Potato Chip Packaging: Look in magazine ads and coupon sections for small pictures of chip logos. Cut a small bag out of a larger plastic bag, glue the logo to one side, fill with green pepper seed "chips" and glue top shut. Or, some mechanical pencils have refill erasers and leads that come in tiny plastic cylinders that could be cut shorter. Use a Pringles logo from an ad and fill the cylinder with "chips."

Loretta Sniarowski

Water cooler: If you know an insulin-dependent diabetic, ask them for an empty insulin vial. Soak and scrape off label, dry, and swish some light blue glass stain inside for "water." Glue vial upside down to a stand made from champagne cork wire or pizza prop legs (the kind without "tabletop"). Glue on an earring back spigot, and there you go.

Loretta Sniarowski

Mini Clothespins: Dean of Rainbow Design makes the most awesome, old-fashioned wooden clothespins I've ever seen!  They are definitely worth every penny!

Laura

Bird cage: Don't be scared of the idea of using wire.  I haven't done it but I imagine the base would be made like the wicker furniture projects (I think DHM had an article in the past year or two - and I know Kiwis who have run workshops at NZAME convention). Anyway start with a rectangle / square of wood. drill little holes around the edge.  Glue in short lengths of florists wire for the bars. (different lengths on two sides to make gables) The roof would be two rectangles/squares of florist wire with more wire glued on to make bars.  then glue the roof to the "walls".  You can get painted florist wire - (I've seen white and green, I think brown too) or you may want to paint your own to avoid rust.   or more expensive you can buy fine aluminum, brass or copper rod at model and railroad shops. I can almost visualize myself making a simple modern bird cage. (but first I have to visualize myself actually making time to get into my minis room)

Sandra Monk

Anita Myers

Toothpicks: The turned toothpicks can be got from "Made in Nippon" on Courtnay Place Wellington (New Zealand) - maybe other Asian food places near you too. These ones are branded "Nice day" and are NZ$7.50 (US$3.75) per pack of 650 and are birchwood.  I have also found them on the dinner tray on Ansett domestic flights (of course you only get one at a time unless you bludge from the people sitting near you) and some Japanese restaurants. Woolworth’s / Big Fresh had small packs of the bamboo ones but they are not so nice.  NB: try and get them from different sources, different brands/sources have different shaped carving on the ends

Mini Pegs: The carved ends of the "Nice day" brand toothpicks look just like the old wooden push pegs we have in NZ.  A little shaping, cut of the carving and cut a slot in the end - Ta Dah! peg!

Sandra Monk

Mirror tray: What I have used for the mirror is one of those giant silver sequins. You could place a large perfume bottle (bead) over the hole that is along the corner to cover it. You could also use tiny notions like the gold rickrack that is available during this time of the year to finish the edge off.

Parisa

Spoons: for your collector spoons, how about 'kit bashing' some Chrysnbon spoons by gluing nail charms on the handle ends? Those nail charms are very tiny.

Anne Gerdes

Teaspoon ideas: I would start with the chrysnbon spoons, use some foil or foil stars (teensy) to make some semblance of carving, then, there are tiny 2mm gemstones that would be the right size to glue on.  You could have all 12 birthstones, or in the findings dept. of craft stores or findings stores, you can get small metal (pewter usually) "things" (stars, etc.)  But as small an area as this is I would think you could fake it with just the foil, stones, and paint.

Fannye

Mirrors: Have used the inside of some candy wrappers, or potato chip bags, for mirrors that will be glued inside something. Used a normal size paper punch to cut some, for a project at club. We made little fabric jewelry boxes, the shiny foil rounds were glued to the inside of the lid.

MAP in Puyallap

Bird Feeders: Materials Needed:

Clear straws, sequins a little bigger then straw hole, tiny wild bird seed, glue, small amount of string, scissors, needle.

HOW to make: Cut straw into 1 inch pieces. Tie a knot in one end of a piece of string and thread other end in a needle. String on one sequin, then the straw piece (glue to sequin), add some seed and then glue on another sequin. Tie a knot on the top and leave a little string to hang on a tree or extension for house.

Dana

Miniature Marbles: I make mine with tiny hole-less beads. If I want single color marbles, I use colored beads. If I want multicolored marbles, I use acrylic paints in assorted colors. I take about 1/4" wide paint brush and apply a color. Then I brush off some of the paint so it's not overwhelming. Then I run the bristles across a small group of beads on a paper plate. I let them dry and brush on another color. When I am pleased with the effect, I remove that batch and experiment with another group. With a little practice, you can make very effective looking marbles. I have tried glass paint but find that it all slides to the bottom of the bead.

Iris in Texas

Halloween Minis: Halloween fun instructions!

Remember making the little ghosts out of lollipops as a kid for your elementary school Halloween party! OK, so maybe not everyone did that! Well, make some in mini! Just make a small ball of Fimo about the size of a whole black peppercorn seed. Fimo color doesn't matter because you're going to cover it. Insert a little piece of floral wire or (other semi-stiff but tiny in diameter ) into the ball for the stick. Wire would be best as it doesn't melt when you bake it. Bake the little ball with the stick in it for appropriate time. Then when the ball has cooled, take a tiny square of white tissue paper (not toilet paper, but tissue paper like you put in gift boxes). Place the tissue paper over the ball and gather at neck of sucker. Tie with a tiny piece of Halloween colored ribbon. Then you can use a fine point black marker to draw your face on the ghost. We usually just made black circles for eyes and a mouth like it's saying "Boo"! Voila...you have sucker ghosts to put in your favorite Halloween treat bag.

You can also make candy/caramel apples using this Fimo ball and stick method. Just make the ball of Fimo a little larger to represent an apple. Also these are better done with the appropriate Fimo color. You can also coat your caramel apples with a little fine sawdust to look like nuts! They look so delicious when done!

My final suggestion is to pick up a couple of packages of those great cupcake sprinkles they make for different holidays. I bought some sprinkles in the cake supply section of a local store and they are so cute! They have little white ghosts, pumpkins and bats. They make great mini "cookies" to put on a Halloween plate. They can also be tucked down inside a bucket or bag of treats to look like someone got "homemade" goodies on their Halloween night trick or treating trip! They also make Christmas, Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day sprinkles that you can have fun with on other holidays. I have also used these sprinkles as the candle holder on mini cakes before! They are made of confectioners sugar and what not so, you can't get them wet or they will melt.

Donna Baird

Mini Hat Stands: Hat stands are easily made using a golf tee and a large wooden bead. You can put a button under the golf tee for more stability if needed.

Mary Lou

Mini Hat Stands: I just added custom hand turned hat stands to my web site.

Michelle Geoffrion-Mahler

Mini Hat Stands: For hat stands, I found some wood turnings at Michaels that I think would work. They are two pieces to a pkg for 99 cents. The label on the pkg says: 7/8 x 2 3/8" Man.

Ronni

Hardware Store Findings: 1. There are these things called wire nuts which come in different colors and look just like old diner-style glasses; they're even tapered at the bottom and flared a little at the top, with fluting on the sides! They cost 7 cents each at my hardware store and come in different sizes, too. I bought 2 to make milkshakes and ice cream sodas in. 2. Screw covers come in various sizes, shapes and colors... for any of you who don't know, they are plastic and look like little dishes or shallow bowls. There were also some in my store which were clear and shaped almost like flowers. I thought of cut-glass candy dishes right away. (10 cents and 6 cents each.) 3. Finally, I also found that if you place a washer (14 cents) on top of a T nut fastener (53 cents), you get a little "silver" cake stand.

Celeste

Vanity Trays: You can use small mirrors for your vanity trays. They have oval, round & square shapes. I buy mine at JoAnne Fabrics. I put a gold trim around the edge of the mirror. You can also use an oval/round earring or the inside of a button.

Marsha

Mini Slippers: Recently I found a pair of eyeglass "nose-pads" in my junk drawer. (You know. the little foam rubber pads you put on the nose pieces of your glasses to cushion the bridge of your nose.) Why couldn't you add a simple fluffy 'strap' and wind up with a miniature pair of bedroom slippers? How about a different type of strap to make a pair of beach sandals? Some of the pads are a little thick, so you might have to slice a bit off , but I'll bet a sharp razor blade or Xacto Knife probably would do the trick. They seem like exactly the right size for mini shoes, and the neat thing is that they come in exact pairs!

Maggie Dickens

Watch Parts: I've used these in my 144th scale house for lamps and dresser access. Also, a knife for a butcher shop. The 'wheels' could also be used for 144th scale picture frames.

Theresa