Beginners Corner - Create a miniature bed for your pampered dolls house pet

This is a quick and easy project, ideal for a beginner and perfect for the small animal that lives on your dolls house, in this case a 1/12th scale cat. Carol Clarke takes us through the steps.

You will need

• Scissors
• Craft Knife
• Ruler
• Pen or Pencil
• Small piece of 5mm balsa wood
• Small piece of 2mm balsa wood
• 18 count buff embroidery canvas
• Polyester padding
• Thin card
• Pretty fabric
• Hi-tack craft glue

 Step 1. Cut a rectangle 1-3/4" x 1-1/4" from the 5mm balsa wood.

 Step 2. Cut a strip 3/4" high from the 2mm balsa wood.

 Step 3. Hold the length against the back of the base, mark the width, cut and glue in place.

 Step 4. Follow the same procedure for both sides and fix in place.

 Step 5. Cut a piece to fit across the front of the bed, scooping down in the middle.

 Step 6. Fit to the front.

 Step 7. Cut an oblong piece of embroidery canvas, large enough to cover the base, go up and over each side.

 Step 8. Glue the canvas to the base, fold up both sides and glue in place on the outside side edges.

 Step 9. When the glue is dry, cut the canvas at each corner, allowing extra canvas to make a 1/4" fold around each corner on the front and back.

 Step 10. Cut, fold and glue the 1/4" folds first, fixing the surplus canvas to the top edge and the inside of the bed.

 Step 11. Cut the side panel to the width of the inner section, fold over the top and glue in place.

 Step 12. Fold and glue in place the smaller srips on both front and back edges, take the front piece completely down the cut section.

 Step 13. Repeat the process on the back of the bed, adding a dab of glue to the cut edges to prevent any fraying and cutting away the surplus strip level with the top edge.

 Step 14. Do the same with the front of the bed, fixing the surplus to the bed base. You should now have a bed covered in canvas.

 Step 15. Take a 1" strip of your chosen fabric and fold the top edge over to neaten. Starting from the front, cut-out section of the bed, fix the fabric strip in place around the inner walls of the bed. Remember to leave a small section of the canvas showing at the top and fix any surples length onto the base.

 Step 16. Cut a piece of thin card slightly smaller than the base of the bed to allow for the thickness of the fabric. Cut polyester padding/thin foam to fit the card and glue together.

 Step 17. Take a piece of fabric large enough to cover the padded card, fold the fabric over and glue in place on the underside. Fit the padded pillow into the base. The little bow is an optional extra for your cat to play with!

Take a moment to visit Carol Carke’s website for more of her lovely work www.dollshouseinterior.co.uk