Kendra's Minis

Tutorial: Miniature Filled Christmas Stocking (no sewing involved!)

2024-10-19T22:09:00.002-05:00

How to make a filled Christmas Stocking.You will need:medium weight cardboard (a little thicker than index card is best - like cereal box) knit fabric (tiny stripe is good - I used an old discarded camisole)fabric for cuff (I used red velour)stuffing - such as polyester fiberfill or fluffy white cleaning clothcardboard for formfabric scissorsfabric glue - in fine point glue

Club Project - Shadow Box Name Tag

2024-06-30T23:59:00.008-05:00

A recent club project from my miniature club was a shadow box name tag for us all to wear to our club meetings. The shadow box had just enough room for a tiny display of miniatures depicting our interests. Fabulous idea! The kit provided was made from popsicle sticks. I missed the meeting where they assembled the box and was pressed for time so I made mine from a 2 inch

Toy Pounding Bench Tutorial - Part 2

2024-05-18T22:43:00.000-05:00

Continued from last blog (link here), this is the tutorial to finish the pounding bench - making the table/base, painting, assembly and varnish. Supplies were given in the previous blog.One correction - in the previous blog I left out the gloss varnish I used on the entire piece. I used Delta brand Interior/Exterior gloss varnish.Painting pegs:Before you start painting, here are some

Miniature Toy Pounding Bench Tutorial Part 1

2024-03-31T21:51:00.001-05:00

I am soooooooo overdue in updating my blog! So sorry to those who have been consistently viewing and reading it! My day job keeps me busy and rarely have time to make anything worth blogging about! But after a year and a half - here is another tutorial - it seems like it should have been very simple but had a lot of pieces so I made it a two-parter. Part 1 -

Metal Miniatures for the Dollhouse (and almost every mini project)

2022-07-01T00:46:00.002-05:00

If you are a long time miniaturist you may have used Metal Miniatures in some of your projects. This is an actual business name (very non-descript). The company from Illinois and has been around with the same address since the 1970s. I have been ordering from them at least since 1976. I use their tiny metal figurines and dishes in almost every project in some way.&

You can Print a Velvet Rug for the dollhouse??

2022-05-26T23:34:00.004-05:00

(...with Spoonflower, Yes!) First let me apologize for my lateness and not keeping up with posting since February and to thank my readers for their patience!! (clap clap)Onto the rugs...I have been trying to find rugs printed on velvet that look nicely scaled. Most are just printed on a woven cotton and don’t have a nap. I like the velvet as a base for a rug because I think it is

Dealing with Deep-angled Dollhouse Attic Walls

2022-02-28T22:51:00.002-06:00

If you have a dollhouse with a roofline that angles all the way to the floor, for instance an upper floor or attic you might have the problem I have had – how to furnish those deep angled walls? These angled walls present a few decorating problems:the angled wall is slightly taller than any side walls so wallpaper has to be a little taller.Placing furniture in that low angle made by the

Re-Wallpapering the Dollhouse

2022-01-31T22:26:00.003-06:00

Dining Room, 1996-ishDining room after (2021)Does anyone else redecorate their dollhouse? I purchased mine in 1996 (while on maternity leave). I SLOWLY worked on it room by room

How do you Glue That?

2021-12-30T20:34:00.000-06:00

Are you a miniaturist and not sure what glue to use for a particular project? Something that is unique about the dollhouse miniatures hobby is that incorporates many other hobbies such as woodworking, sewing, paper crafting, jewelry/beading, etc. This can be daunting and intimidating for new miniaturists. How does one know what glue is best for wood furniture kits? How to glue

Tutorial - Miniature Faux Carved Gilded Frames

2021-11-29T23:49:00.003-06:00

Many years ago I purchased a collection of framed prints in an auction. They were nicely scaled and finished, even covered on the back with nice wallpaper and signed “Bob von Fliss”. Much later I learned Bob von Fliss was one of the original founders of NAME and the first Editor of the N.A.M.E. Gazette (so this is part tutorial, part miniatures history lesson!). You can

Tutorial - Mini Pom Pom and Tassel Baskets

2021-10-31T01:03:00.001-05:00

Love those storage baskets with pom-poms and tassels on them. I made these for the playroom of my big dollhouse and filled them with toys. Here is a tutorial to make some for your dollhouse from simple supplies. You will need:Basket forms (see left side of photo above). I used a clear plastic 35mm film container (yeah...remember those - from before we all had cameras on our

Tutorial: Kitchen Cupboard Hardware - French Country Handles and Knobs

2021-09-27T22:40:00.000-05:00

French Country Kitchens may not be as popular as they once were but I still love the style. In fact, I'm REALLY thinking about updating my Brooke Tucker Kitchen in a more modern country style...(doesn't everyone renovate their dollhouse displays???)...but I digress. Here is a tutorial for making drawer pulls and knobs that would be great for French Country but also, any style.&

Embellished Chandelier - Part 2 - Tips and Hints

2021-08-31T22:14:00.000-05:00

Last blog I told how I embellished an old chandelier with jewelry findings and crystals. This time I am sharing some hints and lessons learned I experienced while doing this project. Hopefully my readers can benefit from my problems and mistakes! We learn from each other, right? I know I appreciate all the blogs I have read which have helped me and saved me a lot of

Tutorial: Embellishing a Miniature Chandelier

2021-07-28T21:55:00.007-05:00

I feel it is very hard to find miniature light fixtures that aren’t dated-looking or that look like they were from a big-box hobby store (common). I don’t like most of those battery fixtures – the bases are very thick and the bulbs very squared off, they don’t look like candle flames when on sconces and chandeliers. They have their place – like maybe in a room box, where there are

NAME Window Shopping and Decoupaged Palace Chest

2021-06-28T23:08:00.000-05:00

A few years back, NAME (National Association of Miniature Enthusists if you haven't heard of it) had a NAME Day project called Window Shopping. It was a small display with lots of shelves to display a grouping of minis like they were in a shop window. Ingenious! NAME Window Shopping Prototype from Gazette July 2015I LOVED seeing all the examples of this project sent in by Gazette

Tutorial - Dollhouse Shipping Box...and packing peanuts!

2021-05-26T23:43:00.003-05:00

This is a short but cute tutorial. Make a Priority mail box and packing peanuts (yes! mini packing peanuts!). To make the box:Download the pdf file with the graphics. You will need a printer that can print on the front AND back side of the paper. The box lining (brown with "Priority mail" printed all over it) should line up with the front graphic. Here is

Shabby Chic /Flea Market "Paris" Candlesticks

2021-04-29T21:14:00.000-05:00

Here is a mini-tutorial to make a candlestick decorated in the shabby Chic (now more like flea market style). You will need:Metal Eiffel Tower charm, about 1 inch tallCandlePaintIndex cardAntiquing glaze (I used Folk Art brand Antiquing Medium)Small flower or snowflake shaped paper punches (see photo below for the ones I purchased)Piece of soft craft foam and ball stylusWire cutters, glue,

Tiny House Kitchenette Part 2 - Microwave and Stove Burners

2021-03-26T22:51:00.000-05:00

This is a continuation of last month (Feb. 2021) Kitchenette Part 1 which described how the open cabinets and appliance doors were made. This post will describe how to make the microwave, stove burners and counter top. The stove burner 'drip pans' extend below the surface of the counter through a hole cut in the counter (kinda hard to see in the photo above). This is to make it

Tiny House Kitchenette - Part 1

2021-02-28T23:45:00.001-06:00

Here is a tutorial for a mini kitchen – a kitchenette from the Tiny House project (subject of most of my blogs for 2020). The Tiny House was a group project that my club sponsored as a day-long workshop for members. The kitchenette was designed to be simple (so it could be taught to 85 people in about 2 hours), inexpensive and compact (it was for a tiny house, after all!). It

Tiny Plant Tutorial

2021-01-31T23:59:00.002-06:00

It seems tiny plants are IN right now! I’ve even seen a kitchen magnet to hold a tiny (real) succulent on your refrigerator! Even the non-miniaturists are into tiny plants!!Here is a tutorial for some simple tiny plants to place around your dollhouse room setting. The supplies are fairly easy to find and just require some glue – bead glue (for the crystal parts) and regular

Owl Bookends Tutorial

2020-12-31T22:53:00.000-06:00

Here is a tiny tutorial to round out the year and allow me to get my 12 blogs in for 2020. I got the idea for these owl bookends after seeing these cute owl push pins at Hobby Lobby. I found them in the stationary area but later noticed that they were selling them near the cash register too! Anyway, here is the last tutorial for 2020!You will need:Owl push pins (Hobby Lobby)Tongue

Loft Bed Part 2 – Bedding

2020-12-23T22:16:00.000-06:00

Here is Part 2 of the Loft Bed Tutorial. In this part I will explain how I made the soft furnishings – the bolsters, pillow and soft pom-pom throw. This bedding (and actually the entire Tiny House project) was a departure from my normal style (vintage, shabby, pink, ruffles, bows, glitter, etc) but I found after making this Tiny House I do like the more simple, less decorated modern

Loft Bed Part 1 - Platform Bed Structure

2020-12-21T23:26:00.004-06:00

Here is a tutorial for a bed that fits into the (very tiny) loft space in the tiny house. The loft floor was only 8 inches by 4 inches. I needed to fit a bed and some display shelving into that small space. I made this in three pieces – two end shelf units and the platform (mattress support). The shelf units and bed platform were built from scrap basswood and foam core.&

Modern Floor Lamp Tutorial

2020-11-30T23:22:00.004-06:00

Here I am squeezing in a tutorial for November on the very last day of the month!. Boy has this month gone fast! For the tiny house project I wanted to make some modern lamps. The white one above is lit with an LED bulb and uses only a 3 volt battery. The whole Tiny House is powered by two AA batteries (total 3 volts). See my other recent blogs about the tiny

Can't Trick or Treat? Make a Halloween Party Table!

2020-10-22T22:40:00.001-05:00

It’s getting late and close to Halloween but here is a Halloween tutorial! Two little Halloween party tables. Many years ago I used to make and sell miniature party tables. These were small occasional-size tables with themed party items on the top. I would sell them at a miniatures shop – “Through the Keyhole” in Dallas (before Ebay, before Etsy…). The owners, Gayle