses. It's a bit of fun, something different and is actually quite informative. The book looks tall and skinny but then you undo the ribbon ties, stand it up and fold it round to make a circle and redo the ties to keep it together. 

The book folded into a carousal

And there you have it, an Edwardian era house of a middle class family decorated in the latest styles of the early 1900s. The colours, furniture, carpets and decorations portrayed make this book a good resource for anyone wanting to make their Edwardian dolls house authentic looking. 
   A family of cardboard figures comes with it and there's even a cat on the roof! What I especially like is that you can open the doors and drawers and see what's inside them, just like in a real dolls house.
  I have also seen others in the range of these pop up books -Victorian era and of Anne of Green Gables.
   Here are some more photos to give you a good idea of what the Edwardian book is like.

Peek in the wardrobes in the girl's bedroom

The well-decorated parlour

The 'modern' bathroom with boiler

The Decorated Doll's House

published by Macdonald Illustrated

This comprehensive book, The Decorated Doll's House by Jessica Ridley, is another that I have referred to often. I particularly like the way she has designed miniature interiors that are out of the ordinary. I also like the way all the instructions to achieve these results are given step by step and illustrated with very clear photographs.

Clear illustrations enhance the instructions

The first part of the book introduces you to the tools and materials to be used and how you can make things out of everyday objects such as toothpicks, bottle tops, corks, and jewellery findings. These are transformed into kitchen utensils, plate racks, bedside tables and flower vases, to name a few.

Miniature treasures made from trash

The projects in the book cover some more traditional dolls house and miniature rooms such as a yellow drawing room, a country kitchen, an English country bedroom, an Edwardian hat shop and a flower shop.
  For those of you who like modern interiors there are a Manhattan living room, a music room and a modern kitchen.
  And for those who want to make out of the ordinary and quirky miniature settings or room boxes, you could try your hand at a Scottish baronial hall, a rustic breakfast room with twig furniture, an Etruscan bathroom or a shell grotto. Now that would be different!

Mini Knits for the 1/12 scale Dolls' House

Published by Guild of Master Craftsman Publications

I have done quite a bit of knitting for my various mini projects so was interested to find this book at the library to inspire me to do more. 
  It is written by Linda Spratley who took her hobbies of knitting and dolls houses and developed them into a miniatures business.
  The book is well set-out with very clear photos of each piece. It is divided into chapters:

• baby knits
• children's knits
• adult knits
• home furnishings

The levels of skill required to complete each pattern are labelled as easy, intermediate and advanced. Abbreviations used are clearly described at the beginning of the book.

  The projects for babies are made to fit those little rubber baby dolls you can buy.

  The patterns are worked in one strand of embroidery thread with size 19 (UK) or size 5/0 (USA) knitting needles. Tiny beads are used as buttons.

  Knitted garments are shown being worn by dolls. That was my only disappointment with the book. The dolls all look very unhappy and grim!

The Authentic Tudor & Stuart Dolls' House

Published by The Guild of Master Craftsman Publications

I wonder if any of you Tudor dolls house enthusiasts got this book for Christmas. I referred to it constantly when I was building my dolls house, set, I imagined, in 1588, the year the Spanish Armada sailed against England.
   Brian Long has created a very detailed and wonderfully illustrated guide. Photographs of existing Tudor and Stuart buildings are shown as well as drawings and models. Historical notes add depth to the information and there are also 'how to' guides for making things as varied as a thatched roof and a livery cupboard and a water clock.
  All aspects of Tudor life are covered, from lighting to sanitation; from children's toys to cooking utensils; from furnishings to fireplaces. This really is the definitive book to making a dolls house authentic-looking for the 16th and 17th centuries.
  So if you didn't get this book for Christmas, you might like to drop hints or put it on your wishlist for your birthday in 2013!

Design and Build Your Own Doll's Houses

A book for the more experienced miniaturist

Design and Build Your Own Dolls' Houses by Beryl Armstrong is an inspiring book for miniaturists who are not satisfied with kitset dolls houses and want to build their own. Beryl is a very experienced miniaturist who has published several books on the subject.
   The dolls house pictured on the cover of this book is an appealing style reminiscent of American houses. But you don't need to be confined to that - full instructions are given for the concepts used in designing a dolls house to your own unique plan.

Chapters in 'Design and Build Your Own Doll's House'

As you can see from the chapter headings, this book is comprehensive. Each step in the building process is illustrated with very clear photographs and full instructions. Even if you are not designing your own dolls house, the ideas in this book are very useful for finishing, lighting and decorating kitset houses as well.
  All in all, this book is a great addition to your library of dolls house and miniatures books. I have found it to be very useful.

Making Miniatures in 1:12 Scale

If you are looking for a book about making minis that has useful diagrams, scale patterns and a range of complete projects, then Making Miniatures in 1:12 Scale  by Venus and Martin Dodge could be very helpful.  It caters for miniaturists who are just beginning in the hobby as well as to the more experienced. 
  The projects provide all you need to know to make the full settings, from the container down to the smallest accessory. For example, the chapter on making a potting shed begins with constructing the shed and goes on to show how to make the little things to go inside it, such as a broom and a ladder.
  This book starts with chapters on how to make room boxes out of wood as well as general advice on what hand tools and power tools are needed.
  If you don't want to make a construction out of wood, then there are chapters on making 'shoebox rooms' out of thick cardboard.
  You can choose to make scenes as varied as a mermaid in a real goldfish bowl, a market stall, a secret garden, a farmhouse kitchen, a lady's bedroom or a fashion emporium.
  All the projects can be stand-alone settings or the ideas could be incorporated into your dolls house.
  The authors have many years experience making dolls houses and miniatures and have written other useful books on the subject.

Miniature Embroidery for the Tudor and Stuart Dolls' House

When I started building my Tudor dolls house I bought this beautiful book - Miniature Embroidery for the Tudor and Stuart Dolls' House by Pamela Warner. It gave me lots of ideas for the stitching projects I could make.
   The book is set out in an easy-to-read style with complete instructions for all sorts of things from cushions to bed hangings, from wall hangings to book covers. All are in the styles and designs popular during the 16th and 17th centuries. Some are miniature copies of real examples still existing, for example, in the Victoria and Albert Museum. I found the snippets of historical information given very interesting.
   The stitching charts are shown in full colour. The instructions detail how many skeins of embroidery thread are needed and the codes of the colours used in three brands, DMC, Anchor and Madeira.
   Because most of the projects are worked on 35 count even-weave linen or cotton, or on even finer gauze, I feel the needlework projects are more suited to experienced embroiderers.

How to Make Your Dolls' House Special

Beryl Armstrong's dolls' house book

If you're looking to personalise your dolls house or if you have a kitset house you want to make look a bit different, then this book How to Make Your Dolls' House Special by Beryl Armstrong is full of good ideas.
   I used this book a lot when I was building my dolls houses. It is full of detailed instructions with close- up photographs to illustrate them. All aspects of construction are covered, both in the exterior and interior, so if you are building a dolls house from scratch this book will be very helpful.
  The author assures us in the introduction that 'anyone can do it'! She explains that using things such as wooden tongue depressors, cardboard and bits and pieces you have around the house can be transformed when applied to a dolls house and painted.
  Several topics are covered in depth with their own chapters: making fireplaces, wallpapering, doors, floor coverings such as planks, tiles and clay, and staircases.
   For the next exterior there are chapters on making windows, bricks, weatherboard and timber framing, making roofs from slate and thatch, building chimneys, and adding balconies and window boxes. There is even a chapter on making gardens.
   'How to Make Your Dolls' House Special' is a book you will return to time and time again to look at the techniques illustrated and get ideas for your own miniature projects.

Making Dolls' House Interiors in 1/12 Scale

Making Dolls' House Interiors by Carol and Nigel Lodder is one of my all-time favourite miniatures books. I have used it for inspiration for the decor and furnishings in several of my projects. It's a book I refer to over and over again. I always try for realism in my minis and that is why I appreciate the book so much - the room settings and furniture look so real. If you didn't know they were in 1:12 scale, you might think, from the beautiful photographs, that you were looking at real size scenes.
   Chapter One gives you all the information you need for starting out - tools, materials, safety, and basic methods. Then it moves straight into projects to create various rooms in different eras. The book has chapters on:

• The Country Kitchen (Victorian era)
• The Scullery (in a cottage and in a Victorian town house)
• The Parlour (Victorian and Edwardian examples)
• The Bedroom  (an attic room and a Victorian bedroom)
• The Sitting Room (a 1950s room and a 1960s bedsit)
• The Town Kitchen (a modern one and a Victorian one)
• The Georgian Room ( as a bedroom and as a drawing room)
• The Tudor Room (as a kitchen and as a parlour)
• The Garden (a verandah and porch scene)

Each chapter gives instructions for the roombox dimensions and features, the decoration and lighting, the fixtures, the furniture and the accessories. The photographs are beautiful. 

   What I especially like is that all the patterns for making furniture etc are at the size you need - there's no faffing round trying to scale them up or down. Just photocopy them, cut them out and you're ready to start making minis. 

 

Making Dolls' House Miniatures with Polymer Clay

This is one of the books in my library that I refer to the most for mini projects - Making Doll's House Miniatures with Polymer Clay by Sue Heaser. It's like a well-used recipe book. Some of the pages are a bit grubby and I've made pencil notations in the margins.

   The book is well set out. The first chapter talks about the different brands of polymer clay (my favourite for ease of use is Du-Kit, a New Zealand make) and the materials and tools you'll need for the projects which are all in 1:12 scale.

Fimo meat and sausages

   Chapter Two details the techniques you can practise to get all sorts of different effects from the clay.

   From there the chapters are set out by rooms e.g. kitchen miniatures, bedroom miniatures etc. But it is not just food and flowers that have step-by-step, illustrated instructions. All sorts of things are included such as making vases, picture frames, storage canisters, a Victorian sewing box, even a bath and a toilet!

A lamp made from polymer clay

   If you want to really want to take on a challenge, try making the coal range!  
  
   For the icebox in my Edwardian dollhouse        kitchen, I made the sausages and roast of beef from polymer clay. And in the gentleman's study my daughter made the Tiffany lamp from instructions in this book. We wired it in so it lights up. I think you'll agree - she did a great job!

The Enchanted Dolls' House Book

What a beautiful, beautiful book this is: The Enchanted Dolls' House by Robyn Johnson. Any young girl who loves dolls houses would, I'm sure, adore this.

 The enchantment starts with the cover which is flocked and embossed, with a gold tassel. Inside on the first page is a large cabinet with doors you fold back to reveal toys that will feature throughout the book. The stories of each of four dolls houses and the society of their times are told through the lives of the toys.

 The cardboard dolls houses pop out from the pages to become three-dimensional. You can peep through the windows and open the doors, looking to find the answers to various questions posed by the dolls. There is a mediaeval dolls house, an 18th century neoclassical one, a late Victorian dolls house and an early 20th century one.

 For each era , a double page of information has beautiful drawings of people, costumes and accessories of the times. And there is a two-page spread of 'secrets' that tell about everyday life. The special thing about these pages is that they have flaps you can fold up to reveal hidden interiors, fancy envelopes to open with messages inside, even a piece of velvet to stroke to show the fabric Tudor women wore. 

 I bought the book to give as a present to a young girl who is keen on miniatures. But I have fallen in love with it and am tempted to keep it for myself!  This is not just a book to look at. It is an interactive experience that truly is enchanting.