D'Snowth's Scale Model of Sesame Street

[D'Snowth]

I didn't do it; someone stole my pics and did all that.

 

[D'Snowth]

This past summer I did something I have been wanting to do for a long time, which was redo the stoop of 123 - it was always painfully out of scale and disproportionate, but I think I finally got it to look right. And, as you may or may not be able to tell, I also redid the dumpster in front of Ernie and Bert's windows too. I'm pleased with the results.

There's also a couple of new details I just added that I really like and wanted to share, the first of which is this road sign that I was inspired to make after seeing this wallpaper design of the street http://images.rakuten.com/PI/0/1000/222720300.jpg I know another tree goes there, but somehow I never liked how a second tree looked there on the model, yet I still felt like that part of the sidewalk needed something, and the sign felt perfect.

Secondly, I also replaced the contents of the newsstand for the first time in, gosh, I don't even know how many years; there's now a nice selection of SESAME STREET DAILY newspapers for the grown-ups, and a few issues of SESAME STREET MAGAZINE for the kids!

 

[Erine81981]

OH MY GOSH!!! I love it D'Snowth! I have always wanted to make one of these. But mine would be a little more bigger then your size. I've always wanted to make a life size version with really hard cardboard a some wood but i wouldn't have a place to put it.

I've tried a few Muppet sets before. I did a life like Fraggle Rock with a friend of mine back in the late 80's but it wasn't made from cardboard or sticks it was made with an old tree out front of his house.

It had little cubby holes which we made like beds where the fraggles lived. It was fun. Wished i had a picture. But that would be my favorite would be to do a Fraggle Rock set with Doc's workshop then Fraggle Caves then the Gorgs garden and Castle.
I might down the line. But right now I'm a little scraped for money.

 

[Erine81981]

What stuff did you use to make this?

 

[Oscarfan]

Not sure if I asked already, but any reason you put a travel agency there?

 

[D'Snowth]

I have always wanted to make one of these. But mine would be a little more bigger then your size. I've always wanted to make a life size version with really hard cardboard a some wood but i wouldn't have a place to put it.

I'd love to do something like that too; I've known some people who have made life-sized replicas of parts of the sets of M*A*S*H in their backyards, or at least replicas of the Swamp for them and their buddies to hang out in. If I did a life-sized replica of SST, you're right, there'd be nowhere to put it, but I would so definitely make it exactly as it was in the mid and late 80s, and I would feel so right at home.

What stuff did you use to make this?

Cardboard. Lots and lots of cardboard. Cardboard is your best friend when you make miniatures like this; I find the best cardboard to use is the kind that traditional postal parcels come in, or used to keep calendars stiff when they're packaged: it's not too thin, and not too thick, and it holds it shape better than thinner cardboard (like cereal boxes) or thicker curagated cardboard (like moving boxes). I've considered balsa wood, but it breaks too easily, which is why I've stuck with cardboard.

Other than that, I also try to get scaled items that I can actually use from Hobbytown USA, just to give it a little more look of realism - I've gotten oil barrels for Big Bird's nest area, crates for the side of 123, potted flowers and plants as well as pigeons for the roof of 123, among other things. I'd still love to find a couple of right-sized sets of tables and chairs to put in the arbor outside Hooper's, and give Big Bird his mailbox, but I've yet to find those.

 

[D'Snowth]

Not sure if I asked already, but any reason you put a travel agency there?

Yeah. When I remodeled the whole thing a few years ago, I decided rather than try and continue to replicate the actual street itself (because I didn't have the space to enlarge the community garden, or put a backdoor in 123), I got a little creative and mixed old-school, new-school, and few original touches. I felt like a travel agency would be something anybody would find in NYC, and since SST receives all sorts of visitors, (and it would also be conveniently located for locals who wanna book vacation deals) it just seemed like a good idea.

 

[Erine81981]

Yeah. When I remodeled the whole thing a few years ago, I decided rather than try and continue to replicate the actual street itself (because I didn't have the space to enlarge the community garden, or put a backdoor in 123), I got a little creative and mixed old-school, new-school, and few original touches. I felt like a travel agency would be something anybody would find in NYC, and since SST receives all sorts of visitors, (and it would also be conveniently located for locals who wanna book vacation deals) it just seemed like a good idea.

I like it. It's really idea to put that there. I could see it. That's what they need. Then they could have Grover and other monster characters help there. That would be my treat to at least have Grover appear even if there would be times Frank or Eric couldn't provide the voice. It would still be neat.

 

[MuppetSpot]

Love the scale model updates, Snowth.

 

[D'Snowth]

Funnily enough, on the subject of travel agencies, I heard on the radio today that apparently travel agencies aren't good places to work . . . they didn't say why, they just said being a travel agent apparently isn't a good job. Hmm.

Anyway, I forgot to also share that I also got some new potted plants and flowers to put on the roof since the residents of 123 seem to like to garden up there.