1 piece (3”Wx12”Lx1/16” thick)
of wood
or illustration board
poster board – for inside walls
wood ¼”x1/4” - for bracing walls (it could even be 1/8” x
1/8” if you prefer)
#4 pencil – very sharp, with a hard lead
(otherwise your dimensions can be greatly affected)
craft knife – very sharp blades
cutting board
metal ruler
white glue
white button thread – for Palladian window
mullions
wallpaper *
velvet ribbon (or velour paper) – for carpeting
jewelry findings, or 144th scale railing –
for fireplace screen and platform railing
stick-on mylar – for mirror (or a mirror)
gold ribbon – for draperies (1/8” or narrower, purchased
in a spool at craft shops)
marbled paper – (in scale) for covering fireplaces
(optional: try a wallpaper sample from
your building supply store)
paints – for marbleizing fireplaces and/or platform, and
roombox exterior (optional: you can
also cover them with paper)
tree and trims – (no-hole beads and metallic
THREAD, not bunka), or a grand piano, if preferred
hole punch
scene for background
battery pack and light bulbs (if you want to electrify)
4 round wooden beads (for feet for the roombox to
sit on (optional)
In the original project Brooke cut sections of the
original paper and put them together to make different patterns so the rooms
were not exactly alike, but in the micro scale version the same pattern was
used throughout.
For
the Roombox
The dimensions for the roombox will be:
§ The bottom is 2 11/16” W x 2 3/16” D
§ The back is 2 13/16” W x 1 3/8” H
§ The sides are 1 3/8” H x 2 3/16” D (allowing for a very high
ceiling for a dramatic effect and the raised platform – this will allow for a
very tall tree)
§
The top is 2 ¼” D x 2 13/16” W
Please note:
This will make a heavy-looking top BUT when we do the
room we will make a raised platform for the room to sit on and construct a
picture frame or front finish of your choice for around the front of the
roombox, and the riser and upper area won’t show. Got the picture?
Cut the ceiling but, please, do not install it yet!
The platform will be up 3 steps with a 9” rise per step.
The tree can be any height you want.
Where to find
the supplies: The supplies
needed for this project are obtainable through miniature stores and/or
Internet, catalog, or miniature show vendors (See “Suppliers’ Links).
Some
things to keep in mind…
To make
it easier to craft the elements needed for the room, there are no mitered pieces, so the project
should yield beautiful results even with a limited experience in micro minis.
The
techniques used in this project are useful
for any scale, so once you do the room in 144th you can use
the techniques in ¼” scale, 1/8” … even the humongous 1” scale!
Background scene: You
need to be on the lookout for a scene to put in the back of your box. Calendars and web sites with photos of botanic
gardens are a good source of graphics, as well as sites with photos of
wallpaper murals.
Magazines: Don’t overlook magazines as
a source for background scenes for your mini projects. Depending on the scale you can either scan
the photo and reduce it, or use as is.
For best results make sure that the publication is printed on good
quality paper, such as Architectural Digest.
Don’t overlook ad pages with lovely colors as a possible source for
wallpaper and/or rugs for your mini houses.
Free wallpaper samples: Ask
at the home decorating centers if they would be willing to give you their old
wallpaper sample books. Some of the
designs are small enough to use in your smaller scale projects. If leafing through the current sample books
you find a design that is small enough to use, ask for a sample. The sample piece will be more than enough
for your project.
Film canisters: Great
for storing and/or mailing minis, especially micro minis. Your local photo shop will be glad to give
you a bagful or two of them. Some you
can see through them, but the opaque ones can still be used. To make it easier on yourself, just glue or
tape a sample of the item you are storing to the canister’s cap.
IMPORTANT
NOTE:
The links below are to be used ONLY if you are
EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTIES with the web site’s frames.
Last revised: January 2002