It is no secret – one of my favorite things is to make my own dollhouse miniatures that is why I started the The Tiny Dollhouse South Africa. The ONLY thing that has been holding me back from getting even more creative is not having a Cricut Maker… But, this has changed.
I am so, so grateful that The Wholesaler has sponsored me with one of these amazing Smart cutters and that I can now get to do more creative things, tiny and big, and even better… I get to share my creations with you! If you are unsure what a Cricut Maker is you might want to read this first – Every Crafter’s dream come true – the Cricut Maker.
Why is the Cricut the ultimate smart cutter when it comes to making DIY Dollhouse Miniatures?
There is literally no end to creativity when it comes to the Cricut Maker – it can handle over 300 different types of materials including vinyl, paper, fabric, felt, balsa wood and leather. In Dollhouse talk – think carpets, wall decorations, upholstered items, tiny scatters, furniture, mini storage items, wall decorations and more.
The Cricut Design Space (DS) is where the magic happens, it is a free design tool that you use with your Cricut machine. If you are not quite ready to start designing your own items from scratch you can (and for 30 days free) sign up for Cricut Access, packed with thousands of ready-made designs for you to use or just start off designing your own beautiful items. Or, I have some free patterns that you can download and use for PERSONAL USE ONLY below.
How to cut Balsa Wood with the Cricut Maker?
I could not believe how easy this was, my first try was a success!
- Create a new project in the Cricut Design Space, I created a cutting file for a miniature dollhouse storage box that I normally cut by hand. The key is to design something at least 0.5cm wide on any part. Starting off with a font or geometric shape is a great start. (Or use the patterns I provide below)
- Make sure that you are using the Strong Grip (Light Purple) cutting mat and that you tape down the Balsa woods’ edges with some masking tape to ensure that it is perfectly secured and positioned.
- You must use a Cricut knife blade which is an add-on blade to ensure that the cut is correct. The Design Space will also remind you of this – a win-win to ensure that you get the correct result the first time.
- Ensure that your laptop is plugged in for charge as these projects could take quite a while to cut. It does not have to be connected physically to the Cricut Maker, you can cut using Bluetooth, as long as your laptop is plugged into power ensuring that the battery won’t run flat mid-cut.
- Select the Balsa Wood option and the correct thickness from the Material options.
- Load the mat and press the Cricut button to start cutting.
- Note that the cutting process may take a while as it cuts a few times over ensuring the wood is cut through. You can then double-check or re-cut deeper afterwards before removing your design.
Important:
- Slide the star wheels to the side to ensure that your wood is not marked whilst cutting.
- You can ONLY use the knife blade using your pc, it does not work with the Android or iOS apps.
Where can you find Balsa wood for use with your Cricut maker?
I normally purchase mine from a local hobby shop around the corner or at a PNA store. They come in a range of thicknesses so make sure that you either purchase 16-24mm thicknesses to work with the machine. To ensure that your designs are stronger I would suggest cutting 2 of each for dollhouse furniture one with the grain and one against and sticking them together with wood glue.
Some Dollhouse .svg FREEBIES
Uploading files to Cricut Design Space is FREE, so I have created some for you to use on your Cricut.
- The first is a cute vinyl-cut that includes some geometric shapes that you can style as you please. Download it here. Felted carpet from Selfie Feltie.
- I also created a miniature saying to use as wall decoration. Download it here. The design uses a free Britannic Bold font font that you can use to create your own designs. Resize it to your desired size.
- The last one is a miniature storage box file that you can download here. This one is made to use with the 2mm balsa wood. Resize this file so that the square with the handle cut out is 28mm x 28mm big. After you cut these you can glue the pieces together using a glue gun or some wood glue. No need to double up this design as it is strong enough to hold. PS: Turkey Dimple even made me a mini Cricut maker for my dollhouse!
I would LOVE to see you use these designs in your tiny space! Please tag me on Instagram @Lovilee_za and I will share some love in return.
Thank you to Hello Love Photography for the beautiful images.
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