Wallhung roomboxes: I'm a newbie and don't know if this has been brought up before, but at a small Kansas antique store I saw the neatest roomboxes made of old dresser drawers hung on the wall. Hung drawer-pull-side-up and divided in two horizontally, they give you two floors to work with. The owner of the shop said she looked at auctions for bureaus, dressers, etc. where the drawers were still good but the outer part was not and got them very cheaply. She said her pride and joy at home was a set of three drawers, left, center and right, from a bow-front buffet. Hung parallel on the wall with drawer fronts up, the outline was a cottage roof effect

Ava Betz

Log Cabins: Here's a link I found for 1/2 scale log cabin reproductions. Someone might get ideas for doing their own. http://www.1860woodcompany.com/

Kim

Slate Roofs: Carol down under: the problem with slate even in the best of circumstances is that it is very brittle and splinters in full size let alone mini size. It needs to be cut when it is newly "mined" while it is still moist. As it dries out it begins to disintegrate and shear off with the nail holes being the first to let go. Here in Vermont (and I'm sure any place that still has homes with slate roofs), you can go around the base of a house and pick up bits and pieces of slate after a big storm and at Fort Ethan Allen near me ( from the 1800's) whole slates fall off every storm where they crumble in your hand when you pick them up. I have some slate pieces that came off of my apartment house, when they did a roof repair, that I can break up with a hammer to use for garden flagstones, foundations of houses etc. and it looks great. Black is the most brittle with red seeming to be the toughest with gray and green somewhere in between. But to roof a mini house with slate you would need new pieces cut to shape (The New Jersey dh supply shop - can't remember it's name right now - was one of the few places that supplied it) - they are heavy... and brittle... and expensive... and you need to get twice what you need because of the breakage. I saw one house done with them at Fred's Miniatures in Vermont - he used to do custom houses and told me that he would never do another with real slate because of all the problems and headaches and cost of the project. It looked great but I found another solution. Handley House was my supplier for my shop here and I found that they carried (actually were able to order it) a molded slate roofing that could be cut to shape. I haven't had any call for it so I don't know if it is still available but maybe your local shop can look it up ... I seem to remember the name Ross but this is hazy. It looked great -you can't tell it from the real thing!- and none of the headaches!

Ana

Cutting Roof Shingles: Here is the method for cutting them perfectly that I use. I make a pattern. I use a big sheet of white wrapping paper I got from U-Haul...any big sheet of paper will work, even newspaper if you can see the lines you draw. Lay the sheet over the roof where the two areas come together and crease it with a finger. Also make fold marks over the top and bottom roofline. Take the paper off, and draw lines so you can see them on the pattern creases along the top roof line and the crease that is the angle between the two surfaces that you are putting shingles on. I use a Sharpie. The house I built in the instructions it said to draw horizontal lines on the roof before it was assembled. You want to start at the bottom roofline on the pattern, or the top...whatever your directions say...and draw those lines on the pattern up to the crease that represents where the two roofs come together. These lines will come to a point where each side of the two roofs meet when the pattern is laid flat. To use the pattern, lay the shingles out along the line (or just put them on the house) from the outside edge of the roof towards the crease, starting at the bottom. When you get to the crease, part of the lower left side (or the lower right side depending on which side of the roof you started shingling first) of the last shingle will hang over the drawn line that represents where to two roofs meet: cut that part off. You should have a piece of shingle that is wider at the top than at the bottom, and should fit onto the roof and line up with the join in the two roof areas perfectly. It isn't really necessary to make a pattern of the whole roof or to draw lines on it. All you need is a pattern of where the two roof areas meet, and the top and bottom of the two rooflines. Start shingling at the edge of the bottom of one side. When you get to the crack where part of a shingle needs to be trimmed to fit, measure the width at the TOP of the shingle that you need for that last shingle. Lay it on the pattern lines with that much on the correct side of the pattern, and let the rest go over the line. Draw a line that parallels the vertical line on the pattern that is where the two roof panels meet on the shingle, and cut the shingle off along that line.

Memai

Faux Wood Floors on Foam Core: I have directions for making faux wood floors on foam core or mat board on my personal web site http://studio59.homestead.com on the DIY page.

Jennie in San Antonio TX

Wallpaper: Try this site: http://www.jlbminiatures.co.uk/
Sorry they don't have printables but their wallpaper is good quality and some is really cute - nursery print with a Noah's ark theme is my favorite - now I have to build a room to use it in....
By the way they also make great metal furniture - exercise equipment, hospital beds, stoves, deep fat fryers etc. They just came out with a complete set of hair salon furnishings - European style - but really detailed.

Susan from Gan

Moss: When you use model railroad moss to your roof, take a few preliminary steps. Give your dollhouse a sense of direction. Where is the window where there must be a lot of sunlight for table plants and such? Is this your south wall? There should be very little moss on that side of the roof and the heaviest amount on the north roof. Where will there be a lot of shade? Under dormers? Along the chimney?

Sketch a plan for your moss patterns.

Moss on shingles will tend to be toward the top of each shake where it goes under the one from above. If you dust dark green ground foam (Woodland Scenics RR stuff) from above, it probably will NOT get into those desired spots. If possible, turn your dollhouse on its side or back and work on the roof sections which are now UP. Sift a bit of moss into the general area then brush into the desired tops. A bit will also get into the cracks between shakes or shingles which is appropriate. When you like the effect, over spray with an aerosol fixative.

Keep in mind, that the moss will grow best where the roof is most commonly wetand therefor those shingles will show additional effects of weathering. They will be darker with more sign of rot than on the South face. There will be more rust in the flashing and nails. The dry south face, on the other hand will probably have more splitting from dryness.

While you are planting moss, consider leaf compost and perhaps even weed growth in the gutters. Over the course of 50 years, there may be signs of repair on the roof. Three different shades of tar built up around the chimney or a vent pipe may be appropriate. Through all of this, however, be subtle. A dollhouse is actually a glorified showcase for miniature collectibles within. Suggest age to enhance realism but not so as to make most visitors actually aware of what has been effectively suggested.

Mel Koplin

Aging wood: Just a reminder for those of you trying to make something look old..... yard sale or thrift stores often sell bags of used blush makeup (the powder kind) cheap.... get it! Brushed on wood it makes wonderful smudged aged wood... rub it in and it's as if a hundred years have gone by, dirty finger prints on woodwork and doors, stains in sinks and worn areas on floors also come alive with this stuff. . The only odd thing is a broken down haunted house that smells like Avon etc. . delightful fragrance sometimes, completely at odds with the appearance. .

Judie

tin roofs. I work in a dental office have access to the lead backing off of the x-ray films. These are about 1.5" x 1" & about the thickness of heavy duty foil. We roll them through one of those paint tube rollers meant to squeeze the paint out of the tube. This makes them corrugated. Then we just line 'm up in overlapping rows. Only drawback is they get heavy with a lot of them so need a sturdy roof. (DH did make do with a small structure & only a cardboard roof.) They also make great patches for a shack type roof.

Marty in SC

Stairs with landing: I needed a staircase with a 3-step landing for my All in the Family roombox as that's what we saw on the TV show. I simply took a full staircase and cut it up. You can cut off the three steps and create a landing from a piece of scrap bass wood, butt the remaining staircase at an angle to ascend the rest of the way.

Pearl Jordan

Roofs for round and oblong houses: When you asked about suggestions for roofs for round and oblong houses, I remembered a book I have with a whole section on round barns - This Old Barn, published by Roy J. Reiman (can tell you where to purchase one). It has wonderful photos of barns from all around the country. Anyway, checked the round barn section for roofs. There are a variety from domed to conical & from sectioned to smoothly rounded.

The most prevalent type would not be hard to make from cardboard. I'll try to describe it. It consists of two main sections which are both derived from cone shapes. The bottom is like a cone with the top cut off & takes up about 2/3 of the height of the roof. The top section is then a flatter cone that sits on top of that & makes the top 1/3 of the roof's height. They do not overlap, rather meet at a seam. Many then have the tip of the top section cut off & a narrow (in depth) cylinder on top of that with a baby flat conical hat. This makes a cupola (Hope that's how you spell it). The pitch of the 1st section is fairly steep & the upper section is not. Hope this makes sense.I think you could easily make a pattern out of paper by simple pulling a piece of paper into a cone shape right around the top of your house. Then cut off the top & make the next cone to match that one only flatter. There is also one oblong barn. The bottom layer of it is the same principal. However the top has a ridge that runs lengthwise & looks more like a normal roof. Unable to see the ends clearly.

Also, have no idea how big a Slim Fast can is. I really should investigate this. Does that diet work? Anyway, gold cupcake papers came to mind turned upside down if they are anywhere near the right size. They are stiffer than the regular kind & several thick would be stiffer yet ????? Could be spread at bottom, but may be way off in size?

Marty

Thatched roofing: Patty asked for some assistance in constructing a thatched roof in 1-inch scale. I have never seen this done in miniature, but actual thatched roofs are amazing! This site should give you a start on your project: http://www.thatching.com/at.html Beth's Aunt and Uncle live in Klaswaal, not far out of Rotterdam. We were visiting there this Spring with them. He mentioned that he was considering a thatched roof for his barn. I asked him, Does anyone still do that? He said, "oh, yes- but the workmen that know the process are hard to find. And besides, it is a little expensive. About 250,000 guilder" That's for a barn roof! I'm sure that a thatched roof done to scale in miniature will be spectacular, Good luck with your project!

Brian

Shaking houses: I've noticed that a lot of you hate the "task" of shaking your houses. For me this was actually a very relaxing and satisfying experience. Since I live right in the middle of Red Cedar Heaven, I just could not justify buying shakes. DH cut me some mini shake blocks (he used to cut life-size blocks in the woods for a living) 2 inches long as 24" is the standard length of a shake in this part of the country (14" for shingles). The ones that come in kits are always Shorter it seems by an inch. I split my own shakes out of these blocks with an old thin sturdy bladed knife for the fro and my jewelers Chasing hammer as the mallet turning the block with each split. This bevels the shake (thin on one end and thicker at the other. They turned out so pretty and I did it all by mylittle lonesome. The splitting went very quickly and just like when doing my beadwork the more rows I added the more beautiful it became. Once I got going I just couldn't stop. I have to shake the porch roof still, but the handsplit effect and the fact that the shakes were the right length really made a difference in the realism. Can't wait to get done with my next house cause I know I will get to shake it.

Brooke, Wa

Weatherboards/Clapboards/Siding: "weatherboards" do you mean Clapboards, or lap siding? If so, the width of the boards can be anywhere from about 3" to 5". (Showing, I mean; another inch or so is hidden by the board above.) The oldest style is the narrow.

Hilda Hardcastle

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

Strip Shingles: I assume you are referring to the What's Next strip shingles. I just got through using them on my granddaughter's Alison, Jr. LOVE them! They went on so fast and can be cut with scissors. This roof had lots of angles and I just put the strip in position and then marked the back of it against the angle with a pencil. Then, just cut with scissors. They sure do go fast! They sure do look like real shingles. The quarter scale strip paper shingles are great, too. I painted them with my window trim color, then sponged on a cream color very lightly - aged them nicely.

Carole Pierce in TN

Strip Shingles: The asphalt strip shingles are fabulously easy to apply. You can cover a roof in a couple of hours. The wooden strip shingles are ever so slightly thicker than single wooden shingles; to get them to lay down properly you need to place them in closer rows -- instead of 1" intervals, 3/4" spacing looks better.

Sally Cook-Thomas

Corrugated Metal Roofing: You can make a nice press for creating corrugated metal roofing by gluing a row of 3/32" dowels spaced 3/32" apart. When glue is dry, overlay a piece of extra heavy aluminum freezer wrap them, starting at one end, press between bottom dowels with similar dowels from the top. Remove top dowels and tip up to drop out a nice piece of roofing. Practice a bit to get desired sizes right so you do not need to re-cut after pressing.

Mel Koplin - Las Vegas

Corrugated Metal Roofing: I think you could probably use corrugated cardboard (flap from a cardboard box?) for that roof if the cardboard is corrugated on only one side, as some cardboard is made. I'd begin by cutting out the roof to the shape/size you want. Then paint it with white glue (Elmers) to strengthen it. When glue is dry, spray paint with silver paint.

Viola

Corrugated roofing: Take some corrugated cardboard from a box and remove one side of the cardboard paper. Sandpaper the remaining bits of paper off and you are looking at brown corrugated "metal" roofing. Paint it rust Or it can stand in for bamboo.

DrBob...Delray Beach, FL.