Getting Started
Okay, so I had this idea kicking around in my head for a while. Called it the “cup of stars hill house” project in my notes. Didn’t really know what it would look like, just liked the sound of it. Finally got some free time this weekend, so I decided to just jump in and make something.
First thing, I went digging through my old stuff. Found this chipped teacup, you know, the kind you keep thinking you’ll use but never do. Perfect. Then I rummaged in the craft box. Pulled out some air-dry clay I bought ages ago, some cheap acrylic paints – blue, white, brown – and a tiny brush. Grabbed some PVA glue and, crucially, some glitter. Found some old green flocking powder too, like you use for model train scenery.
Making the Thing
Alright, step one was cleaning that cup. Gave it a good wash and dry. Then I took the dark blue paint and slopped it around the inside bottom of the cup. Wanted it to look like a night sky, sort of. Let that sit and dry properly, took longer than I thought.
While the paint was drying, I started messing with the clay. Didn’t need much. Just broke off a small piece and rolled it around in my hands. Then I started shaping it into a tiny house shape. Really basic, just a little block with a pointy roof slapped on top. Used the end of my brush to poke a little door shape and a window. Didn’t fuss over details, just wanted the general idea. Left that little clay house to air dry on some paper.
Once the blue paint in the cup was dry, I took the PVA glue and mixed in a load of silver glitter. Dabbed that mixture over the blue paint. Tried to spread it out so it looked like stars. Made a bit of a mess, glitter got everywhere, but it looked okay inside the cup.
Checked the clay house. It felt hard enough. Took the white paint and gave it a quick coat. Then used a bit of brown for the roof. Super simple paint job. Let that dry too.
Putting It All Together
This was the slightly tricky bit. Put a decent blob of glue inside the cup, on top of the glittery “sky”. Then I took that green flocking powder – the fake grass stuff – and sprinkled it over the glue to make a little hill inside the cup. Patted it down gently. Waited a few minutes for the glue to get tacky.
Then I put another small dot of glue on the green “hill” and carefully placed my little painted clay house on top. Pushed it down just enough to stick. Had to hold it for a minute to make sure it didn’t slide off the little mound I made.
The Finished Piece
And… that was pretty much it. Stood back and looked at it. My little “cup of stars hill house”. A tiny house sitting on a green hill inside a teacup, with a glittery night sky beneath it. Took maybe an afternoon, mostly waiting for stuff to dry. Wasn’t complicated, just followed the steps that made sense in my head. Feels good to have actually made it instead of just thinking about it. It’s sitting on my desk now. A bit rough, but it’s done, and I made it myself.
