Popsicle sticks are one of those simple craft materials that can be turned into almost anything, and this time we're making a miniature kitchen cabinet with a countertop, open shelving and a cupboard door.
The construction is quite simple once you break it down into separate sections, and you can easily customize the finished cabinet with paint, tiny accessories or whatever style suits your dollhouse.
List of Materials
For this miniature kitchen cabinet, you will need:
- Jumbo-sized wooden popsicle/craft sticks
- Craft knife or small cutting tool (learn how to cut them here)
- Cutting mat
- Ruler and pencil
- Wood glue or your preferred miniature craft glue
- White craft/acrylic paint
- Small paintbrush
- Thin black craft wire for the cupboard handle
- Scissors or small wire cutters
- A narrow strip of paper for the cupboard-door hinge
Step-by-step tutorial
Step 1: Build the Back Panel of the Miniature Kitchen
Start by laying 8 large popsicle sticks, approximately 15 cm long and 1.8 cm wide each, side by side, making sure they sit as closely together and as straight as possible. These will form the main back wall of the miniature kitchen.
Once you are happy with their position, take another popsicle stick and glue it horizontally across the sticks, close to one end. This will hold all eight sticks together.
Add a second horizontal popsicle stick across the opposite end. Press everything firmly into place and allow the glue to dry completely before moving the panel.
You should now have one solid wooden panel made from eight vertical popsicle sticks, reinforced by two horizontal sticks on the back. We'll trim and shape the panel in the next steps.
Step 2: Add the Top and the Shelf
Next, take two more jumbo craft sticks and glue them together side by side. Cut two small pieces from another craft stick and glue these across the back, one near each end, to hold the two sticks securely together.
Once dry, attach this double-stick piece horizontally to the top of the back wall, as shown in the pictures. Let it stick out slightly at the front to create a little overhanging top.
Then glue one full craft stick horizontally across the front of the back wall, a little further down. This will become the small upper shelf of the miniature kitchen.
At this point, the back wall already starts looking much more like a tiny kitchen!
Step 3: Make and Attach the Countertop
For the countertop, place three jumbo craft sticks side by side. Cut two short pieces from another stick and glue them vertically across the back to hold all three sticks together securely.
Once the glue has dried, turn the countertop over and position it horizontally against the bottom of the back wall. Glue it in place so that it projects forward, creating the work surface for the miniature kitchen.
Make sure the countertop sits straight and forms roughly a 90-degree angle with the back wall. Hold it in position until the glue has grabbed well enough to support it.
You should now have the basic structure of the kitchen: the back wall, top, upper shelf, and countertop.
Step 4: Make the Side Panels and Dividers
Now we can start building the lower cabinets.
Cut three equal pieces from a jumbo craft stick and place them side by side to form a small rectangular panel. Cut another narrow piece and glue it vertically across the back to hold the three pieces together.
Make three of these panels in total.
Glue one panel upright at the left end of the countertop to create the outer side of the cabinet. On the right-hand side, glue another panel upright to form the outer wall, then add the third panel further inward as a divider.
Try to keep all three panels at a 90-degree angle to the countertop while the glue dries. You now have the basic compartments for the lower kitchen cabinet, ready for the shelves and door in the next steps.
Step 5: Make and Attach the Countertop
Place three jumbo popsicle sticks side by side to form a wide panel. Glue two short support pieces across the back to hold the three sticks together securely.
Once dry, position this panel horizontally across the front of the lower cabinet section. It becomes the countertop, extending slightly past the cabinet sides and sitting on top of the lower cupboards.
Make sure it is straight before the glue sets, as this countertop becomes the main work surface of the miniature kitchen.
Step 6: Make the Cabinet Door
For the little cupboard on the right, make a simple wooden door from three short pieces cut from the jumbo popsicle sticks. Place them tightly side by side, then glue two narrow wooden strips across the back, one near the top and one near the bottom. These keep the three pieces together and make the door sturdier.
To make the door actually open and close, I used a small strip of paper as a simple hinge. Glue one side of the paper strip to the back edge of the door and glue the other side to the inside edge of the cabinet.
Let the glue dry properly before moving the door. Once attached, the paper bends easily and works surprisingly well as a tiny hinge, giving the miniature kitchen a working cupboard door rather than just a decorative one.
Step 7: Add the Shelf, Paint and Finish the Cupboard Door
Add a small shelf inside the open cupboard section on the left, gluing it horizontally between the side wall and the center divider. This creates two little storage spaces.
Next, paint the parts you want to finish. Here, I painted a few parts white, while the shelves and other wooden details are left natural.
For the cupboard handle, bend a tiny piece of thin black wire or even paper into a small rectangular handle shape. Glue it vertically onto the front of the door.
And that finishes the basic cupboard section! The right side now has a working door with a little black handle, while the left remains open with a shelf for displaying miniature kitchen accessories later.
