Quarter-Scale Miniatures And Even Tinier Miniatures And Dollhouse Kits – Let’s Get Teeny Tiny!

Put on your glasses or use our magnifier glas, because today we will be taking a closer look at quarter-scale miniatures, and even tinier. You will hardly even notice them, do they even exist? hahaha!

Anyway, let’s dive straight into this teeny tiny world, shall we?

But first: Let’s understand quarter-scale miniatures and other small scales a little bit better.


Before going further, did you know that I am very proud of my self-developed scale converter on my site?

What it basically does is turn any measurements (inches OR cm) from a piece of miniature furniture, for example, from one scale to another (smaller OR bigger), with a large choice in different scales.


While 1:12 scale miniatures are the standard scale in the miniature world, let’s try to understand the differences between Quarter Scale, Half Scale, and 1/144 Scale Miniatures; the so-called tiny scales:

1. Half scale Miniatures


  • Half scale is aka 1:24 scale

  • Level of detail: while smaller the 1:12 scale and bigger than 1:48, this scale still provides a very high level of detail

  • Popular Uses: Half-scale is often used for DIY miniature kits, especially Robotime (aka Rolife), Cutebee, and Hongda. The scale of these kits can be a tiny bit different though, like more to a 1:12 or even 1:18 scale.


2. A Quarter scale miniatures.


  • The quarter scale is aka 1:48 scale

  • Level of detail: there is still a way to create fine details, but more difficult than the half scale.

  • Popular Uses: Quarter scale is commonly used for dollhouses miniature furniture and small but closed dollhouses or buildings, but also in the model building world (military scenes). It is also used for gamers and gamer buildings.

Quarter scale bear cottage @ by DreamscapeMiniatures

3. 1/144 scale.


  • Ratio: 1:144 (due) aka micro-scale

  • Level of detail: very hard to create details on this scale, as miniatures on this scale are significantly smaller, and thus they have a lot fewer details.

    But this also means that you can create more expanded miniature scenes with lots of tiny buildings etc on one board.

  • Popular uses: 1:144 scale is often used in dollhouse displays, architectural models, and miniature landscapes.

    And last but not least: for dollhouses in a dollhouse, this particular scale is just right!
1:144 scale dollhouse @ by PinoyStitch

When choosing a teeny tiny scale, you could keep this latter information in mind to decide which scale you prefer.

Is working on scale 1:12 for miniatures the same as for small scale miniatures or are there differences?


In theory, the principles of construction miniatures and dollhouses remain the same across scales, but the specific tools and materials, and of course level of detail may vary.

When choosing a scale, think about what you prefer, your level of dexterity and patience, and the level of detail you want to achieve.

Here’s a list of things that could be different along the scales:

1. Quite obvious maybe: the size of materials.


On the smallest scales like for 1:144, materials are heavily reduced in size, which requires more precise cutting, painting, assembling, and construction.

Constructing on a scale of 1:12 or 1:6 would make this part a lot easier to do.

2. Level of detail.


As mentioned before, small scales like the quarter scale or 1:144 could have some limitations on the level of detail you could achieve due to them being too tiny!

And it requires a lot more skill and precision work to create intricate details.

On the other hand, larger scales like 1:12 don’t have this issue and lots more details can be applied.


3. The tools to work with to create miniatures.


The basic tools and craft materials to craft miniatures are basically the same across all scales.

However, when creating teeny tiny miniatures, you would need to find things like precision tweezers, micro saws, and paintbrushes with the finest tips to handle them.

4. Building techniques


The techniques used for building miniatures and dollhouses remain more or less the same across the scales, the only thing is how smaller the projects are, and how it is even more important to do precise work and have attention to detail!


5. The availability of supplies.


While there are possibilities and ways to get miniature supplies across different scales, beware that the smaller they get, the less they will be available for everything.

A teeny tiny tea set on a scale of 1:48, for example, might be very hard to find, contrary of something in the 1:12 scale or 1:24 scale.

Quarter scale miniatures: how to paint them?


Well, this is a very good question, haha! And it took me some research to figure out the few differences between the scales.

The problem is that there is not so much info out there when it comes to these very small scales, but here’s what I found;

In theory: the process of miniature painting stays the same for each scale ( and I have written extensively on this before on my blog), there are just a few things to keep in mind:

1. Tools and Materials


  • Paintbrushes:

    The smaller the scale, the finer you would want your brushes with very small tips, because precision gets more important for your teeny tiny minis.

  • Paint:

    There are no actual differences in the choice of types of paints to use between scales, you can still use acrylic paint, milk paint, or enamel paint.

  • Magnifying tools:

    Now this tool is something that gets really important, the smaller the scale becomes. Because using a magnifying lamp increases accuracy and reveals finer details.


2. Techniques and how to approach the mini painting.

On a scale of 1:12, we can easily add fine details, shades, highlights, and accurate colors. But also create depth and realistic effects by layering and glazing.

(in this article, Wikihow explains the difference between painting and glazing)

On the quarter scale (1:48), using the layering technique to create depth is still possible, and more often the dry brushing technique to highlight something and to create details is applied for this scale.

Now, on a scale of 1:144, these techniques are a lot more complicated, but dry brushing is still used, and miniature painters tend to use simplified techniques, like stippling and washes.

Check out this epic video below to see how the smallest figurines are painted! 😉

Want to learn more about professional miniature painting? Check out this online tutorial!


How to electrify and add lighting to quarter-scale miniatures?


Electrifying and adding miniature lights to quarter-scale miniatures is quite easy to do, unlike electrifying a 1:12-scale dollhouse.

A popular choice for this scale is using tiny LED lights, because they can be very tiny and have low power consumption.

These LED lights exist in LED light strips or individual bulbs and can be placed anywhere in your miniature diorama or little house.

And they are powered by batteries in boxes that you can easily hide in the scene because they vary from the size of a little matchbox to even smaller and flat.

I would advise you to plan it out carefully before creating your diorama to think about how to hide any wires and batteries.

In the video below, there is some more information on how this works with all the wires and mini LEDs.

Now get to the point Lizzy: we want pictures and videos of those teeny tiny stuff, right?!

Oh yes, I know my audience haha, just show me those minis, will you Lizzy?!

All right, here we go!

Quarter-scale miniatures, what did I find?

  • 1. VictoriaMiniLand

Victoria Mini Land seems to be a store from Canada, selling mostly Victorian-style minis, but what’s important here is that they also sell an abundance of quarter-scale miniatures and even “dollhouses in dollhouses”, which are on a scale of 1/144.

I will let the pictures do the talking here!


Check out more quarter scales by VictoriaMiniland here.


They also have a little video of their handcrafted stuff, go check it out!


  • 2. Littlemiss Miniature


WOW, talk about teeny tiny miniatures! And you can even buy your own DIY kits for not just the quarter scale, but also 1:144 scale, some of them fit on a fingertip!

Check out Little Miss Miniatures place here!

  • 3. 1:48 scale miniature bedroom progress, by the Gothic Unicorn.


In the video below, Gothic Unicorn will show you how she created this tiny bedroom from a kit on a quarter scale.

I love her soft voice and the way she explains how to make the bedsheets etc on such a small scale is interesting to me, it makes me want to try out this scale someday (if I ever find the time grrr)


  • 4: A Miniature sofa on a quarter scale: DIY style!


We haven’t shown yet how these teeny tiny miniatures are created DIY.

In another video below, Tiny House shows you how and takes you through all the steps to create this gorgeous miniature sofa, I definitely bookmarked this one for further use!

  • 5: Something more modern?


Looking for quarter-scale miniatures that are a bit more modern or have modern appliances like a washing machine?

Then it’s time to check out “Dreamscape Miniatures” who has several teeny tiny miniatures in this style.

Check out more details of these modern quarter-scale miniatures here.


1:144 scale miniatures: did I find anything nice?


Talk about tiny 🙂


Teeny and utterly cute as hell is the 1/144 scale for miniatures and I’m amazed that people can even craft these, I mean: how even?

This scale is also known as the micro-scale and is often used for dollhouses in dollhouses.

And there are not just the tiniest dollhouses, but also furniture sets, animals, little dolls, and even DIY kits! (have you ever bought any? Please do let me know!)

I came across the same miniaturists who create these besides the quarter-scale miniatures, but also a few other people make these, let’s take a look!

  • 1. Queen City Minnis and her 1:144 dollhouse in a dollhouse!


This lady called Queen City Minnis on Youtube has a series on creating everything about a 1:144 dollhouse, including interior and decoration.

Fantastic to watch!


  • 2. DIY dollhouse kits on a scale of 1:144!


“Littlemissminiature” has done it again and created the tiniest DIY dollhouse kits, this time even smaller than the quarter-scale miniatures, on a really tiny micro scale!

Let’s take a look at some pictures:


Take a closer look at all these teeny tiny micro-scale models here.


  • 3. DIY How to Make Miniature Furniture 1:144


In the next tutorial by Tiny House, Eli shows you how to DIY Miniature Furniture on a scale of 1:144: a mini sofa, bunk bed, desk, and bookcase; so cute!


  • 4. A 1:144 Dollhouse miniature kit to which you can add lights!


This micro-scale dollhouse for a dollhouse is a vintage DIY kit that can open in the back and to which you can even add lights if you want to!

It is created by Mellisas Mini Wereld , is made from MDF, and even has 5 rooms that you can decorate, and has stained glass; unbelievable!

Check out this micro dollhouse here.


  • 5. 1:144 scale Victorian Dollshouse kit


Next up, is this little walkthrough of a Victorian dollhouse kit on a 1:144 scale. You better have steady hands! 😉

My Final Conclusion


Oh my gosh, I got carried away again and have over 3500 words for this blog post, sorry haha!

Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this blog post on quarter-scale miniatures (and even smaller ones), but if you have any questions or would like to add something, please feel free to do so in the comment section below!

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

I wish you, as ever, happy crafting!

Kind regards,

Lizzy

4 thoughts on “Quarter-Scale Miniatures And Even Tinier Miniatures And Dollhouse Kits – Let’s Get Teeny Tiny!”

  1. If you’re interested in the world of miniatures, quarter-scale and other small scales can be a fascinating area to explore. As someone who has worked with miniatures for years, I’ve found that working on tinier scales can be both challenging and rewarding. However, there are some key differences between working on 1:12 scale and smaller scales, such as the size of materials, level of detail, and availability of supplies. In my experience, painting quarter-scale miniatures requires a delicate touch and a good understanding of the techniques involved. I’m curious to know whether others have had similar experiences, and whether they have any tips or tricks for working with these tiny treasures.

    Reply
  2. Wow, what a fascinating article! I absolutely loved reading about the different scales in miniature furniture and the level of detail they offer. It was really interesting to learn about the half scale (1:24), quarter scale (1:48), and the incredibly tiny 1/144 scale miniatures. I never realized that the smaller the scale, the more challenging it becomes to achieve intricate details. 

    I found the section on painting techniques for different scales quite informative, especially the tips on using fine brushes and magnifying tools for smaller scales. The inclusion of pictures and videos showcasing quarter-scale and 1/144 scale miniatures was fantastic; I was amazed by the level of craftsmanship and attention to detail. It’s incredible to see the miniatures being created and the possibilities they offer. 

    Overall, this article has sparked my curiosity and left me wanting to explore the world of quarter-scale and micro-scale miniatures further.

    Reply

Leave a Comment