Tuesday, April 30, 2013

I just finished a new little wood cabin which is made out of Balsa wood.  I had sort of lost my building inspiration this past month so this little house took me about a month to finish.  I only worked on it a couple of days a week after work.  I hope you all like my newest cabin.  I did find a new project i have shown pictures below of how to make your own old cans from an old VCR or Computer.  See below the process of making the old bed and mattress which was a lot of fun made from scraps.  I also did have alot of fun making miniature family photos and post cards and letters to put in the cabin which you can see below.
 
 I did get inspired here this past week thought from a picture I found on Pinterest of a big old truck with a house build on the back.  So I am currently working on a large truck with a house on the back that the headlights will light up and tail lights also.  Hopefully I will finish it in a couple of week and post more pictures.  Again I am having problems with my phone erasing alot of my photos of the process of me completing the house, and i found a few of them that will show some steps in construction.
Have a Wonderful Week Everyone!



I can actually picture myself in the woods living in this cabin.  A very simple life.


I built in a wall that opens for easy access.




The little tin cans in this photo was a recycled project i found you can do yourself.  Just find an old VCR or Computer which I did.  Tear it apart and take out the components to make your own cans.  Please see below the process of taking them out of the VCR.  Once I completed the model of building the table and chairs, i painted them the color of the trim of the outside of the house and then dry brushed them with brown paint to age them.  I rally love the little tea pot on the table its so realistic looking, but i believe it alone was $8.00 which you can buy a real one for about that price.  That's why I would love to learn to make more of my own pots and pans and things cheaper than the tea pot.


I had a ton of fun finding pictures off of Pintrest and shrinking them down to make the newspapers.

I had a blast making these miniature family photos to put into the cabin.  I think this is my favorite thing in the cabin.  On the newspaper stand and wood boxes that i put the photos and post cards in, i made them out of smaller Popsicle sticks and painted them brown. Each of the pictures and postcards are held in place with Museum Wax so they can be rearranged at any time.  I thought taking a picture next to a dime would show how small these pictures are. 

I even made miniature post cards and letters for the cabin.

This is the process of me cutting out each of the photos.  I find this very relaxing while watching movies or TV. 


I think the little bed I made turned out pretty good.  I had to build my own bed due to the smaller dimensions of the house, that way it was more to scale for the room.

I basically used scrap wood from different projects and glued them together and painted them and then dry brushed some paint on to give an old worn look.

I cant see to find the picture of the finished fire place, i do have a couple pictures below of me working on building the fireplace.

The fireplace chimney was a little tricky for me to build.  It had to be able to fit all the dimensions on the side of the house so it had a snug fit when the wall was closed.  But the chimney is just balsa wood again and the plastic bricks that came in a sheet that i hot glued on then covered with some mossy greenery to give an old look.



I just finished sewing the mattress for the cabin.  Again made out of an old shirt from my closet i used in a previous project.  I actually made my the mattress accidentally bigger than i wanted, so i had to squish it into the completed bed frame.

This was a brand new project i just discovered.  I am making my own jars and dishes from old VCRs and Computer components.  I did see on Pinterest that you can also make some nice looking pots and pans with other components but i think they may be from a TV or something.  But that will be a future experiment. 

This is were once i have pulled the components out of the VCR I cut off the plastic cover and it looks like a tin can.  I was very tired after I spent a couple of hours pulling these out of the VCR and didn't really get to detailed with adding labels or handles to make them look fancier.

I thinks some of these small components will make some really nice Small salt & pepper shakers.


Me sitting on the living room floor watching a movie while looking like a mad man tearing apart the VCR.

I did find a couple of pictures of me building the fire place for this inside of the cabin.

Once i built the fire place i painted it brown and wiped off some of the paint to make it look like old stained wood.


I had just finished building the fire place chimney as you can see all the cut plastic brick sheets on the coffee table.


The bedroom area of the cabin.

The main living area in the cabin.  I really like the rustic feel.



Trying to make a hidden opening wall was a little tricky to try to hide any seams and hide the hinges.


I really wanted a grey looking aged wood.  In which I tried the aging process i found on the Internet which you use Vinegar and Steel Wool, but it turned it more orange brown then grey look. 






This is how the house started out. I drew it up on paper and then cut out the wood to build the house.  I used a thick piece of balsa wood and then glued on the sheets of flat decorative wood for the siding.  Then I added the windows and glued the house together in sections. 

10 comments:

  1. I love your projects and work! This one will go to my "favourtites list!" .!! Wonderful! And i like looking and "studying" all the pictures! Yes, these pc parts are nice to use! There is so much one can do by oneself...but sometimes it is tricky or not as easy as it shows..but tryting and then having a beautiful tiny piece is just wonderful! Thank you for sharing all your wonderful work! Best Greetings!

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  2. Thanks for your kind message! keep going!!! :)

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  3. Hello Stan,
    I have to confess, when I see you have a new post up I get excited and giddy while your blog downloads. No word of a lie, I think you could give classes to teach miniature finishes. This cabin is just another example of what a fantastic, high quality miniature looks like! The cabin itself is perfect, your accessories are always spot on, but I also think you plan your rooms and place furniture just right and make them look real. It is beautiful. I am a city boy and a cabin in the woods is one of the ways I imagine hell, but looking at this I can imagine lying on the peaceful feeling you must get. Your miniatures always make me daydream. Absolutely fantastic!
    Big hug,
    Giac

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  4. I have to admit that when I saw it I had images of Friday the 13th or Joss Whedon's "Cabin in the woods" it's a wonderful little cabin. thank you for sharing how to make the can's I've been using straws and glue which take a very long time.

    you always have such wonderful homes..like Giac says you really should teach a class :)

    Hugs
    Marisa

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  5. Una verdadera maravilla, me encanta es todo perfecto.
    Un abrazo.
    Yolanda.

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  6. Hello Stan! I love this cabin in the woods! And I love the way you have accessorized and made it a home! I have enjoyed every project that I have seen you do and there is always something about them that welcomes the viewer in and makes you want to put your feet up and relax. Your work is really special!
    Thank you also for explaining the 'cans' from the electronic parts. I have seen this on a Russian Pinterest site and never knew what electronics to look for! I had 1 of these tiny
    capacitors and made only one of these little cans but I wanted to make some more so thank you. thank you. thank you!

    elizabeth

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  7. I absolutely love everything about this little cabin, I'd move in tomorrow! I like the idea of making the side the 'moveable' wall, it really suits this type of project. I've been thinking for a while of doing a little cottage, your little place in the woods is great inspiration :)

    Thanks too for the tip about recycling the computer parts.

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  8. Hi Stan, Just looking at your cabin I must have missed this post, Norma mentioned it to me, I really love it. Would love to make something similar based on a fishing/shooting shack my dad built, which we visited when we were kids, many moons ago. It was in a State Forest in Tasmania and my dad had a lease on the land. Some no-gooder thought it would be a good idea to burn it down and my dad was devastated.
    Thanks for sharing it with us.

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  9. Hi Stan, found you on Pinterest and just had to say how wonderful your creations are! I have love miniatures for many years. Finished a big Victorian doll house and did most of the interior myself so I can appreciate your attention to detail. You are a true artist!

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  10. Your cabin is so clever and creative, and completely cozy. It was fun to see how the side opened. The wood walls were very authentic looking, and there was so much wonderful light in the cabin. Like you, I'd love to live in a home like this! The furniture was wonderful, and that mattress was amazing. Your color choices were perfect. I love your friendly way of writing. Thank you for sharing.

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