The Light House

I really had fun with this one, where do I start lol... Well, lets start at the top and work down from there.

Video Links: Part 1 & Part 2 & Part 3 & Part 4

In part 4 I ask you to join me in part 5 but that film didn't turn out and so there are no more parts to this Tutorial

The cap on the Lighthouse came from an old walking stick. The fencing surrounding light area was created from 3mm chipboard strips. The Lighthouse itself was an empty industrial 'Cotton Thread Cone'. All of the ladders were created from a nonstick mesh Table mat that you sit your dinner plates on. The anchors are all metal charms, and the netting's are made from one of those beaded doilies that you pop over juice the jug in summer when sitting outside. 

I prepared all the stone work first for the stone wall around the whole Light House and coated the cone in clay too!

As you can see, I cut away the arch in the industrial cone, adding false floors, and made the little plinth that the wee house would see upon. A;; the stonework is made from quick drying clay. Don't spend time on them, they need to look as natural as possible when painted.

I changed this original top as I didn't like it, using the metal cane cap as it looked more like a Lighthouse top than this one did. I covered the cone in clay so that I could make it look more like whitewashed plastered walls.

I glued everything into place on the large wooden plinth.

Gave it several coats of paint until I was happy with the colours

I attached the house after sewing the straw roof together and added the beach rocks etc using polystyrene chunks as well as air dried clay.

I then started to add lots of the goodies that I'd made like the Life Buoys, Oars and boats etc.

It came together really quickly once I started placing everything.

The boats are large nuts cut in half, the nautical red and white life buoy rings are made from flat washer rings, or from jewelry pieces. The oars are carved from Balsa wood, and the handrail at the steps leading to the beach is made from wire and then glued into the steps, the steps themselves were made from clay. The tall fire 'Beacon' was a candle stick holder.

The rocks are made from clay, and much more has been added than I can remember lol, this piece sold  before it was finished ☺

I used natural shells spotted here and there. Fresh moss and acrylic plants.

These were so easy to do! A little tip, if you want to make Oars, try using the wooden stakes that you can buy from a Garden centre or those from a cake shop etc. You can get them in bulk in a tub, pay very little for them compared to what you'd pay a miniaturist shop.