Bronzed baby shoe, turned into a home - Printable Version

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Bronzed baby shoe, turned into a home - Ensign - 02-09-2018

Hi everyone, you've heard the old nursery rhyme about the old lady that lived in a shoe, well of course you have.
I'm going to show you how I turned an old bronzed baby shoe, into a home for that old lady.
My wife is always going to those thrift stores, so I asked her to keep an eye open for a neat looking baby shoe.
When she brought me home a bronzed baby shoe, I thought to myself this may actually work out better than a un-bronzed shoe.
So here is how the bronzed baby shoe looked when I first got it.


   

   



Just your basic bronzed baby shoe, for 2 bucks.
Now I needed to smooth out some of the shoe surfaces, in order to apply a door, and some windows.
So I used some black Sculpy/Polymer modelling clay, applied right on to the surface of the bronzed baby shoe.

   

I also built up the front of the shoe to look like a window dormer using the clay.

   

   





Once I was happy with my polymer additions, I baked the shoe in the oven for 20 minutes to harden the clay.
I thought I was being smart by placing the shoe upside down on a baking tray, but this turned out to be a mistake.
It seems that wax is used in the process of bronzing baby shoes, and that wax melted out of the shoe all over my wife's baking tray and down into the oven.
Had I just kept the baby shoe sitting upright this would not have happened. After I cleaned up the mess I continued with making the roof for this shoe.
I traced around the top of the shoe with a pencil, onto a piece of wood. I then cut out the shape that I traced, so that this piece of wood would sit on the top of the shoe nicely.


Re: Bronzed baby shoe, turned into a home - Ensign - 02-09-2018

   

   

I painted the entire shoe a gloss black
I also wanted to model a slightly sagging roof line, so I cut the cardstock used for my roof with a wee bit of a sag in it.

   

   

I shingled the roof with real cedar shingles. And even made up a shoe doghouse from the clay.

   


Re: Bronzed baby shoe, turned into a home - Ensign - 02-09-2018

Here is a better look at the shoe doghouse.

   

And once I had the basic shape of this shoe house taking place, that's when the children starting showing up!

   

This old lady knew what to do with them, she opened up "The Old Lady Daycare"
Where the kids come to play on a shoehorn slide, and other fun stuff.
Now the Priesers and the Martens and Woodlanders all have a place to send their kids, while the parents stand around in their day jobs.

   

The End!

Greg Shinnie


Re: Bronzed baby shoe, turned into a home - ezdays - 02-09-2018

What a brilliant idea,

The Little Old Lady that lived in a shoe,
You really knew what to do....
Thumbsup Applause Thumbsup


Re: Bronzed baby shoe, turned into a home - Ensign - 02-09-2018

Thanks! Don.
I forgot to mention that I made the shoehorn slide, out of a spoon handle & some brass wire.
That my wife also purchased for me at the thrift store.

   

Greg


Re: Bronzed baby shoe, turned into a home - bdw9535 - 02-09-2018

Greg,

Always enjoy seeing your work. Very creative idea. Applause

Bruce


Re: Bronzed baby shoe, turned into a home - Ensign - 02-09-2018

Bruce, thanks for your kind words!
Glad you enjoyed, this bit of whimsy.

Greg


RE: Bronzed baby shoe, turned into a home - Lester Perry - 06-23-2018

Fantastic, I love it. Would you mind if I copy your idea? This is something you might want to make into a kit and sell.


RE: Bronzed baby shoe, turned into a home - Ralph - 06-24-2018

Now that's fun and very well done!


RE: Bronzed baby shoe, turned into a home - Tyson Rayles - 06-24-2018

Big Grin 357 Cheers Thumbsup Thumbsup Thumbsup