Ghibli Inspired Book Nook

🍃 Welcome to My Ghibli-Inspired Book Nook Tutorial! ✨

Ever since I fell in love with the magical worlds of Studio Ghibli, I’ve always wanted to bring a little piece of that charm into my own space. So, I decided to create a miniature Ghibli-inspired book nook. Complete with glowing mushrooms, floating starlights, tree trunk houses, and of course, a few of our favorite spirits like Calcifer, the Kodama, and the Susuwatari.

In this instructable, I’ll walk you through how I made each piece using simple materials like chipboard, resin, styrofoam, and even recycled packaging. No fancy tools needed. Just some imagination, patience, and a love for tiny details!

Whether you're a Ghibli fan, a craft enthusiast, or someone looking for a magical weekend project, I hope this inspires you to create a miniature world of your own. Let’s get started! 🍄🌙

1. Soft UV resin
2. Hard UV resin
3. UV LED
4. Resin pigment/food coloring (green, red, yellow)
5. Acrylic paint (white, black, brown, green, yellow)
6. Air dry clay
7. Dotting tool
8. Cutter
9. Scissors
10. Needle
11. Polyester fiberfill
12. Super glue
13. PVA glue
14. Chipboard
15. Cardboard
16. Fancy paper/Wrapping paper/Leather
17. Fairy LED light
18. Styrofoam
19. Paper grocery bag/ regular paper
20. Accessories wire
21. Skewer/dried tea leaves

Additional:

1. Dichroic film
2. Tissue paper roll

1️⃣Since I planned to place this book nook between actual books on my shelf, I wanted it to match their size. The dimensions of my book nook are:

Height: 21.5 cm

Length (spine side): 11 cm

Width (depth): 16.5 cm

I built the structure out of chipboard, but if you have access to a laser cutter, you can use wood or any sturdy board material for a cleaner finish. I covered the exterior with fancy wrapping paper. I chose a vintage pattern to give it a classic feel. Honestly, I think using faux leather would make it look even more like a real book cover, but I decided to stick with my budget 😄.

2️⃣I also made a compartment at the top of the box to hide the LED battery pack and add a bit of secret storage, just for fun!

3️⃣For the interior, I painted the walls in layers of black, brown, and a touch of green to create a cozy, forest-like atmosphere.

1️⃣ To create a Calcifer-inspired flame effect, I mixed soft UV resin with yellow pigment for one batch and red pigment for another (I used food coloring as pigment). Using the largest size of my dotting tools, I applied the UV resin with the tip of a needle. I first added the yellow mix to the tip of the dotting tool, then layered the red mix starting from the middle downward. I gently blended the two colors to mimic Calcifer’s fiery blend of yellow and red. To keep the UV resin from running, I worked under a UV LED light while applying it. This helped it partially cure and stay in place on the curved surface. Carefully remove the cured resin from the dotting tool using a needle/weeding tool; it will form a small bowl shape.

2️⃣Next, pour the remaining yellow and red UV resin separately onto a piece of plastic film. Fold the film to flatten the resin, then cure it under UV light to create a thin resin sheet. Once cured, cut the sheet into small flame shapes. Triangles or flickering spike-like forms work great for Calcifer’s fiery look. Carefully arrange these flame spikes around the resin bowl and attach them with a small amount of resin.

3️⃣Repeat the 1st step to make another resin “bowl” for the top part. I gently tucked this second piece inside the first one to close the hollow top of Calcifer, allowing me to attach the flame spikes above him. This top part is optional, but I found it helped give Calcifer more structure.

4️⃣For Calcifer’s eyes, I used a clear plastic sheet and painted circles with white acrylic paint. Once dry, I added pupils with a black marker. You could also just use regular paper and draw the eyes, and it works just as well! Glue them onto Calcifer’s face.

5️⃣Finally, I made a small slice at the bottom of Calcifer’s resin base. Not a full opening, just a little cut. This helps the piece sit more securely and makes it easier to insert an LED underneath later without altering the shape too much.

6️⃣Then, I made two clay logs and painted them with black and brown acrylic paint. The logs will be placed under Calcifer later.

1️⃣I started by rolling clay into a ball for the Kodama’s head. I didn’t want it to look too perfect, so I gently squeezed it to create a few subtle lumps (just a personal aesthetic choice to give it a more organic feel). Then, using a dotting tool, I added the eyes and a small mouth.

2️⃣I shaped the clay into a form resembling a little floor chair for the body. I sliced a bit into the bottom to give the appearance of a cross-legged sitting position. For the arms, I rolled the clay into small, carrot-like shapes and attached them in front of the legs.

3️⃣I followed the same basic steps for the second Kodama, with a few small adjustments for variety. Each tree spirit is a slightly different size and shape. I didn’t measure the clay because I wanted them to look unique, just like in the film.

1️⃣To create the Susuwatari (soot sprites), I started by rolling a small amount of polyester fiberfill into a ball. To help it hold its shape, I applied a bit of PVA glue and let it dry until it hardened slightly. Once it was firm, I painted the whole ball with black acrylic paint and waited for it to dry completely.

2️⃣For the arms and legs, I used thin jewelry wire, bending it into playful and varied poses. I carefully inserted the limbs into the body and secured them in place with a dab of UV resin. Once set, I painted the arms and legs black to match the body.

3️⃣After that, I added their eyes

1️⃣To make the tree trunk house, I started by cutting a plastic cup in half. I sketched a door and a window directly onto the surface of the cup. For the bark texture, I used the outer sheet of corrugated cardboard (you can also use a crumpled paper grocery bag). I twisted the paper to create long, bark-like strips, then glued them onto the cup, leaving the door and window areas uncovered. I brushed the paper with PVA glue (honestly, not sure why, but it seemed to help stiffen the surface).

2️⃣While waiting for that to dry, I made the door using a piece of Styrofoam from food packaging. I drew wood textures with a ballpoint pen, then painted the door black. Once dry, I dry-brushed a bit of brown on top for a more natural wood effect.

3️⃣Back at the house, I painted the window using a mix of PVA glue and food coloring. I made four different colors and applied them with a needle to fill the window area. Once dry, they had a slightly transparent, stained-glass effect. For the grilles, I rolled three thin clay rods, painted them black, and placed them over the colored window section. Then, I twisted a strip of paper for the window frame and glued it around the edge.

4️⃣For the door area, I painted a small part of the cup behind the door to look like a window. Then I glued the door onto the cup and added a twisted paper door frame, just like I did with the window.

5️⃣Once the structure dried, I painted the entire tree trunk house black, then lightly brushed on some brown for texture.

6️⃣While waiting for it to dry, I made a railing for the top of the house to resemble a small balcony. I cut the railing from styrofoam, painted it black first, then brown, and finally added a touch of green.

7️⃣To finish, I added moss around the surface for a more natural, forest-like look. You can use miniature moss or make your own, like I did. I scraped and ground down a bamboo skewer into a curly, rough dust (you could also use dry tea leaves). I dyed the dust green with a little brown, waited until dry, then applied it carefully onto the tree surface using dabs of PVA glue.

8️⃣I also added a small staircase in front of the door using Styrofoam. I painted it in a soft cream color. Honestly, I wanted to avoid using dark browns again since the rest of the piece was already quite dark.

🍄 Mushroom

Making the mushroom was quite similar to how I made Calcifer. I used soft UV resin to form a tiny bowl using a smaller-sized dotting tool, and this became the mushroom cap. For the stalk, I used jewelry wire and attached it to the cap with a drop of hard UV resin. Once cured, it held together nicely. Some mushrooms won't need the wire because I used the LED wire as the stalk to make it look like a mushroom light.

⭐ Star Light

For the glowing stars, I used dichroic film, cut into strips about 10 cm long and 1 cm wide. I folded them into lucky star origami, then coated each star with a thin layer of hard UV resin to make them more durable, and cured them. I then trimmed one side of the star slightly so I could insert a small LED light inside.

🌳 Another Tree Bark

I created a smaller tree using the same method I used for the main tree trunk house. This time, instead of a plastic cup, I used a toilet paper roll as the base. Everything else was the same (twisted bark paper, PVA glue, and paint). This smaller tree also serves a purpose: to cleverly hide the extra length of LED string lights that exceeded the space inside the book nook. I’ll tuck the rest of the lights into the hidden top storage compartment I made earlier.

While assembling this book nook, I chose not to glue the entire box right away. Instead, I only glued the bottom, left side, and back panel. This kept the structure open enough for me to comfortably place all the elements inside without feeling cramped.

I began with the back section, where the tree trunk house would go. Before gluing the house down, I arranged the LED lights behind the bark, especially near the window and door, so the light could shine through naturally. I also cut a small section of the plastic cup just above the door to sneak in an LED, creating a little mushroom light over the entrance. Once I was happy with the lighting, I carefully glued the house into place.

Next, I worked on arranging the LED lights in the front area for the mushrooms, star lights, and Calcifer. If you're not going for specific placements, you can also scatter the LEDs randomly across the ground. I secured the wires using tape to keep everything tidy.

When the lighting layout was final, I covered the entire ground with “grass.” (This was made the same way as the moss, but colored with a mix of green and a bit of yellow.)

After the grass dried, it was time to bring the scene to life with characters. I placed the Susuwatari near the star lights by gently punching the ground with a weeding tool, tucking in their legs, and securing them with super glue. Calcifer went in the center. Don’t forget to glue little logs under him before placing him onto the LED light below. The Kodama figures stood just behind Calcifer. I also scattered a few mushrooms around the scene for extra charm.

Once I was sure I didn’t need to add any more LEDs, I tucked the remaining LED wire into the top storage area. To hide the vertical wire running up the left side of the box, I added the mini tree trunk I made earlier. I decorated this tree with more moss, mushrooms, and a few playful Susuwatari.

Finally, after the entire scene was complete and everything was in place, I finished building the box by gluing the right panel and sealing the top storage compartment.

Creating this Ghibli-inspired book nook was truly a labor of love. From tiny details like Calcifer’s flames and Susuwatari's fuzzy charm to the glowing mushroom lights and hidden forest house, every piece added a bit of magic to the scene. It took patience, creativity, and a lot of experimenting with new materials I had never used before, and that’s part of the new adventure!

If you're planning to make your own book nook, don’t worry about making everything perfect. Let each piece reflect your personal touch, and enjoy the process. Whether it’s your first time crafting or you're already a seasoned DIY-er, there’s something incredibly satisfying about bringing a miniature world to life, especially one inspired by the whimsical universe of Studio Ghibli. ✨📚🍄

If you are interested in Ghibli Ghibli-themed project, you might be interested in other Ghibli-inspired crafts I made in my Instructable profile.

As always, I will be posting some video footage on my Instagram @quinzyvarira

See you on the next ible!

Quinzy Varira | Instagram | Blog