I think this witch cast a
spell on me as I have be sooooooo slow getting this project done, but spell or
no, here it is, THE WITCH’S KITCHEN….hopefully in time to add to your Halloween
fun. Yes, I know, the witch is a bit
scary but I decided I wanted to use a skeleton & it is a bit hard to make
them “cute”. One reason I chose a
skeleton was because they are so easy to come by that everyone that wanted to
could create their own & secondly as a challenge. But you certainly may
choose a sweeter version for your little kitchen. If Halloween, witches, and all are not your
thing, I have added a couple of pictures at the end of this posting that may
inspire you to make some sweeter magic. At the very least, you should find some
bits and pieces herein to add to your miniature DIY collection.
Happy Halloween,
Joann
THE
BASE
This vignette sits on a base of a 5” x 7” picture
frame. All was removed from the frame
and then it was painted black. The back of the frame faces up. Next it was sanded here and there for an aged
look. A full-sized vinyl tile (an
inexpensive, home improvement store purchase…lots of interesting patterns to
choose from) was cut to fit in the frame opening with a craft knife. It was sanded a bit to get rid of the sheen
and then glued in place. You could also
choose to have a stone floor such as the type found in my June 2011 blog
project, The Potting Bench.
--------------------------------------------
CABINET/CUPBOARD
You will need: I/16” thick matboard or bookboard or basswood, acid free +
tacky glue, Crafter’s Pick used here http://www.amazon.com/Crafters-Pick-60134-Ultimate
Instructions: As you work, take your own measurements before you cut your
material as slight differences in the thickness of the materials you use and
your cuts may alter them slightly.
You may choose to use 1/16” thick matboard,
bookboard or basswood or a combination of the three to construct your cabinet.
Glue the back edges of the side
pieces to the face of the back, all
edges flush.
Cut 3 top shelves 3-7/8” x ¾”
(Check the space between your sides to make sure this size will fit your cabinet
and make any necessary adjustments to measurements). Glue one shelf (which is actually the
sub-top) to the face of the back piece and the side pieces, top edges
flush. Glue the other two shelves to the
back and side pieces, placed as desired to accommodate what you want to display
on them. You may even decide to eliminate
one for higher storage space. As seen
are they spaced 1” apart.
Cut a counter top per pattern.
Glue into cabinet 3-1/8” down from the inside of the top piece and so
the extensions on the sides of the piece rest on the front extensions of the cabinet.
Cut two bottom shelves for the
bottom section of the cabinet. Glue them in place in the cabinet, one ½” up
from the cabinet bottom and the other place as desired, You may also choose to
omit this last shelf, depending on what is to be stored.
Cut a bottom kick plate 4” x ½” x1/16”.
Glue it to the face of the cabinet across the bottom.
Cut a 4” x 3/16” x 1/16” kick plate trim and glue over kick
plate, top edges even.
Click on image to enlarge. Copy and paste to your computer.
Set to print at actual/exact size or 7.73"w x 10.66"h
-----------------------------
Cut two bottom side trim pieces 2-1/4” x 3/16” x 1/16”. Glue to front sides of cabinet from under the
counter top to the kick plate.
Cut an under counter top trim piece 3-5/8” x 3/16” x 1/16”. Glue it under the counter top and to the
bottom side trim pieces.
Cut an under top trim piece 4” x 3/16” x 1/16”. Glue it across the face of top of the
cabinet, top edges flush.
Cut two, top side trim pieces, 3” x 3/16” x 1/16”. Glue these to the face of the sides of the
cabinet, side edges flush with sides of cabinet.
Cut a piece of matboard 4-1/8” x
1” x 1/16” and another piece 4-3/8” x 1-1/8” x 1/16”. Glue these two pieces sandwiched together,
back edges flush & and a 1/16” over hang on each end. Glue this cabinet top to the top of the cabinet, back edges flush, and
centered, side to side.
Click on image, copy and paste to your computer.
Set to print at exact/actual size or 7.93"w x 9.38"w
---------------------------------
===================
WITCH’S WORK TABLE
Assembling legs:
Each leg is made up of assorted wooden beads including plastic skull beads (approx. 3/8” or
9-10mm… check your local or online craft and jewelry supply sources.
Each leg should be approx. 2-3/8”
to 2-1/3” high. The top and bottom beads
should have flat sides so the stretcher bars can be glued to them. As seen each leg had two skull beads.
The beads are “strung” on thin (approx.
1/16” thick bamboo skewers with tacky glue…look in kitchen & import
stores for these thin skewers (why bamboo?...because they are pliable and will
not break easily). Make six legs.
Paint the leg assemblies as
desired. As seen they are painted with
an avocado green acrylic craft paint. When the paint had dried, antique them with
a dark brown water based gel stain, wiping
it back off until the look you want is achieved. Lightly sand off some of the paint and stain
for a slightly distressed look. Make
sure the skulls show up by adding a bit of white to the teeth and black to the
eyes, etc.
Cut a table top 4 ½” x 2 ¼”, from
either 1/16 to 3/32” sheet wood,
bookboard, or matboard. Sand edges
smooth. Paint with a raw sienna color acrylic (make sure to
paint both sides at the same time to prevent any warping). When paint has set, use a fairly wide, flat bristled brush to apply dark
brown water-based gel stain from end to end to create a wood –grain
look. Set aside to dry.
For the table apron pieces you
will need, 11” to 12” of ¼” x 1/8”
stripwood. For the stretchers you
will need about 12” of 3/16” square
stripwood. Paint & antique these
wood strips to match the table legs.
Turn the table-top upside
down. Measure and mark a line 1/8” in
from the edges all the way around. Glue
a leg, upside down, to each corner of the table, just inside the marked lines. Glue a leg centered between each of the legs
on the long sides. Let glue set.
Measure and cut apron pieces to
fit between tops of legs (do each one separately for accuracy). Cut stretchers the exact length of each apron
piece. Touch up the ends with paint. Apply glue to a narrow edge and ends of an
apron piece and apply it to the underside of the table top, with the ends
centered on the top beads of the legs.
Glue the ends of the matching stretcher piece between and to the bottom
beads, centered on the bead, or sitting up approx. 1/16” from bottom of
bead. Repeat so there is an apron and
stretcher between each leg. Cut &
glue in place another stretcher to fit across the center table legs on the
bottom bead section.…this should be the same length as the end stretcher pieces.
-------------------------------------
THE WITCH
The first thing I did was create
the witch’s shoes so they would be ready when she was dressed. To create the shoes I used plastic, fashion doll (Barbie?) boots
as molds. These type of boots can be
found packaged with other shoes in toy departments of just about any
store….they are quite inexpensive.
Cut the front and bottom of the
boots open on the seam line. Hold it
closed with a rubber band, or what-have-you.
Mix up a bit of Plaster of Paris,
carefully following package directions. Drop/pour it into the boot mold, making
sure it goes into the heel part...tapping it sharply should do the job. When it is full tap it some more to get rid
of air bubbles that can occur. Let the
mold sit for several hours overnight.
Carefully open the mold, watching to see that the narrow heel does not
break. Let the boots dry thoroughly
before carving…you can usually tell when the plaster is dry by the touch…when
still damp it will feel cold. Drying can
be hastened by placing the pieces in a warm environment or with the use of a
heat gun. I would suggest making extras
in case of breakage.
To carve the shape, first cut off
the top of the boot. Then use files, knives, Dremel Moto Tool, sandpaper, or
what-have-you or what you are comfortable with to get the shape. Paint your shoes with black acrylic. I used Folk
Art’s Metallic Sequin Black by Plaid because it resembles patent
leather. Cut or twist off the feet of
the skeleton and make a hole in the shoes deep enough to take the end of the
bone. When all else is done on the
witch, glue the shoes on with tacky glue..
I used these photos as an inspiration
I took a very easy approach to
dressing my witch, no sewing involved. You may sew yours, but I love glue. To
do approximately what I did, start with a piece of black, lightweight cotton
fabric. Paint both sides of it with
black acrylic craft paint and hang to dry…or hurry the process with a heat gun.
Twist
the arms off of the skelly. Using Crafter’s
Pick Ultimate Glue wrap a 5” length of wire (of a gauge that is strong enough
to not bend easily but is still flexible…yes I know I should give you a gauge,
but……..) around the arm, starting at the wrist and letting the excess wire
extend off the top. Cut arm pieces from
prepared fabric. Fold in half and glue
together with a small seam. Cut end of
sleeve onto ragged points. Paint the
wired arm with glue and insert it into the sleeve so the seam is to the inside,
the bottom of the sleeve hits just below the wrist, with the wire extending out
the top of the fabric. Let glue set for
a bit and then hold the sleeved arm to the skeleton and wrap the extending wire
around the neck/backbone until it is secure.
Repeat for the other arm. The wire will allow you to position the arm as
desired.
Cut a 5-1/2”w x 5” long piece of
prepared fabric for the dress. Glue it
into a long tube with a small seam. Turn
back a hem on the top of the tube…the hemmed end will be the top of the
dress. Cut arm sections out of each side
at the top (making it look somewhat like a jumper). Paint glue on the top half
of the inside of the tube and slip it on the skeleton from the bottom up. Fit dress to body, arm cut-outs around sleeves,
and draping and shaping using more glue as needed. There is no particular way to do this, just
play with the fabric until you are pleased with the dress. When you have finished the dress should be just
above the feet so the shoes will show so trim if necessary. Cut the bottom of the dress into ragged
points. Add black sequin stars down the
front for buttons if desired.
A cape may be added…I “cheated”
and used one taken from an action figure.
But making a cape with the prepared fabric should be fairly easy. Measure and cut, pleat the neck edge a bit
and drape on the back of the dress with glue, letting the bottom flow out a
bit. Add a black silk ribbon tie around
the neck.
Click on image to enlarge, Copy and paste to your computer.
Set to print at 5.79"w x 7.07"h
------------------------------
For the hat cut a brim and crown
from black cardstock. Lay the crown on a
giving surface and roll over it with a round pencil or something similar,
following the shape of the cut-out, causing it to roll up on itself. Glue the side over the tab. Cover the outside of the crown with a piece
of unpainted black fabric. Cover both
sides of brim with unpainted black fabric.
Cover the outside edge of the brim with thin black cording, starting and
stopping at center back. Glue the crown
onto the brim over the cutout. Let glue
set. You may wish to add some trim to
the hat.
Before putting the hat on the
witch, add her hair. I used snippets cut
from grey faux fur but you may choose to use other materials, such as gray yarn,
frayed out. It is not necessary to cover
the top of the head with hair as the hat will cover it. Glue the hat in place and when the glue has
set a bit, scrunch up both the brim and the crown, as desired.
Copy and paste image to your computer.
Set to print at actual/exact size or 6.02"w x 3.26"h
--------------------------
Add the shoes.
Remember
these patterns and directions are pretty rough so take any liberties necessary
to get a finished look that pleases you.
-----------------------------
ON THE TABLE
THE MAGIC POTION
Choose two containers, one to sit on the table that holds the brewing
potion and another that the witch is holding as she pours. The first should be rather large and could be
a pot or a small caldron. The 2nd
should have a handle or stem that is small enough for a hand to hold.
Decide where on the table you want
your brewing potion and glue or glue-dot
it in place.
Glue the pouring vessel into the
witch’s hand, bending the fingers around it; let the glue set. Make sure the pouring vessel is positioned so
that the “liquid” would have a natural spill.
Glue the witch in place to the floor so that the pouring vessel is above
the brewing bowl.
Cut a piece of clear plastic, kitchen wrap at least
twice the width of the bowl and of a length that will fit from the pouring
vessel to bowl with enough to fill the inside of each. Scrunch up one end of the plastic and glue it
into the pouring vessel; let the glue set. Put a nice glob of Crafter’s Pick Incredibly Tacky glue
into the bowl and, with the help of tweezers, pull the other end of the plastic
wrap down into the glue in the bowl, arranging/pleating the portion between
vessel and bowl for a natural flow. Let
glue set.
Drop clear fingernail enamel (a top coat or hard nails type is stronger) all
around the plastic wrap from the top on down so it flows down and over the rest
and into the bowl. Add several thick
coats, drying between each. Make sure
the enamel is up into the vessel and covers the entire wrap in the bowl. When the enamel is thoroughly set the plastic
wrap should be rigid an hold its shape.
Choose metallic green or blue color fingernail enamel
(or whatever color fits your fantasy) and paint it over the clear enamel until
you are satisfied with the effect.
Sprinkle the last coat of enamel with fine glitter (you choice of colors) and if desired, tiny sequin stars
or bats or whatever. When all is set
add a last coat of clean enamel.
To add interest, the brewing pot
sits in the middle of an ornate, metal
picture frame.
This is an
easy, fun, and effective technique, but for good results take your time,
letting the glues and enamels dry thoroughly, even if it takes over night.
---------------------------------
A purchased pewter bowl & spoon holds glitter.
A purchased, tall metal candlestick painted gold
holds a candle made from a thin drinking
straw. Once the straw was cut and glued
in place it was filled with pale yellow
acrylic paint, allowing it to dribble down the sides of the candle, spilling
onto the base and a bit on the table.
Before the paint has set a length of white buttonhole thread was poked into the “candle” for the
wick. When the paint was set the tip of
the wick was dabbed with bright orange
and yellow paint and when dry, with a coat of clear nail enamel. If I had
more patience I might have considered wiring the candle with a tiny bulb.
----------------------------
The Open Potion Recipe Book: From the spine of an approx.. 3/16” thick tablet cut a book a scant
11/16” w by 7/8” high. Create a printie of the book cover. Carefully cut it out & fold it on all
lines. Glue the two spine tabs to the inside. Glue the prepared cover to the first and last
cover’s of your book, gluing the tabs to the inside. Using a pointed
or very small ball stylus, “draw” over the black spine edges and the black
corner edges to add dimension. Holding
the book closed, color the edges of the pages lightly gold, using your choice of medium.
If the gold is too intense, antique with a brown wash.
Click on image to enlarge. Copy and paste to your computer.
Set to print at actual/exact size or 2.81"w x 2.78"h
Set to best printer settings. Print onto bright white paper.
===========
Either print the book’s recipe
page on an ecru-colored or vellum type
paper or tint a white printie with brown water color for an aged look. Fold the page in half. Open book about halfway thru. And use glue stick to adhere the page in the
book. Age and distress the book’s pages
for a used look to suit your tastes by turning the corners of the pages
slightly inward and otherwise ruffling them a bit. Add a light coat of glue stick to the edges
of the pages to hold them together. A thin length of black silk ribbon bookmark may be glued on the open pages if
desired.
---------------------------------
Assorted beads
and cork topped glass bottles hold bits and
pieces of glitter and this and that.
A little rat sits on
the corner of the table watching as the potion is brewed. He is from Lemax Spooky Town Collection #74683, rats and snakes. http://www.amazon.com/Spooky-Halloween-Critters
I
used a Dremel Moto Tool http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-100-N-Single-Speed-Rotary and files to carefully carve off the base the
rats sat on.
---------------------------------------------
IN & AROUND THE CUPBOARD
The upper two shelves of the
cupboard hold an assortment of bottles and jars. Some bottles are made from Lite Brite pegs (multicolored, translucent,
plastic pegs from a child’s game. Refill
packs are available at toy stores and are often found for sale, bagged in
thrift stores) and others are formed from ¼”
diam. acrylic rods from Tap Plastics www.tapplastics.com They come in opaque white, transparent
yellow, green, yellow, blue, red, pink. You will want to order then in ¼”. Each is 6 feet long but they will cut them
shorter for cheaper shipping…these make a good purchase to share with mini friends
or club members.
Print the bottle out to 1/4" wide
-----------------------------------------------
Using the bottle pattern as a guide (or create your own) cut sections of the
rod to length desired with a razor saw or use the pegs. Insert the cut rods or pegs into a variable-speed electric drill. With the drill turned on to a medium speed,
use various tools of your choice,
such as Dremel Moto tool with assorted
attachments, carving tools, assorted files, and medium grade sandpaper to shape
the piece. Finish the bottles by buffing
or coating with clear nail enamel. You
may paint corks or stoppers on the top of the bottles.
As you experiment with shaping you
will find the tools that work best for you and you will find a comfortable way
to hold the drill as you work (I like to hold it in my lap but I also have a
clamp that holds it to my work table.
Your first shapes may be a bit “wonky” but it doesn't take long to get
the procedure down and you will find it a fun and habit-forming project. Some Lite-Brite pegs have air bubbles in them
adding to the illusion of a potion. Small
jars may be formed simply by cutting the rods to size. Add ¼” punched rounds of cardstock for
tops.
Make printies of labels, cut out and glue to bottles or jars.
BE SURE TO WEAR SAFETY GLASSES FOR THIS PROJECT.
Copy and paste image to your computer.
Set to print at actual/exact size or 4.26"w x 1.79"h
Print onto bright white paper at best printer settings.
-------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------
Here you will also find an assortment of books. For the bookends look in my October 2010 posting, The Consummate Bibliophile .
Click on image to enlarge. Copy & paste to your computer.
Set to print at actual/exact size or 8.31"w x 4.26"h
Print onto bright white paper at best printer settings
-------------------------------------------
The two lower shelves hold large
baskets full of “who knows what”. The
counter shows an open book, more bottles, and a dish of something green & yuckie
On top the cupboard is a birdcage
with an angry crow inside. Also there
sits a black cat, one of three of our witch’s pets. These are repainted plastic cats from Archie
McPhee http://mcphee.com/shop/crazy-cat-lady-action-figure.html‘
GARLIC BRAID
Start by peeling off the skin from
a real garlic clove. Coat the skin with
acrylic matte medium to strength and protect.
Let dry. Coat a white peppercorn
with the matte medium. Let dry. Wrap a peppercorn in a piece of the prepared garlic
skin, using lue, twisting the ends tightly.
Make ten or twelve little garlic heads.
Twist a prepared pieces of the garlic skin for a rope and loop one end
over itself for hanging. Glue the
prepared garlic braid as long as desired.
Cut a bit of the root from a real garlic head and fray a bit. Attach to the bottom of each garlic head on
the rope, rimming as desired. Hang from
side of cupboard.
-------------------------------
BROOM
Gather a bunch of fine broom straw (craft shops sell
small, inexpensive, fan-like brooms that are perfect for this type of project
or check your full-sized whisk broom) that measures approx. 3/8” diameter when
squeezed. Holding the bundle tightly,
tie a piece of black buttonhole thread several times around the bundle, approx.
¼” down from the top. Coat the wrapped
thread and where it touches lightly with glue.
Trim the bottom section of the straw to approx. 1 ¼”.
For the broom stick, cut an approx.
4” length of approx. of 1/8” thick round branch cut from the end of a dried flower. Choose a branch segment with some character
for more interest. You also may choose
to whittle your own broomstick. If needed weather the broomstick with acrylics. Coat the bottom 1/2 “of the broomstick with
glue and insert it down into the middle of the top of the straw bundle, whole
holding the bundle fairly tightly. You’re
all ready to fly!
=================
Here are two photos of February 2003 article, THE QUEEN OF HEARTS
===================
If all goes as planned I will see you soon with Preparing the Turkey in time to help celebrate Thanksgiving .
Until then,
