Bending Wood For a Spiral Staircase Handrail: Steam the wood and wrap it around a piece of plastic pipe (maybe 4" drain pipe) and hold it in place until cold. To be more precise, take a piece of plastic pipe, and make a form on the outside of it for the handrail. You can glue and screw thin pieces of veneer onto the pipe, above and below where you want the hand rail. Steam the wooden handrail for about 10 to 15 minutes. Working quickly (with gloves, remember the wood is hot) position the handrail into the form and clamp it into place. Let it cool for a couple of hours.

It is best if the pipe is smaller in diameter than you want, since the wood will relax some when you unclamp it.

Tom Berkner

Victorian Exteriors; Here's a website you may want to take a look at - has Victorians from the East & West Coast.

http://www.victorianstation.com/architecturemenu.htm

Marsha, Newark, CA

Victorian Exteriors; Here's a website you may want to take a look at - has Victorians from the East & West Coast.

http://www.victorianstation.com/architecturemenu.htm

Marsha, Newark, CA

Simulated Stained Glass: I have become the dealer of Simulated Leadlight In Miniature from Australia. This is a stained glass window that is printed on thin acrylic. They look very realistic and are very reasonable in price.

http://www.suite101.com/mybulletin.cfm/minilorrie/1781

Lorrie Harvey, Manitoba, Canada

Wooden Fan Uses: I used some of the pieces for making a fretwork headboard and sofa backing. It breaks so easily, but will work. I just finished a bakery display case (one-inch scale) and joined two pieces together to form a design that I glued onto the back for a fancy effect. Actually, I think of it as the pauper's Bespaq technique. I've taken plain furniture and attached little pieces here and there. I don't work with quarter-inch scale but I would think it would make a great screen, also architectural molding if cut just right. I've probably ruined more than I've actually used but have saved most of the pieces. I wish I could find another one with butterflies 'cause they are so purdy!

Theresa Thomas

Glass Bricks: Some years ago I needed a glass block window. Went to a home improvement store and bought a sheet of plastic grid that is used for light fixtures. It was white, about 1/4 of an inch thick and the spaces were about 1/2 inch square. Cut the size I needed and sealed one side with tape. Mixed some clear resin, poured a little in and after it hardened filled it up. Looked real. The grid is handy for other minis too.

Carol

Arched Doorways: I purchased an Art Ply house once and all the doors were arched. I left the arches from the center hallway into the living room and dining room, but cut all the others to accept Housework's doors. Even had the foresight to do it before I put the house together! The kit did not include frames for any of these doors, so I had to make my own. I traced the top of punched out bit onto a sheet of balsa wood, and used flat strips for the sides; I made the balsa arch the same width as the strips, obviously. I used balsa because I could cut it with a scalpel; I don't have very much luck using a power saw for that sort of thing. I painted all the pieces before I glued them in place. After the glue was dry, I measured the depth of frames and wall, and cut a long strip of white poster board to glue inside the arch to finish it up neatly.Some folks call it tag board, but it's heavier than paper, but lighter than cardboard. A quick touch up with paint to clean up any smudges and fingerprints, and it looks fairly respectable. If you want 'carving' you could glue crochet-type lace or even paper doily bits around the frame; it would help to hide the seam where the arched piece and the strips join.

Dani

Spiral Stairs: The current issue (June/July 2000) of "Classic American Homes" Magazine has some items of interest in the back advertising section. One is a color ad showing 3 styles of real sized spiral staircases. Looking at this picture, I think it would be easy to make mini versions.

Anne Gerdes

Greenhouse Structures: I just wanted to share an idea that I'm planning on doing someday with the Vertical IKEA Greenhouse. Actually, it requires buying another one. The greenhouse has a front-opening door, and I'm planning to get another one, reverse the hinges on that one, then attach the two greenhouses together in the middle. That would give me a front-opening house. The only problem is, unless I want the house to be completely "see-through", I'll need to cover the outside with brick sheets of something. Once again, no problem! But I'm thinking for the price it's not a bad idea. Also, it's wall hanging, and closed in.

Cheryl

Terrariums: For terrariums/conservatories,etc; a company called Roman Inc. has a nice one. They have a web site that could help you find a local dealer of their products. The web site is www.roman.com/Roman imports Fontaninni. They are also a major gift and Christmas supplier. Through my business I could special order these.

Deborah

Shutters - You can really hang your shutters in either direction. Originally, they were hung so that when they were closed, the slats pointed down, to keep rain and light out of the rooms. When they were open, then, the slats would point up. Very few people actually have - or use - working shutters anymore, so they are hung with the slats pointing down so rainwater doesn't get behind them and make a mess.

SW Corner Fireplace: A terrific corner fireplace for Southwestern can be made using a plastic funnel and a tube from paper towels, gift wrap or a mailing tube! Just cut them appropriately, and use Celluclay (a commercial form of paper mache found in craft stores) to fill in the cracks and smooth out the shelves!

Alice Zinn , Pt. St. Lucie, FL

Curved Banister: You can make curved banisters from cording rope that you can purchase from Joanne's or other fabric outlets. Just coat the cording rope several times with white glue, like Tacky. As it starts to stiffen, arrange it in the curve you want and let it set up. Then paint it.

Anita Myers, Arnold, MD

Curved Bannister: When you have placed your banisters on the end of the steps, take a piece of round electric wire (copper inside, white plastic outside) and glue that on the top following the curve. Clean the surface well and paint in the desired color. You can even finish the end at the bottom in a nice curve. To bend your copper, you could use a metal ruler to fold along. You can score copper sheeting just like paper to get a nice fold.

Dorothee

Stone Fireplace: Thank you for your enthusiastic comments about Mossy Manor and Fairy Hollow, Susan! My favorite is Mossy Manor, and I too would like to live there!

You asked how I made the fireplace. The house is a 'kit bashed' Aster Cottage by Corona. It came with a die-cut wooden piece for the fireplace. It was just a flat piece with asymmetrical 45 degree slants in to make it more narrow at the very top. There is a hole in the wall which is walled in by the exterior part of the fireplace to give it depth. I started with that as my form to build on.

I bought some 1/2" molding from the hardware store and notched its two front edges with my x-acto knife. I stained it mossy green (watered down paint) and glued it in place on the fireplace form. I collected rocks at the beach. They were glued on with Quick Grab glue, and then 'mortared' with Spackle. I also glued the rocks inside the opening and, after their mortar dried, painted with thinned black paint.

The hearth (and 'floor' inside the fireplace opening) was also a wooden piece I covered in rocks. I used flat ones for this part. Again, I used black paint to make the floor inside 'burnt'.

For the outside chimney part, I again used the wooden form that came with the kit. I didn't use the very top detail pieces, but instead made a cap with flat rocks, and glued little pointed (triangle shaped) rocks like a crown on top. There is a slight hole when you look down in, but I made it appear bigger with black paint.

Pictures here: http://gerdesdesign.com/mossy.htm

Anne Gerdes

Stump houses: Our club here in Hawaii has been doing stump houses for several years. We use Clorox bottles. Stand it up, cut a hole in the side and using your favorite (we have several) paper mache goop, dip and paper towels in, and

place on the bottle in folds and wrinkles to simulate bark. You can add brown paint to the goop (work on newspapers) and then paint on highlights with darker brown and black acrylic paint.

We all add our own chimneys, sometimes a floor in the middle, stairs on the inside or out, a window or two if you like, vines and flowers and your own little critters or fairies etc. One of our ladies used the plaster impregnated cloth used for casts for her bark, and one even used real bark. Just a few ideas, Hope someone can make use of them.

Norieta in Hawaii

Simple SW House: A simple SW house (no shingles) in 1/4" scale {1"=48"}. Sorry I couldn't find my metric ruler to footnote these measurements. Their walls were 1 to 2  feet thick, so I use 1/4" plywood. CUT...

    2 long walls {for a front & a back} 6 1/2"wide & 4" high

    2 short walls {for ends} 3"wide & 4" high

    1 floor  3" by 4"

    1 roof  2 7/8" by 3 7/8"

     1 inside wall  3" wide & 3 1/4" high

    4 Vigas  = 1/4"dowel  cut 4" long  {timbers that hold up the roof}

    Strip of wood 1/16" by 1/8"  {to trim over door & windows}

The floor of this fits INSIDE of the walls. The inside wall sits ON the floor.  Other builders have set all of the walls ON a base & the rest of the base becomes patio & etc.  DECIDE WHERE YOU WANT THE WINDOWS & DOOR.  CUT openings into the walls for them. Measure a piece of Strip wood {see parts list above} 1/2" longer than the width of each Window & Door opening. LAY the Strip above the Door opening. The bottom of the strip should touch the top of the opening for the Door. DRAW around this strip. The Strip will be glued in place AFTER painting the Wall. DO NOT PAINT WHERE THE STRIP WILL GO. Repeat this for each window opening.

These Strips represent Heavy Timbers and were very dark in color. You can put Strips on the inside too. CUT an ARCH in the back wall for access. Measure 3/4" from the LEFT side of the Back Wall and draw a line from the bottom of that wall to the top. Measure 3/4" from the RIGHT side of that wall and draw another vertical line. Measure UP from the BOTTOM of that wall 3'' and draw a line from the left to the right of that wall. This will create an opening 5" wide & 3" high. At the UPPER corners I like to use a coin to create rounded corners, thus giving it the look of a wide arch.  CUT OUT this arch.    The Inner Wall will have a doorway cut into it. Measure from the RIGHT side 1" and draw a vertical line. Then  measure UP from the BOTTOM  2 3/4" and draw a horizontal line to meet the first line. At the UPPER left corner again use a coin to create a rounded corner. CUT OUT this doorway BEFORE doing the next step.  One room is larger than the other. My larger room will be on the left {as seen from the Back of the house}. BEGIN at the left side of the floor and measure 3 1/4" toward the right and draw a pencil line from the front to the back of the floor. Stand the Inner Wall on  the right side of this line & touching the line. Be sure the long side of the Inner Wall lines up with the front of the floor. Now draw around the rest of the Inner Wall. This wall sets perpendicular to the front wall. This part of the floor will NOT have tile (or other floor covering on it). MAKE A PATTERN of the floor area that WILL have tile (or ??) on it. This will make it easier to install a  floor covering later. Lay the Back Wall ON the Front Wall. Make sure the edges are EVEN all around & CLAMP the two walls together. The holes we will drill for the Vigas MUST BE  in the same place in each wall. On the wall...measure down from the TOP 5/8" and in from the LEFT side 5/8"...PUT A DOT HERE.

Measure to the RIGHT  1 3/4" & put the Second Dot. To the RIGHT  1 3/4" & put the Third Dot. The Fourth Dot is 1 3/4" from the Third Dot. AND 5/8" from the RIGHT side of the wall. ALL of these dots MUST be 5/8" from the TOP of the Wall.  DRILL a 1/4" hole CENTERED on each Dot and drilled through BOTH Walls. You may have to sand the Dowels a little to fit these holes. They should fit easy, but not sloppy. Glue the Walls AROUND the Floor, using the Vigas in their holes to keep everything lined up. When all is DRY, remove the Vigas and PAINT the walls inside & out. MIX some VERY FINE Sand into the paint to create stucco. Clean out any paint that gets into the Viga's holes. Don't get the paint too thick above the Viga's holes. The roof goes here and sits in the Vigas.  Paint the top of the Roof BLACK to be the tar or pitch that normally goes on the Roof. The bottom of the Roof piece is the Ceiling of the house. Decide where the Fireplace will be. Attach the Chimney FIRMLY to the Black side of the Roof. It becomes the "handle" to remove the Roof piece. I like to remove the roof when I show someone my house as it lets more light in. I hang things  from the Vigas, not from the ceiling.

Ann Bramlet

Spiral Stairs: A hint I got some time ago in SSD is to use an oriental fan for the stair treads - the carved ones that look like wrought iron. I have seen these in plastic but the only oriental shop in my town had them in wood - very thin & laser cut. I have started mine, but it may be awhile before I work it all out. I plan to seal the thin wood with gesso on both sides (for strength) and then to paint them black. I will string them onto a dowel with fancy beads between to space them properly. I will then make a banister using spindles and I will top it off with a rail using either the covering from copper wire or the fine bendable wicker used to make baskets

Jacqui in Hilo

House Plans: This is not quite what you asked for (Norman castle Americanized etc.), but I thought I'd mention the Dover reprint of American Victorian Cottage Homes (full-sized ones, not dollhouses). They are by no means what we'd think of as cottages--some are about 6 stories high, or townhouses--but they are often incredibly complicated, with gables everywhere, and towers (but not round ones). There are perspective drawings and elevations and floor plans. Might give you a few ideas. Originally published in 1878 by Palliser, Palliser & Co.

Frances Armstrong

Contemporary minis: Hi to all those interested in contemporary miniatures. Just ran across an interesting art site that offers an architects idea of a dollhouse with a very different view - it is fun to look at and they also offer interesting accessories. The URL is as follows:

http://www.bozart.com

Ann Hendricks