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Materials For Making Dolls House Accessories
This is by no means a “must have” list but really an aide memoire to be constantly on the lookout for bits and pieces that could be transformed into a scaled model of something entirely different. It’s a good idea to have a box tucked in to cupboard or drawer and add bits to it as you pick them up.
- Wrapping Paper
- Sugar Paper
- Newspaper
- Foil
- Tissue Paper
- Crepe Paper
- Light Card
- Cardboard
- Wire
- Stamps
- Transfers
- Stickers
- Haberdashers accessories
- Bunka (used to fringe lampshades)
- Needlework canvas
- Beads
- Sweet Wrappers
- Polymer Clay (Fimo, Sculpey)
- Self Hardening Clay
- Cocktail Sticks
- Dowel
- Kebab Sticks
- Twigs
- Balsa Wood
- Obechi Wood – ideal for sawing and cutting
- Bass Wood White wood, good alternative to Obechi wood
- Jelutong Wood – it’s find grain makes it ideal for detailed work
- Wood Stain (Walnut, Mahogany and Oak all work well for dolls house furniture)
- Lace
- Ribbon
- Embroidery Thread
- Material scraps – look for small scale floral, dots and stripes
- Sequins
- Pearls
- Buttons
- Jewellery Findings
- Sponges
- Paper Clips
- Pins
- Nails
- Feathers
- Dried Beans, Seeds and Pulses
- Belt Buckles
- Cuff Links
- Brooches
- Watch Parts
- Chess Pieces
- Bubble Packs
- Lipstick Cylinders
- Pill Bottles
- Shoe Polish
- Steel Wool
- Bottle Lids, Caps
- Pizza Lid Supporters
- Drinking Straws
- Tea Stirrers
- Map Pins
- Pipe Cleaners
- Oasis Florists Foam
- Green Tape
- Wedding Cake Columns
Material For Making A Dolls House
Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) can be used to make a dolls house very successfully. It comes in a range of standard thicknesses. 10mm will be most useful for exterior walls and 8mm for interior walls. MDF is a dense man made wood, made from sawdust sandwiched between two shiny exterior surfaces, making it very easy to paint and decorate. It is relatively cheap to buy, is easy to cut and will not warp. It does however make a lot of dust when it is been sawn and sanded and it is as heavy as wood.
Many pre-made dolls houses are made from 9mm MDF. They are very stable and robust particularly when you compare them to their plywood cousins, made from wood only half this thickness.
Plywood varies in cost and quality and it is true that you get what you pay for. Investing in high quality plywood will reap rewards. Plywood is relatively cheap and easy to cut and light sanding will smooth out an rough edges. When thin ply is held with the grain vertically it can be bent and shaped.
Birch ply is available in various standard thicknesses. It is smooth and strong and can be glued and screwed into easily. The disadvantages of working in birch ply include financial cost and difficulty in cutting. Birch ply is becoming increasingly difficult to source. Marine ply is an expensive alternative but easy to sand and finish.
Click here to learn How To Get Started at making your own dolls house
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