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Welcome to the world of the doll's house enthusiast. It's probably fair to say that, once hooked, the enthusiast has a hobby for life, simply because it has so much to offer to everyone, whether they be young or old. Let's have a look at what being a doll's house enthusiast might mean. The first necessity is to ask yourself what it is you want to 'do' with your hobby. Is it the appeal of the craftwork that can be enjoyed whilst making furniture, accessories, figures, clothing etc. or do you have the collector's instinct to aquire the best miniatures available and create beautiful homes for a family of dolls? Before buying or making anything at all the decision has to be made as to what scale you would like to work with. Issues concerning the amount of available space to use and required to display everything will come into this as the houses themselves can take up a considerable area of floor. For most people that means 1/12 scale and that will be what this article will be mainly concerned with. If limited available space is a consideration then it is still possible to pursue the hobby at 1/12th scale by making individual room-settings or shops that can be narrow enough to display on shelves. The next decision has to be what sort of house you wish to start with. The first time buyer might like to bear in mind the possibility that a small first purchase might not satisfy all their creative needs or, conversely, to furnish and equip a larger house might become a daunting or expensive task that seems never-ending. Ask yourself whether or not you want a long-term project or one that can be finished quickly and the results enjoyed by arranging and re-arranging the family in the house. Many doll's house families enjoy ever changing settings for the seasons and festivities and have wonderful Christmas and birthday parties laid on for them in their homes by their enthusiastic creators. Once the decisions of scale and house size are made you need to take a look at your budget. It is possible to buy the 'plans only' for many designs and many houses can be bought as kits to assemble at home from pre-cut parts. Some houses come as simple, basic but solid shells ready to be painted and decorated, and then at the other end of the scale come the individually designed houses that reflect an era ... hand crafted mansions that are a joy to have in the home. As a first time buyer you can pay as little as a few pounds or into the thousands to kick start your new hobby. Before making your purchase why not take the time to visit some doll's house fairs, buy some magazines and look at the articles and adverts; if possible talk to people that are already enjoying the hobby. Whether or not you're starting with a cottage, a mansion, a shop or just room settings, ask yourself whether or not you want to buy fittings, furnishings and people ready made or whether you intend to make everything yourself. Whatever your decision doll's house fairs will often meet your needs with either ideas and materials or the finished articles. You will find everything from ready-made tiny knitted garments (knitted on dressmakers pins!), miniature original art works, silverware, furniture and figures to kits ranging from those for making a tiny brass weather vane to those for the buildings themselves. Once you have furnished and decorated the house to your satisfaction then you can turn your attention to the doll's house garden or perhaps you will consider that your family needs a shop or a tradesman nearby and that will become your next project. The possibilities are endless. Just enjoy this popular, creative and rewarding hobby! |