My young friend, Miss E, is enthusiastic about making miniature things, and kindly, my own art. Learning how to make miniatures is a tremendous way to observe, understand, and investigate your world. It's also also a fun way to learn how to solve problems, practice fine skills, and best of all, it brings a sense of marvel in the gloomiest winter lockdown.

So I went through my stash, found a set (Rolife) that I will never have time to build, then rummaged through my tools to find clean, new duplicates and stuff she can borrow. Miss E is ten years old, so to be on the safe side, there’s tools like pliers, or a utility knife and cutting mat, that I didn’t include, but I tried instead to find alternatives. Pliers and knives can be used by children with adult supervision. We are in lockdown now in Ireland, and it makes it difficult to organise hands on lessons. I might have to come up with videos, later, to do that.

I decided to post this little toolbox, so she can read the explanations, and you can build your own miniature starter set.

Ruler : a small, metal one is best. Put some washi tape on the back so it won’t slide when you trace. It’s in centimeters, for when you learn about scales. We’ll come around that later.
Sharp, embroidery scissors. Please beware, they are pointy, and should be handled accordingly (never never point at someone’s face, especially siblings and doggies). These are to cut out fine details. Bubble cut items first with round scissors, then use these for detail work. Be slow, be patient. Remember to angle your scissors so the upper blade almost touch the paper, you’ll cut precisely like that.
Washi tape (masking tape) : I exchanged this for a dusty pink roll of washi tape. Yellow is my favorite colour these days but I thought a nice, grown up pink might be better. Washi tape doesn’t stick as much as regular tape and is easily removed. It has numerous uses : tiny book covers, temporary hinges, etc. While modelling, you can use it to maintain parts together, to test things, or as they dry.
Tweezers! These are the most fun. Think of them as your personal set of extra tiny hands, and use them to put tiny objects in your display.
I added a few temporary glue dots. It’s like that sticky stuff in packaging to keep cards and objects in place. Cut out a bit of transparent goo and add it at the back/bottom of miniatures to secure them in place. You can remove it later.
PVA glue. It dries strong and transparent. Miniature artists often use super glue instead. I like PVA better because there’s no risk of gluing permanently my fingers together. While it’s fun in the moment, glued fingers make life terribly unpractical.
Glue wallpapers and papers in general with a glue stick, adding a bit of this strong glue in the corners for a neat and perfect finish.
Use PVA glue for detail work like this : put a dab on some paper, and use a toothpick (I put some in the box) to put a tiny little blob of glue exactly where you want it. Secure with washi tape if necessary (don’t put glue on the washi).
As a rule : keep the nose of your glue bottle clean. And always close it as soon as you can. A dried up bottle of glue is sad and useless.
Ball tool. This is one of my favorite tools, ever. Use it like a pencil with the ruler, to mark folds before folding paper. Paper will fold neatly and easy if you premark, and it makes tiny paper objects so easy to make, it’s way more fun!
Use it also to push miniature objects around on tiny shelves, and generally as a miniature index finger. Don’t put it in your nose even if you have a miniature nose, it’s disgusting.
Last but not least on the list, a tidy box. Keep it open while you work and always, always put back your tools in it the minute they’re off your fingers. Miniature tools have a way of hiding themselves behind mini pieces of paper and fabric and such. It gets very frustrating, very fast. Avoid that by keeping them in the box at all times.
Not on the picture: a small, empty white box. Keep your material in the big box, and put it back in it after each sessions so you won’t lose anything. This is your mini treasure chest. Use this small box for securing your miniatures as you make them. It’s a bit like a moving box, but for miniatures. There’s nothing more frustrating than looking for a mini book or a mini apple on the floor…if it’s not in your roombox, it should be in the box.
Not on the picture, make this at home : I use LEGO pieces to make my own set square. It’s tiny, sturdy and foolproof. Use them when making little furniture to keep your angles just right.

One last bit of advice. As I work on the table, it gets a bit messy and I tend to work closer and closer to the edge…until something falls on the floor and is sometimes lost forever. Don’t do that.

Voilà. You’re all set. I can’t wait to see what you will create !

A tool box for tiny