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Monday, March 9, 2020

dollhouse stucco facade




After some research I decided I wanted the facade of this 1/2" scale cottage from
 Red Cottage Miniatures to have a stucco look. There are lots of different textures you can create so be sure to reference your research photos while creating your stucco.
First, the windows were stained and then glued on as directed. Go ahead and put some matt or semi gloss varnish on them to protect them from the stucco.
I didn’t do this because 
I had a feeling I would stain them a little darker once 
I saw the facade color. So I was extra careful applying the spackle.



Use a spackle knife to apply the spackle. I used a small spackle knife and my painter’s palette knife for the smaller areas. It has some flexibility when applying with pressure and that helps. Yes, it is pink, but have no fear it will be white when dry. Try not to cover the rocks too much. Apply along the rocks pulling the knife away from to the side.



Once it turns white there, gently go around and scrape it off with the tip of the palette knife or and exit knife. Get it out of the grout areas as well. The Paperclay may scrape off as well so you must be gentle.

 I wiped one section of the rock with a damp cloth and it took off the paint. So you could matt varnish the rocks first to protect them if you like.

Just when it turns white, before it is too hard, you can rub your finger over the extra rough areas to smooth out if you like. It helps with excessive sanding later. You can apply a second coat if you don’t like some of the areas. Treat this part like a sculpture. Keep scraping, and sanding with very fine sandpaper and reapplying until you are happy.

Once you are happy, brush off all the dust with a big soft brush. Do all the sanding and this part outside if you can.

I used a mix of Ceramcoat acrylic paints to get the pale yellow I wanted. Use a small brush to paint around the edges against the rocks and windows one section at a time. Then use a medium small brush for the rest. Apply as if you were in scale with the house with small strokes. This will give a nice texture.

 I added a bit of age to the stucco by using a coarse paintbrush to apply brown and grey charcoals. You can use this same technique for interior walls.

Next I will be installing the roof and shingling.

3 comments:

  1. What an Enchanting little cottage this is! The shape of the roofline automatically gives it a fairytale vibe and the stone and the stucco add to its character even more!
    I've always enjoyed using Drydex Spackle as it so Easy, Reliable, Inexpensive and Versatile too!

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