Dollhouse: Let there be LIGHT!

 Well, I watched a fantastic tutorial by Garden of Imagination on YouTube, and got the idea to stylize my own light fixtures for the cottage. It was a very fussy project, and I've only just made the one, but am thrilled with the way it turned out. Above, you can see the 12v incandescent bulb I purchased from HobbyTown USA, in their train section (a set of six). Above it is a jewelry finding, spread open a little, and then all the pins, after beading, were bent through the loops in the bead cap. I also put some longer ones in the center to cover the bulb better. I then soldered the lights to an extension plug so that I could plug it in at the electrical strip made specifically for dollhouse wiring. Yes, it takes a lot, and bumps the amount of money you spend on the project, but to me, it brings so much life to the interior, and there is nothing like seeing those windows glow from the front of the house!

In these photos, you can also see the wainscotting is up, and the chair rail, and everything has been aged. I glued a victorian style fabric to the walls and then aged them in all the corners, and it ended up giving it the perfect atmosphere. I haven't finished the chair rail on the right due to the fireplace surround needing construction before I know where that piece of trim will fall. There will also be trim around the ceiling and baseboards, and a hardwood floor installed. There will be another light on the left hand side as well, but will look differently as this is more of a 'kitchen' area, and I need it to be brighter there.

The big hole on the left is the opening for the bay window.

And then I discovered the thrill of finding minis for sale on Etsy! These were purchased by Green Gypsies- what witch's cottage would be complete without a set of Harry Potter books??? I also have plans to include many of the books that I loved over the years, but may try my hand at making a few of my own. 

The Tarot cards she sent me are perfect! So small and delicate, and exact in detail and scale. These will look wonderful next to the crystal ball I will be making! Below is a Sheep and Willow rug that just drew me in-- it may go in the kitchen area. 

And for a final update on the house as a whole, below I have shown how the 'copper' window pediments have been aged for copper patina. It looks better in real life, the green sort of washed out here. You can also see the aging of the exterior in this picture. After getting the lights in place, I'll be working on the flooring and getting the roof on. I will, of course, keep it posted! I hope you enjoy this process...I know there was nothing like the feeling of seeing that little light come on through the windows of the house.