Curtain weights:   It occurs to me though that you could sew length of fine solder ( Radio Shack)   into the hem of the curtain to add weight, and allow you to easily shape (bend) the pleats as you like.

Tom & Kari

Landscaping Challenge: I have built sets for museums, collectors, photographers, miniaturist and movies for many years.  I only mention that so you will know that I have a bit of experience that I use when making suggestions to you or other collectors.

A base for a house of 50 inch. by 28 inch. is not as great a challenge as you might anticipate. Though you are concerned about the weight, I would still recommend that it be built of 1/2 inch plywood. I only recommend 1/2" plywood as a base for a landscaped set. Other products, such as masonite or pressed wood will warp, foamboard or 1/4" plywood can break. I would not, however, attach it to the house, in fact, I never recommend attaching a structure to a landscaped environment. It is best to make a false foundation the size of the house as a permanent part of the base and set the house on or into this. By so doing, you can remove your house at any time for repairs or to move it to another location. This hollow shell makes a perfect hiding place for electrical boxes. A foundation can be of brick, stone, lattice or a myriad of other materials. I normally use 1" thick by 2" wide bass or plywood strips to build my shape.

I also like to design a landscape set that collapses for storage or moving. To do otherwise can often result in a problem like the man who built a ship in the barn and had to tear down the barn to take the ship to sea.  A 60" round card table with folding legs could convert to the perfect landscaping plot for your home. I would skirt the table to create a more finished look.

Beneath the skirt I would use plastic or wire rolling carts to store all of the items I had collected for this miniature property as well as the building and landscaping materials I had collected.  I would replace the table top with one of the 60" unfinished wood tops found in most hardware stores.

I am going to quote now, from a booklet  I wrote for miniaturists many years ago..........*So many of you have ask how I would council an individual to go about constructing a miniature environment. My advice is simple - just as you do in real life. First there is the lot (board), then there is the foundation (separate from the dollhousefor easier handling) then you frame the structure and complete the exterior. Most people plant a yard and a tree or two and THEN MOVE IN. The same applies to a miniature home. Done in this manner, with a completed exterior that has been landscaped, you do not have to hide your house in the spare room or basement and not let anyone see it

for the next five years while you furnish it.  Just place a ladder and a bucket of paint with a brush, a roll of wallpaper or two, a few packing boxes, etc. and say the house is still under construction. Finish the interior at your leisure and as your budget allows. Since the house has not been attached to the base you may wire it for electricity at a later date without damage to the set......

Tape together as many sheets of quarter inch graph paper as you need to make a 60" round.....Trace the outline of your house, mark where windows, doors, porch, gutters, drains and other exterior elements are located. Label each of these marks. .......Cut shapes from construction paper to represent the gazebo, pond, fountain, ice house or other exterior structures you wish to have in the future. Now play paperdolls and move these elements around until their placement appeals to you. It is important to select all outdoor structures before deciding on trees, shrubs, walks and patio's. These items are a constant, their size is seldom subject to alteration. Your landscaping elements can be changed to meet the space you have available for them....*

This is by no means all of the story but it should spark a few ideas. If you absolutely DO NOT want to go to the time and trouble to create this environment, I suggest you design planters that will surround your house and can be removed at will. Planters can hold trees, vines and elegant flowers. I hope I have given you a few things to think about.  If the members of SS want to know more about landscaping, I will be happy to address questions posted in SS.

Becky Holliday

PILLOW PADDING AND MATTRESS STUFFING: Have been intending to send this tip in for some time. If you need stuffing for pillows, mattresses, chair cushions, sofas, et cetera use tampons, panty liners or sanitary pads.

1. To make bolsters for beds, chairs, lounges, sofas, et al try the following product.........tampons without the plastic or cardboard outer coverings.
2. Pads can be cut to size for the mattress interiors or into shapes [square, rectangle, triangle, et cetera] for pillows.
3. Panty liners can be used to cover metal button shapes then overlaid with fabric to match room or furniture for pillows also.
4. TIP:: Important to remove the plastic exterior and / or the pink / blue absorbent center section.---

This will save a little money if you only need stuffing for a few pillows or one mattress. Most fabric / craft stores now sell batting only in large pre-packaged bags now days.

Patricia / Redwood City, CA

Landscaping Challenge: My husband and I average about 2 shows per month.  We use a house front (not near as big as your house but I think this would work for you) on our table to display our products which mainly consist of landscaping/florals/outdooraccessories.  Because the house is always "traveling" my husband made the landscape base to fit up against the house but it isn't attached.  What he used is the foam board from an art supply store or hobby store.  You can get it in different colors but I would suggest the black (looks like dirt). If you look at the main page of our web site, you can see that he did it in two sections (one on each side of the steps, but even the steps are detachable for easy travel).  This little yellow house was our first display house. It has been retired as of this year and  we now have a new one.  It is green with two stories and a wrap around covered porch.

What you do is set your house on the foam board leaving the amount of board showing that you would want to landscape.  You then trace the edge of the house on the board with a pencil.  Cut the traced edge with an exacto knife. He cut the shape that he wanted for the outside edge then lined the outside edge with our landscape timbers but you can use any light weight product of your choice.   He then carefully covered the foam board with our mulch (but you can use "dirt" or whatever).   None of my landscape pieces are ever attached as they are all for sale so what I generally do is try to cover the base of the landscape items with the color of the bark (we have 4 colors available) so it looks like it is permanent.  This way I can change the color schemes for the house every time I set it up.

My suggestion to you for the base is to get the very thin plywood approximately 1/8" thick to put under your dollhouse.  This way it is very light weight but yet sturdy enough to hold up the landscaping.  You could also do this in sections the same shape of the landscape so that it doesn't show making sure that you leave enough board to put under the house to support it (approximately 4" under the house).  Or  you could use one large piece the size of the house plus the landscape section.   I hope this make sense to you but if not, e- mail me privately and I will try to explain more clearly or send pictures.

Toni

Stuffing for specialty pillows: A good stuffing for the long round pillows found on lounging couches is the thing-a-ma-bobbie that the dentist sticks in your mouth between your gum and your teeth when he or she is doing work and wants the saliva (and blood?) to be soaked up (at least that's what I think they're there for, maybe it is to keep one's cheek from getting in trouble).... ANYWAY I asked my dentist for a few (UNUSED! of course!) to make some elegant pillows and he looked at me really funny until I said 'mini.' The ones my dentist uses are sturdy and I'll bet other mini-ers probably could think of other uses for these little goodies, but pillows are a great start.

Gail of Ballouville

Landscaping a house too big for table: I had a similar problem -- my dollhouse also covered the table it rested on and I extended it for landscaping by buying a larger sheet of thin Birchwood that extended beyond the dollhouse.  I built the landscape in three different sections as the foam only comes in 2 foot lengths and it needed to be longer.  The foam needs to rest on a stable (wood or wood like material for stability)  you can then place the foam on the wood up to the foundation and plant trees, grass bushes or whatever you like.  I have large trees and bushes/rocks placed around the house.  When you are looking at the landscaping you cannot tell the foam in three sections.

When I move the house I remove the three moveable landscape areas - place them in smaller boxes that protect them - remove the house from the piece of birch wood and load it into a van -  then slide the Birchwood in the van and reassemble where and when I want.

If you want to view my house with the extended landscape area you can on my website http://JeanWolfe.com   scroll to the bottom of the home page and select "my dolls in dollshouses" you will see the landscape extending from the front and sides of the house.   I was limited in the room I had for the house and landscape area.   And when I moved I didn't want to not be able to take the landscaping with the house. 

I hope this helps - you just have to plan it out.

Jean in Seattle

Portable landscaping: Why not take a page from the model railroaders?  Make your "yard" in straight sections and leave an inch at the inner margin to rest the house on and landscape the rest.  My house sits on a sheet of plywood but isn't fastened and can be (carefully) lifted off to move. 

Havana (FL) Holly

Long Johns: I have a pair of long johns available http://community.webshots.com/album/28481783ITRXpwUpLA

Karolyn (plymouth ma)

Long Johns/Union Suits: For the person who was looking for long johns or a union suit, check out this link: http://www.miniworld.com/

Kathy in TX

Water puddles: A few days ago, I was gluing a bunch of miniatures together with Weldbond (a very strong white glue available at hardware stores).  I had dabbled spots of the glue onto a piece of scrap cardboard and from there applied it to the miniatures I was assembling, wiping the excess glue from my fingers back onto the piece of cardboard.   After the excess glue dried completely on the piece of cardboard, I noticed that it looked like drops and puddles of water -- very hard, and completely clear.   It occurred to me that this might be a good source for making shallow puddles of water, and perhaps even a fountain.  Must experiment more.

Anita Myers, Arnold, MD