Art tutorial by Dave Pierik, Shelton-Mason County Journal dave@masoncounty.com
Crafty Time with Dave – Nifty Thrifty Idea #47
Nifty Thrifty
Working from real life is not really harder or easier compared to creating from your imagination. The process is a bit different though.
Tools: camera (or phone), graph paper, ruler, scissors, paint brushes, acrylic paint markers, masking tape.
Materials: Cardboard, white glue, bamboo skewers, clear plastic, paint.
Difficulty: moderate to advanced
Cost: less than $5 including paint and glue Time: Four to six hours or more of fun!
Take photos, then do some sketches. Printing photos will help with scale and proportion. 
I like 1/4″-grid graph paper to help figure out what my measurements will need to be. 
Corrugated cardboard is sturdier than thin card. Measure, then mark and cut with a good pair of craft scissors. White glue is fine. Use an old brush to paint glue – it will give you more control. 
Masking tape holds pieces in place while glue dries. Once it’s dry, peel it off everywhere where it’s visible.
1. Photograph & plan
Photograph the building from all sides. Print b/w copies to study. Trace a basic outline on graph paper for proportions and measurements. A corrugated base piece 17” long x at least 8” deep will allow for parking places for Hot Wheels cars. The Nifty Thrifty building scales to 15” long x 5” deep including a 1” inset porch, and 4” tall at the top peak and bottom of the roof at the 2” mark. You’ll need three identical side panels 5” wide at the bottom of the roof (the middle one for support). Corrugated cardboard can be peeled away for a tile or metal roof look, be sure the wave direction matches, you’ll need one piece that’s 6” wide x 15” long (fold it carefully in the middle). Use smaller cardboard pieces for windows and bamboo sticks for porch poles. Cut, test-fit and glue it all together.
A white basecoat helps color pop. Although the actual metal roof color is more of a dull blue, bright colors stand out a bit better. Decide how realistic you want to go in matching (or not matching) colors. 
Reference photo of front including parking lot and streets 
Reference photo of front 
Reference photo of windows and front 
Reference photo of door and sign 
Reference photo of back door 
Reference photo of back of building 
Reference photo of sign of windows 
Reference photo of left side 
Reference photo of right side 
Reference photo of right rear corner with alley
2. Paint
Use masking tape and/or glue with baking soda to tidy up any gaps. Once it’s dry, basecoat everything in white acrylic (water soluble) paint. Once that’s dry, paint the parking lot and porch poles black, the concrete sidewalks gray, and the roof blue. Leave the building white. While the paint dries, study your reference photos.
3. Building details
Use pencil and acrylic paint markers to match the basic shapes and colors of the windows, doors and signs. Measure, mark, cut and glue clear plastic over the top so the windows and glass doors will reflect realistically.
Use masking tape to control where the black asphalt, gray concrete and white curb paint will be. 
Toothpicks or square craft sticks make great curb stops. 
Peeling off masking tape. I painted the gray sidewalks first, then masked it before painting the black asphalt 
Parking lot stripes. I used a white paint marker and a ruler. 
Handicap parking indicators. I used a computer and a color printer, then trimmed them out with scissors and glued them in place.
4. Parking lot
Use a ruler and a white acrylic paint marker to paint parking lot stripes and street parking indicators. Use a color printer and print handicapped parking signs in sizes to match the reference photo, and then glue them to the parking lot and the porch poles. Test fit Hot Wheels cars to park in a few spots, then apply glue to the wheels with a brush and glue wheels to pavement.
Nifty Thrifty, left side of building. Hot Wheels tires are glued to the street to keep them in place. 
Left front corner view. Note the yellow curb stripe. Paint markers and a ruler work great. 
Right front corner view. Note the hotrod Hot Wheels car at far right, which was purchased at Nifty Thrifty for 50¢. 
Front view. Door and window detail, and the sign were drawn in pencil and painted using paint markers. Then, clear plastic was glued over the top for the glass look of the windows and glass doors. 
Rear view. Pencil, paint and acrylic paint markers. Air units on the roof are plastic cubes which were painted white. 
The entire model was carefully pre-measured to fit in this glass display case.. Plastic cubes were painted and glued to the bottom of the model, and glued under its base to elevate it just above the lowest metal ridge of the display case, for better visibility. 
In it goes, a perfect fit. 
Rear right corner view of Crafty Time with Dave’s Nifty Thrifty model, in the case, in the care on the way to Nifty Thrifty in Shelton WA. 
Dave Pierik, artist (3rd from left) with Nifty Thrifty Staff Melanie, Melissa and Michelle. Thank you Nifty Thrifty and Mason County Senior Activities Association for your support!!
5. Nifty model at Nifty Thrifty
The entire Nifty model fits neatly in a glass terrarium that was donated to me by Nifty Thrifty. It’s on display there, behind the counter on a shelf at 826 W. Railroad Avenue in downtown Shelton.
6-26-2025 Shelton-Mason County Journal pg. 23 Crafty Time Nifty Thrifty model by Dave Pierik, as it appeared in the newspaper.
Want to build this, or something like it? Here’s a sheet of handicapped parking symbols you might find helpful. It’s a Word file. You might need to print it in different sizes. Color looks best.
6X. Crafty Time QR
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 the Shelton-Mason County Journal office on 3rd & Cota to see the display anytime!
Crafty Time With Dave 