SW Adobe: I don't know just what type Spanish House you are trying to do. If it is something like the southwest adobe type house it easy to build one. Use 1 inch Styrofoam sheets and cut out the walls. Decide where you want your windows etc and then glue it. I used real sautilo tile that is available in scale for 1 inch. Paint the interior white and the outside a sandy color. This may give you some ideas.

Ruth Morey, Corpus Christi

Stucco: I have been reading about stucco and the use of spackle compound. Thought; I recall our house (real size) had stucco on the top 1/2. It was white and had a "grit" to it. Therefore; What about painting the sides of the dh with glue and sprinkle on fine sand. After it all dries, remove any loose sand, then paint white. Seems to me the effect should be the same as if you used spackle. Appears too easy, what am I missing here? If you insist on the full texture of stucco, how about very fine paper pulp then place the sand on. Much less weight.

DrBob...Delray Beach, FL.

Stucco: Another thought: How about mixing the sand right in the paint... and paint with that sandy-paint? Some stucco homes seem to have tiny bits of broken colored glass in it. If you do that, be sure to put the glass pieces into a bag and smash with a hammer while it is in the bag to protect yourself from flying glass. When the bag tears, you'd need to replace it. Or better still, just use glitter for the "glass".

viola

Stucco: I have a dollhouse that I used stucco on. It's an English Tudor. I purchase stucco especially for a dollhouse. Of course, this has been a few years ago, but it was wonderful. It was like frosting a cake. I wish I could remember the company that made it, but I can't. You could put paint in it to color it. If it wasn't gritty enough you could put sand, purchased at a paint store (used for ceilings). I just used it as is. They must still have stucco for DH's. If I recall, it wasn't very expensive. It went a long way. Otherwise, I think you could use a very thick paint they make for ceiling that you put sand in. Not the sand paint already mixed because it isn't very thick, although a few coats of that might work. My girlfriend used sand paint on her dollhouse because she was afraid to try the stucco. It's very easy though.

Knitwhit43

Stucco: My first house was the Coventry Cottage by Greenleaf......I wanted a "Tudor" look to the cottage. So I used regular drywall compound and stippled it on with a stencil brush. I just spread some on the side of the house with a spatula (yes I used an old one) then stippled it. Took a while but it looks to scale - no big peaks etc.

Vi in Hamilton, just south of the equator

Stucco: The outside stucco on our big live in house has a coat of stucco as a surface coat, then very small crushed rock or stones are thrown on it when still wet- I think pressed on in some way, and it makes for a unique finish - this was a must have when our new home was built in Alberta Canada, this is a unique finish that we did not see in our former province of Manitoba Canada.

Ron Saunders

Filling in window openings: If you remember that mini projects are only the real world on a small scale - you will answer many of your own questions. A handyman will fill the open area in a home by inserting new reinforced sheet rock. For you the same may be done with Bristol board, a piece of wood the same thickness as your wall, a cut out from foam core, etc. Cut it to fit the opening by holding an index card to the back side of the space, trace the measurements from the right side. Now cut out your pattern being sure to cut on the outside of your line. Now glue your patch in place. You may use household spackle to fill any cracks then prime and sand the wall with gesso. I gave a tip a short while ago about using crumpled tissue for wall treatments.

Becky

new doors and windows: I rebuilt my exe's dollhouse that her father made for her when she was a little girl. He just cut holes in the walls for windows and doors. We glued pieces of wood the same dimensions as each wall to the existing wall, having first marked out new windows and doors where we wanted them, and of the size that would take manufactured ones. We then cut out the new holes in both walls with a jig saw. We filled in the old holes with the same thickness of wood of the original walls and used wood filler for the gaps and sanded smooth before painting. By adding additional pieces of walls you will make them look thicker, just like the old Spanish buildings. As for the "stucco", you might want to try some lightweight spackling compound, used to repair cracks in wallboard. This is available at any paint store, hardware store or Wal-Mart. Try it on some scrap wood first to get the look you want. A one inch putty knife should work OK as an applicator. You can then paint it the color you want.

Spencer

Sewing Room: I had decided against a cottage for my Allison Jr. and did the other addition. I was going to make a workroom-with a wood shop and sewing room. Changed my mind again!!! After seeing so much stuff for sewing, it will now be just sewing. Found a great border and cute "sewing" material for curtains. I am now going to make some mini button cards, spools of thread, etc.

Kendra

Nautical: I've also done a nautical project. Nautical items are really easy to collect, just check the jewelry section at your craft store for sunfish, starfish, etc., pictures can be scrounged from catalogs, and the $ Tree is an excellent source for lighthouses, etc. 

Paula Isaacs