Ice Fishing Shack: I built the shack that was featured in the 1996 Nutshell news. It came out very nicely and I was able to personalize it for my son who ice fishes in northern Wisconsin. I don't have my web page up and running yet, but I will be happy to e-mail photos to anyone that is interested.

Dave

Ice Fishing Shack: My DH love ice fishing. Here is what he said about an ice fishing house. The basics are Size 6' x 8' (can be larger or smaller). The wall framing is done with 1 x 2. The outside is covered with 1/4" plywood.( If you want a fancier house, cover the inside also. The roof is slanted with wood and shingled. Put 2 or 3 window in 16" x 16" with glass or Plexiglas. The door is the regular size. You can use a reg. door or make a frame and put a piece of plywood over it. The door swings outward and is locked on the outside with a padlock. The is made of 3/4" plywood. The fishing holes are in each corner and are 1' square. The stove can be a wood burning one for heat. Need wood for stove. You can cook on it also. You could use a stove and uses propane tank. The tank should be outside and copper tubing. You should have metal of wood stools about 20" high. Some people use lawn chairs. The house should sit on runners like the old fashioned sleds. The runners are made out 4x4"s or 2x6"s.Make 4 runners for a 6'x8' house. Space the four runners under the house. Put a hole in the side of each runner near the front. Run a pole though the holes and attach a chain at the end of the pole. This is how you pull the house on and off the lake or move it to a better spot. In side the house you would want an ice auger, ladle with holes to take the ice out of the holes,minnow bucket, tip up (or a small rod and reel), lantern, candles, matches, beer, pop, coffee, food, soup, pots and pans, tackle box, bucket for caught fish, wood for stove, and of course FISH. Coppers (mittens) and nails in the side of the house with your jacket and scarf on. On the outside of the house you have to display your fishing house license. In Minnesota it is a tag you nail on the outside. You also need something with your name, address, phone. This has to be 3" high. Depending on how you want your "palace" to look. You can put up a fancy wood sign with your name or just paint it on the plywood. Curtains in the window, carpet on the floor, TV in on the side.

Dianne in Minnesota

Ice Fishing Shack: For the person asking about the ice fishing house (sorry, mind lapse on the name), I have thought and thought (yes, it hurts, but I keep trying anyway ;) about your "ice" dilemma and come up with an idea...I've lived in Iowa my entire life, and on at least one occasion was somehow talked into ice fishing. The thing that stands out in my mind here is that ice on a river, or lake is not clear.....at least not here in Iowa. It gets so cold that the ice is more white, slightly opaque....not clear. It is also not smooth and slippery like you would find say in skating arena. It is somewhat slippery, but rough from the snow freezing into it and on top of it. So, with that in mind, if I were making ice for this scene, I would use resin with the fake snow (sold for doll houses) mixed in. Keep in mind that the "snow" should be the predominant feature here in order to give the best look. The resin would hold the whole thing together, and give the shine you want. I would do this as a cast....probably using non-drying clay and "build" the hole into the mold. One last thought on this, and at the risk of hurting myself, ice houses (at least that I've seen here) do not have metal roofing. They are made entirely of plywood, with a simple canvas roof. They are built on "skids", kind of like skies, and are completely collapsible for toting on and off the lake, river, etc. This is necessary, obviously, because they must be moved.

Sloan

Ice Fishing Shack: My father had a fish shack on the ice when I was a teenager. It was made of 1/8" Masonite with a framework of 1/4" pine. It was held together by cables and turnbuckles (on the inside) so it could be disassembled to take it home. The door opened outward because there wasn't much room inside (8' x 10'). There were three wooden runners (2" x 10") with a 3/4" fir floor nailed to them. There were two 'trap doors' in the floor for fishing inside in really bad weather. A Coleman gas lantern. A small oil burner to heat the place (about the size of a present day water cooler). A 5 gal can of fuel oil. A coat or two hanging on nails. Misc. fishing tackle. My ice skates. Three or four folding camp stools. An ice chisel, an ice dipper. A couple of stocking caps. A flashlight. Thermos of coffee, lunch box. Permit fastened to outside. Box of farmer's matches (wooden matches). Pad of paper and pencil (just in case you ever needed to write a note - don't think it ever got used). Portable radio.

Tom Berkner

Chicken Shop: One thing that immediately popped to mind would be to have some mini "chicken soup for the soul" books on display (this of course depends on whether the humans or the chickens are running the store, as one could be cute, the other very disturbing...). Maybe some chicken celebrities picture on the wall, like Gregory Peck (we had a rooster once and that was his name;). Also maybe a copy of "chicken run" somewhere in the store?

Kim

Chicken Shop: You'll need laying boxes for the hens, the finest straw for lining them, open step-like roosts, baskets for egg collecting, candles for candling the eggs, egg cartons, chicken wire (try that in the windows), troughs for food, laying mash, the little metal thingies that attach to Mason jars for water and food for the biddies, the Mason jars, deviled egg plates, egg dying kits.

Martha Simpson

1880 Schoolhouse: For pictures on a schoolhouse wall in the US of any era I would think that George Washington (the unfinished one with what looks like a cloud at the bottom portion), but for that specific era, you could include one of the more current presidents: Abraham Lincoln 1861-1865, Ulysses S. Grant 1869-1877, Rutherford B. Hayes 1877-1881, Chester A. Arthur 1881-1885, Grover Cleveland 1885-1889, Benjamin Harrison 1889-1893. But then you did say that it was to be set in Tennessee. This was not long after the War Between the States, so you could go with Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, etc. LOL

Rusty

1880 Schoolhouse: I'd bet on two pictures: Lincoln and Washington. (I used them in a classroom vignette I did for DWSW.) Actually, I copied a $1 and a $5 bill, and cropped the pictures down to just the oval of George and Abe and then matted them and framed them. They made great "portraits", and as long as I didn't try to use my copies to pay for the supplies, the government was okay about it, too…

George Held, Cedar Rapids

1880 Schoolhouse: I coordinated research for a book on Schools and Churches in West TN several years ago for the Catholic church and found such great history on many of the schools in this decade. I collected information from 1540 to present. The decor on the walls in 1870-1880 were limited to how much a school could afford - some rural schools used a large easel for a chalk board because many schools could not afford one. The school decor contained portraits of President Washington, Benjamin Franklin, the map of the United States, and the alphabet.

Elizabeth Smith

Bridal: First you need to choose the scene: Will it be the Bride's bedroom, getting ready for the wedding? You could have the gown and veil, flowers, etc. displayed in the room, and maybe show trousseau items around (in state of packing for the honeymoon) and some wedding gifts. Or you could do a church scene with the Bridal couple standing at the altar, flowers and candlesticks around. Or have them posed in a garden scene, or at the reception cutting the cake. If it's a small scene, you could just display items that are special to the wedding, like a memory box. No matter what, it'll be fun.

Paulette in Indiana

Bridal: what about scanning the invitations and making miniature ones and scan a picture of there wedding picture and hang on the wall? and there was someone out there that gave a how to make idea for a wedding cake. and what about taking a picture of her wedding dress and making it in miniature or having someone else make it? what about making your daughters dressing room scene? like gloves and dress and garter and a bed and a changing wall and some other clothes in a closet? a wedding ring and pearls and a long mirror. Or you could remake the bridal party?? where she got the gifts and things? just some ideas...

Jennifer KY

Wedding Dome: Isabel asked for help with a wedding room box. I made a dome for my daughter Andrea's first anniversary. Her wedding took place in Denver at the historic Grant-Humphreys Mansion. I was fortunate to find a water color picture of the house in a calendar of historic Denver houses. I made a folding screen for the background, using that picture. The dress was the hardest part for me. I found a dress in a Susan Sirkis Wish Booklet that came close in design and was able to make the dress from it. I made several versions in different fabrics before I was successful. The flowered fabric draping the table is an almost perfect mini match for the fabric in the bridesmaids dresses. I made the cake from Fimo. You can't really see the tiny shoes, but they are decorated with little beads. I had fancied up her real shoes with lace appliqués and pearls. I also copied her bridal bouquet of white roses. Just put lots of love into it and your daughter will treasure it forever!

Linda P in TN

Wedding Bag: Your wedding room box can be as simple or as elaborate as you want it to be. I did a wedding memory box for my son and his wife on their 1st Christmas together. However, I didn't do it in a room box, but in a gift bag. I found a bag with roses all over it nearly identical to the roses in her bouquet. It wasn't a very large bag but I managed to get everything in it I wanted to. It was just bit enough to hold a lace-covered rectangular table that I built up to the height I wanted to foam core--then covered with white felt, and then used pre-pleated lace for the sides, lace across the top and tiny lace trim to hide where the edges came together. On the table I had a wedding cake with flowers similar to their real wedding cake (the cake was different sized dowel rods glued together and covered with white Silicone caulk. The table also held a bottle of champagne, 2 Chrysnbon glasses tied with white silk ribbon bows on the stems, a reduced copy of their wedding program and a tiny wedding cake cookie tied in a cellophane bag (like their wedding favor). On the back wall of the gift bag I glued their invitation as a backdrop for the "reception table." On the floor on both sides of the table were wedding gifts. On the right wall was their framed wedding picture and the left wall, a framed sampler, mini-ized version of a larger one I made for their Christmas gift, also. I have a few pictures on my web site if you'd like to take a look at it: http://fayzerplace.homestead.com(go to "My Minis" , and then "Wedding Bag."

Fay in St. Louis

Beehive roombox: Rather than using real honeycomb, which might sag or even melt if it gets too warm, and would also be very messy to clean for use in a roombox, try using the foundation sold for beehives. It's a thin sheet of plastic, 15-18 inches long and about 6 inches high, with the honeycomb pattern embossed in it, to give the bees a head start at building the honeycomb. You can usually find ads for companies selling beekeeping supplies in gardening magazines, or you might try your yellow pages. (For those who collect information of little or no use, the other reason beekeepers use it is because some bees, if left to themselves, are not neat builders. They'll make honeycombs with odd sizes and shapes of cells and it can be difficult, even impossible, to get the honey out of those.)

Nancy

Victory Gardens: In the August 1990 Nutshell News Joann Swanson did a Kitchen garden, the project was very nice. I also think i remember a Victory garden in the old Miniature Showcase magazine. In NN Joann pointed out that the gardens would vary from area to area depending on what would grow where you were.

Joanne in Beavercreek Oregon

Display: I made an interesting little 3/4 scale towel rack, a box of "baby gifts" consisting of a pair of booties and a little crocheted bonnet, and a little flower girl dress with matching drawstring purse. The dress was an adaptation of a christening dress (left the arms off and made the waist smaller and skirt shorter), and the purse was what happens when you crochet a baby booty and it looks so much more like a purse that you add some straps and some bead decorations on the front. I took one of those little rowboats that I found in the dollar store, and used it as a small hanging display, have the little dress, a knitted play suit and a small sweater hung up in there at the moment. Also made a few pinwheels to tempt the smaller of the tourists in my shop. Maybe I will also package some flip-flop sandals as well, seeing that I have a boat in my shop it is a good bet that my cabin may be near a lake? Probably will need sunglasses as well, hmmm...

Kim Bulback

Tacky Tourist Junk: How about sticks of colored candy in a jar on the counter? We traveled a lot when I was a kid. I also remember little outhouses with funny sayings on them...minis would be about 3/4 inch tall.

Things made out of rabbit fur. Dolls dressed as Indians and children's bows arrows and headbands with feathers. Depends on what part of the country you are driving thru and when...remember life-sized plaster geese dressed in calico? Now, there are books on tape racks you can trade in when you get to the next restaurant.

Laurie Sisson

Tacky Tourist Junk: Nail puzzles (nails twisted into shapes you MAY be able to take apart), Jackalopes (Taxidermists rabbit with antelope horns), Photoz of little kidz with BIgggggg fish, Old refrigerator posted with prices for red worms, night crawlers, crickets, dough bait, etc etc etc, Pecan Logs (Remember Stuckies?), Coloring books based on local sites, cultures, and history. Don't leave out film, sun glasses, insect ointment, car deodorizers, and "scenic" towels, pennants, and pillows. If the operator of your store is a jaded soul with little affection left for his surroundings - you may do a playful twist on a familiar sign- - -"No LOCAL checks accepted".

Petitfacades

Tacky Tourist Junk: Jackalope: Perhaps if you could find a plastic rabbit at a craft store... then add the antlers which coud be a couple of stems from grapes.. or anything else that resembles the antlers you saw.

viola

Tacky Tourist Junk: Don't forget those pencils - about a foot and a half long, with really tacky little felt pennants attached to the eraser end. And full-sized pennants, too. And sweatshirts and T-shirts. Rubber tomahawks and fake peace pipes. Salt and pepper shakers and plates with pictures on them. And shiny rayon throw pillows with scenes painted or embroidered on them.

Having been a child during WW II, my idea of tacky tourist stuff is a closed gas station surrounded by clotheslines full of chenille bathrobes and bedspreads decorated with large, garish peacocks. They were everywhere.

Nancy