How to Make Bamboo Furniture: Part One

I have a real soft spot for bamboo furniture, and I've always wanted the parlor to have a few pieces. As it turns out, miniature bamboo furniture is incredibly difficult to find! I've been searching for over a decade, and only found a couple pieces, none of which were quite right for my house. In fact, the only piece of bamboo furniture I have is this chair that Mom made. It was one of the first pieces of furniture Mom made, and it's become quite rickety as the glue is letting go. I finally had to pack it away for safekeeping until it can be fixed or remade.

 This illustration of a bamboo "overdoor" caught my eye in a library book a while ago. I am completely addicted to dollhouse porcelain, so anything that lets me cram in a few more plates/vases/figurines is a good thing in my book! I had to make it.

I reworked the design to fit over the parlor door. I eliminated all the curved pieces, which would have made the project more difficult. I was also completely out of narrow dowels, so I used toothpicks to make the bamboo. Using toothpicks meant I had to break the long bottom piece into three sections, which I think made the whole thing a bit more fragile.

I used my chopper to cut the toothpick pieces to size. If anyone wants exact measurements, I can add them to the next post. The bamboo rings were made with DMC floss, covered in tacky glue and then wrapped twice around the toothpicks. I added the rings randomly, though I did try to keep the spacing fairly consistent.

My gluing jig was helpful keeping the bottom and vertical bars square.

I used my drawing to add the top and middle bars.

This is the assembled back portion of the overdoor. It still needs a shelf, decorative panel, and paint job. I had to pause here for a while, since this was as far as I had planned. I took a moment to check the fit over the parlor door.

 

Not bad, but it still has a ways to go!

The shelf was made from more toothpick and thread "bamboo", and a scrap of thin wood from a sandalwood fan. I tucked a piece of cardstock where the painted panel will eventually go. I'm thinking about adding panels behind the four bottom squares as well, but will wait until the I've painted the bamboo to decide.

Here's a better view of the shelf.

I'm also toying with the idea of adding a pair of little shelves for teacups or small vases on either side of the main shelf, approximately where you see them in the picture above. Next up, I'll be faux-finishing the bamboo, and painting that back panel.

A Painted Bookcase for the Nursery

There are several pieces that have never had a good home in the nursery. The silver cup and porringer, along with the bent spoon I made over, have been moved countless times. It occurred to me that an unfinished wooden bookcase I'd purchased from Bed Miniatures was just about the perfect size for the long and narrow room. 

I added feet made from Tiny Turnings, then got to work on the painting.  I based the  flowers for the bookcase loosely off the flowers from the curtain fabric (below). I didn't want to copy the fabric exactly, but wanted it to have that same delicate feel.

The post describing how I made the nursery's balloon shade can be found here. 

You can see in this photo how the cheap metal of the bent spoon looks different from the silver pieces. I'm thinking that a little silver rub'n'buff may help the spoon blend a little better.  The walls of the nursery are hung with fashion plates, which you can just see in the photo above. I got really interested in the full size versions when I was around twelve, so of course my dollhouse had to have them too! 

I filled the lower shelf of the bookcase with readable books. I've had a little box of books just waiting to fill a bookcase. I went through and picked out the most youthful titles for the nursery.  The Teddy bear had been hanging out in the playroom, but I like him much better down here. He's one of my favorites, and he was getting lost in the crowd of bears in the playroom. For some reason, I've never been a huge fan of teddy bears in real life, but I have a hard time saying no to the miniature ones!

A Painted Dresser Quandry

I bought this little chest of drawers unfinished. I'm still messing about with the decorative painting, but I'm starting to get an idea of the finished look. I never quite know how any of my painted furniture will turn out until it's done, since I tend to just jump in with paint and start doodling. One thing that won't be on the finished piece are the rose-painted knobs. I couldn't decide what to do with the drawer pulls, so I just hurriedly dabbed on some pink and green, thinking I'd paint the inside a soft green (similar this desk I painted last year) But, thinking back to other projects, I realized I have a tendancy to pair blue and white with various shades of green (my first painted piece of furniture used this color scheme). I impulsively decided to  paint the drawer interiors bright red instead.

 

I'm also still trying to decide whether I like the "aged" look of this chest or not. I used a little drybrushed paint to dirty up the white, but now I'm wondering whether I went too far. The blue and white swirls (and the red!) are bolder than my usual look, and it's really throwing me off. I keep trying to tone the flourishes down, then deciding I like them better darker, then second guessing that again! I'll probably end up sanding down and repainting this thing five times over before I make up my mind!

That Which We Call a Rose...

 I was going through some boxes and stumbled across an old project that I'd nearly forgotten about. This started out as a basic white commercial table, which I covered with books and accessories. The tablecloth got a bit bent out of shape while the table was in storage, so I have to fix that , but otherwise it was a fun discovery.

 The table has a bit of a botanical theme. When I made it, I pictured this table in a whitewashed summer house. As a child, I spent hours exploring, and would often bring back plants to identify, press, or eat!

I made the magnifying glass out of a fancy turned toothpick and a bit of brass tape. I seriously underestimated the number of books I'd have to make for this project! I just kept making more, until finally the stacks started to look appropriately messy!

I got a little carried away distressing this table! The original white finish was nearly bulletproof, but I finally did manage to get down to bare wood in places. I added several other layers of paint over the top, then sanded most of it off again. The book propping up the table leg is one of my favorite details, though I don't think I could ever abuse a real book in that way!

Two New Additions to an Old Project

A long time ago, I posted this blue and cream vanity I'd painted and accessorized. There was only one problem. I didn't have a matching seat. After quite a bit of looking, I settled on this little bench, and painted it to match. I chose a brighter blue silk to upholster the bench cushion, since I knew I'd be covering a lot of it up with a sheer white shawl, and possibly a hat. I have a pretty embroidered handkerchief I've been saving for use as the shawl.

I also raided Mom's dollmaking supplies to make the parasol. This is one of those random items that I'd avoided making in the past, thinking it would be too complex. But since it didn't need to open, the parasol was actually super easy, and I can see how I could easily addapt it for a lot of different looks.  I used white batiste with a tiny woven dot design. I dunked the fabric in tea to tone down the bright white, and used some of my tiniest beads for the handle. When I couldn't find the right shade of ribbon in Mom's supplies, I painted the blue edging on. I

An Impulsive Purchase

While I was on eBay the other night, I found an auction for two unfinished tables, and couldn't resist bidding. One was obviously handmade from scrap wood and minature balusters, but the other looked like a House of Miniatures kit.

When the tables arrived, I realized that the table was much deeper than the typical HoM demi-lune table kit, and I had a little trouble getting the legs to fit. I think the table top must have originally come from a different kit.

 Usually I just freehand my painted furniture, but this time I penciled in guidelines for an urn and scrolls, to keep everything symmetrical. Here it is with the design roughed in with paint.

I used only four colors for this table- cream, green, yellow/khaki, and brown. I finished the table top before assembling the table, then worked on the legs and apron.  I had the hardest time getting the green of this table to photograph correctly. I tried taking "after" shots of this table three seperate times. Every time, the green has photographed completely wrong. The real colors are closer to the in-progress shots above.

 

Little Things That Sparkle, Part 2

 

I'm having a lot of fun making fancy accessories lately.

 

I started out painting the vanity sage green, and added a few painted roses to the drawers. Now that I've got an idea of the finished look, I'll touch up the color of the roses, making them closer to the deep red I used for the accessories.

I make almost everything on my vanities. The only things on this one that I used just as I bought them were the silver comb (to the left of the necklace) and brown gloves.

I think a lot about color when I put together miniatures. I get nervous about making colors too coordinated, since that can look a little staged. But lots of random colors just look chaotic. To create a little order, I try to throw in a few "surprise" colors, and repeat each color three times. You can see that the bright blue of the little box is repeated on the top of the cold cream jar and the parasol of the figurine. The pink silk of the necklace tray is repeated in the label of the box on the left, and in the postcard of Notre Dame. The white flower is picked up in the lace runner and the bride's dress in the photograph. It's not a perfect rule, but it definitely helps!

 

I go back and forth on the perfume bottles. Sometimes I love to make them, and other times I think they are the most tedious project ever!  Because of that, I tend to make as many perfume bottles as I can when I'm in the mood.

 

 

The little crystal candle holder was an afterthought. I made it out of stacked beads and jewelry findings, with a clay candle. I only had one each of the base and top brass findings in my supplies. It was a minor miracle that I was able to finish the candle stick, since I kept dropping it and losing those precious jewelry findings! The handbag isn't such a bright red in real life. The vase photographed a little oddly too. Both are closer to the red dress of the figurine.

Think Pink: Having Fun With a Painted Table

 

I really had no idea how this table would end up when I began. Lately, I've been tending towards "pretty" miniatures. I've been pulling out my (normally seldom used!) stash of crystals, glitter, etc at the slightest excuse. So once I'd painted the table top and apron pieces cream, I didn't think twice before painting the legs petal pink.

In for a penny, in for a pound.  I added a few freehand roses and ribbons on the table apron...

and more roses and some flourishes on the tabletop. At the very end, I toned down the pink legs. I think this table hit my limit for sweetness!

Little Things That Sparkle

Ever since we started selling at shows I've been wrestling with the problem of size. I love making tiny things. In fact, in most cases, the smaller an object is, the more fun I have making it. But most of those little things are simply lost on a 6 foot table. So I thought I would put together a few "dressed" pieces of furniture for the next show.

The paint job on this vanity needs to be reworked. There are a few places I'm satisfied with, and a few others that I can't wait to sand down and paint over! What was I thinking with those drawers?  The gloves and pink flower I stole out of my own pink dollhouse. The lace dresser scarf was a scrap of vintage lace which my grandmother gave to me. 

 

 

 

The little leather tray with the elaborate saphire and pearl brooch is one of my favorite pieces on the dressing table. I had planned to add a white silk pad to the tray, but then I found a bit of trim which perfectly matched my favorite silk, and thought it was even better choice.

On the right hand side, I added a number of perfume bottles, a jar of cold cream, and perfume box all from my stash. The figurine was one I've had for a few years, but I repainted her Barbie-pink dress and blonde hair. The little compact I made specifically for this dressing table. It still needs its mirror and powder puff.

Toying With Shelves

 This little bookshelf  started out as a plain white impulse buy. I thought it might be short enough to work in one of my attic rooms. But after trying it in multiple spaces, I just couldn't find a spot for it. So I went for plan B, which was a shelf full of slightly battered but still cheerful toys.

 I'm not sure where I got the idea for this color combination, but it worked well with a bunch of my vintage paper toys. The little boy doll in blue was one that I hand sculpted years ago. I'm glad he finally found a home! The toy car and rabbit were metal miniatures that I painted.

An Old Painted Cupboard

I painted this little cupboard shortly after working on the blue and white desk. It was fun to let loose with a few more colors and some heavy aging.  I knew that the glaze I planned to use would tone down the colors quite a bit, so I used a bright combination of brick red, cobalt blue , kelly green and light golden brown on a white background.

I debated the drawer pulls for a long time. I loved the wooden knobs for the cupboard doors, but wasn't sure if they were right for the drawer. I ordered a few different options online, but finally decided that the wooden knobs were the only ones that looked right!

 I love the surprise factor of a painted interior. I can never bring myself to just paint the interior of a piece out in the same color as the exterior. This brick red is one of my favorite colors for finishing interiors. I took these photos before I touched up the edges of the cabinet doors!