Miniature Monday: Artist's Corner In A Lantern

I purchased a lantern from Michael's and created a small miniature scene as a gift for my graduating niece's high school Guidance Counselor.

The first thing I worked on was the flooring.  Since the only opening was at the top, I used index cards to make a pattern of the inside.  I then transferred that pattern onto thick cardboard (actually the back of a watercolor paper pad).  I soon realized that I wouldn't be able to fit the floor through the small opening, and cut the cardboard in half.  I also carefully marked the front and back so that I would not have a problem fitting everything snugly.  Those corners were tricky to cut!

I used craft sticks and my small table saw to create the flooring; cutting off the rounded edges, then sanding them smooth.

To ensure I had enough, I laid them out on top of the cardboard.  Since this was a small floor, I only needed to cut 2 sizes in order to get the look I wanted.

I used Gorilla Wood Glue and Quick Hold to adhere the wooden craft sticks to the cardboard, then placed a sheet of wax paper and heavy books on top so they wouldn't warp while drying.  I left this to dry overnight. I wanted the flooring to be a bit rough looking, but I was still careful to make sure none of the glue seeped through the planks.  I used the table saw and an x-acto knife to cut any planks that were not flush with the edge of the cardboard.

 This detail shows the slight overlap of the wooden strips that covered the seam beautifully!

When you're working on something like this, dry fit at each stage to be sure everything still lines up perfectly.  I used the same 2 glues to adhere the completed flooring to the bottom of the lantern and put bottles of paint to weigh it all down while it dried.

To cover the top of the lantern, I used a 1/8th inch thick piece of basswood and craft sticks.  The craft sticks fit perfectly into the opening and kept the cover in place.

Now it was time to go through my miniature stash to find art studio related items to put into the scene.  This honestly took longer than the flooring!!  Once selected, I glued everything in with tacky glue and the scene was done!

If you have any questions, please let me know.  Thanks for stopping by!