Hobby Hints
These Hobby Hints were sent to us, and we'd like to share them with you. If you have a Hobby Hint, we'd love to hear it. So, put on your thinking cap and send yours today!
Sally, one of our in-house miniaturists has a great suggestion for creating the look of wood paneling in a room. "For a more 3-dimensional paneling look, use #9665. Spray it with brown enamel paint, and then let it dry. Then dry brush/streak it with lighter brown shades of acrylic craft paint to simulate wood grain. Spray seal it with polyurethane -- matte, satin or gloss depending on look you want. I've done this and it looked great. The key is not to care too much when streaking on the lighter color. Relax and enjoy."
Teresa H. of Green Bay, WI. offers this great suggestion for landscaping your dollhouse. Use a piece of plywood with foam board on top. Put your choice of "grass" on top. We used "Noch Grass" #2130 wrapped around the foam board and plywood. You can plant your flowers by pushing the ends into the foam board. I used a pin or small nail to start the holes. My husband also put small nails into the fence posts, cut off the heads and pushed them into the foam board. We used a little glue to make sure they stayed in place.
Katrinka B.offers these great tips. Create a miniature wreath by first creating a base from a pipe cleaner, then saturating it with white glue and toss it into a bag filled with either small dried flowers, spices, beads or tiny sea shells. She says after checking and filling in the blank spots, trim it with tiny ribbon and bows. Katrinka's second tip is a cool way to create a bowl of cereal by filling a small bowl with seed beads (she says the 'pearly' ones work really well), then top them off with white glue. After the glue dries, paint lightly with white acrylic paint.
Linda G. of Casper, WY. writes that the small round plastic moisture absorbing canisters that come in pill bottles make great 'canned' goods when you add a mini label or small food picture.
Alice B. of Paul Smiths, NY came up with a really easy solution to a messy problem. When gluing, staining or painting, Alice was putting the pieces onto newspaper or craft paper to dry; but became frustrated trying to remove the pieces of paper that would stick to the underside. She now uses regular kitchen wax paper underneath everything; the pieces just slide off, with no residue and nothing to clean off them.
Patricia G. of Pittsford, NY gave us a great tip to reproduce pictures or paintings. Take a picture of the picture so that it is squarely in your lens (sometimes standing over it and pointing the camera down is a good way). Process the picture in your software and you can resize it to fit any frame.
Cha Cha, our staff miniaturist, suggests using a large diameter drinking straw with the flexible end as downspouts for your gutters. Once painted, they look very realistic.
Rebecca P. of NC uses Glad Press-n-Seal to cover floors when painting and to keep mini wallpaper rolled up. The Press-n-Seal sticks to carpet and doesn't leave a sticky residue on tile or hardwood floors. Since, it only sticks to itself, can be used around unused wallpaper rolls .
Christina W. of Nova Scotia, Canada suggests to use the little curled back off an old pair of pierced earrings as a window latch. According to Christina, the latch is very noticeable and makes a wonderful accent piece.
Margaret R. of Louisville, KY creates mini-blinds by using the plastic pleated liners from packages of cookies. She cuts to the size needed for the window and then paints both sides white.
Jennie & Dusti H. of Rushville, IL craft interesting fireplace screens by making a frame from tiny dowel rods, gluing on a scrap of lace and then painting it black or metallic gold.
Linda M. of Sun Prairie, WI recommends using small fluorescent tubes to light room boxes. We add that many are battery powered and can be mounted behind the room box framing.
Elizabeth D. of Cary, NC uses old Monopoly pieces in her dollhouse: the iron looks perfect on the ironing board, the shoe makes an adorable flower pot and the wheelbarrow serves as a napkin holder on the kitchen table. We add that, after painting them, the dog can look like a ceramic knick-knack and the train is appropriate in a little boy's room.
Barbara B. of Wilkes Barre, PA embellished our black "Welcome" Mat with a gold pen by highlighting the raised letters.
Linda B. of Washington, NC creates realistic fireplaces by either making a false wall from foam core (to insert the firebox) or making a chimneybreast above the mantle. She cuts two or three layers of foam core to fit, and then wraps them with wallpaper liner (a heavy paper used to even out old plaster walls) to give the wall the look of plaster. You could also use our Simulated Plaster
#0710 or
#0711, or cover the false wall with wallpaper.
Stacy B. and George C. of Union, NJ use the Rippled Water Sheet (
#0029) when constructing a pool or lake and then coat it with Ultra-Glo (
#27) for a realistic, wet look.
Madelon A. of Baldwin, NY carefully removes the plastic cover from a roll of postage stamps and uses it as a "glass" cover over a breadboard. We think this idea is great not only for covering tiny loaves of Fimo® bread, but also could work for covering small cakes and wheels of cheese.
Debbie M. of Middletown Springs, VT has found that travel magazines have the best pictures for use behind faux dollhouse windows. She tells us that travel magazines rarely have print over the best parts of the photos, and the scale of the photos also seems to be right.
Joan O. suggests contacting a furniture store and asking for 'discarded', outdated upholstery swatches/samples. She has brought home several shopping bags full. Joan usually discards the ones with too large a design. She uses the 'chintz' fabric to make her own couches and chairs.
Brenda A. of Macon, GA discovered a creative way to create a faux leather wall with brown lunch bags from your grocery store. Simply, cut off the bottom of the lunch bag and cut the center seam out. Tear off random pieces about 2" and use the ones with a straight edge for bottoms and sides. Then, take one part glue to one part water and apply the glue mixture to the wall then put a piece of paper up, spread glue over paper and smooth out air bubbles. "When you're done, it looks like leather!"
Carol H. of Pulaski, WI has an easy way to make ice cubes or glass marbles for flower vases. Just heat up your glue gun and let it sit for a while. Eventually, small balls of glue will drip from the tip. Let them harden. (We suggest putting a piece of wax paper underneath so that you can easily peel off the hardened wax bits and don't damage a tabletop).
Linda G. of Casper, WY says sesame seeds make perfect dog food for use in our dog food bowl #25391.
Josephine G. of Beloit, WI has found a good alternative to using stains with petroleum spirits, which can be hazardous to those who use oxygen or have allergic reactions. She uses artist's pigments like Burnt Sienna and Raw Umber and mixes them with acrylic gloss varnish to achieve a walnut or mahogany finish on unfinished wood furniture kits.
Susan of Riverside, CA found a creative way to make a decorative lamp. Just buy beads of your choice, add a half/bead or bead separator at the bottom for the stand and attach them together with a toothpick or wire. Glue paper or toothpaste cap lampshade to the top and voila! Also, according to Susan, you can find lots of printable lampshades online, just search for "free dollhouse printables".
Aneita V. of Spencerport, NY has come up with a way to create "etched" glass windows and doors. She uses a piece of stiff plastic (like the page protectors that fit into 3-ring binders), cuts it to size, and embellishes it with a whole acrylic paint design applied with a rubber stamp. She lets the paint dry for a day, then glues that plastic to the acetate pane in the window or door.
Carol H. of Geneva, NE says, "Just roll it on." She converted an empty deodorant bottle with a roll-on ball into a glue applicator! She removes the ball with a flat-head screwdriver, washes out the bottle with soap and hot water, fills it with glue and snaps the ball back into place. She says it's a great way to apply glue evenly on wallpaper.
Jane P. of Williamsville, NY saves the 1" clear plastic tops from various hair spray and hair care products and turns them into decorative wastebaskets for rooms in her dollhouse, decorating them with wallpaper, ribbon, small beads, flowers and/or paint.
Brenda of Macon, GA has a ghostly idea. Thread a needle with white thread and knot it so you can string a white bead on it. Then run it through the center of a white circle cut out of a garbage bag. You'll need 2-ply. Wrap the plastic around the bead and tie with thread. Draw eyes and mouth with a black marker and hang with the thread coming out of the top.
Amy M. of Brookfield, WI has a way to create an instant bubble bath: she simply fills the tub with small, clear beads!
Sandi M. of Chesterfield, SC discovered a new way to make a room box/dollhouse. She suggests to use an aquarium of any size five gallons and up. It comes with a light above and all you do is add your mini accessories, i.e. wallpaper, carpet, furniture.
Donna B. of Jeffersonville, IN suggests two novel uses for the sides of plastic berry containers from the grocery store: Cut sections, glue together and spray paint black for a wrought iron fence or spray paint silver to simulate gothic window mullions.
Tori P. of Blaine, WA discovered a new way to add wallpaper, hardware floor sheets or carpeting to your mini project: she simply uses 3M Automotive spray glue. She says it "stays put and doesn't show through like glue."
Chaya H. of Brooklyn, NY discovered a new way to make a wall clock. For the miniature clock, she suggests to use round caps of a plastic milk bottle, paint numbers on it, an insert a plastic paper fastener for clock movement.
Connie of GA says that if you don't have saws you can make several pieces of furniture from foam meat trays. The foam trays can be cut with scissors or a knife, sanded, stained or painted with acrylics to look like wood--great for shelves, tabletops and cabinets, especially for rural scenes.
Catherine M. of Brooklyn, NY says that the easiest way to make houseplants (large and small) is to use plastic aquarium plants. Simply, cut down to the appropriate size for the container; they are realistic looking and inexpensive to buy. I recently finished a florist shop and greenhouse (florist shop was created from the General Store by Real Good Toys,
#9030, and the greenhouse was from Ikea). I was really pleased with the results!
Scott C. says to make a small sandwich, take an expandable sponge and cut it to size. To make the fillings, take colored rubber bands and cut them to make them look like baloney and cheese.
Christine B. of Dryden, NY suggests using facial tissues to construct an inexpensive base for your landscape called "slurry." Simply, put a handful of facial tissues into a craft blender with lots of water and puree (if you do not have a craft blender, tear pieces and let soak in warm water overnight) and pour results into an old stocking squeezing out almost all the water. Then, apply a thick layer of craft glue to your moisture sealed landscape base and place the damp tissue lump any way you choose. "In a day or so, it will be dry and quite firm." After it's dry, you could glue on green mix or
#1706 spring grass or brown construction paper with
#1720 woodchips/mulch. The options are endless!
Lyne B. of Aberdeen, NJ says, "When sanding small pieces of trim, use an emery board. It's easier than using sandpaper."
Stacy B. and George C. of Union, NJ use the Rippled Water Sheet (
#0029) when constructing a pool or lake and then coat it with Ultra-Glo (
#27) for a realistic, wet look.
Sandra G. of Franklin, NC looks for silk fall leaves in red and orange and then cuts out "flames" which she glues to her fire logs for a realistic effect.
Georgiana A. of Hasbrouck Heights, NJ covers miniature furniture with small print fabric from neckties.
Linda M. tells how to make vines from black oak. In the spring, the black oak drops strings that look like vines with tiny flowers. Let them dry and brown. Then paint. "They don't fall apart at touch." Use as vines growing out of a pot and up onto an outside wall or just hanging down out of a pot as an inside plant.
Beverly L. of Waterford, CT shares how her daughter added a light for the inside of her refrigerator. Simply drill a hole in the back of the fridge and insert a 12V Bulb with Socket (
#2215) and tack it into place. Yes, it does stay on when the door is closed if the house is plugged in! (Also works under a stove hood and in a china cabinet.)
Holly B. of St. Cloud, MN suggests that if you have old furniture that you are no longer using, or miscellaneous items sitting in a box, have a "yard sale." Put all these things in the front yard of your dollhouse and make a "yard sale" sign. You can also create little tables and cardboard boxes for displaying items.
Tricia L. of North Bangor, NY advises how to make logs for your fireplace. Just buy cinnamon sticks at the grocery store and trim them with scissors if they are too long.
Mickey C. of Old Hickory, TN tells how to make a mini bowl of green peas. Glue some mustard green seeds into a pot or bowl. Paint them olive or army green. Very simple and very adorable!
Jean L. of North Webster, IN has a tip for making a mini wall sconce. Use a clip-on earring, minus the decoration. Just open it and fit a "candle" into it. Mount it on anything you find suitable and glue it to wall. Adorn as desired. To make the candle, cut a round toothpick to size, and then paint it and add a piece of thread on top for a wick.
Norma M. of Janesville, MN shares how she prefers to paint and wallpaper a dollhouse after it's assembled so she doesn't end up with unfinished corners. She makes patterns of the rooms before beginning assembly, marking on the pattern which room it is for, which wall, which side faces into the room and where the windows and doors are. She says it works really well for peaked and odd-shaped walls.
Carol H. of Geneva, NE has a great idea for miniature photographs. When developing your film, request an "Easy Finder" (4" x 6" contact sheet). The resulting mini-photos are perfect for dollhouses!
Nancy D. of Mattydale, NY tells how to make a tiny doll stand. Attach a beaded-head pin to one side of a metal washer with epoxy glue. Paint washer, if desired. Stick the pointed end of the pin through the back of the doll's clothes to stand it up!
Denice W. of Canton, GA says, "If you don't have a miniature group meeting in your area, start one! Put up flyers in stores, restaurants, etc. If your house isn't large enough for meetings, look for a church or community building where everyone can meet. This is the best thing you can do for your hobby."
Karen B. of Falls Church, VA tells how to give an antique touch to your pictures. Dab washable brown marker on your finger, then rub in white glue. Touch the glue onto the edges of the picture and let dry.
Jane F. of New York, NY says to include a bowl of truly fragrant potpourri in your miniature scene. Use orange-spice tea, lavender, rosemary or any herb you like. Everything else may be make-believe, but the scent is real!
Halley R. of Newton, MA gives this tip for making miniature refrigerator magnets: add colorful beads and Fimo® in pretty designs to a small button. Put little slips of paper "memos" under the magnets.
Jen W. from Westbank, British Columbia has an inexpensive way of creating miniature candles. Use the lead from either white or colored pencil crayons. Usually, the cheaper ones have lead that slides out fairly easily, and that can be cut and lightly sanded to make a tapered top.
Evalina N. of Paradise, PA says to make carrots, cut about 1cm off the tip of a round toothpick and paint/color it orange. Cut a 1 1/2"cm square of green tissue paper. Use scissors to make thin strips in the tissue paper (be sure not to cut all the way through). Then wrap the tissue paper to look like carrot leaves and glue it to the toothpick.
Jee Hye K. of Tenafly, NJ tells how to make miniature paper lunch bags. Cut a 2" x 3" section from a paper bag and wrap it around a small pack of gum. Glue or tape the paper in the back. Fold the bottom like a present and glue it. After the glue is dry, remove the pack of gum and trim the top of the new bag with pinking shears.
If you have a Terrific Tip you would like to share, please send it to:
--or--
miniatures.com hints
2388 Pleasantdale Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30340-3152
Back to Projects & Hints
Accessories
