Miniature Room Building for the Inexperienced

My mom sent me 2 miniature room sets. My younger sister has been doing them, and mom thought my daughter and I would enjoy trying them out too. They were quite the experience!

1:24 scale is harder than I figured...

I typically do 18" doll scale or 1:6 scale (Barbie size). Since that is what my daughters would most often play with. Anything smaller than that just seemed like work for nothing. However, these rooms were pretty interesting. And gave me some ideas. 

I helped my daughter do her set first. She was so excited to get to work on it. It was the Positively Pink house from Hobby Lobby. There is a tiny kitchen, living room, and stairs going up to the bathroom and bedroom. So many tiny details to make it as realistic as can be.

I have to admit that I didn't enjoy putting it together as much as I had hoped. For one thing, I can't do projects like this with my 10 year old daughter. I'm too much of a perfectionist. So when she hacks up the cutouts, I am left with the gluing job and a headache. She was also a little too gung-ho on the hanging chair. Which as I started putting it together, the stand snapped. Took some fine tuning to get it fixed. Then she decided to hang the chair to the stand herself, and that is why it is a wired mess. But in the end, she was in love with it. And I suppose that is all that really matters, right? 

I really did not like the paper items. Tiny milk cartons and plates that had to be delicately folded into shape. I have decided that origami isn't my specialty. The tweezers that were included were not helpful for these tasks as they didn't even align correctly. She immediately gave up on doing these pieces and wanted me to. After the first one, I told her it was her kit. (Yes, Mama gave up too!) So she pulled out the tape.

If you look on the table and counter in the above photo, there are 2 milk cartons. Those are not the paper ones that came with the set. I had 3D printed something and those two were little support pieces. I painted them to look like milk cartons instead. 

I got to see more ingenuity from my husband when it came to putting the last piece on the piano though! I couldn't get the lid to glue on correctly. So he did it for me.

Now for my set! 

Then I finally started working on mine. It was a single room. I knew right from the start that it needed a makeover. I decided to make the tiny furniture for my daughter to use in her set instead. My room was going to be a Steampunk theme. Even better was that I thought I'd give it a science lab twist. 

I swapped out the photo with one of my own choice. I chose to save the photo for a future add to my daughters dollhouses. I printed a scaled picture and painted the frame a golden color. Turns out, this one I chose was swapped yet again with a Victorian couple to make it more authentic to Steampunk.

I had thought to keep the original flooring and walls. They were too light, however, so I went back and changed them. 

I really like the guitar, but decided it couldn't stay. It doesn't really suit the Steampunk look. Maybe if it were a violin...

Getting started was harder than I thought. There are so many styles, so many options. I had thought to just start with a desk and work from there. However, I ended up asking for tips from those on the miniatures group and Steampunk group on Facebook. And they sure delivered! Some things I would suggest to those wanting to do something similar: 

Before you start anything, have a true plan. Design it. Maybe even on paper. Get tips from others if that is your thing. Write down your ideas. But don't start throwing things in until you are 100% sure. And definitely DON'T glue anything unless you are completely sure. Save yourself from my own mistakes. 

Know your style. One person noticed I had a doll already. So they suggested that I know their hobbies or occupation to design the room. Make it functional by adding a story to it. I loved this! My chick is an explorer. Your everyday kind that may find herself in trouble more than once. Yep. Much like I would be if I was more outgoing! hahaha Anyways... So now I know that she needs certain things included in this room to make it more like my own style. Binoculars? Check! Globe? Check! But what else does one need? 

I had thought that before I could do anything, I needed to design the focal point of the room. For me, that was the desk. You can't do anything until you know what the main piece is.I had created one, but had to take it out later and redo the walls.

I started with printed paper, some small pieces of wood, and cube wood that I had been sent from my mom. She got them at the Dollar Tree in their craft section.

My husband helped me come up with the perfect design to have a corner desk set up. The doll is the size reference I decided to go with. With the printed paper, I covered the two desktop pieces. I glued the cubes together to make the legs. With the style I decided on, I was thinking I'd only need 3 legs. I attempted to use some deco putty that my daughter had from a craft set.

In hindsight, I didn't need to. Having the cracks where the cubes met would have been just fine. But whatever, right? I painted the legs brown, glued them to the covered pieces in the areas I needed them and flipped everything into place.This desk is nothing like a true Steampunk one, though. It should have been more like a Victorian one. More curves and class. I couldn't find things around my crafting supplies to make it more like that. Maybe later down the road.

I hung my custom picture and used a clock sticker from a Victorian styled sticker book my mom had sent me. Here's another thing I forgot to do... there was a great sticker of an Oriental rug in that book. However, I was supposed to put that down first, before the desk! So, note for the wise. Make sure you have everything planned out. Including stickers! Maybe even draw a rough sketch of where you want everything to go. Yes, I'm repeating this because it is VERY important for you to remember.

That entertainment center got a little gold paint in the front, but otherwise was just fine. Okay, wait... I added gears later on. After all, nothing says Steampunk like lots of gears and cogs! I hung it high as a storage cabinet. The little globe is actually a charm that my mom found at a craft store. It even spins like a real globe! I glued it down on the corner of the desk. Up in the shelf, there is a pair of binoculars that had come with the globe. What Steampunk fan doesn't include exploration into their lives?? And that time piece on the floor? I had originally glued that onto the wall as an art piece next to the clock, but then someone suggested that I turn it into a artistic table! So I did just that! 

So this is where I got stuck. I asked on groups on Facebook for some ideas. I could see so many possibilities in my head, but nothing was coming out how I wanted. The 'rug' was from the original set. I had forgotten to lay down the Oriental one from the sticker book BEFORE securing in the desk. Always try the look out before you glue anything down. Now, I'm looking to print out another one to glue in. The teacup was given a golden paint job before I glued it down. The plant, glass top table, guitar and the Transformers headpiece are likely going to be put into another project. I'm attempting to add a Telsa-style device too. The doll has begun transformation through a makeover by painting her golden locks a more brown-colored sheen. Then I have to make her torso into a corset top. 

Reverse! Back it up! 

Yep, I redid so much of what I had originally thought. This is what happens when you don't thoroughly plan through your process. Or have enough creativity to just do it as you go...

Let's call this Take Two. I added dark wood floors. Then brick walls. See my photo on the wall? Aren't they so cute?! Those pipes on the walls? Made from a drinking straw. Sanded it a little to make it rough, painted it, added hot glue drops and painted them to be rivets, and finally a gear that looks like that turnable pressure gauge thing. Nope, can't remember what they are called and really don't care. You get what I mean! The grate above the pipes? That was a support part from a 3D print job I had done. I saved it because it looked useful. Turned out it was! Just a little paint made it the perfect addition. Under the cabinet, I attached a tiny hook to hand this old Chinese coin piece I had.

I printed the photo and painted the window frame to give my explorer a look into her Steampunk town. Of course it had to have a flying machine!

The tiny jar on the shelf holds a tiny crystal that she found during her travels. The dragon tile on the same shelf was a mahjong game tile that we found on a shelf in our new home. I gave it an aged paint job and thought it was perfect in this set up. The seashell is painted a brassy color and reminds me of a unicorn horn. I just need to touch up the paint job. I had the idea to paint it after I glued it the shelf. See the little LEGO guy on the desk? He is a golden statue she found. Her skirt is made from the tip of a glove finger. She has blueprints to her latest build - her own flying machine! On the floor is a random part she is saving to add to her build. Came from our 3D printer when we replaced it with a new one. 

I also printed tiny Victorian styled papers for her to read the latest news and updates on scientific studies!

It was suggested that she needed a world map, so I gave her one with a frame for reference. And another piping system underneath. The shelf is held up with gear-shaped brackets.

And for the finish she needed a rug on the floor to help keep out the cold. Like a dork, I printed one instead of adding the sticker one. Ah well. Next time right?? I actually loved this. And while trying to build it, I had ideas for others that would be cool to make. Like a Wonder Woman or Star Wars themed room? Or even a mermaids secret grotto. But that will be a long while down the road. For now, this beauty adorns a shelf in our game room for me to enjoy.

I took an orange juice bottle lid and gave it a paint job. It had the right shape like a gear. I added that time piece from the wall and it looks like a fabulous table! My husband then suggested I add the round, clear bubble piece. Looks like a device or a tunnel to somewhere. 

There is one final thing that I just had to have for this build. After all, what Steampunk explorer doesn't have a hat?! I decided she couldn't go without one. And thus, I present to you, her magnificent top hat! Okay, I admit it isn't as spectacular as I had hoped. But for my first try, I'm not too disappointed.

What I enjoyed about these

I love miniature, or mini, things. I have them all over the place. My favorite collection has been the Minecraft figures. But has spread to other things. I like anything I can pair up in my doll photos. These house and room dioramas may be too small for Barbie, but they were the perfect size for her smaller companions - like her dolls. Which is what my daughter wanted her house to be used for.

Everything was included that you would need to complete them. Maybe not the most efficiently or neatly, but they did provide each part. 

The best part was that tools were included in hers. Great crafting scissors, a ruler and the screwdriver. Those were the most useful. The tweezers were okay for holding things in place or for placing the tiny items in their rooms. That was about it. Eventually I may have to invest in real crafting tweezers. 

Everything was pre-designed. Instructions were included, although they were not the easiest to understand. They were in pictures. But when items were white with a white background, it was hard to tell if I was lining it up correctly. 

There were some pretty cool accessories. Things you'd expect to see in a modern home. The tiny baskets and books were fun to build. A good bit of these are going to the girls to add to their little house. 

This is everything mostly put together as the set came. I didn't hang the photo or leaf art. Or the window. And the plant on the far right side of the photo is actually one of my own design using green paper, wire twine, a pink lid from an old spray bottle and some of the planter material that was extra from the set.

My daughter wanted more plants in their dollhouse. I decided to go ahead and make the TV too for the girls. My Steampunk room wouldn't be needing it.

What do you think? What would you do with a set like this?? Love to hear in the comments below!