One of the trickiest things to get down when you first start miniature work is scale. What do all those numbers mean, and more importantly how can you decorate your house or room box without it all being out of proportion?
First, let’s define the common scales and their doll house ratio to the real world ratios.
- 1:48 scale (quarter inch scale) is one quarter inch in your doll house item to every foot of the real world item measurements.
- 1:12 scale (one inch scale) is one inch in your doll house item to every foot of the real world item measurements.
- 1:24 scale (half inch scale) is one half inch in your doll house item to every foot of the real world item measurements.
- 1:144 scale is is one twelfth of one twelfth inch. This is used to make toy doll houses for your doll houses!
- 1:6 scale (often referred to as playhouse or Barbie scale) is one inch in your doll house item to every two feet of the real world item measurements.
There are, naturally more scales than the above mentioned ones, but these are the most commonly used ones in miniature work. Some people even go to the trouble of making scales (1:1728 scale – referred to as micro minis) that are for inside of a doll house’s doll house’s doll house. In short, this is a toy doll house for your doll house’s toy doll house – it’s insanely small work.
Of course, there’s also the miniature enthusiasts that ‘eyeball’ it and just go with what looks right rather than worrying about getting their scales perfect.
Hints, Tips and Ideas on Scale
Many miniature enthusiasts start with the larger scales and move their way down to the lower scales as they either become more adept at making the items or they run out of room for miniatures. Perhaps a bit of both factor in for some of us. I’d suggest starting at a 1:12 scale to start with, or whatever scale your house is built in.
When using online tutorials to make your miniatures keep in mind the scale used in these tutorials could vary from the one you wish to work in. The safest way to assure you get your scale right, if it’s not listed on the tutorial is to measure out your items.
Making a to scale replica of everyday items is fairly easy. Just take your trusty ruler and measure the item’s dimensions. Take your scale dimensions and scale it down. If you aren’t fond of or good at mathematics, you can utilize this chart to aid in your scaling down.
Whatever your method, miniature work is very fun and rewarding in any scale. Just be advised that the smaller your scales the harder it is to work with the minis you will be making.
For those that would like more information on scales and miniature work with the right scales can use the links below:
Common Measurements and Scale Conversion
Bed And Linen Measurements
