John has kindly sent in these ideas to share with others in the hobby:

Here are a couple of things that I have found you can use for details that look fine and won’t cost a lot to do.

Making A Garden Hose

Firstly, take a bit of single wire green or black insulated coated wire and coil it up around a small dowel rod. Leave to the two ends sticking out. Then, attach one end to a house or a structure the other end to a HO figure and you have him or her holding a hose, washing a car of squirting a driveway.

Making A Fence

Next take an old piece of window insect screen. Lay it on an angle the cut about 1″ x 2″ long, or what ever you think you will need for a section of fence. After its cut into sections you will have very nice sections of cyclone fence. Then, attach some posts (usually just toothpicks or small match sticks), and paint it silver or crome and you have a pretty neat little fence.

Making Sign Posts & Telegraph Poles

Small match sticks make excellent sign posts. Just cut them to length and you have it.

Also, you can take bamboo skewers (they sell them at walmart for $1.00 for a hundred). These skewers make excellent telegraph poles. Just cut them to length and file down one end. Then flat drill a small hole in the flattened area and attach some black thread. Then string your telegraph poles in a row.

Thanks John for sharing your ideas. The hobby needs lots of people like you.