Little things make a big statement

Ever since I was a little girl and received my first set of dollhouse furniture, I've been fascinated by miniature things.

There just seemed something magical, perhaps fairylike, about tiny versions of the real items. And, if the full-size things were difficult to create, how much more difficult were their miniature versions to make?

So, I keep my eye out for tiny, detailed miniature paintings and antique doll furniture made with the care and workmanship of the real thing. I've even been able to snag myself some precious carved meerschaum miniature religious sculptures under glass that must of required hours of work, an incredibly steady hand and a great eye for detail.

The nice thing about miniatures is they're just that -- miniature. They don't take up a lot of room so you don't have to worry about display space. In fact, some are so tiny, they get lost unless you display them in larger groups. I like to display my miniature paintings in little groups of three for more impact. I encased a group of meerschaum sculptures in tiny oval frames in a single display case for more visibility. My miniature dressers adorn side tables throughout my house and serve as storage for small things like barrettes for my poodle, rubber bands and playing cards.

Depending on the age, artist and materials, miniatures can get pretty pricey. But there are still some bargains around if you look hard enough.

Dress up plain wood furniture

When I told you I like to do things cheap, I wasn't kidding you.
I picked up my kitchen table and chairs for a song at an unfinished wood furniture outlet because they'd been on display and were a bit battle-scarred. My kitchen china cabinet, where I display my collection of beloved 1930s and '40s Fiestaware, was a yard sale find at $50. Both were plain pine, but not for long.
I began collecting colorful pints of paint I found on discount on the "Oops Shelf" at Walmart. That's the paint that someone had mixed and decided they didn't like the color. Walmart marks it down to half price so a $6.97 can of paint is less than $4. I chose '50s colors that would complement my Fiestaware and painted each of my four chairs and each leg of my kitchen table a different color. Then I chose my favorite paint color, kind of an aqua blue, to paint the cabinet. I trimmed it out with a rose-red color.
I added a 1950s tablecloth with matching colors, and the result was exactly what I was looking for. Mundane wood pieces were given a colorful facelift, and took the spotlight away from my detested kitchen floor, tiled in a pastel pink and blue. In fact, it helped make the floor fit in with the room's color scheme, which is really no color scheme at all, just color.
As for time, the entire project took all of three days so the results far outweighed the labor. Now I'm gathering up the courage to do something similar to my cream-colored outdated kitchen cabinets. I'll let you know if I decide to take the plunge.