3D Printed Furniture: Dolls House

 

Challenge: To produce an item suitable for a dolls house (large scale).  In this case an internal fireplace.

Background: One of the most successful activities from last year was our Dolls House project which ended up stretching out for an entire year - if you would like to view a recap of that project you can do so by clicking on the link here.

Since that time we have always been aware that the making of scale models or furniture items gives the students opportunities to design 'real' items which they experience with or are familiar with.  At times that biggest challenge can come from the scale of the objects that the students are designing.  In this instance the student wanted to design something to fit with a 'barbie' scale that is a design that could work in conjunction with the toy.

Resources used to complete this print: iPad, Tinkercad App, Bambu P1S, Orange PLA, Barbie Doll (for sizing).

Level of Difficulty: Medium - this task was really all about the scale.  The basic design shape for the fireplace came from the main Tinkercad interface.  Further details were added by having the logs introduced inside the fire.  Finally a discussion was held about what else could be done - which was the potential spray painting or the applying of a sticker.

This task was completed by an eight year old student without any assistance in their own time.   

Size:  The fireplace measures 100mm wide at the front and 100mm deep.  The main body of the print was 60mm high and the print was on four legs that were 30mm high.  

Cost/Price: The unit to produce (note the smaller flue0 used 200g of filament.   This has a price point for the unit of $4.50 to produce.   

Timeframe:  To complete this print the printer was active for four hours.   Again as noted the funnel for the flue was relatively short (60mm) and realistically needs to be extended further to be realistic.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: From here the students would need to consider decoration of the fireplace - either by spray painting or using the Roland Versa Signmaker.

Dolls House - 2025 Project nearing completion.

 

In March of this year we started a school based project, in conjunction with a senior classroom (Year 7/8) where we attempted to rebuild a Dolls House as a special gift for our junior school.

We have written extensively about the project including the role that our students played, which was creating the furniture which will ultimately go into it for the students to play with - this is detailed in the slideshow at the end of this post.

Since August the Dolls House has undergone the final layering of details.   There are now two balconies on one side of the house above the two doors.   The upper layer has been created with windows and additional strength has been provided by a beam that is running the length of the design.

An internal staircase has also been introduced.   The entire design is now awaiting roofing with hinges that can provide easy access and some finishing touches.   A clear coat will be applied to the final design to seal and protect it.

We are also going to use the Versa Sign Maker to produce a protective coat for the wood.

While this has been a significant long term project it will end up producing something that will receive considerable use in the junior school.

The slideshow below details the entire project and our students involvement in the furniture making.

3D Printed Dolls House: Final Room Reveal

This is the completed shot for the bedroom of the Dolls House project when all of the elements have been completed and put together for a final shot before it is passed over to the junior school students for final testing.

The students have put together a range of piece of furniture.  These have undergone several revisions and reworking from their original designs.
 

As these have developed several examples have been highlighted due to their details and success of scale.

There are still some aspects of the project that need completion.   The flooring which is shown above is obviously not the finished version, which is being completed with the sticker machine.   The flooring needs to have perspective, and will be based upon a new MDF floor completed by senior students and using the school laser cutter.

We are also looking at examples which we have found online of using wallpaper however again it will require the senior students to complete MDF replacement of the walls before 

3D Printed Bed Exemplar

 

Challenge: Produce a unique, interesting and creative original piece of furniture suitable for a dolls house.

Background: It was never supposed to be as successful as it has been, in terms of output and also the creativity and the engagement with the students but as we are reflecting on the task and winding down the project it has been one of the most significant worthwhile projects that our students have managed to utilise the 3D printers and Tinkercad for.

The progression the knowledge and the development of the students work has shown clear evidence that we have been able to document as designs have been improved discussed and prototyped.

The bed shown left has come from a student who has made several items of design stand out for the project - including putting a detail on the headboard that stood out.     This was created using the basic design template, however its placement shows excellent thinking outside of the box and creativity.

 The design is not perfect and the student is going to address a couple of issues - as shown in the photograph left one of the duplicated blocks for the base is off centre.   The student missed this during creation and it wasn't picked up during testing of durability or AR/VR previewing (which it really should have!).  The student who created this is a student who has developed his skills over the last two years of using Tinkercad in the classroom and is eight years old.  As with nearly all the designs featuring in the blog from the classroom the teacher has not had any input into this design - the student has manipulated the design and created the project.   The final stage in the process is the testing.

Next week we are creating a table in the junior (five year old) classroom for the students to look at the designs and creations and have some creative play with them, we want to have our students have an opportunity to view them, to see them being used and then to 

Size:   The print measures 80mm wide is 95mm deep and is 10mm wide at the base.   The four blocks to raise the bed are 20mm high cylinders.   The headboard that contains the penguin is a further 50mm by 80mm being 5mm thick, which needs to be tested to ensure it can survive being dropped etc).   This is to work in conjunction with the 'lego esq' figure that we have been using, already the student has been asked to 'barbie' size the design up, which the student is happy to do as it simply a matter of rescaling the design in Tinkercad which can be completed with a single click.

Timeframe: Eight hours on the standard default setting.   In this instance the issue to deal with was the rafting that was produced underneath the base of the design which was then subsequently removed - but again as we have stated several times we would anticipate this toys would potentially be in use everyday for years (as evidence by some of our long term prints) and we need them to be as strong as possible, printing them separately and then re-gluing them in our experience weakens the structure.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students:  We want to wind up the project and move into the focus on the school market day so this is the near completion of the project.  As mentioned the feet of the bed requires adjustment and the juniors need to be able to be let loose with the furniture to test it to see if anything unexpected happens.

3D Printed Furniture: Micro Edition

 

Challenge: For a student to produce an original and functional piece of furniture.

Background: Regular readers of this blog who have been following our project work for 2025 will be familiar with the overall project of producing Dolls House furniture.

Some of the biggest prints in this project have come out at over fifteen hours.   The couch that was shown left was designed to be micro scale and as a result was about to be printed in ninety minutes.

This was designed with the figures in mind that we had been using to scale the designs, but while one figure fits rather snugly in this couch it works perfectly with another range of micro characters.

The student also wanted to add additional features into the design, so it wasn't simply a block of shapes.  He added in cup holders in the arm rests, smaller cushions in the corner, created the illusion of seats and placed two shapes in the base of the design.

The entire project was completed from start to finish by an eight year old student using his iPad, Tinkercad and designing for the second consecutive year.

Size: As a lego scale print the couch measures 90mm across was 40mm and was 30mm high at the back - while this scale doesn't fit the figure first shown left it does more than perfectly fit the smaller scale figures mentioned.   To scale it up for the figure shown above the dimensions would need to double or potentially triple which would lead to increased dimensions and print time.

Timeframe: Ninety minutes in present form.

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

This couch needs to be adapted to complete the task for the larger figure, although there is potential to produce them for a smaller figure as identified.   The student has opted to create the cushions by shaping the base of the couch, a discussion will be held about modifying the base or introducing something similar to the lines of a cushion, although if this was going to be placed into a junior classroom we would want to ensure that it would be robust enough to last, which would lean towards it being printed as a single piece.

3D Printed Furniture: Shower Stall

 

Challenge: To produce a furniture feature for a Dolls House.

Background: It ended up being our major design project from out class in New Zealand during term one, as the students and the tasked developed during the course of the term.

The final phase is the printing of the furniture which we are using to place inside of the Dolls House.  You can view the details of the project here.

This design was one of the first designs that was created in the second (completed) phase of prints.  These prints were large and intended to be a one off print that would be permanently featured in the Dolls House and as a bathroom a key feature.

This bathroom shower stall was designed to work in conjunction with the figure shown left - this is not the same as the other in the series that featured the 'lego esq. figure'.    However there were a few issues created by this - the miniature barbie like figure shown left is an excellent fit for the shower head, however not the mirror on the wall or the shampoo bottle that is in the top right hand corner.

Size:    The stall was 120mm across and was 110mm deep.   The print at the back was 170mm high.   This was needed for the dimensions as shown however if the other figure was used the stall would need to be considerably smaller.

Once the student is back from the holidays a decision will be made to reduce the dimensions for the other figure although as a feature of the bathroom this piece of furniture will feature significantly.

Timeframe: Eighteen hours.   This was a significant print, with a large base and design.   The potential reduce the print time could have come from printing the shower head separately and the other issue would be the size of the stall as required by the figure.

What we would do differently/next steps for the students: The student  was able to design this complicated and detailed print independently and as it stands at the moment there will be no further adjustments to the print.   

3D Printing Projects: Further Utilising AR/VR and Tinkercad

 

We have spent the last week of school looking at a range of options to produce the furniture series for our students related to the 2025 Dolls House Project.

In yesterdays post we explored how students were using Tinkercad with more originality and detail to customise the furniture that it going to fill the house.

These designs are the next step in that process.  Each of the designs has been created by the seven and eight year old students using Tinkercad and then the design has been AR/VR into the Dolls House so we can see it before it is printed in its final state.

This has a number of affects on the project.  Firstly it allows students to see their design before it is printed, for the students to look at balance and form and to have an idea what their creation might need to have adjustments with.

Secondly the volume of work coming from the students means the practicality of printing all of the designs (which are typically four hours or so) allows them to finish the project rather than wait for the printing - we have previously identified that sometimes Tinkercad can be used to create a project that does not mean that the project at the end of the process can require, or is indeed suitable for printing.

Throughout the process we wanted to scale designs for the students in a simple way - hence the repeated featuring on of the plastic figure.   

The students require an iPad to complete the task as the Tinkercad App with an updated version has a AR/VR option built into its main options screen.

We still want to continue to refine the designs next term as they are pleasing but in some cases could clearly benefit from some placement and details to show exactly where they could go.

3D Design: Junior Extension

 

We challenged our students at the end of this term to create some detailed designs for the Dolls House project, we have the intention of printing these during the ongoing school holidays in New Zealand.

An example shown left from a student who created an original bed design for the Dolls House.   This student wanted to make something themed from the Bathroom portion of the house.    The student is using Tinkercad to create the design from scratch.  All of the elements that were placed into the design came independently from the student from the main design page.   The student was also able to use features like the wagon wheel to create the drain hole.

The bunk bed was an early stand out design which featured more detail than a single level bed.   As a result a number of students used this as an example that they could build on.   The ladder itself came from basic shapes.   This was completed by a student who was working on their first year of using Tinkercad to create designs.

Further refinements of design can be seen in the detail around the pillow on the mattress base.

This student is going to use the sticker machine to create a decal to put onto the bed to show the blankets and the details.

As a basis for students to design something from the start, who were perhaps not as confident as others we tasked them with looking at objects that were in the classroom and potentially making a version of this.

In our classroom the furniture includes a bookcase - which we used as an example for students to see in front of them and work out the dimensions.

Typically we had to ensure that the design was based and shaped correctly, and we insisted that students carry out an animation task to ensure that the design was balanced.

This ensure that everyone of the twenty seven students in the class could complete a design.

The biggest challenge for the students that was present with their designs is shown by the example left, the legs underneath the design in the picture above.

The students independently sized each of the legs, instead of copying one of the legs and duplicating it four times to make a perfect copy.  

The one part of the design that needed the most attention is the feet and we also need to consider the use of the design.  We found many designs online of model dolls houses - this is not something that we want, we are building a dolls house that we want to be constantly used, moved and shifted and have the students interacting and playing with.   As the target is a group of five year old students we cannot have any parts that might break or not stand up to the pressure of being moved, dropped or have pressure put on them. 

3D Prints and Laser Cuts: Where to Next

 

As we are celebrating the end of the school term we have a number of events that are occurring, one of which is our Easter Holidays.   As per the New Zealand tradition of the 'Easter Bunny' there is a large number of media and resources pre-made.  A basic example of this is the laser cut shown left.   It is not student designed and the files can readily be found online and the image took just over ten minutes to print. 

Additional decoration was possible however it was not deemed something that was carried out.

Our AR/VR designs, to apply the Tinkercad designs to the Dolls House are now needing to be 'a model'.  We have discussed how our model images will need to be 'to scale', to have the 'other features in the photograph' and also feature the 'model' figure.   An example of all of these is the photograph shown left, it needs to be repeated as the flooring is not in the correct location, the model was not present (it was just out of shot)

We have the school holidays for the term coming up very soon in New Zealand.  We want to use the two week break to ensure that we can complete as many of the outstanding projects as possible.   We have three printers in our school, two of which are typically able for our classroom, depending on demand.   We will be able to print during the break a number of the larger projects which will be the furniture for the dolls house.   The project has been so successful that we are building a second dolls house which will be made around the dimensions of the first, so we are intending to complete two copies of each object.

3D Printed Dolls House Accessories: Thinking Outside

 

Challenge: To create something that could be placed inside or outside of the Dolls House - 'thinking outside of the box'.

Background: As we continue with work on our Dolls House Project we wanted to ask the students what could be placed outside the house? What would you not expect inside the dolls house?   Some students created a play on words with this - one student has designed a miniature play house to go within the Dolls House.   The student who designed this decided to look at creating a dog kennel that would be placed nominally outside of the house but also could fit inside realistically.

The student is a Y4 student designing for the second consecutive year and have proven to have strong ideas and creativity.

In this instance they wanted to have a name or a clue to the purpose of the box as shown by the paw that is placed on the entrance to the kennel.

Other further ideas were discussed such as producing a dog bowl or even a bowl itself.    The student has opted not to complete this at this time but wants to see if they can locate a toy of relative size.

Size: The kennel presently measures 65mm across at the front, is 55m deep and has a height measured from the base of the design to the apex of the kennel of 70mm.   If the student locates a dog or puppy figure they might look again at these dimensions to ensure that the animal is able to fit in conjunction with the housing.

Timeframe: Six hours.   This took longer than anticipated however the design featured a roof design that required it to be filled in.   The overhang of the roof meant that the outside of the print required rafting.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students:   As with a lot of student created ideas we are hoping that this design will lead to others from the students and to think of new ideas for details.

We have also placed a temporary flooring in place, as shown left in the photo.   The house has four rooms and has been split into four zones as shown - kitchen, lounge, bathroom and bedroom.   The students have to choose one each which will then direct them with their designs and creations relative to a theme.   Students who have created a design that already fits the brief for their area will be asked to improve or alter their design and look for other examples.

3D Printed Ear Rings - Refinement and Adaptions

While we are continuing to work on the various projects that are running at school as we head into the last week of term for term one, 2025, we also have a number of students revisiting some of our previous projects to ensure that they have mastery of the task or in some cases have further refined their designs.

In the case of the ear ring task that was detailed previously as the students have been using Tinkercad we have a classroom space set up via the website.  This allows students to have multiple projects running up also allows us to think about the events that are coming up later in the year - specifically our school market day.  

Realistically this type of project would allow us to print a range of individual designs for the market day and allow each student to have their own creation that could be used to showcase their creativity.

There has been no input from the teacher with these students designs they are creating them independently and identifying for the teacher when they can be printed.   As the size of prints tends to be in the 30mm to 40mm range the print time for a pair of ear rings tends to be under one hour.   They are an ideal task for students to be creative but also have a realistic about printing, including designs that do not work or need to be reworked.

We also have allowed students to use the search bar from #tinkercad to alter and adapt the pre-made designs.   Usually this is something that we restrict with the students ideas having more of an emphasis placed on them, but in this instance as the designs are relatively small we want to be able to allow the students to create something, have it successful and be able to celebrate this.

A good example of this line of thinking is the monster feet design shown left, this has been accessed via the search bar, the student was required to just connect a ring to the shape, group it and the design was finished.

We have in our classroom on display the Dolls House which is the actual rebuild that we are attempting.  We have been completing prints, adding them on and then discussing with the students how they look and what else we can make.   In the photograph left you can see early examples and attempts at flooring, currently just created by laminating basic screenshots however the intention is decals and vinyl coverings of the wall and the floors using the Versa Sign Maker.

We also have encouraged the students to think about their designs during the upcoming New Zealand School Holidays.    It will allow us to print a volume of material and projects and do to also consider some larger scale projects that students have worked on that will potentially involve a longer span of time.   It is too early for students Market Day projects at this stage although we want them considering and thinking about the possibilities coming up.