Miniature dollhouses, fairy houses, DIY dollhouse kits, everything you create in the mini world is for fun, right?
Yes, of course it is, but we can't ignore that professional miniaturists also need to eat and they can't just live on miniature food, haha 😉
So today, we will dive a little deeper into the world of dollhouse finances in general and everything that comes with it. My brainstorming process is ready again for a long article because there is more to it than you might realize!
Updated 27/07/26
But first: are dollhouses still popular?
Are dollhouses old-fashioned?
Heck no! In 2026 and, I'm sure that in 20 years, dollhouses will still be very popular and passed on from generation to generation, especially wooden ones.
And the same goes for dollhouse furniture, which is also often given as a gift during all kinds of holidays, Mother's Day, and birthdays.
So you definitely can say that miniature dollhouses in all kinds of types and sizes are still popular, for kids, but also for their parents!
The reasons why dollhouses are still popular are extensive:
- For kids, miniature dollhouses are educational and can teach them how to do hand-eye coordination and learn how to play together. But most of all, just fun to do!
- For adults, dollhouses can evoke a sense of nostalgia and a reminder of their childhood playtime. So they also like to get a (large) collection of miniatures and dollhouses that they might have missed out on when they were young.
But there's more to it: most of us adults feel great in the community of miniature enthusiasts and love to share their work on social media, for example.
And it can even have therapeutic value, providing stress relief and relaxation.
How much does it actually cost to build a dollhouse?
I hope that you understand that answering this question can take us along a long path of choices and that the actual cost of creating a dollhouse depends on different factors!
What it could depend on are the next things:
1. Which materials are you going to use to craft a dollhouse?
If you are going to create a wooden dollhouse or wooden dollhouse furniture, this will be more expensive than creating one from cardboard or waste materials for obvious reasons 😉
Another example, to be more precise, is that there will be a huge difference between using walnut wood for a dollhouse, as opposed to popsicle sticks!
2. Do you already have the necessary power tools?
The cost of creating a dollhouse will also depend on the tools needed to create a project.
Do you already own that mini-drill, table saw, and other power tools, or do you need to purchase them first? This will, of course, make a huge difference in the total costs.
Depending on the type of dollhouses you create, the cost of crafting materials can vary from $50 to several hundred dollars.
3. Using a DIY dollhouse kit versus a completely custom build.
Not a lot of miniature artists do this, I have found, but sometimes it happens that a seller uses DIY kits first, like, for example laser cut ones, and then decorates it in his own way and/or completes it with dollhouse furniture and then sells this as a whole.
I don't sell anything (yet), but I have done this with my fairy houses, and others can too. I would mention to the buyer, though, that the base is from someone else.
So if you start with a DIY kit, you would need to include the price of this in the total cost.
4. Lighting and electricity
Depending on the type of miniature lights that you use and how many lights you want for your dollhouse (if any), the total price will vary.
Prices range from a few bucks (the string lights for