Miniature Shelf Tutorial

Old Shelf Miniature Tutorial

This is something I made on my spare time, just to see if I was capable of doing something such as this. I hope that someday soon I will be able to make miniatures with wood, but, for now, cardboard will have to do.

Material:
-Cardboard (an old box should do, as long as it is rigid)
-thinner cardboard (but still rigid, just not too thick)
-white school glue
-water (for later)
-a bowl (for later)
-a few paintbrushes (and an old one if possible, this one will be for later)
-Paints (light and dark brown)
-a cutter or scissors (to cut the cardboard, what else)
-and paper towels (I know it sounds weird, but you’ll understand later on). The paper towels has to have no pattern on it, it’s important!

Picture #1
To make this shelf, you need to cut, in the harder cardboard;
For the back -1 piece of 17cmx12cm (about 6,5”x4,75”)
For the sides -2 pieces of 19cmx4cm (about 7,5”x1,5”)
For the shelves -5 pieces of 11,5cmx4cm (about 4,5”x1,5”)
And one last piece to decorate the top. I guess you can use some imagination, but remember that it has to be no larger than 12cm large (4,75”) and the sides of that piece 1,5cm high (0,75”), or it will not fit the shelf properly.

It should be rather easy to assemble the pieces with the white glue and the help of the first picture. Now you need to wait for the glue to dry.

Picture #2
With the thinner cardboard, add some details to your shelf and, at the same time, why not hide the imperfections of the harder cardboard.

Put everything together with the white glue and wait a few hours until it dries before you begin with step 3.

Picture #3
This is the step where you will need the bowl, the water, the old paintbrush and the paper towels.
First, you need to tear two dozens of paper towels into pieces, more or less. Then you have to mix the water with the white glue.
GLUE RECIPE; One part of glue for one part of water.
You have to apply , with the old paintbrush, some of the watered glue on a small portion of the shelf, then put a piece of paper towel and cover it with some more watered glue. Keep doing that operation over and over again until all the surface of the shelf is covered.

Now, wait for it to dry!

Picture #4
I suggest you add another layer of paper towel so it strengthens the structure. You want it to strand as though it is wood, so… It has to be solid!

As always, wait a few hours of it to dry.

Picture #5
Now you can paint the shelf. Use some light brown paint. Do not wait too long, it has to be still wet as you add the darker layer of brown paint. Just dip the tip of your brush in the paint and apply it over the still freshly painted surface. If you do it right, it should give a nice wooden texture to your shelf.

You can add some varnish…but wait until the pain dries for that (I said that a lot, didn’t I?)

Now, if my indications were clear enough, you should have a nice, old shelf miniature.