| Recycling Bin H thru Q |
| ~~ H~~ HAT STANDS: Display your sunbonnets on golf tees!! Stand them upside down, cut stem to various heights and glue a large round bead to the top. Paint or decoupage to match decor. Add hat!! |
| ~~ I ~~ ICE CREAM SUNDAE: Dimensional paint can look like ice cream and topping...some of the colors even have "ice cream" names (chocolate, vanilla, etc). Roll a mini pom-pom or wood bead in the dimensional paint to make the ice cream "scoop". Drizzle the fudge (or other) topping. Don't forget the cherry!! I've put blobs of translucent cherry colored paint on wax paper, enhanced the "ball" shape when semi-dry, and then transferred it to ice cream. ICE CRYSTALS for the Holidays: Hey, my mother found this spray that does ice crystals on your window. It looks really neat! It's put out by a company that also puts out the snow spray. It's called "Santa Ice Crystals" by Chase Products and she found it for $1.99 a can at Ocean State Job Lot. You'd probably be able to find it at a craft store too. I thought that you all could use it for holiday decorations or for the front of a Christmas roombox. It says to use on glass, so I don't know how well it would work on Plexiglas, but I would try it. ICE CUBES: I love this one!! Get some inexpensive clear plastic canvas (used for plastic canvas needlepoint). Cut it up with strong sheers and you have instant ice cubes! |
| ~~ J ~~ JELL-O: You can make "Jell-O" gelatin desserts (that actually wiggle) from the gel type candles. Have your "molds" ready (spray with a mold release first). Light the candle and, as the candle gel melts, scoop up little spoonfuls of the melted liquid and pour into your molds. You can even add "fruit" while it's still liquid. Remove from mold when cooled and solid. |
| ~~ K ~~ KITCHEN SINK: Some of that plastic "bubble" packaging described in "glass" above is the appropriate size and shape for a kitchen sink, bathroom sink or utility sink!! Paint the OUTSIDE of the sink shape the appropriate color...that way the INSIDE will still be "shiny" and porcelain looking. Add faucets , spout. & drain hole. A black Sharpie pen will work to draw in the drain or cut a silver circle from Christmas card and add black "hole". KITTY LITTER BOX: Hang on to those jelly containers from restaurants. They make great kitty litter boxes for the dollhouse pet. Add some railroad supply 'gravel' and you have a "ready to use" litter box. ( One of our club members actually made the litter box with the kitty's 'business' in it....friends and family were really grossed out when they saw that.) KNITTING BASKET: Wind colored thread over small balls of clay (Sculpy, Fimo, Cernit), secure with glue. If you want to use real yarn and have the patience...unwind each "ply" of lightweight baby yarn or crewel yard and wrap the clay ball using only 1 ply. If you can find embroidery thread in a non-shiny finish...that should give a good yarn appearance. Place the yarn balls in a wood bowl or a basket. Add a couple of long pins which have been painted to resemble knitting needles. Add a reduced photocopy of your knitting pattern...and there you have it!! To add a little more realism: Drape loose end of yarn over edge of basket & in other "natural" positions. Put a little glue on your fingers and pull the yarn end thru them...then when you position the yard end, it'll stay put. You could also knit a few rows onto the "needles"! |
| ~~ L ~~ LAMP SHADES: Paper cupcake holders come in sizes small enough for 1" scale!! Use the full size cupcake papers for Barbie-sized lamp shades. LATTICE: Plastic canvas cut on the bias makes convincing lattice (and many other things!!). LIGHT FIXTURE, CEILING: Those old earrings you find at flea markets and garage sales....the big ones with all the beads on them.... make great fake ceiling fixtures. Round ceramic drawer pulls make good ceiling fixtures too |
| ~~ M ~~ MIRROR, SMALL: Use a button back from the "covered button" sets and insert a small mirror or a piece of chrome sticker. Take an old cufflink turned upside down and glue the mirror to the little swivel thing. It makes a really good mirror to sit on a counter in a powder room or bathroom. One of your old makeup compacts may have a mirror to hang in your dollhouse bathroom. You can paint this or decorate the edges with glitter, beads or anything tiny you want. |
| ~~ N-O ~~ |
| ~~ P-Q ~~ PAINTINGS, OIL: To make a magazine picture look like a real painting, cut it out with a little extra around the edges. Pin it down to a piece of foam core or something that's been covered with saran wrap....then take an old brush and dab glue on it to imitate brush strokes, let dry. You might have to repeat the glue dabbing step to get it right. Cut it out. Frame or stand on easel. Granny Stover's "YES" glue is very, very thick and makes wonderful "paint swirls" to imitate an oil painting. PHOTOS & PICTURES UNDER GLASS: Instead of covering a cutout picture with a clear spray varnish or similar product, cover it with clear contact paper. It gives it more support, doesn't curl up as much, protects it and is a lot less mess. No drying time either. PILLOW ROLL: A no-sew project! Cotton rolls that dentists use and that you can purchase at a drug store are great for bolster pillow forms. Wrap a small thin piece of material around it, folding the unfinished hems in and glue with a thin bodied tacky glue. Tie ends with a ribbon. Decorate with lace, bunka, etc. Make a number of them and place on bed. PLANTS, EUCALYPTUS: Add realism to your rooms with the natural fragrance of Eucalyptus. Punch mini leaves from "real" preserved Eucalyptus leaves with an inexpensive 1/8" circle punch. Use cloth-covered wire in brown or forest green (or paint it) to match the leaves. Glue the mini leaves alternately down the wire to look like a stem of Eucalyptus. Use a photo or a real stem as "model" to correctly place the leaves. Use heavy tacky glue and tweezers to place the leaves. Make a number of branches and place in a vase or bundle into a wall swag or wreath. If you have an enclosed roombox, the room will be scented with the smell of eucalyptus....it is great! |