Acrylic paints. Once they are dry on your palette, they are dry for good. They have some kind of bonding agent that cures and keeps it from being redissolved such as in watercolors. I can tell you with great certainty that if you get them on your clothes and leave it to dry, you now have new painting clothes. Don't ask me how I know this.... Old acrylic paints aren't too great either. I have some old ones around, and after a while they start to clump in the bottle and smell nasty

Bonnie Gibson

Free bar clamps: To all who glue; There are free bar clamps lurking in our closets.YES! Those plastic hangers with the spring clamps that hold shorts, slacks, pants (men)skirts, etc. You can wait for the plastic portion to break if you wish but do not throw the entire hanger away. Remove the clips with the metal rod they are attached to. The clips slide along the metal bar. They can be used as bar clamps by sliding the clips toward each other and clamping the parts to dry(after gluing). I place portions of an old sink sponge between the "clamps" and the wood so round or odd shaped objects are contour fitted. I have also removed the clips but kept a small amount of the rod inside the clip and also use them as small minimum pressure clamps. In this configuration they can also be used as bar clamps by clamping a long piece (construction strips) of wood between the rubber tips and using the upper portions of the clamps as the compressing clamp

DrBob...Delray Beach, FL..

Zap-a-Gap is cyanoacrylate or "super glue".What it is most useful for is assembly of light, non-porous or semi-porous materials (ceramic, leather, cork, wood and so on). It generally works best at temps of between 70-100 deg F. Some slower cyanoacrylates require the use of an "accelerator" that is normally sprayed on one surface prior to bonding. Zap-a-Gap is normally used as is, without an accelerator.

Brian, Roundwood Studio

Alligator clips: Alligator clips are one of my favorite tools! They are metal and are kind of like small pinchinhable clothes pins with teeth. You can get them in the automotive department at Wal- Mart or at Radio shack.Radio Shack has more sizes and styles to choose from, but are a tad more expensive. Still cheap considering how great they are for clamping tiny things together. The clips with the teeth will make little dents in some things, so get some of the flat ones (with no teeth) also.

Ginger in Sunny Arizona

Acrylic paints: It can be diluted when still wet to a degree that it looks just like water colors. I do that when making rubber stamped greeting cards and the result is really marvelous compared to the pens we normally use... but a lot more work

Jeanette in Wisconsin

Acrylic paint, I stand my little bottles upside down jammed together into a tray. That way, any air in the bottle dries out the bottom of the paint. Keeps the top bit good

Heather in Toronto

Clips and Clamps: Many inquires about various ways to hold 'while the glue dries' Clothes Pins are the all time favorite. Combine with rubber bands and you extend the usefulness to infinity.

Plastic bag (potato chip) clips. Great for long things.. Light spring. Watch the teeth, a bit of padding required occasionally.

Hair Clips. (the ones with small curved teeth) come in all sizes, good for many things, very cheap! If teeth break off, use them for furniture legs.

Small clamps from Hardware store: Be careful of extraordinary strength. Some can crush a mini. But all in all very nice. A bit pricey in some areas.

Alligator Clips: Electrical supply stores... got teeth, pretty strong...

Hair Clips - aluminum : Some are long and curved, some short (for pin curls - anyone remember pin curls?) Also good for heat sinks. .Bendable to customize holding ability.

Hair Pins and Bobby Pins: Good for some things. Handy to keep a few around.

Books: Great to stack against a 90 degree angle to hold. Also very useful for weight (yard sales - Library sales) choose for weight... content is a bonus if you're interested. A shelf of weighty tomes is impressive to visitors that take them as a sign of intelligence -a common misinterpretation.

Magnetic board: Sold for high price at mini and craft stores. Cheap and easy substitute is steel enamel plate (decorative) found in kitchen departments (used beneath hot pots on counter) coupled with cheap magnets from dollar store. Will hold nearly anything in an odd or unusual position if you get enough magnets. Most refrigerators have a few parked in forgotten places.

Tape: The usual method, but be aware that leaving overnight on raw wood can leave residue, not to mention it's sometimes permanently affixed to the object. . an unexpected and unpleasant surprise.

Bungee Cords: Light one, See Rubber Bands.

Bed pillows and upholstered furniture. May slide or slump before glue sets, Also be careful not to glue object to the couch. A warning sign like 'Wet Paint' might avert an unaware sitter. . .

Double sided Sticky tape: Some of this stuff really STICKS! Be careful!

Pots and pans can sometimes be used, as well as coffee cups and other appropriate dishes. Various glassware is useful for drying curved objects into proper shape, combine with rubber bands for good results.

Dresser Drawers are good for holding edges, making right angles in mat board and other neat shapes. Wet material, shut in drawer edge and leave overnight.

Judie

Add Acrylic paint ;extender to your palette paint. Its usually located with acrylics in most craft/hobby shops. Extender works to make you paint go on smoother and not dry as quickly - much better than water. I first started using it when I began decorative painting and has become a stable with my paint supplies. Hope this helps.

Dianna

Other temporary "Glue clamps"

Stationary clamps. The black, spring steel ones from office supply stores (or just from the office) Several sizes, very strong, very useful

Old fashioned screw type earring clamps

Springy strips of wood pressing into baseboards and other moldings at one end and propped against a corner or an opposite wall of the room setting

Coil springs bent to open the coils along one side while parts to be held are inserted.

The fingers of an overeager "helper".This secures some parts and protects others from alternative mischief. Hold this about 20 minutes until the Tacky glue sets up

My precision challenged wife considers that my 60 year old micrometer is a very fancy c-clamp

My strongest clamp is the garage door with the safety reversing sensor disabled. (NOT recommended but it sure do work good)

Mel K.

Acrylic Paint: Acrylic paint dries to a plastic-like material, you can dry it on purpose on high quality plastic wrap and peel it off in sheets for a new material. To keep it in the liquid state use the wet palette method described by someone earlier or use the real thing, however don't expect too long a life span, mildew happens fast in FL. Work with tiny amounts at a time, you may want to use an extender to make it more fluid in a dry climate (I can't imagine a dry climate). If you do accidentally get some on clothing or whatever, alcohol takes it off in a sec. that means if you "goof" the thing you are painting you can remove it while wet. Good ole soap and water takes it off if done immediately

Another acrylic paint tip, shake the bottle well, but don't strike against the heel of your hand, can lead to carpal tunnel. The little strips of paint pots are good for working small amounts at a time, either wash out when finished or peel out the paint when it dries out. One more ... very important, you have to let the application dry before painting over, or next to, a freshly painted area. Paint in a nice thin coat, several thin layers is
MUCH better than one gloppy one! Wow, kinda got carried away, I guess you can tell what I do the most of

Nancy in Tampa

Hot glue OR NOT: One way I keep my miniaturing affordable is to scrounge for old kit houses at yard sales, thrift shops, flea markets, and yes even out of the trash, and without fail those that were assembled with hot glue (the majority) must be rebuilt because that stuff just doesn't hold up. One or two summers in a hot attic, and somebody's lovingly crafted, outgrown plaything turns into a stack of kindling -- or my bargain! That's the challenge of budget crafting, to take these, rehab them (starting with wood glue), and find them a new home.

Loretta.Sniarowski

Acrylic Paints: Haven't seen anyone suggest my favorite for saving your paint - freeze 'em. Stick your palette or pot in freezer - and unless it's a very thin layer - will be fine when thawed.

Lexie Johnson

Cutting mat board: I cut a lot of mat board for my gingerbread houses, and I use X-acto blades....many of them! Always use a very sharp blade and a metal ruler if you have one (cork-backed is best.) It the mat board is tearing, change the blade. Also, do not try to get through it in one stroke - it usually takes me three or four passes to get through it

Chris in Minnesota

FIMO cooking times: Polymer clay is a combination of chemicals, they are activated by heat and combine to form the clay in it's baked state. You MUST cook it for a minimum of 20 minutes or the chemical process will not complete, as polymer clay is 'live' until cooked not completing the cooking correctly is potentially dangerous. The temperature of your oven is important, never bake at higher than 130c it will not cook quicker!! this is not cake mixture here it's as near to rocket science that we mini makers get!!! If you're using a pale clay try lowering the temp. just a teeny weenie bit, no lower than 120c.If your stuff is scorching try using a shield of baking foil, cover the delicate pieces with loosely wrapped foil, the foil will diffuse the heat so baking times must be observed. Your average oven takes at least 10mins to reach the set temp. you need at least 15mins cooking time after that, 20mins is the barest limit. Not cooking your clay minis properly can result in them crumbling and falling apart later on, please remember the manufacturer has to conduct rigorous tests on the product before it goes on sale, he/she does know what they're talking about. As a final note, I use polymer clay every day and I have only had one scorching mishap, using my cooker oven and switching the temp just a bit too high. I now use a toaster oven with the temp set at 130c and I bake everything for 30 min.

Jacquie Hall

Silver tarnish: I have read in several places that a thin coating of VO-5 hairdressing will keep silver from tarnishing. It can be used on picture frames, tea sets, etc. I have NOT tried this, so cannot vouch for it, but, as I said, have read about it in several places. Alas, DH doesn't have enough hair to make purchasing it practical, but it might be worth a try. (Why don't they put that stuff in travel size tubes?)

Dani. in Bradshaw, MD

Silver tarnish: You can keep silver from tarnishing by placing it in a dish of hot soapy water, along with a piece of magnesium. I do that with my real sized silver, and it works fairly well. As an aside to this issue, I have a set of mini silver ware, and it has not tarnished in the twelve years that I have owned it.

DeeDee in Carmel Valley

Silver tarnish: You can keep silver from tarnishing by placing it in a dish of hot soapy water, along with a piece of magnesium. I do that with my real sized silver, and it works fairly well. As an aside to this issue, I have a set of mini silver ware, and it has not tarnished in the twelve years that I have owned it.

DeeDee in Carmel Valley

Row of books, you could take a block of wood, score to make books separate looking or thin blocks of wood to make a row, then cover with the old thin leather and mark with gold lines as explained below.

To paint the straight gold line: use a C clamp (if you don't have a clamp vise on a stand), anchor with the Extra Fine Gold Pen (positioned horizontally) on a block of wood or cardstock to the table at the height you want to mark the book. Run the book around the pen tip. It works great for getting that straight line.

June in Tualatin, OR

Book spines: Get some Gold metallic thread and use on your spines for both color and dimension. Just measure and snip to fit, then run a thin coat of Elmer's down one side, it'll dry clear - my favorite two words after elastic waistband. Those gel type pens can be used to make wee dots or other accent shaped.

Molly Cromwell

Attaching accessories: I attach everything to the surface it sits on. Most of the time I use "Mini-Hold" which is a wax adhesive that can be found in most miniature shops. It cleans up off of most surfaces by simple removal, although I sometimes must use a little furniture polish to get faint residue that is occasionally left behind. It has eased my frustration level by geometric proportions, as I was constantly placing little vignettes 'just so' on my work bench, only to have them joggle into a heap when they (literally!) hit the room box. That all changed about 4 years ago, when I bought my little container of Mini-Hold. I use such small amounts of the stuff to pin the miniatures down, that I am only about 1/3 through of my container. I think it cost me $2.50, and it was well worth every penny.

DeeDee in Carmel