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Homes for Tinies discussion part 4

Mar 7, 2016

    1. Oh wow! Thanks! This one is fancy! I ended up making one out of an old cellphone box and some foam-core, but next time I need one I should try this. I do have a lot of polymer clay around.
       
    2. I've actually been working on something bizarre but potentially useful.
      There's a magnetic paint/primer stuff you can get at hardware or DIY stores, and I have been testing it's usefulness on two types of flooring- flat, made of foam core board, and plaster/paper-mache which is more organic but uneven. With magnet footed Fairyland Tinies, it could be very useful to help the dolls be stable, particularly RealPukis, who are terribly top-heavy and tend to snap their feet together and then fall over.
      I;ve been trying it out in thick layers and about two very thick coats seems to be enough to significantly help a RealPuki stand on flat surfaces. You have to use thick coats, let each coat dry for a few days, and wear an organic vapor respirator to deal with the stuff- the vapors are foul, and dangerous to inhale. I've been applying it outdoors now that the weather is sometimes nice.

      One other way to get this magnetic effect is to put metal sheet under thin fabric or cardstock to make your floor. I've done this for my pukifees and if the metal "sticks" well, this can be very useful. One might also embed strong magnets into the flooring material at strategic spots in the dollhouse or diorama. I've tried sheet magnet, but the stuff is SO weak!
       
      • x 3
    3. thessalyrose, thanks for the link to the wonderful refrigerator tutorial. I'm always amazed at what some people create...what imaginations.

      Rosslyn, that's a great idea about putting sheet metal under the flooring so our little ones can stand...thank you. :)
       
    4. What brilliant ideas about making your floors magnet-friendly! I personally feel like I have enough fumes at home with Mr. super clear, lol, but I'll look out for the product that you mentioned the next time I'm at Home Depot.

      As for the sheet metal under the flooring, I'm feeling like I need to introduce it below all my surfaces, just in case. Do you think floor boards the thickness of popsicle stocks would be too thick?
       
    5. Thanks! So far Ive only used thick cardstock. If you were going to do a wood look over metal sheet, I'd say a thin wood veneer would work better. If you're in the USA, Target has started carrying sheets of adhesive veneer in their new crafting supplies section.
       
    6. Anything I can find at Target I consider a HUGE win, lol - I just put it on my shopping list! Thanks!
       
    7. i used that paint to make a magnet board in one of my kids rooms several years ago. you have to be careful and stir really thoroughly before each coat, because the magnets tend to sink to the bottom and if you don't stir properly you end up just painting with the base and then have a thick sludge of metal on the bottom. don't ask me how i know this :doh
       
      • x 1
    8. Definitely worth noting!
      Yes the stuff is a magnetic sludge suspended in a "spirit" base, which is what has the fumes. You do need to do serious stirring, although I've had fun applying just the sludge at the bottom, spread thin enough to dry out properly.
       
    9. Guys! Look at this video about building a beautiful little treehouse! You might need to substitute some sturdier materials if you wanted to put dolls in it, but what a gorgeous project! Check out their other videos, too. They use some very interesting building materials.

       
      • x 5
    10. what a cool idea. thanks for sharing
       
    11. Love everyone's work and ideas - all very inspirational.

      Just thought I would pass this along: Peak's Woods 10cm monthly fairies fit wonderfully well into vintage Lundby dollhouses. I've taken a few pictures and when I get time (maybe NEXT weekend) I will post
       
    12. I'm so glad you mentioned that as I was going to order some magnetic sheets. I'll see if I can get hold of some metal sheet instead.
       
    13. Youre welcome!

      My method for the metal sheet has been to cut itinto little rectangles with tin snips, which sometimes curves the corners up or down. To fix that, I then hammer it on my hard rubber block, made for this purpose for jewelry working, to shape it flat with the flat face of my very little ball-peen hammer. I sometimes dish it a bit with the round head of the ball-peen hammer to get a slight curve to pieces as needed. Then I kind of "tile" the little bits into the floor space I need using my lowtemp hot glue. I tried barge cement, but the hot glue sets faster and doesn't smell at all- barge cement reeks. Be very careful of the sharp edges!
      Once the whole floor space I want to magnetize is "tiled" with sheet metal, I cover it with mod podge and either paper or thin cloth. I spent today doing this and tomorrow I shall test how well my RealPuki stands on covered metal.
       
      • x 1
    14. My second attempt at renovating a dollhouse for my tiny elf Lilac. This dollhouse was a horrid pink colour on the outside with old paper on walls inside. I cleaned, stripped walls, then repainted in a pale dove gray inside and out. Next I printed a gray wooden slat wall design onto hard craft card for the walls and a cobblestone look for the floors. Took me a few attempts to get that right! I then printed some flower "stained glass" windows and laminated them to paste over the windows to keep dust out. (Do you know how hard it is to dust inside a dollhouse lol?) The window boxes and sign are attached by magnets so I can remove them easily for dusting/cleaning...it's slowly coming together! I'll post some interior pics with Lilac and her winged kitty Alibi soon. I believe it's just one pic per post I can post?

      [​IMG]

      Open doors ....hard to see detail though

      https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4358/36965840432_44049db1e2_b.jpg

      Bedroom

      https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4358/36994983331_e68b934965_b.jpg
       
      #74 Magpie Dreaming, Sep 10, 2017
      Last edited by a moderator: Nov 17, 2017
      • x 12
    15. That dollhouse is so lovely! I love that it has all the rooms a house should have. And yes, I get you on the dust settling inside, I hate them myself. Some of my dollhouses are in display cases and I'm working out how to temporarily plug up the windows of my Barbie sized house and make it easily removable. Right now it's covered with a piece of cloth.
       
    16. What an apposite moment to spot this discussion - I have been playing with designs for tiny dwellings for the last week, and trying to decide what I want to build first. Trouble is, after seeing all the lovely ideas here, I am now even further from making a decision! I think it may be a gipsy caravan, if I ever stop browsing long enough to get started... If I had more room I would be tempted to try hacking the Brimnes cabinet from IKEA - it looks just the right size for a 1/8 four room tiny house.
       
      • x 2
    17. I love this thread, im so glad i found it! Ive been thinking about maybe getting a diorama/house in the future for a pukipuki i want to get, so its cool to see what everyone else uses or has found. Im really into those DIY dollhouse sets you get in the mail and put together, so ive been poking around for one thats a good size for a pukipuki and looks like it might be easily customized into a fairy house! Theres a lot that i like, i almost want more than one!
       
    18. Here's said Barbie house of mine that I repainted for my little girl. :)

      [​IMG]Esme's House
       
      • x 16
    19. Wow...the attention to detail in these is stunning!
       
    20. I'm thinking of building a home for a future tiny. Now I read something about paperclay, but do you have to back that or is that airdry? Or are there better clay options to construct a house?