Recycled pallet wood: 1/2″ thick oak.

It took four hours to cut, sand, carve, stain, and paint this little door.

I used a photo of the actual hobbit house in New Zealand to get the right ratios of window and door placement.

The first layer of paint on the front wall looked wrong so I spray painted it with hammered bronze for texture.

Then spray painted two shades of yellow with brick-red mist.

I jig-sawed a 1″thick oak board to make the three roof awnings.

First lay out of the pillars, but bricks go on first.

This first attempt of window panes failed because the bamboo was fresh and the waxy outerlayer would not accept epoxy.

The bricks are Fimo polymer clay, copper color. Rolled, cut, baked and laid out.

Cap it off with moss.

True to the “Hobbit” story, the front door has a carving made by Gandalf: This “rune” means money, directing the dwarves to Bilbo’s house. This door knob is a pine knot but I had to paint it metallic bronze to match the story.

Stepping stones from Landscaper’s Choice, Naples. Bird house and watering can from Driftwood Garden Center, Naples and Estero.

I treated the oak with Danish oil to bring out the grain. Dry florist foam, carved with a knife shape the roof/hill. The base is a slab of 20 year old pecky cypress.

Landscaping was a fun chore. I bought silk flowers and cut them down to size.

The first line of the book written by Tolkien in 1937.

Done.