Making Something .... from something else.

Making something.....

It is a very satisfying challenge for many miniaturists to convert an item into something that will suit ones project. 

In the Swedish House bedroom there have been several of those challenges. 

I won this wardrobe in the 1990's as a door prize. It was surprisingly sturdy but held no appeal.
I am often hesitant to attempt to change an existing piece of furniture. I worry that I will make it worse than it is. I have decided I should be more adventurous ... so this was the process.

This existing wardrobe was too small for the room. It was also the wrong colour and had very unattractive knobs. It did have recessed cupboard doors that would accept trim. I thought the base and the top were very simple and could be removed easily.

The base was removed and an extra drawer made.
Below you can see the extra drawer mocked up and a little extra height added. The reeded front panels are clamped in place to dry.  To make the reeded door fronts I used panels of thin basswood scored with a needle tool against a ruler.

Squares cut from a Dollar Store ribbon add a little detail below. 

In the next photo you can see the reeding better... also the trim was removed from above the drawers. The mock bottom drawers did not look right so Bruce (thank you, thank you) redid that drawer.

Sections of metal trim, a key and fob are now added to the doors.  Yes, the drawer pulls are earring backs - cut in half with a ring threaded through and painted black.

The half-moon table is a kit. I changed the legs and added plastic trim on the fronts and metallic silver tape on the apron. I keep fighting with one of the legs to get it straight. I think I have won that battle.

Now it is painted and almost ready to slide under a window beside the wardrobe.  I reglued the errant leg again after this photo was taken. It really does help to take pics as you can look at items in more detail.

Once it was fitted under the window sill I realized the table top needed extra width to carry the items I wanted displayed on top. An extra panel was added to the back and supported with two wooden brackets then sanded and the table repainted.

Now in position with the wardrobe. The space is beginning to looked lived in.

Handy husband has taken over my workroom. Below he is making the Mora clock.

Last year handy husband began building the Kakelugn Stove for the bedroom.  You can see how it was made with parts of a cardboard tube, rubber ring, flexible tile, bits of plastic and metal crowns and light fitting in a previous post. Here B is finishing the copper door - adding a piece of metal jewellery findings as door decoration and door handle.

The fireplace glows, The little handle on the side is for controlling draft. I will try and get a close up pic soon to show you more details.

Elizabeth of http://studioeminiatures.blogspot.com and I had a book-making day early in December. We used embossing liquid and stamps to create the decorated covers of these books.

I made the lower book with the tie on it using the foil from a Ferrero Rocher chocolate. Of course I did not eat the chocolate I just wanted the wrapper!
I had made the book pages and cover and then cut to size and glued the wrapper on to the cover in one piece -front, spine and back.  Before I cut the foil to size I smoothed it gently to remove some of the texture and then pressed it onto a metal jewellery finding to give the impression of embossing.
I then sponged colour on to the foil and used a matt finish paint to give it some stability.  It looks like leather.

It was a lot of fun to spend time together and to try something different.

So on that note I encourage you to do something you enjoy and perhaps post your discoveries.

All the best.
Janine