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Cutting Miniature Bed Lumber...Dollhouse Miniatures How To ProjectsHow to make a miniature bed begins by cutting miniature bed lumber from the proper miniature lumber inventory. 
Print the miniature bed cut sheet.To download the miniature bed cut sheet, click on the image. A PDF file will open in a new window. You can print directly from this image, making sure the [1" reference square] measures 1"...or... you can save the file and print it from your hard drive. To see how to make adjustments to the printout, review my information on printing to scale.
Sand each of the cut edges to make them square and free of the fuzzies. I use my little homemade miniature sanding block. I really try to be sure the ends of all the miniature bed parts are as square as possible. I rely on the squareness to assist me in aligning parts during assembly in some of the how to make a miniature bed assembly steps. For the miniature bed's post we'll be using some 1/4" (6.35 mm) Square wood. If you have a razor saw, it'll be easier to cut these pieces. We need to notch the one end of each of the miniature sideboards. This will allow the miniature mattress frame sideboard to sit inside the miniature headboard trim and flush to the headboard post.
1/64 of an inch (4.74 mm) is about the thickness of shirt cardboard. I take the sideboard lay it down with a piece of cardstock butted up against the edges I'll be marking. Using a very sharp pencil I lightly draw a line across the end of the sideboard. Then do the same up the edges, just a little bit so I can see the depth of the cut at 3/64" (12.7 mm). I now draw a guideline across the face of the sideboard, 3/64" in from the end. I align a straightedge to this guideline and make several light cuts with my razor knife, until I'm at the 1/64" depth shown in the drawing. Again using my razor knife I cut into the edges of the sideboard along my pencil marks. Because the cuts are so very small, I just follow the guidelines by hand, without the aid of a straightedge. Just make a couple of light passes along the pencil marks. This last cut can be a little tricky, so don't get in a hurry. I don't use the aid of a straight edge on this cut either. By holding my razor knife like a pencil, I extend my middle finger down to rest on the face of the sideboard and align the knife point to the guideline on the end edge. I sorta make my hand rigid, holding everything in position and use my middle finger as a guide, sliding my hand across the end of the wood, scoring along my guideline. I repeat this process several times cutting deeper and deeper into the endgrain of the sideboard. As you continue to do this the "sliver" of wood will slowly peel back and the notch will be formed. Now all we need to do is clean and dress it up a little with an emery board. I will outline some additional sanding requirements as we put the miniature mattress frame, headboard and footboard sub-assemblies together. These extra sanding steps are more for truing things up and making the miniature furniture pieces the same length. Painting or Staining this Miniature Doll House Dresser...As with the rest of the miniature bedroom furniture, if I plan on painting this miniature doll house bed, say for a child's room, I will do that once the piece is completely assembled. 
If I'm planning on staining, then I want to be prepared to stain some of the sub-assemblies as I go along. I'll want to stain these sub-assemblies after I have done some dress-up sanding to my miniature bed. I work this way so that the amount of stain and its resulting color on the wood is more consistent throughout the entire finished miniature bed. If I were to stain all of my parts prior to assembly, as suggested by others, I would have to be very accurate in cutting each piece, and, equally as accurate as I assemble the various parts. Then if there is any sanding to bring some edges into line, I'd have to retouch with stain, creating an area of differing color because of some areas getting stained twice. By using my method of how to make a miniature bed I can perform some "true it up" sanding operations on the sub-assemblies, then stain them. I will still get into all the nooks and crannies because the sub-assemblies are open and accessible. Once the miniature furniture reaches a certain point then I can stain the remaining parts, after a test fit, and continue assembling all the parts to complete this miniature furniture bed. I usually stain my miniature trim as separate pieces, then glue them to the main miniature furniture assemblies. This gives me a more uniform look and cleaner edges and joints. Continue on to Miniature Bed Assembly Step 1...
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