It seems to be an old Russian tradition to make houses from matches as a gift or just for fun.
Do you want to learn how to build a house from matches? Here is a little howto from the Russian artist G. Wolf.
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It would be built without a drop of a glue, and you won’t need those tools in order to build a house.
But what do you need is:
1. A few boxes of matches, around 6-7
2. CD case, it would be used as a desk, that can be rotated as you like
3. A coin, not a little one.
Place a CD box on the desk and we’ll start the process.
Put two matches, parallel each other, in the distance a little smaller than a length of a match.
Now put 8 more matches on top of the first two, like on the picture.
Now put a second flooring of 8 matches, perpendicular to the previous layer. It’s better to put all the matches on an equal distance from each other.
Now we are building a “well”, 8 layers tall, like on the picture. Each next match should be aligned with a head perpendicular to the previous.
And now on the top of this well we are putting another deck of 8 matches. Matches on the top deck should be aligned contrary to the lower one.
Now on the top of our thing we are putting a coin.
Now pressing on the coin with one finger, insert a match in each corner, as shown on the picture below.
If there is no space between lower matches you can slightly spread them with another match, as shown on the photo. But be carefully so that a “house” won’t slide from the lower deck of matches.
After you have inserted 4 matches in the corners you should have something like this:
Now carefully inserting matches between the corner ones, across the perimeter, sliding apart the matches with another match, and pressing with a finger on the coin.
And now after all the matches inserted, press on the wall of the house with your fingers, and remove a coin from the top with another match. Like on the picture.
Now you can take the house in hands. Now push these last matches on the top even more further so that they press the deck under them. Like on those two pictures.
We have just finished making a foundation for the house, yes we were building a house from the top, now turn in it upside down and put it on its foundation, those heads we inserted before. Like on this picture:
Now let’s build the walls. They would consist from two layers of the matches: one vertical and one horizontal. Insert vertical layer from one side of the house:
Do same thing from three other sides.
Now put the horizontal layer of the wall to all four sides. Each next match should go contrary against the previous, like “head to the right, head to the left”, like on the picture:
Ok, almost all is done. Now we need to build a roof. Insert the missing matches in the corners, and pressing to the matches from the downside of the house pull all the matches halfway up, don’t be afraid house won’t break apart now. You should get something like this:
Now we are putting the matches on the “roof”, perpendicular to the upper deck. First 2 matches, then 4, then 6 and in two middle rows put 8 matches, like on these pictures:
Now between the vertical matches insert sloping matches, heads to middle, like on the picture:
Congratulations! That’s all! Your house is ready now! You can decorate it with a chimney – insert four matches in the roof near each other, or you can add a door and a window – break a few matches by half and insert into the wall pointing the contour of the door or window.
It can be a good present to someone or you can just burn it for fun. Keep out from the reach of children!
Photos are from matchhouse.narod.ru, Russian site
Long winters????
Yeah, things 2 do if you are in jail
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oh yeah ! there’s no other pleasure than make a matchgift to anniversary or birthday ! people in russia never use “bvlgary” and “cartier” boutique when they going to congratulate someone… u make me lough guys ) ” It is an old Russian tradition to create matchstick houses as gifts.” ))
[...] English Russia » House Made from Matches (tags: arts crafts matches) [...]
Looks very nice, just tried making one, bit difficult.
That’s so tiny
god, grow up…. You are so annoying, geez. No one cares what your e-mail is, or that want mick… whatever… GET A LIFE. yes it’s hard, so what??? just keep trying.
cok sacma yapsamda hiç bi yere koyamam
selam
Einstürzende Neubauten “Kollaps” – I have this CD
))
Hello,
This is to let you all know that there is a person in the mountains of E. Tennessee that builds all sorts of items out of Matches with burnt heads, he has been building these crafts since the late 50′s, also he has pieces in museum.
Send him an e-mail and he will send you some pictures of these crafts.
Mr Ledford now lives in the big city of Dallas Texas, and has been interviewed by news papers and on different T V stations
Thanks BML
Nice! I tried building one, and it worked!!!
NICE!!!
I wish they made bigger matches, my house is tiny…
XD
This is so cool! I keep finding really interesting stuff on ER. Keep up excellent work guys! =)
[...] svært og det kan være en ganske god gave. Selve forklaringen er lidt for lang til at bringe her, så klik her for at gå til siden, som viser det. Det er en russisk side, men den er heldigvis på [...]
This is great. I am going to try it and I hope I don’t burn my real house down!
I built it and it seemed very solid at first, but after it had sat on my desk overnight, the whole thing just came apart at the seams when I tried to lift it.
Is there some sort of trick to make one that actually stays together, or is it just a matter of glue?
My grandfather used to make these. Nice. Thanks for tutorial, looks interesting and fun time waster
People who live in match houses shouldn’t throw stones.
That’s pretty sweet!
Ramas (tikra.info)
Ramas (tikra.info)
Very interesting house! Thanks for the idea!
I like historical districts too. That one was not for sale. That area of the Eastern Shore is where some of my ancestors came to live in the mid 1600s. I’m looking to buy land there and the Blue Ridge/Shenandoah Valley area as well. My parents are going to sell their property and land in AZ. I use to spend weekends with TT2 he lived to be pretty old. That way I could work full-time and go to school full-time.
I got one of these as a gift in an airport in Belgium, I had given a girl €2 as she was short money for the vending machene & she came back during the night while I was asleep & left it with the lady who i was beside & asked her to give it to me. It’s one of the best presents I ever got!
Those burn down so quickly
Made one, not easy.
vısısvı
Cool! It works! Now it starts falling apart a little bit, so I’m going to put it on top of my closet.
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