Tutorials

Which cheap 3d printer filaments hold fine detail for pocket sculptures and how to finish them

I love making tiny sculptures you can tuck in a pocket — little characters, talismans, quirky heads and miniature scenes that feel finished even at thumb-size. Over the last few years I’ve printed a lot of these, tested cheap filaments and pulled together finishing tricks that turn a raw print...

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Which cheap 3d printer filaments hold fine detail for pocket sculptures and how to finish them

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How to design a one-sheet lenticular illusion for a postcard using household inks DIY Projects

How to design a one-sheet lenticular illusion for a postcard using household inks

I love tiny optical tricks that make people do a double-take — a simple flip...

Aug 07 Read more...
How to build a pocket-sized parallax viewer that makes a single drawing feel like a layered diorama DIY Projects

How to build a pocket-sized parallax viewer that makes a single drawing feel like a layered diorama

I’ve been obsessed with small mechanical tricks for as long as I can remember...

Jul 12 Read more...
Turn discarded matchboxes into a three‑scene flipbook theater with secret hinges and stamped backgrounds DIY Projects

Turn discarded matchboxes into a three‑scene flipbook theater with secret hinges and stamped backgrounds

I love giving small, ordinary objects a second life, and matchboxes are one of...

Jul 08 Read more...
Step-by-step: paint convincing iridescent book covers with interference medium and dry‑brushing for miniature props Tutorials

Step-by-step: paint convincing iridescent book covers with interference medium and dry‑brushing for miniature props

I love tiny things that feel like they hold secrets — miniature books are one...

Jul 08 Read more...

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Tutorials May 05, 2026

Photo recipe: capture silky reflections on resin water without a light tent using household diffusers

I love the little surprises that happen when a flat surface suddenly looks like liquid—when paint, paper or a tiny vignette becomes a glossy pool of reflected light. Lately I’ve been photographing small “resin water” scenes for...

Tutorials Apr 13, 2026

How to rig a pocket automaton with invisible thread so a character performs a clean loop without tangle

I love the quiet little shock of a tiny figure suddenly flipping through the air as if pushed by some secret breeze. Getting that flip to read as a single clean loop — with the thread invisible, the movement smooth and the mechanics entirely...

DIY Projects Apr 07, 2026

How to design a fold‑flat pop‑up theater that mails in an envelope and unfolds into a staged scene

I love tiny theatrical moments — the quiet drama of a stage, the surprise of a scene that appears when you open a card. Designing a fold-flat pop-up theater that fits in an envelope and blossoms into a staged scene is one of my favourite...

Tutorials Apr 04, 2026

How to photograph a tabletop diorama with a smartphone to capture cinematic depth and creamy bokeh

I love photographing small worlds. A tabletop diorama is a stage where light, scale and story meet, and with a smartphone you can make images that feel cinematic and tactile — rich depth, soft creamy bokeh and a sense of place that pulls the...

DIY Projects Apr 03, 2026

How to fake sun‑bleached cyanotype textures on paper props using tea, sunlamps and subtle salt washes

I love the soft, dreamy look of sun‑bleached cyanotypes — those faded indigo prints that feel like memories captured on paper. But sometimes you want that same weathered, botanical, salty texture on a prop or in a collage without dealing with...

Tutorials Mar 16, 2026

How to design a 10-minute cardboard automaton lesson for mixed-age groups using three fail-safe steps

I teach a lot of short, pop-up workshops where people of wildly different ages and abilities come together around one tiny, brilliant problem: how to make a little cardboard automaton that moves. Ten minutes sounds impossibly brief, but with a...

DIY Projects Mar 15, 2026

How to make convincing miniature water with poured epoxy and a rippling varnish finish

I love making miniature water because it’s one of those deceptively simple effects that can transform a small scene into something believable and alive. Over the years I’ve settled on a workflow that pairs clear poured epoxy for depth and...

DIY Projects Mar 15, 2026

How to build a whispering box that hides a sound mechanism using cheap piezo buzzers and recycled tins

I love making small, peculiar objects that ask you to lean in. This whispering box is one of those pieces: a humble recycled tin that, when opened, seems to breathe a secret sound — a soft click, a distant bell, or a barely-there voice. The trick...

DIY Projects Mar 10, 2026

What to include in a pocket maker’s kit for on-the-go repairs, tiny props and quick photo staging

I like to keep a small maker’s kit with me almost all the time — tucked into a coat pocket, a camera bag, or the little pouch of my tote. It’s not a full studio (thankfully), but it’s enough to fix a torn postcard, rig a tiny prop for a...

Tutorials Feb 28, 2026

Can you fake glass in tiny sculptures with thin resin sheet and acrylic gloss

I love the little illusion of glass in scaled-down worlds: a tiny bottle that looks like it could hold a drop of moonlight, a window in a paper house that catches the sun, or a miniature globe with a glossy, convincing surface. Over the years I’ve...