Thin Glass: Microscope slides are not what one would want to use for window glass. They are a bit thick. Cover slips are VERY thin (.13mm to .25mm) and could work as individual panes in a window. I've found them at various scientific supply firms (VWR, Daigger, Thomas Scientific) in various sizes (20x20mm, 20x30mm and 20x40mm). If anyone is looking for "portholes", there are also round cover slips available (15mm and 18mm diameter generally), but these are pretty expensive. I think someone still makes a plastic cover slip, but the ones I used a few lifetimes ago turned yellow. Science-wise they were the pits .... miniature-wise they were worse than the pits. I did use a hole punch to make small circles for mini "spinning aircraft propellers" from them, but was not that pleased with those either. I'd avoid any plastic ones you may find .... unless they're free.

Howard, Concord, CA

Mini Blinds: Go to a home decor place or section of a dept. or discount store that carries place mats. You will probably find some that, cut up, will make lovely mini blinds! Hang them and use very thin string to make the long loops that go around them to raise and lower them!

Alice Zinn, Pt. St. Lucie FL

Very Thin Glass: For those of you who have requested it, I now have the 6oz glass on my web site http://www.dollhouse-miniatures.com under Catalog>Bldg. Components>Windows and Door>Components. This is .027" thick (thinner than veneer). This is thin enough to use in the doors of your china hutch (in 1/12 scale). The next size up at about .040" is micro glass.

Tom Berkner

Quarter inch stained glass windows: For the leading in stained glass windows try one strand of black embroidery floss and glue. Put the plastic ("glass") sheet over your pattern. (I reduce/photocopy from full-sized stained glass patterns to get quarter scale.) Then using a toothpick or needle-pointed scribe, put a thin line of glue down the black lines (lead lines) in the pattern. Start from the middle of the pattern and work out. When the thread lines dry, you can go in and paint the stain into the various blank spots. I do both sides this way which makes a very lifelike looking window.

Pat

Glass block windows: I read the response from Carol to Pat about the glass blocks. She mentioned grids for light fixtures and I instinctively looked up at the fluorescent fixtures in my office. Voila! The fixtures are those 2'x4' jobs common everywhere. The covering panels look just like those glass blocks turned on the diagonal! I know they sell those replacement panels at Lowe's and I bet they sell them at Home Depot and hundreds of other hardware stores. You might see if they would work for your purposes.

Sonia

Stained Glass Windows: Dover prints lots and lots of mini pictures in stained glass format.

There are some that are in little books about 4"X5". All one has to do is color them in and they are ready to use. Perhaps there might be one there that could be made into 2 or even 3 windows.

Linda

Stained Glass Windows: Web site for Carrie Seeber's beautiful windows....the Home site is called Olde Mountain Mainiatures.....the URL is http://blueplate-it.com/omm/

Cindy

Stained Glass Windows: If any of you are putting together a Houseworks house or have one already finished, I sell simulated stained glass windows, printed on acetate, for them. They are made by a fellow in Australia and he does a really good job. There are different sizes , colors and patterns, and the prices are good too. They can be attached to your present windows or used in place of windows. If anyone wants more information, please email me privately. These windows can also be made to fit other houses.

Lorrie

Glue bottle metal tip: Any miniature shop can order the plastic bottles with metal tips from Dee's Delights (and probably other wholesalers) Also Jerry's Artist catalog has them.

Fannye

Bottle Tips: They come as a set of four silver metal tips with bent wire pins to keep glue or paint air tight with plastic bottles in a plastic see through package. I think you will find them in the paints for fabric section of the craft store.

Lenora

Window Lettering: Xerox has a product called "Window Decals". I have the ones for a color ink jet printer, but I'm sure the have others. They are easy to use and you can cut it to size after you are done printing. I bought my package at Staples.

Colleen in MA

Etched glass: If you are using real glass, why not try ARMOUR ETCH. You can purchase it at Michaels and other craft stores. They do have lettering in a fancy style and small flower groups that usually fit into corners of glass.!

Lisa Lynn

Letters on windows: Have you considered printing out your own letters? If you have Publisher (or something similar) use the rulers on the top and side of the screen to make a block the size of your window or mirror, and then make up your signs, print them on transparencies, and put them in place. If you cannot find transparency film - it strikes me you have to buy a dozen or more sheets and it's fairly pricey, considering you only need one piece - print out your signs on plain paper and have it run off at a shop; should cost about a dollar and it you put both signs at the top of the sheet, you can use what you cut off for another project later.

I didn't think of the silly rulers the first time I ever tried to make windows and cut a piece of paper the size I needed, and kept sticking it on the screen to see if I was making the proper size.

Unfortunately, what you see on the screen is not *exactly* what gets printed! Very frustrating!

Dani Rice

Curtains: I just made some curtains for my dollhouse windows. I made two panels that taper to a point at the bottom. I cut each panel so that the top was twice as wide as the window itself - this made the curtains nice and fluffy. I took some fine gauge floral wire and sewed it into the diagonal hem which helps to shape the folds in the curtains. I bought some 7" lace from the fabric store to just hang flat behind the tapered curtains. The real tip here is to use fine gauge floral wire in the hem of your curtains so that the don't puff out.

Megs Cramer

FAKE WINDOWS: I use fake windows in my bag scenes. I cut out a picture of a scene from a magazine or find one of the internet and glue it onto a thin piece of cardboard and paste it on the wall. I either use a window frame from an old window or create my own by using scaps of wood from moldings. For the glass I use a piece of acrylic of if you have any left-over windows from past projects you can use that acrylic - some even have the widow panes painted on or you could paint them yourself if you wanted them. For the curtain use a wider piece of lace and cut the width & length you need. Glue to top of the window. For a valance you can use a small piece of lace that is ruffled and perhaps thread a ribbon through it you like (some already come with ribbon threat to hit) and glue that to the top of your window. Viola! Instant window!

Marsha, Newark, CA

FAKE WINDOWS: When I want to put a fake window in a dollhouse or a roombox, I find a photo of an outside scene that blends in with the house and what landscaping I've added outside, and then I glue that to the wall where the window will be. I even add some tiny parts of plants/trees/bushes if appropriate. I then build a small frame around the photo perhaps about 1/8th inch deep. Then I get out my Golden Christmas book by Brook Tucker and make a window from her directions - hey! I love Palladian windows! - and then glue it to the frame. This allows you to see the outside through the fake window. THEN, I make draperies.....but keep them the normal type. When I glue them to the wall OVER the picture, they cover the edges of the fake windows and cover the window still allowing the scene to show through and giving some depth to the window. I love sheers over the windows though, just the barest of sheers, and over them tie-back drapes to the floor, and over that the cornice. My! windows in my doll house are very formal in the living and dining rooms, the kitchen and other rooms are less formal.

Georgina Hanford Simmons-Gagnon

Window Grills: The other day I bought lots of six-packs of impatiens, so I asked if I could have large plastic trays to carry them. I was given three plastic trays and when I arrived home I noticed that each of the trays had many wonderful open designs that could be used as window grills. All that was needed was a strong scissor for cutting and some paint. They fit on the windows beautifully.

FranCee

Frosted Glass: Stipple Weldbond on acetate or any clear plastic sheet, thickly, with a stencil or hard bristle brush. Let dry and you have frosted glass. For a crystalline look, paint thick short strokes varying direction of strokes.

Mary Kay Gentile in Ft. Myers, FL

Glass: I have some very thin glass for sale. It is .025" thick. That is just over 1/2 the thickness of the plastic that is used in some dollhouse windows. EARTH & TREE Miniatures and Dollhouses http://www.dollhouse-miniatures.com

Tom Berkner

Screens: use tulle - the fine bridal netting for the screens in doors. It comes in many colors and can be spray painted - carefully so as not to fill the holes. I recently used it as mosquito netting in a tent I made for my son's GI Joe. Looks great.

Susan in St. Croix