John's Workshop

About my Hobby

Hello my name is John Mitropoulos and this website is dedicated to my hobby. On my spare time I construct model ships and building, from simple matchsticks and glue. My favourite topic is ships that ruled the seas during the renaissance age period. I mostly enjoy building old fashion hulls with mast full of sails and ropes.

Although I build models made out of matchsticks since the 1984, the projects you will see displayed on this website were all constructed within the last decade. More than 9 of my oldest creations are given away as gifts to friends and family on special occasions.

Materials & Process

I don't use any sort of blueprints during my work. I always try to materialise the subject, as seen in the pictures I get from magazines and the net. I don't use any mold, or internal supports, or any kind of paper reinforcement between the matchsticks. All the surfaces are formed by hand, as they’re being built stick by stick. For the sails I use paper or cloth. To substitute rope, I use threads or thin cord, depending on the model’s scale.

The matchsticks I use can be found in the market. I always buy them in packs of 100 boxes. All the models displayed on this site have the tips of each matchstick cut off before being glued to position. Many of my earlier models are built from matchsticks with burned tips, a technique that I abandoned long ago.

All of my models have miniature furniture in their living internal spaces, like the rooms of a house and the officer’s quarters on the ships. All the tiny furniture are also made from matchsticks and can be seen with close inspection. Some models, like the house, also have internal lighting from miniature bulbs hanging from the room’s ceiling. The light bulbs are powered by a 9V battery and all cables are hidden within the floor and the walls.

I try to avoid using paint on my models, in order to ensure the surface’s natural colour and texture. All of that, along with the continuance of irregularly cut and shaped sticks, gives the surface’s impression I prefere to see on a model. I hope you agree with me on that.

My Workshop & Display

All of my projects are being built in my living room and displayed on top of my bookcase. This gives me a limitation on the models dimensions and particularly the height and it’s the main reason why all of my models are of about the same size. From now on all the new models I conclude will be displayed on this website.

Feel free to browse through my work. If you like to drop me a note or comment on my work and this website, please feel free to post your ideas in my guestbook, or e-mail me at:

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