How to Make a Miniature Teepee

Make your own miniature teepee.

Whether you need to make miniature teepees for an historical diorama, or you just enjoy building miniatures, making a miniature teepee is both easy enough for crafters of any age to complete and inexpensive. With a few easy-to-find supplies and a few simple techniques, you can make miniature teepees that will add a beautiful touch of authenticity to the landscape of your diorama or model.

Things You'll Need

• 1 sheet white card stock
• Ruler
• Compass
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Craft knife
• White glue
• 2-inch piece of thin twig
• Styrofoam tray
• Acrylic paint
• Fine paint brushes

Instructions

1. Draw a pattern for the structural walls of the miniature teepee. Use your compass to draw a perfect half circle on your piece of cardstock. The half circle can be whatever size you want, depending on the size you chose for your miniature teepee. To draw the correct pattern size, calculate your measurements so that the width of the half circle from the straight edge to the widest point of the curve is approximately an inch longer than you want the teepee to be in height.

2. Measure the circumference of the curve of the half circle and mark off measurement lines for five equal sections. Use your ruler to draw a straight line between each measurement mark and the erase the curved line of the half circle.

3. Find the exact center of the flat edge of the half circle and draw a straight line from the center mark to each of the measurement marks along the curve of the half circle. You should now have a fan shaped outline for five pie-shaped sections with flat bases.

4. Draw a half inch tab on each side of the half circle for gluing. Cut the pattern out with scissors or a craft knife.

5. Construct the teepee from the card stock pattern. Place your ruler against the straight edge measurement line of the triangular section to the right edge of the pattern. Fold the card stock against the ruler to keep the fold line straight. Repeat with each additional section from right to left until all of the sections are folded.

6. Cut the 2-inch length of twig in half with a pair of scissors. Glue the cut twig segments into the inner side of the card stock pattern so the twigs will extend out of the pointed top of the teepee. Allow the glued twigs to dry. Fold and glue the tabs on the ends of the teepee pattern to create a faceted cone with two twigs sticking out of the top.

7. Make a door opening for the teepee by cutting an inverted v-shaped piece, approximately half the height of the teepee, out of one of the faceted sides with a craft knife.

8. Finish the miniature teepee by decorating the outside walls. Lay out several bright colors of acrylic paint on a styrofoam tray. Paint the outside of the teepee white if you used colored card stock. Use thin brushes for detail and paint stripes and traditional designs on the outside of the teepee.

Tips & Warnings

• Miniature plastic people and animals can make your teepee look more realistic.

References

• That Artist Woman: How to Make Mini Teepees