DIY Miniature House & Furnishing for Beginners
A course by Wei ✦ Honey Thistle, Artist
Learn how to craft a charming interior space by building furniture and accessories from scratch using accessible materials
“Building amazing places in such a small size is like a challenge: we need to mix and match different skills and cultivate imagination to be both interesting and realistic.”
Wei Xu specializes in creating miniature interiors that have seen her work with clients including Madewell, Pottery Barn Kids, Walmart, and Hunker. She has also been featured by Chatelaine Magazine, CBC Arts, and Buzzfeed’s Nifty.
In this online course, Wei teaches you how to make mini interiors of your own, by planning and making different kinds of furniture, plants, and decors. Explore the endless possibilities of this new art form and learn to build the space of your dreams, but in a portable size!
What will you learn in this online course?
21 lessons & 23 downloads
What's included in this course?
Begin the course by getting to know miniature artist Wei Xu. Discover the creative career that led her from the corporate world to starting her own artistic brand, along with the influences that inspire her.
Dive into the tools and materials needed for the course and see how to look for inspiration for your project. Learn to scale that inspiration down to a miniature version and create a template.
Next, it’s time to make your furniture and decor. Start with the sideboard, before learning how to upholster your mini chair, and sew a cross-stitch pillow. Wei then takes you through the process of creating a hanging planter for your space.
With your decorative elements ready, move on to the hanging niche to display them. Add windows before constructing the walls and flooring. To wrap up the course, Wei shows you different ways to display your miniatures, along with her advice for storing and packing them to send to customers.
- 99% positive reviews (146)
- 8,445 students
- 21 lessons (4h 11m)
- 23 additional resources (9 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English, German, Spanish, Spanish (Latam), French, Indonesian, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Romanian · Indonesian
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Create a miniature wall niche filled with tiny furniture and decor that suits your personal style.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone with a passion for interiors or looking to explore an alternative craft.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience is required.
In terms of materials, you will need:
- ⦁ Wood and fabric
⦁ Paper, glue, and paint
⦁ Scissors, a ruler, and sewing needles
⦁ Other specialist tools covered by the teacher in the course
Reviews
Wei ✦ Honey Thistle
A course by Wei ✦ Honey Thistle
Wei Xu, or Honey Thistle as she’s known online, is a miniature artist from Toronto, Canada. She has always enjoyed making things, and first started posting her creations on a creative forum during high school. She experimented with everything from crochet bags to buttons and brooches before going on to study at business school. After working in the corporate world for a few years and running an Etsy shop part-time, Wei left her job to pursue her passion for craft. She began selling jewelry and small decor while creating small sets for animation as a hobby. But, after posting her mini furniture, plants, and other interior details on Instagram, she quickly attracted a community of followers.
Since then, Wei has worked with clients including Madewell, Pottery Barn Kids, Walmart, and Hunker. She has also been featured by Chatelaine Magazine, CBC Arts, and Buzzfeed’s Nifty.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Miniature Essentials
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Tools and Materials
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Finding Your Interior Style
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Scaling in Miniature
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How to Create a Template
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U3
Furniture and Decor
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Making the Sideboard 1
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Making the Sideboard 2
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Making the Sideboard 3
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Upholstering a Chair 1
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Upholstering a Chair 2
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Sewing a Cross Stitch Pillow 1
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Sewing a Cross Stitch Pillow 2
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Creating a Hanging Planter 1
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Creating a Hanger Planter 2
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U4
Building the Niche
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Adding Windows 1
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Adding Windows 2
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Wall Treatment and Laying Flooring 1
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Wall Treatment and Laying Flooring 2
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Ways to Display Your Miniatures
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Storing and Packing Miniatures
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FP
Final project
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DIY Miniature House & Furnishing for Beginners
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Yes, this course is designed for beginners and covers foundational techniques in miniature making and stop motion animation, making it accessible even if you have no prior experience.
You’ll need basic craft supplies like wood, fabric, paper, clay, adhesives, and simple tools such as a cutting mat, X-Acto knife, ruler, scroll saw, and sandpaper. The course provides a full list and suggests budget-friendly alternatives.
You will learn to design, build, and paint miniatures, sew tiny clothing, create fiber creatures, master scale conversion, and animate your miniatures using stop motion techniques.
Yes, there are dedicated lessons on photographing your miniatures with tips for lighting, composition, and sharing on Instagram and other social platforms.
The course teaches scale conversion, including calculating 1:12 scale, measuring from real objects or photos, and creating accurate templates for miniature furniture.
Absolutely. The course encourages upcycling and provides creative ideas for reusing everyday materials in your miniature projects.
Yes, you’ll learn miniature woodworking skills such as cutting with scroll saws, using miter boxes, sanding, gluing, and applying finishes to small wood pieces.
Un curso completo e inspirador. Me gusto mucho. Gracias
curso muy completo :)
Buenas ideas para hacer mobiliario y artículos de decoración en miniatura y todo de manera amena gracias!
Muito interessante!
Estoy disfrutando cada momento del curso. La calidad de la información, el cuidado en los detalles y la creatividad lo convierten en una experiencia fantástica.