Tutorial - Decoupaged Desk

More about the two sided dome project.  I won a blue ribbon at a S.A.M. (Society of American Miniaturists) event for this project (there were only 7 entries so good odds!).  In this blog I will describe the rest of the items in this side of the dome including the desk.  The painted rug, window shades and slipcovered chair were covered in previous blogs.

The desk is a modified Robin Betterley “Lydia Pickett” desk kit.  The original desk was too deep to fit inside the dome so I sawed off about ¾ inch from the back of the desk top and used the cut off piece as a shelf over the window.

I painted the entire desk with a pale shabby pink color then applied a wallpaper to the legs, desk top surface and inside of the hutch compartments.  The legs were pretty easy since I had a pattern in the area of the wood where the laser cut leg piece was punched out.  I just used the open area as a pattern to draw the shape on the wallpaper.

After applying the paper, I ‘aged’ it with diluted burnt umber paint.

Other items in this side of the dome (made or embellished by me):
The sewing machine is a 3D printed item from “Mini Etchers” (minietchers.com).  I added painted details in blue.  This was very bumpy and I had to sand it a lot.  It still didn’t look very smooth after several sandings and coats of paint but the design was good and not too much like the common ones you find on Ebay (“Aztech”).

The framed bulletin board is a Metal Miniature frame (metalminis.com; their Catalog Item #461-A) which I painted.  The zipper and needle packet on bulletin board are from Vilia Miniatures. 

Pink clock is Metal Miniature #934a which I painted and added a clock face.
Left of the clock is a pill capsule dome containing two Ilisha Helfman (hestiahouse.com) buttons and belt buckle suspended on a piece of lace with green bow.
Right of the clock is a boxed pincushion in a Chrysnbon teacup.  At the right end of the shelf is another pill capsule dome with a silk ribbon rose on a metal stud base.

Left of the sewing machine is another metal miniature dish (metal minis catalog item #90) painted to look like Majolica with tiny ‘pins’ (no hole beads and short cut pieces of fine brass wire for pins).
Tote bins on floor – another kit from Robin Betterley.  I stuffed with fabric and trim scraps.

Other items from my collection:
Glass vase with beaded flowers next to pincushion (unknown artisan, a show purchase).
Bowl of notions at right of the sewing machine was made from mini Easter cards sewn together with thread by Karen Haggard.

Crocheted sewing basket  -unknown artist. This can be seen in the very first photo at the beginning of this blog.  I mounted it on a stand  (part of a House of Miniatures candle stand kit)
White and blue sewing basket on shelf – unknown artisan, estate purchase.
Petit Point picture “Sunbonnet Girl” above shelf – by Ligia Durstenfeld (in faux bamboo frame I made, here LINK)

Buttons in round frames above window – Ilisha Helfman (hestiahouse.com).
Doily by Suzane Herget in wood frame.

In my next blog I will focus on the other side of the dome - the side with the sofa and tiny dolls. I will also include a tutorial on the silk bolster pillow and the 'lithograph' dollhouse in the window.  Hope you enjoyed these little tidbits!