Wee House Craftalong-Ongoing 2011-Forever!

[ysmeine]

Your church is really looking nice. Is that an egg carton stone finish?

[ysmeine]

I got rid of the large chair, centered the bed upstairs and left just the tree, foot stool and small table below. It looks better. I kept trying to make a chair because of the picture that inspired me. I think it looks more balanced now.

[Ashgrim]

Thanks for the tips, Ravens Snow! I may just try that Russian punch needle thing. It looks really cool.

Knickertwist, your newest creation looks wonderful so far! I love the little gothic windows on the front. The floors look really great. I think I'm gonna have to do at least one wall or floor in that egg carton stone technique on my next house.

What an adorable tiny house, ysmeine! It looks like a cozy Christmas hideaway for a lucky little mouse. I really like your furniture. Did you use an old sweater to cover the chair?

Sadly my house did not get completed by Halloween. But it's very close to being finished! I got some cool star posters hung in the little bedroom. Take some advice from me, though, and do not use school glue on paper printed on an inkjet printer. The colors bled a little but I think it still works since it's a kinda creepy house anyway. What do you guys think? Should I re-do them?

 I also made a tiny Ouija board for the bedroom so my inhabitant can commune with the spirits before going to bed. I guess I need to figure out a way to make that little wooden thing that you use with it, too.

I made a tiny crystal ball using bead caps for the little table downstairs but I didn't get a picture of it yet.

I found a lot of cool little things at Hancock Fabric. They've started selling other craft supplies besides just fabric and sewing stuff. I got the cutest little birdcage with a bird on the perch on clearance (woot!) and it has caused me to rethink the layout of the study. I think I'll put it on the little table in the alcove and move the brain down into the kitchen/lab. I want to put the bookshelf against the wall with the little round window. I'm thinking I could cover the window with a piece of paper colored to look like stained glass.

I tried to make a little frame for some tiny canvases I found, but it did not work very well. So I decided to get a framed picture from the miniatures section at Hobby Lobby (which were on sale this week. Yay!) and replace the picture inside with the one I want.

Speaking of Hobby Lobby, they have some really cute mini stuff in their Christmas crafts section, which was on sale for 50% off. I got a garland of miniature holly leaves that I plan on snaking along the outside. I also got some mini Christmas trees and a fairly long little white picket fence. Now I kinda want to do a little Christmas village.

I've also started a new miniature project for my son. He loves moving all the stuff around in my house, so I decided he needs something of his own. At Michael's they have the greatest wooden castle that opens, and I've wanted it for my son ever since I saw it. I finally got it with a 40% off coupon to make for his Christmas present. Another Craftster member did an amazing job making it into Hogwarts here: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=402029.0 Mine won't be that fancy since it's for a 2 yr old. To make it look stone, I'm thinking I'll spray paint it black and then make a stencil for bricks to be painted in gray. I would do the egg carton thing, but I'm not sure how well it would stand up to a toddler. Any advice?

[alwaysinmyroom]

Your details are so cute and amazing!  Love the little ouija board!  I would not redo the posters--I think having the house look "lived" in is very nice!

[Madra]

@Ashgrim, I did the castle up for my grandkids and it's holding up pretty well. If you're on Pinterest, here's the link to what I did http://pinterest.com/marion1mb/castle-geekery/  I used a sponge to make the bricks and I love the way that turned out, very quick and easy once I figured out what I was doing

[bunny1kenobi]

@Ashgrim, I did the castle up for my grandkids and it's holding up pretty well. If you're on Pinterest, here's the link to what I did http://pinterest.com/marion1mb/castle-geekery/  I used a sponge to make the bricks and I love the way that turned out, very quick and easy once I figured out what I was doing

Your bricks look great!  So do the stained glass windows!  Now I'm itching to make a castle....

[Ashgrim]

@Madra, I love your stained glass! How did you do it? The bricks look great, too! A sponge would probably be easier than the stencil now that I think about it.

I love the way your castle turned out! Just fabulous!

Thanks so much for sharing; I've got lots of inspiration now!

[Madra]

@Madra, I love your stained glass! How did you do it? The bricks look great, too! A sponge would probably be easier than the stencil now that I think about it.

I have a friend who crochets doll clothes and doll bassinets. There's some kind of heavy clear plastic she buys at the fabric store to use as a base for the bassinet and she gave me the scraps to use for windows. I have NO idea what the plastic stuff is called, just that it comes in squares. The product I used was a little stained glass kit from Michaels that came with a tube of leading and about 8 little pots of different coloured glass paints. The leading didn't work very well for tiny lines so I just used a black Sharpie. The glass paint is so thick you can dab it where you want it and it stays there really well. Some of the designs I did by hand and others I traced directly onto the plastic. It looks SO much prettier in person than in the pictures.  Also, I used sticky backed foam for window frames and just stuck them directly to the painted interior walls with the plastic sandwiched between. Initially this held really well but I'm finding a couple months later some of the frames are starting to come away.

I do love the stone effect of the sponge...my advice though would be to give yourself some faint pencil guide marks so you don't go TOO far astray like I did   It's also a great way to use up some of the tail ends of paint we all have kicking around! And thanks for the lovely comments...means a lot coming from someone whose work I admire!

[alwaysinmyroom]

Your project was wonderful, Madra!  So many of us admired it!

I have used the clear plastic lids from deli salads to paint on using glass paints...not the milky white kind, but the thin clear kind...I never thought to use them for mini house windows!!  Thanks for the idea and tips!

[HandsyMalone]

I've been looking for a long-term project to fiddle with between classes.  I've always wanted a dollhouse and since I never got one and now I'm a grown up and can have what I want   I decided to dive in.  I am planning a final project for my college class on knitting and knitwear design and also working on NaNoWriMo that both have a steampunk/Victorian theme, so that's where my design is headed.  I bought one called "Dollhouse"    It has a Victorian feel to it already and reminded me of the Painted Ladies of San Francisco.  Currently, I'm trying to get an idea what I want to do before I put it together.  Also, I really want to use my new dining room table and chairs for it but they don't get sanded and painted until this weekend.  So I'm right now reading this entire thread and looking at tutorials for techniques and miniatures.  I also figure it will help me with my desire to make light bulb terrariums/cityscapes/fairy houses.  I am LOVING what I'm seeing, there are some seriously amazing things happening and I'm only up to page 10!