A miniature Spiral Stair Case - 1:12 scale DIY Tutorial

 I have long dreamed of creating the library of my dreams.  This library has to include the ladders on brass rails.  It has to be two floors with a balcony and it has to have a spiral staircase.  So a month ago when I decided to begin crafting my grand dollhouse, the library was the obvious pick in terms of what room to work on first.  

I built up my walls and then sat staring at my two floor library.  I needed to find a way to get my fictional characters up to the balcony.  I looked online and found a few kits.  I actually almost bought this one. But I had already spent so much money in recent weeks that I didn't want to spend the money.  Besides, how difficult could it be?  And wouldn't it be more fun to make my own?  So that is exactly what I set out to do.  I literally used random bits and pieces that I had laying around the house so technically this cost me nothing!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Materials  

These materials can be adjusted to match what supplies you have on hand.   

1 - 3/16th round dowel  at least 9 inches in length (the length needs to match the height of your ceiling)

3-4  - 1/16th round dowel by 12 inches (the amount you need will be determined by how high your ceiling     and the height of each step)

8-10-  3/4 inch wide by 6 inches  craft sticks (the number is determined by the height of your ceiling and any broken sticks during the building process)

Craft knife and/or Miter Shears 

Small Clamp  

Sand paper 

Glue - Super glue 

        - Aleene's Tacky Glue 

Yarn 

 Instructions

1.  Measure the height of your ceiling and mark the height on your 3/16th round dowel.  This will be the position of your top step.

2.  Measure 2.5 inches above the line you just drew and cut the excess off.   (For a 10 inch ceiling, my dowel was 12.5 inches)  Run the rough cut edge against a piece of sandpaper to smooth the end.

3. Using your miter shears (or craft knife) cut the 6 inch craft sticks (popsicle sticks) in half).  Lightly sand the cut ends. 

4.  Prepare the craft sticks to be adjoined with the 3/16th dowel.  Using a drill with an affixed 3/16th drill bit, drill a hole 1/2 inch from the flat cut end of your craft stick.  (I find that running the drill at the lowest speed when first starting will help eliminate the craft stick from cracking and breaking in two....but  don't be surprised when some crack and become unusable.       (I have shown an alternative below to avoid using the drill)  

5. Carefully slip the 3/16th dowel through the holes that you just drilled in the craft sticks. Set aside.

6.  Using your miter shears, cut the 1/16th dowel into 2 1/2 inch lengths.  Lightly sand the edges. Set aside.

7. Create a 1 inch block using any scrapes you have around your work desk. I used bits of foam board that I taped together.  You will be using this as a spacer between steps while you are gluing them into place

 8.   Glue the very end of your 3/16th dowel and position the bottom craft stick into place. I used super glue (This kind that has a brush for application works great)  for the speed at which it dries and the strength the dried bond has.  Allow to dry. Using a mini clamp attach this first step of your spiral stairs to your work bench.

9.  Slip the next step into position, using your prepared spacer block.  The spacer block will keep your steps a nice routine distance apart.  Using one of your 1/16th  cut dowels position the step in a spiral.   The bottom of the 1/16th dowel will be positioned about 1/4 of an inch from the rounded edge of your craft stick and at the very back of the bottom step, the front of the second step up will touch the side of this small dowel at the 1/4 inch mark.  

10.  Carefully slide the step up far enough to allow you to apply glue to the 3/16th dowel and then lower the dowel in place.  Glue the 1/16th dowel into place on the lower step and to the side of the second step. 

Reminder, super glue dries more quickly so you will need to glue the 1/16th dowels (rails) into place soon after gluing the step into place to allow you to adjust the spiral correctly so that the rail rests on the bottom step and touches the edge of the second step.   By doing this step together you can assure that you will have a nicely spaced and even spiral.

11. Once the step and the rails are in place, wait for a few minutes to allow the super glue to dry.

12.   Once the step is dry and firmly in place, repeat steps 9,10 and 11 to glue the second step into place.  The positioning will be the same for the rails the whole way to the top. 

13.  Repeat this process until you reach the mark that you made at the top of your dowel (2.5 inches from the top of your 3/16 dowel).

14.  Allow the spiral staircase to completely dry (overnight).

15. Pour some of your tacky glue onto a shallow plate.  Take a length of cotton yarn (cotton will have less loose fibers).  Dip your fingers into the glue and coat the yarn with the glue.  The yarn should be completely coated.  Carefully position the yarn on top of the first 1/16th dowel (rail).  Continuing to add glue the whole length of the piece of yarn, work your way up the rails, positioning the yarn on the top of each rail.  (Yes, you can run the yarn through the glue to coat and then position, but either way your fingers are going to get gluey!)

16.  Allow to completely dry. 

  

 17.  Voila!  You are ready to install your spiral stairs into your project!  Congrats!

Alternatives:

If you do not have a drill you can use your craft knife to notch out the flat end of the cut craft sticks to make a hole that will nestle around the 3/16th dowel rod.

 Let me know if you have made a spiral staircase!  I would love to see pictures!