Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle Dollhouse: I tried to send this website to the digest a while back, but it must not have worked. I have this in my list of favorites because I like to go back and look at it from time to time. Anyone who gets a chance to go to Chicago should definitely make it a point to see this castle before they leave there, but you may also tour it on the following website.
http://msichicago.org/exhibit/fairy_castle/fchome.html

Once you reach the site, click on the castle at the top of the page and it will take you to the Fairy Castle Home page. (That is what I saved into my favorites list.) To me, it's a must see.

Peggy O'Neill

Stairs: I received the following info from Fannye: "Most of the time when the pieces of wood to be applied to the steps, it is drilled with a hole for the spindle to fit in. If yours isn't drilled you might want to do that. Then you can set the spindle in the hole with wood glue. Use a small square or a piece of wood that is cut perfectly square to set the spindle straight. After the spindles are all dry then put the railing on. Just a touch of glue on the top of the spindles and it will let you line up the railings. If your stairs are straight, you can lay it on the worktable to put the railing on. I'll admit that this is probably the pickiest part of the house. -- Fannye"

Also look at this illustration I just found and note the the newel post belongs on the "first step," not in front on the floor as Stephenson notes and for realism you need two balusters per step (cutting one shorter than the other):
http://homeadvisor.msn.com/improve/flooring/stairsbanisters/intro.asp

http://www.arcways.com/factguid.htm

http://www.stairworld.com/

Debora Biggers

Stair railings: When I built my "Harrison DH" I wanted a real stair railing instead of the die cut one that came with the kit, so I bought the spindles in the packages you can get at a dollhouse supply store or on line. I also bought the pieces of banister, which the spindles tops fit into, and the newel posts for the top and bottom of the stairs and corners of the stairway opening on the top floor. I placed the posts where I wanted them and cut my banister pieces, measuring several times to be sure I was correct. You have to mitre the ends since the banister will be slanted and the posts upright. I figured out the distance between where the spindles would be placed by measuring the steps, taking care to measure from the same place on each step where the spindle would go, then stuck them into the banister using a good wood glue. Now I had a piece of banister with spindles dangling from it. I put a dad of glue on the bottom of each spindle and ends of the banister and attached them to the newel posts. Then I moved the spindles in place. I eyeballed them, but you can buy tiny levels in the camping dept. of some discount stores and in RV stores. All this should be done before the glue holding the spindles dry so you can move them around if need be. Don't use hot glue.

I just added a new page to the bottom of my dollhouse page showing close-ups of some of my favorite mini's I have bought as well as some I have made. I have included a close-up of my stair railing going around the stairway opening on the top floor. I just added another picture trying to show you how the spindles look from underneath the banister. You might be able to get a pretty good idea of how I did the railings. Going around the opening I used banister along the floor for the spindles to sit on. I turned the grooved side down so it would look more finished. I hope this helps those of you who are trying to do stair railings. If anyone wants a close-up of a picture, please let me know. http://members.aol.com/dolztoc/WelcomeToMyDollhouse.html

Linda

Flooring -- "Can anyone help with suggestions on how to make a parquet floor? The floors in the dollhouse have only mini paper rugs (cannot afford the real ones), but think the wood does not look too good. Susan "

HBS at http://www.miniatures.com has a small selection of genuine wood,
peel-and-stick veneers, one of which is a parquet pattern. But I suggest you check out the much larger selection of significantly less expensive wood veneers at http://www.vandykes.com

These veneers are used for marquetry ... you know, those beautiful, intricate pictures made entirely from elaborately cut woods? I think a miniature parquet floor would use the same techniques, but with simpler cuts. Also, check the banded inlays and the three inexpensive, round marquetry inlays, which include a flower, a compass and a scallop pattern (similar to common ceiling medallions). My dh is on a base of 3/4" plywood and mounted on a turntable. I don't like the look of the plywood edge and plan to cover it with one of the banded inlays once my landscape base is laid.

Chrissy the Hyphenated in Central New York

Real Parquet flooring: I read you request for real parquet flooring today and thought I would share my method with you all. - There are probably other who may have better ideas I am really pleased with the end result of mine. This can be adopted to planking too. ( I took into account the need to remember the ease of access to electrics too. in my design)

Tip: If you find the Idea daunting as I did, I bought some "paper Parquet" & used it as a "stencil," sticking my wooden pieces on top, after it had been taped to the Wall paper lining paper. also using a 90 Degree child's set square to "set" the angles when starting .. It worked a treat!

I bought some 1/32" X 3" X 24 basswood strips, I used some (Water based wood dye, diluted to 50%) "Liberon- palette wood dye in Medium Oak" & colour washed the whole area using a 4" wide foam polybrush , being careful again not to create overlaps on stained areas. allow to dry prior to using them .

Wipe the area following the grain- removing the excess stain... allow to dry cut them to strips after measuring the floor space. (keep flat whilst drying.. they can sometimes curl)

I then used a large board of wood to fix a larger area of heavy gauge wallpaper lining to as a base for the wooden floor to glue to, this will allow the floor to sit on the dh floor, and be removable should you need to (lighting) at a later date.
Mark out the floor area in pencil accurately- extend the lines though so you can trim to size later again after construction.

Carefully stick the planks to it using wood glue to stain the cut strips Wearing my surgical gloves I applied a bison fine paste wax in Antique pine , (or the same brand but in medium Oak using ) 0000 gauge Very fine steel wool. I don't know if you can get it in the US. - you will have something similar though ?)

Follow instructions.. I applied 2 coats, following the grain as usual. Leave to "Cure" then buff using a clean cotton rag (I used a clean old yellow duster) The result.. I was over the moon!!... the paper glues/double tapes well into the house. I found TIME & accuracy in measuring & marking is the important thing) This technique created a marvelous looking *REAL* parquet floor.!

Chris From Lancashire

Ice cream: My favorite item for ice cream is Crayola Crayons Model Magic. I learned about this terrific product on, where else? SS! I have also used it for a waffle cone by coloring white with grated chalk and pressing a thin pat into a piece of screen. At the hardware store they have small patch kits for screens. I use the patches, which are self adhesive and attach one to the tile I am using for a work surface with the clay.

Becky

Reupholster: See if your library has a copy of Michal Morse's Decorate a Dolls House. She has an idea you may want to try -- don't reupholster, just make a slipcover! No specific directions given, but if your smallish sofa is a square sided tuxedo style, it should be pretty easy if you can sew; lay the sofa on a piece of tissue paper to trace a pattern and add a quarter-inch seam allowance, then follow directions for a full-size slipcover (refer to DIY upholstery books at library). Or even easier, do what I did for a contemporary rehab house that needed a yellow sofa when I had a blue plaid. Make a mini version of the popular easy-fit slip covers. All I did was use a rectangle of craft felt, which I folded and smoothed over the sofa, then held in place with straight pins while I slipped a gold elastic gift-wrap band over it to hold in place. Looked just like a "Sure-Fit" in the catalogs. If I hadn't had the fancy elastic, I would have made a gathered felt dust ruffle twice the circumference of the sofa and used a casing to hide regular elastic, then slipped the dust ruffle into place over the folded felt.

Loretta.Sniarowski

Reupholstering furniture: I have done this and it is not too hard. I use vinegar to soften the glue and pull it apart. Use the old cloth as a pattern and just redo it. Best to scrap off the softened glue before regluing (the voice of experience).

Gracia in California

I'm Wired! Or at least my shop is...I just finished my first wiring, and it all works! I thought it might be useful to share my experience as it seems lots of us are intimidated by the thought of electrifying our houses. First of all, my project is a RGT Front Opening shop, made of 3/8" plywood, basically one big open room with a balcony above, so plenty of room to maneuver. I primed all the walls with a regular latex paint first. I did the wiring without the front doors or the roof attached. I used tapewire as it seems simpler to install. I also had and referred to Cir-kit's "Tapewire instruction book" and Tom Berkner's wiring instructions from http://www.dollhouse-miniatures.com/toms-tips/electical.html

As a result of Digest tips I first made paper templates of all the surfaces I plan to paper or apply flooring to. This is to avoid having to trim wallpaper in situ and running the risk of cutting through wiring.

I decided to put my junction splice inside my shop, tucked away in a back corner so that it will be hidden behind the stairs and furniture. That way the outside of my shop doesn't have anything on it except the transformer lead-in wire coming out of a back corner. Taking account of cautions to wire for every eventual need at the start, I ran tape for both wall sockets, sconces and ceiling lights. I ran the downstairs wall socket run first, then drilled a hole through the back wall for the lead-in wire to come in, just below the tape run. This hole needs to be wide enough for the bifurcated lugs to pass through, and I filed and sanded it down so that wood splinters would not damage the wire. In order to thread the lead-in wire through this hole I took off the on/off switch from the wire (a single screw job), then reinserted it after the wire was through the hole. I then installed the junction splice on the right hand wall allowing room behind it for the lead-in wire plug to be inserted and removed.

Two learning experiences here:

1) If you do not buy a wiring kit with everything in it but buy the bits separately, make sure that you get the right lead-in wire. I first got one with bifurcated lugs (the horseshoe shaped contacts) on both ends, whereas what I actually needed was one with the lugs on one end but a two pin plug for the junction splice on the other end.

2) To install the junction splice into the tape you really do have to hit it hard! The Cir-kit book says to pound it, Tom says to hammer it, and they are right. I was very nervous about the amount of force I had to use to get the thing seated properly. I used a rubber mallet; I don't know how it would stand up to hammering with a metal hammer. I also was able to upend my shop so that the side wall I was hammering the splice into was against a firm surface; I would not like to do it on an unsupported wall. I also don't know how it could be hammered hard enough in a confined space; perhaps that is why the instructions are for installation on the house exterior. I also was unable to screw the securing wood screw for the splice fully in; my husband reckons this may be because I did not think to make a pilot hole for the screw first. All in all installing the junction splice was the hardest part of the whole exercise.

Once the junction splice was installed I tested the first tape run using the dinky little test probe from Cir-kit, and it worked! I then methodically added all the rest of the tape layout, testing after doing every junction. Having read Tom's archived tips about brads and eyelets, I went with using eyelets. I do not have Tom's special punch but do have an EZ Punch from Real Good Toys, which seemed to work well. I used four eyelets at each junction, making a small pilot dent with the punch for each eyelet.

I thought that I had successfully finished the wiring, until my husband helpfully asked why I didn't want to be able to put a light above the shop door. To give him credit, he did then help me work out how to extend the wire circuit through the hinges to the front door. And that circuit worked too!

So, the shell is now wired, has another coat of paint and is ready for papering everywhere. Oh yes, one other thing. If you make a mistake with placing the tape and peel it off to try again, the tape will have wrinkles in it, so you may want to use a fresh length even though the removed length is still sticky. Overall, I found the experience much easier and straight forward than I had feared, as long as you plan out your layout first and go about it steadily.

Wendy in Clinton, NJ

Lighting: Beth Ann asked about the tape and round wire lighting systems. I know this is a recurrent subject, so please excuse me if you feel this has been discussed too much. I just think lighting is one of the key points when building a dollhouse, that's why I'm adding my two cents.

I was decided to use tape in my house because it looks easy and clean (no tools, no dust...). Then, I started hearing remarks about dim lights, installations failing and difficult to repair and that it was a very expensive system. I became scared. I was planning a big house and did not want it ruined by a bad electrical installation. So I began paying attention to the round wire system and found it is not as hard to install as I had thought.
Now I'm definitely using round wire. I believe the pros of tape are:

- - Easy to install, there's no need of using drills or soldering irons
- - If you get all the walls taped with two horizontal strips, one near the ceiling and one near the floor, it will be very easy in the future to add new fixtures or change their position.
But the cons comparing to round wire are:
- - It is much more expensive. You must buy the tape itself, plus the eyelets to make connections and the what's-its-name thing to push these eyelets, plus one adapter for every lamp. With round wire I only had to buy plastic tube to conduct the wires and copper tape to make the circuit on the back panel of the house.
- - Maintenance can become difficult. The tape is under the wallpaper. If it fails, you have to try the circuit in different places with the test bulb, to locate the failing section, and then replace the strip of tape, removing the decoration and possibly ruining the wallpaper.
- - Depending on what type of wallpaper or paint you are using, tape can be visible under it. Wire runs trough grooves in the wall, completely invisible. Opening the grooves seems frightening, but the appropriate Dremel bit can do the trick, or even with a craft knife and some patience it can be achieved.
I think the big difference between tape and wire is that with tape the electrical installation is ON the house, but with wire the house has only a preinstallation, the actual wiring belongs to the lamps. So I find it easier to maintain.
Please keep in mind this is only my humble opinion from personal experience.

Alicia from Spain