Miniature House Ornament

This little project came about when I was scrolling through Instagram and saw a photo of Young House Love's pink beach house in the snow and thought, 'I want to make that'. So I did! I decided to make a miniature 2D version of the house using layers of card on a wooden base.

After drawing out a template for the house I cut the shape out of wood using a saw.

To make the features of the house I used cartridge paper, brown card, mountboard and a wooden kebab skewer.

I tried my hardest to mix up the wonderful shade of pink that the Petersiks painted their beach house. I used acrylic paint on a piece of cartridge paper glued to the wooden base, which I scored with a craft knife to make the slats.

I think my favourite details are the fence at the front and the little top window. I had to work with the tiniest slivers of paper!

The house turned out just as I was hoping. I think it would look lovely as an ornament on a mantlepiece, or as a Christmas decoration if I looped some ribbon on the back.

Now I'll be on the look out for other cute houses to recreate in miniature.

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Miniature Fireplace

This is what was in the package to the Petersiks from Young House Love.

A miniature replica of their fireplace!

I've been waiting until they'd posted about it to share it with you.

Which they have done. Check it out here, especially if you want a size comparison of the fireplace with a chihuahua. 

I've been known to make the occasional miniature fireplace and when I saw their post with a step by step of how they made their actual fireplace the two things connected.

I thought I would make their fireplace, and then maybe see if they wanted it. It's not like I had anything else to do (still no job).

This would also allow me to try using plastic materials which I'd been introduced to on the model making course I took, instead of card and wood.

Half way through the process of making the miniature the Petersiks announced they were moving house. At first I thought 'oh no!' but then it was even more of a reason why they should have this model. As a memento of the fireplace they built in their own house.

As soon as the model was finished I emailed a photo to the Petersiks and received the best email back from Sherry. It started with an excited 'AHHHHHHHHH!'

I love it when people are emotive over email, and Sherry is that fo sho.

#bloggerfangirlmoment

A few more emails back and forth and the mini fireplace was off to Virginia.

The hardest part of the model, or rather the most time consuming, was the tiling. I had to cut and then lay so many tiny tiles.

And then do the grouting.

The tiles were made from thin pvc card, painted with acrylic to look marble-y, and then cut in to individual tiles. 

Recreating the decorative trim was tricky, but achievable!

I'm really proud of this fireplace, and am pretty overwhelmed by the response it's got over on Young House Love.

I'm also really happy that I could give the Petersiks a way to take something with them from their old house to their old house.