The Removable Wall

The removable wall had a lot of wasted space on it so I decided to build a bookshelf/cabinet to go over the wheel well box. In fact, the bookcase is what helps to hold it on.

I could make the bottom half of the shelf unit into a refrigerator because I just ran out of room on the sink for everything I wanted on that side of the camper. But for now the shelves rest on the wheel well cover and there's still room for a chair or something else on that side of the wall.

I might need to make some blinds or curtains for all the windows.

Cement Block and Steps

The first cement block I made was just a scrap piece of wood that I painted. It looks ok but not exactly what I wanted. I wanted a block that had real holes in it and was textured to look like cement.

I decided to cut out thick cardboard on my Cricut machine so first I had to design a block shape and import it into the program. Then I cut out about 30 pieces of the pattern and just glued them all together to make a more realistic block.

Once it was dry, I filled in the sides with a little paper clay and added texture with it. Then I painted it with two shades of grey paint dabbed on.

THE STEP

I wanted a little pullout step up to the camper door so I used florist's wire and a piece of large popsicle stick to make one. I drilled two holes into the step and bent my wire around it. Then I drilled holes into the frame and pushed my wire through. I bent the ends so the step would stop at about an inch.

The step slide in and out easily as needed, just like a real one. All I have to do now is paint it.

The Outside

It's starting to really come together now. I used a crimping tool and poster board to make the strip going around the center and between the windows look like trailer siding. It was just what I was looking for.

I also took strips of poster board and bent them back and forth in irregular patterns to look like vertical siding for the rest of the exterior. I used turbo tack to glue them on. Match sticks around the outside windows for framing and popsicle sticks around the door but I'm going to change that because my door won't open all the way.

I filled in any corners and cracks with turbo tacky glue and painted with acrylic paint when it was dry. I may add some aluminum strips to the outside later - or not. But I definitely will add reflectors and lights to the back end.

Cushions and The Sink

I ran florist wire through a hollowed out black wire so I could bend it into a hook for the faucet, then painted it silver. I made the faucet handles out of bent florist wire painted silver too.

I had the miniature guitar so I used it as a prop. The "cushions" were covered with fabric paper from the Country Home stack and glued over foam core board. I made the "pillows" from foam core too.

The stove burner is a punched out snowflake that has been trimmed. I covered the walls and door with fabric and paper from the stack then I glued my furniture in place.

The little word signs are cut out of a piece of gold word paper from the same stack and little match stick frames were glued to the edges.

I also glued a little edge onto the table to give it a more solid feel and covered the bench cushions too. After I got the walls done and the windows in, I added woodwork inside to cover the edges.

Window Framing and Windows

Cardboard edges are rough so they need to be trimmed out with little wooden matchstick sized pieces. This is tedious work but it pays off big if you get it right. It will let you square up your window openings by eyeballing them and not having to measure every little thing. 

I don't measure any of these. I just cut two exact pieces for the sides, glue them in and then cut  the top by holding the stick up to the frame and marking it for the right size. I then cut another piece using it as a guide for the bottom. Voila! Squared windows

I then put dividers in some of the bigger windows the same way. Just hold the stick up to the frame and mark where you need to cut.

I use very thin plexiglas you get in a cheap poster frame. You get a huge sheet for about 10 bucks at Walmart and cut it down into smaller pieces with an exacto blade knife. It cuts really easy, not like thick plexi. It is the thinnest, strongest and clearest acrylic you can get for dollhouses and projects like this. Don't pay a fortune for dollhouse window acrylic. Just buy a poster frame and you'll have a supply that will last you for years.

My windows don't slide, they are stationary, for looks only.

The Walls and the Kitchen Sink

I am a paper person. I am in love with working with all kinds of paper. Even though I don't scrapbook in the traditional sense, I fell in love with a multi-material scrapbooking stack from Park Lane paperie that I bought at Joann's called Country Home. I don't know what it was about the collection of vellum, linen and mulberry papers but this is the color scheme I decided to use.

I already had a yellow camper trailer running around in my head when I saw this stack and I got the last one on the shelf at my store. Glad I did! I love the colors. I really used this stack. 

It has the right amount of yellows, subtle greens and tans and beautiful navy and blue prints in it. It somehow all came together.

Next up - trim and windows.

Setting Furniture In

The first thing I did to the inside was put down a wooden popsicle stick floor. Then I started on the furniture. Before I glued the furniture in place, I finished some details on it and made sure it fit nice and snug. I had to make a wooden box for the wheel cover on one side.

I just love the little table and benches. I had to curve the inside edges of the benches to fit the curve of the wall on that end. After everything fit in place, I took it back out and worked on covering the walls before gluing them in permanently.

Next, the walls and that kitchen sink.

Trailer Hitch and Gas Tanks

I had some little people wooden pieces that I bought but never used and one of them looked like a trailer hitch to me so that's what I used. I actually had to re-do this later to make a base for my compressed gas tanks. I didn't like the way they were just barely hanging on.

That little piece of wood holding the trailer up will be a cement block when I get done with it. 

I had some soft wire I got at the Dollar Tree. I think it's a USB wire but I'm not sure about that. I just know I can pull the inner wires out and run a piece of florist wire through it if I need to.

I made my gas tanks out of baby aspirin bottles. They are the squattyist type of bottle you can get. I paid .97 each for them including the low dose orange chewable aspirin. I got them at Walmart.

I ran a thin strip of paper around the middle to make them look like they had been welded together in pieces. and cut a cardboard square out of poster board for the valve guards. I still have to make the valves and hoses.

Camper Trailer Furniture

It all has to be built ins. The first thing I needed was a platform box for a couch/bed. It doesn't have to fold out but storage underneath would be nice. I'm not going to do an "all working" exact replication here. I may add details at the last but it's not going to be all that exact in order to make me happy. 

The kitchen needs shelves, table and benches, and some kind of sink and stove combo. I use all sizes of popsicle sticks for furniture. The best tool I have is my Super Easy Cutter from Midwest Products. It saves my hand from getting a cramp cutting all those sticks.

I love using Aleene's Fast Grab and Turbo Tacky glues but the glue gun does let me work faster on some things. 

I have made sinks before and I use a square from a product blister pack to cut out for my sink. I spray painted it silver.

The sink will cover and hide the wheel well. That round thing on the right side will be a burner. I wanted two burners and an oven but I did not have a smaller square for the sink so I have to make a bigger sink and it took up all the room. Sometimes you just have to use what you have and make it work.

Travel Trailer

AKA "Canned Ham". I love these little retro camping trailers. I am still working on my stump off and on but I just got it into my head to make one of these. I've been looking at pictures of real campers and although I've never owned one for real, I think they are so cute. I had to make one. I couldn't stop just long enough to take a few pictures. I was obsessed.

So first I cut out from my never ending cardboard supply, a shape I just drew freehand. Usually I'm a stickler for the 1" scale but not so much with this one. I just kind of guesstimated it. It was fine. I put down a popsicle stick floor and made a soft wood frame for the shell. I did move my door over more to the left later to make more room for my little sink/burner cabinet.

I made the wheels out of a wooden dowel and layers of corrugated cardboard circles. I glued the circles together and filled the sides with white glue. When it dried, it looked like tire treads. I cut my sidewalls out of poster board and made my hub caps out of posterboard covered with aluminum duct tape. I shaped them with a ball tool.

I used soft hobby wood sticks for the undercarriage. You can see my cardboard taped with masking tape. I used a hot glue gun to glue most things on.


That's the start to my little project. I was inspired by the Sam's Club Christmas decorations I saw online. I am not a member. They had a pickup truck, a VW bus and a camper all decorated with lights for sale this year. I think they are all sold out now though.

So I thought they were so cute, I just had to make my own little camper. I will probably put lights on mine too. There looks like plenty of room for a battery pack under there.