When creating a preliminary interior plan or layout, simple paper figures - origami - are often used. In addition, you can use the techniques presented below to create toys for children. Every child wants to have a dollhouse, furnished with the same interior items as the apartment in which he lives. Diagrams, step-by-step instructions, videos will help you make paper furniture for a dollhouse. Moreover, origami furniture is a fairly budget option that does not require large financial and time expenditures.
In order to make products, you do not need special technical skills or enormous effort, you just need to follow the proposed step-by-step instructions. Making furniture for a dollhouse or for constructing models of a future interior is an exciting activity that can bring the whole family together at one table.
Advantages of origami technique
The main advantage of origami is that working in this technique involves limited use of materials. The absence or minimal use of glue and other improvised means in this technique greatly facilitates the work and also guarantees the cleanliness of the workplace. Fans of origami are also attracted by the simplicity of the forms and method of execution.
Sofa
The simplest sofa model is assembled in just 11 steps. We use a standard 15x15 cm square for it.
Step-by-step instruction:
- We outline the horizontal and vertical axis.
- Fold the bottom edge 1/3.
- Fold the product in half.
- We bend the right and left edges by 1/3. Let's reveal.
- We repeat the technique we used for “House”: straighten the side “pockets” and press.
- Fold the figure along the dotted lines.
- Raise the central lower part.
- We bend it in half.
- Fold the sides.
- We omit the central part from step 7. This is the seat of the sofa.
You can make “soft” origami furniture in another way:
Tools and materials
The materials used in this technique are as accessible as possible and can be found in every home. If you wish, you can purchase specialized and professional accessories, but this is not important.
To make origami furniture with your own hands, you will need the following materials:
- paper (printer paper 70-90 g/m² and thicker, to create more durable products, specialized - “kami”, “washi”, foil - “sandwich”, textured);
- scissors;
- a simple pencil or pen;
- PVA glue, silicate or any other, designed for working with paper;
- elements for decoration (pieces of fabric, rhinestones, paints, colored tape and others).
Depending on the level of difficulty, other materials may be required. It is also necessary to take papers as a reserve so that in case of failure you can redo the work. Decorative elements can include a wide variety of materials; their range is unlimited.
Piano
This model can also be used as a desk. If you take a square for it, measuring at least 21x21 cm and stop at step 6, you will get a decoration-house for a puppet show.
Step-by-step instruction:
- Connect the top and bottom edges of the square sheet.
- We mark the center of the figure.
- We add the right and left sides to it.
- We make folds along the dotted lines. We open both parts from the inside according to the arrows.
- Flatten the resulting folds.
- We get a decorative house. However, we don’t stop at this point and continue assembling the piano. Raise the central part of the workpiece.
- Bend down the top edge.
- We fold the sides at right angles.
- We give the central part a horizontal position. Paste on a pre-printed image of the keys.
Master classes on furniture making
The recommendations below discuss in detail how to make paper furniture. Based on the instructions, you can make other interior items.
Sofa
A paper sofa will fit perfectly into a doll house; before following the instructions, think about the size of the product, its color, and how it will fit into the concept of the interior as a whole.
To make an origami sofa out of paper, you should:
- Fold the square sheet in half, then open it and fold it again perpendicular to the first fold.
- Next you need to do some additional hemming. Fold the bottom edge to the middle fold line, then fold the same edge in this way again. The result is three folds, excluding the central one.
- Fold the bottom strip over the first fold, then set aside two identical triangles by folding the side pieces diagonally.
- Bend the upper part of the workpiece to the middle line, and fold the lower accordion to the end. Turn the product over.
- Fold the top corners down diagonally, and fold the bottom corners up.
- Turn the workpiece over, bending one corner inward, forming the back.
- It is necessary to form the legs of the sofa by turning the product over.
The sofa will become an original art object or decoration for a toy living room, and if it is made of thick paper, the furniture will easily support the weight of the toy.
Dresser
An origami chest of drawers would also be appropriate in a dollhouse and will serve as an ideal place for storing small items.
In order to create this product, you need:
- Fold the square sheet diagonally twice and unfold it.
- Fold each corner towards the center.
- Bend the top corner and bend it to the other side. Turn over. Bend the side of the resulting triangle to the base of the nearest side of the square.
- Bend the other side of the triangle to the same base of the square. You need to do this so that you get a small triangle.
- Turn over. The folded corner should be at the bottom. Fold the left and right sides towards the center. Open the paper.
- Fold the bottom and top edges to the center line. To uncover.
- Make a diagonal fold in the small bottom left and right corners. Turn over. Make a fold in the small squares above the previous left and right. Turn over.
- Gather the side halves towards the center. Fold the paper along the small folds.
- We lift the remaining valves to the walls. We turn it over, apply the valves, forming a sharp triangle, which we hide in a pocket, and do the same on the other side.
- You need to fix the protruding valves using the paper sticking out at the top - fold it inward. The valve on one side must be bent upward. The result is a box with a handle.
This is one of the parts of the chest of drawers - a drawer. The other part will be the container for this box.
In order to do it, you need:
- Fold the square diagonally and in half again.
- Bend the upper corner of the triangle slightly. Open the paper.
- It turned out to be a square inside. Fold the corners of the larger one to each corner of this small square.
- Fold the bottom and top to the center line. To uncover. The same needs to be done with the sides. To uncover.
- Make a diagonal in the small right and lower left squares. Turn it over.
- We make diagonals in squares higher on the left and right.
- Turn over. Fold the left and right sides towards the center.
- Open the paper.
- Raise the remaining valves to the walls. Turn it over, attach the valves, creating a sharp triangle, which must be hidden in the pocket, and do the same on the other side.
- It is necessary to fix the protruding valves using the part of the sheet that sticks out at the top - fold it inward. The valve on one side must be bent upward. You will get a box.
The number of boxes and boxes for them should be the same, but their number is not limited.
Armchair
Making a comfortable and stylish chair for dolls and other toys will not take much time, but will add color to the interior of the dollhouse.
Following simple instructions, you can easily make an origami chair out of paper, for this you need:
- Fold the square sheet in half twice to form a cross fold.
- Fold all corners towards the center of the sheet, pointing them forward.
- Fold the corners of the resulting square towards the center on the reverse side.
- Once again fold the corners towards the center, but from the front side of the figure, and then turn the craft over.
- Unfold and straighten the folded corners to form rectangles.
- Bend one of the rectangles forward and the other three backwards.
You can decorate the chair with upholstery made of embossed wallpaper, fabric, ribbons, fur.
Table
The main disadvantage of purchased toy furniture is the price. However, no one guarantees that the doll table and bed will not break from too much pressure or an accidental fall. For daily children's games, it is better to make your own furnishings using the most “waste” material - paper. If such furniture is torn, it will not be difficult to replace it with new one. And to extend the service life of a paper product, it is better to take durable craft packaging for it. In addition, it has a shade of natural wood, looks stylish and holds folds well.
The best place to start furnishing is the table. You can come up with a lot of different scenes with it. The table should be proportional to the doll for which it is being made, but items that are too large become flimsy and quickly deform. The optimal square for a toy is 15 x 15 cm.
The simplest diagram of a paper table:
Step-by-step instruction:
- Fold the square sheet in half. Let's reveal.
- We bend the sides to the central axis outlined in step 1.
- Fold the top and bottom edges towards the middle. Let's straighten it out.
- We open the lower part, folding it along the diagonals indicated by the dotted line.
- Press the trapezoidal valve.
- Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the top half of the figure.
- We straighten the triangular “pocket” from the inside and flatten it, giving it a square shape. Repeat the same action for the remaining three sides.
- We fold the lower right square along the dotted lines indicated in the diagram. Open from the center outwards, forming the basic “Bird” shape.
- We do the same with the remaining three squares.
- Turn the product over to the front side.
All that remains is to form the table legs. There are two ways to do this: lower the bottom half of the Bird and fold it 90° or bend the corners. The diagram shows the first option.
Decoration methods
Decorating finished products is a separate stage in the production of paper furniture.
For finishing you can use:
- self-adhesive paper for furniture (it is easy to cut, and the adhesive layer will help you decorate the surface without any problems);
- acrylic, water-based or gouache paints mixed in a 1:1 ratio with PVA glue;
- fabric imitating the structure of furniture;
- glitter and stickers;
- colored tape;
- templates;
- ribbons, lace.
You shouldn’t limit yourself to just the options listed; to create truly original furniture you need to give free rein to your imagination.
Chair
A chair is one of the most popular pieces of furniture. There are several well-known models of varying degrees of complexity. One of them looks like a classic chair with a cover. Therefore, it can be made from paper with a textile print. The model is based on the basic “Pancake” shape.
Step-by-step instruction:
- We outline the central axes of the product.
- Fold all four corners towards the center.
- We make mountain folds along the dotted lines.
- And once again fold the corners towards the center.
- We turn the figure over.
- Open from the inside along the arrows and flatten.
- We lower three sides down and raise one, this is the back of the chair.
The first mini furniture set is ready. It is quite suitable for a small plastic doll. You can additionally glue the furniture using a heat gun, PVA or double-sided tape.
Another option for doll furniture:
Closet
As a rule, dolls have an extensive closet and it needs to be put away somewhere. An origami cabinet is perfect for this purpose.
Such furniture made of wrapping paper looks good. It requires two squares with a side of 21 cm.
Step-by-step instruction:
- We divide the first square in half in two directions.
- Then we bend each part in half again.
- Cut the square in half.
Part 1:
- We bend the top edge towards the middle.
- Let's turn it over again.
- We fold the outer sections in half. Let's reveal.
- Raise the upper part in the direction of the arrow.
- Fold the sides.
- We form the corners of the half-box.
Part 2:
- We bend the second half of the square to the middle.
- Open the fold.
Part 3:
- Divide the square in half.
- And then into four parts lengthwise and crosswise.
- Fold the first section from the top in a zigzag manner.
- We process another square in the same way.
- We connect both blanks along the arrows.
Part 4, bar:
- We bend a strip of thin cardboard 15x1 cm in half, marking the middle. Let's reveal.
- Fold lengthwise.
- We divide the strip into 4 sections.
- Fold in the sides.
General assembly:
All the parts are ready, it's time to connect them together.