Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Barb K in Niagara wrote:
I had been planning a Wedding shop for a long time. At the Gathering (Ontario) I purchased a room box that was nicely wallpapered and already lit (from Christina Diercx
(sp) ) I also purchased a couple of wedding gowns (one from Liz and one from
Dale I believe). Then I got a lovely surprise gift in the mail on Friday from
Margaret Atkinson - a lovely trousseau set. I had been telling her about my
planned shop. So I was motivated to put it all together and I did last night. I
still have to paint the curved shelving and I'll be adding some more shelves I
think. At any rate - I call it "Something Borrowed, Something Blue".

Knit fabric for sweaters, scarves, and stockings

Chris in Canada wrote:

Before you trash that fine knit light-weight sock with the holes in the toe and heel, take a good look at the rest of the sock. There's probably several nice pieces of knit fabric that can be used for a dollhouse doll's sweater, skirt, stockings, vest, tuque, scarf etc.... Cut out and gently steam the piece flat. Lay a paper pattern on top, mark the cutting lines with tailor's chalk and then apply a line of fray check or a similar product along the chalk line. When that's dry, you can cut the pieces out, and glue or sew them together (a ballpoint needle meant for knits works best) and there's a knit item for free that is really in scale.

Landscaping

Elicia wrote:
Grab those leaves laying out in the yard....let them dry out if they aren't already....crumble up and use as mulch/fallen leaves in your landscaping....I also use "used" tea bags and coffee grounds for soil/mulch and parsley flakes for grass.....

Landscaping TUT
http://figuresnbits.com/techniques.htm

Landscaping Villages
http://elbourne.org/village/displayguide.mv

Former for Fimo Plates

Chris in Canada wrote:
Use the bottoms of empty pop or beer cans when making Fimo plates to ensure a
smooth rounded back. Cut circles of clay, then form the plate right in the
centre of the can's bottom using a ball stylus or marble to smooth it down.
(Remove any printing from the bottom with acetone or alcohol first.) Bake the
clay on the upturned cans, and they will pop right off. I can get 12 cans on my
baking sheet, so I keep a case of empties in the garage just for this purpose.
If you want a footed plate, cut tiny clay rounds with a circular cutter, attach
to the cured plates with liquid Fimo and rebake.

Magazine Holders from Drink Cartons

Jo in GA wrote:
Use the 12- drink cartons to make magazine holders..
Just cut straight across below the handle then up the side at an angle toward the back. Cover them with Contact paper.
Holds 12 issues with no problem..

Trash Bathroom

Melody wrote:
Woo hoo! I made it in under the wire too. Guess what I made today? I needed a
toilet for my Greenleaf travel trailer. Yes... I managed to make walls and put
in bathroom in it. My travelers don't like the public washrooms. Soooooo.... I
needed a toilet but know trailer toilets are not like the normal porcelain types
usually seen in dollhouses and also usually don't have tanks like the modern
plastic toilets you can now buy for dollhouses. They are more like chemical
toilets or whatever... So.... I looked at every shampoo and lotion cap in my
home and finally found a white one in an old bottle of cream that is probably
toxic by now (right?). It has the flap/snap kind of lid. It is white and oval...
about 1.5 inches high. I drilled the hole bigger -- a hilarious and unsuccessful
event with the wee cap spinning around on the drill then flying... I eventually
got it bored out with a combo of paring knife, Exacto knife and shears. In the
process the existing "hinge" snapped off. Pooh! But that ended up being a
blessing because it enabled me to see that sideways... with the narrower end of
the oval against the wall, it was too perfect too believe. So there it is... one
trailer toilet. I'm going to make a ring seat from white foamie and also put an
oval in it inside the lid to give a "cushioned" look to hide the little dot
there that once helped seal the bottle.

The bathroom is, in its entirety, a shower. I drilled a hole in the floor and
used half a dome fastener for the drain. I also put a smaller dome in the drain
of the jam packet sink. I used cut off bits from some tile flooring I used in a
bigger house for the floor and some up the walls too. A plastic baggie will be
the shower curtain/door. A small mint tin will be the medicine cabinet with a
bit of Mylar for the mirror. In my quest for a toilet-like lid I also found some
travel shampoos and such. One has a lid the right size for a toilet brush. I am
going to glue a cat-shaped button on the front to give it character and insert
long bead with pipe cleaner "brush" in the cap. Another lid will be a trash
receptacle.
How I make "the rest of the toilet":
The toilet I made with the shampoo lid was the "chemical toilet" type so no tank. However, I was looking in an old mini mag and they showed cool toilets made with one of those square dental floss containers for the "tank". I'd known about this technique, but had not remembered what they used for the "bowl". In this example they used the leftover spool from scotch/sticky tape. They also used a dental floss container for a clothes hamper. mmmmhmmmm.

In other trash news... my trailer campers needed flashlights. Old electric connectors turned out to be perfect. I filled one end with clear hot glue and it looks great. I also made a bigger one with a crystally plastic bead in the end. Now there will be no stumbling in the dark en route to that trashy toilet LOL.
Did I tell you about my kitchen sink in the trailer? Take one jam packet for a sink. Take a small off cut "tongue" from tongue in groove flooring and cut a piece about 1.5" long. Find two tiny screws and a cup hook... there! tap and faucets. I had to re bend the hook a bit but it's awesome.
Now I'm thinking "cooler". I see an aspirin bottle with a rectangular bottom. I'm thinking some strategic cutting and a piece of foam for the lid? White bottom... coloured top? I'll keep you posted. I know off cut bits from plastic canvas make perfect ice. I bet those leftover glue gun gobs could be cut up for ice too :-)

Barb K wrote:
Hey Melody!
You had me at "bathroom talk" all week. I could not get your trailer toilet out of my mind. That's when I noticed the flip top on my Tropicana orange juice jug. Yep - its bright orange but its the perfect toilet seat and lid for a camper's toilet. I remember getting deodorant (have to find that one) with an oval lid. It is going to be my base. One of those chemical type toities or Port-a-Potties. heck we still have one at the cottage for those winter weekends when the water's shut off.

So, a little Gesso and a little white paint and I think I'll have my Toitie too.

Thanks for the inspiration.

Revive nail polish bottles

Chris in Canada wrote:
Don't throw away that ancient nail polish bottle with the glob of thick red "tar" in the bottom. Completely fill the bottle with nail polish remover, replace the lid tightly, shake well and leave overnight. In the morning pour out the contents and wash the brush and bottle with a good squirt of dishwashing liquid and very warm water, rinse well and let dry. Use it to re-store, in both senses of the word, those last bits of acrylic craft paint. Just scrape the leftover "gucky" paint into the clean bottle, add a few drops of water, mix in a bit using the brush and give it a good shake. Once recapped the paint will keep in this bottle for a very,very long time and even has it's own brush. This works for craft glue that has thickened as well.