kiwinrabbit Posted July 31, 2005 Share Posted July 31, 2005 OK Ive seen some post and pictures with thoughts on handmade furniture. I have even seen an adorable handmade couch by WENLAINE...........BUT I have no clue where to start in making mini furniture. ANY HINTS TIPS OR TIDBITS????? :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuttiwebgal Posted July 31, 2005 Share Posted July 31, 2005 my furniture making has been limited to the Greenleaf kits and the furniture kits by Duracraft. I like the Greenleaf ones better. greenleaf doesnt make them anymore but you can still find them on E-bay. Corona has furniture kits also but I as yet have made any of them though I hope to soon. also found on e-bay are kits from x-acto called House of miniature kits also no longer made...these kits are better quality than the others mentioned. but for kids I always recomend the cheeper kit furniture. it can be easily fixed or replaced with nicer peices as you make them or purchase them. a quick search on e-bay for dollhouse furniture kits should give you some ideas of what is out there. as for tutorials....someone else will have to provide those answers. Im glad you got your instructions. happy building!! nutti :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Cal Posted July 31, 2005 Share Posted July 31, 2005 Look on EBAY you will find X-Acto made a series of classic as in Queen Anne, Hepplewhite and Cheppendale kits. I have not built them but they look like fantastic items Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllThingsMini Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 I love making furniture by hand. I had to search the various websites, magazines I get, and groups for DIY projects. I did, however, strike gold when I was able to obtain the entire Scale Cabinetmaker book collection from a fellow Sockee. Each book covers a different period of furniture style; i.e. Victorian, William & Mary, French, etc. There is even a book that covers half scale furniture that is wonderful. I can email her if you'd like to see if she has any more and you can go through her. Each workbook is about $8.00 or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallhouset Posted August 2, 2005 Share Posted August 2, 2005 I have made about 20 of the house of miniature furniture kits, and they are very easy to do with easy to follow instructions. They include all hardware needed. If you can find some on e-bay they turn out very nice. I made some for my niece when she was about 10 and they have with stood her playing with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Cal Posted August 2, 2005 Share Posted August 2, 2005 If you want to start scratchbuilding furniture you might try craftsman/mission style furniture because of its relatively simple lines. If you are building case goods such as a chest or cabinet 1/8 is about the thinnest you will find hardwood in. This scales to about 1 1/2 thick a bit heavy for typical furniture parts Have fun with it Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wenlaine Posted August 2, 2005 Share Posted August 2, 2005 Hi kiwinrabbit I've just read your post and wanted to tell you that I had felt the same way you do. I purchased all the kits from House of Miniatures and I must admit, it became very costly but I gained alot of experience. Putting my money to better use, I purchased all the books I could on making miniatures and have since made lots of other furnishings (I must add them to webshots) as well as more sofas and chairs. Marie is right about the Scale Cabinetmaker books. They are definitely a wealth of information. Good luck and make sure you take lots of pictures, after you've made your first item, you'll be hooked. Wendy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwinrabbit Posted August 2, 2005 Author Share Posted August 2, 2005 :lol: SUPER HELP!!!! Im so glad I found you all....makes it easier on this novice!! I am so excited each time anyone leaves a post cause I get a little more knowledgeable on this dollhouse! Hope to send some pictures soon of a dry fit or even a glued together house lol THANKS EVERYONE!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPCullen Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 Kiwinrabbit, you should try Greenleaf's furniture kits. A friend gave me a very old set, and I have put together a couple pieces out of it and it was surprisingly easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatColorado Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 Here's a link: Mission Style Bedroom Furniture And this might be useful too: Designs, construction, tools, and hints Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lony Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 Just a littl FYI, our local hobby shop carries hardwood sheets from paper thin to 1/8". They are mostly used for RC planes and the hubby used to use them for model car making. It would be ideal for building doll house furniture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllThingsMini Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 Yep, Lony is on the right track. I also get my wood for making furniture at the local RC/Railroad Hobby Shop. They sell all sorts of different thicknesses of balsa, basswood, Cherry, Spruce, Walnut and Mahogany. I loooooove that store! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glen Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 Do people use balsa for furniture much? It's easy to use and it comes in great sizes but wouldn't it be a bit light? I've wondered about that a lot. Especially for making initial mock ups before cutting into harder woods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wenlaine Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 I've tried many different types of wood for furniture but never balsa. I guess, like you, I always thought of it as being too light. My wood of choice is Baltic Birch, it's fantastic to work with. Wendy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniMadWoman Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 Wendy, I just had a look at your furniture and it's awesome! How do you get the upholstry on so well and does it come in the kit or do you buy it separately? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wenlaine Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 Thanks Teresa, I'm not sure which ones you are talking about but all the fabrics used were purchased by me. The kits did come with material but I didn't care for the color. For some reason, House of Miniatures kits all came with the same blue colored fabric. I use 100% cotton and it works very well. Btw, I'm going to join Linda, and come sit in your garden. It's absolutely magnificent. I really enjoyed looking through all your albums. Wendy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.