A Brilliant Idea!

It all started last weekend.

Honestly, I don't know why it took me so long to think of it.  Why hasn't everybody thought of it?  The idea came to me when I brought the bakery up from the basement, and started working on it at the dining room table.  Dining rooms are, generally, under-ultilized rooms; why not take advantage of the natural light, I figured, and keep my husband company at the same time?  He was nearby in the living room, writing.

"Be careful you don't scratch the table!", he warned.

"Ah hah!", I thought.  "We have to go to Michael's and get some supplies!", I told him.

I bought some thin craft foam, and some foam glue.  I cut the foam into narrow strips exactly the same width as the base of the bakery.  If you try this, BE CAREFUL!  I though it'd work great to cut narrow strips with my table saw; it doesn't.

I elevated the bakery on a stack of books, so I could easily glue the strips of foam to the bottom.  I cut 8 strips approximately 1/4" wide by 3" long.  They're placed evenly around the base, so no one area has more pressure on it than any other. 

London is trying to figure out what's going on. 

The finished product. 

I used brown craft foam, because it's unobtrusive and dirt-colored.  For this to work, it's imperative that you use the right kind of foam, and the right kind of glue.  Regular craft glue doesn't form a strong bond to craft foam.  The special glue, though, is easy to find: generally, right next to the foam itself.

Another close-up.

Yet another close-up.

This fix is cheap and effective.  One sheet of craft foam, at 11" x 17", provides enough foam for many dollhouses and roomboxes.  It costs 0.95 USD per sheet, and craft foam glue costs 1.79 USD per tube.  The tubes are small, but a little goes a long way.  I purchased two sheets of brown craft foam and one tube of craft foam glue for a total investment of 3.69 USD.  That's enough to do all the projects I've got going on right now: the bakery, 4 roomboxes, the wizard's eyrie, and the merchant's manor.

3.69 USD, or less than two twenty five cent pieces per house.

Not a bad investment at all, I'd say!

What are your bright ideas?