Treemousehouse

Welcome to the Treemousehouse DIY Project! 🌳🐭

Inspired by Geneva Vanderzeil's Treemousehouse, based on the charming book Brambly Hedge, this DIY guide will show you how to create your own whimsical papier-mâché treehouse for tiny forest creatures. Follow along as we craft a cozy home for your little mice, combining creativity, nature, and the magic of papper mache. Let’s get started and build something beautiful together!

1. Cardboard
2. Masking tape
3. Papper napkins
4. Papper maché glue (white glue + water)
5. Wood glue
6. Glue gun and the glue sticks for the glue gun
7. Sandpapper
8. Popsicle sticks, coffee sticks or any wood sticks you have for the floors
9. Small patterned napkins for the walls
10. Scissors
11. Paint (black and brown if you want a dark tree)
12. Brushes (for applying glue or paint)
13. String or twine (for details or hanging elements)
14. Craft knife (if needed for precise cutting)

The first step is to cut the cardboard for the base of the tree. Cut out two circles for the top and bottom of the base, and a long rectangle that will form the walls. Essentially, you’re creating a rounded box structure as the foundation for your tree mousehouse. Next, take the long rectangle and fold it slightly to match the curvature of the circles. This will help the walls that follow the circular shape of the base.

Now, repeat the same process to create additional floors for your treehouse. For each new floor, use the same method of cutting circles for the base and walls. However, for the upper floors and roofs, you don't need to make them completely round. Instead, shape them into (almost) half-round or semi-circular forms. This creates a more layered effect, making the structure feel more like a treehouse with a natural, stepped look. You can also build it up with boxes that you already have.

Now, start taping and gluing everything together. Take your time and have fun bringing your treemousehouse base to life!

We thought it would be fun to have a balcony or an intern patio in one of the floors.

Once you're happy with the base you've created, it's time to cover it in aluminum foil to shape it the way you want. For the branches, I recommend using cardboard to craft their structure. Glue the branches firmly to the base, making sure they are secure. After that, cover them in aluminum foil to give them texture. You'll need a glue gun for this step, so be careful not to burn yourself! Remember to add cardboard or more aluminum foil to mimic thick roots.

Once everything is covered in aluminum foil, the next step is to cover it with masking tape. Since I’m used to working with papier-mâché, I didn’t cover the entire surface with tape—just certain areas. This was a bit risky because, without the masking tape, the napkins soaked in glue and water won't stick as easily. Especially those tricky areas like windows and doors. Do as I say and not as I do. Cover the tree with masking tape and you won't struggle in the next step.

I carefully covered the entire tree with paper napkins, creating wrinkles to mimic the texture of bark and add realistic cracks. I recommend placing your tree on a large surface, like a blanket or newspapers, to avoid splashing glue and water onto other surfaces. This step can be slow and messy, so take your time. Once you’re done, let the tree dry in a well-ventilated area to speed up the drying process. If you're not in a hurry, just leave it be, and it will dry naturally over the next few days.

It was amazing to see the tree in its white form, but once I painted it black, it became so beautiful—almost gothic! This step was a bit challenging, though, as I had created so many cracks to give the bark texture. Covering those cracks with paint was quite a bit of work, but the result was totally worth it.

This step was a bit of a setback in the project. After painting the tree black, I applied the burnt umber brown I had, but it turned out much darker than expected—not at all what we had in mind. While the tree still looked good, we weren’t satisfied with the result. We decided to mix the burnt umber with other colors like yellow and white to create the perfect shade of brown. We thought we succeeded, but once the light brown dried, the tree turned purple! Some people suggested brushing it with a beige-gray color, but instead, I chose to turn it black again and then add brown. This was a bit frustrating, as it felt avoidable. But I guess you really do learn from these mistakes!

For the walls, I used the same mix of glue and water and applied it to the surface, covering it with small, patterned napkins. These napkins gave the walls a nice wallpaper-like look.

For the floors, I used popsicle sticks and even coffee stir sticks to create patterns, making them look more realistic. we also ground them so tehy fit smoother with each other.

We worked on this step earlier in the process because we were worried that we wouldn’t be able to reach certain areas with the sticks. However, looking back, it would have been fine to do this step after painting the tree. So, my advice is to wait until you've painted the tree before tackling the floors! (we painted two of the floors with coffee and as soon as drop of water falls on it, the coffee washes away)

Don't forget to cut some holes for windows and doors.

The base was just the base, but I saw potential and at the last moment I decided to make it into a basement/bar, like a hidden floor where mice can chill and have a drink. (This is the fun part with a project like this, depending on the structure you can keep working on it even after painted). I wont be showing this part since is not done, same with the top floor, which you can see that has some red bricks made of cardboard for eggs. That will be a bathroom.

The last step is all about decorating your Treemousehouse however you like! Fill it with all your miniatures and DIY crafts. You can even add those extra Christmas lights you no longer use to bring it to life. Set up little scenes to show what the forest creatures are doing. I added a pink door made of wooden sticks to give it a charming touch, and found some fake ivy plants to let them climb the tree. I also added a rope for hanging clothes to dry and, why not, a swinging chair for fun!

Since this project is pretty ambitious, it’s going to take me more time to decorate it just the way I want. I’m collecting all the materials I need and planning to change the decoration inside as the seasons change.

I want to give a big thank you to Geneva Vanderzeil's Treemousehouse for inspiring me to create my own tree. I’d also like to thank the Facebook group "The Mouse House Place", administered by Pamela, for being so supportive and for sharing their ideas and struggles. I’ve truly found a wonderful community there where it’s fun to create and share a common passion for mice and miniatures. A special thanks to Where the Gnomes Live for providing a quick solution for the stairs. And last but certainly not least, a huge thank you to my wonderful boyfriend, for his constant motivation, effort, and inspiration in making this project possible.