When I was growing up, my Dad loved to build models. His specialty was race car models, and he was
a whiz at painting and putting together those teeny, tiny pieces to create
miniature works of art. I wasn’t as much
of a car fan as he was, but I knew I liked two things: spending time with my Dad,
and putting together models so in time I started building cars too. Later I branched out into painting tiny lead
figures for D&D (yes, I am a big geek) and building WWI model
airplanes. I credit my model building
days with providing a great foundation for writing (and following) directions
as an adult.
Nowadays, I don’t build models as often, but when I do, you
can bet that there is a papercrafting component to them. I put together this cute miniature wooden
jetliner using the new “Scoot” 6x6 paper pad in just an hour or so, and you can
too! It’s a great project to do with
kids, and might be a wonderful activity for your family during spring break.
First, select a wooden model. My jetliner model is made by Darice, and cost
about $2. It is super, super simple to
build, and only has a few parts. When I
shop for a wooden or papier mache piece to alter, I look for something that has
a lot of smooth, flat surfaces. The
paper adheres well, and gives it a nice smooth finish. I lightly sand the surfaces and edges as the
machining of the small wooden pieces often leaves them rough. You can paint the model pieces if you want
to, or leave it natural. I painted my
example with white acrylic paint before adhering the patterned paper.
When working with a large piece, I generally
make a template for each of the surfaces I am going to cover and use that to
cut out my pieces. For tiny projects
like this one, I just cut the patterned paper to the approximate size of the model
piece it was meant to cover, and trimmed it flush with the edges with a craft
knife after adhering. For large pieces,
I often use a Xyron machine, or a decoupage medium. For this tiny plane, I experimented with
using a regular white craft glue, and spread it with a craft stick. I was surprised to find that my glue method
worked great, and the drying time was slightly shorter
than using the decoupage medium, and it dried perfectly flat.
After all my surfaces were covered, I followed the model
instructions to build the simple plane.
I ran into a bit of trouble with the tail section, because once the
paper was added, it became too thick to fit together. I sanded the inside surfaces of the tail fin
slot, and trimmed away some of the patterned paper and it fit together fine.
I decided that I wanted the finished piece to have a hook to
hang it, and chose a small screw in cup hook. Before adding it to the model, I had to test the piece to find where the
center of balance was. Once I had
determined that, I simply added the cup hook and the piece was complete.
Have you ever tried your hand at altering an
item? What is your favorite type of
piece to decorate? We’d love to hear
what you all like, and see your creations!
Link us up in the comments, or post your project on our Facebook page.
