Room box exteriors: My specialty is in decorative painting so I usually finish the outside of my boxes in marble or other faux finishes that co-ordinate with the box. You can also make it more thematic by Mod-Podging pages from a book - if it is a library or book theme. Frankly it is easier to finish the box when it is still in pieces. I use A LOT of white Krylon spray primer - sanding in between coats- to seal up the grain and get a smooth finish- then the world is only limited to your imagination. I have one friend who cover a jewelry shop with crushed safety glass from an auto shop! (a little touchy to handle- but pretty safe just the same).

Renee

Thatched roof: I made a 1/4" thatched roof cottage and we used raw flax. We combed it then cut small pieces to place on the roof. Took a long time in 1/4". But the effects are marvellous. Be sure to keep your hands free of glue when you use flax cause it will stick to your fingers and then you've got a mess. After the roof was dry, I took a toothbrush and 'combed' the roof to remove the excess flax.

Terri Young

Thatch: I tried one once with broom straw and didn't like it - too neat. Ended up doing that house with raffia, which gave it the look I wanted. I have known some people to use unravelled hemp rope, and I believe some sort of gourd product.

Beth

For my floors I recommend Minwax Natural stain- it will seal the wood and bring out the highlights and low lights in it. I would not suggest any other finishing product (like varnish or spray) over it.

Renee

Pickled Finish: I just rediscovered white shellac to use over light wood like holly. It doesn't yellow the wood. It also is applied very thin and doesn't leave brush marks. It can be removed with alcohol. Would be good for floors where you want to maintain a fresh, white look.

Pete

Southwestern room: Nutshell News had a good technique for simulating plastered walls with texture that might work for a Southwestern room - crumple tissue paper and then glue it down without smoothing out all the wrinkles, and paint over it.

Karen Isaacson

I do my plaster with a vinyl based white paste (here called SPACKLE), that it is used by the house painters to fill up any cracks or holes in the walls before painting, it is excellent because once dry you can sand it to obtain a fine finish or, you can apply it with a oil painting knife to make the most wonderful effects. It is white in color but you can add to it some acrylic paint to tint it to the desired color.

Mirta Fitzgerald

Wallpaper Ceiling Paper: I found this wonderful source for wallpaper and ceiling paper. I do not know these people personally, but am a happy customer! Karen's Dollhouse Decor. They are Canadian and she used to be an interior decorator. They take full-scale wallpaper and borders that have tiny patterns and cut them to dollhouse size. She combines 2-4 different papers for great coordinated looks, sort of splicing them together. So there will be a wainscoting part, upper wall part and sometimes a trim piece where they meet, plus one at the top. The combinations are lovely and very "Brooke" looking. Many are contemporary; some are sort of French Country, some Victorian.

Their ceiling papers are great too! They have embossed 'tin' and 'copper' type, and a wonderful white ornate 'plaster' one. They will cut to your specifications so the medallions are centered for light fixtures.

They only sell WHOLESALE, so pass this info on to your favorite miniature shop and ask them to get the sample kit. Karen's Dollhouse Décor 905-472-5846

Anne Gerdes

Scoring floors: I have had great success with the straight edge from the inexpensive combination squares you can find at home improvement and hardware stores. Just unscrew it from the square. Most of them are relatively thick and made from heavy gauge steel. I've had one that I've used for around 10 years now. .

Lloyd

Scoring floors: Get a piece of illustration board big enough for the whole floor. Paint the floor in your background color first. Take your cork-backed ruler and mark the floor (lightly in pencil) with lines going both ways at 3/4" or 1" intervals. Then take a VERY sharp exacto or one of those craft knives with the pop off blades and cut a shallow v out of each line. It will take two slanted cuts for each line. Be sure the top of the v is only about 1/16" wide. If you cut a little too deep, it will go through to the grey under the white surface that was on the illus. board to start with, but this usually adds to the authenticity of your floor. When finished, give the 'tile' two coats of clear, water-based varnish or spray on polyurethane. I find this method is especially effective for saltillo (terra cotta) tiles such as are used in Southwestern houses.

Dottie in Tucson

Scoring floors: If you get a piece of aluminum angle from the hardware store, and keep the knife on the tall upright side, it is almost impossible to cut yourself.


 

Tom Berkner

Aging Wood: Seems there was a tip given sometime ago on another digest that said that to make a solution to mimic the "bug juice", soak nails in vinegar for a few weeks. The nails will get rusty and make a more "brown" aging solution. I did make some and the only thing is, for a period afterwards, the piece smells like a salad bar! It does eventually leave and the aging is WONDERFUL! There was also another tip once (sorry I can't give credit where credit is due) but to use mineral spirits and some burnt umber oil paint.I've used this one too and like the appearance.

Jo A Cohrs

Water - I do not like envirotex because it only has a shelf life of one year, is very unpredictable and turns yellow with age and sunlight. Casting craft is the best resin, but be very careful it can cause severe liver and kidney damage if you do not have GOOD ventilation. Because I teach children as well as adults and because I have Lupus that affects my lungs I am very careful about fumes and strong odors. That is why I experimented with silicon type caulking.

Sue Thwaite

Your construction paper bricks sound like some we have done but we did them the other way, cut out 5/8" strips, stuck them on paper with a slight gap (for the grout) then cut those into 1/4" strips (which could them be staggered to make a nice bond). Never thought of using the shredder to get even 1/4" cuts though. Good idea.

Sandra Monk

Bricks: I just added some step-by-step photos for the card board and egg carton brick and stone method on my hints page, for those who want to try that method.  http://www.yeoldouthouse.com/minihints.html

Beverly Michie

Installing Hinges: Your hinges should have come with screws. In any case I would pre-drill and use screws. Put a little wood glue in the hole before you screw the screw in for a real sturdy connection.

Suzi

Hinges: Don't use a tiny hammer and nails to install your front door, unless the tiny carpenter brings his own tools with him! Go to Smaller Than Life's website, http://www.nh.ultranet.com/~smallife

They've got wonderful tweezers just made for getting those pesky little hinge brads set in place. It holds them and pushes them in, too. I bet they'd even give you a tip or two on how to install hinges, if you asked them!

Bonni Backe

Aging wood: When I use India ink for aging, I mix it with denatured alcohol, the proportions can be determined to your taste. I do like the look it gives, a nice soft gray.

Earlene Lane

Crackling with Glue: you can use regular white Elmer's glue instead of that expensive medium! I tired it and it worked! Here are the instructions, but I recommend that you try it out on the bottom of the object first to see if you like it:

Paint the object the color you want the cracks to be (for example I wanted dark brown cracks and a ivory object). Let it dry well. Now paint Elmer's white glue over that--and while it is STILL WET paint the color you want the object to be and try to just stroke once--don't go back over your paint strokes. Now use a blow dryer on a low setting and dry--voila! Crackle! Now you could seal this if you desired /or rub it with a piece of a paper sack to make it smooth.

Parisa Javidi

Crackle: To those who are "crackling" - I have worked with the large crackle, down to the very fine. The thinner the final coat, the finer the cracks. They have all crackled, its just that sometimes you can't see it. The final finish is to rub it with a glaze stain (House of Miniatures walnut) or just diluted burnt umber acrylic. Wipe it on and then off, this goes into the cracks and makes them apparent. Then I seal with a matte acrylic spray or semi-gloss Deft, depending on the shine I want. Try this and see if your cracks are really there!

Ruth