Dahlia Shingle Seaside Tea House– Crochet

This miniature seaside tea house is designed as a collectible crochet dollhouse with a flower-covered exterior, open front café, upstairs reading room, striped patio, tiny bicycle, and dressed woodland bear. It has the charm of a handmade décor piece that many shoppers look for when browsing for cottagecore gifts and artisan home accents.

The finished piece feels like a luxury amigurumi display, yet each section is built in manageable units so advanced beginners can work through it step by step. If you enjoy searching for a crochet house pattern, miniature café décor, or heirloom handmade display gift, this design gives you that polished boutique look.

Please note: I strive for accuracy in every pattern, but occasional errors can happen. Thank you for understanding and for enjoying my designs.

Project Overview

This design recreates a tall, narrow tea house with a pitched roof, a floral shingle wall on the left, an open cutaway right side, a café below, and a cozy sitting room above. The visual balance is important: the house is taller than it is wide, and the lower floor feels busy while the upper floor feels airy.

The sample works best as a display piece rather than a toy for rough handling. Many items are tiny and lightly stuffed or wired. For the cleanest result, work tightly, shape often with your fingers, and pin every piece before sewing permanently.

Finished Size

• Main tea house: approximately 14 inches tall, 9 inches wide, and 7 inches deep
• Patio rug: approximately 8 x 5 inches
• Bear: approximately 3 1/2 inches tall
• Bicycle: approximately 4 inches long
• Front café umbrella: approximately 4 1/2 inches across

Yarn, Thread, and Hook Plan

This project looks best in mercerized cotton because the house must hold crisp lines and the small flowers need definition. Use thinner thread for miniature décor so the scale stays convincing. Do not use one hook size for everything. The smaller details need tighter stitches and sharper edges.

• 2.75 mm hook: outer house shell, interior room walls, roof base panels, front steps
• 2.25 mm hook: café counter, bookcase, sofa, chairs, table tops, rug base, window frame
• 1.75 mm hook: flowers on wall, flower baskets, umbrella stripes, bicycle frame, sign frame
• 1.50 mm hook: tiny books, jars, cake slices, cups, framed picture, lamp shades
• 1.25 mm hook: bear clothing details, bear ears, paws, shoe trim, tiny bouquet centers

Suggested Colors

• Warm light gray for shingles and roof
• Soft white for trim, posts, fence, and window
• Dusty teal for café counters and patio chairs
• Walnut brown for wood furniture and sign posts
• Pale blue and white for rug, bicycle, and umbrella
• Rose, blush, coral, cream, mustard, lavender, plum, and berry for flowers
• Tan, rust, cream, navy, denim blue, and red for bear and outfit
• Black and neon blue-pink embroidery for the tea sign

Other Materials

• Firm cardboard or plastic canvas for wall, roof, floor, and stair inserts
• Polyester stuffing
• Thin craft wire for hanging baskets, bicycle, umbrella stem, and lamp stands
• Fabric glue for very tiny items if preferred
• Embroidery needle and regular sewing needle
• Black, brown, white, blue, and pink embroidery thread
• Small amount of clear acetate for café side window if desired

Abbreviations

• MR = magic ring
• ch = chain
• sc = single crochet
• inc = 2 sc in same stitch
• dec = invisible decrease
• hdc = half double crochet
• dc = double crochet
• sl st = slip stitch
• FLO = front loop only
• BLO = back loop only
• rep = repeat

General Construction Notes

The house is made in panels and joined over internal supports. This is the easiest way to match the straight architectural edges in the photo. Most furniture is lightly stuffed and then sewn to floors or walls so it stays in place when the piece is displayed.

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Before sewing anything permanently, build the full shell first. Then arrange the café, upstairs room, porch furniture, bear, bicycle, flowers, and sign. The charm of the finished house comes from careful spacing, especially on the left floral wall and the lower storefront area.

Gauge

Exact gauge is less important than firm structure. With the 2.75 mm hook in single crochet, 8 stitches and 9 rows should measure about 2 inches. If your fabric bends easily, go down a hook size. The walls and roof should feel dense and stable.

Main Base and Lower Floor

House Base Platform

Using the 2.75 mm hook and warm brown or weathered wood shade, ch 44.

1. Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and across. Ch 1, turn.
2. Rows 2-24: Sc across. Fasten off.

Make one identical panel for the underside if you want extra thickness. Insert cardboard between the layers and single crochet or sew around the edges. Keep the front edge very straight because the steps, bicycle, bear, and café opening all align to this platform.

Interior Lower Floor Covering

Using the 2.25 mm hook and pale wood shade, make a panel that fits the open interior floor, approximately 26 stitches by 16 rows in sc. Sew this onto the base slightly back from the front edge, leaving a narrow outside porch strip visible.

Exterior Walls

Left Front Floral Wall

This is the main statement wall. It rises from the ground floor to the roof peak and carries the white-framed window near the top. Use the 2.75 mm hook in warm gray. Make one tall house-shaped panel.

1. Ch 20.
2. Rows 1-34: Sc across. Ch 1, turn.
3. Roof slope shaping: Dec at each end every other row for 8 rows, then every row until a centered peak remains.

Do not fasten off until you compare the height against your side wall. This front section should appear tall and slightly dominant. Back it with plastic canvas or card. Later, cover almost the entire outer surface with scalloped shingles and flowers, leaving room for the upper window.

Right Open Side Support

Using white and the 2.75 mm hook, make two long rectangular posts in sc, each about 6 stitches wide and tall enough to support both floors. These create the visible white corner trim on the open right side. Back them with narrow plastic canvas strips.

Back Wall

Using cream and the 2.75 mm hook, make one large rectangle wide enough for both floors and tall enough to meet the roofline. Work plain sc rows. This panel will mostly be interior, so it stays simple and lightly textured.

Lower Right Side Wall

Use teal for the café side section. Crochet a rectangular panel with a small centered opening for the side window. Make the window opening by splitting the row, skipping stitches, then rejoining. Edge the opening later in white using the 2.25 mm hook.

Upper Floor Deck and Ceiling Separation

The upstairs floor also forms the café ceiling. Using the 2.75 mm hook and cream or light gray, ch to match interior width. Work sc rows until the platform fits snugly between the walls. Insert a firm support sheet inside. This piece must be very flat.

Sew it halfway up the structure so the lower café feels compact but usable. In the photo, the upper room is taller than the lower interior shelves, yet not oversized. Place the divider carefully or the proportions will look off.

Roof Panels

Main Roof Base

Make two sloped roof rectangles using the 2.75 mm hook and warm gray. Each should overhang slightly at the front and sides. Add stiff inserts before joining. Sew one over the left front room and one over the open upper room section, leaving the front fully cut away.

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Lower Awning Roof

At the right lower entrance area there is a small angled roof section above the hanging baskets. Make a narrow sloped panel in gray using the 2.25 mm hook. Back it lightly and edge it in white for the crisp trim shown in the photo.

Shingle Texture

The roof and floral wall both have a layered shingle texture. Use the 1.75 mm hook with gray thread. Work many narrow strips as follows: ch 18 to 28 depending on area, then alternate sc and hdc in rows. Along one long edge, create tiny shell bumps by repeating sl st, hdc, dc, hdc, sl st.

Sew the shingle strips in overlapping horizontal rows starting at the bottom and moving upward. On the roof, keep them even. On the floral wall, allow slight irregularity so it resembles cottage siding. This detail is time-consuming, but it is one of the features that makes the house match the picture.

Upper Window

Using white and the 2.25 mm hook, make a rounded rectangle frame. Crochet a foundation chain ring to fit the opening, then work 3 rounds of sc, increasing at corners. Add a central vertical bar and one horizontal cross bar to create four panes.

Mount the frame onto a slightly smaller gray backing so the white trim stands out. Sew the window near the upper left section of the floral wall, leaving enough space above for roof slope and enough space around it for surrounding flowers and leaves.

Open Upper Reading Room

Back Wall Texture

Work the upstairs interior with cream rows in plain single crochet. Keep the stitches small and even. The room should feel soft and calm so the furniture stands out. If you want extra realism, add a few very subtle horizontal surface slip stitches as paneling lines.

Bookcase

Using the 2.25 mm hook and walnut brown, make a tall narrow box shape: one front frame, one back, two sides, top, and bottom. Sew together around stiff inserts. Add 3 inner shelves. Using the 1.50 mm hook, crochet tiny colored rectangles as books and glue or sew them in place.

Sofa and Side Chair

Use the 2.25 mm hook with muted mauve or dusty taupe for the sofa and a lighter neutral for the chair. Make tiny box cushions in spiral sc, stuff lightly, and flatten. Add separate armrests and back cushions. The furniture should sit low and cozy, not tall or modern.

Small Table and Vase

Using brown and the 2.25 mm hook, make a tiny round table top by working 6 sc in MR, then increasing to a flat circle. Add four short stitched legs from embroidery thread wrapped around fine wire. The vase uses the 1.50 mm hook and a few rounds of blue thread.

Wall Art and Lamps

The framed picture above the table can be a tiny rectangle in brown edged in sc with a stitched landscape center. For the lamps, crochet mini bell shades using the 1.50 mm hook. Mount each on wrapped wire stems. One ceiling lamp hangs left; one standing lamp sits near the right seating area.

Lower Café Structure

Main Counter Units

Use dusty teal and the 2.25 mm hook. Make two box counters for the left and back sections. Each is formed from rectangles sewn over card inserts. Add cream or taupe counter tops. The back wall unit should sit under the menu board. The left unit holds tiny shelves and the drink station.

Display Case

Make the front display counter in white and teal. Crochet a rectangular base, then a top frame. Create open window spaces or use thin clear plastic behind the frame if desired. Inside, add two shelves and place tiny cakes, pastries, and jars. This display case sits slightly left of center.

Menu Board

Using black thread and the 1.50 mm hook, make a flat rectangle in sc. Edge in gray or brown. Add stitched cream lines to suggest menu text. Mount it on the café back wall, centered above the work surface, but slightly left of the bookcase line above.

Coffee and Service Details

With the 1.50 mm hook, make miniature cups, jars, bowls, cake domes, and a small teapot. Simple forms work best: tiny cylinders, little domes, and flat circles. Place grouped items rather than spacing them evenly. A clustered arrangement makes the café look more natural and busy.

Upper Exterior Flower Wall

The left exterior wall is covered in layered blossoms in different sizes. Use the 1.75 mm hook for medium and large flowers, and the 1.50 mm hook for small blooms. Make around 18 to 24 flowers in mixed shapes so the wall looks lush rather than repetitive.

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Large Layered Dahlia Flower

1. MR, ch 1, 8 sc in ring.
2. Round 2: Inc around.
3. Round 3: In FLO, repeat ch 3, 2 dc, ch 3, sl st in next st.
4. Round 4: In unused back loops, repeat slightly taller petals with 3 dc center.

Rose Spiral

Ch 18 using the 1.50 mm hook. Work 2 dc in each chain, with an extra chain between every few stitches for waviness. Roll tightly from one end and stitch the base. These roses match the pink and lavender swirls seen on the wall.

Rounded Blossom

MR, 10 sc. Then repeat ch 2, 3 dc, ch 2, sl st for each petal. Make in cream, blush, peach, and pale pink. Add French-knot centers in yellow, cream, or berry.

Leaves

Using green and the 1.50 mm hook, ch 6. Work along both sides with sl st, sc, hdc, sc, sl st. Make many leaves in two sizes. Tuck them beneath the blossoms before sewing to the wall.

Arrange the flowers in an organic column that begins near the patio table, climbs past the café opening, and reaches almost to the roofline. Leave just enough visible gray shingle texture between clusters so the wall does not become a flat blanket of color.

Patio Rug

Using white and pale blue with the 2.25 mm hook, ch 34.

1. Row 1: Sc across in white.
2. Rows 2-3: Sc across in blue.
3. Rows 4-5: Sc across in white.
4. Continue alternating 2-row stripes until the rug is rectangular.

Lightly block the rug so it lies flat. This striped base is important because it visually anchors the café seating and gives the front area its seaside look.

Patio Table and Chairs

Round Table

Using taupe brown and the 2.25 mm hook, make a flat circle for the tabletop. Add a narrow stem and circular foot or four stitched legs. Decorate with a tiny vase and two slim cup shapes. Keep the scale delicate so the umbrella remains the dominant patio feature.

Chairs

Each chair uses brown framing with teal seat and back inserts. Use the 2.25 mm hook for the frame pieces and the 1.75 mm hook for the filled seat panel. Shape a rounded tall back, slim seat, and narrow front legs. Make two matching chairs.

Striped Umbrella

Use the 1.75 mm hook. Work from the top in joined rounds, alternating white and pale blue. Increase evenly to form a shallow dome. After the final round, add a gentle scalloped edge. Insert a wrapped wire stem and a small handle below.

The umbrella should lean very slightly, not stand rigidly upright. Mount it beside the left patio table so it partially overlaps the lower floral wall in the same way shown in the image.

Bicycle With Front Basket

The bicycle is tiny but very visible. Use pale blue thread and the 1.75 mm hook over thin wire. Crochet two wheel covers as small rings. Wrap wire for the frame, handlebar, and seat support. Cover the wire with slip stitches or tight single crochet.

Add a tiny tan seat and a front flower basket in cream or beige. Fill the basket with miniature blossoms worked on the 1.25 mm or 1.50 mm hook. Position the bicycle in front of the café display, angled slightly left.

Bear Character

Head

Use tan or rust with the 1.25 mm hook. Start with 6 sc in MR, increase to a rounded ball, then work even rounds before decreasing. Insert safety-free embroidered eyes instead of plastic if this will be displayed around children. Add a white muzzle and tiny black nose.

Body

Work a small pear-shaped body, slightly narrower than the head. Stuff firmly. The bear in the image has a cute upright stance, so flatten the base slightly. Sew the head centered and slightly forward.

Ears, Arms, Legs, and Tail

Make small semicircle ears, short tube arms, and sturdy little legs. The paws should be small. The charm comes from proportion: the head is large, the arms are short, and the body is compact.

Clothing

Using the 1.25 mm hook, make dark trousers, a blue jacket, a red scarf, and tiny blue-and-white shoes. Add white shirt trim and very small lapel shaping with surface stitches. This outfit gives the same dressed shop-mascot feeling as the sample.

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Front Steps

Using taupe, blush-taupe, and brown with the 2.75 mm hook, make three stacked rectangular cushions or firm boxes. Each level should be slightly smaller than the one below. Sew them together and place at the front right entrance, just below the bear.

Fence, Hanging Baskets, and Porch Details

Fence

Using white and the 2.25 mm hook, crochet narrow vertical strips for pickets and join them with horizontal rails. Keep the fence low and decorative. Add it to the right side behind the sign and beside the hanging baskets.

Hanging Baskets

Using gray or muted blue and the 1.75 mm hook, make two tiny bowl baskets. Add hanging cords from chain stitches or fine thread. Fill them with miniature pink and cream blossoms. Suspend one above the other along the right porch side.

Side Flower Pot

Add a small pot on the ledge near the upper right post. Use cream or pale gray for the container and bright flowers inside. This balances the heavier flower concentration on the left wall.

Tea Sign

The lower right sign is a strong visual accent. Using black and the 1.75 mm hook, make a rectangle with a slightly wider base frame. Add a second black layer for depth if desired. Embroider the words in bright blue and pink thread to imitate a neon look.

For a close match, stitch SEASIDE in blue and TEA in pink-purple. Add a faint white outline around the letters if you want more glow. Mount the sign on two short black legs.

Interior Tiny Foods and Shelf Fillers

The lower café becomes believable when the counters are filled. Make miniature jars as tiny cylinders with tan lids, cakes as layered discs, pastries as folded semicircles, and a bottle or two as slim stitched tubes. Use the 1.50 mm hook and sew them securely.

On the back counter, group three jars together, then leave a little empty space, then add another pair. On the left shelves, stack bowls and cups. In the display case, arrange cakes by size with the tallest item near the center.

Assembly Order

1. Build and reinforce the base platform.
2. Sew together left wall, back wall, right supports, and lower side wall.
3. Insert and attach the upper floor divider.
4. Add roof panels and lower awning roof.
5. Cover roof and front wall with shingle strips.
6. Attach window and white trim.
7. Install lower café counters and upper room furniture.
8. Add flowers, leaves, baskets, fence, and side pot.
9. Place patio rug, table, chairs, umbrella, bicycle, steps, sign, and bear.

Placement Notes for Accuracy

• The floral wall should be dense on the left side, especially from mid-height downward.
• The upstairs bookcase sits against the rear wall, slightly right of center.
• The small round table and blue vase belong in the upper room near the left interior side.
• The display case sits on the lower front interior, a little left of center.
• The bear stands on the porch beside the steps, not deep inside the café.
• The bicycle rests on the rug edge in front of the lower opening.
• The sign stands at the far lower right front corner.

Final Assembly and Facial Detailing

Check the house from the front before sewing the last loose pieces. Straighten the roof, confirm the upper floor is level, and adjust the flower spacing so the left wall climbs in a natural wave. Embroider the bear’s eyes small and friendly, add a centered nose, and give the scarf a slight side drape.

Care Notes

Display the piece away from direct moisture and strong sun. Dust gently with a soft makeup brush or cool hair dryer on the lowest setting. Do not machine wash. If a tiny accessory loosens, tack it back with matching sewing thread instead of soaking the whole house.

Quick Checklist Before You Finish

• Roof edges aligned and trimmed in white
• Window centered on upper left wall
• Flower wall full but not overcrowded
• Café counters filled and balanced
• Upper room includes table, vase, bookcase, sofa, chair, and lamps
• Patio scene includes rug, umbrella, table, chairs, bicycle, sign, and bear

Detailed Cleaning and Preservation Guidelines

For long-term preservation, store the house under a clear display cover when not in use. Keep it in a dry room with stable temperature. If the roof or wall panels soften over time, open a seam carefully and replace the insert. Avoid heavy fragrance sprays, as they can discolor light cotton and weaken glued miniature details.