@pammyj100 I just watched your new video where your village has everything working...all I can say is...AMAZING!!!!!!! I smiled the entire time! It's a "must watch" for everyone on youtube! Just wonderful!!!!
This is definately a passion and an addiction for those of us that build villages, wouldn't you say! I consider it therapy and usually lose all track of time when I'm wrapped up in it. I've already started planning the layout ..LOL. I have so many ideas floating around in my head...Thanks for the inspiration!
I am soooo smiling at this!!! My villages take me days to put up and I am now waaay behind! Thanks so much for sharing--I wish I had found this in July---I would be on track with my own 200 houses.
I love the way you use the blue fabric with lights behind them to simulate the sky. I was surfing the internet to get inspired for my Christmas Village and I'm going to give that a try this year. I love the way yours came out
I love it that you take time to reply to everyone who writes in and I think you are a very generous soul to share your techniques,- this video is very clear and easy to follow and I am sure many a novice would find a wealth of good useful information by watching it many times over. Personally, I prefer a more open, less busy display, with lots of home-built content, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate your hard work and attention to detail. Thanks for sharing !
+Ziggy1951August Thank you Ziggy, setting up a village is my way to relax after a long, busy day at work. Oh and no husband assist, this is all me. Merry Christmas
Stunning!👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼Absolutely top-shelf! Well done!👍🏻👍🏻I especially love the zoo,the amusement park and the skiers on the slopes. Amazing! I sure hope you have plenty of grandchildren to amaze with this. Lol
I love your Christmas village display "how to" ideas and video. I think the overall look of your village and waterways, ponds, cars, monorail and amusement park are really well executed. I collect Dept 56 as well and I have only a very small space to do my Dickens village in. I trade out my Dickens with New England depending on where I am living. I really like your ideas on the night starry sky and the finished look of the velvet skirt with the garland... really nice details. Thank you.
This is incredible! My husband would quiver at the cords, he worries about overload. I am up to 12 houses and bought a bunch of trees today. November 1 I'm setting up, thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you Donna. I don't use the individual cords that come with the houses. I use a string of c7 Christmas lights. I loosen the bulbs that aren't in use (DO NOT REMOVE THE BULBS THAT ARE NOT IN USE, JUST LOOSEN THEM SO THEY DON"T LIGHT). I also had an electrician wire me outlets for my village. Good luck with your village.
I really enjoy collecting and planning my village. I like to talk to others to get ideas as well as share mine with them. I'm humbled by people writing me with comments about my videos. I've also enjoyed your videos and thank you for sharing.
Seeing all the work that went into constructing the under structure is nothing short of mind boggling! I think I'd leave it up all year long! This is quite an investment of both time and money. It's beautiful! Such a labor of love! Thanks for taking the time to make this video! Happy holly!
Thank you Martie! I have learned that "Villaging" is a true labor of love. It is my way of relaxing after a long day at work. I find it quite peaceful to saw 2 x 2 's, tote lumber and crawl around the floor underneath the platform. I'm glad you enjoyed. Check out my latest video. It is even larger this year and is housed on a separate floor of my home. Merry Christmas!
Thank you xmas lover 1000, I'm glad the sky description helped you and you are more than welcome to copy it. I viewed you videos...great job! (I like the people riding the top of the train) Villaging is addictive! I too am planning for Christmas already. Good luck with the sky!
Beautiful village! I very much enjoyed your step by step slides. I would love to see a video of your finished display with everything working. I bet that would be fantastic! Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Wow!!! That's gorgeous. This coming Christmas will be the first that I will have a Christmas village display. You gave me some good ideas. And "how to" ways :) And that night sky with the stars in the background absolutely FANTASTIC! Thanks for posting :D
Hi Sherry, Thank you so much for your great comments. I'm so glad you found the video! I do take the frame apart, it is so easy to store by doing so. Also, I reuse the fabric for years, I even save my snow and reuse it lol! I always moved my furniture to set up my village but several years ago, I put an addition on my house. I use it as my dining room during the year, but come September, it houses my village, matter of fact, I started working on it this past week. Good luck, ask ??? any time
Hi Kelly, glad you found a roller coaster...those are far and few between! The Jailbirds are Homies. I found them on ebay. The handcuffs (chains) are a key chain like one that is on a rabbits foot, I opened up the one end and put in into the Homie's arm or leg. Good Luck & Happy Holidays!
Hi David, I purchased the drill on ebay. It is called Mansfield cordless dual head drill. I paid around $70 for it a few years ago. I just looked on ebay and there are a couple for sale from $39 to $128. It is the BEST money I ever spent on a tool. Easy to use, convenient, and has great power. Good luck!
What a wonderful job you did! I noticed the football players wearing black and gold and I thought maybe that's just the colors they were available in. But then I saw the Steeler Water Tower and my heart warmed. I live in Shadyside this is the perfect Village! I love it love it love it
Thank you for the nice comments. The roller coaster is Disney's and I purchased on ebay about 3 years ago. It's Call Screamin Roller Coaster Model by Disney. They sold them in their Parks several years ago for about $100. I think I paid about that for it. It is a kit that you put together.The coaster cars are battery operated. It sticks in a couple places, but overall is a really neat piece and a great visual. Good luck finding!
Thank you Tracy! I start my village the first week of September and have it finished by Thanksgiving. I pack it all away about the middle of January. The mountains are Lemax and Dept 56. They are made of foam. I'm glad it gave you ideas. Please let me know when you post photos or videos of yours. Thanks for the nice comments
Thank you Jolanda, the rollercoaster seems to be everyone's favorite! I'm glad you liked the video. I hope it gave you some ideas. Have a Wonderful Holiday.
Thank you for taking the time to make this video. It was very helpful and gave me lots of ideas. Your village is amazing and you have some very unique pieces. I agree that you should leave it up all year long. It's too beautiful to put into storage.
Thank you for the nice comments Winsunn. I'm glad it gave you ideas. I am always searching ebay for things that are different. And I love to "tweak" some of my pieces to make them unique. The only problem with keeping it up is it gets so dusty and that would drive me nuts lol. Thanks for viewing.
We have only just started our little collection of Dept. 56 and I was looking for inspriation on how to set it up. I certainly stumbled onto the right video. Your village is stunning and I LOVE the blue fabric with the icicle lights. I want to use that idea in a smaller scale. Thank you! & Merry Christmas! ~Christina
Hi Christina, I'm glad the video gave you the right encouragement! I too started with a couple pieces and this year my village has it's own floor in my home lol. If you have any questions and I can help you let me know. I love to share my ideas. Merry Christmas, Pam
Yes, I do agree! I just started my "head layout" also. I've been checking out d56 and lemax sites to see what is new, not that I need or have room for anymore lol.
This is really beautifull, but I don`t have the place to put this big of a village and for me it is also a little bit to much, but you did a great job and nice of you for showing it to us, how you can fix it, with normal materials.
Greetings from Monster Hobbies in High River, Alberta, Canada. Love the Christmas Village! Would really like to see a video of everything running, especially the Roller Coaster and the Monorail!
I used a cotton fabric that was purchased at our local fabric store "JoAnn Fabric". I had to special order a bolt to fit the room size. They usually have several racks of holiday fabrics. Good Luck!!
Thats quite impessive! We have some very similar displays and some of the pieces too! My sky and stars are done same way and in my dining room..with abay window no less. Pretty soon Ill have to clear out my furniture also :-)
Hello again dmestan, I tried the balancing act only to have one or two of the buckets slip so now I put a screw through the bottoms of the buckets to hold them together. Glad you enjoyed! Thanks for viewing.
Very nice. I also put up and take my Marx train Christmas village every year. So I appreciate the amount of work involved. I'm glad to know there are other crazy people in the world. P.S. I may have to borrow (steal) your blue sky and lights idea. Crazy in Kentucky.
Hi Kary, it's called "starry night" . JoAnn Fabric Store special ordered it in for me, however, you may be able to find it on line. It is a cotton fabric so it wrinkles when folded or stored but I steam iron it before I hang it. Good luck....don't forget the lights...they really make it!
I can only imagine what something like this costs. Probably 6 months of my rent. Still beautiful and amazing. I can only wish to be able to have a hobby like this one day. 👏🏻👏🏻
They say Rome wasn't built in a day lol. I have been collecting for 40 plus years. I started out with homemade ceramic houses that my grandmother made for me. once dept 56 came on the market, I couldn't help myself....I started buying everything. at last count my complete collection has been appraised at over $15,000. YIKES....I'm out of control lol
@BonnieJean437 thank you> I really have fun setting up my village. It's relaxing to me after a long day at work. Thank you for your nice comments and I look forward to seeing your video some day soon. Happy Holidays
Thank you! It is my therapy to relax when I get home from work. I will be posting the final video soon. Happy Holidays!. P.S. I love the video of you cute puppy
Thank you for your nice comments. I'm glad you got some ideas from this video. I have been villaging for over 30 years. I start setting it up in September and depending on my work schedule, it takes me about 4 to 5 weeks to complete. I will look forward to seeing your video this year. Drop me a line if I can help you with any questions.
Thank you Gina, the mountains are mostly Lemax with a few Dept. 56. They are made of styrofoam so I trim some to fit into the landscape. I purchase on line from a company called ehobbytools , sometimes they give a 10 % discount and ship for only $7. Also, I often find them on ebay or Michael's Craft Store. Good luck in your search
In a word Pammyj .."GORGEOUS!"...Love it!..Thank you so much for sharing your ideas with all of us "Village Addicts"..LOL...The biggest and nicest compliment a village creator can receive is "I'd love to live there"...so when can I move in? (:
Thank you Shabri for viewing. I am lucky I have a lot of space to set this up....I wish I had more space to make it bigger. A lot of people set up smaller villages which can be just as nice as a larger one. I wish you a Happy Holiday Season.
@tolebear the McDonald's is Department 56. I purchased on ebay several years ago for about $50. There is also a really cute McDonald's arch sign sold seperate-lights with a d56 adaptor. Also purchased it on ebay for about $15. Good luch in your search!
Hi, thanks for the quick reply. I have made my NE village little video last year with my Dad but I have not posted it. I have to find it first LOL! I am working on a Disney themed village for about two years now and hope to at least display it this year for the first time although it is not near finished. I will write you if I have a chance to post a video. Thanks again for all your great ideas - you have inspired me for the holiday season to come for 2012!
Thank you for your opinion, you're right "what is the point of viewing it if it's going to fast." I will keep it as it is. Well I have some catching up to do as far as the mountains go. I will definitely post it this Christmas for you, before Christmas actually. As of now still formulating a plan. Thank you so much for everything. Talk to you soon, have a great day.
Hi Junken, thanks for the nice comments. I have a lot of Lemax pieces, they are very natural looking and well priced. I also collect Department 56. Google both of those and when you get on their web page, you should be able to ask them where you can purchase in New Zealand. You will also be able to view their gallery of houses, people, scenery. Also, I buy on ebay. Good luck with your new (expensive) hobby. I look forward to seeing photos of your village.
Hi Julia, Thank you for your nice comment. Villaging can be a very expensive hobby or maybe I should say habit,lol. I stopped counting at $5000. The houses and accessories are mostly Department 56 with some Lemax. Both can be purchased second hand on ebay. Are you planning to set up a village? It can be very addictive....but very fun. Happy Holiday to you. Thanks for watching.
Thank you tolebear for your nice comments. I would love to see photos or video of your village. The burning building is easy to do. I purchased flickering candle bulbs. Then, I took a building (Al's TV Shop) and busted out 3 of the windows with nose pliers and a little out of the base to fit the candle bulbs and cord into the building (I used three candle bulbs). Next, I hot glued the cord to the inside walls of the building close to the three windows. Use black paint to make burn marks.
That's So Neat! I Love To Do The Mini Christmas Villages. :) You Helped me Out ALOT. Just Giving Better ideas Out. Every Year Insted Of A Table ( Witch Most People use ) I Use A Grand piano. And I ALWAYS Haft To Extend. So This Helped Me Out A lot. And I'm guessing You Love Christmas Because This Was Posted Nov 5th! Great Job! :)
Hi Tracy, I have the older version the speed you see it going at in the video is the true speed. I'm not aware of a newer model. I like the speed it travels at. I don't like when trains, cars, etc. travel so fast that you can't even view them . As far as the mountain count goes....my guess is 40. I have cut some to fit the layout and I have pieced some that I have cut. Good luck and please post your village, I would love to see it.
WOW....you have a big collection! Setting it up is so much work, but so rewarding. Do you post a video of your village? Please let me know if you do. Thanks, Happy Holidays!
LOL, your town will be up and running again in October...can you wait till then??? lol. Thank you for your great comments! I find Villaging to be so relaxing, you too? I have also enjoyed your videos. Great job!
Hi Spike, the creek is dept 56 they come in 10inch sections..straight and curved and other pieces like a small waterfall, a fork or split section, and the bridge with the fishermen. the mountains are Lemax & D56. The monorail is from Disney, I found it on ebay. The cable car is d56 and the two houses that flank the cable car wires are attached to mountains. I purchas alot on ebay. No real water. Check out my 2012 video too...I just posted it today. Good luck on setting up your display
Do you know how to make plastic snow cheap ? Get some of that crystalline white craft foam (such as Micheals sells), chop the sheets/blocks up into little pieces, the grind them up as fine as you like in a blender. The resultant ground foam looks just like real snow. Spread it all over your village and put some on top of your train cars for a real nice effect !
Your village is beautiful! Thanks so much for the how to instructions. I have a few questions though, do you take your frame completely apart for storage? Do you reuse your fabric? You have given my husband ( he loves it as much as I do lol) and I a lot of ideas. We actually tried making different levels and landscaping last year and I really wish I had seen this video first. Lol Our village is a lot smaller and simpler but I try to add a little bit each year.
Hi Twitchster77, I do not keep it up year round. I start to set it up September 1 (usually takes me til mid November with my work schedule), and I take it down the first or second week of January. The waterfall was one of my favorites too. Be sure to check out this years video to see what I did with the duck pond and let me know what you think. I'm working on it now and it is turning out pretty good. I usually post the video by Thanksgiving. Thanks for you nice comments.
![Lp. Последняя Реальность #107 РОДНОЙ ДОМ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IK3QKzKUlHM/mqdefault.jpg)
@pammyj100 I just watched your new video where your village has everything working...all I can say is...AMAZING!!!!!!! I smiled the entire time! It's a "must watch" for everyone on youtube! Just wonderful!!!!
Your videos are helping me prepare for my 2018 village. Amazing job!
This is definately a passion and an addiction for those of us that build villages, wouldn't you say! I consider it therapy and usually lose all track of time when I'm wrapped up in it. I've already started planning the layout ..LOL. I have so many ideas floating around in my head...Thanks for the inspiration!
I enjoyed watching this! I love the stars! Thanks for sharing!
Great thanks for the info. you did a great job on your village! i love it and can't wait to see this year's. Thanks for sharing
I am soooo smiling at this!!! My villages take me days to put up and I am now waaay behind! Thanks so much for sharing--I wish I had found this in July---I would be on track with my own 200 houses.
I love the way you use the blue fabric with lights behind them to simulate the sky. I was surfing the internet to get inspired for my Christmas Village and I'm going to give that a try this year. I love the way yours came out
thank you Kevin. I think it really adds to the village and it's so easy to do.
I love it that you take time to reply to everyone who writes in and I think you are a very generous soul to share your techniques,- this video is very clear and easy to follow and I am sure many a novice would find a wealth of good useful information by watching it many times over.
Personally, I prefer a more open, less busy display, with lots of home-built content, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate your hard work and attention to detail.
Thanks for sharing !
Awesome job - beautiful!!!! I'm in awe of your patience, dedication and good taste!!! Kudos to your husband for his help also!!
+Ziggy1951August Thank you Ziggy, setting up a village is my way to relax after a long, busy day at work. Oh and no husband assist, this is all me. Merry Christmas
Stunning!👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼Absolutely top-shelf! Well done!👍🏻👍🏻I especially love the zoo,the amusement park and the skiers on the slopes. Amazing! I sure hope you have plenty of grandchildren to amaze with this. Lol
thank you for your kind comments! No grandchildren but lot's of other youngsters that stop by every year to see the village.
Yes, I looked at it after my last post. Very nice,the houses are beautiful. Good luck with your village.
I love your Christmas village display "how to" ideas and video. I think the overall look of your village and waterways, ponds, cars, monorail and amusement park are really well executed.
I collect Dept 56 as well and I have only a very small space to do my Dickens village in. I trade out my Dickens with New England depending on where I am living. I really like your ideas on the night starry sky and the finished look of the velvet skirt with the garland... really nice details. Thank you.
This is incredible! My husband would quiver at the cords, he worries about overload. I am up to 12 houses and bought a bunch of trees today. November 1 I'm setting up, thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you Donna. I don't use the individual cords that come with the houses. I use a string of c7 Christmas lights. I loosen the bulbs that aren't in use (DO NOT REMOVE THE BULBS THAT ARE NOT IN USE, JUST LOOSEN THEM SO THEY DON"T LIGHT). I also had an electrician wire me outlets for my village. Good luck with your village.
Impressive, congrats! Beautiful village :)
I really enjoy collecting and planning my village. I like to talk to others to get ideas as well as share mine with them. I'm humbled by people writing me with comments about my videos. I've also enjoyed your videos and thank you for sharing.
This is absolutely amazing. Thank you so much for this vid!
Seeing all the work that went into constructing the under structure is nothing short of mind boggling! I think I'd leave it up all year long! This is quite an investment of both time and money. It's beautiful! Such a labor of love! Thanks for taking the time to make this video! Happy holly!
Thank you Martie! I have learned that "Villaging" is a true labor of love. It is my way of relaxing after a long day at work. I find it quite peaceful to saw 2 x 2 's, tote lumber and crawl around the floor underneath the platform. I'm glad you enjoyed. Check out my latest video. It is even larger this year and is housed on a separate floor of my home. Merry Christmas!
I feel your pain MrShaun! But what a reward at the end of the tunnel! Happy New Year and Happy Villaging!
I'm speechless - what a labor of love!
OMG!!!! I love this. I had one up once and it stayed up for years. I haven't seen my houses for 10 years probably. You have inspired me!!!! Thank you
thank you! Sometimes, a little inspiration is all we need...I know that's true for me! Hopefully, I will be viewing your video next year.
Thank you xmas lover 1000, I'm glad the sky description helped you and you are more than welcome to copy it. I viewed you videos...great job! (I like the people riding the top of the train) Villaging is addictive! I too am planning for Christmas already. Good luck with the sky!
Beautiful village! I very much enjoyed your step by step slides. I would love to see a video of your finished display with everything working. I bet that would be fantastic! Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Your presentation is so clear... I am totally inspired for Christmas 2021! Thanks for sharing!
thank you! Happy New Year
Wow!!! That's gorgeous. This coming Christmas will be the first that I will have a Christmas village display. You gave me some good ideas. And "how to" ways :) And that night sky with the stars in the background absolutely FANTASTIC! Thanks for posting :D
It's really beautiful the night view. Good work man, it's amazing and beautiful.
WOW! I am speechless! You made this look easy. Someday I hope to have half the village you have! :) BEAUTIFUL!
Hi Sherry, Thank you so much for your great comments. I'm so glad you found the video! I do take the frame apart, it is so easy to store by doing so. Also, I reuse the fabric for years, I even save my snow and reuse it lol! I always moved my furniture to set up my village but several years ago, I put an addition on my house. I use it as my dining room during the year, but come September, it houses my village, matter of fact, I started working on it this past week. Good luck, ask ??? any time
Hi Kelly, glad you found a roller coaster...those are far and few between! The Jailbirds are Homies. I found them on ebay. The handcuffs (chains) are a key chain like one that is on a rabbits foot, I opened up the one end and put in into the Homie's arm or leg. Good Luck & Happy Holidays!
@greatqueenesther thank you. This is how I relax, I truly enjoy it. Happy Holidays.
Hi David, I purchased the drill on ebay. It is called Mansfield cordless dual head drill. I paid around $70 for it a few years ago. I just looked on ebay and there are a couple for sale from $39 to $128. It is the BEST money I ever spent on a tool. Easy to use, convenient, and has great power. Good luck!
What a wonderful job you did! I noticed the football players wearing black and gold and I thought maybe that's just the colors they were available in. But then I saw the Steeler Water Tower and my heart warmed. I live in Shadyside this is the perfect Village! I love it love it love it
Thank you for your nice comments, we are neighbors lol. I am in the South Hills of Pittsburgh near Bridgeville. GO STILLERS!!!
@@pammyj100 Go STILLERS!! Highway to 7 baybeeeee!!
Just love those Lemax carnival pieces!!!!
The Carnival is my favorite
Thank you for the nice comments. The roller coaster is Disney's and I purchased on ebay about 3 years ago. It's Call Screamin Roller Coaster Model by Disney. They sold them in their Parks several years ago for about $100. I think I paid about that for it. It is a kit that you put together.The coaster cars are battery operated. It sticks in a couple places, but overall is a really neat piece and a great visual. Good luck finding!
This is a huge help to me. This year I abandoned large parts of my village because I could not make a proper base. Now I’m all set for next year!
I'm so glad it was helpful. If you get stuck, let me know, I'll help you figure it out if I can!
Thank you Tracy! I start my village the first week of September and have it finished by Thanksgiving. I pack it all away about the middle of January. The mountains are Lemax and Dept 56. They are made of foam. I'm glad it gave you ideas. Please let me know when you post photos or videos of yours. Thanks for the nice comments
Thank you Jolanda, the rollercoaster seems to be everyone's favorite! I'm glad you liked the video. I hope it gave you some ideas. Have a Wonderful Holiday.
Thank you for taking the time to make this video. It was very helpful and gave me lots of ideas. Your village is amazing and you have some very unique pieces. I agree that you should leave it up all year long. It's too beautiful to put into storage.
Thank you for the nice comments Winsunn. I'm glad it gave you ideas. I am always searching ebay for things that are different. And I love to "tweak" some of my pieces to make them unique. The only problem with keeping it up is it gets so dusty and that would drive me nuts lol. Thanks for viewing.
amaizing!!!!!! wonderful work!
We have only just started our little collection of Dept. 56 and I was looking for inspriation on how to set it up. I certainly stumbled onto the right video. Your village is stunning and I LOVE the blue fabric with the icicle lights. I want to use that idea in a smaller scale. Thank you! & Merry Christmas!
~Christina
Hi Christina, I'm glad the video gave you the right encouragement! I too started with a couple pieces and this year my village has it's own floor in my home lol. If you have any questions and I can help you let me know. I love to share my ideas. Merry Christmas, Pam
Yes, I do agree! I just started my "head layout" also. I've been checking out d56 and lemax sites to see what is new, not that I need or have room for anymore lol.
This is really beautifull, but I don`t have the place to put this big of a village and for me it is also a little bit to much, but you did a great job and nice of you for showing it to us, how you can fix it, with normal materials.
Greetings from Monster Hobbies in High River, Alberta, Canada. Love the Christmas Village! Would really like to see a video of everything running, especially the Roller Coaster and the Monorail!
That is gorgeous 😍😍😍
wow! Spectacular!
I used a cotton fabric that was purchased at our local fabric store "JoAnn Fabric". I had to special order a bolt to fit the room size. They usually have several racks of holiday fabrics. Good Luck!!
@debintexas77 glad you enjoyed! Lot's of people have commented about the stars...it took me a long time to figure out how to do them. Happy New Year
Thats quite impessive! We have some very similar displays and some of the pieces too! My sky and stars are done same way and in my dining room..with abay window no less. Pretty soon Ill have to clear out my furniture also :-)
Ah, a string of Christmas lights would illuminate many buildings, rather than the 6 bulb string from Dept 56. Very clever. I like it.
Beautiful.
Hello again dmestan, I tried the balancing act only to have one or two of the buckets slip so now I put a screw through the bottoms of the buckets to hold them together. Glad you enjoyed! Thanks for viewing.
Very nice. I also put up and take my Marx train Christmas village every year. So I appreciate the amount of work involved. I'm glad to know there are other crazy people in the world. P.S. I may have to borrow (steal) your blue sky and lights idea. Crazy in Kentucky.
Amazing! you should leave it up all year round.
thank you. After having this up for 4 months I can't wait to take it down so I can dust lol.
This is absolutely bananas. You, sir, are an inspiration. One could only hope to measure up to this level of epic.
Hi Kary, it's called "starry night" . JoAnn Fabric Store special ordered it in for me, however, you may be able to find it on line. It is a cotton fabric so it wrinkles when folded or stored but I steam iron it before I hang it. Good luck....don't forget the lights...they really make it!
I can only imagine what something like this costs. Probably 6 months of my rent. Still beautiful and amazing. I can only wish to be able to have a hobby like this one day. 👏🏻👏🏻
They say Rome wasn't built in a day lol. I have been collecting for 40 plus years. I started out with homemade ceramic houses that my grandmother made for me. once dept 56 came on the market, I couldn't help myself....I started buying everything. at last count my complete collection has been appraised at over $15,000. YIKES....I'm out of control lol
@BonnieJean437 thank you> I really have fun setting up my village. It's relaxing to me after a long day at work. Thank you for your nice comments and I look forward to seeing your video some day soon. Happy Holidays
Thank you! It is my therapy to relax when I get home from work. I will be posting the final video soon. Happy Holidays!. P.S. I love the video of you cute puppy
Thanks Nikon! Happy Holidays!
Thank you for your nice comments. I'm glad you got some ideas from this video. I have been villaging for over 30 years. I start setting it up in September and depending on my work schedule, it takes me about 4 to 5 weeks to complete. I will look forward to seeing your video this year. Drop me a line if I can help you with any questions.
Hermoso, un gran trabajo!!
it's part of having a village...and it takes just as long if you want to store your village safely and in an orderly fashion...
Thank you Gina, the mountains are mostly Lemax with a few Dept. 56. They are made of styrofoam so I trim some to fit into the landscape. I purchase on line from a company called ehobbytools , sometimes they give a 10 % discount and ship for only $7. Also, I often find them on ebay or Michael's Craft Store. Good luck in your search
In a word Pammyj .."GORGEOUS!"...Love it!..Thank you so much for sharing your ideas with all of us "Village Addicts"..LOL...The biggest and nicest compliment a village creator can receive is "I'd love to live there"...so when can I move in? (:
Hi, and yes I do have facebook. Thank you for the tip, just started looking at photos. Many are great ideas. So I joined. Thanks again
miniature??? this might be the biggest village i've ever seen. i love the disney monorail at 5:22
lol , I put an addition on my home a few years back and the village has already out grown it.
Thank you Shabri for viewing. I am lucky I have a lot of space to set this up....I wish I had more space to make it bigger. A lot of people set up smaller villages which can be just as nice as a larger one. I wish you a Happy Holiday Season.
The village is most awesome!
Thank you so much Sharon. Merry Christmas!
Video is very well made . Very helpful. Thanks
thank you so much! I'm glad it helped you!
@tolebear the McDonald's is Department 56. I purchased on ebay several years ago for about $50. There is also a really cute McDonald's arch sign sold seperate-lights with a d56 adaptor. Also purchased it on ebay for about $15. Good luch in your search!
AMAZING!!!!!
Hi, thanks for the quick reply. I have made my NE village little video last year with my Dad but I have not posted it. I have to find it first LOL! I am working on a Disney themed village for about two years now and hope to at least display it this year for the first time although it is not near finished. I will write you if I have a chance to post a video.
Thanks again for all your great ideas - you have inspired me for the holiday season to come for 2012!
Thank you for your opinion, you're right "what is the point of viewing it if it's going to fast." I will keep it as it is. Well I have some catching up to do as far as the mountains go. I will definitely post it this Christmas for you, before Christmas actually. As of now still formulating a plan. Thank you so much for everything. Talk to you soon, have a great day.
Hi Junken, thanks for the nice comments. I have a lot of Lemax pieces, they are very natural looking and well priced. I also collect Department 56. Google both of those and when you get on their web page, you should be able to ask them where you can purchase in New Zealand. You will also be able to view their gallery of houses, people, scenery. Also, I buy on ebay. Good luck with your new (expensive) hobby. I look forward to seeing photos of your village.
Hi Julia, Thank you for your nice comment. Villaging can be a very expensive hobby or maybe I should say habit,lol. I stopped counting at $5000. The houses and accessories are mostly Department 56 with some Lemax. Both can be purchased second hand on ebay. Are you planning to set up a village? It can be very addictive....but very fun. Happy Holiday to you. Thanks for watching.
Wow! Just wow!
lol, that's how I started out, I soon built my village it's own room !
Thank you tolebear for your nice comments. I would love to see photos or video of your village. The burning building is easy to do. I purchased flickering candle bulbs. Then, I took a building (Al's TV Shop) and busted out 3 of the windows with nose pliers and a little out of the base to fit the candle bulbs and cord into the building (I used three candle bulbs). Next, I hot glued the cord to the inside walls of the building close to the three windows. Use black paint to make burn marks.
That's So Neat! I Love To Do The Mini Christmas Villages. :) You Helped me Out ALOT. Just Giving Better ideas Out. Every Year Insted Of A Table ( Witch Most People use ) I Use A Grand piano. And I ALWAYS Haft To Extend. So This Helped Me Out A lot. And I'm guessing You Love Christmas Because This Was Posted Nov 5th! Great Job! :)
Grazie Angelic! Buon Natale!!
thanks! keep watching, this years village video will be posted with in a couple weeks
great job!
you inspired me to build my village larger this year
Wonderful! I'd love to see photos when you are done
il be decorating next weekend so il send some then
Hi Tracy, I have the older version the speed you see it going at in the video is the true speed. I'm not aware of a newer model. I like the speed it travels at. I don't like when trains, cars, etc. travel so fast that you can't even view them . As far as the mountain count goes....my guess is 40. I have cut some to fit the layout and I have pieced some that I have cut. Good luck and please post your village, I would love to see it.
No. I'd like to do one but I'm not patient enough like to even finish it. Anyway, keep up with the good work, it's amazing!
WOW....you have a big collection! Setting it up is so much work, but so rewarding. Do you post a video of your village? Please let me know if you do. Thanks, Happy Holidays!
@mtb200562 thank you. they are from Lemax and Department 56. Good luck finding
The rollercoaster is great and nice how you make this film so we can get some tips from it. :-)
I will post some from last year which it was my time. I liked your awesome ideas and I am looking forward for this years. I will keep you post it :)
@kimbaetiquette thank you. I'm glad it can help you.
LOL, your town will be up and running again in October...can you wait till then??? lol. Thank you for your great comments! I find Villaging to be so relaxing, you too? I have also enjoyed your videos. Great job!
Are you using snow blankets and artificial grass to fill in the borders (outside edges) of the base?
yes, snow blankets, plus 'Buffalo Snow" found at craft stores ( it's small pieces of fluffy snow) and grass mat by Lemax which I cut to fit
Ok Thanks so much!
Hi Spike, the creek is dept 56 they come in 10inch sections..straight and curved and other pieces like a small waterfall, a fork or split section, and the bridge with the fishermen. the mountains are Lemax & D56. The monorail is from Disney, I found it on ebay. The cable car is d56 and the two houses that flank the cable car wires are attached to mountains. I purchas alot on ebay. No real water. Check out my 2012 video too...I just posted it today. Good luck on setting up your display
*.* bellissimo!
I loved your village! It was very inspiring! Where do you get the mountains, or how do you make them?
Thank you Shockwave! Do you have a village video?
Muito linda essa vila . Parabéns!
Obrigado por suas palavras gentis!
Do you know how to make plastic snow cheap ? Get some of that crystalline white craft foam (such as Micheals sells), chop the sheets/blocks up into little pieces, the grind them up as fine as you like in a blender. The resultant ground foam looks just like real snow. Spread it all over your village and put some on top of your train cars for a real nice effect !
Your village is beautiful! Thanks so much for the how to instructions. I have a few questions though, do you take your frame completely apart for storage? Do you reuse your fabric? You have given my husband ( he loves it as much as I do lol) and I a lot of ideas. We actually tried making different levels and landscaping last year and I really wish I had seen this video first. Lol Our village is a lot smaller and simpler but I try to add a little bit each year.
Thank you philygal347. I am in the process of filming a video. I will notify you when I get in loaded (maybe another week). Thank you for viewing.
Hi Twitchster77, I do not keep it up year round. I start to set it up September 1 (usually takes me til mid November with my work schedule), and I take it down the first or second week of January. The waterfall was one of my favorites too. Be sure to check out this years video to see what I did with the duck pond and let me know what you think. I'm working on it now and it is turning out pretty good. I usually post the video by Thanksgiving. Thanks for you nice comments.