Painted Dollhouse Kitchen Dresser

This cabinet is made from common household materials so that anyone can make it. I enjoy taking common garbage and turning it into something beautiful, for instance the cardboard in this project. This cabinet was so fun to make and I think it looks great! I love this little cabinet and I hope you will too!

I started with the following:

~Non-corrogated cardboard (I collected it from the back cover of a used-up sketchbook)---Cut it like the picture, and sketch the drawer and cabinet outlines on to the front panel.

~Wood glue

~A ruler!

~Paintbrush

~Pencil

I cut on the lines of the front panel, and then cut another. It's fine if you cut the 2 panels into pieces to make it easier cutting out the holes, but make sure that THE TWO PANELS ARE CUT AT DIFFERENT SPOTS, so that when you glue them together they will be complete and secure.

Glue one panel on top of the other, so that the edges line up and everything is sturdy.

Glue the cabinet back to the cabinet floor at a ninety degree angle. Add the sides and press together. then glue in the shelf so that when you place the front panel on, the shelf is on the line between the drawer and cabinet spaces.

I added the front panel with plenty of glue, then strapped it on with rubber bands overnight. I don't think you have to do it overnight, I just wanted to be sure it would stick.

I cut out the drawer pieces, making sure that:

1. the width of the bottoms could slide easily into the front panel of the cabinet
2. the height of the side priced wasn't too tall for the height of the spaces in the front panel
3. the depth of the bottoms wasn't too long for the depth of the cabinet.

I glued the cabinet like this:

1. Glue the back of the cabinet onto the bottom, at 90 degrees.
2. glue sides on.
3. glue front on.
4. repeat for other drawer.

I glued on apiece for the top of the cabinet. Then I checked that the drawers fitted nicely and could slide in and out with ease. I also trimmed the edges/corners of the cabinet to keep them smooth/make sure nothing stuck out.

For this step, we need a small bit of coffee stirrer---the thin plastic straw kind, and two squares of cardboard, slightly larger than the holes that they will cover.

Put some glue on the edge of the cabinet doors and stick on a small portion of the coffee stirrer. Spread glue onto the coffee stirrer and cardboard, and wrap + stick on a strip of paper to hold the tube on. Do these steps on both door pieces.

Cut two other pieces of cardboard the same size as the doors. they can be thinner, like cereal box stuff. Glue those on each door. you can do one on each side, like I did.

Do the same on the drawers: cut additional pieces of cardboard, and glue em on the front of the drawers.

For this step we need two new things:

1. Two toothpicks.
2. Some air-dry clay (I use paper clay)

Cut each toothpick the length of the doors. Slide them through each coffee stirrer, and dab a bit of glue on one end. mold a teeny bit of clay onto the end with the glue. Make into a tiny cube. Do the same on the other end. repeat for the other door. Then glue those doors onto the cabinet, only gluing the clay cubes so that the cabinets can open and shut. Let that dry for a LONG time!!!

Use 4 small cube beads for legs. It don't matter none if they ain't matching. Or what color they are. Glue them on each bottom corner.

Trace the top of the cabinet onto cardboard, leaving a little edge around. Cut this out, then round corners and cut a similar one, but a bit smaller. Don't glue them together yet.

Mold more clay into the cracks between the legs and cardboard, smoothing over the transition. Let it dry.

Spread glue onto the top of the cabinet. Remember the other counter piece we cut before? Press that on. Not the smaller one though.

Paint the cabinet dark green, or whatever color you like. Also paint the drawers, but you don't have to paint the cabinet doors or the drawer fronts.

Now paint the drawer fronts, the cabinet doors, and the smaller counter piece white. Glue on the white counter, centering it on the green.

I painted one red flower in the center of each drawer. Then I added a little vine on each side of each flower. Then I added 3 flowered plant on each cabinet, with vines and larger leaves. I painted the corners of the counter also. I painted white centers on 4 flowers---two on each cabinet door, towards the edges. For the other ones, it is unnecessary, as white handles will be strategically placed there.

I glued 4 white seed beads in the centers of the remaining flowers to serve as handles. I used gorilla glue.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and are happy with the product!