Window Trim: I have used Crayola felt tip marking pen in brown to do the trim on my windows that is the closest to the "glass".  It looks just like regular stain and is much easier to control so close to the glass.   I have used this pen to do other small things --  like hat stands.  I hate to open regular stain and do all that stirring.  This brown is a perfect match with cherry stain.  that's my favorite stain BTW. Your find sounds like it will do large items and I will neverhave to open another can of stain.

Elise in Va.

Faux Stucco: You may tear your tissue into 2 or 3 inch squares. Be sure the edges are torn, not cut. Wad the tissue into a ball to wrinkle it up. Spread it out, but do not smooth it out. Press it into your glue or acrylic varnish that has already been applied to the surface you wish to cover. This will work better if you use a sponge applicator that has been dipped in glue or varnish to tamp your material to the wall. Your tamper will not stick as long as it has a layer of glue or varnish between it and the tissue. I am especially fond of the round sponge applicators used for stenciling. Think of your wall as a checker board. Apply the first piece of tissue to the middle black square but keep it at a bit of an angle, not squared up. Now apply tissue to the four squares of black that touch each corner of the first square. Continue this random pattern until all of the black squares have been covered. Now, repeat the process for the red squares. Start in the middle where the original tissue has had a bit of time to set up. Overlapping is a good thing. Torn edges keep lines from developing in your pattern. Since this is only tissue, experiment on a piece of cardboard to get comfortable with the technique.

Becky Holliday

Stucco on wall - the simplest way and one that Bluette uses, mix corn starch in white acrylic craft paint (or whatever color you wish your stucco to be) to the consistency of cake batter. Paint a thin layer on the surface you want to stucco, then pounce with a stipple or other blunt stencil type brush. You'll get the perfect effect that you are after.

Molly Cromwell

An alternative to siding. I rehab old wood tab & slot houses. I slather on wood putty/filler (in small tubs at WalMart/Home Depot/Lowes etc.) where the slot is glued where it pokes through the wall, then smooth it out with an old credit card and let dry. Then sand and paint. It really strengthens these cute but cheap houses; works to fill in gaps where walls meet, too.

On the exterior, I like to use fake granite spray paint and clear acrylic topcoat, which gives a faux stucco look. Fairly cheap at WalMart & KMart, in numerous colors.

Loretta.Sniarowski

Grass Cloth Flooring: If you are searching for grass cloth for flooring purposes, try looking at grasscloth wallpaper. I have a wallpaper sample book titled "Strings and Grasses" that is just perfect for this purpose. I used a sheet of the "grasses" as matchstick blinds and they look wonderfully in scale.

Reva in Loveland, Ohio

Sea grass type of covering: I made a sea cottage once. I used section grass on the outside, so that it would look like it was mini bamboo, and for the floors, I used some rubberized stuff that I got in the hardware store. It comes in a fairly inexpensive roll, and is textured so that it looks like woven sea grass. I think its original purpose is as a shelf cover to keep china and glass from chipping in the cupboard. I painted it the green I liked (using the most mundane acrylic paints from the craft store, and just mixing them until I liked what I saw), and when it was finished, it was the best thing about the cottage. I hope this helps,

DeeDee in Carmel Valley

Metal: One thing that I LOVE to get the look of metal is 'aluminum tape'. It's actually used by electricians, etc., and is extremely fine aluminum on a sticky tape backing. If you wrapped a dowel in this, it would look like a metal pole, but there are hundreds of uses for it. I've applied it to the top of leather and punched out metal 'buttons' with my hole punch...they look great and glue like a dream (because of the leather backing.) I've used this approach for the metal rivets, buttons on blue jeans.

I initially got a 25 foot supply by sweet-talking the man who came to fix my dryer (oh, a miniaturist has no shame!) but I have also seen it available at Walmart. Great stuff and well worth the price!

Diana in Canada

Mortar: For all of my mortar and stucco needs I use industrial drywall. It can be had at any DYI for approx. 10 dollars a 20 lb bucket (it lasts forever). It is a wise investment. It can be piped through a baggie to achieve a decorative application (my haunted mirror was indeed made of drywall and stained with mahogany finish),...and ALL of the siding on my haunted dollhouse was fashioned in drywall with a drywall comb I fashioned myself. It is an amazing compound, tough as stone within a week. And it is inexpensive. I do not care, for many people who will market "miniature" stucco for seven dollars a jar, it is of no doubt to me, that they are remarketing drywall for sale. Spend the ten dollars and see -- it is well worth your efforts. It can be stained, sanded, drilled...even carved once properly set. Many of the moldings on my haunted dollhouse are drywall piped through an icing bag (I used to be a cake decorator, as well...) It will certainly stick your gravel stones, and you can do so much more...brickwork...what have you.

Sherise

Draping   fabric.   The best method I've found for draping if I didn't want to go thru the hours of stiffening, pinning, and shaping is to sew or glue fine copper wire into the hem of the fabric. Then shape the wire around a small dowel.   It works best on dust ruffles. It also works to drape bed coverings and keep the corners down.   and I bet if I go to the archives this will already be there....VBG.....    Pillows filled with salt.......I've never tried that either, but the little canisters that are shipped to your pharmacists to keep medication dry, contain tiny crystals of silica gel, and this makes a nice pliable filler for your DH pillows, and keeps the moisture out of the DH too as a bonus.  

Carol Wagner, Joshua Tree Calif

Aged Hinges: I had been reading an article titled, "Instant Age for New Hardware," in the new issue of American Woodworker. Although it related to full size hinges, it could be applied to mini hinges. It mentions a product called "Brass Ager ($2.75 for 8 oz.) that is supposed to work with solid brass, solid steel, or zinc plate. It will not work on brass plated stuff. I have not used it; but, here is the URL for them. http://www.kennedyhardware.com

Dave, Bradenton, FL

Super-glossy appliances: Try using glossy spray paint. Krylon makes little bottles of spray paint (called "short cuts") so that you don't have to buy so much... I have used their matte white and it's very useful for a base coat, but there's also a glossy white which might be just what you're looking for.

Celeste in Boston

Super-glossy appliances: "Try using glossy spray paint. (called "short cuts")" this is great, but remember to spray lightly and then sand with very fine sandpaper and spray again - lightly - at least 7 to 10 times. It will be well worth the effort when they really look like porcelain.

Mary Lou in Middleburg Hts., OH

Draping: I made all the curtains for my dollhouse.   I have found that only the softest lace or silk work the best.   It has to be really flimsy material.   Then it hangs.   In my silk curtains in the LR, I didn't hem them.   I guess I could have used the selvage edge but just pulled threads to get a straight edge then trimmed.   The hem causes bulk and then they wouldn't hang right.   I still have to make my cornice or valance.   I think I'm going to do a cornice.   For the little girl's room I used the softest lace I could find.   A lot of times if you wash fabric good and get the sizing out, that helps a lot.

Linda In CT

Draping: When trying to get the fabric to behave in the way you want it is essential that you choose the correct type. Don't try to battle with polyester and man made fibers. Use only pure silks and fine cotton fabrics you will find that these can be pressed and moulded into shape and will give a more natural finish. Also if you need to glue it will stick much easier with only a minimum amount of glue. Hope this helps

Fran

Draping: For holding the "drape" try spraying with hair spray and while the material is still moist with the hair spray, fold and drape it to your liking.

DrBob...Delray Beach, FL

Draping   fabric.   It is probably best for circular table cloths on round tables.   I'm sure some of you out there will find a way to use the technique in other ways as well.

Condition some polymer clay in a color that blends well with the main color of the fabric.   I would recommend using only natural fiber fabric, that is no polyester blends.   cut a circle of fabric slightly larger than finished piece.   Put the polymer clay through a pasta machine until you get a smooth, thin sheet.   Lay your fabric over the clay and run the whole works through the pasta machine again. Carefully cut the clay/fabric to the finished size.   Drape this over an oven proof form such as a small glass jar or wood haps and bake as usual. I saw this idea in one of the dozens of books I've read on polymer clay.

Kathy in Wisconsin

Faux Corian: Saw someone ask about Corian for modern kitchen counters a few days ago. Lo and behold, saw two possibilities right here in my own house.

1) Get one of those thin(maybe 1/8 inch or even less thick) flexible plastic cutting boards; got mine at Bed Bath. They're made to fold so should mold nicely over the edge of a counter you have previously made up of wood and painted suitably. Mine is a foggy translucent no-color but they also come in colors.

2) Gift bags, there is a whole wall of them at Target (Tar-jhay) and some of them are solid color translucent plastic...white or lots of colors. The one I bought is a bit stiff, but a short dunk in hot water would probably help.

Ginger in PA

3-D stickers....I got some and used the baby ones in a shadow box. The stickers that were really out of scale I put on the side and back walls and they look great. I am really pleased at how it turned out. They wouldn't all work in a strictly scale dollhouse or roombox but as accessories in a shadow box or something similar they work fine. And the brand name is Stickerpottomos. I found them at my local scrapbook and stamp store.

Judi

Draping   fabric.   To get your fabrics to drape well, I work on foam board with a gazillion straight pins and when it is exactly the way I want it, I spray it with a thin starch - several times.   For that really elegant look and drapeability, use silk - nothing beats it for doing exactly what you want, and no need to spray anything on after.   I also make round tablecloths with ease, by inverting the cloth and table into a teacup, and arranging the folds.

Dawn-Moree in Welcome, MD

Curtain weights:   It occurs to me though that you could sew length of fine solder ( Radio Shack)   into the hem of the curtain to add weight, and allow you to easily shape (bend) the pleats as you like.

Tom & Kari