Building a Village

Make the Base

Steve forms his base from rigid insulation foam to keep the entire structure light in weight.  He already has an idea of the layout of his village.

Make the Plan

He cuts out a paper pattern of the footprints of his buildings to plan the way they will fit onto the base.  When the village is finished, if you were a tiny person, you would be able to walk through the entire village.

Make the Buildings

Steve uses a band saw to cut the shapes from wood scraps, then glues them together.

Shape the Buildings

He covers the entire building with Spackle, then uses a Dremel tool to add the appearance of brick, stucco and stone.

Paint the Buildings

Steve paints the buildings with latex enamel.  He uses various bright colors, even painting the roofs and windows.  Finally, he antiques the buildings to give them an aged appearance. 

Add the Roofs, etc.

Steve makes his roofs and windows from model railroad components. 

Add the Stones

 In order to give the base the look of an island, Steve adds a veneer of real stones.