Monetizing Miniature Dollhouses – A Somewhat Less Fun Topic?

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!

But first: are dollhouses still popular?

Are dollhouses old-fashioned?

Heck no! In 2023 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 as well for their parents! (as proven on my website several times)

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. Bust most of all just fun!
  
  
• 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 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 can even have therapeutic value, providing stress relief and relaxation.
  

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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, on the contrary 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 my treehouse didn’t cost me much), to over 200$.

So in general, I would create a table where you note everything down and make a list of all you need or use to create your dollhouse, so you can calculate the total cost of building it. Sadly, I can not do this for you!

Can you make money creating miniature dollhouses and how to have dollhouse miniatures wholesale?

Yes, you can make money with dollhouses and miniatures, there are actually several ways that you might not even have thought of. And dollhouses are still worth money, so let’s go with these tips, starting with the most obvious one!

1. Sell your dollhouse and/or miniatures!

Easier said than done, right Lizzy? How could I know if I don’t sell anything myself?

Well, I have worked together with several artists so far, and unless you are quite popular, I know that it isn’t always easy. That’s why I also give you the opportunity to provide free promotion to your Etsy store on my website 😉

Other than my website, I also have a FB group with a marketplace where you can sell your dollhouse and miniatures-related stuff. Go right ahead and give it a try!

Other than my own places, you can sell dollhouses and miniatures on your local marketplace, eBay, Etsy, etc..

I have written a tutorial on how to create an Etsy store for you as well.

2. Dollhouse restoration.

Antique and vintage dollhouses can often use a touch-up and restoration, especially for museums and antiquers.

If you have enough expertise in dollhouse restoration and renovation, you can offer your services to collectors or other dollhouse owners.

3. Organize Miniature Dollhouses workshops.

If you have any expertise in the dollhouse world, then you can create and/or sell tutorials or courses, online or offline, and teach others how to build their own dollhouses and miniatures.

Giving real-life courses, you can ask for a fee for participation, which includes the use of materials and tools.

Online, there are platforms like Domestica where you can also teach others how to create certain miniatures, how to do miniature painting, or basically anything related.

4. Create a Youtube channel.

There are hundreds of people creating video courses on Youtube on all kinds of art forms, including miniatures and dollhouses.

If you have reached 1000 subscribers, you can start to earn money with your Youtube channel, in different forms, including ads, product promotion, a premium channel for exclusive videos, and affiliate marketing.

Check out my Youtube channel where I create new miniature tutorials every week on easy projects created with everyday materials or even trash to miniatures!

5. Sell your services as a dollhouse photographer!

You are a talented photographer or do you have great experience in photographing dollhouses and miniatures? Why not sell prints or digital copies of your work or help out other artists with their photos?

6. Create dollhouses on commission.

On Etsy, you can find professional miniaturists who would love to create a custom dollhouse for you, and if you know how to do this, you can too! You just need to know its specifications and design choice.

You might even sell a service for creating a replica of people’s homes, which I find fascinating! For this, you can ask for higher prices than usual, due to their personalized nature.

7. Buy and resell dollhouses and miniatures.

The next tip on monetizing miniature dollhouses is to just purchase (antique or vintage) dollhouses and miniatures, renovate them and resell them at a higher price. You could specialize in the unique antique trade of dollhouses.

On Youtube, I have found a great video by Mia Maples, where she renovates this antique dollhouse, so much fun to watch!

9. Create your own DIY dollhouse kits!

To monetize dollhouses, you can also specialize in designing DIY dollhouse kits, with the help of laser cutting machines, for example.

Sadly, I have no clue about how to design these (yet), or I would try to explain this to you ;-). I hope to gather more information on this soon though!

10. Sell digital downloads.

Have you seen my blog post on how to print miniature dollhouse printables or have you seen the one on the top 21 Best DIY Dollhouse Plans?

If you are a great designer or you have dollhouse designs or patterns, you can consider selling them as digital downloads.

No shipping costs, just internet, and a computer, and there you go: monetizing your miniature dollhouses!

How much is my dollhouse worth?

So you have decided to sell your self-made dollhouse or renovated one, but you still have no clue what the price setting is?

Well, I am not an appraiser myself, let this be clear before I get personal messages for this ;-), but I could give you a few hints:

• Count the costs of materials and tools to create your dollhouse projects and ad a percentage of that to the total cost.
  
  
• Don’t forget to consider the time that you spend on the project, including the time to design, do construction, paint jobs, decoration, etc.
  
  Set an hourly rate you would like to earn for your work and multiply it by the number of hours spent on your work.
  
  
• Is the dollhouse complex or detailed? Adding unique designs and complicated things can add value to your creation and thus you can set a higher price! The same goes for the quality of your craftsmanship.
  
  
• Consider that for custom-made dollhouses you can also demand a higher selling price.
  
  
• Do market research: look at what other dollhouse or miniatures sellers are charging for comparable products to get a competitive price.
  
  

Anyway, I can’t explain this any better than Bentley House Miniatures on Youtube!

My Final Conclusion

I hope that I have informed you enough about monetizing miniature dollhouses, but if you have any more questions or would like to add some information, please feel free to ask them in the comment section below.

You can also join me on (one of) my social media channels or my cozy Facebook group.

I wish you happy crafting!

Kind regards,

Lizzy

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