PlaymoFriends
Creative => How-To => Topic started by: bonniebeth on October 11, 2011, 02:27:08
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After completing my gift shop, it was bothering me that all those tiny pieces in there on the shelves would be so hard to dust, even though they were all secured in place using sticky tack. So I came up with a method to keep dust out of the building. The door and all the windows of this building are all solid, so only the top and the front side were open, allowing dust to settle. SO I came up with the idea of using clear cellophane to cover those two sides, completely enclosing the shop so no dust could get in. This is the type of cellophane I used:
(http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/yy289/bonniebeth2/100_2636.jpg)
It is not the type you use in the kitchen to cover food, but rather the kind you use to wrap gifts. (it's the same stuff I use for water, except I use blue for water.) It's thicker and stiffer, and smooth, not sticky. It doesn't bunch up or anything. I found it at my local Dollar Tree, but any party store would also be likely to have it.
I just removed the roof pieces, and cut a piece of cellophane about an inch wider than the building and long enough to cover the top and go all the way down the front, with some excess to fold under. I then placed the cellophane in position on the top opening, with about a half-inch overhang on all sides. Then I started snapping the roof pieces in place through the cellophane, so that the roof pieces held it in place.
(http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/yy289/bonniebeth2/100_2628.jpg)
(http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/yy289/bonniebeth2/100_2629.jpg)
Be sure to keep adjusting the cellophane and straightening it out. Once all the roof pieces were in place, I allowed it to drape down the front, and tucked it under. You could tape it on the under side, or just tuck it under. I used sticky tack to hold it on the underside so I can easily pull it up to access the shop. The sides seem to form a fairly tight seal on their own, as long as you have it taped or tucked tightly at the bottom, so I didn't feel the need to put ugly tape on the sides. Oh, and you will also need to trim off the excess along the sides once it is all in place. Here is the end result:
(http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/yy289/bonniebeth2/100_2632.jpg)
In the front, you can't even tell it's there. In real life, the cellophane is so clear, it doesn't interfere with the view at all and looks quite nice. I think I will be using this method for all buildings, though for ones with frame windows, I will have to add cellophane over the windows also to create a seal. It also helps if you are using some sort of tack to keep everything in place. Otherwise, you may knock things over while getting the wrap in place, and then have to remove the wrap to fix what you knocked over! :lol:
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Bonnie, this is excellent!!! Thats an interesting material to use!! If only we had that to cover the opening on the diorama we display in the Funpark, instead of that regular multylayered sticky one... :-\
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Good idea, Bonnie. I wonder if the clear film you can buy for diuble glazing windows would also work as you can heat that with a hairdryer to get put any wrinkles.
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Brilliant idea! :wow:
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Excellent idea, Bonnie!
If you could conjure up crease-free wrapping like Gordon was mentioning, then this idea could also work for displays and exibitions to keep small hands from reaching inside! ;D
And causing a lot of fun in the process! :lol:
Damo :)
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I'm not familiar with the wrap Gordon mentioned, but it does sound interesting!
This stuff doesn't really wrinkle or crease, though, I just don't have it pulled evenly. :lol:
In any case, this might be very useful for covering a diorama. :yup:
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That's a great idea Bonnie :clap:
I'll certainly be trying this, I hate having to dust thing!
Elaine (http://www.anchoredbygrace.com/smileys/mgqueen.gif)
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great idea indeed - dust is very annoying, especially inside those system x holes which you have to wash in order to clean...
at least in the US things don't get as dusty as in other countries, or that's been my experience...
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Thar's an interesting method. We use that cellophane at work for party trays.
You could also take a piece of cardboard (like a Playmobil box bottom :o ) and cut out the center, making a frame. Glue/tape the plastic to the frame and you can more easily handle it and keep it from getting messed up or splitting when taking it on and off.
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it is a great method indeed. :love:
I did something similar for my ships until their transparent cases are done.
I cut 2 pieces of celophane with the shape of the ship, then put them together with tape and you get a sort of hood you can put on the ship very easily, so the ship is dust free and also you can see it- :love:
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I did something similar for my ships until their transparent cases are done.
I cut 2 pieces of celophane with the shape of the ship, then put them together with tape and you get a sort of hood you can put on the ship very easily, so the ship is dust free and also you can see it- :love:
I'll keep that in mind if the PROCESS ever gets that far.... ;)
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is the front sealed too? how do you play with them if the plastic is in the way? hehe.
funny tidbit: over 80% of household dust consists of dead human skin flakes. yummy!
so, aside from covering with plastic, you could alternatively decide to stop molting! hehehehe :p
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Glad you all like it! Gaston, that's a great method to use for ships! When I eventually get my first pirate ship I may do that. ;D
Luis, it sure gets dusty at my house! We have road construction going on all around us, new houses being built behind us, and we recently had a remodel in our house, so there's dust EVERYWHERE.
Tim, I do like the idea of a frame. It would probably help a lot with covering a larger building.
@BP: yes, the cellophane drapes down the front and then is just tucked under. So it's easy to lift it out of the way if I need to adjust something. But this shop is mostly for display anyway, and all the pieces are held in place with sticky tack.
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Glad you all like it! Gaston, that's a great method to use for ships! When I eventually get my first pirate ship I may do that. ;D
hmm, i usually keep the dust off my ships by actually playing with them in the water. I just realized they never sit long enough to really collect dust. so that's another method to add as well! play with your toys! :)
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:lol: Yeah, that helps too, but it doesn't keep my shelves looking very neat! :P