You don’t need expensive materials to make modern miniature furniture. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to make a miniature dollhouse chair and table using a small plastic bottle, cardboard, a wooden stick, fabric, and a few basic craft supplies.

The curved shape of the plastic bottle is perfect for making a modern rounded chair, and I used the same simple pedestal design for both the chair and matching table.

It’s an easy recycled-material project that you can adapt to different dollhouse interiors simply by changing the paint and fabric.

But first: Materials You’ll Need

You only need a handful of inexpensive craft supplies to make this miniature table and chair:

• Sturdy cardboard
• White cardstock or thick paper
• Thin wooden dowel or bamboo skewer
• Blue patterned fabric, or another fabric of your choice. Preferably stretchy fabric.
• A small amount of soft padding (kitchen paper) for the chair cushion
• White acrylic paint
• Craft glue
• Scissors
• Craft knife
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Paintbrush
• Plastic bottle that has the right round shape for the chair

Most of these are materials you may already have in your craft supplies, and you can easily change the fabric and paint colors to suit your dollhouse.

Step-by-step tutorial

Step 1: Cut the Chair Shape From the Plastic Bottle

Start with a small empty plastic bottle. For this miniature chair, I used the rounded bottom of the bottle because its shape already gives us the curved back and sides of the chair.

Cut the entire bottom section away from the bottle first. Be careful here, as the freshly cut plastic edges can be quite sharp.

Next, trim away part of this plastic section to open up the front. Keep the rounded bottom and enough of the curved sides to form the seat and backrest. You should end up with a small transparent shell that already looks surprisingly similar to a modern bucket chair.

Trim the edges little by little until you are happy with the shape. It’s better to cut off too little at first—you can always remove more plastic afterward.

Step 2: Make the Cardboard Seat

Cut a small circle from thin cardboard, roughly the same size as the bottom of the plastic chair shell.

Place the cardboard circle inside the plastic piece and trim the edges little by little until it fits neatly inside. This gives the chair a solid base for the upholstered seat that I’ll add later.

Step 3: Shape the Chair Base

Cut a circle from white cardstock. Mark the center and draw lines across the circle to help you find 4 quarters.

Cut out a small hole in the center, then make one straight cut from the outer edge to the center hole.

Overlap the cut edges slightly to turn the flat cardstock circle into a shallow cone. This will form the pedestal base of the miniature chair.

Step 4: Attach the Pedestal Stem

Make a small hole in the center of the cardstock and cardboard base, large enough for the wooden dowel to fit through.

Glue the shaped cardstock circle onto the cardboard disc, keeping the center holes aligned. Attach this layered base to the underside of the plastic seat.

Insert a short wooden dowel through the center hole and glue it securely in place. This dowel will form the pedestal stem of the chair.

Step 5: Add the Pedestal Base

Make a second round base from cardstock and cut a small hole in the center for the wooden dowel.

Glue another cardstock circle underneath it to make the base thicker and sturdier, carefully aligning the two pieces.

Push the bottom end of the wooden dowel through the center hole and glue it securely in place. The chair now has its complete pedestal stand.

Step 6: Make the Round Table

Cut two matching large circles from sturdy cardboard or cardstock to make the tabletop. Make a small hole through the center of the circles, large enough to fit a wooden dowel.

Glue the two circles together to create a thicker, sturdier tabletop, making sure the center holes remain aligned.

Push a short wooden dowel into the center hole and glue it securely in place to form the table's pedestal.

Cut a smaller circle for the base, make a hole in its center, and attach it to the other end of the dowel. Once everything is glued in place, you should have a simple round pedestal table ready for finishing and decorating.

Once the table is assembled, paint the tabletop, pedestal and base white and allow the paint to dry.

To finish the tabletop neatly, cut a thin strip of white cardstock and glue it around the entire outer edge of the tabletop. This covers the visible cardboard layers and creates a clean, smooth edge.

Step 7: Paint the Chair Shell

Return to the clear plastic chair shell and paint the outside with white paint. Apply the paint over the curved surface and around the edges until the transparent plastic is covered.

Allow the paint to dry before continuing with the chair. Use several layers as needed.

Step 7: Finish the Chair and Make the Cushion

To make the seat cushion, cut a small circle from cardboard that fits inside the chair. Add a matching circle of soft-padding kitchen paper on top.

Place the padded circle onto a piece of patterned fabric, leaving enough extra fabric around all sides to wrap around the edges.

Trim the fabric into a rough circle, then fold the excess fabric over the edges and glue it securely to the back of the cardboard.

Once the glue has dried, place the finished upholstered cushion inside the chair.

Conclusion

And there you have it—a miniature table and chair made from simple materials! Change the paint or fabric to make the set perfectly match your own dollhouse style.

Will you give this DIY a try? Let me know in the comments, and check out my other miniature DIY tutorials for more easy ideas to make for your dollhouse, like this Boho hanging chair!

I wish you happy crafting!

Kind regards,

Lizzy

The timing of this interview couldn't really be better. With Halloween just around the corner, I know quite a few of you will be looking for something a little darker or more unusual to add to your dollhouse or miniature scenes.

And that brings me to Kristen’s Parlour of Minis!

Kristen makes wonderful 1:12 scale miniatures with a mix of Victorian and Gothic style, from upholstered chairs and ornate furniture to ravens, skulls and all sorts of curious little accessories.

Some would fit perfectly into a Halloween miniature scene, while others could easily find a permanent home in a Victorian or Gothic dollhouse.

What caught my attention, though, wasn't just the style of her work. Kristen has a rather fun story about how she ended up in the miniature world in the first place.

I asked Kristen about how she got started, where her love for Victorian and Gothic miniatures comes from, her favorite things to make and what she has planned next for Kristen’s Parlour of Miniatures.

- Image courtesy of Kristen Dixen

It All Started With a Tiny Chair

Kristen actually started out making book nooks before moving on to room boxes and smaller individual pieces.

Her first real attempt at making something specifically in 1:12 scale was a chair.

And apparently, it went rather well! Just look at these pictures!

“The first thing I made specifically in 1:12 scale was a chair, and it turned out pretty damn good! I think I surprised myself.”

Of course, once you've successfully made one tiny chair, it's very easy to start thinking, “Well, maybe I can make everything else too.”

Kristen began making more pieces and gradually discovered just how big the dollhouse and miniature world actually is.

“At some point, I realized I was making all these little things that other people might want for their dollhouses. I had no idea how big the dollhouse world was until I got into it!”

The funny thing is that despite making furniture for dollhouses, Kristen doesn't actually own one herself — and she doesn't particularly want one either.

As she says, apparently she's just here to furnish everyone else's!

From Making Miniatures to Selling Them

As Kristen made more pieces, people kept telling her the same thing: “You should sell these!”

Eventually, she decided she might as well find out if they were right and opened her Etsy shop, Parlour of Minis.

She admits that opening the shop felt a little scary at first, but she also had a pretty good way of looking at it.

“I figured the worst that could happen was I'd end up with a lot of tiny furniture and accessories. Which, honestly, was already happening.”

And so Kristen’s Parlour of Miniatures was born.

Today, you'll find all sorts of handmade 1:12 scale pieces in her collection, but there's definitely a recognizable style running through them.

Why Victorian and Gothic Miniatures?

If you've already looked at some of Kristen's work, you've probably noticed that she has a thing for Victorian style — usually with a slightly darker Gothic twist.

And that's not accidental.

Kristen says

" she has always felt as though she was born in the wrong era, although she is quick to add that she does appreciate modern plumbing!"

She loves the detail, romance and elegance of Victorian design, especially when things get a little darker and moodier.

In fact, even when she isn't deliberately trying to make something Gothic, it has a habit of sneaking into her work anyway.

That also explains the name Kristen’s Parlour of Miniatures. She wanted something that would suit her love of Victorian style without limiting the more Gothic side of what she makes.

I think Kristen described it best herself:

“It sounded like somewhere you might find a lovely antique chair, a dramatic mirror, and perhaps a very well-dressed ghost.”

Honestly, that's a pretty accurate description of the shop!

Inspiration Can Come From Just About Anywhere

Kristen doesn't have one particular place where she goes looking for ideas.

Sometimes she'll simply spot a piece of furniture or an interesting detail while she's out and immediately start wondering how she could make a tiny version of it.

She also researches Victorian and Gothic furniture and, of course, there's Pinterest.

We've probably all done this: you see something on Pinterest and think, “Oh, I could make that.”

And suddenly another project has been added to the list.

Did you know that Kristen can create custom dollhouse furniture for you aswell?

Those Tiny Chairs Are Still a Favorite

Considering that this whole adventure more or less started with a chair, it's quite fitting that chairs are still among Kristen's favorite miniatures to make.

A big part of the fun for her is choosing the fabric.

And I can see why, because if you look at her chairs, the upholstery really does give each one a completely different personality.

Kristen jokes that she wishes she knew how to make chairs in human size because she'd probably make a lot more money!

For now, she is sticking to 1:12 scale.

A Gothic Bookcase That Turned Out Just Right

When I asked Kristen if there was one miniature she was particularly proud of, she mentioned her Gothic bookcase.

It was one of her first original designs, which made it a little more special.

And even better, the finished piece actually came out the way she had pictured it in her head.

If you make your own miniatures, you'll know that doesn't always happen!

Then somebody bought it.

So not only did Kristen like her “weird little bookcase,” but somebody else apparently loved it too.

I'd call that a success! And here's another one!

Is There Anything She Hasn't Tried Yet?

Even with everything Kristen already makes, there are still new miniature skills she'd like to try.

One of those is pottery.

She would love to learn how to make her own miniature plates, cups and vases.

Does she really need to add another hobby to the miniature hobby?

Apparently not. Does she still want to?

“Absolutely.”

That sounds very familiar!

Finding Your Hobby at Almost 50

This was probably my favorite part of my questions for Kristen.

She didn't discover miniatures as a child and then spend decades making them. In fact, she was close to 50 when she discovered that this was something she really loved doing.

Before that, she says she had spent years wondering how other people found a hobby they were so passionate about that they actually looked forward to doing it every day.

Then she found miniatures, and suddenly she understood.

So I asked what she would say to somebody looking at her work and thinking, “I could never make something like that.”

Her answer was simple:

“You never know until you try.”

Your first miniature doesn't have to turn out beautifully. Kristen admits that her first chair happened to be pretty good, but she's made plenty of questionable things since then!

I think that's something worth remembering, especially if you're new to making miniatures: you really don't know what you're good at until you give it a try.

What's Next for Kristen’s Parlour of Miniatures?

It doesn't sound as though Kristen is going to run out of ideas anytime soon.

She wants to keep designing new pieces, grow her Etsy shop and attend more miniature shows.

And she has recently added something else to her workshop: a laser cutter. (and I know she will have fun with it, I have so far! )

This may have been dangerous.

According to Kristen, her brain now has about 400 new projects lined up!

There's also something rather exciting coming in 2027, when she plans to vend at the Tom Bishop Chicago International Miniature Show.

Ultimately, Kristen would love to make miniatures full time someday.

Unfortunately, there is still one small obstacle:

“Apparently bills do not accept tiny chairs as payment.”

For now, she's simply enjoying making new things and seeing where Kristen’s Parlour of Miniatures takes her.

Most important: Where Can You Find Kristen’s Miniatures?

If Victorian dollhouse furniture, Gothic miniatures or slightly unusual little accessories are your thing, you can see more of Kristen's work on these platforms:

• Facebook,

• Instagram

• and TikTok.

You can also browse her handmade 1:12 scale miniatures in her Etsy shop, Parlour of Minis.

And with Halloween coming up, now might be a particularly good time to have a look if your dollhouse could use a raven, skull, Gothic bookcase or something else with a slightly spooky touch!

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed hearing how Kristen ended up in this hobby, discovered a miniature world she hadn't even realized was so big and eventually ended up opening her own Etsy shop.

And all of that happened when she was approaching 50.

I think that's a lovely reminder that you're never too late to stumble across something you absolutely love doing.

Have a look at Kristen’s work and let me know what you think.

Would you go for the elegant Victorian pieces, or are you more tempted by the darker Gothic miniatures?

Happy crafting and collecting!

Kind regards,

Lizzy

Yes, that works! You can resize a printable by changing the percentage in your printer settings.

To go from 1:12 scale to 1:18 scale, you would print it at about 67%, not 75%.

The calculation is 12 ÷ 18 = 0.667, so approximately 67%.

For example, if something measures 6 cm on the 1:12 printable, it should come out at roughly 4 cm when printed at 67%.

Just make sure your printer is set to the percentage manually and that options such as “Fit to page” or “Scale to fit” are turned off, otherwise the printer may resize it again.

happy crafting,

Lizzy

Just a question, maybe I'm thinking completely wrong. If I have a printable, say in scale 1:12 and I need it for a scale 1:18, do I set my printer on 75% scale for printing or doesn't that work that way?