Despite having a long history, Doll houses continue to be popular toy valued by both children and adults.
History
When Dollhouses were first invented, people used to buy them for two reasons:
- To show off wealth
- To teach domestic roles.
Dollhouses first started becoming popular way back in the 17th century, especially in northern Europe (Germany, Holland, England).
Back then, these were not seen as toys and were primarily built for adults as these were associated with wealth, and indicated social class and status. Inside these miniature houses, the rich used to show off their collections of expensive miniature objects.
In his book, “The Ultimate Dolls House Book”, Faith Eaton says that the German word ‘dockenhaus’ earlier meant “miniature house” and not dollhouse. In Holland, they were known as “cabinet houses”, and later in 18th-century England, people started referring to these as the “Baby House”.
Back in the 17th century, “Nuremberg kitchens” were used as teaching tools for girls; mothers used to use these to teach daughters about how to setup and run a house, and be the lady of the house.
Back in the Limelight
It was only in the 19th century, after the industrial revolution, that these miniature houses / dollhouses started getting mass-produced as toys, which also made them a lot more affordable.
In recent years, there has been a revival in Dollhouses’ these have captured the imagination of the younger generation with social media playing an important role in promoting them.
There are some who have even made a business out of refurbishing old and rare furnished dollhouses.
Making Your Own Dollhouses
Just open the front door of a dollhouse and you will see inside that it looks like a real house, it’s just its a miniature version of a real house.
You can make your own dollhouses out of cardboard boxes, cut out doors and windows and place tiny clear Christmas lights through for interior lighting.
Recommended Miniature Dollhouses
- These serve as excellent craft project for kids as well as adults and even for collectors.
- these can also serve as a STEM Hobby Project for older Kids (14+)
- This can be a perfect new hobby for adults as it will keep you entertained and busy
Build Your own Dollhouse Crafting Kit (Nancy’s Bake Shop)
This is a DIY wooden miniature dollhouse crafting kit with real LED lights, tiny furniture and accessories. This tiny doll house kit will help you create Nancy’s bake shop.
The kit includes battery, LED lights, glue and all other materials and tools needed to make the mini house. For easy crafting, just follow the illustrations step by step from the instruction book.
172 non-toxic piece set. Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 7.5 x 8.3 inches
WOODLAND SCENICS Lubener’s General Store
Lubener’s General Store is where town residents can chat and even play checkers, you can even shop for groceries and household items. The building details include awnings, bubblegum dispensers, signs, curtains and a printed interior. These are molded with high architectural detail and include realistic signs, fixtures and accessories.
Funtoyworld is a family-managed website with me (Ben), and my wife doing most of the work. We are proud parents of two wonderful kids and love reviewing toys. We have a firm but friendly “democratic parenting” style and offer several practical suggestions backed by extensive research. Our own experience with raising two children prompted us to share our knowledge. Read more.
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