How to decide on sizes

The dolls, their houses and furnishings are smaller copies of us and our homes. And the most reliable way to make doll furniture with your own hands and not make a mistake is to measure real objects, reduce them several times, and then work with the obtained values.

Furniture for dolls - copies of our furniture

How much to reduce the actual dimensions depends on how small or large the doll is, because they range from 7 cm to 60 cm or even higher. Accordingly, they need furniture of different sizes. To determine the number by which the actual dimensions should be divided, divide the average human height in centimeters (170 cm) by the height of the doll. Let's get some number. This is how you will need to divide the dimensions of real furniture.

For example, the height of the doll is 15 cm. We calculate: 170 cm / 15 cm = 11.3. It is by this number that we divide all the parameters of “human” furniture. It is also worth saying that 14-15 cm is the most popular size among the doll population. Therefore, most of the finished furniture is made in a ratio of 1:12. We can also use the existing dimensions, at least so that we can navigate the scale of the required parts and the amount of materials.

Approximate dimensions of furniture for doll children

So, the most common doll sizes are:

• male doll 150 mm;
• female doll - 140 mm;
• child doll - 75-100 mm;
• toy baby - 65-75 mm.

If you need furniture for dolls of similar sizes, its parameters will be as follows:

• Bed: double – 160*130 mm;
• single - 160*75 mm;

  The size of the setting depends on the height of the inhabitants

If the toys you have are slightly larger/smaller, you don’t have to adjust the sizes. If the difference is large, you will have to increase or decrease (or you can calculate it yourself).

How to work with templates

To make a piece of furniture, you must first make a pattern. This is a development that bends along the intended lines, forming the desired figure. If you need to assemble a whole set of furniture, then first it is recommended to make a template. This is a figure cut out of cardboard or thick paper. It is applied to a sheet of material and outlined with a pencil around the perimeter from the outside and inside (if there are holes). Making a template takes some time, but later it allows you to quickly outline the details and assemble toy furniture. In this case, all objects turn out exactly the same.

Templates are different:

• patterns of individual walls or doors intended for the manufacture of plywood parts;
• developments, which allow you to immediately obtain a finished three-dimensional figure if you bend them along the intended lines;
• combined templates, partially representing developments, but not allowing to obtain a finished figure.

Templates can be made using ready-made drawings, of which there are many in the public domain, or from sketches created by yourself. The second option is preferable if the furniture is made together with the child. It will be much more interesting for a child to show his imagination and create his own version than to use a ready-made, albeit more attractive, solution.

If the pattern does not have curved elements, the easiest way is to attach it to a sheet of material and prick the corners with a needle. Then you need to find the puncture sites on the surface and connect them with lines, obtaining an exact copy of the drawing. After this, the template is cut out with scissors, a sharp knife or a jigsaw. The choice of tool depends on personal preferences and the characteristics of the material.

Sometimes templates are made from plastic - this is usually done when you need to make several sets or subsequently you plan to reuse the samples to assemble doll furniture.

Curved lines can be marked in the same way, only the needle pricks should be frequent. They make up a dotted broken figure, allowing you to draw it with sufficient accuracy. The steeper the curvature, the smaller the distance between the marks.

Doll furniture made from matchboxes

The easiest way to make furniture for dolls with your own hands is from ordinary matchboxes. They are glued together using PVA glue, creating certain structures, then covered with paper or fabric, self-adhesive film, etc. You can use wooden beads as legs, handles for drawers can be made from small buttons on legs or from long beads.

Simple homemade doll furniture from matchboxes

You can make chairs, a table, a chest of drawers, a bed, and a bedside table from matchboxes. Another thing is that furniture is made for very small dolls, no more than 10 cm high. Although, you can use a larger number of boxes, gluing them into blocks, and from these blocks create furniture for dolls about 15 cm high. Also an option, but work with others materials are not much more complicated, but they are more flexible and allow you to create products of more elegant shapes.

Toy dressing table made from matchboxes

DIY doll desk

Dining table and chairs made from matchboxes for a dollhouse

How to glue boxes

Several design techniques for finishing a homemade toy chest of drawers from matchboxes

This may be your first experience in making doll furniture. Later you can take on something more serious.

Decorating techniques

The production of products is completed by the decoration process. This is the finishing of finished furniture in various ways to obtain an attractive and elegant appearance of the product. Different methods of decoration can be used here:

1. Coloring. One of the most affordable and simplest options. Any child has watercolor paints with which he (or she) will be happy to decorate the dollhouse and all the furniture.
2. Decoupage. This is a more complex technology. Cut out the finished image from any magazine, postcard or other sources. The design is pasted onto the surface of the furniture, after which a protective layer of varnish is applied. Usually, before decorating, the desired area is painted so that there are no “bare” areas left.
3. Finishing with self-adhesive film. This method will allow you to get a cardboard or plywood cabinet that looks like it was assembled from natural wood or stone. A convenient and fast way that does not require effort. However, for the success of the event, maximum accuracy and thoroughness will be required. To decorate elements that appear to be made of metal, you can use special tape.
4. Fabric finishing. Here the upholstery of upholstered furniture is imitated or textile interior elements are created: tablecloths, curtains, pillows, etc.

Master class on creating pockets for a locker in kindergarten

All decoration options will look equally impressive, provided that enough effort was put into the processing process. Usually the most affordable and preferred method of decorating furniture is chosen.

Coloring Decoupage

Self-adhesive Film Fabric

Furniture for a dollhouse made of cardboard

You can try your hand at making furniture for dolls using cardboard. The material is inexpensive, accessible, you can try and make mistakes, redo it. Cardboard is usually joined using PVA glue; you can use a glue gun or any universal glue that can glue cardboard, fabric, or wood. By simply making furniture for dolls with your own hands from cardboard, you will also use these materials. If we talk about convenience, then a glue gun is preferable - it glues quickly, it’s convenient to work, and the connection is reliable.

Without finishing, doll furniture made of cardboard does not look very good

To make furniture for dolls, you can use regular packaging cardboard. It is cheap, but the furniture it makes is very delicate. It is unlikely that it will be enough for a child for a long time. But, as a “first experience”, this is a good option. Cardboard products for scrapbooking are more reliable. It is more dense, homogeneous, has different thicknesses (from 2 mm and more), and can have a textured surface, embossed monochromatic patterns, or a pattern on one or both sides. The disadvantage of such cardboard is that you have to buy it, and some types of such cardboard are not very cheap.

Cardboard bed for a doll

This cardboard doll bed is designed for a large doll - up to 50 cm in height. If necessary, all specified dimensions can be reduced.

You can make such a bed out of cardboard in a few minutes

This option can be done in literally 10-20 minutes. There is no need for glue or other fixatives. The parts are held in place by grooves cut into the cardboard. The width of the groove is equal to the thickness of the cardboard, the length of the slots and the dimensions of the workpieces are indicated in the diagram.

Bed diagram for dolls

Green and yellow dots indicate compatible cuts. They are inserted one into the other, where the assembly ends. If you like this model, it can also be made from plywood.

Schemes for making cardboard doll furniture

Basically, furniture for dolls made of cardboard is glued. It is unlikely that it will be possible to make something delicate or very complex from this material, but making simple models will not take much time. Having a diagram with dimensions, you can even do without explanations. Everything is clear.

Chair diagram for dolls

Such models can be made “by eye”. Without the “upholstery” they look unsightly, but after that they look quite decent

It’s not difficult to make a bed, but with kitchen cabinets you’ll have to be a little tricky

A bedside table with doors and an open shelf - one design, different designs

Another bedside table model for making from cardboard or plywood

Making a toy table for dolls with your own hands using this scheme is not a problem

Floor lamp for dolls made of cardboard

Furniture patterns for dolls can be used not only for making from cardboard. They can be transferred to plywood and cut out using a jigsaw.

Popular materials

There are no fundamental requirements for the material from which a set of furniture for a doll’s house is made. However, many users strive to create the most accurate copies of interior items so that the contents are “like the real thing.” There are options for toy furniture made from various materials:

1. Made from plywood. This is the most durable material from which toy furniture is usually made. However, working with it will require the appropriate tools, skills and time. This type of material is usually used by amateur collectors.
2. Cardboard furniture. This option is much more convenient and much easier to work with. Cardboard products are quite durable and realistic. In addition, you can create the interior of the house together with your child, who will really like it.
3. Paper products. One of the simplest and fastest manufacturing methods. This task can be entrusted to your child to work independently without any fear. Paper products are not particularly durable, but can be created from literally any scraps that are at hand.

Fragments from various objects can also be used:

1. Matchboxes. They have a significant advantage - you can make cabinet furniture with retractable drawers (wardrobe, chest of drawers).
2. Wire. It will help you create candlesticks, chandeliers or other items.
3. Plastic bottles, cans. These are excellent blanks for small bathtubs, washbasins, tables or chairs.
4. Newspaper tubes. They give a realistic imitation of wicker furniture, but require some skill and skill.

The nuances of creating doll furniture, simple master classes for parents
This list cannot be called exhaustive. Any objects or materials that seem suitable for creating a toy set are used. Here you can use your imagination and thanks to this bring interesting and original solutions to life.

For beginners, it is best to use cardboard. The craftswoman will always have boxes with lids at her disposal, from which she can make a toy cabinet, chest of drawers or other items. Cardboard is easy to cut with ordinary scissors, glues well and does not require additional finishing. Working with paper is even easier, but its rigidity is too low and does not allow you to create large products.

Plywood

Cardboard

Paper

Matchboxes

Wire

Plastic bottles

Banks

Newspaper tubes

Wardrobe for dolls made from scrap materials

The toy cabinet can be made of plywood, painted or covered with wrapping paper or self-adhesive film. There probably won’t be any questions here - everything is clear, and if you have questions, you can see their solution in the “natural” closet. But it can be made from very inexpensive materials. The good thing about making do-it-yourself furniture for dolls is that its cost is very low.

From a cardboard box

The main task is to find a thick cardboard box of the appropriate size. Moreover, it will be easier to work if it is packaging - with folded edges. This folding part is a ready-made door. All that remains is to finish it - hang a mirror, attach a handle, etc.

One of the options for homemade furniture for dolls is a wardrobe

What do you need for work?

To work, you will need good tape, preferably paper-based, as it will be easier to glue the trim to it later. If you have a glue gun or a construction stapler (a large stationery one will do) with staples, that’s also good. If you will use other materials in addition to cardboard and paper, it is better to find a universal glue that glues paper, cardboard, fabric, and plastic. You will also need scissors, a stationery knife, and a ruler.

How to make a doll wardrobe from a cardboard box

If the box you find is too large, you can make it smaller by cutting off the excess. To ensure that the folds are even, take a ruler. We apply it to the place of the future fold, we pass along the ruler several times with a blunt hard object (the stem of a spoon or fork). After this, the cardboard will be easy to bend.

Filling for a toy cabinet

We cut out shelves from scraps or another box. They should be slightly - 5-8 mm - longer and wider than the internal space of the cabinet. We bend the excess so that sides are formed on all sides. Folds form in the corners; carefully cut them off. We bend one of the parts 180° and glue it to the shelf itself. This side of the shelf will “look into the world.” We bend the other three parts at an angle of 90°, coat them with glue and glue the shelves into the cabinet. The photo on the right shows how the shelves are glued. But so that the gluing points are not conspicuous, it is better to turn the sides down.

Making furniture for dolls with your own hands is no less fun than playing with it later.

In addition to shelves, you can also make a crossbar for hangers. It can be made from bamboo skewers, for example, you can try using a juice straw, wire, etc. Hangers can also be twisted from colored wire or cut from juice bags, plastic bottles, etc.

Finishing is a creative process

Next comes the finishing touches. You can paint the cardboard with watercolor or acrylic (preferably) paints, glue it with wrapping paper, fabric, felt. You can imitate a mirror surface by covering it with foil (food foil, for example). If you want to make a “plastic” surface, look for water bottles of the desired color, cut off the neck and bottom, and use the “body” as a finishing material.

Finishing is a creative process, but first, use simpler, softer, thinner materials; they are easier to work with

Handles can be made from wire, beads, or long beads. For larger toy cabinets, you can find buttons or buttons. We glue all this “beauty” after we have “lined” the cabinet.

Doll wardrobe made from newspapers

You will need old newspapers, PVA glue with a brush, a glue gun, a couple of pieces of wire or thread, wrapping paper for finishing the cabinet or paint.

We roll up tight tubes from newspapers, coat them with PVA around the edges and leave them to dry. Then the tubes can be glued together. A glue gun is better suited for this operation. There are two ways: first collect large blocks, then cut them into fragments of the required length, or immediately cut the tubes of the required length and immediately glue the blanks to size. The second way is more painstaking, but there is less waste.

Assembling planes from newspaper tubes

The finished cabinet walls must be fastened together. To firmly fix an angle of 90°, it is better to use a thin wire. First coat the joints with glue, then use wire to pull the walls together. If the wires are in the way, they can be removed after the glue has dried.

We glue holders under the shelves

Using the same technology, the bottom, top, and shelves are glued. The doors will need to be made a little differently. To make them open, two strips about 1.5 cm wide are cut out of tape. Tape is glued along the edge of the door so that a little more than half hangs in the air. We glue the door to the wall with this loose tape, but so that there is a gap of 2-3 mm between the wall and the door (it’s just tape there). This will make it possible to close the doors. We fix the glued door on the other side with a second strip of tape.

Fastening the door with wire

The second way to secure the doors is with wire. Only this time it should be tough and thick enough. Cut a piece that is 2 cm longer than the height of the cabinet. Immediately make a loop on the wire on one side using 1 cm. We bend the loop at an angle of 90° to the wire. We make holes in the bottom and roof, pass a wire through the bottom, the loop remains at the bottom. We put the door on the wire, using the outer tube instead of hinges. Slightly bending the wire, we thread it through the hole in the cabinet roof, bend the excess, fixing the door. We repeat the same operation with the other door. Please note that you need to attach the door with tape before finishing the cabinet, but you can attach it with wire after.

Ready-made wardrobe for dolls made from newspapers

There are still some little things that need to be said a few words. Cabinet legs and handles can also be made from paper tubes. You just need to roll them from the paper you use to decorate the toy. Roll it into a tight roll, glue the edge with glue, then cut it into pieces of the required length and glue it in the right places. Instead of tubes there can be wooden sticks, beads, etc.

Doll bookcase or shelf made of rulers

You can make furniture for dolls with your own hands from school wooden rulers. They are good because they are already processed and have the same width and thickness. In the stationery store you can find the right size - larger/smaller, wider/narrower - as desired. For example, to make a doll bookcase you need 6 rulers 15 cm long.

Making a toy bookshelf from wooden rulers is easy.

You will also need a jigsaw for the job. If you have an electric one, great; if not, a manual one will do, since there’s not too much work. You also need fine-grain sandpaper, glue (PVA or wood glue) and paints (acrylic or gouache).

We cut segments from the rulers: 4 pieces of 6 cm, one - 8 cm. Sand the edges until smooth, and also remove the markings and barcodes. Between the two rulers we place the shelves (which are 6 cm each), on top we leave approximately the same distance - under the lid (a segment of 8 cm). We coat the joints with PVA or carpentry glue, connect them and tighten them with masking tape, and leave them for a day. When the glue dries, glue on the very last part - the lid on top. Actually, the shelf itself is ready, all that remains is to paint it.

You can use rulers to make other pieces of furniture for dolls.

To obtain an even and bright color, it is better to cover the structure with white, and after drying, paint it with the desired shade. You can also decorate doll furniture made by yourself using the decoupage technique.