Seed Beads: seed beads can be used for foodstuffs in clear jars as if they'd been canned: yellow is corn, green is peas, etc. You could also use them to make beaded lamp shades, the ornate things at the end of light pulls like on ceiling fans, drawer pulls, cupboard handles, put them at the bottom of a clear glass vase for a special flower arrangement (like marbles in "real" life), On top of lids for pans, canisters and/or cookie jars, centers of flowers, decorations on tiny little hats, and of course dresses, tops, etc. Okay, out of ideas for now!

Sloan

Seed Beads: They make great flower centers, bottle tops, candy for jars in a pinch (I don't like the holes, but most folks don't notice them), necklaces, wheels on toy cars. Beaded curtains, eyes and noses on stuffed animals, for making in-scale Indian corn. They are great for the wood beads that use to be strung on baby cribs and playpens, and strung together for wooden bead baby toys. In 1/4 scale they are good lamp parts, tea cups (add beading wire handle), and lots of stuff.

Bev

Metal Miniatures: There was a couple at the Cincinnati show that sold metal miniatures with the majority of the items being priced under $1.00. He had so many that I think you could have stood there for a couple of hours and not really noticed everything he had. I had to laugh when he handed me a box lid and asked if I would like a shopping cart. He does shows and mail orders so I would expect he would have a catalog if you inquired. The address is: Parker Miniatures 3231 E. Linda Lane, Port Clinton, Ohio 43452.

Elizabeth Cooper

Recycling medical supplies: It's been a few years since I retired and packaging may have changed, but here's a few more ideas of things I saved. The twist off protective caps on tube feeding bottles make great holders for mixing small amounts of paint. The white protective caps on Solu-Medrol turn into flower pots after sanding down the side. The tapered end of the 6 and 12 cc syringe holders when cut off make great hanging baskets and bowls. Small gauge butterfly IV's become garden hose. Cut off the tabs, shorten the needle, paint the tubing green, coil, and attach the other end to a 'Reallife' brand faucet. The caps of IV needle holders make good 1" scale tumblers or jars plus they're already colored.

Rose from MA

Mini Jars from Tubing: For those who don't know, NG stands for nasogastric, as in tubing. IV tubing would work, as well as oxygen tubing, etc. Even fish tank tubing would work. I like NG tubing because it comes in so many sizes. You simply cut the tubing to the size jar you want, glue a button on the top and a little seed pearl or what-have-you on that for a handle. You also need a paper or button on the bottom as well. Very easy!

Tricia

Spice Uses: poppy seeds can make great "chocolate chips" when mixed into Fimo cookie dough (champagne color). You'd think they'd be too big, but since they are partially hidden in the "dough" they work PERFECT! Poppy seeds also make very convincing chili-mix with raw umber and burnt sienna acrylic paint, add some glue or acrylic medium to the mixture to give it some workability-mix together and put it in a bowl or pot--delish! dried dill works well as "garnish"-you know, that smattering of herbs on top of the plate of pasta, or even on top of that chili. dried parsley seems to keep some of it's green when it dries-it works well with other things (like Fimo lettuce) as "salad mix". White rice ground up in a coffee grinder (I've got to do this when my hubby isn't around or he complains that this is the reason why the blades are getting dull...) mixed with raw umber paint and glue makes very convincing hamburger meat. It also makes convincing wet "cat food". Again, with the ground white rice-you can make great potato salad with the help of some watering yellow paint. Obviously, these two rice suggestions aren't from the spice section of the grocery store, but since we were on the topic of food....

Monika

Architectural

Stairs or No Stairs: Stairs in a house big enough for a stair hall are great. Full stairs in small houses are a big fat waste of good space, & one of two reasons it took me four years to find a house-kit I liked. (I loved the kits of one English maker, but the (beautifully crafted) stairs in the house I wanted took up 37 1/2 % of the floor space!!) And if there's no separate hallway for the stairs, they make no sense at all. The house traffic (as if dolls could climb stairs anyhow) must ascend & descend & get in & out of the bathroom or their own bedroom through someone else's BR, etc., etc., etc. There are lots of ways to suggest stairs. The simplest is a false door in the back wall, suggested that the stair halls run up the back of the house. Your false wall idea is another; and the "hall" doesn't even have to run the full width of the house. In my house (which is 5-stories, 16X16" rooms) I am dividing only one floor into a 9X16" BR on the right & a 6X11 1/2" bath on the left. The 6" wall w/door is at the back of the bath, w/the 4"-deep hall & false door showing through the doorway. The bedroom door is on the back left side of the room, opening from the hall. The other rooms have only the door on the L. back wall, except for the kitchen, which has 1 step and a landing (w/handrail on the wall ) up to a door in the back right corner of the room. (BTW, The kit maker I finally found who had the kind of house I wanted and was willing to supply it w/o stairs/stair holes is de Stolp in the Netherlands. They have a web site, and are the most accommodating, helpful, people you could hope to find.)

HMH

Stairs: faux perspective should work for the stairs. I used it in my townhouse kitchen, which had the front door but no windows. Cut a false back wall from foam core, with door and window openings; papered to match the other walls, then inserted Houseworks single French door and large window over the sink. Glued a mirror to the real back wall parallel to the sink and replaced the window "glass" with a stained glass window transparency. Glued a greeting card with a painting of a sunny terrace and walled garden to the left outside the French door, with a "tree branch" (preserved greenery) on the back of the false wall extending into the door's sight line. Put the faux wall in place with about 1/4" space behind it and added moldings to match other walls. The difference in room depth between the kitchen and dining room isn't very noticeable, and it allowed just enough space to provide the perspective illusion, which the light reflected by the mirror behind the stained glass enhances.

Loretta Sniarowski

Stairs: Stair construction is pretty simple using a stringer, riser, and tread. The biggest problem is getting a reasonable angle and appropriate riser/tread ratio - generally 7 in. riser and 9 inch tread for full sized residential construction. That ratio and the 4 ft width chews up a lot a space in a dollhouse. Each of DollHouseDesigns.COM's houses have custom designed stairs. You might be able to get an idea of the stairs by visiting our web site http://www.dollhousedesigns.com. All but the Mary Kay show the stairs (they are small - look close), some straight, some with landing and return or right-turn. I'll be glad to consider custom designing a simple set of stairs for you, contact me directly if we can be of help.

Jon Lash

Stairs: Our club is at the moment working on making stairways.... there are a number of ways to do this, but for realism remember the pitch ratios... 40 degrees is normal for most common stairs, the servants stairs were generally steeper and oddly, narrower (they carried stuff all the time, you'd think they'd be wider) probably 45 to 50 degrees of pitch. Formal wide sweeping stairs were 30 degrees or less. Treads wider and rise shallower.. remember the graceful tiny pitty pat of Scarlet as she ran down to welcome 'whatshisname'? Her skirts aflow and feet going so fast she seemed to glide? Those wide sweeping stairs were very shallow and curved to present an elegant formal impression.

Flying staircases were buttressed from the walls, leaving the visible outer edge virtually unsupported.. Neat trick.... but they were actually supported by massive beams set into the walls each beam holding a step. A triumph of engineering...

My own beef is that most DH stairs are too narrow. They 'look' skimpy, if they were real, they would 'be' skimpy. . the whole effect of a DH can be ruined by stairs that are too narrow. Most kits include stairs with this singular fault. In most real houses, the stair was showcased... miniature makers tend to want to push this important architectural feature into the background.... realistically it was most prominent in the majority of houses.

I suggest you do some research, historical buildings are wonderful for showcasing magnificent staircases... if you can, take a measuring tape with you and tour a few historic homes. Check out the stairs.. Fascinating addition to any miniature home if you take the time to make it right. Secret to good construction is keeping proportions to scale, making your stair nice and wide gives the whole room importance.

Judie - Daytona Beach, FL