If you have an attractive Dolls House filled with delightful miniature furniture and accessories, it will give years of pleasure, so it makes sense to go the extra mile and light it up!

You could of course just use a spot light or an angle pose lamp directed into the house, but the effect will be nothing like as realistic and appealing as having the house fully lit with overhead lights, wall lights, table lamps and even a realistic fire basket with logs or coals that appear to be burning.

To light up your dolls house does not have to be a daunting task. There are two methods; one uses very thin self adhesive copper tape which is attached to the floors underneath the carpets etc, the other method has cables and sockets, very similar to a real house.This second method is easier to install and is also cheaper. You can make changes more easily as you lights will be plugged into a socket and not soldered to the copper strip.http://www.ladollshouse.com/doll-house-wiring.html

This guide will look at how to install the two types of lighting, the vast array of lights available to buy ready made and also a few ways of creating some working lights of your own.http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Dolls-House-Bargains__W0QQ_nkwZdollsQ20houseQQ_fsubZ18075362QQ_sasiZ1

This method is now considered to be a little old fashioned by dolls house enthusiasts, it is slightly more difficult to install as you need to be adept at using a soldering iron. As the tape is extremely thin it is possible to damage it more easily, it is also susceptible to damage from adhesives.

The first part of this installation is to run parallel strips of self adhesive copper tape all around the house.http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Dolls-House-Bargains/Lighting-a-dolls-house.html The cables running from the lights are then soldered to the copper strip, having first drilled small holes in the back of the dolls house to allow the cable to pass through. In the case of ceiling lights, the floor/ceiling will also need to have a small hole drilled through it, and then the light can be fixed to the ceiling with special self-adhesive pads usually supplied with the lights. Do not use glue to hold them in position.

For an attractive effect you can use a ceiling rose, this needs to be glued in position first and the glue allowed to dry before fitting the light.http://www.ladollshouse.com/doll-house-wiring.html In the case of wall lights, it is better to fit them to the back wall of the house, a small hole can be drilled to allow the cable to pass directly out of the back and you will not the see any cables running down the walls.

When all the lights are in place and the cables soldered to the copper tape, you just need to attach a transformer to the copper strip, plug it in and you should have lights.

This method of twin wire or socket strip dolls house wiring uses wires, plugs and sockets to connect the lights in your dolls house to a transformer and power source. This method is easier to install, easier to alter, is cheaper and more robust than the copper tape method. http://www.whitstablescene.co.uk/dollsprices.htm

This is the basic system: Firstly decide where all your lights are to be positioned and fix them in place. There are usually self adhesive pads supplied with the lights for this purpose. The lights will normally have two feet of cable attached and a plug on the end.The cables can be are very thin and can easily be hidden under the floorcoverings.

Decide where you are going to place the socket board, either hidden inside the house or probably easier, out the back. If the latter, you will need to drill small holes in the back of each room to allow the cable to pass through. You will of course need to remove the plug and then re-attach it when the cable is passed through the wall. The plugs are then inserted into the socket board which is connected to a transformer. This is plugged into the mains and the job is done.

Make sure you buy the correct transformer, get some advice from your supplier, the wrong one could cause damage to your lights and prove costly to rectify.

If you would like to see the experts advice on lighting your house The Dolls House Emporium does an excellent downloadable masterclass on the subject. http://files.dnadigital.co.uk/dollshouse/masterclass/lighting-small.html This service is in addition to their excellent range of lamps and light fittings available via the internet or mail order. They also supply of course, all the items necessary to do the complete installation.

When it comes to choosing the lights for your dolls house, you will really be spoiled for choice! There are so many items available, from crystal chandeliers, to overhead or table Tiffany lights. http://www.dollshouse.com/If you have found or painted a particularly appealing picture for one of the walls, you will be able to find a suitable light to shine onto it. There are many fascinating tiny items, white or colored Christmas tree lights. A dolls house decorated for Christmas is truly delightful.

Don’t forget the fireplace, there are many types and sizes of fire basket which glow, giving the effect of burning coals or logs. There are also items such as televisions which light up to give a realistic effect to the lounge, or if it is a period style house there are even tiny replicas of gas lights to be found.

The outside of your dolls house, will look much more attractive with welcoming lights mounted each side of the front door, these will give instant appeal as soon as you switch them on. Before you start to buy your lights, make a list of how many lights and lamps you will need, once you start to look at the ranges available it is easy to get carried away.

Finally, why not try making a few items yourself? All the supplies you need will be available in your local craft shop and you can also use broken necklaces, sequins and tiny crystals to make your own little lamps. You will then have something completely original at very little cost.http://www.mytinyworld.co.uk/dollshouse/miniatures.asp?prod=22&Prodtype=Electric%20Lights&gclid=CNvQ55GP-KECFUNb4wodeheuEw