JaimieMarvon Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 I thought that I had found a great crafty idea for making your own "glassware" for the dollhouse, but I can't remember where I had seen it. Then I looked online for a place to buy the glasses, bowls, etc and everything is kinda pricy. Trying to keep my expenses down. This DH stuff is grerat but can be very pricey if you don't get a bit crafty! Does anyone have any ideas for how to make your own kitchen stuff (drinking glasses, cocktail glasses, pitchers, bottles, etc.) that looks similar to glass? I really wanted to get of bunch of the DH scale cleaning bottles, some with spray triggers (like Windex). Has anyone ever tried using stuff like Magic Water (?) to mold it for things like that? Maybe it could adapted/molded?? Any other ideas? I'm STILL on the building stage, but when I can't be bulding, I'm looking online for things to put in my house! It will be very crowded with all the crafty things I have in my head!! By the way my Garfield is "close" to the decorating stage. It's painted base white, and the roof is almost completed (painting with Fleckstone). The house needs a light sanding and maybe one more coat. My working windows are on back order (good, cause I don't have the $$ for them right now!), and I am working out a new first floor staircase because the one that is in there blocks way too much space and I don'r care for it! Anyway, and thoughts, sugestions or links would be appreciated! Thank you!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 Jaimie, You can turn acrylic rods in your rotary tool to make bottles & stemware, I believe Dr Bob describes how it's done in the Small Stuff Digest archives. I used filigree tube beads and IV tubing to make dainty drinking steins for my pub. If you are extremely careful handling & cutting, you can recycle your burned out lightbulbs, the small glass piece inside the bulb that holds the filament wires is usually bottle shaped, I think I've seen some that look like Seagram's Royal Crown bottles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gemlady Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 I seen some that used xmas lights as bottles and glasses also one sight used glue in objects to form little dishes I tried that with tacky glue didn't work to well. The bulb trick is good you look for unic shapes inside the bulbs the elements that hold the little wire that generates the light its a little hard to get out but they work as bottles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nameless1 Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 Some glassware can be made from glue, rumor has it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaimieMarvon Posted March 19, 2006 Author Share Posted March 19, 2006 Thanks for the replies everyone. Much appreciated! I think the glue stuff looks interesting and I might try that, as well as the acrylic suggestion. I also have clay and such to make other types of stuff. Not that I am at that stage yet! Want to get the outside done first, then I can worry about the inside alot more. Sometimes I get ahead of myself sitting here at the computer looking at everyone's creative talents and at the prices of some of the items in the stores that I will need/want for my house! Donnalee - I see you are/have done the Garfield. I like you photos, but I was wondering if the pic in you avatar was teh Garf as well? Your album doesn't have photos of the outside. Is there anywhere else to look where you might have some of the outside? I'mm still pulling ideas from everywhere for mine! :angry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gemlady Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 Yes Jaminie My avatar is the side of the Garf I think mine will look a little diffrent then other . You see mine was a flea-market find when I got it home I found that it was not all there I had to fabricate alot I started with 3 wall and 1 floor it had the roof and the pourch roof but not much more. I need to update the pics I am doing a lot of extior finishing to it and have not had time to work on it. as for your question I'm looking for that sight that had the info. try this!!! projects page Donna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fov Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 This is not a DIY, but Chrysnbon sells glassware that won't break the bank. Here are their stemware offerings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 one sight used glue in objects to form little dishes I think there was a thread on "glue glass" on the DHM forum, but who knows if the info is still accessible? I made a set of glue glass dishes for the second Sugarplum I built, I used Elmer's white glue on the bottom of a pill bottle and it worked very well, they looked like milkglass. I haven't tried model cement yet. I also like the Chrysnbon "Depression glass" pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaimieMarvon Posted March 19, 2006 Author Share Posted March 19, 2006 I had to fabricate alot I started with 3 wall and 1 floor it had the roof and the pourch roof but not much more. Donna- I love the shape and general look of the Garfield, but I find that, even though I had a compelte kit, I am doing a lot of "bashing" too. As a matter of fact I meant to tell you in my last reply that first floor stairs look so different from teh picture. I think its the angle where you took the photo from. I'm finding that I don't like the stairs that come with the kit because they block too much of the area. Although I think they are made that way so they hold up the house. I was thinking to do something a little different. I already bought a stair kit, just haven't gotten to that point! :angry: This is not a DIY, but Chrysnbon sells glassware that won't break the bank. Here are their stemware offerings. Thanks for the info about Chrysnbon. I really hadn't looked at that stuff too much. I remember that when I was a teenager I put together a rocking chair kit that someone had given me. I might have had one or two other things from them, as well as the House of Miniatures kits. I will look into them some more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gemlady Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 I made both stair cases that are in the house,when I made the side wall I was 2" off and had a gap so I filled in the gaps with plywood, streached the floors out and placed one stair case at the back then there is a sprial stair case in the front. I realy like this much better it opened the floors up and made more room. I also made all the light and inlaid floors. I used to work for Lowe's in the lumber Dept. the Guys I work with told me a woman could not build a house!! so this little house is to prove to them I could,I am doing a lot of structural detail to show what a real house might look like with diffrent type of siding and molding on it,I have a friend that is a general contractor, and he always has to see what has been done he is also a fininshing carpenter They are quite amased how detailed every thing is. I seen your pic your house is comming along fine. if you want ideas just type in miniatures the search and look at what is there. great way to spend a snowy afternoon. Donna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggi Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 If you want different colored glasses, you might could you the pegs for the lite bright thingamajig. I think you can buy just the pegs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parisbabe Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 If you want different colored glasses, you might could you the pegs for the lite bright thingamajig. I think you can buy just the pegs. Peggi Where in the world did you get your pillars in your Garfield???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 Donna, I love the cake pillars in your Garfield. Judith did something similar in one of her house bashes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gemlady Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 Donna, I love the cake pillars in your Garfield. Judith did something similar in one of her house bashes. thanks havana it was a good way to use the old broken ones up, the also serve double duty I hard wired the house and this is a way to bring the wire down to the main floor ,( hide them) into the plug-in strip under the house. Speaking of the glue, how about using E6000? I thought about using this glue method to make lamp shades because I can't find any little glass ones for the chandliers and I don't know how to blow glass.Rember the bloons they had that where a stickey stuff in a tube? That you blew up with a straw? would that work with glue? Just a little brain storming ;) :angry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 Maybe you could add Gallery Glass paint to the glue? Alice Zinn made very credible baloons for her circus at Miniature Memories, but she keeps her trade secrets, since it's how she makes her living (although she did share a tutorial on how to make 1:12 scale tassel dolls once). Did that sticky stuff ever dry? I remember it stank. Jim Collins has nice stained glass lampshade printies on his site, I did them onto the clear stuff with one rough side (having a brain-dead day). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molmrath Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 I've bought some cute plastic spray bottles and such from www.minikitz.com that are pretty inexpensive. You can color them with glass paints to personalize them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gemlady Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 I found the sight but I cant get it to come up on the forum its under google dollhouses, miniature search under the heading of phyllis joy miniatures [Donna, I've corrected the link here so it works --calamari] Phyllis Joy Miniatures -- Project 6 -- Glue Glass :lol: Donna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doogster Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Given the variety of available miniature glassware out there for cheap prices (Chrysnbon's stuff is nice, fun, and cheap as chips) I think trying to do your own (unless you want to compete with Ray Storey) is a waste of time. If I was determined to make my own I'd get acrylic cylinder, mount it in the machine lathe, and using the hand controls turn a number that I know are all the same. Consistency is a real problem when you're hand making multiples of anything. You could make one pattern then cast others out of clear polyurethane resin, but then clear resin's expensive and a pig to work with. In the end I wouldn't bother. Unless there is something you really want and scratch building it is the only way to get it (like me with The Betty). As for the stairs in the Garf. I was gonna trash them, but man, I want to try to work with the stuff that came with the kit and still make it look great, rather than buying a ton of replacement parts, all part of the challenge. I got the idea to do the Garf as a bed and breakfast after seeing a Noel Thomas house similar in style to the Garf that was done as such. So the understair closet actually works. May use it as a pantry. But I hate the cookie cutter look. So I got a roundover (router) bit for the Dremel. I found stacking 3 layers gets the height about dead on. currently working on doing all the openings in the uprights, both sides. You can see the inside despite the fact that it's the bad side. I did some sanding on the test pieces and it makes a huge difference. Really reduces the die cut look. Going to sheathe the outside parts with 'Skinny Sticks' (anorexic carft sticks) that can be stained and do s stained finish. Not sure of the colours. I'm thinking of going light, maples, oaks, pines etc. The Garf is so enclosed dark colours can really make things hard to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaimieMarvon Posted March 23, 2006 Author Share Posted March 23, 2006 As for the stairs in the Garf. I was gonna trash them, but man, I want to try to work with the stuff that came with the kit and still make it look great, rather than buying a ton of replacement parts, all part of the challenge. Andrew, do you have any photos yet? I got a call from my DH Store, my working windows for the Garfield are in and I will be picking them up this weekend!! Very excited. Hopefully I won't be disappointed!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gemlady Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 I found the sight but I cant get it to come up on the forum its under google dollhouses, miniature search under the heading of phyllis joy miniatures [Donna, I've corrected the link here so it works --calamari] Phyllis Joy Miniatures -- Project 6 -- Glue Glass <_< ;) Donna Thank you Calamari I never had a sight give fits as that one I was so excited I found it then nothing again Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doogster Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 Andrew, do you have any photos yet? I got a call from my DH Store, my working windows for the Garfield are in and I will be picking them up this weekend!! Very excited. Hopefully I won't be disappointed!! I do have to take some pics before I get too far into it. I also have to find the Canon software so I can load the pics on my computer. I got the stairs done (well the first set anyway) it took about 4 hours to router all the opening and do a rough sanding. Still hafta get a few coats of paint and then finer sanding. Then shoot the final colour coats with the airbrush. I just haven't decided on colours, I'm thinking white may be the way to go, with the cladding in golden oak, steps and rail also oak. I think I can get away with the exaggerated grain on the steps, the rail will likely have to be replaced, again the die-cut shape won't cut it, and trying to router something that thin, even with a router table (which I don't have), is more risky than I care to try. The idea of running my fingers through a router,well, let's say I'd much prefer to run my fingers through a bandsaw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 The idea of running my fingers through a router,well, let's say I'd much prefer to run my fingers through a bandsaw Actually neither one appeals to me, why not get creative and cut a new railing from some 1/4" or 3/8" basswood? You cold even soak one end and get it to curve for a nice little flair at the bottom, and an emeryboard will take the top corners into a nice, smooth rounded shape. Just an idea. As for the grain, you could use a fine-line marking pen in a darker wood color to add grain lines to the treads/ risers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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