Buildings in Happy Tree Village come in many varieties, just like in real life. Let’s make a jazz club with a balcony!
Tools: ruler, scissors, paint brushes, masking tape.
Materials: Cardboard, white glue, flat toothpick, milk pull, paint.
Difficulty: moderate
Cost: less than $1 including paint and glue Time: three to five hours or more of fun!
1. Measure, mark, cut & glue structure
Measure and mark cardboard. Base: 5” square. Walls: two are 4” square, two are 4” x 4” to 5” peaks at center. Cut and glue together at edges, leaving ½” of extra space at base for the sidewalk. Use masking tape to hold in place until dry. The roof is 5” wide x 6”, and folded in half. Optionally, (shown) the top layer of corrugated cardboard can be peeled away for a tile or metal roof look.
2. Balcony and bits
Corners, windows & doors: cut thin cardboard into ½” strips and fold in half for the corner trims, and ¼” strips along the horizontal floor divider line. Cut ½” squares for windows. Use a glue brush for better control. Balcony: cut a 2” cardboard square diagonally for the balcony support triangles, a 2” x 4” rectangle for the floor and two 1” x 2” and one 1” x 4” piece for the balcony walls. Glue on, above the front door.
3. Paint
Prime/base coat everything in white, then paint it any colors you like. Neon orange contrasts with the blues to get them to pop. The roof and doors are metallic blue. The windows are glossy black and the balcony and trim are neon blue. Sidewalks are gray. Use painter’s tape for cleaner edges. Paint 2-3 coats, including touch ups.
4. Details
Cut flat toothpicks or plastic canvas down for door handles, paint bronze. Use a milk pull for the roof vent, leave white. If you have access to a printer or even a color printer, you can create some paper signs. An orange bottle cap, a cocktail umbrella and some figures add pop.
5. The Blue Balcony
Happy Tree City now has a restaurant & nightclub, the Blue Balcony. Now playing: Live blues & jazz. Add your choice of cars and figures, and the stories you can imagine almost write themselves!
What fresh ideas would you like to see next in Crafty Time? Visit www.craftytimewithdave.com for more photos and project ideas. Please email your photos and feedback to dave@masoncounty.com or call 360-426-4412. Visit our office to see the display!
Crafty Time With Dave 
