Coal sacks

Any self respecting layout needs coal sacks,

Here's some i made earlier.

Coal sacks

This is my way of making them.

I can hear you asking, why don't you just buy some? come on, you should know me buy now. 

If i can make it, i will.

Take a piece of kitchen roll, you need that super absorbent stuff not the one that falls apart when wet. One with an embossed pattern but not coloured

Don't ask for much you know.

Soak a sheet in your usual 50/50 mix of water and PVA. Don't ring it out to much.

Flatten out and hang up on the wife's favourite dryer.

Warning: it may drip

Leave to dry overnight.

Time for a cup of tea!

Now your sheet is dry and nice and rigid,

cut into 10mm wide strips with a sharp knife (your hands and a ruler).

Cut the strips 24mm long. I have this handy guillotine thing ideal for this. 

Paint a thin sliver of glue on each side.

 I use Delux Materials "Super Phatic" glue for this. 

DON'T

use PVA for this it will soak back into the paper and glue the two halves solid. 

I haven't painted them at this stage either as this "Super Phatic" stuff has a tendency to turn everything Blue

And fold in half.

Its actually taking longer to explain how to make these than it did to actually make them.

When dry, open out the end with a cocktail stick

 and paint the inner top half

Fill with coal and add a drop of your 50/50 PVA mix

it wont all come unstuck as "Super Phatic" is not affected by PVA.

Tea time again.

And paint.

 I used a mixture of Humbrol matt black 33 and matt brown 160.

Looking at coal sacks, they are not totally black.

"Lookin goooood"  

Stacked up i think they look dam good the embossed effect on the kitchen towel shows up well, looks just like an old sack

 Same method could be used for corn sacks, potato sacks and any other type of sack you can think of .

As they say

!