Modern Dollhouse DIY

How to make a miniature industrial style bookcase

You will need the following:
- Balsa wood
- Good quality balsa/craft glue
- box cutter
- BBQ skewers (optional)

I started by painting a strip of balsa with my brown stain (small dot of brown craft paint diluted in water).

I will use this piece for my shelves.

This bookcase is best suited for 1:12 scale.

When finished it measures 15cm high by 12cm wide.  Measure the space you want to pace the bookshelf first as you may want to make your bookshelf smaller or larger.

First cut 4 shelves.  Each shelf is 12cm long by 3cm wide.

Cut 4 sides.  I just sliced small sections from a a balsa board (see left side of picture above).  The sides measure .5cm by 15cm high.  

Use the side rails as an indication to 'notch' small holes in each corner of the selves. (as shown in the picture on the left).

I found the easiest way to put it together was to lay it down on my cutting board, use the grid on the cutting board to ensure the bookshelf is straight.

Lay the sides down first on the cutting board 12 cm apart (or as wide as you make your shelf).

Place a small spot of glue in each corner and using the cutting board grid to help you get the shelves straight start glueing the shelves to the sides.  I just spaced mine randomly but you have certain objects you wish to place on the shelves such as books or a TV then you can measure the distance between each shelf to ensure your decorative items fit in.  Once you have glued the shelves to the bottom two legs you can glue the front 2 legs on.  Check again with your cutting board that the shelves and sides are all straight and if the glue is tacky enough to hold the bookcase together stand it up.  This will ensure that it will stand firmly on the ground once dry ... and if it doesn't you can always glue it to the wall or use some blu-tac!!! 

For extra decoration and to make it look more industrial, I used 2 BBQ skewers crossed over on the back of the bookcase.  It also make it a little more sturdy.  Wait until it has completely dried before decorating the shelves or otherwise you run the risk of the shelves moving.