| Sarah’s Painted Yard Tutorial  By Sarah Topps 
 First,  you take some cardboard and set the house on the center part of  
  it.  You can see Rachel in the background while Sarah is trying to see  
              how much yard is needed. 
 After  that has been decided, cut the card board down to the size you  
              want  and then trace the footprint of the house. Next, paint the entire  
              yard  on the outside of the footprint (You would adhere the base after  
              it is all dry. 
 You  would paint the entire base a light green (Sarah's paint is apple 
              barrel  "Leaf Green" Color). After that dries, you will pour a dime 
              size  amount of hunter green color paint. Dip your brush in it and then 
              wipe  off access paint till the brush is almost dry. Then you will 
              pounce  this (alternating in different directions so that there won't  be a pattern)
 
 
 
 Next,  take your brown paint and squeeze out a dime size amount. Dip 
              your  brush in it and then brush off access paint till the brush is  almost  dry. Then you will pounce this (alternating in different 
              directions  again so that there won't be a pattern). You may not wish 
              to  have much of the brown as you do the greens.
 
 
 Next,  Sarah decided she wanted a "stone" walkway. So she took out the  
  stone  pattern stencil.  First, you have to  paint the area Gray. After  
  it  dries, then you lay the stencil on top. Then you would take your  
  dark  brown paint and dry brush the outer edges of each stone and dab a  
  little  in the middle. Then after that dries, you will take a lighter 
  gray,  and again, dry brush each stone. Sarah did this color only two 
  times  randomly in each stone. When that dries, then you can remove the 
              stencil and viola, you have a walkway. 
 Next,  with the help of big sister Rachel, make a straight glue line  with  hot glue and then add some green poly fiber on each side. When 
              this  dried, Rachel cut the loose fiber and then Sarah took the tacky 
              glue  and put a drop on top of the fiber. She then took Hot Pink 
              colored  foam and put that on the tacky glue and now the yard has 
              flowers to help dress up the entry way.
 
 Next,  glue the house to the base and add the Green Poly Fiber around  
              the house. You can even add a fence to enclose the yard like  Sarah did. 
 This  is a great project for kids or even grown ups. You can use some 
  of  the steps to jazz up any yard scene. It can be a dollhouse or a 
  vignette.  The thing is, try something new and remember to have fun.  
              That's what this hobby is all about!! Return to Newsletter Home...  |