Crafts For Less

Nothing completes the lived in look of a dollhouse or other similar craft product quite like having scrumptious food sitting out on a counter or table. Buying these items is, of course, the easy way to go. Making them, however, is a whole lot more fun.

If you’re up to the challenge of crafting foods for your miniature kitchen, you’ll find there are a lot of things you can make in your own home that will give your dollhouse a more authentic look. Most projects are very simple and can even be created by youngsters who want to lend a hand. Some, however, will require a steady hand and a very patient touch.

To get started making your own food replicas for your dollhouse, you’ll have to do a few things in advance. They include:

Deciding what you want to make;

Scouring or dreaming up ideas for crafting and preserving the foods;

Collecting the necessary materials.

You will find that many food replica projects rely on basic materials that can be found in most craft shops.

Sample Projects You Can Try

There are a number of fairly easy and affordable projects you can try. Many will call for an investment in craft supplies, but most of these items can be used to make other projects. Some projects that are fairly easy to tackle include:

Creating raw eggs – There’s nothing like the look of raw eggs cooking in a pan to give a dollhouse kitchen a homey look. To create your own, you’ll need a tar gel acrylic medium and yellow acrylic paint. Make sure you have the surface you want the eggs in or on ready. Now, create your yolks by dotting yellow paint onto the surface. You can make a broken yolk look by using a toothpick to pull out your dabs. For the whites, use the tar gel to create the desired shape. If necessary, a white acrylic medium can also be used. Should you not be sure where you’d like your eggs to go when complete, craft them on a slick ceramic tile and gently scrape them off for placement once they are fully dry.

Polymer clay foods – This is the medium used for making most dollhouse and craft foods. It can be used to create such things as peaches, apples, pancakes, waffles and a host of other foods. Just use acrylic paint or another dying medium to add your desired color to the clay. Shape and then bake according to manufacturer instructions. Do keep your scale in mind when you’re working with the clay. To make waffles, for example, it’s a good idea to actually mold the shapes using a dollhouse waffle iron.

Cakes and other finished look designs – To create scaled and realistic looking cakes, you’ll need a color computer printer, acrylic paints and florist foam. Cut your cake (foam) to the desired shape. Select a picture for the top of the cake and print. Affix the picture (wrapping the sides, too) with your printer paper. Once you have a clean look, “frost” the cake by using dabs of acrylic paint to build up a more three-dimensional look.

Sure, it’s easier to buy replica foods for dollhouses and craft projects. It’s a whole lot more fun, however, to whip them up in your own kitchen!

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