Mini bottle caps: I would suggest using a 1/8" round paper punch to cut rounds from heavy aluminum foil. Lay punched rounds on a giving surface (palm of hand, mouse pad, etc.) and push on their centers with a round toothpick (or other dowel) that has been sanded to a 1" (mini inch) diam. and that has a flat bottom. This will cause the edges of the rounds to flute up. Keep in mind that these will be very tiny (but in almost perfect scale) but if they are displayed with something else that will give a clue as to what they are I am sure they will suffice.

Joann L. Swanson

Tassels: I have always made tassels with ordinary sewing thread. I lay a long doubled thread the long way on a popsicle stick, then wind the thread around and around in the middle of the stick. Tie the long doubled thread tightly. Cut the wrapped thread on the opposite side to the knot. Ease into a tassel shape, wind thread around the tassel near the top and dot with glue, and trim the bottom of the tassel so that it is even. I use these tassels for decorating a boy's Edwardian or Victorian cap.

Joy

Paper doilies: To make your own mini doilies just cut out a shape with the help of fancy scissors or a punch (large flower) Put the paper on a mousepad and make any pattern you want by pricking it with a needle. Different size needles give different size holes. Take several layers and you have exact copies. If wanted you could emboss the edges as well.

Dorothee

Mini-flowers: Michael's has a nice selection of mini clay flowers made in China. 12 to a bunch, $1.49. They were displayed in the floral section.

Gail

50's Kitchen: I grew up with a 50's kitchen and have enjoyed the reminiscing by everyone. Thinking back I recall many things already mentioned and some others.

Mom kept a little covered pot on the stove to store left-over grease. Her favorite cooking pot was a pressure cooker. She favored the old iron skillets (it made some of the best cornbread and fried potatoes anywhere). Mid-summer to late summer was canning time when our garden's beans, tomatoes and locally available produce were "put away".

There was a back door with a screen door - a must for pre-air conditioned homes - which always slammed shut. On the wall was a calendar from a local funeral home and whatnots on a shelf (mostly decorative salt and pepper shaker sets that was labeled "Souvenir of .. " wherever someone had been on vacation).

Leftovers were stored in dishes with a plastic elastic bowl covers. Ice trays were metal with a lever to release the ice - not to be handled with wet hands when frozen. The toaster and mixer were dressed with fitted covers (no naked appliances allowed). Sandwiches for school or work lunches were wrapped in wax paper and packed in Davy Crockett and Howdy Doody lunchboxes or a plain one for work.

TV with its little rounded screen was brand new to our home and its "blonde" cabinet was a source of pride. It was so alluring that some meals were served on TV trays in the living room (a serious departure from custom). Thanks for the memories!

Pat from Romulus

Acorns: Acorns make really cute bird houses. Before you use them, be sure you put them in the oven for a bit to kill any vermin. Drill a hole where a bird would enter and directly below drill a tiny hole to put a perch. When done, you can even glue a little bird on the perch. Drill another hole at the very top for a wire to hang the house and now the best part, it can be decorated with tiny moss and tiny dried flowers.

Helen Hanselman

Acorn caps make wonderful bases for knitting and sewing baskets. They would also make good tams (those little hats the Scots wear.)

Billie

Plastic Tubes: A very good source is from your AVON lady. You can order in packages of 4 or 6 samples of perfumes toss out the perfume rinse well and you have your tubes. They come with plastic tops. The samples of lipsticks also from AVON, the clear plastic tops make great vases for flowers.

Sherrall Chapman

Metal Miniatures: For those interested in metal miniatures, you can email Oscaler@aol.com for a catalog from Martha's Miniatures in Wonder Lake, Illinois. The catalog is amazing - has everything you could possibly want. They were at Chicago International last year and I bought lots of stuff from them and also placed a couple of orders later. The prices are very reasonable and when painted, they look great. Just clean the miniatures with soap and water, let dry and paint. Very easy!

Carole Pierce

Spring type clothes pins: If anyone wants the spring type clothes pins, give me an email. I make and sell them. They are non-working, but can be glued onto your clothesline.

Lorrie Harvey

Garden; When I made my "garage",I had a garden corner. I scanned ads from K-Mart and Home Depot for soil, seeds, fertilizer, etc. and using my greeting card programs, I shrunk them to 1" scale and printed them on card stock (and some onto glossy paper) leaving room for folding into bags and boxes. They came out pretty good. I also did the same for Pampers, etc for babies room.

Darlene/NJ

To Make a Cooler: buy a piece of that white sheet spongy plastic stuff that is sold in pieces like felt is. Cut a piece of balsa and cover it with the white plastic. Make metal handles from wire. Paint on details or use stick on plastic letters.

Alice Zinn

Texturing Catalog Pictures for Art: Photoshop has some filters that allow one to make a photo look like painting, including watercolor, charcoal, several forms of brush painting, etc. It's one way to go. Also, your idea about the gesso is close, but I'd use something that leaves the brush marks on the print, and is not opaque white...perhaps Elmer's glue, or "Mod Podge" (just a guess there, never used the stuff myself). Also, there is a product by Grumbacher called acrylic texturizer. It comes in a tube, dries crystal clear, and is used to basically do what you were talking about doing. It can also be mixed with acrylic colors.

Dave Pierce

Orchid baskets are really easy to do. They could be done with 1/16 square strip wood for small baskets and larger for big ones if you like. Cut the strips the size you want for the baskets (In orchids that could be from under 1/2 inch to 1") it will go easier if you use graph paper in one of those plastic folders. Put down some double sided tape to hold your bottom pieces in place. They should have a small space between them so the "water" can drip out. Now take 2 pieces and put glue on one side of the first one and glue it across the ends of your slats. Then repeat on the other side. Repeat the process but just put glue on the ends from here on out. keep stacking like this on ends until you have it as high as you want it. Usually a bit over 1/4"" on the small ones and up to 1/2" on the large ones. Cut 4 pieces of thin wire the length you want for a hanger. Before you put on the last 2 pieces, drill a small hole in the corners of these (if they are large enough to drill). Run wire through them and twist the wires where you bring them together to make a hook, fill with a bit of moss or coffee grounds and plant your orchids. If the wood pieces are too small to drill you can incorporate the ends of the last 2 layers of wood strips and secure the wire around them.

Fill with a bit of moss and/or coffee grounds etc and plant your plants. You can also make large hanging pots by cutting a ping pong ball in half and using it or you can get a smaller ball and make a press mold and then just press the Fimo in it or you can buy wooden pots and drill them for hangers. Remember, too, many plants are "planted" by wiring their roots to pieces of wood with a bit of moss over them and they grow that way (especially orchids and tropical plants).... Lastly you can pay a chunk and buy new ones with hangers from me or other dealers.

Anita McNary-Haynes

Picture frame paneling. I would think you could mimic the look very easily with simple picture frames of the right size glued onto the wall in the places you choose, add a chair rail a little above and paint the whole thing one color. If you are really adventurous, you could get the little wood molding strips and custom build your own "picture frames" with the help of a mitre box. This would make it easy to get just the look you want.

Kellie

Paneled Doors: I have made doors with panels on them using thin cardboard, the plain gray kind, (you can even cut up the really cheap Christmas boxes). If you cut the cardboard with a very sharp single edge razor blade, you will get a nice clean cut. Your poster board idea would work the same way! Make your panels, glue them on, use a sealer on the whole thing, and paint! Should look great!

Alice Zinn

Quarter 1/4 inch resources: Pamela Scott Miniatures does wonderful quarter inch in kits and ready to buy. You should also look up Sally Manwell. Her address is 902 Second Street-Liverpool, NY 13088 E-mail HDManwell@worldnet.att.net She had great dishes with cups and saucers in quarter scale at Toms show in Lauderdale.

Jan

Quarter 1/4 scale miniature web sites: Here are some of my favorite web pages for quarter scale minis:

Pam Scott's quarter scale miniature page. Lots of kits for sale, tips and one of a kind items.

http://members.aol.com/daisy21/pam/index.html

Misti's Quarter scale mini's

http://www.evansville.net/~mistidn/Index.html

B J Miniatures - quality Quarter Scale miniature furniture and accessories.

http://www.bjminis.com/

Betty Turmon

To all the brave people who love quarter inch: There are some wonderful kits put out by Debbie Young, (Young at Heart, 11468 Bloomfield Rd. Nevada City,CA. 95959) I just finished a doll trunk with shops all made from her kits. You will be thrilled by her work.

Rhoda

POST OFFICE MINIS: Waiting at the PO to send a pkg., I had time to peruse -- and liberate -- a brochure called Postmark America: Stuff You'd Expect/Stuff You Wouldn't, Fall 2000 edition. Full of all those items the PO now sells in addition to stamps to differentiate itself from Federal Express. Several useful items here:

(1) Fancy matted and framed collectible stamps. Photos look to be 1:12 scale, perfect as study decor once reframed, especially in a roombox for a hobbyist (motifs include patriotic, sports, nature, Barbie, Looney Tunes, Star Trek).

(2) Cut those tiny stamps out of the fancy framed setting for "real" postage on the mail in a mini mailbox or on a desk blotter.

(3) Other logos and stamp designs in larger size in the clothing section useful as framed art, in scrapbooks, etc.

Loretta Sniarowski