Soda Shops: Came across a wonderful site for anyone working on '50's style soda shops, ice cream parlors, etc. This company sells all kinds of vintage vending machines, signage and soda fountain accessories. Be sure to take a look if this is a project you have on the drawing board.Just so you know, I have no connection to this company. http://www.vintagevending.com

Suzy, Chicago, IL

Uncle Ciggie's Kit: Just wanted to mention that I did the Uncle Ciggie's little cradle kit this week in wicker, it was a very nice piece and pretty good directions. I am going to trim it up with silk ribbons and lace over the weekend. I did the dog bed and a basket they had once also, they were easier, and turned out very nice too. Very happy with the finished pieces. Found them online at http://www.uncleciggie.com

Michelle Blohm

Stain for Plastic Potty: I recently used Minwax Gel Stain with fairly good results. The package says it is good for painting on fiberglass. You just use 2 brushes to get the right finish. I tried it on a scrap of plastic, and seems to be OK...just a little tough to get a nice texture. It doesn't smell very strongly, but you will need to put a stinky sealer on top after the stain dries

Whui in SF

Paper: I too have an obsession with paper. It started with Joann Swanson and her articles but went from there to what can I make from paper. So most my roomboxes and accessories are made from paper, foamcore, matboard and card stock. I do make sure that what I use is as acid free as I can get it. I even make tables from matboard and when I'm finished with them they look like wood. Only wood in them is the legs. The purpose is dual fold. It keeps the roomboxes very light and easy to hang, but it also is very satisfying to see the look on peoples faces when I tell them almost everything is made from paper. The last 3 boxes I've done have even amazed me.

Kathy in E. TN

Icebox Shelf: I made a wire grill for an outdoor grill and you should be able to use the same technique. Since I don't have soldering skills, I use zap-a-gap or other super glues. Using wire from the floral dept. of the hobby shop, cut the frame pieces. Lay them out on a bed of masking tape. Then cut all of the cross pieces and super glue them in place. When finished, just peel the masking tape off.

Fannye in TX

Roll Away Bed: great instructions for the roll a way bed. http://www.kellysdollhouse.cjb.net

Kim

Museum mini offerings: Please forgive me. I made a mistake re museum mini offerings. It is not Boston Fine Arts but rather Winterthur that has nice minis. They have added a Chippendale secretary and a pipe organ to their minis. They are online at http://www.winterthurgifts.com.

Linda in Leroy, OH

Smaller scale linen:   this has got to be one of the easiest ones to make yourself. **

Why don't you buy a pretty handkerchief at a garage sale; or the dollar   stores? If you can, sew a tiny hem on all 4 sides, or else use some fabric  glue and glue a tiny hem on it. The delicate nature of the fabric used in   handkerchiefs is perfect for tiny linens. You could get both the sheet and   the pillow from one handkerchief and you'd have a lovely set. Also, You could  use a man's handkerchief (they are larger)for the bottom sheet and a lady's   one that uses a more delicate fabric for the top sheet. There is iron-on  hemming tape too that you could use if you don't sew at all as well as fabric   glue.

For a coverlet, measure your bed (or mattress)and then cut out a template   from that measurement (plus an inch or two for overhang) from a piece of  light cardboard or plastic. Using a hankie or lightweight fabric scrap that   has a tiny motif  or pattern on it, and a piece of soft flannel and another  piece of plain fabric, Stack & Iron the 3 pieces of fabric one on top of the   other. Draw around the template with a sharp pencil  on the top fabric and   cut out all three fabrics at once. Make sure that the fabric is stacked this  way: right side of fabric with pattern on it, facing right side of backing   fabric, then these two fabrics are stacked on top of the flannel. Sew (or   glue) all 3 pieces together around the perimeter about a quarter inch from  the cut edges,   leaving a small opening on the last side for turning. Start  your stitching or gluing in the middle of one side, not the end, as it makes  for easier turning this way. Then, trim the edges and snip off the corners so you minimize the bulk at the edges. Reach in and turn the piece right side out so that the pretty fabric is on top, flannel in the middle and backing fabric on the back. (makes sense doesn't it ?::G::) If you reach in between the two fabrics that are facing one another right sides together and grabbing middle of opposite side with a clamp or fingers if you have tiny hands and pull gently the turning will be easy. Then using a chopstick or the end of the clamp gently push corners outward, your "sandwich" will have nice sharp points. Don't use scissors or a sharpened pencil to push out corners though, as you can poke a hole that way. Slip stitch the opening closed. (or glue it closed with fabric glue). Then use a ruler to make evenly spaced dots across the top about a half inch apart or whatever suits you, and just take a tiny stitch up and down through all three layers.   tie a square knot with the thread or floss and snip off leaving a tail . You could use regular thread doubled or embroidery floss to do this.. Zip,zip, you've got a coverlet. I would not suggest you iron it after you've turned it as it takes the "puffiness" out of it if you do.

When you put it on the bed, you might want to take a tiny stitch in the   corners to keep it the sides down or put a bit of funtak underneath on the  bed so the sides stay against the bed and don't "stick out" - using the soft   fabric helps to drape it nicely. A light silk scarf also works well for this  as well. Esp., if you own a serger and can use it for the stitching. If your   fabric sticks up anyway, you might try washing the fabric before you use it  to remove the "sizing" that they put in fabrics to keep it smooth on the   bolt. With mini's the thinner the fabric the better it drapes. You can always  starch it for ease in sewing after you've washed out the sizing as that will   still allow the draping later on.

Ruthanne

Bedspreads: When making bedspreads, I find that by lining the fabric with a fine cotton, it makes a perfect place to put nickels - The nickels weight down the fabric and allow the spread to drape nicely over the bed.  I made a pink and white checked one and then hand quilted squares, so the nickels wouldn't slide.   It worked really well, so I thought it might be a good tip to pass on.

Kathy

Reflector Ovens: the directions for reflector ovens are still in both the Boy and Girl Scout Handbooks. Look in the library or contact a scout.

Peggy in Madison

Sink: Just saw one in an old NN that appeared to be a Sucrets box (maybe) with a snap grommet for the drain hole. looked very good.

Leslie

Kitchen cabinets: I made the kitchen cabinets in the Greystone B&B with glass fronts so you see into them, then of course you have to fill them. I made a shell somewhat like bookshelves and then made frames with the Plexiglas installed. My cabinets are actually non-working except for the fact that I did make them so the fronts would slide off if I needed to change a light bulb.

Fannye

Kitchen cabinets: For the person wanting glass fronted kitchen cabinets I thought of the hutches that Michaels sells. Some of them have double doors with dividers in them on the upper half. You could separate the part with the doors and use them for the top cabinets. Just put a clear plastic behind the doors for glass.

Elizabeth

Michael's Hutches: Another method for camouflaging inexpensive hutches/furniture is by decoupaging them using paper napkins. Depending on the napkin pattern you choose, and what portion of the pattern, opportunities are limitless.

Bonnie Soucek

Fridges: I have found an antique refrigerator site http://www.antiqueappliances.com/stock.htm-- it gives dimensions and pictures of both open and closed fridges.

Kim from Canada

Stainless Steel Sink: in the January 98 issue of Dollhouse Miniatures, there is an article by Pat and Noel Thomas for making a stainless steel utility sink. In it, they covered the sink with aluminum printing plates. I'm sure it looked great, but seems like a lot of work! Years ago, I made a stainless steel beer tub for the bar in a restaurant room box. I made it out of basswood, and then sprayed it with several coats of Krylon Sandable Primer that I got from an auto supply store, sanding it with very fine sandpaper in between coats (to get rid of the wood grain). Then I brush-painted it with "Old Silver" from Floquil. It worked like a charm. It has a duller finish than it would had I used a silver spray paint. Once you spray on the Primer, and get rid of the wood grain, you could paint your fridge any color, really. (I used the same prep technique on a modern stove, and sprayed it with a few coats of shiny white paint - looks wonderful.)

Deena in Miami

Wood for furniture: Have founded that balsa has an open grain and does not finish nicely. Basswood is a better option and can be stained to any colouring. Mountboard, is probably the card which is around the edge of a framed picture, it is about 1/16th" thick, have made furniture for a roombox which has worked very well. Glued it with butt joints and used Designer Tacky, in areas which do not show it is re-inforced with masking tape.

Robyn Sunderland

DIY Upholstered Sofas: There is a set of booklets put out by the people who use to print Scale Cabinetmakers magazine. One of the booklets is on building and upholstering sofas and chairs. It covers every era of furniture. You should be able to get it at your neighborhood miniature store.

The cost is very reasonable (under $10.00).I think it is by Dorsett Publications. I would give you the address but my copy is on loan to a friend.

Louise from MI

Stainless steel look: I am surprised no one has mentioned "Rub'n Buff" metallic colors. They can be applied to most any smooth surface for a true metallic sheen. The process is spelled out in the name and the result is exactly as good as you want it to be.

Dave

Vanity project: I had decided to make a friend a little 1/4" scene, but hadn't an idea of what to do. I retreated to my library of 'zines Which I will do for ideas), and saw something I thought would be neat to do; A vanity set. I didn't copy the picture, but created my own. Turned out very sweetly!

I started out with two blocks of wood and one rectangular "woodsie" (get bags of these from craft stores comes in many different shapes). I applied paint, lace, ribbon and beads until I got a fru-fru table that I liked. As a mirror, I used a large sequin and a smaller sequin (cut in two) which I glued to the back (has a kid-drawn cloud look to it, does that make sense? small half-circle, large half-circle, small half-circle), and decorated these with lace, paint and beads. On the table top there lives a little vase of fimo roses, a brush and a small perfume bottle, the former two fimo creations, the latter made from a crystal bead and pearl bead.

I built a chair as well, out of dowelling, lace, fabric and paint. I used a cross-section of the dowel for a base, then cut a thin circle in half for the back. Glued lace around the base, glued fabric on the seat back and front, added lace and pearl bow accents. For chair feet, pearl beads.

A fern was made out of a half ball of fimo that was hollowed with a pin vis a vis inspiration from Sue Heaser, that ball was stuck onto a flattened ball of fimo and cooked. Finally I painted the whole thing terra cotta and stuffed green triangles of florist tape into the pot. These were cut into to make ferns after the paint was dry. A carpet is a lovely piece of fabric with a nice carpety pattern.

The final touch was a little fimo cat, obviously in deep thought. This was all built in a dollar store purchase, a little pre-wrapped gift box flipped upside down. I built a floor into the lid with foamcore, painted with gesso and stained with a liquid stain/acrylic brown to give it a hardwood appearance.

Kim Bulback