Blasts From the Past Minis

I re-discovered some things in a box that I made a few years ago while I was recently searching for something else (which I didn't find). So now I'm off in a different direction! I've actually had a creative block for the past month or two but I'm a serial crafter so all it takes is one little thing to spark my creativity again. I just have to wait for it to hit me. So I've been thinking about taking stuff I already have and making something new with it. 

Isn't this the cutest thing? My mom actually washed our clothes in one of these and it looked just like this one! I might make a laundry room. I made this wringer washer from a tutorial at 1 Inch Minis by Kris way back in 2018 and I think it's the best looking wringer washer tutorial I've ever run across. It's so clever I wish I had thought of it! I'm so proud of the way mine turned out. But it's been sitting in a box waiting for me to make a place for it to live.

TIP: I found the wire I needed for the drain hose and plug in cords in the cheap electronic phone accessories section at the dollar store. The hook is florist's wire from the floral section.

I'm getting ready to make a room box so I can use some of the miniature stuff I've already made. I really don't have room for any more dollhouses but I can make room for rooms on a smaller scale... maybe. I want to make some more furniture and I might want to make a garden room too with pots and plants. I don't get bored working on miniatures but I do run out of room for larger projects.

I also have this little bird cage I made following the instructions from Studio E Miniatures by Elizabeth. I just love these and I'd like to make more of them. They are made of wire, jewelry fitting and packaging card from cereal boxes. 

And last but not least, I loved making these pieces for the living room. They look so professionally upholstered but they are all glue and no sewing. Fabric could modernize these a lot and you can adjust the pattern for a more modern look too. I have to find a way to use these. They look so good. They might need a few pillows though. Hint: They are made with foam core board, poly-fil or batting, heavy card and a glue gun. I love that they are no-sew.

This furniture is another tutorial by 1 Inch Minis by Kris , I can't decide which room I want to make first.

I Love Book Nooks

It's no secret that I love miniatures and miniature houses. I've built several dollhouses and miniatures from scratch. So I just love to put things together. My son bought me a lighted DIY book nook kit for my birthday this summer and it took me all of three days to put it together. I had a few leftover books from it but I used everything else to make it.

It comes with a tube of glue similar to E6000 but I didn't use it for most things. I used a simple white glue that dries clear and spread it with the end of a toothpick for the little tight places.

It's a Beyond Library Book Nook, part Night at the Museum and part Sherlock Holmes but I like it. I don't care how you slice it, it's just cool to look at. It's got a fancy touch light but you can get lights cheaper and easier to place for other projects.

I'm so proud of the way it came together. And I love those dinosaur bones. They were tricky to punch out without breaking but they give you an extra one in the kit just in case you do. I have an extra set of dinosaur bones now.

I really love the wooden laser cut DIY miniature greenhouses and the book nooks but they are a little beyond my budget these days so I wanted to make a book nook from scratch and see how that goes. I figured out the dimensions at about 5-1/2" x 3-1/2" would be a good size to start with and I could make it about 9" tall. So starting with those dimensions, I got busy.

This is my rough sketch. It has to be part book nook, part diorama and part conservatory but I'm going to enclose mine with thin clear acetate sheets to keep the dust out. And I want a little door or pack in the back for holding my light battery pack. I have several ideas with the holidays coming up.

I also want a front that opens in case I want to fix, add or change something inside the box. It can be cut out with poster board or heavy card stock. And you can always double up your paper or add an extra layer to an inside wall to make it more sturdy.

And I want windows in the top but it has to be solid enough to hold lights or a paper or beaded wire chandelier. I may not get all those things incorporated when I'm done but it's a starting plan. If all goes well, I should have a prototype soon and a working model not long after that. And then I'll post a pattern to Thistles and Twiggs so you can download and make one for free.