Where The Gnomes Live

How To - Miniature Wooden Boxes and Crates

2020-03-18T02:13:00.000-07:00

The General Store,
I have been building a new Post Office for Gnomey which will have a little store in it as well. For the store I built a wall unit with 5 shelves, all made from wooden garden markers I got at the Dollar Store. Now I need to fill the shelves. The bottom 2 shelves will hold wooden boxes in which will be berries, mushrooms and other food stuffs in bulk.

This technique I show you makes building boxes pretty simple. I've laid out every step for you but don't be intimidated by all the instructions and photos below, once you build one you will see how easy building these can be.

Let's build some boxes!
With this technique I show you you can make the boxes any height, length, and width, that you want. I'm building mine to fit the width and height of my store shelves.

Before you start building your own please google "Old Wooden Boxes" and "Old Wooden Crates" for inspiration. There's so many different styles and sizes. It will free you up from thinking you have to have a certain measurement or thinking a box didn't turn out the way you wanted because it's going to turn out just fine! And remember old boxes and crates are naturally a little bit wonky that's part of their charm.

Supplies to build one box:
2 wooden coffee stir sticks
2 wooden craft sticks (I used ones that are 6 inches by 3/4 inch)
I found the sticks at the dollar store. There are also Jumbo craft sticks and Popsicle sticks, all can be used in this project, but I found this medium sized stick perfect for the boxes I needed.
cardboard from a cracker or cereal box
tacky glue (or any fast grabbing, clear drying, glue)
sharp scissors

What I used to decorate the boxes: All optional, you can decorate as you wish!
instant coffee and paint
black ink pad
a stamp with words or images
printed images
matte sealer
matchsticks
For 2 of the handle styles I used a Dremel. You could also use a regular drill with the small bit or a manual drill with small bit. You don't have to add this style of handle though so don't sweat it if you don't have the mentioned tools. The box looks just as great without handles.

Step 1- Determine height, width, and length you need
The width of the medium size craft stick just happened to be the perfect height for the boxes I needed which is 3/4 inch.

I found that 4 coffee stir sticks, side by side, would be the perfect width for the bottom of the box.

Remember, you can use different sticks or cardboard to make a box, this is just the size I needed to fill up one shelf.

Please keep in mind that the coffee stir sticks are not always the exact same width in a package. Some are wider, some are more narrow, some are uneven.

Each one of my boxes is a slightly different width even though I used 4 stir sticks for each bottom I made.

Step 2 - Cut the sticks
For the bottom of a 2 inch box (approximate size, pictured above), cut the coffee stir sticks to a little bit less than 2 inches in length. Cut 4.

Make sure the ends are as straight as you can cut them and that they are as close to the same length to each other as you can get them as all the sides will be glued around them.

Remember, you can cut these coffee stir sticks any length.

For the sides of the box, cut a craft stick into 2 pieces the same length as the stir sticks.

The end pieces need to be as wide as the (bottom width) plus the (width of 2 side edges).

To get this to be as accurate as possible, after I've glued the bottom sticks in place, I hold the 2 sides in place and then measure that width from edge to edge. I just eye it up, hold the spot with my thumbnail, then cut it with scissors.

Decide what kind of handles you want,
Do you want slot style handles or rope handles? If so, you have to drill the ends before gluing the ends in place. If you are not adding these types of handles then skip to Step 3.

For both the Rope and Slot style handles;
a) Make 2 dots with a pen on one end piece. I used the 2 center bottom boards as a guide. These dots will be where you drill the holes.

b) Place the end pieces together, tape them together, making sure the 2 dots are visible and the edges are completely lined up on all 4 sides. Tape them tight so they can not slide apart.

c) Tape them to something you can drill on top of. I taped mine down to a scrap piece of wood. You can hold it and drill but I felt nervous doing it that way. It felt safer to tape it down.

d) Drill holes into the 2 dots. For the rope handle you're done once the 2 holes are drilled.
Do not add the rope until you've finished painting or staining the box.

e) For slot style handles drill a 3rd hole in the center of the 2 holes. Do not remove tape, using an x-acto knife cut through all 3 holes and shape the handle, be sure to turn it over so you shape both sides.

f) Remove tape. If the slots have any uneven bits you can use a piece of sandpaper to clean them up.

Step 3 - Glue coffee stir sticks to cracker box.
Be sure to not glue onto the colored side of the box unless you sand it first. I just face the colored side down and glue to what would have been the inside of the cracker box.

Make sure the ends of the stir sticks are flush before moving onto the next step.

Step 4: Glue side pieces in place
Run tacky glue down the very bottom edge of the side piece. Glue the bottom edge to the cardboard, do not glue them on top of the stir sticks.

Wipe off excess glue,
If you plan on using a coffee stain as I did, or a real stain, then be careful to not use globs of glue as it will make the stain look blotchy. I used too much glue, as you can see in the photos, but I did wipe the excess glue off.

Step 5: Leave dry
Make sure all the sides are are lining up properly and standing up as straight as you can get them.

Carefully place the box in between 2 heavy objects, push the objects up against the end pieces, push these until you can see the ends have full contact. If they refuse to sit flush then use masking tape instead.

If you find the edges won't sit flush after you place the box in between things as pictured above, you can use masking tape.

Place the tape on the cardboard first then run it along the end of the box and over, pulling as snug as you can, then over and onto the other side. The tape will force the edges to have full contact. Let fully dry for about 30 minutes, before removing the tape.

Step 6: Cut away excess cardboard
After glue is fully dry cut away the excess cardboard.

Step 7: Stain or paint to decorate the box
For some of my boxes I use instant coffee to stain them. I put a couple tablespoons of instant coffee into a little bit of hot water. Always do a test patch on a separate piece of wood first before painting on your good pieces.

I paint on the first coat then dry it with my hair dryer, then another coat then dry and so on. The color lightens up once it's dry so it can take anywhere from 2 to 5 coats or so to get the desired color.

I use coffee stain because I love the rich color and there's no heavy chemical smell. But if you don't seal the coffee stain in, the stain will rub off. A spray sealer works best. If you only have a brush on then brush it on quickly and lightly, passing over only once, or you could brush off the stain.

Once the stain part was done I decorated the boxes with a stamp with ink to give it some extra details. I also used the word "nature" and stamped that in the middle. Small stamped images would be great for this too.

I also painted a few boxes.
To get a rustic look, I paint on a coat or 2. Once the final coat of paint is dry I dry brush over a Burnt Umber, very lightly, just to dirty up the paint.

I googled vintage labels and saved a few I liked. I printed them off using windows gallery. I'm not an expert on resizing, I just fumble my way through resizing via windows, print off in wallet size then hope they will fit. There's tutorials out there for properly sizing images, I'll leave you to google the how to.

Step 8: Add the handles

I had very thin, rustic twine on hand which worked perfectly as a rope handle. If you only have a twine that's too thick for the holes you can always split it. Or use an embroidery thread.
Knot the ends to keep them from pulling through, dab a little glue on the knots to keep them from coming undone.

Use matchsticks for wooden handles. You can always leave the boxes with no handles too.

Lids for the boxes,
This part is optional of course, the boxes don't need lids, but I just had to make a few!

Step 1: Place the finished box upside down onto a cracker box, trace it out then cut it out.
Step 2: Glue coffee stir sticks to the cardboard.

You will use 1 more stick than you used for the bottom of the box. I used 4 coffee stir sticks for the bottom of my box so for the lid I used 5 stir sticks.

The 5th stick will overhang the cardboard quite a bit and that's okay, do not cut it to fit, glue what part will fit and leave it dry.

Step 3: Place something heavy on top of the sticks so that they will dry flat. Leave it dry for about 30 minutes.

Step 4: Cut the excess sticks off. After you cut both sides, cut the overhang off, cutting along the cardboard. You can round out the corners with scissors or leave them square. Sand all the edges as needed. I sand the very edge of the cardboard and also the corners of the lid.

Step 5: Use a couple of matchsticks to make the slats for the underside of the lid. These keep the lid from sliding off the box. Cut the stick down so it can slide inside the box without catching. Glue the sticks to the underside of the lid, close to the edge. Once the glue grabs on, before it dries, try the lid on the box. Adjust the slats as needed then leave them dry.

Step 6: Paint the lid.

If you make any crates or bozes using this tutorial I would love to see it! Post pictures on my facebook page Where The Gnomes Live.

Thanks for stopping by, come back soon!

Gnomey Found A Baby Mouse

2019-11-24T17:58:00.004-08:00

An old story revised,
Some of you will remember this story from 2017. I had to edit the original video clips I made so decided to move the 2-part story along with the edited video here to one page. If this is the first time you're reading this story I hope you enjoy! Video is below the story.

Gnomey found a mouse,
Early one morning, while the sun was still sleeping, Gnomey was walking a well worn path that led to a mushroom patch. This time of year the Oyster Mushroom is still growing and they are delicious when sauteed in butter. The air was crisp and cold and a blanket of snow covered the ground. He brought his sled with him so he could grab some firewood on the way back after gathering up the mushrooms.

Halfway to the mushroom patch he heard a rustle in the bushes just over to his right.

He stopped walking to listen when he heard it again and then he thought he saw something too. He left his sled where it was and walked over to investigate in case there was an injured bird in need of some help.

And there he was, my goodness, but this was no bird! There in front of him was a baby mouse clutching a teddy bear and a blanket. He was shivering cold and was clearly afraid. Poor little guy was trying his best to disappear but was so afraid he forgot how to run. He just shivered and shook from the top of his ears down to his tiny toes! He held on tight to his little bear and his little blanket for the little bit of comfort they gave him.

Gnomey's heart sank into his feet looking down at this tiny creature. How long had he been out here? Where are his parents? He told the little mouse to not be afraid, he wasn't going to hurt him. He asked the mouse what his name was but the mouse couldn't talk he just let out a squeak.

Gnomey looked all around again for a sign of other mice. Where is his mother, his father? Oh! Where could they be? He hoped they were okay but he had to take this baby home, he couldn't leave him there in the cold for he would surely freeze to death. He had to get him home and warmed up as fast as possible!

He put the little mouse on his sled and headed for home. He talked to the mouse along the way to keep him calm and distracted. He told him all about his home and that it was a Bed & Breakfast where creatures from far away came to stay. He talked about his mother and how everyone calls her Aunt Katri even if they aren't related to her because she's wonderful and kind just like all Aunties should be. He told him what a good cook she was and that she sings and plays the organ.

"My dear mother just loves mice! Oh yes little guy, very soon you will be warm and your tummy will be full. And you can stay with us as long as it takes your family to find you!"

The little mouse felt safe with this Gnome. He was feeling happy that his feet were no longer in the snow. His tummy gave out a little growl then he started thinking about that food the Gnome had talked about and thought about being warm...

As soon as Gnomey got the little mouse home he heated him some milk while Aunt Katri sat with him by the fire. She couldn't believe this baby was out there in the cold! Her heart broke thinking about it and she was so thankful that Gnomey had found him.

"It was meant to be." She said, "You were meant to find him. Send out word tomorrow that we found a baby mouse. We'll keep him here until his family comes for him."

They spent the rest of the day keeping the mouse as happy as they could. He ate cheese and drank warm milk until his little belly was full. They read him stories and showed him around the Bed & Breakfast.

That night they got an old basket from one of the guest rooms that will work as a cradle. He will sleep in Aunt Katri's room so he's not alone.

She tucked him in as snug as a bug in a rug! She pulled the basket up close to her then she played the organ and quietly sang a lullaby.

"Shoo Shoo Shoo Sha La La, Put your little cares away. Shoo Shoo Shoo Sha La La, Tomorrow is another day. Shoo Shoo Shoo Sha La La, Close your little eyes of blue! Shoo Shoo Shoo Sha La La, Pretty dreams will come to you"

He drifted off to sleep feeling safe and warm...

I put a short video together using the photos I took of the gnome, the mouse, and of the snow too! I didn't realize at that time what a great story this would make.
This was all done in 2017. I did plan on coming up with an ending to this story but as of today that ending hasn't come to me. I'm sure one day it will!

The lullyby is part of a song by Hank Carter. My father sang this to me countless times when I was a little girl.

How To Make A Coffin Box Includes Jack Skellington Coffin Easy DIY

2019-11-13T22:49:00.002-08:00

Let's make a Coffin Gift Box!
In October of 2019 I ordered a Dracula doll from my good friend. When he arrived I wrote a story and started on a coffin for him. You can read about that here.

The response was so awesome I decided to put together a tutorial for a coffin but then I decided to also include how to make a coffin into a gift box. You can make the box any size, turn it into a Jack Skellington coffin or make a tiny one! There's choices and I've included measurements for 3 different sized and shaped coffins plus a triangle shaped box.

A tutorial for the coffin with a hinged lid and velvet lining will follow soon!

Supplies:
Cardboard or foam board
tacky glue
masking tape
xacto knife
straight edge ruler
cutting mat

Some things to decorate the box:
paint colors of your choice
paint brushes
decorative paper
fabric or velvet
trinkets or jewelry pieces
small picture frame
rustic twine
book pages

Measurements:
Below are the measurements for the inside piece of each gift box. You use the inside piece to determine the size of the outside bottom piece which will then determine the size of your lid. You will have to view the video for the construction. Once you see how one box is constructed you could go on to make any size or shape box using measurements of your own choice.

Drac's Coffin Box:
Length 6.5"
Width 2.5"
Shoulder line 2"
Top taper 0.5"
Bottom Taper 0.5"

Sides are 1.5" wide. Lengths for the side pieces are up to you, see video for explaination.

Mini Coffin Trinket Box:
Length 4"
Width 2"
Shoulder line 1 1/4"
Top taper 0.5"
Bottom Taper 0.5"

Sides are 1" wide.

Skellington Inspired Gift Box:
Length 8"
Width 4"
Shoulder line 2 1/4"
Top taper 1"
Bottom Taper 1 1/4"

Sides are 2" wide.

Triangle Gift Box:
Measure a 3" square then cut from one side 1 1/2" to each of the 2 corners.
Sides are 2" wide. Cut 3 separate pieces for the sides to maintain the pointy edges.

If you make one I'd love to see it!
Post pictures on my facebook page Where The Gnomes Live

The Coffin Is Finished

2019-11-02T09:01:00.000-07:00

It was supposed to be done on Halloween,
I really tried to get this done by the 31st of October but I realized it was turning out just a bit more wonderful than I hoped it would so I took my time with the details.

If you missed the story,
You can read the story I wrote about him and the Gnomes here.

I ordered Dracula himself from my good friend Kim's Sticks and Strings. She's made me a number of dolls now, and currently I have Wolfman on order. I can't wait for his arrival!

I knew I had to make this vampire a coffin even before I got him. Once I saw his face I got to work right away.

I custom fit this coffin according to his measurements. I built it from scratch out of cardboard. I am so very happy with the end result! I did film it all and I'm debating if I should put up an actual tutorial for it.
Many won't see the beauty in a tiny coffin though, it scares some people. But with some of the things I figured out along the way I think I'll be doing tutorials for different boxes, ones that people won't be scared of.

Thanks for stopping by.
Let me know if a coffin tutorial would be something you would be interested in. If I do put up the video for it, I'll link it here on this page.

UPDATE: Nov 4th
I decided after a wonderful response on facebook that I would do the tutorial for it. I'm currently editing the video now,.
I made another coffin with a peek-a-boo window and will include those window instructions as well. Stay tuned!

Update: Nov 13
Video for coffin gift box is here

Dracula Visits Aunt Katri's Bed & Breakfast

2019-10-30T21:38:00.002-07:00

A special guest,
On this day, the 28th of October, a special guest arrived to Aunt katri's B&B. It is a guest gnomebody would ever imagine would visit their humble dwelling in the forest.

Knock ... Knock... knock

He stood there pale and tall and slightly gorgeous. He waited patiently for the door to open because he has all eternity so patience is his virtue.

He could hear her tiny feet shuffling along the floor, coming as quickly as she could to the door. He put his shoulders back and tested a smile.. then another. He ran his fingers along the points of his fangs to be sure nothing was left there from his breakfast to embarrass him

Aunt Katri opened the door with a smile. She was noticeably surprised at first, which is understandable. But she quickly remembered she was the host and he was a guest so she stood back and motioned him to walk in. She said,

Come in! You must be tired after your long journey. I'll fix you some coffee. Are you hungry? Can I get you a bowl of hot stew? Can I hang your cape? Come in, make yourself at home!

This is the wonderful thing about Aunt katri, she never judges, be it vampires, monsters, rats or gnomes, they are all welcome. She knows that her B&B is the heart of the forest and it should always feel like home to whoever visits there.

He didn't say anything as he walked in. He just looked around taking it all in, it was a bit bright for him and overwhelming. He turned to her and smiled, a bit weary looking now,

If you'd be so kind, I need to rest. I would prefer somewhere dark.

Aunt Katri thought for a moment, she knew what he needed but there are no rooms like this available.
He was indeed a special guest.

Then it came to her! Her eyes brightened,

Yes! I have just what you need. I'll have Gnomey show you the way and then this evening, after dark, you can come down for that stew.

She called for Gnomey.

Can you show our guest to the Wonkie Cave please. I think he will feel more comfortable there until we can get him a proper "bed" to sleep in.

On the Eve Of Halloween,
It was October 30th, just 2 days after Dracula first knocked on the door, when Aunt Katri commissioned Ahti to make a proper bed, one that a vampire could sleep the day away in. He got right to work on that.

When Ahti was done with the frame he called for Dracula to test the size, make sure he would be comfortable with the dimensions. It wasn't done yet but wanted to be sure it was a good fit before adding the paint and the silk lining.

As soon as he crawled inside, he turned to Aunt Katri, leaned over the side, and said lovingly,

My darling, this is more beautiful than I could have asked for. I thank you.

Aunt katri was deeply touched by his sincerity. She told him to lay down, stretch his feet out and make sure it was the right size. He laid down, crossed his arms over his chest, and closed his eyes. A smile came across his pale face as he whispered, "It's perfect."

to be continued...

Update: The coffin is now finished, see it here

Dracula was crocheted for me by Kim's Sticks and Strings. If you follow my page on facebook, some of you may remember Frankie and Mr.Roger and also Bob Ross, she is the maker of all of those. I have written stories for each of them and will be soon adding those stories to this blog tagged under the label "A Story".

DIY 4 Inch Rat Tutorial Using Basic Supplies No Clay

2019-10-27T23:34:00.003-07:00

Let's make a Rat!
In this tutorial I will show you how I made this rat using some pretty basic supplies like foil and twine, some bristles of an old paint brush and some yarn. I'll take you through the whole process in 4 step by step videos. I leave nothing out.

They teach me things,
This rat in particular taught me some pretty amazing things. I think his fingers/toes, his teeth and his eyes turned out better than I've ever made in the past. I'm pretty excited to show you some of these things, I hope you enjoy the process too!

Size,
You can scale it up or down depending on how big you make his body. This particular rat in the video tutorial is just under 4 and 1/2 inches tall. The twine I used for fingers and toes turned out to be the perfect thickness and size for this size of rat.

I'm totally aware he has one too many fingers,
Yes, I know. I tried to tell him but he insisted on the thumb. Who am I to argue with a rat? You can read the whole story here and see pictures of him without fur.

Supplies:
foil
masking tape
paper towel
acrylic yarn in any color
sharp scissors
paint the same color or similar to the yarn color
tacky glue and a regular white glue if you have it
awl
needle nose pliers
20 gauge wire
jute twine

craft paint colors I used:
white
black
skin tone
burnt sienna
beige

Videos parts 1-4,
If you view the videos on youtube you can find timestamps in the description boxes.
Please take a moment to give the videos a thumbs up if you find them helpful.
Enjoy!

The Rat Who Demanded Five Fingers

2019-10-21T14:06:00.004-07:00

A Wizard Rat in the works,
I didn't plan this but a Rat has decided to come into the world. He's a Wizard and he told me that October was the best time to be born for a Wizard Rat. Who am I to argue?

I asked him if I could film his "coming into the world" and he said that was okay with him as long as I didn't edit anything out that would make him look less than wizardly. I agreed to his terms and went to work bringing him to life.

Now, I'm no expert, but I thought I knew that rats have 5 hind toes and 4 front toes. Yesterday I gave him exactly that. I worked until the wee hours of the morning then went to sleep.

This morning I found him standing on my desk where I left him. He was rather annoyed and all wound up like a clock so I asked him,

Anything wrong?

He looked at me with contempt for an awkward length of time then held out his hands and asked me how I could possibly think he only needed 4 fingers.

FOUR FINGERS! What the heck can I do with four fingers? I have potions to make, wands to hold.. things to do. HELLO!

I could clearly see he was about to lose it so I apologized and quickly got to work on those thumbs, after all, he is the Wizard and he knows what he needs.

He is now happily drying in front of the fan like he's at a spa!

Enjoy your time there little Wizard, I'll be back in a moment to give you some skin!

What this tutorial will show,
It's a full step by step that will show how to make a body, add the skin, make fingers/toes, and add the fur. I'll be including a wizard hat and cape too.
UPDATE: The video tutorial is now posted, view all 4 parts in the series here

Subscribe!
My youtube channel is also called Where The Gnomes Live, subscribe here. Be sure to click the bell icon there so you'll get notified when this magical rat video is uploaded.

Be sure to visit my facebook page too! Where The Gnomes Live.

Very Old Five Dollar Trunk For My Craft Room - The Bugs Were Free!

2019-10-18T10:07:00.003-07:00

I just love a good rescue story,
I recently found this old trunk sitting outside of a thrift store. It was raining that day so it was soaked, it was really dirty, and there was a bunch of bugs inside it. The wet sticker on the top said 5 bucks. What a deal! My Dad always says the bugs are free so I paid the 5 bucks and took it home.

I'm sure if I didn't find it when I did they would have thrown it out by the end if the day. It looked so unappealing sitting there in the rain.

It's actually really old,
I did a little research and found out it's a toolbox that was used by telephone repairmen between the 1940s-1950s.

The inside smelled like grease and old tools even after I scrubbed it with hot soapy water.

Size,
It's approximately 27in long, 7in wide, and 10in deep.

A little TLC is all it needed!
With a little paint and some old book pages I transformed this old trunk into extra storage for my craft room. I also built that tray for it. It looks so awesome now and the smell is completely gone!

I did film parts of the restoration,
I tried my best to film during or after each step and I did film a full tutorial on applying the book pages.

I hope you enjoy the video!

In this video I used:
Craft acrylic paint (black, hunter green, metallic gold)
dark antiquing wax
matte sealer
tacky glue
regular white glue
pages from an old book
foam board
masking tape

Steven The Skeleton Fairy

2019-09-11T10:42:00.002-07:00

Meet Steven,
He is a skeleton fairy I made in 2017 after being inspired by a Skeleton Fairy gif that I saw going around on facebook.
You can google "skeleton fairy gifs" to see bunches of them. The gif below is the one that inspired Steven and his cloud that you see in my cover photo.

The creator of the original gifs,
The guy who first came up the skeleton fairy is Kajetan Obarski. His facebook page is called, Death Fairy Tales.

What I used to make him,
I made Steven using a dollar store skeleton, plastic butterfly wings, paint, and some crinoline. To get him to sit on the cloud I had to break his bones then glue them back on in the position I wanted him.
His cloud is polyester stuffing, I used black chalk to darken the underside of it. He no longer sits on the cloud though.

How to make him jointed?
After I made Steven I thought about different ways to make him jointed then a fellow miniature maker came up with an awesome way to do it!

Ara Bentley is an amazing artist that will blow your mind with her tutorials. She's on facebook, Bentley House Minis. Her youtube channel has the same name.
Even if you're not interested in the skeleton do check out her other amazing minis!

Click here for her jointed / poseable skeleton video tutorial. I haven't tried it yet but maybe one day Steven will get some joints. Oh my, he could really get into trouble then, lol.

Steven can cause problems,
If he excitedly waves that wand about things could go horribly wrong. 2 summers ago he was out in the garden when this happened...

oops! I killed everything, sorry, I got excited.

STEVEN!

Where is he right now?
Today Steven sits in my craft room overseeing everything. He keeps me company and I can usually find him somewhere around my desk, normally up high, looking down at my crafting station. I like him, he's perfectly harmless... until he waves that wand of his.

Steven thanks you for stopping by. Do come again!

Video Tour and How To Of My Homemade Labyrinth Worm House

2019-09-04T19:01:00.002-07:00

Hello everyone,
Today I will give you a tour of the inside of the finished Worm House. I started this unplanned project at the end of July 2019 and finished it in mid-August.

After showing it on my fb page I promised to do a video tour as well as a tutorial for the box part that folds out along with any tutorials I may have for the contents inside. I will list what is available below, I will be adding to the list over time.

LINK LIST:
Tutorials available to make a fold out room box and some to help you get started on the contents inside: Please consider what you will be doing to the outside of the box before working on the inside.

How to transform the box part 1
How to transform the box part 2
How to make mini candle holders and tiny photo ideas
How to make a mini hurricane lamp
How to turn a brass kettle into a cast iron kettle
How to make a mini kitchen hutch
How to make upholstery scrap rugs
How I made a comfy chair (old blog post - new video tutorial in the works)
How to make stones out of paper cup trays
How I used wood filler and cardboard together to make beds

The exterior of the box,
I have a previous blog post with work in progress photos and what material I used to make the bricks here.

Please keep in mind if you plan on adding the brick, you will need to decorate the inside after the brick is done and dried.

How I made the calendar:
I use paint and windows gallery for printing off images. I don't have any tutorials on resizing photos, I normally use paint to resize an image I find online. For this image I search tea time posters, saved the one I liked then resized it to 10% of the original size and clicked save.
I then opened it up again in windows gallery and printed it off in the smallest image size available.

Same for the calendar. I searched a free printable 12 month calendar and resized it. I cut out a few of the months then glued them one over the other so it's layered just like a life sized one. I glued that over the tea poster and then the whole thing over poster board.

Video tour of my Labyrinth Worm House,
I hope you enjoy!

How To Make Miniature Hurricane Lamps Using Beads and Tubing

2019-08-31T11:24:00.003-07:00

Bead lamps,
I did not come up with the idea for using beads to make little lamps, it's an idea I've seen in the miniature world for many years, I have no idea who first came up with this idea but whoever they are, brilliant!

Shape glass from plastic tubes,
If you google bead lamps you will most likely find ones using clear push pins as the glass, which is great, but I have figured out a way to shape fish tank tubing instead which will give you a more realistic look for the glass.

The thrift store,
I found the beads, bead caps, and the eye pins that I needed to make a couple lamps using one thrifty find necklace. I often buy jewelry from thrift stores just for crafting with. Sometimes you can find bulk bags filled with broken bits, those bags always are fun to find!

Supplies:
tacky glue will work but for best results use jewelry glue
beads
20 gauge wire or corsage pins (large stick pin)
eye pins or 24 gauge wire
bead caps in assorted sizes
pliers

The glass top:
I have a separate video for making the glass where I use 10mm fish tank tubing. If you don't have any fish tank tubing on hand but want to get started you can use clear push pins, beads or any clear cylinder you can find. I've seen people use old glass fuses, just remove all the metal.

Size of lamp,
You can make an assortment of sizes suitable for the 1/12th scale. You can also make very tiny ones depending on the size of beads you use.

Show me yours!
Post pictures of your mini lamp on my facbook page, Where The Gnomes Live or tag me on instagram

I hope you enjoy the tutorial!

Miniature Brass Kettle Makeover

2019-08-05T17:07:00.000-07:00

Hello my mini loving friends,
Today I'm going to show you how I turned a mini brass kettle into a cast iron kettle. I will be gifting it to a certain Worm who needs a kettle for tea.

It's a Labyrinth kind of Worm,
If you haven't yet seen my Worm House work in progress,
see part 1 here
see part 2 here

The Brass Kettle is not my kind of mini,
I found this tiny kettle over 5 years ago or so in a thrift store. If I remember correctly it was inside a bag of various mini items.

These brass miniatures are not very appealing to me. I don't like the color and most always I will find some part of these mini brass items to be a bit weird, as is the spout on this kettle. Look how skinny that is! How in the world could that be fixed? I didn't know back then but I said to myself,

"One day I will fix you tiny kettle. I don't know how but one day you will be wonderful!"

There's always something good about something,
I can tell you the one thing I absolutely love about this brass miniature is it's a heavy little thing! It weighs just as much as a miniature cast iron kettle should. So with that good thing in mind I went to work...

How I did it,
I really wanted to fix that skinny spout and the skinny handle. I wanted to bulk both those parts up and give the overall surface some texture, just like the texture you would find on life sized cast iron kettles.

I decided to use my favorite building materials, masking tape and paper towels. This worked perfectly!

Step one:
I tore a piece of masking tape into narrow strips then wrapped it around and around the spout and handle until I had the thickness I wanted.
Then I covered the rest of the kettle, and inside the pot, with tiny pieces of the tape and smoothed out any areas of the tape that needed to be smoothed out using the handle of a skinny paint brush.

After I took the photo below I did add more tape on the inside of the pot.

Step two:
I separated the 2 layers of paper towel then tore up the one layer into tiny pieces no bigger than the size of a dime.

a) I brushed glue over top the tape then placed the pieces of paper towel over the glue.

b) I brushed glue over the paper towel, I also dipped my finger in the glue then rubbed over the surface to smooth out any bumps.

I set it in front of a fan and let it dry. I did the very bottom of the kettle after the rest was dry, that way I could set it down without it getting stuck to my table.

Step three: Paint and seal,
I painted the kettle black with craft acrylic paint. After the paint was dry I sealed it with a matte sealer. I don't think the sealer is necessary but it gives it a nice finish.

Step four: Add in the water!
I brushed glue on the inside edge of the kettle then put in a tiny piece of plastic wrap that a knife was sealed inside of from a fast food place. I used the handle of a skinny paint brush to tap the edge of the plastic into place inside the kettle.

This crumpled piece kind of looks like boiling water, I thought so anyway! I also dropped in some clear nail polish on top of the plastic to make sure everything stays in place and to also make it look wet just like water should be.

Step five: Add a wire handle,
I don't know the exact gauge of this wire, I found it in my stash. I do know it's jewelry making wire . It doesn't matter as long as it's thin enough to wrap easily and thick enough to hold the shape once you wrap it.

I placed a thick needle over top the handle then wrapped the wire around them both. That gave me some space between the wire and the handle. I did have to shape the wire a bit after wrapping, for this I used a pointy tool and pulled the wire into the shape I wanted and then pinched the ends with pliers when I was all done.

Now this is my kind of mini,
I absolutely love how this cast iron kettle turned out and I hope this post gave you some ideas. Maybe you got an old brass miniature stored away waiting to get a makeover? I'd love to see it, post pictures on my facebook page Where The Gnomes Live or tag me on instagram

A Brick Wall - The Worm Story Continues

2019-07-29T16:00:00.001-07:00

Before we begin,
If you missed my previous post Insomnia and a Worm In Progress, do check that out. This wall goes with that Worm.

This was not planned,
This project or telling you how I am building any part of this project was not planned. Part way through I decided I would let you in on how I'm doing things but please keep in mind this is not a tutorial. But maybe it'll give you some ideas or spark some inspiration for a project of your own.

The brick wall,
This brick wall started off as a small cardboard box. I cut off the front flap because the way the box originally opened wouldn't work for what I had planned.

I cut the flap off the box then the flap into 2 pieces and reattached the bigger flap with masking tape, using the tape as hinges.

Video tutorial is here

Notice I also added a piece that sticks out on the front. I made this up with foil squished over an empty foil roll and some cardboard, all glued and taped into place. I needed this section. How else will the Worm be able to move along this wall and stop for conversations with me?

The bricks or rather the clay,
I used a homemade clay to make the bricks. You can find the recipe I use here. But first, and not pictured, I hot glued aluminum foil to the front 2 pieces that open. I wanted an uneven look to this side of the bricks.

I also wanted a surface over the cardboard that blocks moisture from seeping into it. This will keep the cardboard from warping and also from taking the clay longer to dry.

For the foil in the front, I added it in sections and around the opening that will be the entrance into the Worm's house. I had already cut a hole out for the door.

I squished the clay right over the foil. For the top of the box and the sides I covered the surface with masking tape, I didn't add any foil to these sections. I added the clay right over the tape.

Opening and closing the front of the wall,
I had to work a bit at the way the front pieces closed, this took some time and thinking ahead before adding the clay. I had to trim them after I already had them attached to the box. Doing it this way allowed me to see exactly how much space I needed.

Then I used the metal part of a large screwdriver and banged it along the edges a few times to get a bit more of a space between the pieces. I hung on tight to the doors as I did this so I didn't bang the hinges out of place.
It took a bit more work because of that extra bit that I added onto the front. It probably would have been easier for me to add that bit that sticks out after I had the doors trimmed but I managed to make it work.

As I was adding clay to this area I kept checking to see how the 2 pieces closed together. Thankfully, the bricks are meant to look uneven so if something didn't work I could just cut it away without wrecking the final look of it. Any problem areas just added more character to it, I think anyway.

It looks like the front pieces are warped but they're actually not warped at all. I think it's just the angle of the photo.

I did the front section of the box first, set it in front of fans and let it fully dry before working on the top and the sides. I could have done it all at one time but I find it easier to work in sections sometimes.

After the clay was squished into place, and while it was still wet, I took a piece of crumpled foil and used it to add more texture by smashing it over the clay making marks and dents here and there.

Still working on it,
I now have to do the inside, of course. I just started this part then decided to stop and throw this post together for you so you can see what I've been up to so far.

I wanted the inside "doors" to look like the other side of the bricks but I didn't want to use clay for this part. I needed texture so I mixed a bunch of pepper (it's all I had on hand) with the paint. This has worked well and so far I haven't sneezed! But whoops, I forgot to add the lines that separate the bricks. Dang it! Oh well, I'll figure it out later.

Final tidbits,
I'll post the next part as soon as I get more done. I have a busy couple of days ahead of me so I'm not sure when I'll get back to this project. Maybe by the weekend I'll have more to show you?

I will also tell you the Worm has a wife! I already made her. She's pretty cute in her own wormy way, lol I'll save her reveal for the next post. She loves company and is dying to make you a cup of tea!

UPDATES and a Video,
I actually changed the design of the inside and turned it into 2-rooms with a fold out floor. It's also full of furniture. You can see a video tour here

I'll see you soon but even sooner if you stay in touch on facebook and/or follow me on instagram.
Hope to see you there 💗

Insomnia and a Worm In Progress

2019-07-27T14:59:00.000-07:00

A little story. A warning though, I'm tired.
Things get a bit weird when I'm tired.
I'm gonna let you into a conversation between me and this blasted worm.

Late last night,
I wanted to sleep but sleep wouldn't come to me. I didn't want to get up or lay down. I didn't want to build anything or crochet anything. I was in insomnia limbo.

ugh

I listened to wonderful sleep videos and nature sounds but nothing worked.
I decided that I will then play with that little bit of clay I have left and make the form for this worm that's been wanting to be made for years now. Such a great idea..

He was excited!
"Finally", he says, when I formed his little lips, "Finally you make me!"

I was sort of happish by the time I was done with his shape.. sorta happish. And then, finally, I drifted off to sleep.

Today I'm feeling a bit of that insomnia hangover,
So I'm doing a little of this and a little of that with a pot of coffee in between.
About 2 hours ago I heard this tiny, and can I add annoying, voice:

"Ello!
Hey...
Hey...
Hey! Down here!
Did you forget about me?
Hey! I need color and some furry hair thingies all around me. Hey!
FINISH ME!"

Oh my good lord, make him stop,
I started painting him to shut him up and I notice his eyes are weird.
So I told him, "Your eyes are weird."
He just glared at me.

I finished painting and that didn't take long.
But then I started adding in the furry hair thingies into all the holes I made for his furry thingies and dang it!

*strings and glue stuck to everything but inside the holes*

Ya, this part isn't so fun. I got 6 holes filled and I quit.
I told him, "I quit."

Have you ever heard a tiny worm say really rude things?
I did and it's really, really rude.

So I set him down somewhere over there out of my sight. I'm hoping I can't find him later when I attempt to finish adding those furry hair thingies.
12 MORE spots to go! UGH! And I don't like 3 of the holes I already filled. They might have to be pulled out.

" I thought I would love you Worm. If you think I'm gonna crochet you a tiny red scarf you are out of your tiny mind."

This story and conversation were brought to you by insomnia and coffee.
~ to be continued.

UPDATE: I have started on a brick house for this worm, check that post out here.

Gnomey's Backyard Updates With a Pond and a Boat

2019-07-19T08:34:00.005-07:00

Where the Gnomes Live,
Before I get to the updates I wanted to say, when I named my youtube channel, Where The Gnomes Live, this is kind of what I was thinking of, although, at the time I really didn't know it was going to look as awesome as this! The addition of the pond has added a lot of life to the exterior of this B&B.

I wanted the Gnomes and all their friends to have a natural looking background that looks much like you would see in the forest with trees, moss, and water. With those elements it really does look like a place that all these creatures would call home.

Updates,
I removed the one tree that had the bridge and added a big pond instead. I added a small hollow stump to replace the tree. It's given me so much more room! The inside of the hollow stump has now become part of the pond, I'll be showing more of that part at a later date.

For those who saw and loved the bridge, don't worry, it'll be used on the other side of the forest instead.

I extended the wooden walkway and it now goes all the way around and meets where it starts. I didn't show the one end, along with part of the hollow stump, as I'm still working in that area.

Outside of the pond I also extended out the front of the one tree (with the red door). I added the red door, some stone work, windows, the stairway, shingles, and a chimney. It'll be part of the Bed & Breakfast and be a room to rent. A room with a view of the pond. Lucky guests!

The pond basin,
It would have been so easy to use a plastic container as a basin but I needed a pond that would go with the shape of the grounds so I used foil instead.

I molded foil into a basin that fits all the way around and just under the walkway. I pushed the edges of the sides back a bit so that the water looks like it flowing under the walkway.

The sides of the basin are about 1.5 inches high. Then I covered the foil in masking tape. I covered that with paper towel dipped in glue and let dry. It's the same process I use for fake bark.

Please keep in mind I am no expert here, this is only the 2nd time I've made a water scene.

I painted the entire surface with black acrylic and let dry again. I sealed it all in with a water based sealer. I figured this would keep the resin from seeping through the paper towel.

I used a lot of hot glue on the bottom to make different areas higher then other areas and add interest. I added some rocks around the edges. Some of the rocks are piled as high as the sides, some aren't. I wanted an uneven look.

I used black paint over the hot glue, sometimes over rocks too, anywhere where I wanted it to look deeper.

I also used some blue paint randomly around here and there. Once the resin is poured over it looks like the color of real water.

I extended the pond to go inside the hollow stump. For this area I made another foil basin and connected the 2 basins, pushed the edges of the connection down so resin could flow through.

I poured hot glue all over and around the connection to seal it in.

Inside the stump the basin was worked into the walls with tape then paper towel so that the interior walls and the basin became one piece.

The plant life,
For all the plants I used hot glue to attach them.

The moss is the same stuff I've been using on the grounds. I buy it in bags from the dollar store.

I tried moss in my first attempt at a water scene and it became a black gooey mess once the resin was poured over it. This time around I painted over the moss with a water based sealer and that worked like a charm! The moss became stiff, kept it's shape and color, and the resin didn't melt it.

I also used some paint, mixed some colors together like blue, green, and a bit of yellow and painted just in front of the mossy areas to add a bit of interest and color.

The taller grasses are plastic, cut from thrift store finds.

The water,
For the water I used Art Resin. I got it on Amazon and its super expensive but it's easy to mix and pour. It has to be poured in thinner layers so it'll set properly. I have 3 layers in already and just ordered more so I can do the last layer.

Layering is great because you can put fish and other creatures in at different times making them look like they are at different heights in the water.

This photo was taken after the 2nd layer. The snake's bottom half is under water and his top half is coming out of the water onto the walkway.

The creatures,
I have fish, tadpoles, snakes, and a swimming frog all at different layers. I do have more little pond creatures in the works right now.

I make them with polymer clay then paint them with acrylic craft paint. I sealed before putting them in resin, with a water based sealer.

The wooden row boat,
I made the boat using foil, tape, and paper towel. Yes, I do use that same process for so many things!
Doing it this way I'm able to get the exact size and shape I need. It's a building method that has worked for me time and time again.

Over the base of the boat I added wood filler. I did this part in layers, drying each layer in between. I have no idea how many layers I did, I just kept working at it over a course of a couple days, in between other projects.

I smoothed out the wood filler by running a wet finger over it than I added texture before it dried by pulling a bottle brush over the surface.
A pet brush, a comb, toothbrush, anything with bristles will work

Wood filler is not the strongest over an open area that's been built with foil so that wooden seat I added does 2 jobs. It's a seat, of course, but it's also a stabilizer for the sides, keeping the sides from ever being squeezed together. Overall, it's a very sturdy little boat.

Yes, I'll be making some paddles for it asap... a row boat doesn't get very far without paddles!

I think that will cover the latest updates for now. I have so much more to do in this backyard area so come back soon for that or watch for updates on my facebook page.

Remember, I switched to a new fb page this year called, Where The Gnomes Live, so you have to come over to the new page to get those updates!

Alright my friends, back to work I go. Here's a little video giving you a sneak peek of these updates from my instagram. I hope you enjoy and have a great weekend!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Where The Gnomes Live (@ojala_crafts) on Jul 18, 2019 at 8:16pm PDT

Video - Adding New Bark Over Old Bark - Gnome Home Update

2019-07-05T22:12:00.001-07:00

Happy July 5th everyone!
I finally got to film a quick update on the Gnome's B&B. I've been working on tunnels, a new room, a new bridge, stairs, adding more bark, windows, and fungi.

I took a few moments today to also show you how I add new bark over old bark adding depth and tons of texture. I do this quite often to my trees, it is the reason for all the nooks, crannies, and tunnels. This technique adds so much more interest and character to an old tree.
I hope you find some inspiration as you watch!

As promised in the video there is a link list below.

Link list:
Fake bark tutorials - includes how to paint
How to build exterior steps
How to make tiny mushrooms
How to make shingles using cardboard
Johnny the Frog
How to make a Wonkie

Do Not Disturb The Wonkies

2019-06-29T14:30:00.002-07:00

Do not disturb the Wonkies,
Last week when I was digging through the last little bit of the tunnel I saw a bunch of tiny creatures, hanging upside down, in a cave just left to where I was digging.
They never noticed me as they wiggled about and it sounded like they were giggling.

My heart almost stopped on the spot because I was not expecting to find anything in there but foil and masking tape because that's what the Gnome Home is built out of.

I backed out of there as quietly and as quickly as I could. I had to go find a Gnome that could tell me what the heck those things are.

Thankfully I found Gnomey walking by the creek at that very moment. I told him what I saw and asked if I should be afraid of them. He knew exactly what creatures I was talking about without even looking!

He called Big Mack over right away and told him to go put up a sign letting others know that the tunnel has Wonkies. Then he went on to tell me everything I should know about them.

All about Wonkies,
They are similar to bats and just slightly bigger than bumblebees. They are covered in soft, yellowish fur and have black, leathery wings that they wrap around themselves to keep warm while sleeping.

They have no teeth and only eat berries. They like all sorts of berries but prefer red huckleberries.

They huddle together upside down inside tunnels and caves during the day, waiting for the sun to go down. If you listen closely you can hear them giggling it's how they talk to each other. It's such a wonderful sound, a sound that will fill your ears with joy!

Do not let the giggles fool you!
If you disturb a Wonkie you will regret it big time. They have no teeth to bite you with but they can scream and oh.my.gnome can they scream!

Their screams are so high pitched and so hideous it'll pierce your ear drums and make them ring for a week. There's no joy to be found anywhere when a Wonkie screams at you.

Always be prepared,
If you are going to go wandering about in caves during the day it's a good idea to fill your pockets with berries first, preferably huckleberries because those are their favorites.
That way you'll have something yummy to offer should you accidentally disturb them.

Aunt Katri is on her way in with a bucket full of freshly picked huckleberries. She knows these creatures well and how to keep them giggling!

How did Wonkies come about and how did I make them?
They are funny little creatures indeed. I knew I wanted some sort of creature to hang inside the one tunnel of the Gnome Home but wasn't sure what to make. I was thinking about bats but they would have to be much smaller.

Then I thought, monster bees...
ohhh bee-bats, no no, bat bees??
YES! wonky bees... Wonkies!
And that's how to get a creature thought up.

I went to work but made sure not to make any parts perfect, they would have to be wonky looking.
A wonky shaped ball of foil then masking tape over the foil.
I taped in wires for toes that would be used for grabbing onto a stick.

I painted tacky glue over the tape then wrapped small pieces of paper towel over the glue. Then I painted glue over the paper towel. After this stage was dry I squeezed the body with pliers to shape a neck. I didn't know I was going to add in a neck until that moment.

I made their faces and ears with paper towel soaked in glue that I smushed into shapes. I knew they would look super wonky that way.

I ended up cutting a bit off the ears as they were too long.

Next I painted them a similar color to the yarn I use for their fur.

I use acrylic yarn to make a homemade flocking.
I cut yarn up into small, small bits. Next I paint tacky glue onto where I want fur, then I put the flocking on the glue.
Let it dry for about 1/2 hour.
Brush off the excess flocking and what's left behind is a coat of "fur".

The wings are made from masking tape laid over paper towel.

I put wire over the masking tape side then put another layer of tape over top that.

Paint black on both sides, when dry paint on watered down glue (homemade mod podge) on both sides. It feels kind of like a leather once the glue dries.

After the glue dried I cut out bat wing shapes. I had to google bat wing templates to get the right shape.

The eyes are stick pins that I painted black. I had to cut some of the length off the pin part so they wouldn't stick out the back of the head but that was easy enough with a pair of pliers. I didn't need to glue them in, I just pushed them (took a bit of doing since I cut off the pointy part) into place and they stick there just fine.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Now you know all about Wonkies. Remember to bring berries with you should you go poking about in tunnels or caves!

Find me on:
Facebook
Instagram
Youtube
and my crochet blog, Amigurumi To Go, where I give away free crochet toy patterns.

How To Make Dollhouse Shingles Using Cardboard

2019-06-28T10:41:00.001-07:00

Let's make some shingles for the roof,
Today I'm going to show you how I made shingles using cardboard from a box. I also show how I attach them and how I paint them. Use this technique on your Fairy house, Gnome home, or regular dollhouse! I chose to make my roof a woodsy color but you can choose any color you wish.

Supplies needed:
cardboard, or foamboard, or chipboard
if you use a cardboard then you'll need wood filler to fill in open edges after cutting
tacky glue
x-acto knife
scissors
ruler
cutting mat
craft paint of your own choice. I used:
black, burnt umber, and golden brown
big and small paint brush
Optional: satin finish clear coat sealer
Optional: hot glue gun
Optional: moss to decorate

The video tutorial,
In this video I cut, glue on, and paint cardboard shingles. See the video's description box on youtube for timestamps. I hope you enjoy!

Those tiny mushrooms,
In the video I also show how I "planted" some tiny mushrooms on the new roof. I have a separate video for making the mushrooms here.

How To Make Tiny Clay Mushrooms

2019-06-27T19:54:00.001-07:00

Let's make some tiny clay mushrooms,
In today's video I'm going to show you how I made tiny mushrooms. These are great for display on the grounds of your Fairy or Gnome Home.

Updated information about polymer clays,
I have since edited my video and included some important information about using nail polish on clay. It's apparently a big no no.
Nail polish over clay will soften it and turn it sticky. I painted my clay first with acrylic paint then added the clear coat so I think my works have been protected by the paint because everything dried just fine.
But it's something I have to warn you about as I don't want anyone to be making something then ruin it by using a nail polish as I have.
You can use any water based sealer or a special glaze especially made for polymer clay.

Supplies needed:
sculpey clay
glass baking pan
craft paint in:
antique white (cream), tan, and burnt umber,
a small bowl of water
small paint brush
water based glossy sealer or polymer clay glaze

Sculpey Clay Poison Dart Frog And Personal Story About ADHD

2019-06-21T13:49:00.002-07:00

What does a Dart Frog and ADHD have in common?
I never intended to write all the personal things I wrote below but I just couldn't help myself. It's just a frog made from clay but this tiny creation stirred up a few memories and emotions while I was making it. I had to let it out or explode! I'd rather not explode today so you get a story.

So my friends, what does a tiny frog and ADHD have in common? I'll get to that but first I'll tell you a little bit about making this frog.

The making of the clay frog,
Yesterday (June 20th/2019) I found some old Sculpey clay, unopened, in my stash. I believe it's been in there for over a year so I was surprised it was soft enough to work with. It was the wrong color, a granite with sparkles, but decided I would use it anyway and then paint it.

I had been thinking about a tiny frog for a few days now, one that I could set free in the tunnel of the Gnome Home. So I went to work thinking to myself, "I'll make a dozen frogs!" After all, it should be easy enough to throw one together. That thought is always nice. 😂

Tiny frog legs are hard to sculpt then position,
The body came together rather quickly, smooth sailing there, it was the legs and toes that proved to be the biggest challenge. It's the very small size of the frog that made this part more difficult.

You will notice in close ups that one toe got a more rounded tip than the others. I actually spent the bulk of the time on these tiny toes! For being the first tiny frog I ever made I am proud of him. I won't complain or pick out all the mistakes.
After it was all done I got an idea that would make making toes easier. If I make another one I'll take work in progress photos for you. I think I can do it again, I think I can! lol

I got some help,
I had my ipad in front of me with pictures of Dart Frogs from different angles but I had such a difficult time with positioning it kept messing up those toes so I ended up searching for a tutorial and found one!
It is a speed thru, no instructions, but it clearly showed how to fold in the back legs which was the break through I needed. Sometimes we just need a little help to think about a situation differently.
Once I got the positioning of the back legs without wrecking the other parts the rest was easy enough to finish up. Thank you Stephanie Kilgast!

Painting the frog,
I painted on a few coats of acrylic craft paint in red. It took a few coats to cover up that granite. Once that was dry I dotted on the black spots. The frog came to life when I added the top coat using a clear sealer, what a difference the shine makes!

EDIT: I found out after this post that you have to use a water based sealer to add a shine or seal in polymer clay. Many of us newbies to this type of clay use clear nail polish to add a shine and that will eventually eat through your clay. Any water based sealer, even mod podge, will work.

Now about that ADHD,
My little brother had serious ADHD as a child which went undiagnosed until he was well into adulthood. Poor little guy, he suffered terribly in school. Teachers that had enough to deal with already didn't know how to handle a boy who couldn't sit still or focus. A term comes to mind as I'm writing this, "bouncing off the walls".

Back in those days there just wasn't enough information or knowledge when it came to children's behavior or mental health issues. I shudder to think how many children suffered being misunderstood. How many were told they were bad, unwanted, or mistreated because they had a condition that made them act differently than other children.

Johnny was often in trouble at school, he was made to sit in time out or got punished in other ways. This "special treatment" from teachers spilled over to the other children and they bullied him something awful.
I did my best to protect him because he was my little buddy and I loved him so much. I often got punched, kicked and even spit on coming to his defense. And I would gladly do it all again if he ever needed me to help him. Anytime brother, I'm there for you!

Thankfully my parents were patient with him. I remember them talking kindly to him, taking him on long walks, playing with him, giving him things to do to use up that energy and I also remember them trying hard to stifle giggles at his antics as they did their best to get him through a day. This made a lasting impression on me!
I'm sure they had their days even if they didn't show it outwardly to him. Dealing with a child who just can't sit still, focus, or listen, is exhausting for anyone.

I am thankful for parents who dealt with these issues without screaming or harsh punishments as I ended up with a boy just like him, not hyper, but he has ADHD along with other mental health issues that require understanding and patience. I learned how to cope with these things while growing up watching my parents cope with it all.
I am blessed to have some extremely helpful tools in my parental backpack thanks to my mom's never-ending understanding and my dad's patience and sense of humor.

Me and my little buddy,

Little Frog,
If Johnny had any sugar, a chocolate bar, apple juice, even breakfast cereal, his condition went into complete overdrive and he would actually bounce instead of walk. He would 'bounce, bounce, bounce' just like a frog so we started affectionately calling him "Little Frog".

If my parents could go back in time they said they would have restricted his sugar intake and this would have helped him, we're all sure of that. There's still much to learn but at least we're getting the general understanding that diet does affect a child's behavior.

Fun fact about frogs and what they eat,
Did you know that real life Poison Dart Frogs are among the top 10 most poisonous animals on the planet. It's unknown for sure where the toxicity comes from but it's believed to be plant poisons carried by their prey. If you raise a Dart Frog in captivity and away from bugs in their natural habitat they will not develop poison. See more info from National Geographic here.

Just like those frogs children are affected by what they eat,
There's so many things I could write here about this subject but every situation is different and requires research and I'm no expert.
If you are reading this and have a child with behavioral issues like my parents had or like I have, please know there is hope for you and that precious little human.

Patience and understanding go a long, long way. I know some days it's easier said than done but try to remember at the end of the day they are as exhausted as you are. They are trying super hard to cope inside a body that will not listen to reason.
Imagine knowing that what you do causes people to get mad or give you unpleasant consequences but you.just.can't.stop no matter how much you tell yourself to stop.
Also imagine that there's an edible poison being fed to you every single day that's fueling this problem just like gasoline on a fire.

Gather as much information as you can. There's so much research out there that proves that certain foods, sugar, and unnatural things found in our food is directly related to behavioral issues. You can drastically reduce a behavioral problem with the right food and see huge changes in a short amount of time. After all you've been through it doesn't hurt to try!

I'm in love with my little frog,
As soon as I got the body together I felt to call him Johnny. I just had to! The memories of the boy we lovingly called Little Frog came flooding back as I worked hard at those legs and toes.

Once I got that final clear top coat on him and he came to life, oh my, I fell in love.
It was meant to be and I was meant to tell you this personal story today. It would be so amazing to me if you found a little bit of hope here today in this unplanned blog post.

I set the tiny frog free on the grounds of the Gnome Home.

The next morning,
Gnomey was heading to the B&B for a morning coffee when he spotted Johnny sitting by the creek. He was surprised and happy to see him there. He hasn't seen any tiny frogs for a long time!
"Well bless my boots, it's a tiny frog! Hello there, little guy."

Johnny didn't say anything he just blinked and let out a little 'croak'.
He liked this place indeed! Everyone seems friendly enough and there are many hiding places should he need one in a hurry.

How To Make Mini Candle Holders And Decorate The Mini Hutch

2019-06-14T17:03:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone!
Welcome back to my blog. Today I'm going to show you some new dishes I got and also show how I decorated the miniature hutch. This is the same hutch I recently did a tutorial for. If you're interested in making one the tutorial is here.

A trick to holding tiny things on a shelf,
Before we get started, I used a candle adhesive to hold all the tiny things on the shelves. I tried it without the adhesive first and with one tiny bump into the hutch all came tumbling down! Frustrating.

The candle adhesive is like a sticky wax that can be washed off with hot soapy water. I think it's better than gluing things on the shelves permanently. It's a nice option for those of us that like to change things around now and then.

I found a tin of it in the thrift store but I did a search on Amazon and you can buy it there. I have no idea if you can get it in craft stores or not.

My new dishes and silverware,
I bought the dishes on Amazon.ca for 8.99 Canadian with free shipping and the silverware for 2.94, also free shipping. I ordered on the 27th of May and they arrived June 12th.

I will link you the the ones I bought (this is in Canada, they might direct you to your country's Amazon site when you click the links).

I do not get a commission for any sales. I want you to look around for other options as well, make sure you are getting what you want before buying!

The dishes come with different pictures on them.

The silverware was free shipping for 1 set but they would charge shipping for any added on silverware sets so I ended up buying another set from another buyer so I could get free shipping on both sets.

link 1) Silverware
link 2) Dishes: when I checked just now it says the particular dishes I bought are now sold out so I've linked you to a different color., be sure to check out other dish sets as well.

The Video and the How To,
In this video I unbox my new mini dishes and silverware. I also show you how to make the miniature candle holders and a couple other goodies you see on the shelves. See the video's description box on youtube for timestamps. I hope you enjoy!

My locket turned picture frame,
I found a locket in a thrift store and it was exactly what I was looking for. I had pictured this before I found it! I have 2 special pictures, my father when he was 10 yrs old and my mother at 3 yrs old. I so wanted to include these pictures on the hutch so it was a joy to make that happen! My parents are now 86 and 74.

Resizing photos to get mini size,
I went about shrinking these pictures first by reducing the size by 50% using Paint. Then I saved them to my computer and reopened the new size using Windows Photo Gallery, clicked on print and chose "contact sheet".

I said in the video I used wallet size but that is wrong, I used contact sheet and made sure to unclick the little box that says "fit picture to frame".
This method of resizing works okay for me, I've had success, but there are better ways to resize your photos. I would highly suggest searching google for instructions.

Goodies on the shelf,

I show in detail how to make the antique candle holders using the cardboard from a cereal box.
I actually made the mini book years ago by cutting a segment from the spine of a magazine then gluing a piece of real book canvas as the cover.
The stack of letters are strips of coffee stained paper folded into envelops. I scribbled on the fronts with pen, added a stamp using colored paper (actually pieces from old, used stamps) then tied them up using twine. I had to untwist the twine because it was too thick and used one of the strands from that.
The Gnome picture is an image I found online, resized and printed off. I glued thicker paper to the back and roughed up the edges to make it look old.

How To Make A Miniature Kitchen Hutch Without Wood

2019-06-09T00:11:00.003-07:00

For the mini kitchen,
There was no wood used to build this hutch. It can be made from chipboard, foam board, or cardboard. The blue hutch was made with chipboard and the yellow hutch made from cardboard. This hutch is easy enough for a beginner to cut, paint, and assemble!

I believe the finished size of the hutch to be suitable for the 1:12 scale. It is 5 and 1/2 inches tall x 4 and 1/4 inches wide. The deepest part is 1 and 3/4 inches. (Approximately 14cm x 11cm x 5cm)

Let's get started!
I have provided a full video tutorial for you, please give it a thumbs up if you find it helpful.
All the measurements for the pieces are given below along with some brief explanations and photos.

Supplies:
chipboard or cardboard or foam board.
If you use cardboard then also get wood filler or something similar to fill in open edges of the cut cardboard. This will make the edges solid and paintable.
tacky glue
hot glue
x-acto knife
scissors
ruler
paint
paint brushes
sandpaper
Optional but very helpful - cutting mat
Optional - clear sealer

Step one:
If you decide to make your own chipboard you will need 4 large cereal boxes. That will give you 8 sheets of cardboard, each approximately 7 x 11 inches with all the flaps cut off.
Stack 4 sheets together making 2 pieces of chipboard 4mm thick.
My tutorial for making chipboard is here.

All measurements are given in inches. Inch to cm converter here

Step two cut:
1 Back piece: 4 1/4 x 5
2 Side pieces: 1 3/4 x 5
1 counter top: 1 3/4 x 4 1/4

We need to cut a little off the length of the counter top so it fits perfectly in between the side pieces.
Hold the 2 side pieces together and place them on one end of the counter top, draw a line marking the exact width of the 2 side pieces together. Cut this width off of the counter top.

2 Shelves: 1 x the same length as the counter top
1 front piece for the door and drawers to sit on: 1 1/2 x same length as counter top.

2 drawers: 1/2 x 2
1 door: 1 1/2 x a bit less than 1 1/4
5 small circles for handles - I used scissors to cut these circles and then used sandpaper to clean up the edges.
I included an alternate way to make handles in the video. I attached the handles after the hutch was assembled and the door and drawers glued in place.

Step 3: Design the side pieces
I cut out a bit at the bottom of each side piece as pictured.

Draw a line 1 inch, measuring from the back to the front of the side piece.
From 1.5 inches point from the bottom and front of the side piece, draw a curved line to where the first shelf will sit.
Cut from the top down.

Step 4: Optional design for the back piece,
I cut lines across my back piece by marking a line for each centimeter then passing my x-acto knife through each line, I did not cut right through! These cut lines look like separate boards. I did not try these cutting lines on regular cardboard.
However, if you are using cardboard you can "cut in lines" by drawing them. Or leave it plain, it looks good either way.

Step 5: Make the decorative top piece of hutch,
1 board: 4 1/2 x 1 3/8
1 board: 4 1/4 x 1 1/8
2 strips: 3/8 x 4 3/4
2 strips: 3/8 x 1 3/8

Cut the corners of each strip, just a little bit off, on an angle. It's best to cut too little than too much. You can always trim more once you're ready to assemble.

Glue the smaller board in the center of the larger board.

Add a bead of tacky glue all around the inside edge of the larger board and place each strip inside the glue on a slight angle. You might have to trim the length of the strips to make them fit.

After the piece has been assembled add another bead of tacky glue all around the edge to ensure the pieces stay intact. Set aside to fully dry before painting.

Cut 2 more strips for the top of the hutch, (not pictured)
One strip at 1/4 x 4 1/4. This gets glued on after the top piece is glued onto the hutch.
One strip at 1/4 x 4 1/8. This will be glued inside at the top to hide the seam where the back piece meets the top piece.

Paint all the pieces then assemble,
I painted all pieces the same color aside from the counter top and the underside of the top piece of the hutch. Assemble from the bottom up, please view video at 22:23 for best results.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and found it helpful. If you made one, I'd sure love to see it. Post pictures on my facebook page Where the Gnomes Live.

How To Make A Miniature Paper Towel Holder

2019-06-01T20:55:00.005-07:00

For the Kitchen,
Hello everyone, let's make a paper towel holder for a mini kitchen. We don't need any wood, just a cereal box and some tacky glue. I gave the measurements below, you can adjust these to any size of paper towel holder you would like to make. The measurements given are suitable for the 1:12 scale.

These little holders are sturdy and fun to make. Let's get started!

Supplies:
cereal or cracker box
tacky glue
x-acto knife
scissors
ruler
brayer, rolling pin or jar
acrylic craft paint
paint brushes
paper towel or napkin
Optional - tooth pick
If you chose to use a toothpick then you will also need an awl or pointy object to poke holes.
Optional but very helpful - cutting mat

Step one: Prepare the cereal box
Cut out one side of the box free and cut off the ends.Then cut that into 3 even pieces. Glue all 3 pieces together. Make sure the glue is spread over the entire surface of the cardboard. Glue the pieces together so that you have plain board on both sides. Roll over it with a brayer to assure there's full contact between all 3 pieces. Tape the ends to keep the pieces from slipping then place under a heavy book for about 30 minutes.

Step two: Cut straight edges
Using an x-acto knife cut straight edges all around the piece using the lines on your cutting mat as a guide and a ruler.

Step 3: Cut all pieces for the paper towel holder
1 Back piece: 3cm x 3.5cm
2 Side pieces: 1.5cm x 3cm
1 Shelf: 1cm x 3.5cm

Shape the top of the back piece.
I did this by marking a dot in the center then a dot on either side, draw a line from the center dot to the 2 side dots and then cut on the line with scissors. You can also sand this part when you're done cutting.

You can glue the shelf on 2 different ways,
One way is edge to edge of the back piece and have the side pieces glued under it, like they are holding the shelf up.
If you do this then you will have to cut off some length of the side pieces. Length of the side pieces then will depend on where you put the shelf, cut them accordingly.

The 2nd way is to cut some length off the shelf so it fits on the inside the side pieces. If you want it to sit inside the side pieces then hold 2 side pieces together and place them on the end of the shelf, mark a line of their combined thickness, and that is how much length you need to cut off the shelf.

Cut and shape the side pieces,
Round the top and bottom corner of the side pieces. If you are gluing them on the outside of the shelf then cut them the same length as the length from the top and bottom corners of the back piece.

In the video tutorial I show how to add in a tooth pick and have that going through both side pieces. The paper towel is rolled over the stick and it can spin after everything is glued together.

It's really not necessary to do this step, it's more work for a small detail that probably won't be used, lol. If you want to see how I do that then please watch the video.

Paint all the pieces then assemble,
Paint all the pieces. Be sure to paint all side and edges.If you want to add a bit of decoration, do that before assembly.

Once the paint is dry glue the 2 side pieces on then the shelf. Roll up a strip of paper towel and glue it in under the shelf leaving a bit of space between the shelf and paper. Set aside and let the glue fully dry before attaching it to the wall.

How To Make Fake Wood or Chipboard For Building Miniatures

2019-06-01T19:20:00.004-07:00

Make your own chipboard,
It's easy and super cheap to make. All you need is an empty cereal or cracker box and tacky glue. You can add as many layers as you need to to make it as thin or as thick as your project requires.

What can be made with it?
Use it as wood for making miniatures or for journal book covers. I think the possibilities with this are endless. I used it for making a miniature paper towel holder. Next I have plans to make a bookshelf EDIT: I made a kitchen hutch instead, view here.
Once the material is painted it looks just like wood. It's easy to cut with an x-acto knife or scissors.

Recycling is awesome!
It's super fun and oh so satisfying to recycle old food boxes that would have been tossed out into something we can keep forever! And not to mention it's free. Have you seen the price of store bought chipboard? That stuff is crazy expensive.

How thick should I make it?
If you do use the cereal box or cracker box then every layer you add gives you about 1mm of thickness. So 3 layers together gave me a piece 3mm thick, 4 layers gave me 4mm and so on. I found 3mm the perfect thickness for making my little paper towel holder.

Let's get started,
As I said earlier, you'll need some empty cereal boxes, tacky glue and something to roll over the finished piece with like a rolling pin, a jar, or a brayer.

I hope you enjoy the video and give it a thumbs up if you find it helpful. Also be sure to subscribe to get future videos of mine!

How To Make Simple Dollhouse Cupboards

2019-05-28T21:33:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone,
I started building in the Gnome Home again, this time I'm in the kitchen. I needed cupboards, the perfect size for Aunt katri since she'll be the one doing all the cooking.

Starting at the beginning,
I'm starting the kitchen from scratch firstly replacing the old stone floor I had put in originally. I tore that out and replaced it with a checker board I found in the thrift store. The walls are foam board covered in scrapbook paper.

Simple cupboards,
For the cupboard tutorial itself I filmed a video. There's no way I could explain it all in written form. I made a bunch of mistakes along the way. I wasn't even planning on a video but decided part way through to turn on the camera because I could see it was going to turn out okay after all.

Supplies list for cupboards:
foam board - cardboard would work too
wood filler or clay
x-acto knife
scissors
ruler or any straight edge
tacky glue
hot glue - optional but helpful
masking tape - optional but helpful
acrylic craft paint

Part one:
This video will show you how I made the bottom half of the cupboards and how I made the faucet and taps. It also shows how I attached the top right corner to the wall.

Part two:
This video shows how I built the top corner cupboard and how I added the 2 shelves between the top cupboards.