How to Make Tiny Wooden Houses Using Scrap Wood

These tiny wooden houses are adorable and perfect for a small shelf or tiered tray!

I made a small village of snowy scrap-wood houses to fill a thrifted wall shelf I’d been saving for the right project. The finished piece became a cozy winter display and worked beautifully as seasonal decor in my antique booth.

Supplies

• A wood 2 x 4 board
• A miter saw
• Acrylic paint
• Thick and thin paintbrushes
• A pencil and a ruler
• Wood glue
• Wood dowels and wood craft sticks (to make chimneys)
• A hack saw
• Glitter (optional)
• Tacky Glue or Mod Podge (to adhere glitter)

How To Make Tiny Wooden Houses – 4 Easy Steps

STEP 1:

Trace out your houses. Start by finding and marking the center of the 2×4. Draw a line below to mark the bottom of the roof. Draw two lines to the center point to make a triangle. Measure from the center 3″ down from the top and draw a line to mark the bottom of the house. Cut with a miter saw, then use a sanding block to smooth any rough edges.

Safety note: It’s best to work from the long end of your 2×4 and cut each house as you go using a miter saw. Keeping the board long gives you better control and keeps your hands safely away from the blade.

STEP 2:

Cut wooden chimneys and attach them to each house using wood glue. For the taller houses, I used two wooden craft sticks glued together and a square wood dowel for the others.

Tip: You can also use a nail for a chimney.

For angled cuts, use the roof line of your house as a guide and mark with a pencil.

Cut chimney pieces with a hacksaw.

STEP 3:

Paint your houses and sketch where the doors and windows will go in pencil.

Paint the doors and windows using a wide brush using long, single strokes.

Use a small pointed paintbrush to make lines for the windows.

STEP 4:

Paint tacky glue or Mod Podge onto the roof and sprinkle with glitter (optional).