If only we were on our way to this little place in a foresty spot up north. Well, maybe next year, but for now, my Christmas fantasy mini cabin is hanging on the kitchen wall above the counter top.
I found the room box at the Goodwill in Denver for $5. In its original state, way too rustic, so I decided to perform a little holiday DIY on it. Here's how it looked before the makeover.
How about the giant bacon and eggs in front of the tiny fireplace, and
the very small chairs under the tall table? I'd never tried my hand at
crafting tiny furnishings from balsa wood, but when I bought the box
house way back in July, I decided to give it a try. A new picture over
the mantle, a wreath, a new
rug for the floor...
Here's Step 1 of the makeover, the demo. What's left is a beveled frame about 8" by 10" with a piece of cork glued to the back.
Step 2, I cut a piece of tag board to fit the back wall and painted
it with red lacquer. The new fireplace is made from a square tile
sample from Ann Sacks.
This is a perfect illustration of the fantasy part I mentioned, since
the tile sample represents a stone basketweave mosaic that runs about $40
per square foot.
I used a chisel and hammer to trim it to the proportionate size.
eBay
had
some nice rugs to print, but I discovered one in last year's
calendar from a rug company and glued it to the floor with rubber
cement. This is perfect glue to use because it's dry (no drips!) and
allows you to wiggle things into position without leaving a wet trail.
A modern original over the mantel and a pendant lamp made from a bead
wrap up this step of the remodel.
I'm particularly proud of the pair of chairs I made, kind of a faux bois
butterfly design cut from the leftover papyrus I used on a table redo, the long, long coffee table. The complementary side table is from a page of the rug calendar, too.
There was a short debate on a real or fake tree in the mini cabin this year. Artificial won, so I used a couple shades of green from the craft
stash to cut and paste a tree. Under the tree are a few green and red
Monopoly house presents.
Finally, this vintage pin gives a lodgey hunt-and-fish touch to the
cabin that exists, in my imagination, about two hours north of here
under a starry sky, beside a clear stream, in a quiet forest.
Thank you for following me on Garage Sale Warrior, and thanks to the
Tribune--I never dreamed I could have this much fun traipsing around
other people's yards and dusty store corners. I look forward to many
more treasure hunts together in the new year!
Wherever you are this Christmas, I hope your holiday is full of happiness.
Filed under: DIY projects
How about some lights! Great little project.