In the world of DIY miniature kits, there is not a lot of choice in just DIY miniature furniture kits, so getting a vintage set like the ones from The House Of Miniatures can surely help you decorate your vintage dollhouse, so let's dive right into things.
What Is The House Of Miniatures collector series - Some History and Insights.
The House of Miniatures, aka THOM, was founded by a company named X-Acto. I honestly have no idea if the latter is the same business as the one known worldwide for the making of X-Acto knives.
This company produced miniature vintage furniture kits as collector series from 1976 to 1998, but these kits are no longer being produced now.
It is a big part of the American heritage regarding crafting and enjoyment.
They placed ads in Miniature magazines that invited people to join the community and receive one kit per month from these beautifully designed furniture pieces.
Apparently, they did pretty well regarding sales, but at the end of the 20th century, the interest became less, so they needed to stop :-(.
All the kits were also sold through miniature stores, home-mail orders, and the catalog of Craftmark.
These days, you can still buy the kits. They can be sealed still, thus original and not used, but they also sell already opened packages.
I would really advise looking at the Youtube video below and see how this person is super enthusiastic about these dollhouse kits, love it! She has so many things to go and craft, I can imagine the thrills haha!
What exactly did The House Of Miniatures make and is the House Of Miniatures still in business?
The craft kits are all made from good quality wood and were (and are) used by miniaturists worldwide, amateurs and professionals, but mostly in the USA (so it seems to me).
All of the furniture would be made on a scale of 1:12 and were actually historically correct! And drawers, etc., can be opened and closed.
A catalog of all the furniture kits made is seen on Youtube:
Also over the years, other things were produced, like room boxes (kits), finished furniture kits, collectible miniatures, hardware, display shelves, glass globe display stands, and even a line of silver serving dishes from Colonial Williamsburg.
Here's a list of all the types of furniture made by this brand:
- (Chippendale) style chest(s)
- cupboards
- tables
- desks
- mirrors
- clocks
- fire screens
- sofa
- and much more..
The House Of Miniatures is now no longer in business (and I think that's sad haha)
How To Assemble These Kits?
On researching more information about these miniature dollhouse kits, it seems that the original instruction sheets are very well-made and reliable. So I would advise buying these vintage kits only with the manual included.
As with any miniature kit though, you can adapt the miniature piece to your own liking.
I have 'crashed' a miniature kit from Robotime before, but I would think that this is rather limited to these kits, as they have a classic, antique, and vintage-style look.
But, it is furthermore a matter of taste, so you can paint them in a totally different way than Victorian/Chippendale, etc.
Would you like to finish them in a CountryLife-style, Japanese-style, or Shabby Chic? Why the heck not, do as you please I always say, it is your piece of miniature and the furniture must suit the needs of your dollhouse!
So anyway, where to begin?
There are a few very easy kits, like a firescreen or a candle stand, but if you really want to challenge yourself from the start, I would try out a somewhat more complicated kit, but not too hard.
Like for example, this one: The House of Miniatures; Chippendale 3 Drawer Chest No. 40011.