Gift Room box ideas: I recently made my best friend's "office" (read: extra room) for her and what I had the most fun with was things I could do with my computer or scanner.   For example, I captured images of her favorite book and magazine covers on line, and printed them out to scale, and left them lying around.  There was a desk in the room, so I tucked away scanned images that she'd understand in the drawers, like a tiny little portrait of my kid and me, little CD's and VHS boxes of hers, etc.  My favorite was a tiny version of our high school yearbook.   Being a newbie, this was a great way to give it a personal touch until I figure out what I'm doing.  

Marti-in-Maui

Gift Room box ideas: How about a mini-room-box that works as a neat thing she will use.  I mean a Kleenex box cover with a room box end that will have meaning for her.

They are nothing other than a box to hold the Kleenex with an end added to make a small scene of any kind.  If you want to go this way, find a scene your Mom will like and place it into the display end of the box.   The best part of this gift is that it provides a memory or a pretty picture and still has a use by the loved one you gave it to.   You can see more of these gifts on my website If you want dimensions for such a box, e-mail me separately and I will send you a plan.

Dave

Gift Room box ideas: Whenever making something like that as a gift, I always make a list of things that remind me of that person. For example, list their hobbies and others interests. I had made a shadowbox (more shallow than a roombox) one time for my accountant. I took an inexpensive desk, and made shelves above it. On his desk I put all the usual things you'd expect to find. I had a calendar hanging on the wall with April 15th circled in red. I used a small piece of cork to make a bulletin board and put tiny notes on it with things like his kids phone numbers, and a dental appointment. (We go to the same dentist.) He and his wife go RVing, so I got a charm of an RV and put it on the shelves. Their dog is a Doberman, I found a tiny one and put that there too. He loves riding motorcycles, so I did the same. You all get the idea. I reduced a picture of he and his wife and put it on his desk. You get the idea.

So, starting with a list of someone's interests is, to me, the most important thing! Often, you do not need to do a whole room, a vignette or small display under a dome can 'say it all'!

Alice Zinn- Pt. St. Lucie FL

Roombox for Mom:   Here are some of the things I included in a roombox for my Mom and Dad. Basically divided the box in half and did one side for each parent.  I listed hobbies and interests from their work and retirement years as well as some of my memories growing up in a rural family with 8 children.  Mom's side had her sewing on a quilt top, with yarn for knitting close by, a crocheted tablecloth, homemade cookies ready to go in the oven after the pie came out. Home canned fruit, a butter churn, flowers and a cupboard with mugs with everyone's name in the family(one way to include all family members).  Pictures on the wall include parents and wedding pictures and a cross to bring in their religious faith.  Dad's side included his favorite roll top desk, and many tools and projects he liked to build including a dollhouse for one of my daughters.   Dad wore his striped overalls that I made from the remnant of a striped shirt.

Joan

Roombox for Mother: Amelia has been looking for ideas for a room box for her mother. I made a mini scene for my mother that she was just thrilled with.  If you're interested in seeing what I did, check out the photos here: Mini-scene: An evening at home with mother http://community.webshots.com/album/22875277sxzDpiIKzd

Mary in Virginia

Alsatian pottery: Carol of SP Miniatures has Alsatian wares made by Elizabeth Bettler of France. This is the direct link to the web page:
http://www.spminiatures.com/bettler.html

Wendy in Clinton, NJ

Basketball scene container: I have an idea for a miniature scene that has been triggered by March NCAA   Madness.  I am wanting to do a 1" scale scene representing my dad's favorite team and place it inside a regulation basketball.   It would make a wonderful Christmas gift for him.   I want to cut out part of the side so that it serves as a "swindow" for the scene.   I know that an intact basketball will only keep its shape if inflated.   If I cut and remove a section, there goes the rigid structure for the skin.  

Has anyone out there used either a basketball, football, or soccer ball in this manner?   Have you seen any references for how to "stiffen" the ball so it doesn't collapse?   I would suspect that there is some kind of product out there that could be injected into an inflated ball which would then coat the inside creating the desired stiffness.   The problem is, basketballs aren't cheap to experiment with.   The second problem is, I am not thrilled about plunging a Dremel bit into an inflated basketball with the potential "explosion."

Kathy

Stiffening the inside of a Basketball: I think I'd try cutting one and then putting the soft carcass into a bowl. Line it with fabric dipped in that stiffener and then inflate a balloon inside to hold it in place. Let dry for a couple of days, then pop the balloon. This might stick the balloon to the inside as well, but that's not a problem. Just paint it.

I've seen deflated basketballs and footballs before, they're not exactly without form, but kinda tough - a bit of encouragement to hold their shape might be achieved even by stuffing a plastic grocery sack with stuffing of some kind against glue covered fabric, then unstuff in a couple of days to see what it does.

Judie

Basketball: When I make plaster replicas of my sculptures, I use a hemisphere of a cut up soccer ball to mix my plaster in  (much cheaper than a special rubber bowl). The reason I mention it is because the plaster doesn't stick permanently to the inside of the ball and that makes it easy to remove.  When the leftover plaster solidifies, you just tap it and the leftover plaster shatters and falls out.

This leads me to believe that putting plaster in a basketball to keep it round and solid might not be a good idea as the least tap will shatter the lining.  P.S. Cheap soccer balls and basketballs are numerous at garage sales.

Evelyn in Saskatchewan

Found the Basketball Article: Ha Ha!  I found it, Kathy!   It is in Dollhouse Miniatures, March 1998.   It is a two-page article with a couple of pictures and just general directions. She does say that she puzzled over how to cut the ball for quite a while before it dawned on her to just let the air out.  She then cut a hole in the ball and "gave it to a friend who treated the inside with a hardening substance so the ball would permanently hold its shape and have a level floor."

Dayle in MD

Basketball: Maybe the basketball could be cut, deflated and made to hold its form with papier-mache. It would be heavier than stiffeners could hold up, I would think. Basketballs are pretty thick material, leather or plastic. Perhaps straight craft glue would hold it up.  

Teresa from Canada

Harry Potter: I now have a Harry Potter home in our living room. It is an old t.v case, wooden with a large plexi glass front. One room is Professor Snape with his potions, the middle is the castle, and the end is Hermione and Ron and Harry doing mischief in a cauldron! I got a large mirror like a secret door into another world for my birthday from Julia, on this list, and it has steps up into the mirror and Harry and Hermione and Ron may be led off into there after working up their potion by the looks of it! Things keep moving around in there and there is plexi glass, as I said, so it isn’t the cats and dogs moving them. Just magic!!!!!

Robbie Roo Pink Cyberfaery

Mortar: For all of my mortar and stucco needs I use industrial drywall. It can be had at any DYI for approx. 10 dollars a 20 lb bucket (it lasts forever). It is a wise investment. It can be piped through a baggie to achieve a decorative application (my haunted mirror was indeed made of drywall and stained with mahogany finish),...and ALL of the siding on my haunted dollhouse was fashioned in drywall with a drywall comb I fashioned myself. It is an amazing compound, tough as stone within a week. And it is inexpensive. I do not care, for many people who will market "miniature" stucco for seven dollars a jar, it is of no doubt to me, that they are remarketing drywall for sale. Spend the ten dollars and see -- it is well worth your efforts. It can be stained, sanded, drilled...even carved once properly set. Many of the moldings on my haunted dollhouse are drywall piped through an icing bag (I used to be a cake decorator, as well...) It will certainly stick your gravel stones, and you can do so much more...brickwork...what have you.

Sherise

Draping Fabric:   I am finishing out a Willow Crest as an interior designer's studio/display/sales shop, and hope that someone (or many someones) may have a hint or two to help me solve a minor problem.  I kit-bashed the house to remove all the walls in the first floor, except for two walls with big archways cut in them between the "foyer" and the rest of the first floor, which I have furnished with groupings of related types of furnishings and accessories (country, traditional/contemporary, Victorian influence, etc.), but my daughter, who is in the know about these things, says that I need more "clutter" in that room.  I had planned to add to each "style" vignette a selection of fabric and wallpaper samples from which the customer could choose.  My problem is, I am notoriously awkward with fabric, and can't seem to get my "samples" to drape in anything like a realistic way.   I have a big leather chair in one vignette and I thought I'd just drape several fabric samples over the back and let them drape down onto the floor, for example -- but my "drapes" all look like stiff little bunches of mini fabric -- not very convincing.  Over the years I have read about different methods of "draping" fabric -- wetting, forming into natural looking drapes and letting dry, spraying with hair spray, dipping in modge podge, wetting and forming a draped look over Saran Wrap, etc. -- but none of these seems to work.   I have lots of "fat squares" to choose my samples from, and really want them to look natural -- does anyone out there have a fool proof method of getting the effect I want?

My second floor boasts one big room holding a wallpaper and carpeting display unit that covers one entire wall, rolled carpets leaned up against the wall, and a table and chair where the customer can sit and pore over wallpaper and fabric sample books or books on interior decor.   There also is a foyer with an elevator door (I took out all the staircases and "installed" an elevator wall on all three floors), and a smaller room with another full-wall unit displaying coordinating wallpapers and a big piece of furniture stuffed with bolts and bolts of different kinds of fabric.   I also made lots of fabric and wallpaper sample books that are laying about the place.  The top floor is a big office with computer desk and chair, a sitting area, and a small "storage" room cluttered with odd bits and bobs of furniture and accessories.   My "designer" is a gorgeous Caco doll in a smart red "wool" dress, and her "customer" is a second Caco lady dressed in a wonderful corduroy pants suit with a lovely shoulder bag.   I'm very pleased with the overall effect -- but DO think I need a bit more "mess."

Any hints you can give me on the fabric issue will be greatly appreciated!

Dayle in MD

Roombox Tavern:  - just built a 1750's tavern roombox, and I don't know how to finish the top of the box.  I framed the front and finished the sides in upright timbers and chinking, but what do you do with the top......all I've ever made before were actual buildings, not roomboxes.

Lynn (No E)

Egyptian miniatures: I remember someone was looking for Egyptian items. Just ran across this and thought I'd post it. http://www.wildorchidminiatures.com/egypt.htm

Fran

I Spy roombox. I work in an elementary school library and can't believe I haven't thought of that one myself - what a great idea! I have already done a Three Bears Cottage based on the illustrations in Jan Brett's book and a room scene with mice based on a Brambly Hedge illustration, and those both live full-time in the library. I am thrilled at all the attention and close scrutiny these scenes receive from the kids every day. The I Spy books are constantly checked out until they are worn out, and I bet I could come up with a great scene that would resemble the books (but the poem will be a challenge!)

Have you seen the Look-Alike books? These are scenes made from everyday objects, and a great source for ideas to use up all those little "thingies" we've all kept around.

Chris in Minnesota

Irish pubs: I'm American, but I live and breathe Irish culture and have spent LOTS of time in various pubs! I think they come in categories -- at least they feel like categories.

There's the working class pub that is purely functional and pays little attention to decor. The floors are usually slate or possibly wooden, and the two drinks of choice are Guinness and Harp. There really wouldn't be a huge variety of bottles behind the bar, but there are always standard non-alcoholic drinks like Lucozade and white and red lemonade, which come in tall, plastic bottles. Look up "sugan chair" on the web, and you'll find a typical style of chair. Tables are small and round or else rectangular and low, and the wood tends to be dark. Upholstery has some shade of maroon but can also be a simple dark, muted print. Lots of bars have pool tables and/or dart boards and always a cigarette machine and a pay phone, which often sits on the end of the bar and looks more like a normal phone but with a slot to put the money. Almost all have an area that can be cleared out for the seisun musicians who amble in for an informal set or two.

If you live anywhere in the U.S. that has the "manufactured" Irish pubs -- constructed in Ireland, deconstructed, and then reconstructed here -- they'll be much cleaner and will have beautiful wood and antique pieces. There are bars like that in Ireland, but they seem to be more for tourists. Another thing -- most have an area called a snug, which is really an intimate corner. Also, lots serve food, so menus of sandwiches, fish and chips, and lasagna would be appropriate!

Pam

Irish Pub: Don't forget the dart board in your Irish Pub.

MAP in Puyallup

Pubs: I saw the post from the lady who is doing the scottish pub but is someone doing an Irish or English one too. Sorry, if I missed something. Anyway here are some ideas for pubs. I made a room box one some time ago and had a great time with it. For a typically English pub try:
1. Beams on the ceilings and walls
2. A real coal fire with coal scuttle nearby
3. Dartboard
4. Dominoes on table
5. The mandatory old man who has been using the pub for years and years, who gets grumpy if someone is using 'his' seat when he arrives (strange but very true), oh and not forgetting his old dog, who sits patiently under the table - - usually to be found with big doe eyes and that 'don't you feel sorry for me' look on his face so that others will feed him crisps/peanuts for the duration.
6. Beer would be traditionally handpulled - you can make these by cutting up staircase spindles set on a plinth
7. This last one is a bit more recent, but a must in any self respecting brit pub - PUB GRUB!!!!!. Just use your imagination for this - sandwiches, crisps, peanuts, chicken in a basket, scampi, even the traditonal Sunday roast. Just generalised a few things here but if you want any more info, just email me, I'll be happy to help.

Also, must tell you about my latest addition. I went to my local (ish) dollshouse shop on Monday and came away with a fab new house. It is the latest in their range and very reasonable price wise. Its called Victoria Street. You can start of by getting, say, the house, then there are pubs, shops etc and they can all be joined together in such a way that you can run a drainpipe between them and make the whole street. PLUS, you can get back yards too. Its a really great idea and a good way for continually extending (space allowing). They also have a village school and.....wait for it........a Church with mini gravestones!!!!!!! yuk, not my idea of a fun project but he did say he had sold one or two. Have a look at them at http://www.miniaturescene-york.co.uk

Vee (Scarborough UK)