Antique a Mirror: I learned this tip from Bluette Melony. Make sure your mirror is clean. Take a cellulose sponge cut into a small rectangle or square -(something that fits comfortably in your hand). I pick off all the "hard' edges along the four sides. Lightly pounce that onto a plastic/paper plate with a light coating of Elmers mixed with some water. Gently pounce the mirror - don't get carried away - you want it to look old not shattered. If you have some bronze or light brown pastels - shave a little off (really powdered) and sprinkle it on top of the mirror. Gently raise and turn the mirror so the powder goes on to all the "glued" areas. Let dry. Blow excess off-

Renee

If you are into Native American Decor, you can use one of your cat's fallen claws as a "bear claw" to make a necklace with it!

Mary Aycock

Photo Tip: While trying to find a way to add photos to my daughter's dollhouse, I stumbled onto index prints at Wal-Mart.  You have to ask for them and there is a tiny cost but it is worth it. The pictures are very detailed; you just have to be aware when you take the picture that you will have to cut off about1/5 of the picture on the left side (they number the pictures so they're easy to find on the negative.) I laminate them and then cut an extra 1-4 mm around each picture. Then I fabric paint a frame around each picture with a thin tip (you can marble the frameby drawing lines on the laminate with the paint and then pulling a thin needle through it).

My daughter currently has many mini-photos of herself, family and friends. Next,we're going to set up vignettes with her dolls and take pictures!!

Nancy

No Sew Pillows: Take fabric a little larger than you want your pillow to be  1/4" is good. Stuffing squared off the size you want your pillow to be: Wonder under or Stitch witch, iron-on fabric glue in sheets.

Stack the pillow in this order:

one piece of fabric, face DOWN
one piece fabric glue
stuffing
one piece fabric glue
one piece fabric face UP

Iron around the edges, keeping them straight. Heat a crochet hook point on the iron and set it in the center of your pillow to make a button type indent. Hold it there for a few minutes and it will heat the glue inside of the pillow. Now trim with scissors around the edges. You have a no sew pillow. You can glue trim or lace around the edge for a fancy look

Pillow # 2

Cut two pieces of card the size of your pillow. Cut two pieces of fabric larger than card. Have two pieces of stuffing. Layer: fabric, stuffing, card.

Wrap fabric around card trim and glue. Do this two times. Glue the two pieces of finished pillows together, back to back. Add trim around the edge

BJ   >^,,^<

Photos: Another easy way of adding mini photos is to photograph big ones!  I gripwax the pictures I want on to a board and stand it up in good light, then take photos from various distances with an ordinary 35mm camera or APS camera.  That way I can choose the subjects and also have pictures in several sizes.  My sister does something similar, but puts the board flat on the floor andclimbs the kitchen steps to take the pictures!

Also, if you're using your mini photos in albums, it's worth carefully peeling as many layers of paper off the back as you can manage with a craft knife, so you are left with a really thin picture.  It looks better and reduces the bulk of the pages.

Ronnie

Nascar Racer: Go to your local hobby shop where they sell the car models and trains. I bought the cutest little Nascar cars, just the right scale. They also have Nascar decals, which I put on the furniture. For the wallpaper I used a stripe, which had sports cars on the border. For some reason, I don't know why Iget the catalog from Nascar. I cut out the Nascar symbols and glued it on cardboard, then put a coat of Mod Podge on it.

Linda

Clothes pins: Someone was asking about clamp type clothespins.  Dean Jensen of Rainbow Designs does make wonderful ones - but I think he makes the regular type, not the hinged ones.  You can make your own out of the oriental toothpicks.  They won't be as nice as Dean's, however.  Just cut the pick to the desired length and then cut a slit with an Xacto knife.

Jeanette Zanio

Popcorn Machines: Country Store Miniatures has Popcorn and Cotton Candy carnival machines: http://www.countrystoreminiatures.com/

Anne Gerdes

Mini Tea Tins: Towne Square Miniatures in Medina Ohio has these. Also I believe the Miniature Peddler in Akron Ohio has them.

Tea Tins: I found a site called "The Wild Orchid" and if you click on their link and go to "Miscellaneous Pieces" they have a cute 3/4" shortbread tin. I know it's not a tea tin, but it would look cute in a tea room setting.http://www.wildorchidminiatures.com/

Paulette

Glass Bottles: You can find empty glass bottles with rubber stoppers at Royal Miniatures: http://www.royalmini.com/ They are really nice.

Lyn Trenary

Glass Bottles: Try Fantasy Glass Miniatures at: http://www.fantasy-glass.com. Their work is wonderful, their prices are reasonable, and they just seem like very nice people.

Rosemary Macedonio

No-Hole Glass beads: Support your local miniature shop and have them order for you.

Pocket Watches: Dee's Delights used to carry empty pocket watches. They also carry Cottage industries stuff and they have all of the licensed Pepsi products including a 5" tall blue cooler.

Jan Smith

Hockey Pucks: I made mine from small dowels I painted them black then I made copies from the copying machine of all the NHL crests which I had from one of my husbands books. The puck measuring from side to side is approximately 3" , it is not easy once you cut out the dowel you will have a pretty good idea. I reduced my crest page down until I got the right size.

Patti Kennedy

Hockey Pucks: My hockey puck is 3' in diameter and one inch thick. Made of black rubber and the logo in the center leaves a one half inch rim of black showing. It's official NHL and all are the same size.

Jan Smith

Shampoo: For shampoo bottles, lite brite pegs work for that too. Cut off the prong end and add a small finding for the base and one for the top with Zap a Gap glue. The findings can be painted and usually the peg has a bubble in it that makes it look like thick liquid. Here is where you can use all the different colored pegs. A decal for the label and Voila! Look at the walls at a Bath and Body shop and the colors of the bottles are scrumptious!

Maria

Oil drum: I found a great looking oil drum (45 gal?) at this site: Miniworld It's under gas stations. Lots of other neat stuff in there too.

Jeenee

Hockey Pucks: "Made of vulcanized rubber, the puck is 1 inch 3 inches (2.5 cm7.6 cm) and weighs 5.5 to 6 ounces (156 to 170 grams)."- --So you could probably make a whole bunch of them easily by using a 1/4-inch paper punch on black fun foam.

Trish

1/22th Pots and Pans: Here is a source for 1/24th that is available via mail order. Oakridge Hobbies - http://www.oakridgehobbies.com/

Marilyn

Cups: Use your eyeliner and lipliner pencil lids for cups. Just use a hot knife to cut off the top part. Most lids have a flat tip for the base of the cup.

Anna