Miniature Kya’s Marsh Shack Dollhouse Build

A 1:12 scale model of the shack from Where the Crawdads Sing

Before the movie came out, I read Where the Crawdads Sing and got stuck on the descriptions of the marsh. The way it smelled. The way it felt like it could hold you. And the shack, sagging, handmade, hidden in the reeds. I felt like I needed to make a miniature version of.

This is Part 1 of my build, focused on the exterior: the walls, the roof, and the land around it. I’ll share the inside in Part 2, with the kitchen, the feathers, and all the tiny details that came after. I hadn’t gotten around to editing the rest of the footage after I did the roof, but I will be posting it in the future.

At the end of this post is a clickable link to a Google photos album where I’ve posted all my photos and videos of this marsh shack process.

Here’s the YouTube video of my TikTok videos stitched together where I show most of my process:

Materials I Used:

• Dollhouse kit (Adams kit, now discontinued*)

• Foam board

• Spackle paste

• Cardboard

• Tacky glue

• Spanish moss

• Floral moss

• Particle board

• Wood glue

• Sand

• Dirt

• Tea leaves

• Craft turf

• Teddy bear fur

Swamp Shack Walls

1. Peeled the paper off the foam board

2. Drew horizontal lines to mimic wood planks

3. Painted a base coat of watered-down black

4. Dry brushed layers of brown for texture

5. Applied 3–4 coats of white glue mixed with water to harden

6. Put up the walls and held them in place to set

Finishing the Edges

1. Used spackle paste to fill rough seams and corners

2. Let dry fully, then sanded smooth

3. Painted everything brown to match the walls

4. Lightly added white paint in dry strokes for a distressed, sun-faded look

Roof

1. Cut corrugated cardboard to size

2. Wet the surface and peeled off the top layer to expose ridges

3. Cut into uneven tin-like pieces

4. Glued each piece onto the roof base using tacky glue

5. Painted it gray to resemble aged metal

6. Added rust around the edges with brown-orange paint

7. Glued on moss (Spanish + floral), cut into small wild-looking tufts

8. Brushed off excess and sealed with spray adhesive

Base + Ground Texture

1. Glued layers of particle board and foam board together

2. Carved the edges into soft, uneven terrain

3. Coated the surface with spackle for natural texture

4. Painted everything a base sandy brown

5. Sprinkled on real sand, dried moss, tea leaves, and dirt for dimension

6. Made swamp grass by painting teddy bear fur green, then cutting and gluing tufts around the board

This tutorial is just the beginning part of creating the shack. In Part 2, I’ll share how I built the inside, and added all the little details- as in the feather bundles, printed pages, mini books, the little kitchen, art table, curtains, and clutter. All the things that made it feel like someone lived there.

I ended up selling this piece on Etsy, but I saved photos and process notes so you can make your own version too.

Want to build one too?

Here are similar materials to help you get started:

 • Miniature Cabin Kit

 • Foam Board Sheets

 • Spackle Paste

 • Teddy Bear Fur Swatches

 • Moss Pack

 • Printable Miniature Pages + Decor

Part 2: the interior/details coming soon.

You can see the full photo and video gallery here.