Inside the Shed Where Tiny Dolls House Furniture Is Crafted | How Was It Made?

Tucked away in a garden shed, retired furniture-maker turned miniaturist Terry Facey spends his days making something wonderfully small.

In this cosy, slow-paced How Was It Made documentary, we follow Terry as he carefully crafts miniature dolls house furniture by hand. Here he shows us how he's replicated an antique marquetry table from 1674 in the V&A's collection in miniature form, using the same materials, techniques, care and skill as the full-size piece.

Relax into the gentle rhythm of his tools, the smell of locally-sourced yew wood, and decades of quiet experience at work. From selecting materials to finishing the smallest details, including incredibly intricate oyster veneer, Terry shows how patience and craftsmanship can turn a humble shed into a place of remarkable creativity.

This film is for anyone who loves:
🪵 traditional skills
🪵 miniature worlds
🪵 woodworking
🪵 calm, satisfying making
🪵 human stories behind handmade objects
🪵 if you enjoy cosy documentaries, maker films, or slow TV-style craftsmanship

00:00 Inside the garden shed
01:05 Measuring the original 350-yr-old table at the V&A
02:07 Sourcing raw materials
04:35 Breaking old oak furniture
05:30 Scaling down to 8th scale
06:04 Sawing wood & assembling the carcass
07:12 How to make a dovetail joint
08:59 Making barley twist legs on a miniature lathe
12:23 Cutting yew branches & exposing the heart
15:17 Cutting six-sided pieces for the top
16:27 Assembling the oyster veneer pattern
19:25 What is marquetry? Painting the design
20:41 Waxing, polishing, staining
22:02 Admiring the finished table
22:42 A tiny surprise

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