Miniature Work Space - Design a Work Area Where You Can Create Dollhouse Miniatures. Let's Talk Tools

Creating a Work Space That Flows, Making Your Miniature Creating More Enjoyable.

This is my miniature work area. The desk is about 9 days older than dirt but it is very heavy and very sturdy. There is nothing fancy about it so if I spill paint or drizzle glue, no worries. I actually got the desk from a neighbor that was going to throw it out but after making good use of it for the past 15 years, I wouldn't take a million dollars for it. 

Whether you have an entire room to devote to your Miniature Hobby or just a closet, there are certain supplies that you will want to have on hand. This is written for those of you that are new to making miniatures. If you have been making minis for years, I am hoping you will find a tip or two that you can use. I am also asking that you will add comments if you have great ideas that work well for you. What I plan to do is to show my work space (gulp! - messy as it is at times) and what works for me. It is important that you develop a system that works well for you. So feel free to take my ideas and make them your own.

When it comes to the look of your work area, that is a completely personal choice. It can be elaborately decorated to match your style or not. Just remember, make the goal of creating your work space functional. If it's not functional it won't be a place that draws you in. Make this your happy space. A place that makes you feel comfortable. I live in a very rural area on 20 acres. My work space is in a 12 X 30 wooden shop with a kiln room addition (still in progress).  Because I love being in the country, I am quite satisfied with a bit of a rustic feel. I don't want to feel like I have to please anybody but me. Aside from working on miniatures in my shop, I also do stained glass, fused glass, ceramics and mosaics so only about 20% of my shop is strictly miniatures, but it's my favorite 20%!

If you plan to create your miniature work space in a closet click here to see great ideas from Pinterest.

Work Table 

It really doesn't matter if you use a desk or a table but I will say that in my opinion, the bigger the better. It's helpful to me to be able to lay out my supplies and see what I have to work with. It should be sturdy and level. If your table shakes it could very likely cause your language to become quite colorful. There is not much more frustrating than painting a piece to perfection, propping it to dry and have it fall because you lightly bumped the table. Aarg! No fun at all.  If you make any items with resin and the table leans, it will cause your finished piece to be tilted. While having a tilted miniature glass of tea is not the end of the world, it isn't the goal.

If you don't already have a work table in mind, click here to see some ideas on Pinterest. There are many patterns and plans in the mix for the do-it-yourself types out there willing to tackle it. 

Lighting

Great lighting is a must. Everything you work with is small, and most of what you work with could be considered tiny. It's important to figure out or at least consider the lighting situation before you settle on your work space and the placement of your table/desk. A window is a nice luxury but only useful, of course, while the sun is up. There are many lighting options to choose from but if budget is a huge consideration, WalMart sells fluorescent light fixtures for as little as $10 - $15. Just a tip; I always keep a flashlight close at hand so that if I drop something on the floor and it rolls under my desk, no worries. I just whip out my handy dandy flashlight. 

Electrical Outlets

You might want to get a power cord with multiple outlets. I have one that I use to plug in my phone charger, Dremel, glue gun, desk lamp, solder iron, etc. At the end of the day I just flip the off switch on the power cord just to be sure nothing is left on by mistake. I also positioned my power cord on a shelf just next to my desk so that I don't have to get up and/or rearrange the furniture just to plug something in. I'm all about convenience. 

Storage Area for Tools and Supplies

I purchased a heavy duty shelving unit like this one at Lowe's. It is large and very functional. I placed it next to my work table and while I am very pleased with it, if I had it to do over, I think I would purchase a shelving unit with solid shelves so that my bins would more easily slide around on the shelves. Adjustable shelves are a nice option but you can get by without having them. There are sturdy plastic shelves available that do not have adjustable shelves but they are more economical. 

You will eventually have several bins that you will want to keep close at hand. I use separate bins for items such as; all things Fimo, all things wood, paint supplies and so on, you get the idea. (I will talk more about this in a future blog about tools and supplies needed.) This helps me stay organized and have a place to put the things from my work surface quickly so that I actually have some surface left to work on.



I picked up 2 of these small mechanics hardware bins at a garage sale years ago for less than $5 each. I must say, with miniatures this is my favorite storage item. Both of mine sit on my desk and I use them every time I sit at my desk. I would be lost without them. Again, more on what I keep in these in my "Tools and Supplies" blog which I have already started working on and will post ASAP.

Additional Surface Areas

Many times when working on a project you will paint one thing and need to let it dry while you take something else out the oven to let it cool. Do yourself a favor and decide in advance where your "in process" items will be placed while working. I actually have a spot under my desk where I let things dry but if you have pets or small children you may want to find a spot on a shelf, in a closet or even in a drawer where your tinies will be safe until they're ready.

A small portable folding table is another great option. Having an extra work table is a luxury if you are working on more than one project or for those days when you have the need to spread out a bit. When not in use it folds up to easily be slid behind a door or under a bed. 

Well I believe this covers the basics of setting up a work space if you decide that being a miniature hobbyist is for you. Of course you will likely start at your kitchen table like we all did but if you feel it's time to create your own space, these are the basics and I hope to help you plan for a work space that works well for you.

Thank you so much for reading my blog and if you could leave any comments that would be great. Please Pin on Pinterest, share on Facebook and tell your friends. I will be back soon to talk about the tools and supplies that will make creating miniatures a fun and satisfying hobby.

"Imagine how quiet the forest would be if the only bird singing was the one who sang best." 
- unknown

Take care and tiny blessings to you!
Renee'

Hello and Welcome! Miniature Tutorials, DIY, Ideas, Information and Inspiration

This is my first post. Bear with me because I'm new to this but I'm hoping to create a blog that inspires others to love and appreciate miniatures as much as I do. So many times, while visiting other miniature related sites, I see comments such as "Help, I'm new to miniatures and I don't know where to begin." Another FAQ I see is "What do I need to get started?"

Well, that's why I'm here. Sort of a Minis 101 Academy. I plan to start with many basic topics such as work-space for miniatures, tool box needs and the fine are of improvising. So if you have been a miniature hobbyist for some time this may all be review. But then again, you may learn a little something new about the basics. Soon I will go on to more advanced tutorials but I'm hoping to find a way to help some of the wonderful newbies gain a solid footing.

I have been doing miniatures since around 1990. I have always done them as a hobby but I think it's time to share a little of what I've learned along the way. I'm hoping some of you more experienced miniaturists will take time to add comments, suggestions, ideas, etc., for anything I forget to mention. I'm hoping to get to know many of you and to share thoughts and ideas with. My husband is sick and tired of trying to figure out things like "How can I make a duplicate of this or that in miniature?' Not that I ever really expect him to answer, it would just be cool to ask those types of questions to other people who get me.

That's all for today. I just wanted to introduce myself and explain my goals. I also needed the chance to figure out how to get this blog thingy to post! LOL. If you follow my blog (and I certainly hope you do) you will quickly find that I am by no means, a geek. Oh, and I'm not the greatest typist either, but I will do my best to make up for it with my creativity in the "little things" that really matter.

Take Care and Tiny Blessings to You.

Dollar Store Scores and Trash Talk - Part 2 -A Miniature Flat Screen TV Made From the Trash + Plus 20 More

 Hello again! Last time we talked, we found 20 uses so far for the Dollar Store Score purchase of the Nail Art Decoration Kit. If you haven't already seen it, be sure to check out "Dollar Store Scores and Trash Talk - Part 1". Up to this point we have talked primarily about Dollar Store Scores but this last project would be considered a Trash Talk item. It's made of the part of the kit that's meant to be thrown out. The packaging! Keep in mind, this blog is all about introducing Miniature Newbies to the concepts of buying something for little and using your imagination to make much from it, or taking what others might consider trash and seeing it in a new light.

Now let's try this

Trash Talk Project

A Flat Screen TV in 1:12 Scale

 I will try to go through the steps quickly but I have lots of pictures to show you also. If you have any questions, please leave a comment at the bottom of this post and I'll get back to you ASAP.

We are starting with the inner plastic packaging, Specifically, the portion that held the cuticle pusher.

Dust the inside of cuticle pusher portion with baby powder or corn starch. I do this by using a soft dry paint brush to get it on all areas then I shake out the excess. Occasionally I just blow on it a bit to help clear out any excess powder.

Condition some black polymer clay. I'm using Fimo brand. Once clay is conditioned, press it gently into the long thin mold. Use a razor blade (or whatever you have handy) to remove any excess clay along the top of the clay to make this side flat

Turn packaging over and your clay should come right out. You may need to tap on table gently or press lightly on back/bottom to encourage it to get free.

You need two of these so repeat the above steps to make another.

Stick a T-pin into one of  the bars you created. You will also need to roll out a bit more black clay to approximately 1/8" thick. Cut out a piece 1" x 1 3/4". Cut off the two top corners as in pic. I just eyeballed this part.

*If you don't have a T-pin, you can create something similar with wire. This is just to add a little strength to the piece and won't be seen when complete.

Place the flat piece on top of the T-pin and press down firmly, trying not to change the shape. The goal here is to make an indention of the pin into the clay.

Bake clay per package directions leaving the pin in place and all pieces as in picture. Allow to cool. Remove pin, add a dab of super glue to where the pin goes into the bottom base and reinsert pin. add a couple of dabs of super glue into impression from pin and put pin back in place. Allow to dry. Next using tacky glue, glue the flat sides of both molded sections together. Give ample time for all to dry. I left mine overnight. Once dry, using an emery board or sandpaper, 220 grit or higher, sand bottom piece around seam line.


You will need to add 2 supports to the bottom base to keep it from tipping over. I used wooden matches, the larger kitchen type because they are 3/16" which just about ideal for this use. You could substitute the thicker middle portion of a square or round toothpick. You will need 2 braces, each cut to 1" long.







The braces need to be fairly sturdy so I mixed Aileen's Tacky Glue with equal portion of Testor's Cement (usually found near model cars in the toy department).

Working on a ceramic tile, I used about 2 drops of each of the glues and stirred together with a toothpick.

Place a light pencil mark on both wood support pieces at 3/8" from one end. Using this mark as a guide, place a generous dab of glue onto the support just behind your pencil mark. Also place a dab on the bottom of the base just inside of each portion that creates the "humps" on the bottom of the base. Wait 60-90 seconds then attach together. See next picture.

 This is what your stand should now look like. Wood at bottom, evenly spaced apart (front and back). Screen support should be straight up or tilted back only slightly.

Lean base against sturdy object, (I used a tacky glue bottle) and let dry at least 4 hours or more.


Now we can start working on the screen.

 Using the outer package, the box, cut the front of the box (careful not to cut window) from the back of the box. Place front on top of back and using a straight edge ruler draw a line 1/8" from all edges of the window, which will be your TV screen. Use an X-acto knife to cut out on the lines you made.

 Now from the scraps of the box cut 4 strips just under 1/8" wide. Trim length to match the size of frame around screen.

 Using a toothpick, and tiny dabs of glue attach skinny strips to frame around screen to add support.


I wasn't convinced that the box alone would provide the support and dimension needed so I took the mat board from the back of an old writing pad and cut out another square of the same size.

 Using black acrylic craft paint, I painted the front, back and sides of the mat board and allowed to dry.

*You may not need to paint yours but the picture I wanted to use for my screen wasn't actually large enough. My picture had a very dark background so black seemed to be my best option.

 Find a picture of the TV scene you want for your TV. I was working on this project in my studio which is about 200 yards from my house and it was storming. I had to find a picture somewhere in the studio and it just so happened I was watching The Mentalist on DVD. Luckily there was an insert in the DVD case with several pictures to choose from. So, if you do not have a printer handy, check out your DVD case. You may find something there. This worked great for me as, at the moment, this is my favorite show.

Using Mod Podge for Paper, attach picture to mat board following instructions on jar.

Next you'll need to attach the layers of your TV. On the bottom or back of TV you will first lay the back side of the box that you cut out with the window. Add a very light coat of tacky glue or Mod Podge, then put down the mat board on top of that with the picture side up, facing you. Next very carefully apply a very minimal amount of glue to the inside of the window frame and place that on top of the mat board making sure frame is perfectly aligned with edges of bottom layers. Be careful not to get any glue on your screen because it will show. (I learned this one the hard way.)

 Almost there. Next we will build the TV around the picture.

Roll out some conditioned black polymer clay to about 3/16". Cut into strips that are 1/4" long. Make sure you will have enough strips to cover all 4 sides of frame.

Roll out more clay to same thickness. Lay picture on top of rolled clay and cut clay using picture as a template.

Bake clay per package directions. Let cool.

 *In my picture you will notice I rounded the corners before attaching the clay but I wouldn't do this if I had it to do over. Just leave it square for now. You will be able to round corners later when we sand it all down.

Carefully cut clay strips to make frame for screen. Glue with tacky glue. As you glue each side on use small clothes pins or paper clips to hold frame in proper position while glue dries.

 Picture showing front of TV with frames on all four sides.

Now glue flat clay to back of  screen using tacky glue. Allow to dry thoroughly.

Sand around all edges of TV screen using 220 (+) grit sandpaper.

Using black acrylic paint, paint the matchstick wood supports under base (be sure glue is completely dried first). Allow paint to dry.

Glue TV screen to flat panel on base. To avoid accidentally knocking of wood supports, lay base down on work surface with supports hanging over edge. Glue using a couple of drops of instant glue around the edges for a quick grab but also add a little bit of tacky glue in the center for a long term secure hold. Add a clothespin to secure in place until completely dry.

After several minutes, you can stand it up, keeping clothespin on, and leaning against a support until entire unit is dry.

Once everything else is done, apply a sealer to clay and that's it. You're finished! A treasure that you made from trash!

Please check back often for more
Miniature Tutorials and blog posts.


Petite Maison d'Amour
www.petitemaisondamour.blogspot.com

Miniature Dollar Store Scores and Trash Talk - Part 1 -Let's Make Some Dollhouse Accessories for Pennies or Free

Hello and thank you for checking out my blog. I am in the middle of putting together a Miniature Hobby Work-Space blog for you but I decided to introduce all of you "Newbies" out there of two basic concepts, or definitions, if you will. These are 1.) Dollar Store Scores and 2.)Trash Talk. I will frequently add examples of one or both to my blogs. I will also create a separate link or page to posted items so if you are in a bind or looking for something specific you can be sure to check out the links to those topics and over time you should be able to find just what you're looking for, hopefully. Or, you can always leave a comment about what it is you are trying to recreate.

It would be nice to start out with Museum Quality Miniatures right from the start, however, for most of us this just isn't feasible. There needs to be a way to create our little worlds without putting a second mortgage on our house. That's why Dollar Store Scores and Trash Talk have been such  popular topics for miniaturists for as long as there has been miniatures, Well, for as long as there have been dollar stores at least.

There are Dollar Stores in just about every city now days. Stores where everything cost $1. Trust me, you need to find the closest one because these places can be a gold mine when it comes to creating the perfect pieces to meet your needs for, yes, you guessed it, one dollar.

The second topic I am hoping you will become familiar with is Trash Talk. Now this doesn't mean some special way to insult other people's work so that ours will look better. This simply means a process by which you don't let any one in your family throw anything into the trash until you have inspected it to determine its trash value.

The following is an example of each new concept...

Dollar Store Score (1:12 Scale ideas)

Nail Art Decoration Kit - Part 1

Purchased at Dollar Tree in Mississippi. April 2017.

Kit includes the following: Cuticle Pusher, Nail Glue, Nail File, 6 Glass Bottles with Glitter and Cap, Inner Package Tray and Outer Package Box. Now let's see what we can do with this $1 Score.

Cuticle Pusher - This is really just a short dowel that is pointy on one end and filed to a sharp slant on the other. While there are dozens of uses for dowels, I will give you a couple of my first thoughts.

1. Cut the slanted end off. Use flat end to apply a bit of sticky wax and attach any small project item that needs to be painted. Once painted, stick pointy end of stick into a piece of Styrofoam and allow your masterpiece to dry.
2. Glue a small piece of sand paper to the flat slanted surface and use as a mini file to get to those hard to reach spots on your projects.
3. Cut both ends off and reduce dowel to 1 1/8" long. Glue a flat button, about 1/2" diameter, to bottom of dowel. Glue a matching flat button, about 1/4" diameter to top of dowel. Add a small bead to top with glue. Cut a piece of paper towel 1" x 2". Sparingly glue (I would use a glue stick) one end of pre-cut paper towel to dowel and wrap remaining towel around and Viola! You now have a paper towel holder for your Tiny Kitchen. 

The next item is the Nail Glue.

1.  First thought, use as glue! Not trying to be sarcastic but the glue is really strong on non-porous surfaces, water-proof.
2. Use the white cap as a cup, flower pot or maybe even a pencil cup for the desk in your tiny office. 
3. Using a sharp (X-acto) knife, cut out the top of the tube right around the point where the silver meets the red. That portion would be a great base for a lamp or a fancy serving dish. 

The small pink Nail File

1. Again, not trying to be sarcastic, but make an awesome sanding tool. You could even cut it in half longways and use for tiny spots.
2. This file has a foam center so if you want to make a foam covered stool, bench or small chair for a child's room all you need to do is peel or slice of the top sandpaper while trying not to cut into the foam. Cover with fabric of choice and there you have it.*I said child's room because at only 5/8" wide this wouldn't be big enough for an adult chair. 

This item is actually 3 items you have to work with. 1.) Six small glass bottles 2.) filled with round bits of glitter 3.) and capped with little plastic stoppers with handles. Lets talk about these one at a time.

First, the glass bottles;

1. Make Fimo lids, paint, use as canisters for the kitchen.
2. Fill with Fimo candy or tiny seed beads/micro beads, make a lid using a small disc of wood with a bead glued to the top for candy jars.
3. Fill with tiny combs and resin "alcohol". Add a lid made from a foil pie plate. Great for a barber shop. 
4. Fill with Fimo pickles. Make a foil lid. That's right, a large jar of pickles.
5. *This list is really unending. Use your imagination and you will surprise yourself with what you come up with.

Second, the rubber stoppers;

1. Small frosted juice glasses. Just carefully cut off the handle using an X-acto knife. I saw this on the My Small Obsession Site. 
2. Form a lid from Fimo to make a Sippy Cup for baby.
3. Use the handle (which you cut off to make the the juice glasses) as small purse handles. Just paint them in the color of your choice. Make a small purse and glue handle to inside.
4. Cut handle in half, through the center of the circle so you end up with just half a circle. Paint and glue to top of handmade pot lids, casserole dish lids and the like.
5. Glue the bottom half (the flat portion of the handle) to the bottom front of a waste basket with a lid and you end up with one of those waste baskets that have the lid that opens when you press the lever. This is the lever. 

Now for the glitter. The first thing I noticed is that this is not just glitter. It's actually round. Normal bits of glitter are usually square. 

1. The round shape of this glitter made me think of sequins. Hint, do you have a sewing room? 
2. Then I noticed that the silver looked a bit like loose change. So this is what I did. I put a piece of double stick tape on top of a scrap piece of card stock (an old manila folder). I sprinkled some of the orange glitter on top of the tape. Chose orange because it's the closest to copper color.

Then I dabbed some metallic copper acrylic paint onto the glitter/tape with a toothbrush. Once the paint was dry, I scraped the "pennies" off of the tape with the blade of my X-acto onto a tile. 

I wouldn't call the coverage excellent but I was satisfied that it would do the trick. After selecting about a dozen of the best pennies, I added them, along with a few pieces of the silver, into a glass bowl. It looked just like loose change! Hard to tell in the picture, but it came out pretty good.

I have come up with 20 items so far, of things to make with this one purchase and I'm not finished yet. Some are ideas you've seen before, some are new but this is meant to be an introduction to Dollar Store Scores for the Miniature Newbies. I have got a great tutorial for you tomorrow to finish off items made with this item and I have saved the best for last! Please check it out.

Don't forget to pin this article on your Pinterest board! Thank you.
Until tomorrow...

Take care and tiny blessings to you!