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Crafty Time

By Dave Pierik, Shelton-Mason County Journal

Barn

Spring is in the air here, and also in our imaginary town of Happy Tree. Let’s make a barn!

Tools: ruler, scissors, paint brushes.

Materials: Cardboard, white glue, masking tape, paint. Optional: round toothpicks, straw, spool.

Difficulty: easy

Cost: less than $1 including paint and glue   Time: two to four hours or more of fun!

1. Mark

Base: 4” wide x 5” deep. Front (make 2): 4” w x 4” tall; 3 ½” mid-slope, 2” downside of roof. Sides (make 2) 2” tall x 5” deep. Roof: 6 ½” x 5 ½” with fold mark at 3 ¼” midpoint. Look at barn photos before starting.

2. Cut

Cut cardboard along the marks you made. For barn doors that open, cut an opening and glue bits of straw into the sides, allowing room for a round toothpick to fit. Test fit doors and glue to toothpick when ready. Glue parts together (except roof and doors), adjust as needed and let dry.

3. Paint

Prior to gluing roof on, paint the interior brown. Next, base-coat exterior with the same brown before you paint the walls and doors red and the roof black. The white “X” pattern on the doors is easier to paint prior to gluing onto the toothpicks.

4. Details

An adding machine spool made a cute chimney in this example. The barn door handles are cut-down toothpicks painted silver. Put the glue on the handle then carefully place. The barn quilt was hand-painted on a 1” square of white plastic.

5. Barn

Add a farm truck, toy horses or livestock of your choice and you can really make a scene! Note the farmhouse (Idea 19 from September 10, 2020 Crafty Time) in the background.

What 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!

10.21.dp.CreditUnion RVE.CraftyTime Idea 34 2pg

Crafty Time

By Dave Pierik, Shelton-Mason County Journal

Credit Union

Happy Tree village needs a Credit Union. Let’s make one!

Special thanks to my wife for the concept!

Tools: ruler, scissors, paint brushes. Optional: file

Materials: cardboard, clear plastic, plastic lid, bamboo skewers, masking tape, white glue, paint.

Cost: about ^$0.50 – ^$2 including paint and glue   Time: two to four hours or more of fun!

Difficulty: Intermediate

1. Measure

Clearly mark cardboard for 4”x 4” floor and roof, 3 ½” x 2 ½” back wall, 3 ½” x 3 ½” side walls. Mark slope on side walls to 2 ½”. On the floor piece, also mark a 3 ½” x 3 ½” square for placement later.

2. Cut

Carefully cut straight lines along your marks. It’s okay to start over, mark and cut again as needed – cardboard is abundant!

3. Plastic

Cut a 3 ½” x 3 ½” square of clear plastic for the front wall. Test fit with the other pieces.

4. Peel

Carefully peel and rip away the top layer of the angled side pieces. Clean up excess with a file if desired. This will give you nice corrugated exterior side walls.

5. Test fit

Place the walls over the floor lines and prop together with your fingers. Adjust any pieces that do not fit correctly.

6. Glue

Glue the back and side walls only. Save the roof and front for later. Wipe away any excess glue with a paper towel. Apply masking tape to hold in place until dry, then peel off.

7. Supports

Mark 6 craft sticks at 3 ½” lengths, and cut. You will need these for the front entrance.

8. Assembly

On a piece of cardboard, mark a 3 ½” square. Mark a horizontal guide at 2” and vertical lines ¾” in from the left and right, leaving a slightly wider gap in the middle. Glue sticks together, let dry and remove from cardboard.

9. Paint

Paint the outside walls, entrance bars and top of roof black, the floor brown, the inside of the back wall and bottom of the roof white and the side walls green.

10. Details

The counter is cardboard and a stick, 3 ¼” long x about ½” tall, paint grey. The safe door is clear plastic packaging and a cutaway adding machine spool, about 1 ½” tall. The handle is a bit of craft stick. Paint silver, gold and black.

11. Coats

Keep paint ready in your palette because you will need it for second coats and touch-ups.

12. Entrance

Be sure the glue and paint are dry on the black sticks for the front wall. Align and glue in place, adding dots of glue for the clear plastic. Be patient. Note that school glue dries clear.

13. Awning

Hold a clean cottage cheese lid to the entrance and mark the sides. Cut down, paint black and set aside. Paint a front door with black and silver, and add a silver door handle.

14. Check

Check the awning for fit, full coverage of paint and that everything is dry. Turn the building onto the back wall so that the front wall faces up. Apply glue to the edge of the awning and carefully place it.

15. Credit Union

Happy Tree Credit Union is currently the one and only financial institution for our imaginary town. Figures are approximately 1/64 scale and these came unpainted. Painting minis is fun though!

16. BONUS – Figures

Speaking of figures, here are some tips. For shading and highlights, start with the color you want, the base color. Then, use wet paint for a darker wash of a similar color. Next, use dry paint and lighter color for highlights. This figure is 1/35 scale, 1″ = 5′ so the base is about the size of a penny.

17. Yellow

Most people (including me) think of white as the main highlight color. I recently learned the importance of yellow from an art teacher. Figure sculpts by Reaper Miniatures of Texas. I painted these figures during the Reaper Virtual Expo earlier this month.

18. Cartoon

Once you can make solid black lines, you can separate your colors with them to create a cartoon-style effect. This does take practice, but it is fun!

19. Kilts

There is a support group on Facebook for people who are crazy enough to try painting kilts on miniatures. Yes, it’s kind of crazy. But, it’s possible if you can kind of paint straight lines.

What magic 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!

08.21.dp.Seating.CraftyTime

Crafty Time

By Dave Pierik, Shelton-Mason County Journal

Seating

Spectator seating is the final element of the amphitheater we made. Benches are easy to make, and versatile for many setups.

Tools: ruler, scissors, paint brushes.

Materials: craft sticks, white glue, paint. Optional: baking soda, figures.

Difficulty: easy

Cost: about ^$1-^$3 including paint and glue   Time: two to four hours or more of fun!

1. Measure

Lay out a simple seating arrangement. Measure and cut three sets of 1”, 2”, 3” and 4” craft sticks. Safety first, be patient.

2. Supports

Test seating height of your figures. Two additional craft sticks of height are just right in this case. Cut the pieces square and glue to the ends. Let dry.

3. Paint

Coat evenly with a mix of glue, baking soda (to thicken and fill gaps) and white paint.

4. Figures

Painting your own figures is fun! Pick any colors you like. Use a wash of wetter, darker paint for the low spots and dab off the excess. Use lighter, drier paint for raised surfaces.

5. Seating

Benches are great for spectator seating. They are freestanding, so they can also be used for Happy Tree parks, bus stops and other areas. Until next time, keep crafting!

What 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!

06.21.dp.Amphitheater.CraftyTime

Crafty Time

By Dave Pierik, Shelton-Mason County Journal

Amphitheater

This one came from a longing deep in my psyche, to be honest. I’m a cellist and I miss performing. Spaces like this naturally amplify music by reflecting sound waves out to the audience.

Tools: ruler, compass, scissors, craft knife, clothes pins, hole punch, paint brushes.

Materials: flat cardboard, Styrofoam, oatmeal container, masking tape, white glue, sand, paint.

Difficulty: medium

Cost: about ^$1-^$3 including paint and glue   Time: two to four hours or more of fun!

1. Base

The base is 2 ¼” plus 3” (middle) and 2 ¼”, 7 ½” total width. Mark right triangles in the corners to come out 2”, allowing for 3” angles. With a compass, mark a half-circle out to 4 ¼” at the front edge. Trace three extra copies of this shape. Set one aside. Glue three of them together and clamp with clothes pins.

2. Walls

Mark and cut three 3” x 3” Styrofoam squares. Test fit, and miter the corners if desired. Glue to the base.

3. Roof

Glue the extra base template to the top. Cut the oatmeal container into two half-cylinders. Test fit, and trim to an angle, glue together. Test fit and cut a back piece from cardboard, and use the hole punch to add design elements. Cut the base template down, allowing about a ½” ledge along the front walls. Glue together.

4. Sand

Add beads of glue along edges and seams. Drop handfuls of sand on the wet glue and shake off the excess. Repeat, one side at a time. You can add detail in the wet glue/sand using the back of a paintbrush. Let dry, then paint the entire structure with a mix of 50% white glue to white paint. Let dry. You will need 2-3 coats of paint.

5. Amphitheater

Happy Tree village now has a nice stage for outdoor concerts! In an upcoming Crafty Time, we will continue this with seating. Have fun in your crafting adventures!

What 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!

05.21.dp.bw.Show and Tell.CraftyTime

Crafty Time

By Dave Pierik, Shelton-Mason County Journal

Show and Tell

Today is my birthday. So to celebrate, I have three birthday wishes, in three parts! 1. I would love to show off my daughter, Bella Wilson’s buildings! 2. I’m telling you more about my process from concept to creation! 3. I painted up some Happy Tree citizens, and I have some stories to tell about them!

Tools: ruler, scissors, paint brushes.

Materials: cardboard, masking tape, white glue, paint.

Cost: about ^$1-^$3 including paint and glue   Time: two to four hours or more of fun!

Buildings

PART ONE – Bella handcrafted these 1/35 scale (1”=5’) fantasy-themed structures from flat cardboard, cardboard cylinders (Pringles® cans), and lids.

Inn

For this look, combine round and flat shapes with select details such as beads for the detail above the door. The villager figures are from Reaper Miniatures of Texas and are sold unpainted – they are very fun to paint!

Barrels

A larger base allows room for details. Bella made the barrels from cork, and glued string around them before painting. The box is cardboard, painted to look like wood.

Inn roof

A milk pull for a roof vent and some interesting lids give this roof a magical look. Bits of craft foliage add detail. A black base coat of paint with light grey and silver highlights completes the effect.

Hut

A short Pringles® can is the base for this delightful hut. Single-layer cardboard with some test-fitting, cutting, bending and masking tape make the roof. Bella is an expert painter!

Hut roof

Base coats, washes and top-coats of paint bring out texture and detail. A bit of crafting grass flock adds natural looking moss for a final touch.

Cottage

This cozy cottage features a curved awning, round windows, and flowerbeds. It is made entirely of cardboard, except for the two craft sticks that reinforce the roof.

Cottage roof

After test fitting and gluing an angle-footed, open-topped small box, she cut and glued random rock shapes to the sides. After painting, glue is brushed on, and then flocked with fine dark sand for the soot.

Cottage door

For the door, Bella measured, marked and cut a piece of thin cardboard and glued it in place. The doorknob is cut from a round toothpick, and painted silver. The awning and flowerbox are cardboard.

Process – observatory

PART TWO – I don’t consider myself to be a good artist. That said, I often make quick sketches for Crafty Time ideas. I start by looking at a lot of pictures of things I might make, blank my mind then draw quick ideas and notes.

Process – amphitheater

This is an idea for an amphitheater, probably a future Crafty Time in one or two parts. I picture a stage with a “shell” that’s also three screens, and outdoor bleachers with aisles and steps. I’m kicking it around.

Process – planetarium

About as much as I have on this is that the dome should be larger than the observatory’s, which is 3” across. So, probably a 5” dome and another inch or so of building. Also, it shouldn’t look like a dog bowl.

Materials – planetarium

Oatmeal containers are a favorite of mine, because they have a nice shape and size and are easy to craft. It’s best to plan and gather everything you need before you start a project, so you can keep going.

Imagining a community

Happy Tree Times, the newspaper of my imaginary village, got me thinking. Who are these people? What do they do? So, I wrote up a mock issue. You can pick one up at the Journal office for 25 cents.

Crafty list

I’m always making lists for Crafty Time, because first, I don’t want to repeat buildings. Second, I want to show you new techniques. Also, my point of view from Happy Tree’s perspective gives me ideas.

People

PART THREE – Hot Wheels® scale cars are 1/64 scale, about 3/8” =5’. Bella bought me a pack of 100 unpainted people for the holidays, to match this scale. Thank you!

Clear basing

They don’t stand on their own, so they’ll need to be glued to bases. I tried popsicle sticks but they don’t look right. Firm clear plastic from packaging works great though. They’re small, so groups of 2-4 work.

Color

At this scale, small detail is difficult to achieve. Base coat figures in white, then carefully paint each color with a fine detail brush. Use a darker paint wash to bring out low areas, and dry brush to pick out elevated details.

Happy Tree citizens

After weeks of completed Crafty Time buildings and projects, these people have plenty of places to go and things to do!

Crafty Time and You

What 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!

04.21.dp.Observatory.CraftyTime

Crafty Time

By Dave Pierik, Shelton-Mason County Journal

Observatory

From Happy Tree Observatory, astronomers study planets, moons, stars, nebulae, galaxies and comets.

Tools: compass, ruler, scissors, paint brushes, marker. Optional: craft knife or old steak knife

Materials: 2” craft ball, mason jar ring, oat milk lid, Pringles® can, straw, cardboard, flat toothpicks, masking tape, white glue, baking soda, paint. Optional: rubberized craft foam sheet

Cost: about ^$1-^$3 including paint and glue   Time: two to four hours or so

1. Entry level

Measure Pringles® can, 2” height from bottom. Mark in several places. Follow marks with masking tape. Carefully cut along the edge. Test fit regular mason jar ring oat milk lid (inverted) and craft ball.

2. Telescope dome

Keeping the ball intact, wrap the craft foam halfway around and mark it. Cut two lengths, ¼” wide, to that mark. Glue the two parallel strips halfway around the ball. Hold in place with masking tape and set aside to dry.

3. Walkway & doors

Trace the bottom of the can over cardboard. Measure 2 ½” and mark, then use compass to mark a 5” circle, so there is a circle in a circle. Glue the pieces together. For doors, measure a 1 ½” wide x 1 3/4” tall rectangle; mark a line down the middle. Use compass to mark top curve and craft knife to score the middle. Bend to fit, glue in place. Cut toothpicks and glue on for door handles.

4. Paint

Add 50% white glue to white paint to prime everything. Let dry. You can add more glue and dust with baking soda to fill small gaps; just blow any excess away. Paint the telescope and opening black, and water down black to bring out detail, then drybrush white. Paint the door blue. Paint the door handles, dome opening, and telescope highlight silver, and the sidewalk grey, with tan details.

5. Happy Tree Observatory

The Happy Tree Astronomy Club meets at night, unless it’s too cloudy.

What would you like to see next in Crafty Time? Visit www.craftytimewithdave.com for more photos and project ideas.  Please email your feedback to dave@masoncounty.com or call 360-426-4412. Visit our office to see the display!

03.21.dp.Construction.CraftyTime

Crafty Time

By Dave Pierik, Shelton-Mason County Journal

Construction

New construction vehicles are clean and shiny, but at work, they show a lot of grit! Weathering is fun and easy to do. Let’s create a construction site!

Tools: ruler, scissors, paint brushes, fine black marker

Materials: construction vehicles, cardboard, school glue, flat toothpicks, sand, acrylic paint. Optional: old dry white or grey paint from a palette

Cost: about ^$3-^$10 including vehicles, paint and glue   Time: two to four hours or so

1. Barricades

Measure and cut eight cardboard rectangles, each 1” wide x ¼” tall. Trim 16 flat toothpicks to 1 ¼” length for legs, and eight to ½” for side supports. Place cardboard flat and glue legs to the sides. Allow to dry, and then glue the tops and sides. From the side view, they make the letter “A.” Prime in white, then grey legs, orange sign. Let dry, then use a black marker for stripes.

2. Site

Add layers of glue and sand to cardboard, and paint black. Let dry. Add more glue, sand and bits of dry white and grey paint from an old palette, for the look of asphalt and broken concrete. Lightly paint highlights of brown and tan for dirt and tire tracks. For the port-a-potty, paint a cardboard box, ¾” on each side and 1 ½” tall then add detail with a marker.

3. Paint wash

Mix black and brown paint with water and a bit of white glue, and work it in to all of the low spots on each item you are weathering. Let it dry a bit, then dab off the excess with a paper towel.

4. Highlights

Starting with a dry brush and light tan paint, dab some of the excess paint moisture into a newspaper or paper towel. Then, brush over the high spots of each figure to bring out more detail. This is known as drybrushing. Pick out the highest spots with a few touches of white paint.

5. Happy Tree Road Dept.

The crew is hard at work on something. What could it be? We’ll have to wait until another time…

What would you like to see next in Crafty Time? Visit www.craftytimewithdave.com for more photos and project ideas.  Please email your feedback to dave@masoncounty.com or call 360-426-4412. Visit our office to see the display!

01.21.dp.Projects Review.CraftyTime

Crafty Time

By Dave Pierik, Shelton-Mason County Journal

Projects Review

In 2020, Crafty Time tutorials made Happy Tree Village, one thing at a time. Along the way, we’ve built fine scale modeling skills. It’s fun, safe and very affordable! All you basically need is cardboard, scissors, glue, tape, paint… and your imagination!

Idea  1 – Buildings

April 9, 2020 we made our first basic buildings from cardboard. Roads and trees followed, April 23^rd and 30^th.

Idea  4 – Bridge

This bridge used wooden clothespins, cardboard and Styrofoam. It ran in the Journal May 7. The pond and stream followed in the May 14^th edition.

Idea 6 – Castle

The stained glass is made from window envelopes. This ran May 28, 2020.

Idea 7 and 8 – Cosmic Drive-In

Craft sticks, a bamboo skewer, a drink lid and candy packaging were incorporated in this over the June 4 and June 11 editions.

Idea 9 – Fishing

Corrugated cardboard made a tin roof for Happy Tree’s bait shop June 18^th.

Idea 10 – Park

Getting outside is important. This multi-part project included trails, play equipment and streetlights June 25^th.

Idea 11 – Picnic

An entire Crafty Time tutorial was committed to making picnic tables for outdoor dining, using craft sticks. It ran July 2, right before Independence Day.

Idea 14 – Lighthouse

After making 2 kinds of fences July 9^th, and a swing set July 16^th, a Pringles® container and Styrofoam formed the core elements of this lighthouse.

Idea 15 – Footbridge

This “Welcome Walkway” gets the imagination going about Happy Tree’s community life. It ran August 6^th.

Idea 16 and 17 – Businesses

Using time-saving templates, two city blocks went up in a jiffy August 13^th and 20^th. Vehicles are store-bought, Hot Wheels® scale.

Idea 18 – Full Service Gas Station

Gas-O-Saurus, including the sign art and mechanic’s creepers was scratch-built and included beads and straws. It ran September 3^rd.

Idea 19 – Farm House

This beloved house from September 10^th is a fan favorite. The crops were made from shreds of newspaper, beads and sand.

Idea 20 and 21 – Police and Fire

New toy vehicles inspired these. The fire station with fireman’s pole ran September 24^th, and the justice center ran October 1^st.

Idea 22 – Airport

This newspaper was the main component of the paper airplanes. Adding landing gear and a tower finished the look October 15^th.

Idea 23 – Military Museum

For exhibits, the cheapest possible plastic soldier kit, plus paint was starting place for this. It ran November 5^th.

Idea 24 – University

Happy Tree University (HTU) appeared November 19^th, featuring concentric shapes.

Idea 25 – Church

Happy Tree Worship Center features a lot of stained glass, made from window envelopes. It ran December 3^rd.

Idea 28 – Tunnel

Snow and lights were added December 10th, and hills December 23^rd. This tunnel ran December 31^st

Review – Happy Tree

The display at the Shelton-Mason County Journal is always changing. Here’s how it stands today. It’s on rotation now because it won’t all fit on the table! Look for more tutorials regularly in the Activities pages of this paper!

What would you like to see next in Crafty Time? Visit www.craftytimewithdave.com for more photos and project ideas.  Please email your feedback to dave@masoncounty.com or call 360-426-4412. Visit our office to see the display!

Crafty Time

By Dave Pierik, Shelton-Mason County Journal

Tunnel

Happy Tree village is car, boat and plane-friendly. So, now for trains!

Tools: compass, ruler, scissors and (optional) an old steak knife, paint brushes

Materials: cardboard, newspaper, Styrofoam, school glue, masking tape, sand, acrylic paint

Time: two to four hours.

1. Mark

Mark and cut a clean piece of corrugated cardboard with two semi-circles 3” tall x 4” wide, allowing a 3 ¼” central area with ½” gaps and about 5” extra on each side to allow for the road or tracks on top. Allow 1” of width on each side of the tunnel, cut and fold.

2. Peel

Peel the top layer off of a piece of cardboard. These corrugated, wavy shapes are cool to work with and fun to paint. Bend and test fit this for the tunnel. Stuff the interior gap areas with wadded up newspaper. Glue in place.

3. Assemble

Carve and test-fit Styrofoam hills for each side. Glue each in place. Fill gaps with glue, sand and masking tape. Tip: if you have snacks, eat them now before you get paint on your fingers!

4. Paint

Work dark to light in natural and earth tones. The base coat is black and brown, middle coats are grey and dark green. Pick out the edges with the lightest colors, tan, light green and light grey. Use pure white last and sparingly for a few highlights.

5. Happy Tree Tunnel

Choo choo! Chugachugachugachuga…

What would you like to see next in Crafty Time? Visit www.craftytimewithdave.com for more photos and project ideas.  Please email your feedback to dave@masoncounty.com or call 360-426-4412. Visit our office to see the display!

Crafty Time

By Dave Pierik, Shelton-Mason County Journal

Hills

Happy Tree village is kind of flat. That’s fine, but let’s make some hills.

Tools: scissors and (optional) an old steak knife, paint brushes.

Materials: cardboard, Styrofoam, school glue, masking tape, sand, acrylic paint.

Cost: mostly free but maybe $1 worth of glue, paint and masking tape.

Time: one to three hours.

1. Cut and glue

Mark and cut corrugated cardboard to each hill’s base size and shape. Cut or break Styrofoam to that size or smaller and glue it down. For taller hills, add extra layers of Styrofoam. Wrap the entire structure tightly with masking tape and set aside to dry.

2. Shape

With your fingers and/or an old steak knife, break and/or cut and carve the Styrofoam into the hill shapes you want. It makes a huge mess which honestly is part of the fun.

3. Sand

With an old brush, paint glue on areas desired, especially any seam lines or areas that don’t look natural yet. While the glue is wet, grab handfuls of sand and drop it on there. Gently shake off the excess. Let dry. You can also add a bit of sand to your black and brown paint/glue mix for the base coat.

4. Paint

Work dark to light in natural and earth tones. The base coat is black and brown, middle coats are grey and dark green. Pick out the edges with the lightest colors, tan, light green and light grey. Use pure white last and sparingly for a few highlights.

5. Happy hills

Now I’ve got more fun terrain for that 4×4 Santa brought me!

What would you like to see next in Crafty Time? Visit www.craftytimewithdave.com for more photos and project ideas.  Please email your feedback to dave@masoncounty.com or call 360-426-4412. Visit our office to see the display!