Auto Detailing Tape: I just read about your trunk project. The tape you're asking about is auto-detailing tape, and they have it at most auto shops in a 4" roll about an eighth to a quarter inch wide. You can also find it at Pearls and other good art and hobby shops in smaller, thinner sizes, for detailing everything from airplanes to fingernails. I'm not sure it would work on your project, because most of what's available is very thin and shiny. One variety to keep an eye out for, though, is the vinyl kind. It's heavier, somewhat stretchy, and more matte looking. E.g., gold in the thin variety has a mirror finish and is like, "WOW" whereas the gold in the vinyl variety is like old gold leather by comparison.

Lynn O'Shaughnessy

Edging for trunk: It just crossed my mind that you might try some duck tape cut into tiny strips. Might work?

Susan

Repainting metal: When things are in bad shape it's sometimes best to start over. Since its metal just soak it in paint remover (thinner) and then scrub off the old paint with a stiff brush. After it is well dry, repaint with glossy or enamel paints that will stick to the metal. I sometimes spray paint on a base coat and then paint them.

Deb Laue

Are you down to bare metal in parts on your little painted furniture? Or is some of the paint just dulled? To even up the shine put a coat of Future acrylic floor polish (that clear liquid stuff) on them with a small paintbrush. By the way -- applied with a lint-free cloth, this is a great protective finish to put over wall murals (full sized)!

To touch up where the paint is chipped away, exposing bare metal: lightly sand with an emery board around the edges of the chip. Paint with water base primer (common house paint brand). When dry, paint with acrylic paint. Again, use Future to add shine.

Unless you are very experienced, it is difficult to match a wet paint color to a dry paint color. If you don't want to paint the whole piece and you want to try to match it, remember paint dries darker than it appears wet.

Anne Gerdes

Non-working street lamps: Take the tiny glass balls that come on pipe cleaners in (usually older, inexpensive ) decorations that have seen better days. Soak them in a strong bleach water solution for several hours out doors if possible because of the fumes. The hardest part about this is getting the balls filled with the solution. Wear your rubber gloves and force them under water. Be sure you have good ventilation!

Use a real pipe cleaner with bristles (the kind you clean a pipe with - -LOL) to scrub out the metallic paint from inside the balls. Turn the end so it won't scratch the inside of the globe. Mount the globe on a pole made from, straws, stirring sticks or whatever looks right to you. You could also place them on decorative metal hooks to mount them on a building.

Marcie Cumberland

Afghan: I made a nice looking throw by using a piece of loose, open weave sweater knit. I added trim around the edge and it looks quite nice draped over a chair. Maybe this will help. Of course there are those wonderfully talented people that can knit them, too! Just not I!

Earlene Lane

Mini Pillows: I want to share what we did recently in one of our club meetings. we made mini pillows using fabric that had been lined with iron on interfacing, machine stitched with the smallest stitches, and 3/4th filled with Morton's salt. Our teacher said Morton's was best, because it stayed soft, even if it got wet. We glued the open side closed. These pillows are wonderful. They will hold shape when indented or curved, like they have really been used. The interfacing keeps the salt from leaking out.

Mary Ann

Dried Flowers: Dried flowers work wonderfully in miniatures, along with any other dried naturals, with two reminders - first, if you can, spray them with acrylic after finishing your project OR keep them out of the direct sunlight, and second, most dried naturals, either bought commercially or gathered yourself, come with an impressive array of weevils, moths, and other inhabitants. Inspect each bunch CAREFULLY for webs, caterpillars, hanging or powdery bits, and other creepy crawlies before you take it home. It does no harm to heat them at about 200-250 for a while or invest in a small bag of moth crystals. Put the crystals in a garbage bag with your goodies for 2 weeks and you should be "out of the woods," so to speak. I use dried flowers often and find that our Creator does a much better job of keeping His creations in scale than I do.

Rebecca

Stringing Beads for Miniature Jewelry: One wire I like to use in jewelry making (and that fits #24/o beads) is #34 brass. It comes in either small spools or cards and sells for about $2 in many U.S. craft stores. Even better, though, is #100 silk thread, which we in the U.S. import from Japan, and which is hard to find here. (Most of our silk thread is the thicker $50). It makes a nice, flexible strand of beads, and gives a more realistic effect than wire. To pick up the beads without a beading needle, just stiffen a couple of inches of thread with zap-glue to make a self-needle.

Lynn O'Shaughnessy

Tip for Old Shoe Soles: I was just making a few pairs of old boots and shoes. Thought that this tip on making soles for them might be of interest. This is good for either sculpted baked shoes or leather shoes that are constructed on a form.

I spread a thin layer of puff paint on the bottom of shoes. Then I hit it with a heat gun. It will puff up in an irregular pattern. Continue to use the heat until paint is dry. Then gently press sole on to a flat surface till sole evens out. To make really old shoes, when spreading the paint keep it off of one small circular section at the front (toe area). When everything else puffs this will remain flat. Then paint this indented area with a light beige/gray. Really looks worn. Hope this is clear.

Lyn

Dried Flowers: On getting rid of the critters in dried flowers, etc. I was told to put Spanish Moss in the microwave for a few seconds. I was also told to put dried flowers in the freezer for awhile. BTW- the freezer trick works great to kill mold. I had a book that smelled really moldy. I put it in the freezer overnight and it smelled sweet in the morning with no apparent harm done. I would try a sample of dried flowers to see how they fared by each method. It haven't seen any critters in my dried materials so haven't tried them.

Sandra Olsen

Dried Flowers: Concerning dried and preserved items for those of you who know my work you know I love my weeds :) One rule of thumb, if it is edible it needs more than oven baked or nuked (ie acorn -edible, acorn cap-non edible) Because I ship all over the world and the US I must be sure not only are existing critters dead but that the houses, furniture etc will not get REINFESTED once they are in your home. The best thing I have ever found is MIN WAX wood hardener. either dip or use a glass dropper and it will preserve mushrooms, acorns, berries, etc. It will stop driftwood from rotting etc.

For dried items - rule #1 buy from a reliable uninfested source- the moths lay eggs that will hatch long after the adults have been killed. I pay a little more but the results are well worth it. Some areas of the country you cannot use ANY real items (ie Florida) the bugs eat everything! That’s why Tupperware was invented there!:)

I preserve all my items with 1 part glycerine to 4 pt alcohol use as a spray for existing flower arrangements or scenes to refresh and dust and soak new items and then let dry on screens

Sue Thwaite

Dried weeds and flowers: To preserve branches and twigs so that they are more pliable, try soaking them for a day or two in glycerin and water. Some people use 1/3 glycerin to 2/3 water, others just a tablespoon to a cup. If you use less glycerin, let it soak.

Carol Jones

Chocolates: Try Hershey kisses at Easter time. They come in pastel foil and if you sacrifice and eat the chocolate (lol) smooth out the foil and wrap small pieces around navy pea beans, they make the cutest foil eggs for your basket.

Or Use Hershey miniatures (again some one MUST eat the candy) cut out the words chocolate or Hershey and wrap around foil and balsa for mini chocolate bars for trick or treat or anytime.

Gail Spector

Vases: This is from Janet Good as well. This is for a gold vase with light pink flowers, but you can get different colored sequins, flowers and heart beads to match your project.

Materials Needed:

Small gold sequin, Three small pink silk flowers, Toothpicks, Gold heart bead, Sprig of pink baby's breath, Scrap of styrofoam, Glue, Scissors

Glue sequin to the bottom of the heat bead. Pin to styrofoam scrap to dry, making sure the bead is straight. When dry, pull out pin and put a drop of glue on the inside of the bottom of the vase. Trim flower stems to desired length and insert in glue and vase.

Michelle Ft. Collins

Jack-o-Lanterns: I went looking for Orange SculpeyIII... none to be found! I found "pumpkin pie" (dull orange) and a neon, irridescent orange...so I bought them and mixed them well! Perfect color! Then I wanted them to be hollow, but they kept caving in on me! So, I made solid little balls of squished aluminum foil and covered them with clay, flattening them out a little on the top and bottom. Then I made the faces - each one different. I made tops for them so that they would look like they had been cut out and then replaced. Well, my experience with real pumpkins is that near the top, there is always a little "green" to them, so I made up some "muddy green" to put on the tops and to also make the stems out of. Then, I took a rounded plastic toothpick and indented the pumpkins all around into the "lobes" that a pumpkin has, and then baked them for 20 min.

MaryBear

Beaded Hand Bag: Glue holeless beads to a small (½") folded piece of ribbon to make an old-fashioned handbag (or fancy evening bag). Use all one color, or be creative and make designs with different colors. Then glue a jewelry finding to the top, with fine chain, if desired.

Easy way to pick them up is with a raw spaghetti noodle, slightly wet on the end. Touch lightly to bead, then place bead in glue on fabric, and the glue will "grab" the bead away from the noodle. Works equally well with all eentsy teensy tiny mini stuff.

Kay Baughman

Golf Bags: Sheila Seme does WONDERFUL golf bags in leather plus clubs and balls very reasonably priced. You can contact her at gpage@innet.com

Cheryl

Golf Bags: Hobby Builder's Supply has golf bags, golf clubs, golf shoes, etc. Their web address is http://www.miniatures.com You can order online. Very nice people to deal with.

Rita Pierce

Golf Bags: RUN to the nearest store that has Christmas ornaments before they're all gone! Sometimes you can find ornaments in the right scale to work for miniatures - like golf bags, sports balls, etc. I just saw some today at our Ben Franklin. Hobby Lobby has some balls that would work for minis too.

Jo A Cohrs