Teeny Tiny Plants

I got these super small plants at the Jack of all Trades craft fair at Jack London Square in Oakland.  

The plants are from Noelle's Miniature Garden: 
https://www.facebook.com/NoellesMiniatureGarden

Miniature Pencils

Cut the toothpicks to size, then whittle away one end to make a tip.  Sand the other end to make a clean "end" of your pencil.

 

Poke them in some clay to paint and let them dry.
 

 

Paint a tip of pink on the end - eraser!
 

Then paint black!
 

 

 

 

 

I also made some colored ones.

This blog post also recommends just using markers to color the colored pencils.  That probably works just as good.

I need a thimble now for a pencil holder.
 

Bulletin Board

Oh I forgot to explain how.  Ok first, I took a couple of wooden skewers and cut them at a 45 degree angle, by sight, using kitchen scissors.  I figured we have enough skewers that I can make as many mistakes as I need, who cares.

 

I glued the first one on with Elmer's, which was stupid cause it takes forever to dry.  The next three went on with Krazy Glue (from the Dollar Store, hello!  Don't pay full price for Krazy Glue when you can get it at the Dollar Store!) and this was way easier.
 

Teeny Weeny Bulletin Board!

Michael's also had scrapbook paper made out of a thin sheet of cork?  I don't know what that's for?  But I know I can use it to make a super tiny bulletin board for Barbie!

They also had miniature pins, which, of course, perfect for a mini bulletin board.
 

I printed a miniature version of Angela's calendar, some miniature Fleetwood Mac tickets, a miniature Jack in the Box coupon, a miniature receipt and a miniature post it reminder to call Katy!
 

Crown Molding

I found this decorative dowel at Michael's and thought it would make nice looking crown molding.  I am trying (?) to get the right details in there so it looks more realistic.  Anyway, I've had a couple of not great experiences with Michaels' staff lately.  The woman I asked about "crown molding for dollhouses" was a real gem.

Painting with white acrylic paint. Two coats.
 

Came out pretty good!  I haven't installed it yet though.  This is just me holding it with one hand while I take the picture.

Tiny Frock Shop and other dolls

Tiny Frock Shop is a wonderful site with a great line of fashionable and stylish clothes for Barbie.  I love this site.  Keep me away from it (says my husband).

This doll's name is Summer.  All she had to do was be a teaspoon cuter (less weird) and I'd have bought her.  Or if she had dark hair, that might have been enough right there.
 

So, all guy dolls have this creepy, gross brushable Justin Bieber hair. 

VOMIT

Miniature Printables

Made the magazines myself using Google images and looking for magazine fronts (and backs).  The folders and the passport came from Print Mini.

Then I decided to Mod Podge everything to make it last longer and have a slightly more realistic look?
 

Oh Heidi.  What have you done to your face. 

 

I filled the chinese container with Elmer's glue, then stuck in some cut off toothpicks to make my chopsticks.

Wainscoting or Beadboard?

I have this wonderfully handy Martha Stewart Scoring Board and Envelope Tool that I use for making cards and stationery.   It dawned on me that maybe I could use it to score some lines in cardstock and make it look like proper wainscoting?   The width of the scored line is a little bit too skinny, though. 

Imagining the wall once the pretty frame is mounted.  It matches a frame I bought myself in India.
 

See? Too skinny.

Aha!  But then I realized, the skinniness is okay for bead board!   On the first piece above, I got the scores on the wrong side of the page.  The line across the top has to dimple out, and the lines going top to bottom have to dimple in, as the "space" between two slats.

Ta daa

 

The wallpaper and beadboard were attached to a piece of foam core that I cut to fit the wall.  I used 3M Picture Hanging Command Strips to attach the faux wall to the real life wall, so that I can easily pop it out or change it, and when I'm done, I can remove the velcro from the wall without damage.

By the way, I'm a huge fan of the entire line of Command Strip products.  They're great.

 

 It's cute!  But for some reason, I find it boring now.  I need to figure out how to rearrange the furniture to make it look more realistic.  I am considering setting up two "sides" of the room to photograph, by just moving furniture and windows around?

Mini Violin, and stuff from the craft store

Who knew I would find TWO purposes for this miniature violin?!  (I got mine on eBay to play for complainers at work.)

I didn't buy this bird yet.  I thought I might come up with something to use it for but I haven't so I guess it's good I didn't get it.
 

These little box guys might make good kitchen cupboards though.
 

This would obviously make a killer bedroom dresser.  I could even add a mirror!  Maybe I'll get it in a few months.  I'm trying to make as much stuff as I can for the room.
 

Wallpaper, Windows and more

In the downstairs breakfast nook.

I printed this cute little garden meadow window for the time being.  I don't even care that it doesn't jive with the San Francisco Coit Tower / Nob Hill view the girls have from the second floor.  

The rug under the dining table is actually a native american indian blanket from a weird indian costume set I have.  It comes with arrows!  

 

This scrapbook paper makes really nice wallpaper in the "living room".  It's only held up here with post it notes, so you won't see it for very long, until I can find a more permanent solution.  

I also printed out that cowhide rug from an online image.  I printed onto cardstock and cut out by hand.  While the scale is generally correct when you hold it near a doll, I don't like the way it looks a little too small in the room.  It's probably cause there is very little consistent in size / scale between the fake fireplace box, perfume bottle side table, etc.  

 

Ok, then I discovered the world of printable minis.  PrintMini has a website full of printable doll stuff.  Barbie things are 1:6 scale and from this site I got these rad file folders and legal documents.  I also got:

• passport with pages
• leatherbound books
• checkers
• monopoly
• clock face
• cigarette pack
• pizza box
• chinese food container

Detangling Barbie Hair

As my interest in my "fun, small Barbie project" (ha ha) grew (like a monster), I found out that there is something you can do about this horrible hair!  This girl was in the worst condition - she's one I bought on eBay last year.  I bought her because I wanted one of the old style Barbie bodies, with the giant chest and miniature waist, so that she could fit into my old Barbie clothes.  They are too baggy on the new body styles.

Anyway, the lighting's terrible but you can see her hair is a mess.   A hot mess.

 

I can't find the original blog I was reading, but there are lots of posts about this online.

Fabric Softener works because their hair is synthetic like (some) clothes!  So, you dunk her head for like an hour.

"I'm getting a headache."
 

Then you have to brush the shit out of it.  It sucks.  It's not a fun or rewarding activity at all!  It takes a lot of work.  You have to start from the ends and work your way toward the scalp.  I guess it was worse cause she has this shiny tinsel shit in her hair (maybe she's a mermaid or something? she has lame retarded eye paint).

This is how much of her hair came out in the brushing process.

Banana clip for scale.

Finally, brushed.

Drying in the window.  Hope no pervs are watching!

Slippery when wet.

Ok that was taking too long so we put her outside next.  By "we", I mean me and the cats. You can see here though that as it dried, it got a lot better looking.

Fully dry.  Doesn't look great but it's better than it was, I guess.



Update:  This blog outlines the steps pretty well, and recommends a couple of products that actually resulted in her dolls' hair getting REALLY silky:
http://www.lilblueboo.com/2013/07/how-to-detangle-doll-hair-tutorial.html