HollyhockCottage

Hi and congratulations on your new career. I also was an RN (Mental Health for 38 years) and decided to start dolls housing as I approached 50.

I use a handsaw to cut large pieces of ply and mdf. Make sure it’s sharp and the teeth aren’t too big. If I need an angle I plane it after cutting.

No, I think Popsicle sticks describes what you are using. Sorry I sidetracked. I used the remnants of an old piece of plywood furniture which had been covering a hole in the fence when we bought our house 20 years ago and the layers of ply, which I cut into strips, were about the same thickness as a Popsicle stick. As everyone has said you need to put weight on them as they dry - I think I used PVA glue and left the weight on for a couple of days. This was about 8 or more years ago and they are still sitting nicely (mostly) Have you finished yours yet?

Popsicle sounds like sunshine and holidays and sitting on a wall swinging your legs and childhood innocence while enjoying a sweet treat. It’s a lovely word.

I’ve put a couple up but it needs some repair (the work crew is also the demolition crew ) and a good clean - this house has genuine dust, grime and cobwebs!

I like different coloured timbers together.

I’m Australian and don’t think we have popsicles at all although our ice blocks and paddle pops use the same sticks I believe.

Everyone has already said what I would about weight but I had to comment - ‘popsicle’ is so cute! That’s one of the things I love about international forums. We all speak ‘English’ so differently.

Thank you. That was a lifetime ago! So many changes. I’ll have to take some more pics although looking back at my amateurish efforts, it may be very polite and encouraging drool.

I used to love and hoard magazines and had yards of them (all sorts) on shelves but a few life changes happened so I culled heavily in a ‘Kondo’ moment and have one small pile left. Those ones, old and tatty, still spark joy.

I’ll be assessing what repairs are needed on my neglected cottage. This desertion was unplanned but part of the house’s back story was that it was empty and derelict for years until restored by a young man for his love

Are you thinking the Sarah Winchester house of over 100 rooms? How amazing (and enormous!) would that be!

I use tacky wax but I do have some pictures hanging by chain on a small pin because of the house era. I found if you drill a hole for the pin first using a pin drill (or small Archimedes drill) then just glue the trimmed pin into place, it’s much easier.