Santa's Workshop

Santa's Workshop was my second kit. I got it for Christmas 1994 or 1995. I collected items for several years before I put it together. It was a labour of love. I finished it around 2000 but it was damaged by moisture/mice during our moves in 2002 & 2004 so I had to fix some of it. This is what the front looks like.

I removed the wall between the bottom two rooms and didn't add the staircase. Staircases, to me, are a waste of space unless you have really great quality railings and steps. So, the bottom is one big room.



Shot of the whole house

I have battery operated lights. The Christmas tree has coloured lights and even the stoves have lights so it looks like glowing coals inside them.







This is a closeup of the top right hand room. It's the "Wrapping Room". The elf makes, sorts and wraps gifts. Notice the little dollhouse box on the bottom left side, it's the replica of the box this actual house came in.

The next picture is the top left side of the house. It's the break room. The stove is a metal pencil sharpener. I used a piece of orange candy wrapper inside the bottom and put a light in it to look like coals. The brown bear was a Frenchy's find. It's from Germany and may be quite old. His arms and head turn. On the bottom left is a Rudolph that I made in a minis class. He's made of little pom poms.







The next photo is the bottom floor. This includes Santa's desk where he is checking his list. The list includes names of everyone that was in my life in 2000 when I finished the house. On the right, Mrs. Claus has some baskets from shopping and is making cookies.

Bottom left:

Bottom right:

The Christmas tree was a plastic tree we found in my Grandmother's things after she passed away. She used them in her Christmas scenes every year. The decorations were made by my mom and me. I made the angel in a mini class.

This is a hutch I bought at Dollarama. I stripped it and painted and added decals. The berry baskets and chocolates were from a swap. The "Gingerbread men" are the sequin sprinkle candy I got from Bulk Barn. The rest are items I bought.



The "NOEL" wall hanging was stitched by me. I think it was 28 count aida. It was hard on the eyes but I am very please with the outcome. I made the Santa teapot. It was my first attempt. 

I made these ornament boxes. I printed the pattern (from Jim's Printies, www.printmini.com) on to the back of Christmas scrap book paper. The bulbs are beads that I either covered in glitter glue or glued hole-less beads to.

I love my little cuckoo clock. It was a Hallmark ornament. I thought the original price was too much so I kept watching the store. In January of that year I bought the ornament for 95% off. It ended up being about $2.50 or so. It fits perfectly. The deer head is hilarious. Kind of a funny thing to find in Santa's residence. My mom made it from one of my Grandmother's ornaments.

This is the Santa I bought at Wal-mart. He's a little big but he works.

I still have a few things that I want to add or redo. I want to cross stitch some seat cushions for the chairs and would like to have better curtains. But, that's it for now.