Tutorials

Shingle Patterns

Decorating Tools, Free Patterns / October 30, 2023

Earlier this month I held a Halloween House class at a local store. One of the participants was making my new Sparrow House and wanted to add shingles. There isn’t time during the class, but I referred them to my website and told them they could find shingle patterns there and cut them by hand and add them at home. Once I got home, I realized that while I had included shingle patterns in several of my house patterns, they weren’t that easy to find. I decided that I needed one post that included all of my shingle patterns.

Make Your Own Sparrow House

Cottages, Free Patterns, Halloween, Houses / September 22, 2023

I had a bit of a challenge in deciding on a Halloween building for this year. I am teaching another class locally in October, so I wanted to design a building simple enough that a beginner could finish it in 3 hours. I also wanted to make a building that could be used for multiple seasons. Since I like basing many of my patterns on actual buildings I tried a Google search and decided on the Jack Sparrow House in Helston, Cornwall. This cottage is one of Airbnb’s most wish-listed properties in the UK. With seasonal decorations it could be a witch’s cottage, a fairy house, or a building that could fit into Whoville.

Make Your Own Stacked Stone Wall Stencil

Decorating Tools, Free Patterns / September 2, 2023

I just finished my pattern for the Village Pub, based on the Gus O’Connor’s Pub in Doolin, Ireland. Since the pub had a stacked stone wall front, I decided I wanted one too. There were several ways I could make the stones, using either my texture folders like I showed you when I made Villa Torre, or using a debossing tip, as I did with Hiorne Tower. I really love the look of stenciled stones made with grit paste, however, so I decided it was time that I make and share a new stencil pattern.

Make Your Own Village Pub

Cottages, Free Patterns, Shops and Village Buildings / August 30, 2023

This month I decided to make SVGs in Inkscape of one of the early buildings I originally designed in Cricut Design Space. This building is based on Gus O’Connor’s Pub in Doolin, Ireland. From TheJournal.ie: “SINCE 1832, GUS O’Connor’s has been a fixture in Doolin, Co Clare. Over the years, it has garnered a reputation as one of the best regarded traditional music pubs in Ireland.”

Make Your Own Retro Ice Cream Stand

Cottages, Free Patterns, Shops and Village Buildings / July 30, 2023

For a while now I have been receiving requests to make more buildings that would fit in with my Mid-Century Modern House. The house tends to be one of my most popular downloads as well as a best selling DIY kit. There are other places to find free Mid-Century Modern house patterns, however. It is clear the dearth of patterns is for shops for your Retro Village. With how hot it has been outside, a Retro Ice Cream Stand seemed perfect.

Make Your Own Barn with Stables

Cottages, Free Patterns, Houses, Snow Village / June 26, 2023

I had plans for a different design this month, but my friend Lucy Foxworth emailed me while I was on vacation to ask if I would make a barn pattern for her June Challenge. Of course I didn’t realize that I would be so busy on my vacation that I wouldn’t find a minute to design, but I have been working on it since I got home. Like with my pattern for my Detached Garage, I wanted operable barn doors.

Make Your Own Detached Garage

Cottages, Free Patterns, Houses / May 27, 2023

I received a request to make a garage, and due to this being a very busy month for me, decided a small building like a garage would fit into my schedule nicely. I may well end up making more than one garage pattern, but for the first garage I decided on a detached single car garage with a side covered walkway.

I decided that I also wanted to make the garage door operable, so that you could have the garage door open or closed depending upon whether you want to show off a car in your garage.

3D Beach Accessories

Free Patterns, Village Accessories / May 17, 2023

I finally made a few 3D beach accessories to go with the Beach House pattern I published last August. I began by thinking about what items I would take with me if I was to go hang out at the beach. A towel, sunscreen, and my phone loaded with an audiobook is probably all I would need, though I would search out a palm tree to sit under as I burn easily. The audiobook isn’t really necessary as the sound of the waves at the beach always lull me to sleep within minutes. Ack, that wasn’t enough, so I threw in a beach chair for my husband, a beach umbrella in case there weren’t any palm trees to sit under, and then a couple of surf boards just because I knew they would look good leaning against the Beach House platform, not because I have ever surfed. I am sure if I had ever tried I would have needed the life preserver.

Guest Designer Gerard Van Kerckhoven: Make Your Own Sears House

Cottages, Free Patterns, Guest Designers, Houses / April 30, 2023

It is past time for me to share a pattern from another guest designer. I first became aware of Belgium designer Gerard Van Kerckhoven when he shared several of his designs in Facebook groups in which we are both members. Like me, Gerard is often inspired by pictures of actual buildings. For this design, Gerard used an ad for a 1916 Sears catalog home.

How to Carve a Foam Base

Technique Tutorials / April 3, 2023

I have been wanting to carve a foam base for one of my models for a long time, but I have been very intimidated. I bought an electric foam carving kit over a year ago and hadn’t even opened the package. Recently one of my subscribers sent me a picture of a base she had carved and when I asked her what she used to carve it she explained that she uses only a pencil and craft knife to carve her bases. Well, I can do that!

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