Tips when starting your Maileg Collection.

“I’m only going to buy one mouse.” Said no one. Ever.

Chances are that you’ve got at least one Maileg mouse or bunny at home and you’re feeling inexplicably drawn to it. It calls to you. You want to go look at it. You want it with you. Don’t be alarmed, this is normal. The pull is real. The only real question is, what should you get next?

More than Mice—Maileg Has a Lot of Options

There are several categories of Maileg characters, all of which range in size. There are also different sizes within these groups so be sure to check out my handy Maileg Size Guide for more information on that. The general categories are:

• Mice
• Bunnies & Rabbits
• Teddies
• Chatons (Kittens)
• Best Friends
• (other) Animals

To house the smaller of these charming little characters, Maileg has an enchanting wooden dollhouse called the House of Miniature with optional add-on rooms and a plethora of furniture and accessories to fill it with. In addition to the dollhouse, there is a cardboard gingerbread house and castle that offers additional play opportunities for smaller mice.

A Very Maileg Christmas

But wait, we’re not done! Maileg’s origin story begins with a pixie. Yes, you read that right. Although not seen as often in North America (at least from what I’ve seen in Canada) the pixie and by extension the vast Christmas assortment is a huge part of the Maileg brand. I would obviously be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to their beautiful Easter items as well. My favourite is their metal Easter egg.

The Christmas lineup includes elves, pixies, mice, santa dolls, christmas ornaments, figurines, wrapping paper, cards and more. Each one is as adorable as the next. They are true Christmas heirlooms that will be treasured for years, if not generations.

Where do you go from here?

With so many options to choose from there are some basic questions you may want to ask yourself first.

How much space do you have?

I’m not joking, this is important to consider from the outset. Maileg is nothing if not addictive so before you start you want to think about whether you have limits on the space where these toys will be played with/displayed/stored.

The smaller mice (my, little brother/sister, big brother/sister, mom/dad, and grandparents mice are all nice and small and can fit in most 1:6 and 1:12 scale dollhouses. That means they could be cozy in anything from a shoebox to a full scale dollhouse.

Teddies, size 1 bunnies and rabbits (as well as their babies the my and micro bunnies) and the chatons are all size-appropriate for the Maileg House of Miniature dollhouse too. As you get into the larger mice (medium and maxi), bunnies and rabbits (size 2, 3, 4 and 5) and probably the best friends animals you’d be hard pressed to fit them into a dollhouse. That’s not to say that they can’t integrate into a child’s play. My son loves to pull his maxi mouse off the bed and bring him over to visit the little mice.

I started with a small wooden castle from Michaels, which I sanded and painted. Then I upgraded to the small Ikea bookshelf/dollhouse, which I also painted and wallpapered. At last I finally progressed to the Maileg House of Miniature dollhouse; that needed no improvements whatsoever. When I first started out I was sure I only wanted mice. Over time however, my love and appreciation for Maileg’s little toy treasures grew and I greedily added rabbits, bunnies, teddies, chatons, a rat, and a giant panda to our toy family.

Must Have Furniture Pieces

If you’re starting out with a dollhouse of any size and even one little mouse, bunny, teddy or chaton there are a few items I would suggest you consider. It would make sense that your little friend(s) will need:

• a place to sleep,
• a place to sit,
• something to eat,
• something to wear, and
• something to wash up in.

While there are beds of varying shapes and sizes that will accommodate all but the larger creatures, if you’re starting with mice you may want to go for one that comes in a matchbox. These beautiful and sturdy little vintage-inspired matchboxes also come with a tiny mattress, pillow and blanket; and can double as a bed, bench and table. The quality of these teeny bed linens is incredible. We’re talking linen mattress, knit blanket, cotton pillow. *insert drool emoji here*

There are several sofas, chairs and tables one could choose from. Check out my size guide to make sure that you make choices that are right for you. If you’re trying to inspire healthy eating choices you could always opt for the crate of veggies or the box of groceries but I say, “Go for cake!” If you can get your hands on one of the little suitcases with slices of cake you won’t regret it but you really can’t go wrong with the cake stand and macarons.

If you’re looking for a bathtub there is one available (at the time of this writing) which will accommodate all of the smaller creatures. However the spring/summer 2022 collection will include a slightly smaller version suitable exclusively for mice. It’s small enough to fit in the cardboard castle and any smaller mouse house you may have. Alternatively, you could go for the wellness mouse who comes in an adorable little wash tub and includes a shower cap and towel*.

Maileg Mouse Clothing

Maileg offers a few different storage options if you plan on acquiring a wardrobe for your new friends. Bear in mind that some mice have “shirts” integrated or sewn into their body, not all are nude when undressed. That being said, it’s important to know that brother/sister and mom/dad mice are completely gender neutral. Clothes can be switched out as desired.

One Little Thing I Wish I Knew—Magnet Hands!

If posing is important to you look for the mice that have magnets in their hands. These currently include the dance mice Giselle, Mira Belle, and the Swan Lake Mouse. Coming soon in the spring/summer 2022 collection, the big brother hiking mouse, the waiter and the maid mouse all will also have magnet hands! Hooray! These mice can easily hang on to anything metal like a table, bed, lamp, cups and each other!

. . .

Hopefully you now find yourself armed with a little more information to help you on your Maileg journey; and what a magical journey it will be! I hope you’ve found this guide useful. I will continue to add to it as I think of things. Do send me a message with any questions or post a comment below.

* Listed accessories come with the Spring/Summer 2022 Wellness Mouse.
† Product photos included in this post were sourced on Maileg.com and are credited to their owner.