ME paper: Try looking at www.about.com at the miniature site. There are three sets of coordinated ME style papers, including borders and flooring. I have used them in two of my houses, and in several other projects. They work best if you print them out on cardstock and spray both sides with an acrylic matte spray. I have also cut up some of the little ME books for artwork and tiny borders. I know that there is ME scrapbook paper and some fabric out there, but I have not been able to find any in the stores near me.

Lauren (in Maryland)

Mini scenes as gifts: I learnt last Saturday that my 7 year old's teacher was leaving for a college position, and between my daughters she has been teaching them for 5 years. Saturday evening I had the brainwave that I could use the left-over gift bag room from my elder's party in January and make a classroom scene from printables. I had till Wednesday morning but I made it. My daughters identified the important elements of the classroom and then we set out to find them on the web. I think we found everything from just 4 sites, Jim's printables at http://www.printmini.com, Eileen's printables at http://members.home.net/eileenmorgan/printables.html, http://miniatures.About.com and a site I only just found with a huge range of stuff, Boop Mini Printables at http://www.geocities.com/boopmini40/

I used a table from the dollar store and painted it the right colours, backed a clock face of Jim's with a button of the right shape and colour, made a flag from a fabric cutout and a fancy toothpick, mitred a window frame from balsa, made coloured pencils from 1/2" nails with the heads cut off and painted, and everything else was paper. The school has been undergoing construction to add more classrooms and this teacher's windows had been blocked by a breeze block wall, so we even found a printable stone floor that looked pretty realistic behind the window frame! That touch went down really well. Boop Mini's had the critical snack food containers and bookcases, somewhere else had the ubiquitous tissue box, to which we added a real bit of tissue, Jim's TV, computer and dictionary (exactly the right one!) were perfect. We also found manila files and envelopes, graph paper, tiny word puzzles, books (including a Dr Seuss with inside pages), 12" and 36" rulers, a file box, maps and posters. Paper sample books rescued a while back from the garbage provided construction paper and even a blue rug. Finally, my daughters painted and drew miniature artwork for the classroom walls.

The teacher loved it and did spend quite a while looking at and commenting on the details. My daughters then showed it off around the school. The art teacher was very intrigued and may well want more information later, and the principal liked it too. Another parent also got talking to me about it, and one thing led to another and I might get some more work (real life) through her. So all in all it was a very positive experience for all of us. Don't let this one disappointment stop you from making other miniature gifts.

Wendy in Clinton, NJ

Transferring Prints: You will need:
photocopy made with dry toner (most print shops have this type)
pure gum turpentine
blotting paper
large metal spoon
cotton balls
natural fabric (cotton or silk)

1. Place blotting paper on table, (duh!) Lay well pressed fabric down on blotting paper.
2. Lay photocopy face down on fabric.
3. Dip cotton ball in turpentine (not too soggy!) and rub back of copy until it becomes opaque.
4. Rub back of the photocopy very hard with spoon.
5. Carefully life up corner to check image. If too faint, use a bit more turpentine & try again.
6. Remove photocopy. Iron image into the silk. (I assume face up, although she doesn't say so.)

Sharon in Watsonville

Halloween wallpaper: I made a witch's house for two grandchildren a few years ago, and, typically, waited until the middle of October to look for wallpaper. The nearby shops didn't have anything for Halloween and time was too short to order it from anywhere. But a trip to Joann's Fabric solved the problem - lots of small Halloween prints, tiny black and orange checks and plaids - and cheaper than dollhouse wallpaper, too. They also had some black and orange braids and trims on sale that worked well for ceiling trim and chair rails.

Nancy in Indiana

Fabric: I've been making soft furnishings out of quilting fabrics. These come in all kinds of tiny prints, and you can buy "fat eighths" - 1 yard cut into eight equal pieces, so about 12" x 9" - for a couple of bucks. This stuff has lots of sizing to make it easy for patchwork, but mostly comes out quite soft if you put it through the washer a couple of times. Mostly 100% cotton, and usually preshrunk.

Was in my local needlework store yesterday and found a newish ribbon for stitching with. It's called Neon, and comes on a card in many brilliant colours. It's 2 mm wide, 100% polyester, and costs about $4 a card - forget how much on a card, but lots for mini stuff. (Bear in mind these are all Canadian prices, so US will be cheaper.) Great for mini bows. I'm also going to try a woven quilt with this.

I've also been knitting using crewel wool, and silk embroidery thread. The silk is hard to work with, but the end results are beautiful, soft and "drapey", and comes in lovely colours.

Kay in Ottawa, Canada

Fruit & Vegetable Room: Why not use a dried gourd as a room for your fruits & veggies? Or a paper mache pumpkin or tea pot? Or you could make a watermelon shaped room out of paper mache over a balloon to get the shape. Or just go with a plain old foam core room box covered with fabric in a fruit or veggie print. I have 3 gourds I'm going to use my "virgin" Dremel on! I received lots of encouragement from everyone. So Thank You Very Much! I figure if I mess up too bad I can always make birdhouses out of them!

Pam in St. Louis

Right now, my local True Value hardware store is selling Stanley Cup keychains. They are $2.99. I don't have one in my shop yet, but I do have one. The Red Wings have a sales catalog, so I got on the mailing list. The catalog provided me with team photos and other photos I could use. Here are items I was able to make or buy: The catalog had pictures of post cards. I scanned the post cards and resized them. Then I saved the scan and cut and pasted it several times into my word program. This gave me a page full of postcards to use. I made a makeshift post card holder out of plastic, but you could probably do something better.

I traced a large Red Wing logo onto shrink plastic and baked it. I then set it inside a plastic report cover end piece and had an art object.
A smaller logo was shrink plasticked (is that a word? LOL) into a doorknob. Stanley Cup champion t-shirts were sold all over the place with a shiny round holographic sticker on them. I used that on the front door for a sign.

I had bought a roll of Red Wings gift wrap. I took a photo of it, scanned it, and then printed a bunch to roll into mini gift wrap. I rolled the paper over a toothpick and when done, pulled the toothpick out.

A picture of the original Red Wings arena was cut out of the catalog and glued onto a Formica sample from Home Depot. It made an impressive poster.

A large honey container became my TV. I painted it glossy black and then inserted a photo (I had taken pictures of my tv when the Championship parade was on.) I inserted the photo into the hollow of the container. There was enough edge to glue on 4 black beads for knobs.
- A shoe lace became my Red Wings border around the top of the shop.
- Two hockey player keychains became figures on the top of a shelf. I just removed the keychain part.
- A lapel pin became a sign.
- A championship ring that was sold at Little Caesar's became a shelf ornament.
- Another key chain became another sign.
- A picture in the sales catalog of a puck and player photo became a display. I cut out the tiny photo and the picture of the tiny puck and glued them onto a piece of clear plastic and bent back the bottom a bit for the stand.
- I took photos of the various magazines I could find with the Red Wings on them. When developed, I carefully cut them out and glued them around a piece of matboard. Gave me lots of mini hockey magazines to place around.
- Hockey sticks: I was able to cut out small hockey sticks from the catalog and glue them to posterboard. Colored the posterboard as needed and I had the little souvenir hockey sticks.
- Newspaper: I took photos of the newspapers that had the Championship all over them. These I printed on an off-white paper and then bundled them together with extra paper to make a "full" newspaper.
- Dustpan: (for the sweep!) bought a mini red dustpan and just glued a tiny logo on it.
- Waste Cans: Used small ovals of some sort and glued logos on the sides.
- T-shirts: Cut squares of red fabric and glued them to look like folded t-shirts for the shelf. The top one has a logo glued on.
- Hangers: took mini wooden hangers, painted them white, and added a tiny logo
- Found a hockey goalie mask charm to hang on the shelf.
- Used red pots and pans from the mini store and glued tiny logos on.
- I had window decals that I took pictures of the full sheet and then cut them out and blue tacked them one on top of the other on the wall to look like a bunch on a rack. I couldn't get anything to work at the time as a "hook" so I had to improvise.
- Also took pictures I could get of notepads, stickers, keychains, bumper stickers, etc and then reproduced them in scale to give the feeling of fullness and lots of souvenirs.
- I had pictures of posters to make glossy posters.
- I used red buttons to make clocks with the logos and clock faces cut from the sales catalog.
- I found a calendar on the net that showed the current months Red Wings schedule. I just saved and reproduced it.
- I also took pictures of tiny cupcake picks. These I was able to glue to a small piece of tin (from a lid of some sort) and I had a bunch of mini magnets.
- I painted a wooden train red and white and added a logo for the Red Wings train.
- I took white flocked bears (in abundance at craft stores) and added a logo to their stomach.
- I also found a kid-sized plush hockey puck to make into a "chair" in the shop.
- I painted the floor to look like a hockey rink.

Carolyn in MI

Rugs: Tthere are lots of ways to make rugs. My favorite is to needlepoint them. Tthere are hundreds of patterns around and several books specifically for miniatures. If you want the rag rug look you can get the variegated dmc floss and crochet it into the shape and size you want. You can also go to upholstery shops and ask for remnants and sometimes you get great patterns. There are also printable rugs on several web site which you can print on fabric.

Susan in OR

Rugs: This is for the lady who wants to make her own rugs. There are several ways. You can use suede paper and print rugs from many printie sites. I also use pieces cut from upholstery fabric. Edges can be finished by simple fringing of the fabric itself. I often add a fabric fringe to impart greater realism. One source for a fabric trim is the coarse cream colored cloth from inside an old necktie. As it is coarsely woven, it's easy to cut right along a line in the weaving. Glue a strip of this fabric onto the edge of either a cloth or paper rug. When the glue is DRY, use a pin to pick away cross threads one at a time to make a fringe.

Linda in Leroy, OH

Lamp Shades: Material/technique chosen depends if the lamp will be lit or not. If not lit, a lot of "found art" items make useful lampshades. In 1/12th size, a toothpaste cap makes an interesting "smaller" fluted shade for bedside night table etc. Other plastic screw caps for household cleaners and such make larger shades and many have appropriate tapers (smaller at top than bottom) I know there are some lampshade "printies" out there also.

For lighted fixtures, translucence in interesting tones becomes important and a bit of framework to give shadow lines is also helpful in achieving realism. For the most simple shades, roll a slightly conical shape using velum, tracing or parchment paper, interesting colored stationary papers, etc. If you try to glue just at one "meeting edge" the glue line will be ugly when the light shows through. Rather, make the cone oversize and trim so the paper is two layers thick but with the two edges precisely aligned. This will assure you only get one "splice line" and evenly modified translucence all the way around. Dope the whole thing with clear model airplane dope and clip to dry using alligator clips above and below the portion you will keep. If you work your roll so it wants to go tighter than finished on the outside and looser on the inside, the edges should draw together tightly. WARNING: If you are like me, you will mess up many attempts before getting the feel for it all. As you practice, you will begin to experiment with techniques to get fancy with the paper and to cover the paper form with gathered fabrics, etc. When you are getting really good at it, contact me for illustrated techniques to make "concave" silk shades and such.

Carefully form a bit of thin brass wire into a pair of circles the interior size of the lampshade top and bottom. If you are skilled at soldering, use steel wool and paint thinner to remove the protective coating from the brass while it is still straight and easy to clean. If you will "glue" your frame, leave the coating on. When the paper form is fully dried, carefully drop your rings into it and position them with a small probe to be perfectly parallel with each other, perpendicular to the center line of the shade.

Cut two straight pieces of wire to precisely fit from small "upper" ring to larger "lower" ring. Position opposite each other with tweezers and a probe. Align one of these directly over the "paper splice" line. Spray additional coats of clear dope to bond these in place and allow to dry. If you can avoid its getting onto the paper, you may choose to add tiny drops of gap filing super glue where the straight and ring pieces come together and where the rings close on themselves.

When dope is FULLY (!!!!!) cured, clip most of the excess paper from top and bottom using iris or cuticle scissors. Finish with very fine sand paper so edges are within 1/32" of the rings. Set the shade bottom side up. Make and install two straight pieces of brass wire across the inside of the top rings so that they are approximately 1/32" apart. These will be the "span" upon which your shade will hang over the bulb. Obviously, you will need to create a "harp" to reach up from the lamp body, around the bulb, and support the shade.

You may choose to "finish" even the simplest shade in any number of ways. A very fine hem of paper, embroidery floss, marking pen color, or some such would be minimal. Fringe or crystal pendants would probably go on more ornate examples. During some periods, it was fashionable to have painted or decal illustrations and designs on some shades. This may be a simple geometric pattern along the hems or a decal such as those intended for fingernails or miniature tiles right smack in the middle of two or three faces.

Useful tools are:
-A wire roller, ring sizer, and flush-cut wire cutters (frame)
-iris or cuticle scissors and a very fine emery board (trimming edges)
-spray booth (cardboard box) to paint and let dry - Use ventilated area
-small size alligator clips (clamp paper and suspend shades while paint dries)
-dental probe and tweezers (positioning frame parts)
-sewing needle with half of eye ground away and handle added at point end (used to precisely apply super glue)
-penlight flashlight with bulb extended beyond the end (home made) used to check shadow lines and papers.

Mel Koplin

Fuzzy paper. I recently received a package of 'Micro format fuzzy paper' from The Imagination Gallery. This paper can go through your printer without leaving any little 'fuzzies' to gum it up.

I used Paint Shop Pro to print out some small scale rugs on it, and it worked wonderfully. (They also have something called 'Fabric Carrier' which I thought at first was some kind of tote bag...but no, it's a paper that you can back your thin fabric with, put it through the printer, print on the fabric, and then peel off the backing. Sounds very interesting to me, and I think I'll order a package this week.) They have a lot of other papers and decal makers that might be of use to us miniaturists too. http://www.paper-paper.com/fuzzy-paper.html

Kaye in L.A.

Tea Shop Furniture: I have painted $1 furniture and decorated it with paint or decoupage and it no longer looks quite so cheap. I used clear lacquer to seal and it handles well. I think if you use fancy cocktail toothpicks for the table legs and a heavy cardstock for the tabletops, with linens they ought to do for a tearoom. You could use a similar technique for the chairs, I recall a local sandwich shop (no longer in business:-() that covered the seats and backs of the chairs with print fabric to match the tablecloths. It was very effective because I noticed that none of the tables or chairs would have matched each other otherwise!

Olegator

Printing on Fabric: Another way of printing to fabric is to use waxed freezer paper that is available in your grocery store, look for it where the other wraps are sold.
1. Cut a piece of freezer paper the same letter size as your regular printer paper.
2. Cut lightweight cotton fabric the same size as printer paper, I use my husband's old cotton dress shirts.
3. Place the freezer paper shiny side up on ironing board.
4. Lay the material on top and press together making sure that all sides are well pressed.
5. Insert into your printer, fabric side down (at least with a HP printer) and print away.

Works great! I've printed out rugs and fringed the edges using this method and I'm very pleased with them. Be sure to spray your printed article with an acrylic sealer to insure the print is fixed.

Marilyn, MI

Printing on fabric: When I was just starting out in minis last Jan., I was very intrigued by the idea of printing on fabric. However, I could not find freezer paper anywhere. In surfing around, somewhere I ran across an idea which I have since used with no problem. I purchased full-size Avery mailing labels, peeled a label off the backing, and stuck muslin to the sticky side. Trimmed and fray-checked the edges and put it through the printer. Worked beautifully.

Linda in Leroy, OH

Record Albums: unless your part of Canada has urbanized in 40 years (since I went through), it's probably quite a trip to a city large enough to have a party or cake supplies store. But if one is in range, check them for cake decor and party favors. Sometimes you find little Baggies with ready-made records, solo or with little plastic molded record players. The favor manufacturers haven't upgraded to CDs yet! If that won't work, if there's a fabric store around, look for buttons with a groove design. You could roll out some Sculpey or Fimo, use the button for a template and to press in the grooves, and then bake as many "albums" as you need. If all else fails and you give up on perfect authenticity, the http://www.printmini.com site has paper records (and CDs). Glued to either side of a black foamie sheet, they'll do in a pinch.

Loretta Sniarowski

Wonderunder-foamcore: Here's a tip using Wonder-under. I have been ironing it to the reverse side of print or plain fabric, and then ironing it right on to the foam-core that forms the outer box for the projects that use a picture mat and forms inner and outer boxes for a framed scene, like the ones that Cat Wingler (One of my favorite Artists) taught at the Nationals in Ky. last Summer. It works great, just don't hold the iron in one place too long, and make sure it is pressed to the fabric before you iron it to the foam-core. I iron it completely around the box, and make it look like a gift package, and any loose edges, I add some Bond-Grip glue.

Jan

Rug Design: Thought I would add a tip I just learned myself. After all the talk about making French knot rugs I decided to get my needle work stuff out and make one. Very easy to do but where to find iron on designs I like was a problem. So here is what I decided to do. Went to the yardage store and bought fabric pieces with the design already there. All I needed to do is go over the printed picture just like a paint by number set. They came out great. I have made a rooster rug, a bumble bee rug, a two toned heart rug and a lamb rug. These are just the right size for a mini nursery room setting or?

Diane the Alpaca Lady

Tiny prints: little tip-a really good source for tiny print fabrics are the fabrics that they sell with the patterns already printed on it, like for making full scale doll clothes or something. You usually have to buy a yard (or one panels worth) but they have the tiniest prints on them and everything coordinates so you can make an entire matching set from one piece of fabric! I found a good panel at JoAnns and made up a cute little lavender "ribbons and roses" picket fence bed.

Kelly

Copyright: I agree that if someone BUYS a pattern to make something for resale that it is all right. A lot of people do not buy patterns to just make things for themselves. The same holds true for a DIY kit. If you buy a kit, put it together and then resell it as a finished product, that is okay too. I don't think many people would buy a DIY kit or a pattern if they could not resell the product. Look at all of the Simplicity, Vogue, Butterick, etc. patterns of stuffed animals, purses, hats, etc. that people buy patterns for to make items for resale at bazaars, churches, etc. If a person sells a pattern that CANNOT be used for resale then it should state that in bold print somewhere on the front so that a person will not buy it and then later find out that it cannot be used for resale. I know in searching the web, I have seen web sites that say the patterns cannot be used for resale, which is great because it lets the buyer know in advance. What about all the dollhouse kits on sale at auction sites. Buyers buy them, put them together, electrify them and then put them up for resale. I see no difference in doing this than buying a pattern, cutting it out, choosing a type of fabric, making the product and then reselling it. Thanks for listening to my two cents worth.

Marlene, Sacramento, CA

Project Ideas for Hospital Stay: I don't remember who recently asked for ideas for her minis to do during her hospital stay but I think this might work for many people. I have health problems and sometimes end up in bed for a couple of days. Also when I travel these are great.... I make my own kits. As I go through magazines or read ideas, or occasionally come up with my own I jot them down. Then as I buy the fabric or whatever I cut it out put a copy of the pattern and or instructions in and any thread or whatever. I put all this into a plastic Ziploc bag. I've done pillows, nightgowns, a quilt. I find sewing projects good for this but you could also have punched flowers and cut bits of wire and then take some markers to decorate the paper flowers. When you get ready to go just make sure you have a separate bag or pencil box for the basic tools: glue, tweezers, scissors, pencil, markers, needles, whatever you need. I also have a small round cutting block that is handy to work on. Other projects could be cutouts, books, printables, If you keep them made and have a bad memory like me you might even surprise yourself with a new project.

Rita