Start Here

start here

Welcome, friend. Let’s make something small together.

Whether you’ve never picked up a painter’s brush or you’ve built a dozen dollhouses, this page is your map to everything on the Lina’s Dollhouse co. site. There’s a catalogue of tools, tutorials, printables, and the gentle nudges you need to start your next tiny world.

CHOOSE YOUR STARTING POINT BROWSE THE TOOLKIT

Where are you starting from?

Pick the path that fits you! Each one takes you to a different set of resources, in the right order.

I’m brand new to miniatures

You’ve never built one before or you’re still figuring out where to begin. Start with the basics: what scale means, what tools you actually need, and the very first project to try.

Start the beginner path

I’ve made minis & I’m new to your site

You know your way around a 1:12 build. Skip the basics. Here’s a quick tour of what’s worth bookmarking: my tools, my color picker, the tutorial index, and the YouTube channel.

tour resources

I’m just here for inspiration

Browsing? Welcome in. Head to the gallery, get unstuck with the color picker, or scroll the blog for room reveals and behind-the-scenes builds.

see inspo tools
getting started

The first 5 things to know

  1. Understand scale (it’s simpler than it sounds)
    “1:12” just means one inch on your dollhouse equals twelve inches in real life. The most common scales are 1:6 (Barbie-size), 1:12 (the classic dollhouse scale), 1:24 (half-scale), and 1:28 (a slightly smaller half-scale popular for European kits). Don’t overthink it! Pick one and stick with it for your first build.
    Open the scale converter
  2. Download a printable ruler in your scale
    A scaled ruler is the single most useful free tool I can give you. Print one in your scale, bring it with you as you shop at estate sales, tape it to your workbench, etc. You’ll stop second-guessing every measurement. Available in 1:6, 1:12, 1:24, and 1:28.
    Get your free ruler
  3. Use the Color Picker before you paint anything
    Picking colors for a tiny house is its own art. The Color Picker lets you manually choose colors individually or by style and palette to help you visualize it before you even pick up a physical paintbrush. So you don’t end up repainting walls three times. (You’ll thank me later.)
    Open the color picker
  4. Watch one tutorial all the way through
    Don’t binge ten of them. Pick one beginner-friendly project on my YouTube channel. It could be applying faux stone, a porch swing, a planter with realistic soil, etc. Watch it start to finish before you start your own. You’ll learn the rhythm of how a build comes together.
    Watch on YouTube
  5. Bookmark the tutorial index
    Every written tutorial on the site lives in one place, organized by category. Electricity, tips and advice, tutorials. It’s the index you’ll come back to over and over and where I continue to share my own experiences. Save it now while you’re thinking about it.
    Open the tutorial library
Your free toolkit

Every tool, calculator, and library on the site, in one place. All free, all bookmarkable.

Convert Any Scale

Miniature Scale Converter

Type in a real-life measurement, get the miniature size in any scale. The fastest way to stop guessing.

Open The Converter

Measure on-the-go

Scaled Printable Rulers

Print-and-tape rulers for every common dollhouse scale. Bring this with you while you’re on-the-go. No more guessing at antique stores or estate sales.

Download Rulers

Find Your Palette

Dollhouse Color Picker

Need inspiration choosing your colors? Use this tool to select manually, by uploading a photo, or choose from Lina’s suggestions.

Choose Your Color

Read & Build

Written Tutorials Index

Every tutorial on the blog, organized by category: tutorials, electricity, Vermont Farmhouse Jr.

Browse All Tutorials

Watch & Build

Video Tutorial Library

Watch real builds, start to finish. Subscribe for the latest video drops made for all skill levels.

Watch On youtube

BUILD TOGETHER

The Collective

Lina’s Dollhouse Collective is my Facebook group for tiny-house enthusiasts. Share your builds, ask questions, and find inspiration from a community that gets it.

JOIN the collective

Frequently Asked Questions

For most people, 1:12 is the easiest place to start. It’s the most widely available scale where you’ll find more kits, more furniture, more printables, and more tutorials in 1:12 than any other size. If you want something smaller and quicker (or have less display space), 1:24 is a lovely alternative. Use the scale converter to see how each scale feels in real measurements.

Less than you’d think. A craft knife, a metal ruler, a self-healing cutting mat, tweezers, fine scissors, tacky glue, and a few small paintbrushes will get you through your first half-dozen projects. Everything else like clamps, dremels, laser cutters you can add later if you fall in love with the hobby. You can shop my starter lists here.

A small furniture piece: an afternoon. A single room: a few weekends. A full dollhouse: anywhere from a month to a year, depending on detail. The hobby rewards slow, patient work, but you can absolutely make something beautiful in a single sitting.

Most of mine come from a mix of craft stores, Amazon, and my own scrap drawer. I keep an updated shopping list in the tutorial library, including the specific glues, paints, and tools I reach for most. See my Amazon Storefront..

Share? Absolutely yes, and please tag me so I can see it! @linasdollhouseco
Sell? For personal sales of one-off pieces you’ve made, go ahead. For commercial production or reselling printables, please reach out first.

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