Introduction: Doctor Who TARDIS Book Nook (That’s Bigger on the Inside!)

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About: I'm a professional writer and an amateur sewist, builder, hot gluer, dremel user, crocheter, painter, paper crafter, and baker.

Making the TARDIS from scratch is kind of a daunting task. I mean, it’s part time machine, part spacecraft in the shape of an obsolete telephone kiosk from the 1950s.

But I was determined! Follow along to see how I made my own TARDIS that’s bigger on the inside, and how you can make one too.

Supplies

What you’ll need:

  • Several sheets of basswood or balsa wood
  • Books you feel comfortable cutting into — the more science-y and space-y, the better
  • Hot glue gun w/ hot glue sticks
  • Craft glue
  • Four small hinges - 1” with screws
  • Screwdriver
  • Small magnets
  • A Dremel with a rotary saw that can cut through books easily (or a real saw if you have one)
  • The attached printables for the windows and the Police Box signs.
  • Cardstock
  • Three color-changing puck lights with a remote (I got mine from Home Depot)
  • Acrylic paint
  • Cardboard
  • Small wooden coffee stirrer type sticks
  • Air dry clay
  • Vellum paper that’s printable
  • Random industrial-looking bits and bobs for the inside, like wire, string, twine washers, wire mesh, and/or any small metal bits, etc.

Step 1: Build the Base

Once you’ve procured some inexpensive space-themed books — at least eight or so — you can start building the base of the TARDIS.

Using basswood or balsa wood (basically any type of craft wood you can buy at a craft store) and some craft glue, start cutting and constructing a rectangular structure that — in the middle — is taller than the shortest book, and — on the two sides — is shorter by about 1.5 inches. Please refer to the photos for a better example.

Once you’ve done that, you can start cutting your books. Use a dremel or a saw to cut them in an L-shape, like the photos show. Glue them together — use some strips of cardboard to hold them together. Then they can slot nicely onto the base you built.

Use some wide popsicle sticks and some craft wood to start creating/gluing the top part of the TARDIS. It’s a simple square.

Step 2: Start Painting

At this point, it would be a good idea to start painting the outside a TARDIS blue.

I created the top light part of the TARDIS out of a pen cap, colored stripes on it with a sharpie, and I cut a hole through the top of the TARDIS so light could leak in when I installed lights.

Once the paint is dry, you can glue the books to the base you built.

You can also see this is where I started planning the inside of the TARDIS, which I will go over in the next step.

Step 3: Start the Inside

To make the hexagonal console which is used to operate the TARDIS, I found a glass tea light holder from Goodwill and glued it onto the smallest terracotta pot I could find. Then I covered it in air dry clay, which made it look even more like the console. I started messing around with plastic (and later used plastic tubing) to make the console reach the ceiling of the TARDIS.

I attached a real picture of the TARDIS interior that you can reference.

Step 4: Build the Doors

Grab another sheet of craft wood, and cut to size two rectangles for doors. Cut a rectangular hole in each for the top windows. Using small popsicle sticks, glue them on the fronts in order to frame the doors. Paint them the same blue as the TARDIS.

Print out the “PULL TO OPEN” sign. In the second frame, beneath the top frame, create a smaller frame for the sign using the same smaller popsicle sticks. Paint it blue before gluing over the sign. Cut a small piece of wire for the handle and glue it on.

Step 5: Attach the Doors

Print the windows (attached) onto vellum paper, which is slightly transparent. Cut out the windows and glue them to the inside of the top part of the doors.

Get some 1” metal hinges and attach the doors using the screws that come with them.

This is also the point where I printed out and glued on the black “POLICE BOX” sign at the top.

Step 6: Continue the Inside

I attached the three puck lights inside — one on each side and one on the top. I glued each puck light to a magnet and glued a magnet to the inside of the TARDIS. That way, I can easily remove the puck lights if I need to replace the batteries.

The remote will operate all three at the same time. I usually use the turquoise-blue lighting.

I cut a short length of plastic tubing and put some spiral bound fairy lights inside, which I then put inside of the glass tea light holder.

I used cardboard, washers, paint and twine-covered wire to finish the background of the inside of the TARDIS.

Underneath the console, I glued some foil-covered balsa wood and wire mesh to the bottom.

I also attached some strings draping from the ceiling to further emulate the real interior.

Step 7: Finished!

And that’s basically it! You can put it on your shelf and use the remote to turn on the lights. That’s how you can build a TARDIS that’s bigger on the inside. Unfortunately no space flying or time traveling abilities though!