Miniature DIY Tutorials & Kits

Project Tutorials

  • Greenleaf Dollhouse Articles: Numerous projects, articles, and tips. Tutorials for Japanese kimono and kimono chest, landscaping techniques, making an iron fence, and much more.
  • Grazhina's Projects & Tutorials: A list of links to specific projects, from making a clay turkey to building your own spiral staircase.
  • Life in Miniature: That's right, it's my own blog! Once a month I post a new project tutorial (by miniaturists skilled in such things.) So far you'll find instructions for building your own dollhouse (including a log cabin style), making fireplaces, stone walls, slate rooves, tile floors, and furniture.
  • Creating Dollhouse Miniatures: Brainchild of Gaye Coonce, collecting all the best online videos of scale miniatures in one place! Tons of tutorials, virtual tours of dollhouses and personal collections, inside looks at artists at work - over 100 videos available so far. A must-see!
  • Abigail's Fantasy Dolls: Patterns & instructions for a ball mask, rocking horse & hobby horse, and a tiny teddy bear. Doll kits for sale as well.
  • About.com Miniatures: A variety of changing projects & articles, as well as info about building & electrifying a dollhouse.
  • Butterfly Dreams DIY Projects: Projects include clothing, shoes, mirrors, furniture, toys, and much more.
  • DIY Projects: 25 projects including clothing, crafts, holiday items, toys, bathroom accessories, and more.
  • Frances Armstrong Toys in Miniature: 1:144 scale projects - dollhouse for a dollhouse size! Toothpick toys including boats, drums, and dolls; tiny houses; and shops in matchboxes.
  • Free Doll House Plans - How to Build A Dollhouse: This large dollhouse could be finished as a castle, apartment building, or shops - the sky is the limit!
  • Gisele's Miniature Creations Tutorials: Great tutorials in china painting, doll sculpting and assembly, wigging, and making shoes, jewelry, and parasols.
  • Keith Walker's Projects: Chain mail, rustic wood fire surround, hinged modesty screen, and a grandfather clock . Great tips for creating realistic distress and tool marks on your miniatures. Don't miss the photos of Keith's amazing miniature period furniture and roomboxes!
  • Laura Miller Printables and Tutorials: Zooplies Miniature Haven has put together a collection of tutorials by Laura Miller. Wonderful old lithograph toys, holiday decorations (including a nativity scene), and furniture. Also some unique displays for 1:144 scale miniature scenes inside wrapped ornament boxes and paper snowmen ornaments.
  • Let's Build A Dollhouse: Instructions and plans for building an English style dollhouse.
  • Link Lady Links: A huge list of annotated links to printies and projects on the web.
  • Make Simple Texturing Tools From Polymer Clay: Learn to make stamping and molding tools and tool handles for making miniatures.
  • Making Stone from Foam: Nancy teaches you how to create a variety of stone types from styrofoam and builders foam. Make your own birdbaths, garden benches, and fabulous brick and slate floorings.
  • Making a Stone Floor: Another tutorial from Grazhina, this one teaches a stone floor technique using drywall compound.
  • Making a Wood Planter: This tutorial from Grazhina shows you how to make a lovely plant box stand.
  • Mary's Menus Projects: This site is one of my favorites, put together by Mary Eccher. Projects include the easter egg scene, a variety of pies, puddings, drinks and stews. Also instructions for pizza, canning veggies, and a witch's brew!
  • MIghty Minis Tips: 32 projects and ideas, from bird baths to welcome mats.
  • Mini Minute Projects: Tutorials for a Mexican hacienda, accessories for bedroom, office and garden, furniture, and Egyptian items.
  • Mini Pearls: Very nice projects include an adorable fishing creel, decorated Christmas wreath, pheasant-feather hat, carpetbags, and an oak tree.
  • MSAT Project Pages: A wealth of project instructions for making and dressing dolls, from painting shoes to making Elizabethan neck ruffs.
  • My Small Obsession: Gaye's other site, with project instructions for a variety of food and accessory items, including miniature potion bottles and great drippy candles.
  • On-the-Scene DIY Projects: Another great site for projects & printies: instructions for food, holiday items, topiary, rustic fireplace, jewelry, pet items, and lots more.
  • Open Directory: Dollhouse Miniature Projects: Extensive annotated list of project & printie sites. Enough to keep you busy for years!
  • Pamela Scott Miniatures: Learn to make ¼" (1:48) scale gardening accessories, holiday items, and more.
  • Scott's Coffin How-To: These instructions are for a life-size coffin, but the accompanying diagrams can easily be scaled down for miniatures.
  • Storybook Miniatures Projects: Instructions for a garden topiary, a jack-in-the-box, a framed painting, and dressing a doll, as well as a number of printies.
  • Tips & Tricks Index Page: From Hirst Arts Fantasy Architecture, over 60 tips & tricks for building & landscaping. Intended for 25-30mm (1"+) figures, but ideas can be adapted to many scales. Learn how to make doors and stained glass windows, rocky landscapes, dungeon diorams and gothic fountains, and so much more!
  • Victoria Miniland Projects: Learn to make stained glass, egg carton stone walls, bonsai plants, a variety of foods including candy apples, and other items. Great resource.
  • Witch and Wizard Miniatures: Nikki Rowe keeps her blog busy with lots of magical mini projects. She also has some great printies for things like potion labels and Hogwarts School certificates.
  • More needlework projects & patterns... Don't miss even more projects, kits & patterns in the TreeFeathers DIY Needlework section!

Sources for Kits & Supplies

  • TreeFeathers Kits
    Don't forget to check out the Kits section right here at TreeFeathers! Top-quality kits by miniature artists.
  • Michelle's Miniatures: Laser Cut Dollhouse Miniature Kits in four scales (1", ½", ¼", and miniature watch case scale). Dollhouse accessories, dollhouse trunks, leather trunks, miniature shelving kits, wine racks, room box kits, miniature bench kits, dollhouse furniture kits and Christmas kits.
  • Buttercup Miniatures: Great kits & patterns for period clothing, accessories & toys. Unique items, many miniature knitting and crochet patterns and supplies. Also many 1:24 (½") scale items.
  • KITZ! Miniatures: Tons of cool kitz for just about anything you might want to make! Also a great source for hard-to-find mini craft supplies & tools, and first-rate customer service.
  • Laser Bits n' Kits from Cynthia Howe Miniatures: A brand new collection of precision laser cut accessories and kits. Beautiful elaborate picture frames, customizable shop signs, buttons & sewing supplies, wonderful clocks and furniture kits... and all for great prices!
  • Lavish Miniatures: Home of the "Bloomin' Easy" flower and plant kits, as well as kits for a variety of furniture, toys, and other accessories. I've made many plants and flower from her kits, and they are great to work with.
  • Miniature Luxuries & Papers: Decals to design your own "handpainted" miniature furniture, rooms and accessories. Available in 1" and ½" scales. Also wallpaper, fabric and rugs.
  • My Wycked Ways: Iridescent No-Hole Glass Beads, Micro Beads, Micro Pearls, Fairy Wings, Art Glitter and Polymer Clay supplies.
  • sdk miniatures: Nice kits for plants, furniture, and structures in several scales. Items may also be purchased completed.
  • Victoria Miniland: Very nice furniture kits.