My name is Tina Geiger and I’m a USPS retail associate in Arcadia, KS.
When I’m not on the job, you will probably find me working on a dollhouse. A few years ago, my sister gave me a dollhouse. That started me down this road.
Now I have an entire room dedicated to it. I call it Geigerville.
I’ve built miniature beds, dressers, table, chairs — even a custom staircase. It’s fun but time-consuming.
I like the creative side of it. You look at everything in a whole different way — such as the lid of a bottle could make a really good planter, or poppy seeds can be used as a filling for pillows.
It’s absorbing. I sit up in that room and think, “If I was in that house, what would I want?”
My son, who’s grown now, just shakes his head at it all.
My mom has crocheted area rugs and made bedding and pillow covers, even a tiny quilt, for my houses. She also sent me links to a YouTube channel that offers tutorials on creating tiny furniture. I really enjoyed learning from it.
I especially like making food with polymer clay. I’ve made apples, cantaloupes, ears of corn, loaves of bread — even a pack of hamburger meat.
I put photos of my first dollhouse on Facebook and people thought it was a real house. I’ve posted a video where I had all the porchlights on and someone said, “Why are you creeping around someone’s house?”
I think what draws people to furnishing miniature houses is the creative side of it. It’s your own miniature world. You’re in charge. You can control everything.
It’s an expensive hobby, but it’s cheaper than redecorating your home!
“Off the Clock,” a column on Postal Service employees and their after-hours pursuits, appears regularly in Link.
