Digging for treasure

My miniature life has taken on a completely new turn since I read books by Patricia King. As you may have noticed, I like recycling, and her books are all about making dollhouse furniture and other stuff from trash. Her favourite trash is junk jewellery with which she decorates everything, with splendid results. My tallboy makeover was inspired by her, but it was just the beginning. I thought I'd go to a carboot sale and see whether I could find anything useful, but instead I went on ebay. And got stuck! They sell junk jewellery by the kilo. I bought a bundle, for 99p plus postage, and it arrived this morning. I am working from home today so I could hardly wait to open it.

I am sure you can see that it is Ali Baba's cave, but it may not be immediately obvious what all these things can be used for. Decorating furniture, of course; tables, platters, bowls, frames, ornaments. And you can never have too many chains. Quite a lot will probably be useless, but even if I just use clasps and links it's a bargain.

It took me half an hour to make a few things or at least figure out what to do with them. Can you see which things from the picture above I have used?

Tables, easy. Just glue the large round pins onto chess pieces. Victorian houses are full of occasional tables. The round white apple will make a good teapot, and I have found a handle for it so all I need it a spout. The oval half-frame will be an excellent top piece for a hall mirror stand. Three bracelet links have become heavy platters for the Tudor house. Three more pins, turned upside down: platter, fruit bowl, fish pan. The red plastic pin can probably go up on a wall as it is, an oriental panel. Frames, two large and one tiny. I had to remove stones from them. (There are more in the bundle). A small oval piece fits well on one of my clocks. You can't see it well, but one piece, just above the frame, is a deer-head trophy, which will go right onto the wall in the Victorian house. The shell-shaped earring will make a perfect sconce. Two very elaborate handles, for a future bookcase perhaps? The round filigree pin will be great for allmost anything, and the big silver earring I think will look great on the Tudor bed headboard.

And I haven't even started yet, so watch this space.

I have also bought four fans. Patricia King uses fans to make fancy tables from the plastic bits. I will test it during the weekend.