We all have our own idea of what home is. Each home looks different, composed of different individuals, different attributes and different components. A simple stick and a piece of moss evoked an idea that developed into Our House.
While the piece is composed of elements that speak to Ruth, represent her and mirror the history of her home, we hope you are inspired to find mementos to create and honor your home.
24-gauge wire, 4" (122cm)
acrylic paints, assorted
buttons, 14-20
cloth rag
cut tacks, 6
dominoes, 2
double point tacks, 3
fabric strips
gel medium
gesso, white
glue gun
hammer
lined paper
molding paste
needle and thread
paintbrushes, assorted
palette knife
pencil
metal ruler
sandpaper
saw
small bottle
spray sealant, clear acrylic
stencils
stick and moss
wire cutters
wood board
Cut out the wood house shapes, sand to smooth edges, then paint both pieces with white gesso. Once dry, mix a palette knife with 1 tablespoon of Titanium White and 1 tablespoon of acrylic Neutral Gray paint.
Paint the house and roof with the shade created in step 1. Allow to dry.
Place a stencil on the house. Using a palette knife loaded with about a teaspoon of molding paste, push it across the stencil. Continue this step until the house and roof are covered. Use a variety of stencils for visual interest. Allow this paste to dry completely, about one hour.
With a paint brush, add gray paint to the tip of the stenciled letters and numbers. With a soft wet cloth, wipe away excess. Allow to dry completely.
Mix a 1⁄4 cup of water and 1⁄4 teaspoon Raw Umber acrylic paint to make a color wash. Apply the wash with a bristle brush over the entire surface of the house and roof. Allow both pieces to sit for about 30 minutes. With a dry cloth, dab off any excess and allow to dry completely.
Brush some of the Raw Umber color wash onto a lined piece of paper and set it aside to dry. Once dry, write on it with a pencil. Spray the paper with clear acrylic sealant.
Dab about 1⁄2 teaspoon Titanium Buff onto your palette and dab a dry bristle brush into the paint to highlight your roof and house.
With a metal ruler tear your journaled paper to about 31⁄2" × 4" (9cm × 10cm). Apply gel medium to the back of the paper and burnish it onto the house, make sure the paper makes contact with the wood.
Glue dominoes onto the front of the house. With Titanium Buff paint and a dry brush, paint over the numbers and letters. Remove any excess paint with a baby wipe or soft cloth.
To attach the bottle to your roof, hammer tacks to the wood on each side of the neck of the bottle. With one yard (91cm) of 24-gauge wire, attach your bottle to the wood by wrapping it around one tack, leaving a 1" (3cm) tail. Wrap the rest around the bottle neck twice, then around the opposite tack leaving another 1" (3cm) tail. When the bottle is secure, use wire cutters to remove the wire tails.
To make a button ring, place ten buttons onto a 12" (30cm) piece of 24-gauge wire. With your fingers form a circle and wrap the wire ends together.
Cut out a 1" × 53⁄4" (3cm × 15cm) strip of fabric and three 31⁄4" (8cm) contrasting rectangles to the strip. Use a needle and thread to attach the buttons and rectangles. Use three double-point tacks and a hammer to secure the strip to the house.
Use a glue gun to attach a stick and moss to your house. Secure with fabric and tacks.
Glue the roof onto the house.