Scale Cabinetmaker: As far as I know all the patterns are given in full-sized inches and feet and you need to use a scale ruler to scale them down, but the drawings, as Nancy pointed out, are in scale and can be used as patterns just as they are. The other measurements given are for the thickness’ of the wood and they are given in thousands of an inch so .0833 refers to 1" in scale, or 3/32" thick wood. If the sofa is 6" long then it is 6' in full size and so on.

June in London Ontario Canada

Display of Houses: I like the European style cupboard houses which open at the front. I have small children and mine isn't a turntable household! I have two huge ones which dominate the living room. they sit either side of the sofa where I sit so that when there's nothing to watch on TV (which is most nights) I can switch on the lights and enjoy them! My back opening American style house (Glencroft) is on the landing at the top of the stairs. You see the front of the house as you go up the stairs and the insides when you round the corner. I replace the pictures on the walls with roomboxes as I do them, and I have some of those little cabinets thimble collectors use. They are useful for pretty little bits which haven't found a home yet. I'm almost out of space now, but I have 2 kits in my shed. I suppose I could sell one of the children, that might give me some extra space!

Lynne Connolly

Display of Houses: I too have limited space. My current project house is the Newburg. It sits on a base that measures 32 x 36 inches. At present, it is sitting on an antique oak pedestal table in my office. It will eventually be housed in a corner of the dining room in a custom built case. My newest project (which I just got today!) is a greenhouse. It measures approximately 12 x 20 inches. It will sit on a base (size not known at this point), and will be kept on top of the entertainment center in the living room. Which brings me to telling you all what I have picked put for Mother's Day....its the greenhouse! I found it at Hobby Lobby. It is made entirely of glass with black metal framing. It has a high pitched roof and is about 18" high. It has a base made of resin which the greenhouse sits sown into, but I intend to turn it upside down and set the gh on it that way so that it is not sitting in a "ditch". I'm planning to turn it into a flower shop! Complete with all sorts of plants, maybe even a few trees for sale outside! I think I'll have a path around the outside with various landscaping items to choose from. I'll have to simulate a door as it does not have one. And, I'm planning to build shelves and tables for the inside. They will have to be free standing as there is nothing to attach them to on the walls. I'll start working on it first thing tomorrow. I need to figure out what kind of flooring to use. I'm thinking that stone would lookgood, or maybe wood. May take a trip to the local nursery just to walk around and look!

Sloan

Displaying Dollhouses: I still haven't found the right display space for my dollhouse. One thought I had is if I can find a salvaged base to an old, possibly treadle style sewing machine and have a new top made to display my dollhouse. Does anyone here think that might work? Most of my furniture is either old or imitation old. Another question I had is about House That Jack Built's end table dollhouse. I saw that in a mini shop in Fredericksburg, VA. I thought that might be a neat idea for when I think I can't squeeze in another dollhouse. Maybe I can use it as a bedside table in my guest room. I have a bit of a problem with "using" a dollhouse, but that room is little used so I don't think I need to worry too much about damaging it. Has anyone bought that shell? What do you think of it?

Jeri Moriarty

Dollhouse Display: I've had the same problem for years. It is especially horrendous since my huge dollhouse is open in the back. Two weeks ago, I had the kitchen designer at Home Depot put together some Kraft Maid cabinetry just slightly smaller than the base of my dollhouse. I also ordered a Formica top just slightly larger. When the cabinetry comes in, I will have a handyman build a frame for the bottom of the cabinets with large casters so it can turn and roll, etc. You could also do this with a table (I found one at an unfinished wood shop) or other cabinets. I like the cabinets because he designed lots of storage for all my components, etc. They should be in next week, but of course something ALWAYS goes wrong, so when it is put together I will let you know. I was also toying with the idea of opening up a wall, about a third of the way up, having a cabinet resting flush with the bottom of the opening on the other side of the wall and having a cabinet built around it so it could be closed off. After this dollhouse, I believe I will stick to roomboxes and display them in my bookcase along with my thousands of mysteries. Maybe a little vignette of my favorites, like Miss Marples' sitting room. Hope this helps.

BJLLAL

Dollhouse Display: My dollshouse is displayed on an old treadle machine base. I pulled off the damaged machine top and drawers and replaced it with recycled Baltic Pine floorboards. It stands (with it's conservatory) on top of that and looks terrific! My church will take something more substantial probably but I'll get to that at some other point in time!!!! I prefer to have my dollhouses scattered around where we spend a lot of our time. What point is there is spending a heap of time making some tricky looking dollshouse only to shut it away from view? I have my treadle table with dollshouse in our main bedroom and the church (for want of anywhere else) is in progress in our family/dining room. This also doubles as my work room - I have a table 2 feet by 5 feet against one side wall- where I do all my minis, patchwork, sewing, quilting, stained glass, painting etc. I envy all you people with loads of room!!! If you don't have small kids - mine are 14 and 11 - you can get away with living with your miniatures and not having to worry about them being damaged. Besides - my church has no interior yet apart from the roof trusses so it makes a pretty handy cupboard!!!!

Trace, Melbourne, Australia

Dollhouse Display: Just thought I would tell you what I have done to show my minis. My big dollhouse is on a wooden cart on rollers so you can see both sides, my other two dollhouses sit on the counter in my dollhouse room.(Was our third bedroom) I had kitchen type cabinets but in with Formica top so as to hold all my "stuff". Over the one long counter I have a shelf to hold room boxes and vignettes. The window is large and deep and about 8 feet tall. My daughter and her husband put in shelves all the way up to hold all the other roomboxes etc.

Ruth Morey, Corpus Christi on Padre Island

Dollhouse Display: 1. The Playmobil house is in the bathroom (BR is 10 x 12), on top of the laundry hamper. Took me a few years to figure out no one used the hamper, just dumped clothes in front of the washer. All the houseplants go in there during the cold months, but during the warm, there is room for another house on a small table. Thought for another house: Sacrifice the house plants. 2. 5 houses in bedroom, one each on top of 3 dressers and one desk. The low dresser has the antiques, in 6 old boxes. Taller dresser has a Cape you can see into, and tallest dresser has an old house, front opening, that faces out. This house is too high to be accessible. On DH's desk top is the set of Petite Princess foamcore rooms. On my bedside table there is a tiny display made from a hanging outdoor lamp he found at the dump. The Petite Princess lighting ishooked to the bedside lamp thingy, so one switch turns both on. The castle, made from a smallish bookcase, stands next to my desk. Thought: At the moment, my desktop contains photographs..hmm... 3. The 1928 house sits at the end of a cut-in in the kitchen, that is filled with 9 recycling containers. If I'm not careful, the trash can occlude the view of this house. It sits low, beneath the level of the counters. I have a desk spotlight sitting on one of the containers, and turn it on at night. Still, I forget this house sometimes since it is not out in view. 4. At the moment there is a ca 1940 garage sitting on the dining table. At Halloween, the Halloween House sits on the kitchen counter, viewable from both sides. 5. The Tynietoy House is sitting on a coffee table by the front door. This table is on wheels, and at Christmas I turned it front out, and decorated it with lights and greens. Noww, though, it is back out to as I'm working on the rooms. 6. A King Tut's tomb is set up on the lower shelf of a table next to the sofa- probably meant for magazines. 7. I, too, live in a open house, LR/DR/Kitchen all one room, and at present there is only one house (Tynietoy)viewable in this space. 8. In thinking about this, I recognize there is a ton of space for more houses, it's just a matter of what to get rid of! We also have a huge birdhouse he found on a burn pile at a friend's house, it sits on a beam that runs through the living area. Street of shops?? Top of piano would probably hold 2, it's full of antique things at the moment...

Beth in Maine

LITTLE SPHERES Try deodorant balls from roll on deodorants, if you want a lot try the manufacturers they might send you some for a small price.

Jay from Rugby England

Finch Eggs: People who do eggery tell me there is a product they coat eggs with to strengthen them before they work on them - seems like it's the stuff you use to decoupage with (gesso?) or maybe a coating of watered down white glue. But I want to assure her, her finch eggs will make fabulous miniature things. I have one made into a jewelry box. It was cut in half and a tiny hinge put on, then it was glued onto a stand (made from filigree jewelry finding) and decorated like a Faberge' egg. It's a treasure. I have another idea for the finch eggs- I've seen an egg with what appears to be a baby doll hatching out of it, a Victorian decoration, or possibly a candy box. I've been meaning to make one for years and never got around to it yet. Maybe someone out there has done that already?

Paulette in Indiana

Finch Eggs: Before I did miniature houses I did eggshells of all sizes. I used nail polish mostly to color and "set" the shell of small birds like finches. 20 something years later they are still intact. It worked on the ones I cut out with cuticle scissors as well as the ones I kept whole and allowed to dry up. I learned from breeders that if the birds are healthy, the eggshell is also stronger than in the wild.

Karen

Displaying Minis: I live in a mobile home and am constantly pressed for display room. Short of hanging them from the ceiling (have considered that too) I suggest:
1. Display Lamp base, could have one or more in every room.
2. Vignette picture frame. Photo on one side, small cube vignette on the other.
3. Shadow box, shallow, set into a wall.
4. Mix boxes with books on book shelf.
5. Book ends.
6. End cupboard in kitchen. Glass display doors to replace ordinary ones.
7. Small display in bathroom
8. Tissue box display box - pattern in one of the mini magazines.
9. A few shallow display boxes in bedroom and guest bedroom on walls and for decoration.
10. Table plant arrangement with mini garden scene incorporated.
11. Top view (roofless) house beneath glass topped coffee table.
12. Weather proof and seal some houses - light them and put them outside around a gnarled old tree with bridges and some very rustic surroundings. (Garden Railroaders do this, just forget the railroad itself) A Garden Gnome sort of thing.
13. Down a wide hall, just above shoulder height for slim wall mounted boxes, lighted of course.
14. Custom shaped hollow things with scenes in them wrapped around corners or on the open stair between spindles. (I'm reaching here)
15. Atop the piano, 'Grandma's porch' would be great among family photos.
16. A real nice thing, is to make a box with a person's theme, then give it to them on an occasion - birthday, Christmas, holiday, recovery from illness etc. A three dimensional greeting card of sorts. "Giving them seems to be the best solution. Then you can begin another and still have room. Be sure to photograph them before they go"

By making them shallow, you get REAL good at fake windows, doors and illusion of more beyond the archway.... magazine picture of distant things or another room are a great help with this. Battery operated lights and micro switches are invaluable for these uses. Radio Shack The switch I prefer is one that requires the observer to hold the button down for light, letting go, shuts it off. Batteries last a very long time.

Judie - Daytona Beach, FL

Splitting Wood stirrers; I asked my husband about the problem of splitting wood stirrers. His suggestion is first make sure your drill bits are sharp and not dull. second of all start the hole with a smaller drill bit and then go with a larger one. I would imagine for blinds you would need a very small hole. Therefore make sure your drill bit is very small and sharp

Bonnie in Montana

Glue gun: As a person who spends a great deal of time doing dhs for others I find that glue guns are good for a quick hold when I use regular types of glue. It holds the pieces together without gluing until the glue sets up.

I also use the glue gun when I know that windows will be removed later for people that just for some reason don't want to put on wall paper at this time. It's easier to remove stairs and windows so they aren't in the way when you put on carpeting mouldings or wp.

Deanna from beautiful downtown Thiensville

Hang your lights....At Hobby Lobby I found mini clips in the Christmas Lemax aisle...They are like the kind of clips you use on your house except in mini....I bought them before I even bought the lights...

Pam

Projects: While I had some time on my hands(no digests to read),I created a new page on my website. This page has several projects with How-tos. I have a tree, carpetbags, fishing creel and a wreath so far. If you're interested in taking a peek the addy is: http://minipearls.homestead.com/Weewilliewinkies.html  Click on PROJECTS. This is the first time I've done this sort of thing. I would appreciate feedback  regarding the directions. I hope that they a clear enough to be understood.

Pearl Jordan

Mini angle iron: I made my own pieces of angled steel for utility shelves for a room box using manila folders and stained them with watered down ink for a nice color.  I cut the strips carefully and used a sharp edged ruler to make the fold.   Then I made pin holes on both sides to simulate the bolt holes.   You can use thin aluminum shim (found in hobby or train shops) to do the same thing.   You can see the results at: http://community.webshots.com/photo/24686980/24761850DNYfPIcefZ  Everyone who has seen them say they look like the real thing.

Jacqui in Hilo

Mini angle iron: Easy to make your own angle irons. How: Take apart a "C" or "D" battery that is dead (obviously) and save the zinc jacket. Do this on newspaper as the carbon inside the battery can be messy. Now that you have the zinc sheet. Cut a strip that will be to scale and bend it over the   edge of a steel rule. Voila an angle iron.

DrBob...Delray Beach, FL

Cleaning tips for antiques and stuff: They have lots of information on cleaning things from ink on dolls to silver polishing. I spent a lot of time copying some of the tips in the cleaning section. They also have links on other subjects- worth a look. This site mentioned you could remove smoke smell with clay cat litter.

Just scroll past all the auction stuff to the area labeled; Antiques & Collectibles Arena... Categorized discussions of Antiques & Collectibles. http://community.otwa.com/3/OpenTopic? a=cfrm&s=386293084

Kerrie

- Vilene is used in sewing to give some body to lightweight fabric, I think it is called Wonder Under in the USA. It is an iron-on product that looks like tough tissue paper and one side has a layer of adhesive on which is placed on the fabric and pressed with an iron, preferably a steam one.

- Lawn is a very fine cotton fabric, such as is used for handkerchiefs, Liberty's of London are very famous for their lawn fabrics, but you must have something similar over there.

Maureen in Hemel, UK