I Get Shingles

The kind for the roof, of course.

I needed another roof song for today's post.  Here's a classic by the Drifters:

I mentioned on another post that the Strawberry Patch kit was relatively inexpensive. Shingles for the roof might be included in a more costly kit, but I had to purchase them separately. 

The instructions for dying the shingles said to cut a plastic milk carton in half and use the bottom as a tub for the dye, and the top as a strainer. That worked pretty well, but it was a messy job.  I wore gloves and old clothes.

A plastic milk carton cut in half serves as dye tub and strainer

The double thick cardboard of a packing box
worked perfectly for this messy job

I did a handful at a time and eventually they were all done.  Then they needed a day or so to dry.

I stained the roof panels the same color so the pale wood wouldn't show through.  I also decided at this point that the house would look better with chimneys.  So Bob cut holes in the panels where the roof would be, and then made the chimneys for me.  I love him.

Thee roof panels prior to staining

The roof panels stained, attached, and
with custom chimney openings 

After painting and installing the chimneys, I could finally start the shingle process.  First we had to mark the lines on the roof.  Then each shingle is glued on individually.  Yet another task that should have been tedious, but wasn't.

Shingles must be glued on one at a time, row by row.

Shingling around the chimney was tricky, I had to cut the
shingles to fit.

I didn't want to use the strange looking trim that came with the kit, so I had to figure out some other way to finish the peak of the roof, which otherwise would have a gap.

Original design calls for this weird stegosaurus-like trim to
close the gap at the peak of the roof, but I didn't like it.

I found a piece of molding at Circus Dollhouse and stained it to match, which I like much better.  (It seems like every time I leave the house, I have to buy something for the Mini House!)

The finished roof with shingles, custom chimneys, and custom roof peak. 

At this point there is really not much left to do.  A few more steps to finish up, and then I can finally start the part I've really been looking forward to - decorating the inside!