Miniatures can be an expensive hobby.  But they don’t have to be.  

Re-using supplies, packaging and adding a little ingenuity makes this kind of creative art form so rewarding.

I started by sketching a rough layout so I could see what would fit into the box I was using. This is a guesstimate and changes as you add the actual items in 3-dimensional space.

I knew I had a few pieces from a leftover miniature kit I was going to use to build the base of the cabinet and started by painting the rest of the wood pieces the same green color.  I used coffee stir sticks to give the backing of the piece a beadboard look. 

I used a thinner version of coffee stir sticks I painted with watered down brown acrylic paint to become the wood flooring.

Let’s take a closer look at what I used for what part.

• The wallpaper is hand-painted watercolor paper and the top molding is Archer and Olive washi tape.
• The window frame came from an extra miniature kit with a magazine cut out glued behind it to look like scenery.
• The green hutch used pieces from that extra miniature kit, coffee sit sticks for the background, a nail art metal frame for the shelf frame, watercolor paper painted and cut to make doors and drawers, and nail art caviar beads for handles.
• The desk was made with a left over wood top stained to match, wooden beads from an old necklace glue together with a toothpick stabilizing them down the center.
• The flowers were scrap pieces placed in another bead from an old necklace
• The handmade journal was made from paper and the A&O ampersand was the charm from an older notebook

So as you can see, miniatures can be an amazing creative exercise in using what you already have!

This tiny washi tape was made by cutting a thin slice of Archer and Olive’s washi tape and wrapping it around the tips of the tweezers, seen below.

Now on to the tiny notebooks!

I used some larger scale miniature notebooks I cut down and then created a cover with specially treated brown paper that looks like leather.  It is a Japanese technique called momigami, that “kneads” paper until it becomes like cloth.

In this technique, you use hand lotion and repeated crumpling and smoothing to knead the paper fibers into a cloth like texture that can approximate the look of leather when painted.

Miniature scenes aren’t the only thing you can do to upcycle Archer and Olives beautiful packaging.  Here are a few more ideas.

• Store pens or journaling supplies
• Make shadowbox art work
• Use to keep items for collage fodder
• Cut down marker boxes and make bookmarks

For a list of more ideas of items I use for creating whimsical scenes, make sure you download this post’s printable!

 One of my favorite ways to challenge my creativity is to imagine all the things I can transform packaging into! 

It’s a way to celebrate sustainability and nurture our creativity at the same time, as well as enjoying Archer and Olive's beautiful boxes and attention to detail.

What ways do you love to reuse decorative packaging?