After completing my Rolife model, I was intrigued to start a new project—a customised miniature, where I would have to gather all the raw materials myself. I picked up basswood, a hardwood frame canvas, some miniature wooden sheets, clay, and a few useful building tools. Some were bought online, which helped me save a little and keep things within budget.
Since I had no experience, I knew these materials might not be enough. My plan was to gather more as I built, adding whatever else could contribute to the miniature. I began by sketching in an exercise book— measuring the interior size of the hardwood frame, planning the thickness of the wood, and working out calculations for each piece, like how to cut and fix a small cupboard. These are just basic examples, but I share the full process in detail on my video channel if you’re curious.
The process took time, and there were small trial-and-error moments, but overall, it felt surprisingly smooth. With clear planning, I didn’t run into any mistakes big enough to redo from scratch. As cutting, sanding, and adjustments went on, the miniature slowly began to take shape. It was hard work, but also deeply satisfying to see progress.
Some details needed extra touches, like using an engraving tool to carve the shop name in Chinese text on the soft basswood. For the tiny TCM cupboard drawers, I even found little embellishments at Daiso that worked perfectly. Sanding, though tedious, was absolutely essential—my small round stool is a good example of how much shaping and smoothing was needed just to get the seat right.
Finally, once everything was painted, the miniature truly came alive. Painting was, once again, the most enjoyable part of the whole process—it’s the moment the hard work transforms into something that feels real.
In short, this project was a mix of challenges and small victories—planning, cutting, sanding, and engraving all took patience, but seeing the miniature come to life with paint made it completely worthwhile.
If you’re interested to check out the whole process of this miniature creation, here’s the link to my video. Welcome to check it out!!
I shall share until here today. If you like what I do, you can support me by buying me a coffee to keep my art journey going.
Thank you!
Beamy.
Thanks for reading until here!