Miniatures journal for scale models, dioramas and tabletop figures

This miniatures journal gives scale modelers, dollhouse makers and figure painters one calm home for every project. Its 45 undated pages hold 12 build plans with matching logs, a log of color recipes, inventories for your paints and supplies, a guide to scales, technique notes and a queue for future builds. You also get grids for planning dioramas, a planner for dollhouse rooms, a tracker for painted figures, a wishlist and notes from shows. It comes as a PDF in US Letter and A4, ready to download the moment you order. Nothing arrives by post.

No more guessing which blend made that weathered green, or which half built kit you meant to finish first. Your shades, your tricks and your next project all sit in the same binder.

How this miniatures journal keeps your hobby organized

Every build takes up a two page spread. The first page is the plan: kit or scene name, scale, how many parts, a big sketch area, five planned colors, a table of the paints you blend, the techniques you intend to use and numbered steps. The second page is the log, with room for 10 sessions at the bench, the hours and money spent in total, a box for before and one for after, what went wrong and how you solved it, and a rating from 1 to 5.

Eight recipe cards each give you a swatch circle plus the paints, the mixing ratio and where you used that blend, so a favorite shade is easy to mix again months from now. The build queue lets you pick the next project with intention instead of grabbing whatever box is on top.

Who will love this hobby journal

• Scale modelers working on vehicles, aircraft, ships or buildings who want a record of each kit
• Dollhouse and room box makers planning furniture, finishes and layouts in 1:12 or any other scale
• Tabletop figure painters who like to follow each painting stage and keep their color schemes
• Diorama builders and newcomers looking for a quiet space to plan scenes and practice new skills

Design and print details

• Clean, minimalist white pages with gentle blush pink accents that are light on ink
• Generous margins all round, so a home printer will not trim anything off
• Two sizes in portrait: US Letter (8.5 x 11 in) and A4 (210 x 297 mm)
• Undated, so any build in any year can be the first one
• Only generic wording, so it suits whatever kits, paints and materials you prefer
• Soft grids on the diorama and floor plan pages let your own drawing take center stage
• Use it in a ring binder, clip it to a clipboard or have a print shop spiral bind it

Inside the miniatures journal: 45 pages

1. 1Cover page that lists the contents
2. 2A welcome and guide to using the journal, prompts on why you love building miniatures and your goals for this season, what you make (scale models, dollhouse rooms, tabletop figures, dioramas and more), your favorite scale and subjects, plus sensible safety habits
3. 3Tools and workspace, with a 12 item checklist of what you own (from a hobby knife, sprue cutters and files to tweezers, a mat for cutting, glue, filler and primer, plus brushes, a wet palette and a magnifier lamp), tools you still want, a table of basics to keep in stock, how your workspace is set up and the shops where you buy kits
4. 4Scale guide covering 9 common scales from 1:6 down to 1:144 plus 28 to 32 mm figures, the height of a 6 ft person in each and what each one is usually used for, the formula for scale math shown with a worked example, three boxes for converting and a table for your own scales
5. 5Painting techniques, each explained in a few words (priming, basecoat, wash, drybrushing, then layering, edge highlights, glazing, weathering and varnish), a guide to brushes and a list of techniques you hope to learn
6. 6Color recipe log holding 8 recipe cards, each with a swatch circle, name, colors, ratio and where it was used
7. 7Paint inventory, 24 rows covering color, type, finish, a swatch circle, amount, storage spot and a reorder note
8. 8Supply inventory with a brush section (size, shape, use, condition), a section for glue, filler and primer, and one for scenic and building materials
9. 9Technique practice notes in 4 boxes, each with the technique, a test patch area, what you tried, a result from 1 to 5 and your next attempt
10. 10Build queue of 18 rows covering the project, its type and scale, whether all parts are there, priority and a start by date, plus lists for what comes next and someday
11. 11Project index for builds 1 to 12 and beyond, showing type, scale, date finished, a little heart to mark favorites and page numbers, along with the builds you are proudest of and the ones worth trying again
12. 12 to 35Twelve builds, each with a plan page and a log page. On the plan you record the kit or scene name, scale, start date and build type (kit, scratch-built, kitbash, dollhouse room, tabletop figure, diorama, vehicle, building), the parts, your source or reference and the cost, then sketch in a big box, choose colors across 5 swatches, note the paints you blend, tick off any of 12 techniques, write 5 steps and list what to buy. On the log you fill in when you began and ended, the hours and money spent overall, 10 bench sessions, a before box and an after box, problems with their fixes, notes for next time, a rating out of 5, the detail you like best and where the finished piece is displayed
13. 36 and 37Diorama layout pages with fields for the scene, its scale and the size of the base, a big square grid for drawing the layout as seen from above, the story behind the scene, a checklist of elements and a materials list
14. 38Room planner for dollhouses with the room name, its scale and dimensions, a grid for the floor plan, a list of furniture and accessories marked make, buy or done, a wall and floor section (wallpaper, flooring, trim, lighting) and a color palette for the room
15. 39Tracker for painting figures with 16 rows and stage boxes to tick (built, primed, base, shade, highlight, details, based, varnish), plus space for the color scheme and notes
16. 40Wishlist in four parts: kits and projects, tools, paint and supplies, and finally books, classes and ideas
17. 41 and 42Notes from shows and clubs covering the event, place and date, builds that inspired you, techniques worth trying, people you met, your own entries and the feedback they got, and a small sketch box
18. 43Lessons learned, grouped by painting, by building and gluing, by scenery and bases, and by display and photography
19. 44A gallery of finished builds with 6 boxes for a sketch or photo, each with the name, scale and completion date
20. 45Lined notes page

Your miniatures journal download

• Model Building & Miniatures Journal, US Letter PDF (45 pages)
• Model Building & Miniatures Journal, A4 PDF (45 pages)
• Read Me First, a brief PDF guide to printing

How to download and print

• Check out with PayPal, a debit or credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Your download page opens as soon as the payment goes through.
• We email the same private download links to you, so you can download your files again later.
• Open the PDF in a free reader such as Adobe Acrobat Reader and print at 100% or Actual size.
• Print only the pages you need, as often as you like, for your own personal use.

Before you order

• The journal is a print ready PDF rather than a hyperlinked digital planner. You can still open it in most note taking apps and write on the pages there.
• You are buying a digital file only. Nothing physical will be mailed to you.
• Printed colors may differ a little from what you see on your screen.
• The files are for your own personal use. Please do not share, resell or pass them on.
• Digital files cannot be returned. If a file will not open or print properly, email us and we will sort it out quickly.
• This is a tool for planning and keeping records. Always follow the safety instructions printed on your glues, paints and tools.

How this was made

Designed and written by PetiteDiary. AI tools helped draft parts of the text, and some background scenes in the preview images were created with AI. Every page was designed, reviewed and checked before release.

Questions about the miniatures journal

Related searches