Make Dollhouse Miniature Furniture With Free Projects That Teach Basic Skills

Make Rustic 'Tramp' or Adirondack miniature cabin furniture for dollhouses or fairy gardens using garden twigs. The techniques for the chair and table can be adapted to the fronts of drawers or to make loveseats.

• Make a Rustic Twig Table
• Make a Rustic Twig Chair
• Make a Miniature Bear Lamp

Outfit any style of miniature dolls' house kitchen with these simple tables, chairs and other beginner's furniture projects. Furniture for dolls house kitchens can also be adapted from some of the projects in the dolls house bedroom. A night table made taller and fitted with a single metal door can become a pie safe. The night table can be widened and fitted with double doors to become a base cabinet for a kitchen, and the techniques used to make armoires can be used to make upper kitchen cabinets for a fitted modern kitchen.

Step by step tutorials for dolls house kitchen furniture include:

• Make a pot shelf with hanging pegs
• Make a Simple Dolls House Table
• Make a Simple Wooden Kitchen Chair
• Make Simple Fruit Crates

Fitted Kitchen Cabinets

The kitchen cabinet series includes:

• Make a Basic Base Cabinet For a Miniature Kitchen
• Make a Custom Farmhouse, Belfast or Butler's Sink

Add fireplaces, bookshelves, tables and picture frames to your dolls' house living room. Make your own furniture projects for contemporary or period rooms. Once again you can adapt projects from other rooms to fit a dolls house living room. The simple table can be made into a sideboard or a narrow console table or coffee table, an armoire can be fitted with shelves for a television. Dolls house living room furniture projects include:

• Make a dolls house bookcase
• Make a dolls house fireplace
• Make a dolls house end table
• Make floating frames for miniature pictures

These simple projects for a dolls' house bedroom can be adapted to make a wide range bed styles, as well as combination armoires and bookcase storage units by adapting the sizes and shapes. These can be made from basswood for painted projects, or you can make them from hardwood like walnut or mahogany.

Make a simple box or storage crate (or a window box)

Simple woodworking techniques can be used to make a range of scale model accessories for dolls' houses, model railroads and other scale displays. Here are some simple projects to add to a range of scenes:

• Make a Miniature Step Stool or Bench (includes instructions for a worn or shabby chic furniture finish)
• Make a Set of Wooden Kitchen Tools
• Make a Simple Wooden Windowbox or Storage Crate

You can make quality miniature furniture with simple hand tools. Here are some of the items you will find most useful:

• Use a Simple Miter Box for Straight or Angled Cuts
• Choose a Razor Saw for Straight Cuts
• Choose Hobby and Carving Knives - Learn How to Keep Them Sharp.
• Choose a Pin Vise or Mini Drill
• Choosing Files for Metal and Woodwork
• Choosing The Right Sanding Materials
• Magnetic Gluing Jig
• Make Your Own Magnet Jig Instructions for making a useful magnet jig by Larry Marshall of Wood'nBits
• Choosing and Using a Square

While you can easily paint raw wood furniture with regular acrylic paints, you can also use finishes, waxes and polishes designed for regular wood furniture. Often an easy remake can save a utilitarian commercial piece. This step by step tutorial on remaking a miniature display cabinet shows you simple techniques and materials than can make a big difference to a badly designed or finished piece. If a traditional look is what you crave, try the following wood finishes:

• Faux Mahogany Finish For Miniatures
• Classic Painted Furniture Finishes for Miniatures
• Faux Granite Paint Finish for Miniatures or Full Size Projects

Some great materials for finishing miniatures include:

• Ranger Distress Crackle Paint - for a small scale crackle finish
• Annie Sloan Chalk Paint ™ - for traditional finishes without a lot of preparation.

There are a wide range of miniature furniture books. Some explain simple stick furniture, while others cover furniture made as exact copies of full scale originals.

Good Furniture Books for Beginners Include:

• Thirties and Forties Miniatures in 1:12 Scale - Easy to build, simply styled furniture and accessories
• Simple Country Furniture Projects in 1:12 Scale - Simple and easy to build, more accessories than furniture, but a good range.
• Making Upholstered Furniture in 1:12 Scale - Classic styles of basic upholstered furniture with good instructions for framing and upholstery.
• Making Miniature Furniture by John Davenport - Classic reference book on making quality miniature furniture, shows advanced techniques with clear instructions and projects.
• The Art of Making Furniture In Miniature by Harry W. Smith - Detailed guide to making museum quality miniature furniture for a range of periods.

Check your local library!