I Built Miniature Snow White's Cottage!

I made a text RPG:
www.forgesaga.com
The Fancy BenQ WiT e-Reading Desk Lamp for mini painting:
www.benq.com/en-us/lamps/desk...
www.amazon.com/BenQ-Reading-L...
/ usbenq
This week I wanted to do some balsa wood crafting. Together with a plywood frame, some plaster and a fun thatch roof technique, this medieval cottage is taken straight out of Disney's snow white.

[@gayjeris]

I laughed VERY loud at the "review." Thanks for being real.

[@adriannabcustomfurniture]

I love how honest you are about things that are sent to you. If only everyone could be that way haha. This came out amazing! I think I might try this one, but make it for a haunted snow white and the 7 dwarves house. I think it will look really good in my Halloween setup! Thank you for the inspiration, as always 😊

[@KnarbMakes]

Absolutely! glad you enjoyed the vid and happy crafting!

[@ltlbuddha]

Ghost White and the Seven Skeletons?

[@adriannabcustomfurniture]

@@ltlbuddha oh my gosh! That is great! I love it! I might use it and put a little sign outside on the dirt road 😊

[@ltlbuddha]

@@adriannabcustomfurniture It would be lovely if you used the idea and I am glad you like my random little thought!

[@adriannabcustomfurniture]

@@ltlbuddha definitely! If you have an Instagram or Twitter or something, I'd gladly send you a picture once it's done 😊 no worries though if you don't want me to haha thank you again for the idea 😊

[@GameMastersWorkshop]

They had building codes in the middle ages, they were mostly about chimneys. People who didn't know or care what they were doing used to make them out of wood (which caught fire), build them too close to the roof (which caught fire), or made them too heavy (which fell over), so building codes were nescary.

[@jeremygriffin620]

Modern tradesmen here: The guilds, qualitatively the early unions, would watch a number of trades and act as a "code" system, they would run poor worksmen out of town by reputation if not worse in some areas. These weren't just carpentry or building trades, but candle makers, cobblers, tanners, a variety of clothiers. These dynamics would break down if you got further from urban centers, but certified, codified craftsmanship is ancient, far older than medieval era.

[@Voirreydirector]

@@jeremygriffin620 yup, public shaming of poor artisans could get quite extreme.

[@samsowden]

You said yourself that they would build with overhangs to increase living space, that's because property was taxed by lot size, not useable square footage

[@Voirreydirector]

@@samsowden I think we are all probably over generalizing.

[@abmackay]

There's bad ideas... And then there's "Let's make a chimney out of wood!". I get it, some people were poor. But they were probably poorer after their house burned down ☹️

[@CityPlannerPlaysChair]

Great honest fancy lamp review

[@karlarose536]

I noticed that, too. Thanks for the honesty!

[@borisvdr]

It is true that jettying upper floors allowed for more living space, but there are many other more important structural reasons for it which are quite clever. It meant building heights were not limited by the length of trees, it helps to stabilise the first floor joists as a cantilever, and it protects the ground floor and foundations from rain!

[@KnarbMakes]

Well put!

[@lauraandedwardcannon8861]

The extra space was particularly important in cities where there was very limited space inside the safety of the walls. The added shade was also nice if you were selling things from a ground floor window, which was common in many areas.

[@nzlemming]

@@lauraandedwardcannon8861 Which is why many small streets and lanes in London were almost enclosed by upper storeys. There was also a matter of ground tax (like ratings) which only applied to the ground floor area used by the house. Some late medieval houses were 5 storeys high, each level cantilevered out further than the one below.

[@facewrinkles3886]

Also it shades the narrow streets more because the tops of houses gradually get closer to one another blocking out the sky, which is nice from a city design and civilian comfort point of view. From glimpses into 1400s european towns (E.g. Riquewihr, France), they don't really use trees as shade often because houses touch each other astride and streets are freaking narrow... trees are not a priority. In places like Greece where whitewashed traditional houses don't do that and there still aren't trees, you're going to bake in the midday sun.

[@ColonelSandersLite]

I'm pretty sure that *most* of these reasons are either bunk or just incidental to the type of construction. The idea that it was done to make more usable space on an upper floor where the lower floor is restricted is certainly wrong. The obvious counterpoint is all the rural structures that where built in this way. Ground space wasn't as restricted but they went to the effort anyways. Shading the street? Man, if I'm going to build a house, making sure the house shades the sidewalk for passersby is definitely not going to be one of my priorities. Hard to imagine that medieval people where any different. Also, see the aforementioned rural structures where there isn't really a street to shade. The cantilever effect making the most out of the beams? In order for that to actually work well, it has to be done on both opposing sides. We see this is often ignored in more densely built up areas. Tree length? Nah, they could mostly do that without a jetty construction as shown by all the buildings which are jettied on only one side. Honestly, I suspect that the primary and most important reason was to keep the walls dry before we invented gutters. Especially wattle and daub. Everything else was just a nice to have side bonus. Just my own opinion though.

[@annbrookens945]

I think your daughter is right about the flower pots! The house has a nice fairytale appearance that should go well with your enchanted forest. Really good build!

[@Boylei]

Great build, man! Good thing to have the essence of Paw Patrol forever in your war games.

[@KnarbMakes]

Also makes my daughter yell out "PAW PATROL" when she watches my videos. So I got that goin for me.

[@rsmith6366]

Archaeologist here: They 'did' have building guidelines during the Middle Ages. It's a pretty broad timespan (5th to 15th century, so about 1000 years), and was followed by the Tudor Period. The best technique I've seen for a thatched roof is with static grass. However, the technique used here would work better with unravelled hemp string.

[@ericgrider955]

Your daughter is totally right! Without the Seven Dwarves and the flower pots, you just made another house in the woods.😎 It does look amazing.

[@beeandbear]

Okay, that hatch roof technique is genius. But I'm in love with the plaster and wood, too. Your daughter's honesty cracks me up, too. Ha! I would loooove to see this with vines and flowers and "glass" windows. It's magical.

[@RetrogradedTunes]

everyone in the diorama community’s always shouting each other out it’s so wholesome

[@Geordiecrafts]

this is beautiful knarb! I love how the thatched roof turned out, very cool technique. I also really appreciate that you were up front about the light lol, that's definitely out of my price range for such a tool.

[@AzraelThanatos]

For staining the wood, you might want to consider swapping to a thinned acryllic ink rather than paint. The wood tends to soak it up a whole lot better and you tend to get some better visuals

[@KnarbMakes]

oooh good choice!

[@juz4kix]

Or stain….

[@0x0ism]

Were I a young princess chased from my kingdom by a jealous witch-queen, I would definitely love here. Great build!

[@catherinejustcatherine1778]

This is really nicely done. I love all the details you put into stuff. Especially the varied colors! It has a wonderful feel of plaster and comfortably aged wood. It's too bad that the dollar store doesn't have brushes with natural bristles. Nonetheless, you did wonderfully well with what you could affordably source as materials. I commend you on reusing and creating so many different things! I don't think it has to be exactly the 7 dwarfs cottage, but, do agree with your daughter that decorations and potential inhabitants make a house feel more like a home.

[@heythisanimalcantalk]

Looks amazing as always but I agree with your daughter hahah - some little flowerpots and other spots of colour would give it a more fairytale vibe

[@codeearth9820]

Amazing build! I think it's the first time I've seen someone use brushes to simulate hay

[@brianahawkins8124]

Amazing job, see you next time. :D

[@spiinniing]

I'm not an expert on medieval building techniques, I just know a lot of weird things. My guess is that 'plaster' appearance for the walls might be that the walls were made of cob rather than wood. Cob buildings are really cool! It's kind of like building with dirt, but dirt with a lot of clay, rocks, and straw mixed in. Incredibly strong, the oldest cob house still standing is 10,000 years old! Seriously!

[@TipTopCardboardCrafts]

What a fabulous job! Subscribed! I also like to create fairy houses out of cardboard, especially witch's huts

[@thelynx2939]

I love the honesty in the review, the fact you took no time to sugarcoat anything and just tell your blunt, honest opinion. Keep up the good work, as it is, as always, immaculate. :)

[@M0rgan-C]

nothing can knock us off our high horse quite like the honesty of a toddler. i like the idea behind the thatched roofing, it would be terribly monotonous to do in a medium/large build. great content per usual though!

[@GalacticStudios69]

Honestly need to see you make a Modern City that’s like multiple sections, and make it into a series, so like, “Layouts and Terrain” “city plate 1” “city plate 2” “city plate 1 & 2 terrain and details” ect. Basically like 4 diorama’s of a city that end up connecting like a puzzle.

[@ret7army]

The thatched roof is similar to nipa palm thatched roofs ... they split and fold the palm leaves over and tie them to the wood supports on the roof. Leaks are controlled more by the pitch (angle) of the roof than anything else. I've seen several roofs that you could see a bit of daylight through but didn't leak. European varieties using grass would naturally be thicker but the idea is the same. Nice build.

[@CathysArtPalace]

You're such a creative Ben Whishaw lookalike!

[@2sons1lv]

Yes flower pots !! Nice job ❤❤❤

[@DannyDevitoOffical-TrustMeBro]

I, for one, am not a toddler but I respect and understand their love of stickers. It’s easy, lazy, quick decoration on *literally any surface* -at least for a time, that is

[@makag7534]

i think you and studson just need to do a disney collab at this point

[@dirtywhitellama]

Wasn't crazy about the thatch while in progress but I think the final result turned out okay. The rest of the build looks great!

[@missgemini7614]

Best YT recommendation so far… new Subscriber… ❤️❤️❤️

[@SteveFamine]

Great wood work

[@istmirwunst]

This cottage turned out great

[@echodelta2426]

Great build.

[@papeya]

I really like it! Looks so realistic and detailed, amazing! Was super interesting to watch as well, with the many techniques you have used to create this piece :)

[@sidilicious11]

It’s super cute. I would texture and paint stones on the chimney.

[@banana4scale]

love the roof!

[@Minitwill]

Hello I’ve just discovered your page and gone on a binge watch. You are so talented! I’m a dental nurse and bit of useless knowledge - the “fancy dental tool” is called a Mitchell’s trimmer. Looking forward to seeing more of your videos

[@CampaignTerrain]

Cool build. Like how you mixed so many techniques. Nice video ("fascia boards")

[@julianneira9633]

I love it !! That the house who need my snow white collection!! Is amazing !! First rapunzel, now snow white im sure you are made every princess build? Cinderella castle next?

[@KnarbMakes]

I am building a castle next.... Although it might be more Dracula themed than Cinderella :)

[@poppyhunt7684]

I love how both you and studson talk in a “I’m making something totally awesome and cool but it honestly doesn’t really matter” kinda tone

[@thomashogg2341]

A little bit of history. Those over hangs on very old buildings were not to increase floor space while retaining the original footprint. Nope not at all. The reason for the over hang is so you could chuck the over night contents of your chamber pot out the window, into the street, and not have a lot of unpleasant stains running all down the lower walls. The act of emptying the chamber pots was often accompanied by the cry " GARDE LOO" from the French garde a l'eau, to warn passers-by that you were disposing of last nights bowel movement.

[@TheFourBusyDebs]

Snow White is my favorite Disney movie . You did an amazing job with this model . You should do the chateau from Cinderella .

[@BoneistJ]

Damn. That's a great looking piece. Well done, Knarb.

[@RavensMinis]

That's such a cute build!

[@lavendershines2814]

I’m just shocked you should enter a build contest or something like that your work is incredible! You are very creative using paint brushes for the roof.

[@lavendershines2814]

Also your kid is a toddler will she be using this type of stuff at her age now or when she older because of how much work have went into it.

[@KnarbMakes]

She's quite gentle with toys compared to other kids. I do tend to build them a bit sturdier when she will be playing with them, but I don't feel bad if she does break them. Kids will be kids.

[@lavendershines2814]

@@KnarbMakes oh ok

[@yuhparttwoelectricboogaloo]

I’m so used to the weft technique you used for the roof, the hay glued on strips then trimmed down, in doll customizing! My brain refuses to read it as anything but hair tho now so part of the video was hilarious to me! Beautiful build :D

[@sheep1ewe]

Of course we like it!

[@16taysia]

I love the way the cottage came out, it’s cute 🥰

[@tiffanycarvajal-swartz5176]

Sweet! Now build princess Aurora's/ Briar Rose's/woodcutter's cottage from sleeping beauty complete with working water wheel!

[@BooshojoSenshi]

I was super skeptical about those brush bristles for thatching, but oh wow, you made it work! Love this little cottage. The realism is pretty incredible on this one.

[@waynefisher4327]

Flowers yes, but recall these were miners. A lot of finishes I have are regarding surroundings. Suggest some tools lying about, a trail to the mine, a sign TO MINE, a water well. Opposite side to represent Snow White; a few trees, birds, bees, squirrels or animals. Hide the animals in the trees. At least one log to talk to the Prince. Maybe have one tree be apple.

[@ultramaximusreviews]

Looks cool but for sure needs the dwarves. You should do a Smurf Village!!!!

[@anthonyzuzolo3528]

Just subscribed :D. Really inspiring work! I am more into the sci fi modeling myself, currently I am making a Tatooine diorama, but now I think I might try my luck at a more medieval, fantasy genre once I'm done with Star Wars. Thanks for the inspiration, keep up the great work!

[@rhifunke6664]

I could watch these videos all day. I wish I had the patience to make these 😋

[@mikelarry9044]

Awesome build

[@orozer6558]

Really amazing as usual. Only thing I would add is bricks showing through the chimney plaster and mabe some cracks.

[@stephenrenwick8781]

Great build and I loved the product endorsement section.if you went for three little pig and a wolf then less miniatures to paint ...

[@ovalcap]

I very much enjoyed watching you craft your little cottage! I think it looks great, keep up the good work man!

[@tylergood3773]

Great video

[@bunnyonabunwithagunnicepun5689]

I live somewhat close to a historically accurate Medieval fair village, and this looks like something that would be there.

[@wonderwend1]

I particularly loved your lamp review 🤣🤣

[@dougharlow6037]

Love this. Great job. I wished I had the patients supplies, and place to build one. I have the Goebel Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Include Prince Charming and would love to have one like this to scale. Thanks

[@juriaan13]

The boards in front of the roof are fascia boards

[@sliceoflifefilm]

The thatched roof technique is great. Haven't seen that before! ♥️

[@KnarbMakes]

Not super perfect in terms of scale, bet it would look better at 1:16 scale.

[@vampskeldragon]

I like it. :) You definitely nailed the realistic aspect of a medieval style cottage. I have to agree with your daughter though, it's missing that whimsical, colorful, fairytale vibe, so I can't really see it as the seven dwarve's cottage from Snow White. :P

[@CCMinis]

Lol the shade at BenQ - great video Knarb!

[@KnarbMakes]

Its a very nice lamp. Just a bit too pricy for my blood

[@JasonM69]

Great job on the house and review.

[@JamieSiebens]

I love this one.

[@Lilac_Dreams]

"I mean.. it's a fact lamp? It gives about as much light as a cheap lamp" I'm laughing 🤣

[@eddieedgar4506]

I'm 45, slightly balding and I too love stickers. I haven't progressed much from the toddler stage.

[@BPCustomCreations]

Your daughter is a tough critic 😂 They trim real thatch after applying as well 👍

[@AbandonedMiniatures]

Nice build! The roof thatching process is enjoyable but annoying at the same time. Worked well for this project!

[@KnarbMakes]

Yeah, can't imagine doing it for anything larger. This was just the right amount of tedious repetition to get the right result.

[@RM-vw3ov]

Nice build👍

[@yoshi-us4md]

as always i am amazed! great work knarb :)

[@Taracinablue]

Who knew cheap paintbrushes could make such perfect thatched roofs? I agree it could use some flowerboxes, but hey, maybe this is the cottage before Snow White moved in =)

[@KnarbMakes]

Exactly, it took snow white to spruce it up a bit! Thanks for watching.

[@ricks5756]

If that fancy lamp has true diffused light ( and about 4700K color profile ), it would be well worth the high price tag just for photography.

[@KnarbMakes]

I mean... for about 200 USD, you can pick up a 2 pack of Neweer 480 LED panels with diffusers and adjustable color temp that are mountable on light stands If you're doing photography, this isn't the lamp for you.

[@ricks5756]

@@KnarbMakes Those are WAY WAY too large for what I do unfortunately. Imagine having a work space a bit bigger than a box boots would come in. Now imagine having to cram enough lights + redirectors in there to evenly light everything ( or obtain perfect shadows ). Now cram in a chunky professional camera with macro lens. The specialty compact LED bulbs I use are specifically 4700K @ 1600 lumens ( dimmable ). They cost $45 each. The compact diffuser boxes I have run over $350 each. The professional grade flexible heavy mounts for the light boxes and my cameras are over $160 each.

[@radu7472]

it looks awesome!

[@JayFolipurba]

By the end, I had totally forgotten that this was a dwarf house

[@KnarbMakes]

me too

[@OkayHobbyTime]

This turned out really nice. Great video!

[@steppeone]

I think your daughter nailed the critique as if she was reviewing an expensive lamp.

[@cosmoceratops]

Lamp maker: surprised pikachu face

[@Voirreydirector]

Hay strips, dear? How about thatch? Anyway, well done, kiddo. And don’t worry, Tudor exterior walls were quite lumpy before tourism.

[@josray2557]

well that light sure didn't get any endorsement LoL cool little build too bad the stained balsa got painted over it looked fab. such is life.

[@clarissa8804]

You're so good at this and i love your voice.

[@lo-firobotboy7112]

Pro laser-cutting tip: set up a test file with a matrix of various depths and focus setting and run it with a small piece of material. I have a file with a grid of 1 cm circles. Then you just pick the one that worked best and Bob's your uncle. you don't end up wasting a full sheet of material. Also, if you mask the material before cutting it minimizes the burn marks.

[@KnarbMakes]

Yup I did that, and the setting seemed fine, problem was it was not consistent across the full board. An yeah I would mask it usually, but I was going to paint and plaster all over it anyway, so no point really.

[@cryptokrusty5074]

I really love it you nailed it :)

[@leonardd.hilleyii7554]

Great job!

[@WillinrowArts]

Love it! Also love how kids always give their honest opinions, mine do the same with my projects. 🤪😍

[@photogfrank2146]

Despite what your daughter says (what do kids know? lol) it looks pretty medieval and cool! Invite some little people and tell them to bring flower pots and voila! Even your daughter will love it!

[@joeyparker7991]

Stunning build! I love the ending color palette and the plaster turned out wonderfully with the wash and dry brush. I had my doubts about the room but the paint just came out spectacular :) I watch tons of doll customizing videos and the hay roof technique is very reminiscent of yarn wefts used for doll wigs, though doll heads are a solid foundation opposed to the skewer technique. If you want to try this technique again, a plain foundational roof may help in placing closer and more uniformly. If anything, some yarn weft tutorials may spark some technique inspiration!

[@diego2112gaming]

It's missing the 7 dwarves and flowerpots to make it pretty. Therefore, 1/10. Failflail. (But seriously, great build mate, excellent job as always--also your lamp review had me in stitches!)

[@4MalletPrincess]

Definitely could use a flower box or two... and a dwarf or twelve.

[@BillMakingStuff]

Nice one Knarb!

[@KnarbMakes]

Thanks Bill!

[@larissamccoy887]

love it!

[@BrunswickWizard]

The roof bits mentioned at 8:20 are called ..... um ....... bargeboards. Or, uh ..... rake fascia. Yes that sounds convincing. Sometimes they include a decorative spandrel. I swear I didn't just make those words up.

[@Beatngu23]

It's missing a water wheel and a stream with the little bridge to get over to the cottage

[@fireleaf.exotics]

GORGEOUSSSS

[@sarahlongshore2605]

Love it!!!!

[@eshbena]

So, in medieval times, many European countries did their property taxes based on the square footage of the first floor, but not the second, which is why the second floors were often a larger floorplan than the lower ones. It was a tax dodge. :)

[@hazmat-hazard]

for the roofing technique maybe get paper that is a similar color to the hairs just in case it shows through it isn't bright white?