Dolls House Project: 2025 Summary

 

3D Printed Furniture: Oven

 

Challenge: To produce an individuals student own unique piece of furniture.

Background: This is part of the Dolls House 2025 student project, where we have been creating individualised pieces for the house that we are rebuilding.

This student had already completed the first task when they used the pre-made items from the main Tinkercad interface to produce 

This students next step was to consider what she could then replicate using a basic block pattern and sequence which resulted in the design shown left.  The student was then able to have the design printed to compare it to the various figures that we are using

for scale to ensure that it fits into the Dolls House.

Size: The print measures 50mm wide was 40mm deep and the main base was 40mm high.   The back plate or splash back was an additional 15mm high at the back.  

Timeframe: Two hours

What we would do differently/next steps for the students: The door at the front was a blank piece that could potentially have a handle.   The gas rings on the stovetop are placed in a formation that appears a bit random, the student could potentially include alterations here that would not significantly alter the print.   Their was no fan extractor present at the top of the design.

3D Printed Furniture Designs: VR/AR Progressions

We are continuing to refine, improve and redesign the furniture that we are printing for the Dolls House project that has been featured on this blog.

We have seniors laser cutting the wood and are now redesigning our furniture.  As we have explained on this blog, the first designs have been AR/VR using the iPad App for Tinkercard.    We allowed students to design basic shapes using the main interface and also use pre-made shapes such as the television which is mounted on the chest of draws shown left.   This photograph includes a 3D Printed bed from the first run of prints, but the other details in the room, as taken via the window of the Dolls House are projected.

We have pushed our seven and eight year olds to look out how they can use Tinkercad to improve their designs.   We have asked them to add features to the furniture that they are planning and using their details and creations to inspire the other students in the classroom.    Instead of getting somewhat basic designs 

An example of this is shown left - you can see the progression from the initial bed design from a Y4 student, they have added the head board to the bed, the design on the bed spread, etc - then wanting to add something else an original bedside table with the oversized clock.

The student has been able to produce this and make it independently.  They have AR/VR the design to check its viability and we will then move forward with the 3D Printing of the prototype.   Of course as we are producing a scale model for a dolls house we would anticipate the design will be in the two hour or so range for printing time.

You can see another example of the progression here.  This is another idea for a design, a couch based around three basic Tinkercad shapes.   The seven year old student has manipulated the designs and then used Tinkercad on the iPad to AR/VR the design into place - the dolls house to ensure that the size is correct.   You can see one of the 3D Printed designs in the background.

The next stage is the challenge of how to extend students who have completed the initial designs? The answer has come from the students themselves.   One of the students had the idea to create a counter where they could have a sink and a series of typical counter

features.

The design shown next is the second stage.  A student has built a kitchen top and used the features of removing a sink from part of the design.   They have also started to consider the cabinets that might be present and the kitchen space and the bench space.

This has been printed and measures 70mm long to the join and is a further 50mm across.  It is 20mm across and took just over two hours to print.   This will undergo significant changing and development moving forward as students work out how to create different aspects of the design.

3D Printed Furniture - First Student Examples

Challenge: To make furniture for a Dolls House.

Background: We have been posting about the process of using our technology to combine juniors and seniors looking at the process of re-establishing a dolls house, including all the furniture.

There are a number of reasons that this task is proving popular.   Firstly the students are basing the furniture on their own knowledge and designs, including those who have had experiences with toy furniture.

Secondly the size of the designs as we are building for a smaller size dolls house has meant that the prints shown, including the chest of draws and the bed are both under two hours to complete which is achievable if we are intending to complete a number of prints.

The junior school students have completed the design for this independently using Tinkercad, they have then in turn conducted tests on the viability of the designs by using the Tinkercad 

The design shown left has come from a seven year old student, and was modelled on working in conjunction with the figure above, the bedside table was created by another student.

Size: The bed shown left measured 40mm across and was 60mm long.   The legs were 10mm from the floor and the entire bed was an additional 15mm.  The chest of drawers measures 30mm high was 40mm across and had feet of 10mm.

These were designed to work in conjunction with the figure shown in the first photograph.  The student will need to scale them when the two are put together (ie can the figure realistically lie down in the bed or would that be unrealistic - is the pillow the right size etc.

Timeframe: the bed took slight under two hours and the chest of draws was ninety minutes, the student needs to have the objects to work in conjunction with both the dolls house and the dolls themselves to ensure that they are to some kind of scale (although as has been pointed out sometimes dolls houses are not). 

What we would do differently/next steps for the students: 

When you place the figure with the bed as shown left it doesn't look to scale, but it also has to be considered that the figure itself is not to scale.

The chest of draw has a top draw, however the second draw was too close to the design and therefore the detail there did not print, the student needs to ensure that it is able to be recognised and printed.

Tinkercad AR/VR with Dolls House Furniture

 

We have detailed how we are involving ourselves in a long term project, looking at having a combination of machines and technology from our school.

We have already used the laser cutter to start rebuilding parts of the structure that we cannot repair.   We have also started to use Tinkercad to design furniture which we are going to print and then place inside.

Our original designs were created using the Tinkercad software.  The next step for the students is to start printing the prototypes but also look at ways that we can engage all the students while this is being carried out.

We have talked about the use of the AR/VR option with Tinkercad  and the students iPads.   The students have taken the designs that they have created and then projected them into the rooms that make up the dolls house.

This has given the opportunity for the students to see the designs and what they might look like in a location where they could be placed - it also has allowed several students to refine and remake their designs as they have not looked correct or have needed adjustments to ensure that they have the correct features.

We also gave the students a figure and instructed them to apply the AR/VR of their design to fit so that it was the approximate size for the figure.   In the example of the bed shown left, the figure is the plastic M and M figure holding the fan, the bed which has been already attempted and matched with the dolls house, as shown above.

As it is recorded with an iPad you can obviously VR/AR the shape in an outside environment so you are not restricted by using a green screen.

We also wanted to give the opportunity for the furniture to be run through some of the pic collage

filters to further develop the designs.

This is a bed, designed in Tinkercad, then having a pic collage applied magic camera feature (with obviously a Christmas theme) which allowed the student to present something independently of being 3D Printed.

Again the intention was to allow the students to use their Tinkercad designs to produce something that did not necessarily lead straight away to 3D Printing.

We have started the process of including other examples such as this, in this slideshow.

3D Printing Furniture for a Laser Cut Dolls House

 

We have detailed that this year we are looking at students undertaking several long term projects - the first of which is rebuilding the dolls house that was rescued prior to it being dumped in a rubbish bin.

The Y8 students who are working on this are using their design skills to use the laser cutter to rebuild as much of the base as possible.

As much as the intention was to repair the damage to the original house, the main wood that was used to put it together was untreated MDF which has in a couple of places been wet, causing considerable damage.

After finding examples online that showed some ideas that could be used in the design (such as the shutters on the windows or the faux brick work) the students were able to use inkscape to design the ends.

This is being produced by the senior students at our school, although our junior school students can see the project and have been informed of its intention, which is to give it to the junior school for them to use in the Y1 classroom, where our five year olds are.

We thought about how our own juniors, who are slightly older, seven and eight year olds.  We wanted these students to be apply their design ideas using Tinkercad to create something to compliment the dolls house.

The first designs that the students created were using Tinkercad's main interface.   These had minimal creation from the students, but the idea was to use these as inspiration for students to create their own versions.    In this example the student combined the table with the lamp and then used the size of the table relative to the size of the dolls house.   We have a rule with the students thats typically we ask the students to design their own version of items rather than use ones that are commercially available.

An example of an authentic design from a student is shown left, the students design is based of course on a bed, with the student using the design to create the basic features.

We have also considered how we might be able to use other technology available to our students - the idea is to use the Roland Versa Sign Maker to construct the stickers for the base, and then use potentially the students to hand sew the blankets to fit the base.

3D Printed Extension - Reworking a 2024 Money Box Design

 

Previously this design was created and originated by a student who is now in another classroom.   In the example shown left the student was looking to create a money box. 

The student had wanted to improve the design and had thought about adding a way to remove the coins put into the bank.   This year we are having a school Market Day one of the students from the class this year wanted to create a money box as a potential item for sale.  They looked at previous examples from our class blog and located one of the examples.   We spoke to the student concerned who had now moved to another classroom but we had retained the classroom page and student pages with their designs.

The key issue to improve the design was some kind of opening or way to ensure the removal of coins placed inside.   The students idea was to produce a door as shown.   The student who is currently ten years old found an online tutorial for the process and then completed the design addition.

There are issues with the design as it stands - the student has created the base, but the balance at the bottom will be something that they need to refine.  They have proven however to be one of the strongest designers in our school in recent years, and this is something that they should master in very short order.   

This student has shown since the start of her time in the junior classroom (as a seven year old) to be capable of designing a series of projects that I would consider as good as our senior students.

Update: Upon printing the revised version of the print, including the opening at the bottom the student was able to determine that the mechanism for opening was not working as she had hoped.  There was no issue with the placing of the base, and the balance was retained by the two aspects of the design.

The student was not happy with the 'pin' aspect of the design that was she wanted it to work and lock in place, however it didn't work as intended.  She has asked to take home the prototype to be able to redesign the pin in a way that it will work successfully as intended.