JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Inside a quiet Jacksonville home, something truly magical is happening.
On shelves and worktables filled with paint, glue, and carefully saved scraps, tiny worlds are coming to life. Miniature chairs sit just inches tall. Bookshelves are lined with hand-painted book spines. A glowing Waffle House diner hums softly, frozen in time.
Where most people might see scraps and throw-away materials, Megan Smith sees memories waiting to be preserved.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
Smith is the artist behind “Meggy Minis,” a small but growing creative business that transforms meaningful moments into handcrafted dioramas — detailed miniature scenes no bigger than a shoebox, but filled with enormous emotional weight.
“I use a lot of trash… a lot of recycled materials,” Smith said. “You just got to get creative.”
What began as a hobby during the COVID pandemic has quietly evolved into a passion project rooted in nostalgia, imagination, and patience. Smith’s love for miniatures started long before Meggy Minis existed. As a child, she inherited her grandmother’s handmade dollhouse — a gift that left a lasting impression.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Years later, when the pandemic slowed life down, Smith decided to restore that dollhouse. The project rekindled her childhood fascination with tiny details and sparked something new.
From there, Meggy Minis was born.
Each diorama takes hours — sometimes days — to complete.
“A diorama can take anywhere from ten hours to however long you want,” Smith said. “The amount of detail I can get to is kind of insane.”
That attention to detail is evident in every piece she creates. Tiny cups of coffee sit on diner counters. Checkerboard floors are painted by hand. Bookshelves take hours as Smith paints each miniature book spine one by one. Many pieces include lighting, wiring, and custom 3D-printed elements, all assembled and painted by Smith herself.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
For her, every project is personal. Every piece is a memory.
And that personal touch is what drew in one of her earliest customers, Chelsea Anderson.
“I came across a miniature arcade she posted,” Anderson said. “It was so detailed.”
Anderson reached out with a deeply meaningful request: she wanted Smith to recreate the two places she and her boyfriend visited on their very first date — a Waffle House and Chamblin’s Bookmine in Downtown Jacksonville.
“She asked for pictures,” Anderson said. “I gave her the pictures that I had, and then she did the research on it and came back and said, ‘This is my idea, what do you think?’”
Smith carefully studied the locations, recreated the layouts, and added her own artistic touches. Anderson picked up the finished pieces weeks before her boyfriend’s birthday and kept them hidden until the big day.
When he finally opened the gift, the reaction said it all.
“He just stared at them,” Anderson said. “He said he’d never had a gift so thoughtful.”
That reaction captures the essence of what makes a Meggy Mini special. It’s more than a photograph. More than a decoration. It’s a memory you can hold in your hands — something that invites you to pause, look closer, and remember.
“I just want people to feel nostalgic,” Smith said. “And really enjoy the little things in life.”
Today, Smith’s workshop continues to fill with new requests. Customers commission beach scenes, favorite movies, childhood homes, and places tied to once-in-a-lifetime moments. Each piece is crafted with care by an artist who never let go of her childhood wonder — and who still remembers what it felt like to stand in front of her grandmother’s dollhouse for the very first time.
“If you want a once-in-a-lifetime memory,” Anderson said, “this is the way to commemorate it. You can look at it again and again.”
For Smith, that’s the greatest reward: knowing her tiny creations help people hold onto the moments that matter most — piece by tiny piece.
See Megan’s Work
You can view Megan Smith’s creations and learn more about Meggy Minis on Facebook by searching “Meggy Minis”, or visit her website at meggyminis.wik.com to see examples of her work and upcoming projects.
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
