Mirror or Aluminum Trim

Chris in Canada wrote:
The new-style pop-off seals from cans of ground coffee contain a 3/4"
square thick mylar 'mirror' on the top surface over the air vents,
and the rest of it is great material to use for aluminium trim for
counters, breadboxes etc.... in a 30's-50's kitchen (for counter trim
tool lines into it with a dead ballpoint pen or stylus), as well as
pewter plates and pizza or pie pans. The metal is easy to cut or
punch and using a ball stylus you can coax it into shallow shapes
that are quite sturdy. As long as you wash the lid in warm soapy
water first to get rid of any oils from the coffee, you can use water
based paint to make porcelain plates and it can be glued with
SuperGlue. This makes it easy to create the curlicues for an ornate
silver candelabra or picture frame using thin strips shaped around
something like a toothpick (or a pin if you are a mini-masochist). 

Lampshade from a clay pot

The lamp shade is a clay plant pot, trimmed with fringe. Beads, a button and a wire complete the lamp.
See the T2T on Rug fringe.
http://littleroomers.blogspot.com/2008/12/create-fringe-trims.html

Mini Books to go with those Glasses!

Make books by cutting cardboard or balsa wood to size. Paint the edges white or gold and cover with thin suede, cloth, or paper. Then carefully glue the picture to the front. You can also buy inexpensive books ready-made (about $2 a dozen) and glue pictures to the front. If you are filling a bookshelf, you can paint gold lines across the spines.

Ann Vanture 's tutorial:
http://www.paperminis.com/tutorial-library/kit-tutorials/book_ver4.htm

Martha TUT for full-size bookbinding.
http://www.marthastewart.com/article/how-to-bind-a-book?xsc=eml_tvm_2009_03_13

A famous South African Miniaturist, Barbara Brear makes awesome books.
http://bbminiatures.homestead.com/

Spring, Flowers and Fairies

See Carolyn Brown's Fairy grotto
http://www.mapleleafminiatures.ca/gallery/My-Miniature-Projects/fairytree/



Also Eva Perendreu Mata's blog http://mini-escenas.blogspot.com/search/label/Escenas-Room%20Box


Also see Melissa Chaple's fairy dollhouse.
http://enchantedwoodlandfaer.intuitwebsites.com/index.html


Add an Armature to a push mold:









Make a fairy wing:
http://creativedoll.blogspot.com/2008/05/fantasy-film-fairy-wings.html

Eye Glasses

1. Take 3 round toothpicks, shorten one, and fasten together with masking tape.






















2.Take a piece of wire, and wrap it around the toothpicks as shown. Fold the earpieces back along the sides of the toothpicks.




















3. Put a dot of glue in the lenses, allow to dry. Eh, voila!

Outdoors

Food/Cookout/Picnic:


:
Tanya’s backyard BBQ
-The BBQ is made with a small plastic Champagne glass found at the Dollar Store
- Fence is made from skinny sticks
- Cups are from tops of craft glue.
- Love the illusion of perspective using a picture of the kitchen beyond the French doors into the house.
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/7251673/280628132



Doreen shares how she made her roomboxes:
http://doreensprojects.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html

http://doreensminiatures.blogspot.com/2009/06/barbeque-for-shadowbox.html

Chris Pecherzewski from Mini-tiques did this BBQ scene.
http://snipurl.com/j0lta




Mel’s Miniatures: http://snipurl.com/cplri
Those sandwiches sure look good!









Mary Eccher’s Pannikins site has TUTs on making BBQ foods
http://pannikins.homestead.com/backyard_barbecue.html








http://www.intotheglue.com/photopost/data/531/BBQ_from_25_machine_bubble.jpg






Red Gingham for tablecloth









Make a picnic basket:
http://miniatures.about.com/od/miniatureprojects/ig/Beginners-Miniature-Projects/Make-a-Mini-Picnic-Basket.htm
*******************
Furniture:
- Picnic Table
- Porch Set
Chris in QS http://snipurl.com/cpj4v


- Umbrella - use a cocktail umbrella
- Chairs, Lounges – wicker, wood, plastic
http://www.the-art-of-dollhouse-miniatures.com/miniature-lawn-chair.html
Wheelbarrow Planter:
http://www.the-art-of-dollhouse-miniatures.com/miniature-wheelbarrow.html

Garden/Patio/Greenhouse:
- Gardening gloves
- Rubber Boots
- Gardening Hat
- Rake, hoe, shovel
Try this painting rust tut:
http://www.acanthusminiatures.com/page13.html
- Garden hose
- Printies – links for fertilizer packets, soil
- Plants, landscaping, flowers
- Chris in Canada: http://snipurl.com/cpj4v


- Plant in a seashell, lantern


Jo in Ga: http://snipurl.com/cpk41
Her album includes making boulders, planters

Doreen Playter made some masking tape plants
http://doreensprojects.blogspot.com/2009/02/plant-project.html

Check this site out –Granny Maude’s wonderful garden and potting shed
http://tinyurl.com/d7wekc

Here is a trellis tutorial
http://tinyurl.com/bm823k
Clematis Vine
http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/dollhouse_news/JUL2009/miniature-clematis-vine.html

Also, don’t forget to search Google images!
Maybe this will give you a few ideas for landscaping:.
http://newenglandminiatures.blogspot.com/2009/03/miniature-landscaping-part-i.html
Plant pots
Plant trays
Watering can - $store find painted silver

Lawnmower
Chris from Canada sent these directions for a modern and a push mower.
Modern:
The deck is a hollow box 1.5"x1.5"x1/ 3" constructed of thin wood (basswood?) with the edges and corners rounded off by sanding, and painted with orange enamel. The motor casing is a toothpaste cap painted shiny black and glued to the centre of the deck. You can even glue on a mini Mastercraft logo. There are 4 semi-circular cutouts 1/4" in diameter for the wheel wells, 2 on each side. On the underside, which was flat black, glue a piece of balsa to which are glued plastic wheels on axles cut from the bottom of a toy car, so the axles just cleared the top edge of the cutouts. It looked like the entire bottom plate of the car was removed, then the centre part cut out leaving enough of the plate to glue the wheels in place. The handle is a jumbo paperclip bent into shape, painted black and mounted to the deck by means of L-shaped bends right near the ends glued into a pilot hole. Run a black cord from the motor housing to the handle where there was a fake switch, and then on for about 1/2" to end in a seed bead acting as a plug.
Push mower, non-turning wheels:
If a 'lookie-lookie' mower is OK, here's how. Make the cutter assembly from two 1/2" wooden discs for the ends, 4" pieces of round toothpicks as the center axle and the three guards, plus 4 strips of heavy foil shaped into cutting blades. (Google for 'push reel mower' images to see how blades are shaped.) Glue that all together, then glue a small flattish bead to the middle of each end, followed by wheels from a toy car. (Just the wheel itself is used as it will be stationary.) Fashion a roller from a medium paper clip with some short black tube beads threaded on and glue the trimmed ends into small pilot holes made on the edges of the end discs. Two medium paper clips would do for the handle assembly, which looks like the letter 'T' with the clips superglued together for most of the length, splitting apart to form an upside down "Y" before the ends are glued to the cutter assembly. Make sure the roller is touching the work surface before you attach the handle assembly, and that the handle is positioned at a realistic angle for use.

Wheelbarrow
http://www.the-art-of-dollhouse-miniatures.com/miniature-wheelbarrow.html

Flooring, pathways, paving:
Egg carton brick path
http://www.thechinadoll.com/bricktutorial.htm
Stone Base Vignette by Tracy Topps:
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/562705300PgZzPq

WIMMS March Mini Mart

These are some pictures from the March Mini Mart held by the Willowdale Minimakers in Toronto.

The WIMMS show is (Willowdale Mini Makers) is an event that showcases Artisan items only. No purchased or manufactured items. It's held every March and is usually at the Japanese Centre. Scroll down, the best is last!


This wicker set is from Second Childhood Miniatures.
http://secondchildhoodminiatures.com/