Tutorial: Miniature Magnetic Furniture

napkin rings, West Elm 

Last spring, I picked up a pair of white metal napkin rings from West Elm.  I believed they would be a staple in creating any number of awesome pieces of miniature furniture. Little did I know exactly how much I'd love them and use them again and again. When I returned to the store to buy more, they were all sold out (sighs with disappointment). You can imagine my surprise when an unpainted version reappeared during the holiday season. I've picked up four more napkin rings hoping that will be enough to satisfy my imagination.

These are great supplies for building furniture
with magnets.

I began attaching different shaped magnets to the napkin rings and other metal miniatures I had on hand.  There's a brand called Mighty Magnets that are strong enough to maintain their attraction through glass and acrylic pieces. Great, a chance for more versatility. So this is just about the easiest tutorial ever. Use super strong magnets of various shapes with metal, acrylic or glass to make some awesome modern furniture and fixtures. Unleash your creativity! Check out the pieces I made below.

Metal side tables (horizontal)

Painted side tables (on left: horizontal; center: vertical)
Coffee table (on right)

Vessel sinks on pedestals (on left: tall; on right: low)

Rear center: metal fire pit 

Details: metal and glass condiment bowls are from Ikea; acrylic blocks from Michael's; all magnets purchased from The Container Store

Oh, here's a short little video to sum everything all up...

Tutorial: Modified Director's Chair

After enjoying a great bottle of Lunetta Prosecco distributed here domestically by Palm Bay International. Its extremely affordable ($11.00 USD) with a crisp, light taste.  I loved it! (Forgive me, I digress.) I saved the cork, cage and foil packaging and proceeded to undertake my first attempt at designing a chair to enter into the annual DWR Champagne Chair contest. I gathered the following additional supplies: steak knife, X-Acto knife, wire cutter, scissors, glue (the only adhesive the contest would allow), and an emery board nail file.  So here were my starting materials:

a great sparkling wine

salvaging raw materials for building

Not too sure where this little project would end, I just stared at the raw materials for a bit. This is after having looked at some great designs from past years as well as current entrants. The name on the foil label made me think of the name on the back of a director's chair, so I went with that. I also thought it might be a little different to do a rocking chair.  I proceeded.  First, I carefully removed only the foil covering the cork, making sure to keep the round piece in tact. I uncorked the bottle and enjoyed a great glasses of wine (not the same day I made the chair...ha, ha). Later, I separated the bottom wire (that you untwist while opening the bottle) from the rest of the cage. By slicing the foil with the X-Acto knife close to the adhesive, I was able to remove the foil from the neck of the bottle in one large piece. Next, I cut the round top of the cork away form its narrower neck. By cutting that piece once again, I was left with two half circles. From the neck of the cork, I carved what was to become the seat of the chair.  That shape is called a trapezoid, I think. I had no idea that cutting sawing cork would be such a challenge but it was! I changed blades often, switched between knives and made do. As a result, the emery board made it easier to smooth out and even up the edges after I made my cuts. Here's what I had about mid-way through the project:

I used the wire to form an open ended rectangle with rounded corners. Using scissors, I trimmed the foil around the typography elements I wanted to feature. I folded the large 'lunetta' piece then wrapped it around the wire away from the open ends. I glued the foil to its self, sandwiching the wire inside. An additional piece of plain foil was glued over this to give a finished look to the piece. I attached the half circle pieces of cork to each open wire hanging at the bottom of what had become the back of the chair. I bent the wire so that the rounded part of the half circles become the "feet" of the chair. Next, I glued the second piece of foil over the seat of the chair, like upholstering. The sides of the seat of the chair were then glued to the sides of the feet (adjusting the angle by eye). Finally, a small triangular shaped pieces of cork was glued along the back of each half-circle shaped foot of the chair. I did end up removing two of the four twisted wires making up the cage, using each of them as an arm. I bent each piece like an 'L'. I inserted the raw edge of the wire into the top, front portion of the half circle allowing the finished edge of the wire meet the back of the chair.  Each arm was 'upholstered' with a small rectangular piece of cork. This was the final result from various angles:

Call-small did a wonderful job with her "Circle Chaise" and urged others to participate.  Did anyone else answer her call and make a cork chair for the 2013 DWR Champagne Chair contest? 


Update. More Blogger friends answered the call...

• Linda's Upright Hammock at The Hard Way
• Megan's Squared at Modern Mini Houses

An Open Letter to DWR...

Champagne Chair Contest

I want to thank you for creating a contest and marketing event that continues to inspire creativity and enthusiasm for modern design year after year.  For the first time, I decided to create my own design and enter the contest. I have no professional design training. I am a homeowner who, at best, can be considered to have very good taste. I am also an active member of a growing niche community online  that focuses on modern miniatures. A small group of us (about 4) all chose to enter your contest for the first time. In our discussion of the experience (conceiving then executing a design) a recurring theme emerged. We each spoke of intimidation due to the field of talent. This is not a criticism, it only speaks to the event's success. It inspired me to consider ways in which you might redesign this contest that has grown well beyond its infancy.

Perhaps you might...

1) divide the contest into amateur/hobbyist and design students & professionals 

2) consider superlative recognition in categories like wittiest, most intricate, most creative use of materials, most minimal. 

I'm not necessarily recommending you increase your investment in the budget for prizes. The recognition alone however would be very meaningful to many of your contest participants.

Sincerely,

(Modern Miniatures Collector & Blogger)
http://miniaesthetics.blogspot.com

I submitted the above to DWR via the contact function on their website. It occurred to me that others may also want to join the conversation and share their opinions. To that end, I share this email as a potential catalyst.

Cheers to Chairs: My 1st Contest

A sensible someone would not choose such a formidable challenge. Yet, after inspiration and suggestion over at Call of the Small, I decided to go ahead and create a cork chair to enter in Design Within Reach's (DWR) annual Champagne Chair contest. I hope I followed the rules correctly.  It seemed you could only submit one photo.  The smart ones submitted a single collage photo but several others, like me submitted only one view.  If you submitted your entry via Instagram or Twitter as I did, only one view in a single photo was possible.

I chose the option of tweeting my entry under #dwrchampagnechair.

The talent in this long-running contest is phenomenal and quite intimidating.  I decided to go for it anyhow. I wanted to share a few of this year's entries that intimidated the he*l, I mean stood out to me.

Elevate by elainenmak

"My Loose Interpretation Of" by jackstastic

F8 chaise by asp628

Perch Chair by djasoncrowder

an untitled piece by jcsonifrank

another untitled piece by nandy1702

I doubt much will come from my efforts, but you can best believe I will be taking a screen shot once my little chair is uploaded to the gallery of entrants on the DWR webpage. (A wry grin follows.) You can also check out contest entrants on twitter at #dwrchampagnechair. I'll share more on my chair making experience in a post to follow very soon.  The contest ended today.  They will select 10 finalists.  In the past, a traveling exhibit of these finalists go on display at DWR studios across the country. Be sure to keep your eye out for that. The winners will be announced online on January 28th.

Update. It's official. Here it is...my chair in the gallery of contestants at DWR.com!

Update. More Blogger friends answered the call...

• Linda's Upright Hammock at The Hard Way
• Megan's Squared at Modern Mini Houses

Christmas Crafting with a Conscience

Earlier this week, I volunteered at a holiday party co-sponsored by Homeless Children's Playtime Project and my sorority, the Xi Zeta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. This gathering had the works: food, crafts, picture time with Santa, and a gift table for parents. I was tasked with creating an ornament making project with a recycling theme.  It turned out to be such a hit, I've decided to share it with you. Here's a list of supplies we used:

1.    old/discarded data or music CDs

Viola...here are a few of the finished ornaments.

2.    last year's Christmas and holiday cards                  
3.    decorative/scrapbook paper scraps
4.    chipboard shapes
5.    small mirror tiles (square & round)
6.    self-adhesive gems (assorted shapes)
7.    felt cut-outs (assorted holiday motifs)
8.    ribbon
9.    Crayola Glitter Glue
10.  Fiskars Decorative Edge Scissors
11.  scissors
12.  Disposable foam or paint brushes AND
13.  Aileen's Original Tacky Glue OR
14.  Scotch Double-Sided Tape

Begin by deconstructing the holiday cards, cutting out specific motifs on the front of the card or words and phrases from the front and inside. Using the CD as a template, cut 'background' field as a complete circle or as complete as possible given the size of the card. Use complementary scrapbook paper scraps to complete the circular shape of the CD. Using the decorative edge scissors where papers and/or card piece will overlap provides a very finished look. The more you collage, scrapbook and collage the easier this process will be but the point is to be creative and have fun. 

After you've dry-fitted your design, cut approximately 3.5-4 inch length of ribbon in a coordinating color. Fold the ribbon in half and attach it to the non-shiny side of the CD with open-ends pointing towards the hole in the center of the disc and the closed loop extending beyond the disc. Secure with tape. From here on you can use tacky glue and brushes to adhere your materials or double-stick tape, it's your preference. Recreate the design you laid out earlier securing it with the adhesive of your choice. Finally, go to town tricking out your ornament with chipboard shapes or felt-cut outs then finishing of with bling: self-adhesive gems, mirror tiles and/or glitter glue. We decorated only one side leaving the shiny iridescent side uncovered but you may elect to cover both sides.

You can go as strict as you'd like with the recycling theme. Items such as buttons, envelope sticker seals (and promotional return address labels), collected leaves, thin branches and even holly berries can be collected from items you have on hand in (and around) home.

Adorn your tree and enjoy!

Livin' Easy

One of my contacts on Flickr, MurderWithMirrors often uses magazine pages as backgrounds for her miniature scenes.  I've decided to try this technique myself.  My inspiration---the unofficial start to summer, Memorial Day is fast approaching. This has me thinking about carefree outdoor living.  I envisioned an airy room that with grand doors that provide for seamless indoor-outdoor living.  I used floor tile samples from Lowe's and The Rubber Flooring Company.  Add in a few standard furniture pieces then sprinkle with an accessory or two...voila!  I think it turned out nicely.  What do you guys think?

Setting up the shot.

Details: flooring from Loew's; rug from PRDminiatures; table made from West Elm napkin rings and The Rubber Flooring Company sample; sofa and vases from Kaleidoscope House by Bozarts Toys,  and wire basket from Etsy.

Tutorial : Exposed Brick Wall

One of the great things that has come from renovating old lofts and brownstones is the design feature of an exposed brick wall, like this one.

Photographed by Michael Morcol

When I began creating my dollhouse inside a storage cabinet from Ikea, I thought it might be nice to bring this hip feature to one of the rooms.  I used cork contact paper which has an adhesive backing and canvas paper that can be fed through the ink jet printer.  First, determine the color you want for the brick and paint the cork paper.  I chose white, but shades of beige, grey or reds can also work well.  Set aside and allow the painted paper to dry.

Search the Internet for a complementary image that looks like plaster, then print it in color onto the canvas paper.  Use as many of the 8 1/2" x 11" sheets as your wall or room will require.

Image Source: www.ballarddesigns.com

Return to the painted cork paper and determine the size for each brick.  Using the grid on the back of the contact paper makes this easy.  I chose 1 x 2 cm squares for the size of my bricks and used scissors to cut them out.

Remove the backing paper and arrange the bricks on the canvas paper to lay the bricks.  Get creative here, leave openings on the canvas paper to create the illusion of decaying plaster. Use an all-purpose glue if necessary to secure the bricks.

So, at this stage I realized that my plaster is beneath the brick instead of on top of it. Ooops! I decided to minimize the plaster areas because of this fact. Next, use paint to touch up any areas of exposed cork, create the brick mortar, and a mottled effect on the bricks (if you so desire).  Finally, seal the wall with clear-coat varnish.

This wall is not as deconstructed as I envisioned.  It's a bit more like a peeling paint brick wall. But, by using materials I had in my stash, I was able to create a surface that has a lot of texture and is still fairly realistic.  Not too bad for my first time out with this technique.  Now, install your wall.  I used double-sided tape.  Decorate. Decorate. Decorate.

A Miniatures Swap

Something old, something new, something created, something with blue...paraphrasing this famous saying provides an accurate description of my first swap experience.  It's been said before, but you gotta marvel at the power of the internet to bring strangers together.  The Flickr Modern Miniatures group begun by talented the Anna-Maria a.k.a. The Shopping Sherpa is very, very popular.  It has more than 9,000 members worldwide.  On the discussion board for this group, I answered an open-call from margaret_loves, to do a swap.  I must say to you veterans---pinchofpepper that includes you---who swap your talented mini-creations and post the spoils on your blogs,  please know that you've truly started something.  Margaret and I were both newbies, but we wanted in on the fun. So, we

1. set a theme = blue
2. set a budget = $10.00 

Even with this information, I still wasn't really quite sure what to do.  I went to Michael's and spent up my budget on a combination of finished items and a few raw materials read unfinished wood.  Truth be told, this really wasn't a lot of loot (and I guess I didn't expect it to be).  I knew I'd be undertaking more miniature DIY projects than I'd actually bothered to complete in quite a while.  So here's a look at some of what I sent in my package.

There is certainly an awesome feeling that comes after managing to get my large clumsy fingers to execute a tiny creation.  (Why is it so hard to turn the pillows right-side-out after stitching them up???)  I had some fabric remnants from a project. (I recovered an ice cream parlor style chair for my bedroom).  Such a small amount of fabric in 1:1 scale really goes a long way in the 1:12 world.
Thank Goodness!  The two pillows in the back were made from fabric samples, so the cost of that material really fit my budget--he he. I also learned that with one sheet of 9" x 12" felt you can create at least 4 rugs.  I created 1 round, 1runner, 1 square (see the photo below), and a set of carpet tiles (in the style of FLOR).  The carpet tile set was 3 by 3 tiles with each tile a 1.5" square.  Sorry I didn't bother to measure the other rugs.  I just eyballed them, my favorite technique, ha ha.

This scene took about 10 minutes to stage, if that.  I grabbed surface materials to set the floor and back wall.  This wall is siding from Miniatures.com.  The paintings are images clipped from the Paper Source catalog and mounted onto cardboard (recycled from doll packaging).  The wall cabinet is a pillbox resurfaced with contact paper.  I used seed beads for the door knobs.  The trash can is a popular eraser from a set sold at Michael's.  The television is a magnet that I picked up from who know's where.  Sorry, just one of those random finds.  The dried willow sits inside a very interesting bead also found at Michael's.  The TV and plant both sit atop the plastic box top in which moo.com mini-cards are shipped. The knapsack is a Barbie So In Style (little sister) accessory.  I made all of the books from scrapbook papers and fasteners.  I made the pillow on the floor from another fabric sample then stuffed it with more seed beads.  The bench was constructed from stock unfinished wood shapes also available from craft stores. I will try to do a detailed tutorial for this piece later.


The overall aesthetic of these pieces is contemporary but by the time Margaret gets them inside her Ikea Lekman box with her cube side tables and Reac Japan chairs, all will take on a more modern feel.  This swap was a certainly a challenge but it was also a great deal of fun. (Think Christmas in February).  So now I'm ready for the next one. Who's game to do a swap with me?