Wednesday 14 December 2011

Christmas in the Dolls House: the Christmas Tree in 1:12 Scale

Make a miniature Christmas tree 
I love this time of the year - the decorations, the carol singing, doing the Christmas baking, choosing presents and wrapping them. So yesterday, when we put up a real Christmas tree in our lounge, I put a miniature Christmas tree in the Edwardian dolls house too. This is the one time of the year that I change things around a little in the dolls house; usually I leave the rooms set out without altering any arrangements. But introducing a Christmas tree into the 1:12 scale lounge involves a bit of mini furniture removal and juggling of space.
   I embroidered a small carpet in a poinsettia design, perfect for the festive season, from a pattern in a dolls house magazine a couple of years ago and I brought this out to stand the Christmas tree on. The crackers and baubles and candy canes I made from bits and pieces in my craft stash - crêpe paper, beads, wire and Fimo. The little metal rocking horse charms are the perfect size for ornaments. I pinched toys from the nursery to place under the tree as presents. Also there is one of my favourite things; a fully printed 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' miniature book.
  Making the actual Christmas tree was time-consuming and as boring as pruning roses! It involved taking one large, bright green, fake 'bottlebrush' Christmas tree, a couple of handfuls of lycopodium, (a real dried plant also known as Princess Pine) and craft glue.
  All it took then was the time to dip the end of a piece of lycopodium in the glue and then push it into the fake tree. I started at the bottom and worked my way round and up and up, making sure there were no spaces uncovered, no bits of the 'bottlebrush' showing. Then a quick trim with the nail scissors to deal with any sticking out 'branches' and it was done. Easy but tedious.
  But I think it was well worth it. The tree looks so real. And the dolls house lounge looks very festive.    

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