How can I build model cities with household items?
I’m not looking to make anything fancy or intricate, this is just for something to do. I like arts and crafts and it always seemed like fun!
What materials should I use (cardboard/scrap wood/etc.)?
Thanks so much!
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paper….took a art class, we had to build an object out of paper under certain requirments..somethings built-a castle, a boat, a paddle boat, a bedroom….the castle was about 4 ft tall and 2 1/2 ft wide
This is a great project to use up things like old Christmas and birthday cards that you’ve saved but….
Also think about all the junk mail that you get; I even get “junk mail” CDs and “credit cards”/
For these stiff items, it is easy to notch and connect them- like log cabin kind of construction or glue for the CDs.
It is easy to use all the scrap paper or shredded paper to make paper mache and use that to sculpt and mold interesting shapes- like church, mosque, or temple domes.
If you build your city on a piece or piece of plywood or heavy cardboard, it will be easy to do your work in one area, and then display or store your pierces where you need to.
Did you know you can make a very good paper glue with a bit of flour and a little bit of water?
I would recommend looking at doll furniture suppliers for bigger items (Couches, tables, etc) and items that are harder to make. Sculpey or any air drying clay would be great for making plates and cups, and play food and things like that. You can use scraps of fabric for curtains, bedspreads, etc., and a rectangle of cardboard or cardstock folded over makes a great book or magazine. I would also recommend requesting fabric samples from craftstores like Joann and Michael’s. Most often the samples are free or very cheap and you can make “fancier” items for you dollhouses.
Which material(s) you’d use for making model cities would depend entirely on what you wanted to use (and perhaps how long you wanted the pieces to last or how stiff they should be or how they should look, etc).
You could use wood of some kind, or cardstock, cardboard, paper, foam core board, clays of various kinds, or even architectural gingerbread or premade cereal or food boxes/matchboxes/giftboxes, or blocks, etc, etc.
The buildings could also be solid or hollow, and just about any size (you didn’t mention the size you want though).
Check out some of these possibilities:
http://images.google.com/images?q=model+city
http://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+make+model+city
If you’re interested in using a clay, particularly a polymer clay (though air-dry clays could do many of the same things**), you might also be interested in these pages at my site:
http://glassattic.com/polymer/houses_structures_gingerbread.htm
http://glassattic.com/polymer/miniatures.htm
**though air-dry clays will shrink somewhat while drying, and must be thoroughly sealed after drying (or painted with permanent paint)