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Craig Labenz Miniatures
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Scale Miniatures

Handmade in 1:12 scale

Miniatures have been a passion of mine since I was a kid. You can follow my work on Instagram @craiglabenzminiatures. Or on my Facebook page, Craig Labenz Miniatures. I’m planning to start selling limited editions of my work soon and I’m considering taking commissions. Stay tuned.

Upcoming Shows:

Tom Bishop Chicago, April 29 – May 1, 2022

Craig Labenz holding his handmade 1/12th scale electric chandelier
Craig Labenz playing with his handcrafted 1:12th scale croquet set.
1:12th scale miniature croquet set by Craig Labenz

Here’s a look at what I’ve been up to on Instagram:

craiglabenzminiatures

Miniature Artist. In real life, I also build websites @craiglabenzdesign.

Craig Labenz
I’m really excited to be featured in the current I’m really excited to be featured in the current issue of Dollhouse Miniatures Magazine (issue 83). @genuinejoan wrote such a sweet article about how I got started in miniatures at a young age. I’ve been reading this magazine since it’s earlier incarnation as “Nutshell News” when I was a kid, so this is really a thrill. You can purchase single print or digital issues through @dhminiatures. There’s also a link in my bio.
I’ve been working on weaving a 1/12th scale mini I’ve been working on weaving a 1/12th scale miniature “cane” seat out of thread for my circa 1793 John Seymour “Falmouth” chair. Figuring out the best way to do this technique occupied a few weeks earlier in the summer. And there were lots of things to figure out… thread type, needle size, hole size and spacing. And how to keep the thread from getting knots! (Still a problem…) I ended up using two colors of DMC cotton thread to give the weaving a little more dimension and, spoiler alert, the chair’s base color is black — so the seat surface has to be painted before the weaving. The weight of the thread is also critical because in a few places, as many as 10 lengths of thread go through a single hole. The seat itself is about a scale 1/2” thick with mortise and tenon joinery at the corners. That’s pretty thin for those joints, and an earlier prototype broke at the corners from the thread tension. So I increased the depth of the mortises and made a frame to hold the seat firmly in place while weaving. So far so good. Fingers crossed.
This little chair has consumed much of my summer — or more accurately, a series of chair prototypes. I’ve made six, but in the end I only need one. At first glance, it’s a simple form — but it’s actually incredibly complex: there are only a few 90 degree angles. The rest are a series of interrelated compound angles. So far, I’ve made around 125 bits and pieces to construct this chair (sliding tables, cutting jigs, guides, wedges) along with 30 pages of construction notes. Ahead are a carved back splat, woven cane seat, and some pretty elaborate painting. The original chair is attributed to John Seymour, an English cabinet maker who came to America in the late 18th century — first settling in Falmouth (now Portland), Maine and then moving to Boston where he and his son, Thomas, rose to prominence. But the painting on the chair is attributed to John Seymour Jr., another apprentice son. John Jr. died in 1793 so that dates the chair right around that time. Another occupation of mine for the past few weeks has been foraging for blackberries at Magnuson Park in Seattle on my morning walks.
I had such a good time talking with @dthomasminiat I had such a good time talking with @dthomasminiatures as part of his “Meet the Miniaturist” series! If you want to a learn more about my work and how I got started making miniatures — and get a peek behind the scenes in my workshop — you can the watch replay of the interview on YouTube. You can find the link in my bio.
I had such a good time talking with @dthomasminiat I had such a good time talking with @dthomasminiatures as part of his “Meet the Miniaturist” series! If you want to a learn more about my work and how I got started making miniatures — and get a peek behind the scenes in my workshop — you can the watch replay of the interview on YouTube. You can find the link in my bio.
I had such a good time talking with @dthomasminiat I had such a good time talking with @dthomasminiatures as part of his “Meet the Miniaturist” series! If you want to a learn more about my work and how I got started making miniatures — and get a peek behind the scenes in my workshop — you can the watch replay of the interview on YouTube. You can find the link in my bio.
In this video, you can see that I designed my 1/12 In this video, you can see that I designed my 1/12th scale, 18th century kitchen room box to be ‘modular’ — so the interior of the room could be swapped out in the future. The window, exterior door, ceiling, lighting and the inner room itself are all removable from the exterior box. A really nice bonus of this is that it gives me easier access to hard to reach corners — especially the wiring, which is a little complicated. I’ve got the lights wired on a three channel remote control. One channel for the chandelier, sconces and candlesticks, one channel for the 🔥 and one channel that turns on 28 tiny pico LEDs that are hidden between the ceiling beams. And... those pico LEDs are also on a separate dimmer to control the ambient overhead lighting.
I made this little 1:12 scale chicken and cart Eas I made this little 1:12 scale chicken and cart Easter decoration this week to replicate a full-size version that I think dates from the 1940s. The original is made from cardboard, wood and wire. The miniature is made from card stock, wood and wire. Happy Easter! 🐣🐇 🥚
“C'est le temps que tu as perdu pour ta rose qui “C'est le temps que tu as perdu pour ta rose qui fait ta rose si importante.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Le Petite Prince (“It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.”) For Valentine’s Day, my miniature cupboard is a filled with miniatures I love: a 1/12th scale pink mochaware dessert set by Lee-Ann Chellis Wessel, a sterling silver coffee set by Pete Acquisto, sterling silver candle sticks by Obadiah Fisher, and an antique miniature silver platter. Wishing you a Valentine’s Day spent wasting time on your passion. 💗
Have yourself a merry little Christmas! 🎄 This Have yourself a merry little Christmas! 🎄 This year my 1:12 scale Christmas tree is decorated with garlands of tiny antique miniature Mercury glass beads (paper-thin blown glass with a tiny ribbed texture...), candles made from LEDs mounted on vintage French starburst sequins, a handmade nickel-plated brass star, and a handmade faux bois christmas tree stand.
I’ve been working on some dovetail tests before I’ve been working on some dovetail tests before starting on a 1:12 scale Connecticut dressing table. This little drawer has “Half-blind Dovetails” joining the front to the sides and “Through Dovetails” at the back. Any guesses which were trickier? (Answer: all of them 😉)
Feeling grateful today. Feeling grateful today.
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(206) 427-1586 | craig@craiglabenz.com

© 2021 Craig Labenz