Buttercup Cottage

[Wovenflame]

I glued bits of paperlace doily on some of it and I painted it and it curled, and when it was dry I ran a bead of tacky glue on the back (curves and all) and clamped it into place around the doors and windows and when it was dry it looked "finished" and lay FLAT.

Ooooo, paperlace doily. Now there is a very creative idea! Did it come out looking like fancy, carved moldings when you were done? I love the idea! Hmm....not too late to try that in my house too, if you don't mind?

Edited July 20, 2011 by Wovenflame

[havanaholly]

Mind? If I minded I wouldn't have posted the how. And yes, it looks fancy when done. I also use paper lace doilies, or parts of them, to make fancy embossed ceilings. I use techniques I picked up from a lot of RL-sized crafts like collage and decoupage. Don't ever be afraid to experiment! If you think of something that "might" work, make a sample! Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so long as it isn't counterfeiting.

[Wovenflame]

Here is the progress on the little cottage so far:

stucco and paint by wovenflame, on Flickr

The stucco is done and it looks like the next step is the roof. It will be a stained, shingled roof, and the ceiling on the inside will have wallpaper. Anyone have any suggestions? Cautions? Words of experience? What should I do first? Is there anything I should avoid? Leave to last? HELP!

I think this is the step that I'm most afraid of, probably because there are so many different ways of attacking it.

[SamBates]

Looking good! I am going to start the roof on mine after this week (finals) and I've been wondering the same thing. I saw pictures awhile ago of a Buttercup with shingles that were stained pink and I really liked it. I did read once that the shingles are so thin and small that they warp very easily. Maybe that was just one person's experience, but when I put polyurethane on my house floors they were SUPER messed up, so I can see that happening with tiny shingles too.

When you put the stucco on the outside, did you worry about anything leaking through the cracks and onto the inside? I'm about to do wood filler all over the outside and wondering if I should use painter's tape to try and save the wallpaper in case of an accident.

[Wovenflame]

When you put the stucco on the outside, did you worry about anything leaking through the cracks and onto the inside?

I used spackle for the stucco and it's very thick so I wasn't worried about anything leaking through. It did a great job of filling in the irregularities at corners and where pieces butted together.

I hope someone pops by and answers our roofing questions for us. I'm not experienced enough on the forum to know if there is somewhere else we should be asking,

[fov]

You might want to wallpaper (ceiling paper?) the insides of the gable roofs before you glue them in, or at least cut the paper to fit so it's easier to apply afterward. It can be hard to get your hands into gables (especially in half scale, if either of you are working on a half scale Buttercup). Otherwise, I tend to glue the ceiling on, and then worry about ceiling paper. But I also wallpaper after assembly, it's just easier for me to visualize when the house is all put together.

I love shingling. Don't really have any advice, except to say that this is one of the few things I do use hot glue for.

Regarding the stucco, with the Rosedale I covered my windows with tape, both to protect the inside and to leave a blank area for the trim to fit into. Pictures: http://www.emilymorganti.com/blog/?p=3545

I should have done a neater job around the edges, I actually had to do some touch-ups under the windows afterward.

[havanaholly]

I recommend priming before papering.

[Wovenflame]

I recommend priming before papering.

So far I have primed each piece that has been painted or wallpapered. I'm wondering though, if I'm papering the inside, sloped ceiling, but staining the roof/shingles, how should I handle it? Do I prime just the underside where the wallpaper will be? What should I do first? Should I prime and wallpaper that inner wall/sloped ceiling first, or after I shingle and stain?

And when I'm doing shingles when do I stain them? As individual shingles? After they are applied? (If afterwards, won't the glue resist the stain?) Do I also stain the roof piece? What does everyone recommend for the shingles? Tacky glue? Wood glue? Hot glue?

Aack, so many questions?! I'm afraid to take the next step!

[havanaholly]

Unless the wood warps when you prime, just prime the side you're papering. If there's a questionabout warp, you can seal the roof side with clear sanding sealer or stain it the color you'll stain your shingles for more uniformity of coverage. IMO it's easier to stain the shingles before. Mine came in big sheets of shingles and I simply dipped my soft rag of old teeshrt into the stain and rubbed it over the shingle sheet andlet them dry.

One of the ways you can stain them if they're all separated involves two disposable aluminum foil roasting pans. Use a good sized nail to poke holes all over the bottom of ONE of the pans. Set that pan into the pan without holes and pour in your stain. Pour in some of your shingles and give them a stir to make sure the stain gets all over them. Spread out newspapers and when your shingles are coated with stain, lift the inner pan straight up and hold it over the outer pan to allow all the excess stain to drip back into the lower pan (without holes). S[read your hingles out onto the newspapers to dry, pour the stain back into the can, put the pan with holes back into the pan without holes, pour the stain back in, add more shingles and repeat the process until all your shingles are stained.

Yes, the glue will resist taking stain. I also love shingling, but I don't use hot glue for that, either; wood glue works just fine for me.

I also found a way to fold waste copier paper to make a cutting template for cutting shingles for dormers & gables (See? This old girl is good for something every once in a while!lol).

It's OK to ask questions. It's NOT OK to work yourself into a panic of fear, this is a hobby, not life or death.

[Wovenflame]

You might want to wallpaper (ceiling paper?) the insides of the gable roofs before you glue them in, ~~~~

Regarding the stucco, with the Rosedale I covered my windows with tape, both to protect the inside and to leave a blank area for the trim to fit into.

Ooooh, I hadn't even thought about the ceiling in those areas! I guess the ol' brain would have twigged to that issue when I did the dry fit of the area and actually looked at it with all the roof pieces in place. I have a hard time visualizing things like that.

I like the way you did the stucco. That's more in line with what I had planned to do before my husband made his suggestions. He's quite knowledgeable; much better than I am at "real" house maintenance, renovation, and repair, but in the case of the doll house I should have listened to my own instincts. All's well that ends well though and I've managed to correct or hide any issues I had involving the stucco. NEXT time (if there should be a next time) I will go about it in the order that you did though.

[Wovenflame]

Unless the wood warps when you prime, just prime the side you're papering.

Thanks for your prompt answer.That gets one of my fears out of the way. I think I should be safe priming just the one side, though I'm not positive as every other piece I've primed I've done both sides at once.

Istain it the color you'll stain your shingles for more uniformity of coverage

Thanks. I think I will stain the roof piece the same colour as the shingles, just incase edges show or something.

IMO it's easier to stain the shingles before.

Okay. I remember reading somewhere of someone who recommended staining the shingles after they were applied by having the house upside down! Sounds great and all, but I think I would have difficulty propping or hanging the house upside down. And then there would be the matter of the glue resisting the stain. And I know I'm not good enough to be sure that there was not a single spot or smudge of glue where it shouldn't be!

Mine came in big sheets of shingles and I simply dipped my soft rag of old teeshrt into the stain and rubbed it over the shingle sheet andlet them dry.

Now that certainly seems like a better way to go, but I have two bags of loose shingles to deal with so I guess I'll be using your roasting pan method. Thanks for writing about that in detail.

Spread your shingles out onto the newspapers to dry,

Won't the newspaper and/or print stick to the wet backside of the shingles?

I also love shingling, but I don't use hot glue for that, either; wood glue works just fine for me.

Is wood glue better than a good quality tacky glue for that step? I have tacky glue, but I'd have to go out and buy wood glue.

I also found a way to fold waste copier paper to make a cutting template for cutting shingles for dormers & gables

That's actually ONE step that was on a "hints and suggestions" sheet that came with my kit. I'm trying to remember to get those templates made before I glue the shingles on. Maybe it can be part of my dry fit of the roof. That's right, I didn't dry fit the roof when I did the original dry fit. I only fit the walls and floors. I hope that doesn't come back to haunt me. LOL

It's NOT OK to work yourself into a panic of fear, this is a hobby, not life or death.

I don't panic, I come to a screeching halt! Unfortunately, if a project confuses me or makes me stumble it gets shoved to the back burner and forgotten, sometimes forever, because I have so many interests and hobbies that I'm never at a lack of things to do that are still at the FUN stage. LOL.

Thanks so much for your help. I may get through this yet! Then who knows, I may apply all acquired knowledge to the McKinley Wall Hanging dollhouse kit. I don't have room for much else!

[fov]

The roasting pan method hasn't worked very well for me, the stain just didn't drain out of the pan like it was supposed to. So I have ended up dumping the shingles into a pan of stain and taking them out a few at a time (wearing gloves) and wiping them off. I put them on brown paper bags to dry and didn't run into problems with paper sticking to the shingles. It made a pretty big mess; I suggest doing this outdoors if you can.

The reason I like hot glue for shingles is because it dries very quickly. When I've tried to apply shingles with wood glue, everything slid around. Also, since the shingles are very thin, I have had issues with wood glue or tacky glue causing them to curl (especially the shingle strips). The one time I didn't use hot glue for shingles, I used QuickGrip instead because it's fast drying. It worked fine but I went through an entire tube of it, and that stuff is expensive!

[Wovenflame]

The roasting pan method hasn't worked very well for me, the stain just didn't drain out of the pan

Hmmm, yet more things to think about. Tell me, when you did try the double roasting pan method, did you poke the holes from the inside to the outside, or did you turn it upside down and poke them from the outside into the inside? I would think that might make a bit of a difference because the edges would push through to the other side. Also I would think it would depend on how level the inside of the pan was. I think that all of the disposable metal pans I've seen have always had a uneven pan bottom that works as a bit of a rack when you are cooking?

The reason I like hot glue for shingles is because it dries very quickly. When I've tried to apply shingles with wood glue, everything slid around.

I could certainly see that happening to me. I've already experienced how slow tacky glue is to set! I couldn't figure out how to use clamps effectively when I was putting the walls together so I ended up sitting holding each new join by hand for about 30 minutes.

Did you have any troubles with the hot glue not holding over time. This little house, as small as it is compared to the ones you more experienced folk have done, has been enough work and trouble that I want it to last a good long time!

[mesp2k]

Marlene your house is coming along great - what type of flooring is that?

[sparklepuppies]

I don't like using hot glue even for shingles, it burns my fingers and leaves strings. I use either wood glue or tacky glue like Holly does, applied with a wooden skewer or toothpick. But just use little bitty dots at the bottom and top of each shingle. Too much glue will make it curl. After each row, I clamp the bottom of the row with masking tape. Then place the next row. After about 3 or 4 rows, I clamp the top of that row and leave it for a while. 4 rows is about what my attention span will take anyway. Any curling that may happen will flatten out as it dries.

I've done both for staining - the pan method and painting afterwards. The pan was messy and time consuming, but it was nice having the shingles already stained when applied. Painting/staining afterwards, it was hard to get in all the little crevices. And it made them curl all over again. I don't know know which way I'll do it next time, I suppose it depends on my mood.

[Wovenflame]

Marlene your house is coming along great - what type of flooring is that?

It's just a free, printable wallpaper type of flooring. After gluing it down I applied two coats of high gloss Varathane. It worked very well!

[Wovenflame]

But just use little bitty dots at the bottom and top of each shingle. Too much glue will make it curl. After each row, I clamp the bottom of the row with masking tape.

I would imagine using less glue would also reduce the sliding! I like your idea of holding them still with masking tape too.

I don't know know which way I'll do it next time, I suppose it depends on my mood.

It's good to hear from someone who feels there are benefits and drawbacks to both methods. Hmm.....it would be even nicer to hear from someone who has a 3rd method that is all benefits and NO drawbacks.

[havanaholly]

In my experience the curling subsides and the shingle (or siding strip) flattens back out as the glue dries & cures. I use masking tape across the rows to stop the sliding.

[Wovenflame]

In my experience the curling subsides and the shingle (or siding strip) flattens back out as the glue dries & cures. I use masking tape across the rows to stop the sliding.

Okay, that's good to know too. And I think the "hints" sheet does mention using masking tape across the top of the row if you are applying them one at a time. I do have to re-read that sheet yet again before I get started. So many ways to do the same thing. Aargh! I never was a good decision maker. Choosing a birthday card is hard enough. LOL.

[havanaholly]

I put the masking tape across the bottom of the row so I can lay the next row. About every four or five rows I lay a piece of stripwood across the finished rows of shingles and clamp them down with it.

[Wovenflame]

I put the masking tape across the bottom of the row so I can lay the next row.

Well yes, that did occur to me when I was reading about it. But I haven't actually gone back to reread it yet and I might be wrong. Maybe they did specify that it should be across the bottom. Thanks for your continued input.