Stores in Brazil
Minis Brasil
The "Secret"
Before you go on a shopping spree for tools, supplies or miniatures, it's important to know that the miniaturist "secret" is: look the world around you with "miniature" eyes. "See" daily common objects not for what they are, but for what they could be if they were 12 times bigger! An acrylic button might become a beautiful glass-cut ashtray. Or a glass-cut jar. Erasers, wires, and dollar store toys, plus some paint, could become beauty salon furniture. Few other hobbies will offer so many opportunities to build up your creativity "muscles" as making miniatures and/or designing your own miniature setting does!
The Challenge
In Brazil there are no dollhouse miniature stores anymore. As artisans all over the world often do, we borrow our tools and supplies from other areas like dentists, jewelery makers, watchmakers, model airplane, scrapbook, etc.
As for manufactured miniatures, often used by biscuit (cold porcelain) artisans in their exquisite and detailed birthday/wedding cake toppings, like pans, glasses, bottles, food packages, or some mdf furniture, you can never be sure of their scale. Manufacturers don't provide this info and, in the rare instances they do, when you finally get them you might find out they're either smaller or bigger than they should be. 1:12 is not standard here.
If you know any online or mortar store here in Brazil that sells supplies, tools or miniatures in the correct scales and that should be listed here, please, send us your suggestion by contact form.
Dentists.
What can we borrow from dental stores.
They have micro disposable brushes we can use to apply glue with precision and no excess. A stainless steel instruments set can be really useful to sculpt polymer clay. Or you could ask your dentist to keep some for you when they have to discard them - for them they have a "life span", for us they can last forever.
Specialty tools
Watch and Jewelry
Mini drill bits from 0.1 mm to larger ones. Burs to use with rotary tool, and the rotary tools. Pliers sets, precision tweezers sets. Keep in mind you don't have to look for a specialty tools store, nowadays you can easily find those items at websites like ebay, Ali Express or Shopee, at very affordable prices!
Modeling
Wood & lights
At these stores you can find different kinds of wood with very small fibers, that look good in miniature. They come in different formats and width, from 1mm on. Brazilian woods like "cedrinho" (Erisma uncinatum), "caixeta" (Tabebuia cassinoides) Balsa and bass wood. Foam board, often used to make the walls. Light items specially for miniatures, like led lamps, switches and battery cases. For smaller scales: trees, bushes, "people", furniture.
Scrapbook
stationary store
Scrapbook paper can be used as wallpaper - choose pattern carefully. Punches can be used to make flowers and other plants in miniature. Foam board - used to make the structure/walls or even furniture. Self healing cutting mat and exacto knife - essential. Polymer clay. Cold porcelain. It's worth it searching on the internet, these tools and supplies are now offered at different price ranges.
| Store | What you can find there |
| Armazém de Artes | Online store sells miniature furniture made of mdf. They provide the measures, but not the scale. |
| Danva Creations | Sells kits for miniature settings, made in China. Very cute. |
This is the very best cold porcelain in my opinion. It won't crack while air drying, doesn't shrink too much, steady colors. | |
| JL Massa Biscuit | Also great cold porcelain. I often use it. |
| Nauticurso | Woods, tools, and other supplies. |
| Papelaria Universitária | Supplies for model making, woods, holler paperboard, paint, polymer clay, etc |
| PVClay | Brazilian polymer clay manufacturer. On their website you can access their online store and lots of tutorial videos. |