DIY Crafting Fun

Paper Love Birds

2014-05-01T06:55:00.000-07:00

Here is the video showing you how to make these beautiful birds:-
Love Bird Tutorial

The print out sheets are found here:-
PaperBirdTemplate.pdf

How to make no-carve stamps

2014-04-30T06:58:00.001-07:00

Ever wonder about the possibilities of designing your own stamps without having to carve anything? There is a simple way! You’ll need one ordinary household object – silicone caulking. Yes, the one you use on your bathtub, sinks, and windows!
With no carving to do at all, this task cannot be simpler. And the result? Clear stamps just like ones you buy at the craft stores, but made in any design and pattern you want, in any size. Here, I made some stamps in the style of vintage botanical designs, for summer.

MATERIALS

1/8″-thick acrylic plexiglass; can be found at hardware stores
X-Acto knife
Metal ruler
Silicone rubber caulking (clear); can be found at hardware stores
Water-based paint
Brayer
Note: You can cut plexiglass to size by scoring a straight line several times using an X-Acto knife and metal ruler, and then placing the plexiglass on a table with the score line over the edge and snapping it in one quick motion.

DIRECTIONS

Step 1: Sketch your designs on paper. These botanical designs range between 4″-6″ wide. The leaves are 2″-3″. But your designs can be any size you like.

Step 2: Hold the caulk tube vertical and tap it against a flat surface 8-10 times to remove any air bubbles. Cut the tip of the tube with scissors. I usually cut about 1/8″ away. Remember, the size of the hole on the tip of the tube will be the thickness of your lines, so cut cautiously! You can always cut a little more off, but once the tube is cut, you can’t make the opening smaller again.
Place your design under a piece of plexiglass and trace over it with the caulk, making sure you are evenly squeezing the tube and all drawn lines are touching the plexiglass. The harder you squeeze the tube, the thicker your lines will be. In some designs, this might be a desirable effect. You might want to practice on some scrap paper or plexiglass before you start on your stamp.

Step 3: Let the caulking cure for 24 hours, and then your stamp is ready.

Step 4: On a sheet of plexiglass, squeeze a dollop of paint. To create an ombre print, you will need to use two paint colours at the same time. Load the brayer with paint as you roll.

Step 5: Using your brayer, apply the paint on the stamp. You will need to make three to four passes to ensure all lines are covered.

Step 6: Carefully press the stamp on your desired surface.

Step 7: If your design has other components, like this one does, repeat Step 4 to add them to your print. In this case, I’ll add some leaves to my flower.

Step 8: Create a beautiful botanical pattern! Clean your stamps immediately after use by wiping the surface with a dampened paper towel and any small spaces with a dampened cotton swab. Then, wash gently under running water with a little bit of soap.

Brush-stroked Glazed Mini Bowls

2014-03-21T08:13:00.003-07:00

SUPPLIES:

White Oven-safe glass bowls (plates, trays, etc. would also work) | These mini bowls were purchased at Target for a couple dollars a piece.
Vitrea 160 Glossy Ceramic Paint by Pebeo (any colour you’d like—colours can also be mixed). You will need very little paint per small dish.
Flat-headed paint brushes | Choose a size that is comfortable for you to work with.
Oven

STEPS ONE AND TWO:

1. Dip the end of your paint brush into the paint, collecting up a reasonable amount of paint, and dab it into the center of your dish. You can always add more paint later, so it is better to start out with a small amount.

2. Place your paint brush into the center of your bowl (in the middle of your paint) and brush upwards toward the lip of the bowl using the flat side of your brush.

STEPS THREE AND FOUR:

3. Continue brushing paint from the center of the bowl outward leaving some areas bare and some saturated with color for a painterly effect. Add more paint if needed. Be sure that your paint is not applied too thick and/or that is not running. If drips begin to form, just brush them into the design with your paint brush.

4. Once your bowl is painted how you’d like it to be, set it aside and let it dry for 24 hours. Once air dried, bake it in your oven following directions on the Vitrea 160 bottle.

Note: For best results when baking ceramics it is best to place your dish into a cold oven and turn it on to the correct baking temperature, allowing the dish to heat up with along with the oven. When finished baking, turn off the heat and open the oven door. Allow the dish to cool slowly inside the oven (with the door open). Doing this decreases the chance of having your dish crack from sudden heating or cooling.

Here’s an example of some of the colours that Vitrea 160 paint comes in. You can also mix colours together to create custom blends that more closely match the colours you like best. I hope you enjoy making your own little assortment of dishes. Just beware that it’s hard to stop making them once you start!

House-Shaped Clay Pots

2014-03-21T08:09:00.001-07:00

With Mother’s Day coming up in a couple weeks, these handmade clay pots are the perfect vessel to house a mini plant as a pretty and thoughtful gift.

Keep reading to see the full instructions, downloadable pdf, and step by step images

Here are the instructions:

You will need:
- Knife
- Oven-bake clay
- Rolling pin
- Non-stick baking paper
- Ruler (optional)
- House template printed and cut out (optional). Click here to download the templates I used.
- Smoothing tool (or something with a long handle that can smooth the clay out)

Step 1.
Roll out your oven-bake clay on a piece of baking paper until it’s approximately approx. 1/8″ thick or a bit more.

Step 2.
If you are going to use a template, download it here, print it out onto cardboard and cut around it. Lay the pieces onto the clay and use the knife to carefully cut around the shapes.

Step3.
Once you have all the pieces cut out, take the base piece and press the two side pieces onto the ends. We want to make the pot watertight, so take a small piece of extra clay and roll it into a fairly thin snake shape. Place the ‘snake’ on the inside join (where the side meets the base). Using the smoothing tool, squash part of the ‘snake’ into the base of the pot and smooth it out. Then do the same to the top of the ‘snake’. I’ve tried to demonstrate in the photos above. Do the same to both sides.

Step 4.
Once both inside joins are sealed, carefully turn the pot over and smooth over the joins on the bottom of the pot.

Step 5.
Add each side of the house to the base structure (one at a time), and using the same ‘snake’ technique, seal all the joins. Keep in mind, it will depend on how thick your pieces are as to whether you will have some overhang (ie. the base structure is slightly narrower than the house pieces). I designed mine to be this way, however you can make adjustments as you go until it looks how you like it. Don’t forget to smooth out all the outside joins. As you’re smoothing out the joints, be sure to put one hand on the other side to where you’re working as support, so the clay isn’t warped/damaged from pushing on it.

Step 6.
Once you’re sure that all the joins and cracks have been sealed, bake your pot using the instructions on the packet. Keep an eye on it in the oven to make sure that it’s keeping its shape.

Step 7.
Once the pot is cooled, check that it’s sealed by filling it with water. Then go ahead and plant a cute little plant into your pot!

Nursery Mobile

2014-03-21T08:06:00.002-07:00

Printed template (download above)
Scissors
Rolling pin
Craft knife
Gel or felt-tipped pen (a finer tipped pen will work better than one with a large tip)
Waxed paper for freezer paper (for protecting your work surface)
Premier Stone Clay – available at craft stores such as Michael’s or online
Air-tight container or sealable plastic bag (for clay storage)
Small glass of water (optional)
Scrap paper

For finishing you will also need:

Twine or embroidery floss
Wooden skewer
Low heat hot glue gun OR Elmer’s Paper Craft Gel Glue

Cut out your paper templates along the outside of the grey border.

Cover a smooth hard working area with a piece of wax or freezer paper (freezer paper, waxed side up works the best). Use your rolling pin to flatten your clay into an area that will fit at least one of your template shapes. The finished piece should be rolled to about 1/4 inch thick.

Place a template onto the prepped clay and use the tip of your craft knife to carefully trace around the outside of the design. You don’t need to worry about cutting all the way through the clay the first time around. Once you’ve traced the design, use your craft knife to cut off the excess clay. Be sure to store all extra clay inside an airtight container while working so that it doesn’t dry out.

Helpful bear-cutting tip: I found that it is easiest to cut the bear out by making as many straight cuts as possible. You can then round off the proper edges once you’ve removed the template.

Your cut out pieces might look a little bit jagged. No need to worry! Smooth out the edges by dipping your fingertip into water and gently rubbing along all the outside edges (you can smooth the surface as well if you’d like).

Once you’ve cut and smoothed out all your pieces, arrange them on top of your waxed paper in the order that you would like to hang them in. You can use the same layout that I used, or create your own arrangement.

Use a wooden skewer to pierce a hole into each piece where you will need to attach your twine for hanging. This hole will give you a place to glue your twine into later on, so be sure that you don’t skip this step.

The hole-piercing configuration I used was: Bear: 2 holes – One at the top center, and one at the bottom center | Cloud: 4 holes – One at the top center, three spaced along the bottom edge | Raindrops: 1 hole – At the top of each droplet.

Now the hardest part…waiting for the pieces to dry. Start by allowing the clay to dry on a flat surface (I suggest using your waxed paper) and then after an hour or so, prop the pieces up against something to allow air to circulate around them. For best results, allow everything to dry for at least 12-24 hours or until completely dry to the touch.

Woohoo! They’re dry! Now you get to add character to your mobile! Use a pen to create a design inside your clay pieces. For this project I wanted to keep it super simple, but you can be as creative as you’d like.

You can even fill in your shapes with colored pencils (or acrylic paint) if you’d like!

I decided to just use pen on mine. Make sure to create a design on both sides if you want the finished project to be used as a hanging mobile (that way there is always something sweet showing).

You can also include a child’s name or a sweet greeting (i.e. “Welcome”) on the cloud.

Tip: If your pen is drying out while you are working, you can fix the problem by scribbling a bit on a piece of scrap paper.

Arrange your pieces again how you’d like them to be while hanging. Now it’s time to prep the twine. First create a loop for hanging the mobile. Make sure your knot is not too bulky.

You can determine the length of twine needed for each section by measuring it up against the arranged mobile. Now create the twine pieces for each hanging section by knotting both ends of each twine portion.

Place the completed twine portions down into the right spaces as you work.

Plug your glue gun in or get out your Elmer’s Paper Craft Gel Glue (this particular glue adheres to the clay very well and dries fairly quickly). Place a small dab of glue on one of the holes in your piece. Use your wooden skewer to push one knotted end of your twine into the hole with the glue. Repeat this process until you’ve attached your entire mobile together. It is best to leave the mobile laying down on your working surface while you are working so that the glue sets properly.

Bonus idea: It also occurred to me that you could make some pretty adorable Holiday ornaments by just making the bear portion of this DIY!

Once the glue has dried completely your mobile is ready to be hung up or given as a gift!

A special note: Please be sure that mobiles are hung out of reach of babies and small children. This project is meant to be an art piece, not a toy…and therefore is not strong enough to withstand a little ones’ attention.

Tip: I recommend making several mobiles all at once, then you can tuck the extra ones away until you’re in need of another baby gift. Just fill in the details with a pen when the time is right!

Printed Paper Garland

2014-03-21T07:56:00.000-07:00

Create a vintage library feel with easy DIY garlands evoking a papered past. This gently tattered look can be used for photo booth backgrounds, hanging mobiles, or simple wall and aisle decorations.

Materials:

Twine

Used book, preferably a vintage journal or old sheets of music

Scissors

Tape

Optional: circle cutters

Pinwheels:

Tear or cut the book pages into narrow strips, where the thicker the strip, the larger the pinwheel. Evenly fold each strip in an accordion fashion, then tape together the two ends while fanning out the strip. Secure the center with clear tape, or glue a small circle "button" on each side, also using the printed paper. Once pinwheels are secured (glue will take a few hours to dry), puncture a hole through the center of the pinwheel, making sure not to crush the folds. Thread the twine through the hole and tie a knot to keep the pinwheel in place on the garland.

Flags/Pennants:

Cut out isosceles triangles of equal size. Fold the base edge of each triangle over the twine and secure with tape.

Circle "Confetti":

Use a hole puncher or larger circle cutter to create the paper confetti. Take two circles and glue them back to back with the twine in between.

Other paper garland ideas:

Fine strips creating paper fringe

2D shapes, like birds, leaves, flowers, hearts, rectangles

3D origami shapes, like butterflies, cranes

Origami Box Ornaments

2014-03-21T07:48:00.000-07:00

Supplies needed:

Vintage or antique book
Paper cutter or scissors
Ruler
Ribbon
Fishing line.

Directions (CLICK ON THE IMAGES FOR A LARGER VIEW):

Tip: Whatever is on the topside of the square (as circled) is what you will see on the finished box.

Step 1: Choose a great book. One with plate illustrations is usually best like old dictionaries with pictures. This one is over 100 years old! I got it from Oxfam for £10.

Step 2: Tear eight pages from the book. Cut four pages into a 5in square for the top and four pages into a 4¾in square for the bottom. Depending how big your book is, you can cut larger squares for larger ornaments.

Steps 3 & 4: Fold one top sheet in half horizontally. Fold the top half in half.

Step 5: Fold in half again. This time vertically.

Step 6: Take the bottom left corner and fold it at a 45° angle so that the corner is now in the middle.

Step 7: Fold the bottom right quadrant at a 45° angle as shown above.

Step 8: Fold the remaining 3 cut top squares as you did in steps 1-7. You should now have four folded pieces that looks like this.

Steps 9 & 10: Slide one piece’s side under the fold of another. Make sure the first piece’s triangular “flap” is under the one you added.

Step 11: Slide the third piece’s side into piece’s two fold. Make sure the second triangular “flap” is under the one you added.

Step 12: Slide the fourth piece’s side into piece’s three fold. Make sure the third triangular “flap” is under the one you added.

Steps 13 & 14: Here’s where it gets a bit tricky, but don’t despair. You can do it! Insert the first piece’s side into the fourth piece’s fold. Tuck the fourth triangular flap under the first.

Step 15: Gently push the sides and corners together so that the pieces fit snuggly. Repeat steps 1-14 for the bottom of your box.

Step 16: Now your box is done, tie some ribbon, yarn, jute, or whatever around it. Cut a piece of fishing line to make a loop. Thread the line under the ribbon and tie a secure knot.

Step 17: Take the ends of the knot and poke them into the center of the box along with the knot. Straighten ribbon back into place.

Stamp Carving

2014-03-21T07:43:00.001-07:00

Check out this website to learn the process but once you get started, you just can't stop.

http://blogdelanine.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/handcarvedstampstutorial

Masking Tape Stickers

2014-03-21T07:38:00.001-07:00

To use these templates just click the image (a full size will open in a new window) and drag it to your desktop to save and use.

Your templates should be printed on cardstock (for best results) and then cut out around the outlines. Note: You don’t need to own Japanese masking tape in order to have fun with this project—a roll of standard masking or painters tape will do just fine (though the results will not be as colourful of course).

If you will be using your stickers to create a greeting card or to decorate a notebook (such as I did), gather these supplies as well. You can use your stickers in so many ways, so be creative and have fun with it (glass candle votives would look especially nice)!

Layer portions of tape onto a segment of Parchment Paper taking care to arrange pieces to cover the entire area of your shape template.

Place your template on top of your prepared tape and carefully cut around the outer edges.

Save the any tape scraps you have left over for future projects. If you’d like, you can even use a craft punch to cut out shapes.

If you want to punch out a hole for the rabbit’s eye you can do so with a small craft punch. Peel the backing from your stickers and adhere to your desired surface.

You don’t have to have fancy store-bought cards for this project. To create mine, I just cut a piece of cardstock to fit an envelope I had on hand, drew a wobbly little border for pizzazz, and placed my bunny inside. Easy and cheap!

For decorative Easter egg stickers, just follow the same process using the provided template.

I hope you’ll have a blast creating your own stickers! I’d love to see what you come up with if you’d like to share!

Clay Lollipop Ornaments

2014-03-21T07:33:00.002-07:00

Supplies for PHASE ONE:

Premier Paper Clay by LaDoll
Bamboo Skewers
Small eye hooks
Non-stick Rolling Pin
Freezer paper
Scissors

Supplies for PHASE TWO:

Acrylic Paints
Paint brushes
Paper Glaze or Gel like Craft Glue
Glitter

Step 1: Begin by prepping your lollipop sticks. Since mine came in lengths of 10″ I broke them into rough thirds. You can easily soften the ends (they will be a little bit rough) with a pair of craft scissors, so don’t worry too much about making them perfect.

Step 2: Since this is an air dry clay, I like to work in small batches and keep the unused portion of clay sealed in an airtight container so that it doesn’t dry out while I work. It is best to work on a protected non-stick surface (I used freezer paper with the waxed side up for my tabletop). You will start by using a rolling pin to flatten your clay until it is around .25″ thick.

Next, use your fondant cutter to cut out your lollipop shapes. If the edges are rough you can smooth them easily with your finger. Set shape aside and repeat until you’ve punched out the desired number of lollipop tops.

Step 3: Hold a lollipop top in one hand and gently insert your stick through the middle edge until it is secured inside. It might take a couple tries to get the angle right, but it’s easy enough to re-roll any messed up pieces, so don’t get discouraged.

Step 4: Insert your eye hook. Press the hook into the top of your ornament directly in line with the stick. There is no need to twist the screw end of the hook in…it will slide into the clay easily. Be sure that the opening of the eyehook is facing opposite of the part of the lollipop that you’ll want showing when it is hanging on a tree or garland. As you finish each ornament, lay it down on your protected work surface to dry. Allow ornaments to dry until they are just barely damp. You will need to flip them over once or twice to allow each side to dry. This should take approximately 1-3 hours.

Once mostly dry, ornaments can be threaded onto bamboo skewers and suspended to air dry overnight. That’s the end of phase one.

Step 5: Once completely dry you can add character to your ornaments with paint. Brush on your favourite acrylic paint colours with a small or medium sized brush, taking care to avoid painting the metal hook or wooden stick.

Suspend ornaments on your bamboo skewers once again to allow the paint to air dry. This should only take between 5-15 minutes.

Step 6: Use your glue with a fine tipped applicator (such as Aleene’s Paper Glaze) and create a circular swirl pattern starting from the middle of your lollipop circle, and working your way outward. Repeat on the reverse.

Step 7: Hold your ornament above a piece of scrap paper to catch excess glitter and liberally sprinkle the glued portions until they are completely coated in glitter. Gently tap your ornament to remove loose pieces of glitter and thread onto bamboo skewer for a final time and allow glue to dry.

Step 8: Enjoy!

Hang lollipops on your tree for a sugary sweet look.

String ornaments onto a length of ribbon for a sweet garland that can be used year-round.

Clay House Ornament Gifts

2014-03-21T07:26:00.001-07:00

Okay, now on to the house-making!

This project is pretty simple to create. You could easily make an entire neighborhood of houses without too much effort.

Tip: I recommend storing your extra clay in an air-tight container while you work so that it doesn’t dry out and you can use it again for other projects.

Supplies needed:

House + Flag Template – Download using the button below | printed onto heavy-weight paper
Premier Stone Clay by LaDoll – You can also use oven-bake clay for this project if you’d prefer
Craft knife
Craft scissors
Twine
Freezer paper or waxed paper to protect your work area
Rolling pin
Glue
Bamboo skewer

Optional items for customization:

Fine glitter
Paintbrush
Tiny star-shaped cookie cutter

Tip: You can see the tutorial steps at an enlarged size by clicking on each image.

Cut out the house template you’d like to use (there are two size options available on the printable file), then begin by protecting your work surface with a piece of freezer paper (waxed side up) or waxed paper. Take a golf ball sized portion of clay (or larger if needed) and begin rolling it out using your rolling pin. Make sure that the flattened shape is is both wide and long enough to fit the house template you will be using. The finished thickness of your rolled clay should be about 1/4.”

Place your template on top of your prepared clay and use the tip of your craft knife to lightly trace around the outer edges of your template. The goal is not to cut all the way through the clay, but to give yourself a guide for the next step. Once you’ve traced your house shape with your blade, begin cutting out your house. This is best accomplished by cutting straight lines all the way along each flat edge until your blade passes through the edge of your clay. This will remove clay in smaller sections and will give you the cleanest edges on your house. Tip: If you are worried about cutting into your work surface, I recommend working on top of a cutting board or self-healing mat.

Use your finger to smooth out any roughness on the edges or surface of your house. It can sometimes help to add a dab of water to your fingertip during the smoothing step. Once your shape is nice and smooth, use the sharp end of a skewer to press a hole into the center of the top point of of your house. The impression doesn’t need to be too deep. This is where you will be gluing your twine for hanging.

While the clay is wet you may wish to add additional decorative touches to your house. In the first example I used my craft knife to very gently create the outline of a door and window. In the second, I used a small star cookie cutter to punch a design out of the center. If you would like to glitter your ornament, you will need to wait until the design is dry to do so (keep reading below).

Cut out as many house shapes as you’d like to make and lean them gently against a surface to air-dry. The drying process takes several hours, but I recommend letting them dry overnight for best results. If you are able to rotate the shapes half-way through the drying process so that the more damp side is facing out, they will dry more quickly.

Once your houses are dry you can use them as is, or embellish with glitter. To glitter the edges of your dry house like I have here, apply glue along the edges using a paintbrush. Sprinkle glued area generously with glitter. I recommend working over a piece of scrap paper to make clean up easy, and so you can reserve the excess glitter. Tap your ornament to remove excess glitter and allow the glue/glitter to dry. Next, cut out the pennant flags that you’d like to use on your house. Blank tags are included incase you’d like to write your own message. Leave at least 1/4″ of blank space on the flat side of the tag if you are writing your own message.

Create a loop for hanging. Select the length of twine you’d like and tie the two ends together. Be sure to leave a small tail of twine beneath your knot. This will come in handy when attaching it to your ornament. If you’ll be including a paper flag, apply a small amount of glue to the backside edge (the side without the message) of the paper. Sandwich the bottom of the loop inside the end of the flag, folding over just enough of the paper so that it seals around the twine. Press firmly for a few seconds to make sure that it adheres. Allow glue to set.

Once your tag is dry, apply a small bead of glue into the hole that you made at the top of your house ornament. Take your twine loop and place the ends into the hole until they are embedded and glued in place. Make sure your flag is facing the right direction (rotate the loop as needed to adjust). Allow the glue to fully dry.

Give your beautiful handmade ornaments as gifts to your neighbours and loved ones. Bonus: these ornaments would also make a thoughtful housewarming gift at any time of the year. An ornament flying the “Home Sweet Home” flag would look lovely hung in an entryway all year ’round!

DIY Circus Pals Mobile

2014-03-21T07:03:00.000-07:00

This project can be adapted to the supplies you have on hand. Be sure to check out my list of alternate supplies and uses near the bottom of this post for a few ideas.

Now let’s get started! Begin by gathering your supplies. For the mobile I created above you will need:

Colourful cardstock paper | I used 5 different colours, but you can choose any assortment that you’d like
White copy paper | 1 sheet
6 – 3/4″ wooden beads | Found at craft stores
Glue stick
Yarn or twine
Black pen with a fine point
2″ Circles or craft punch
1″ Circles or craft punch
Hole punch 1/8th
Wooden embroidery hoop (inner ring only)
Scissors
Tape
Wooden skewer (optional)

CIRCUS PALS PRINTABLE TEMPLATE: Download includes 6 Paper Hat Cutouts, a 2″ Circle Template, and a 1″ Circle Template

1. Punch or cut out your 2″ circles. You will need a total of 35 (7 circles for each Circus Pal). Feel free to use just one colour or mix and match colours.

2. Use a 1″ starburst craft punch, regular 1″ craft punch, or hand-cut a total of five – 1″ circles. These will be the collars for your Circus Pals. Punch a hole in the middle of each circle with a small hole punch.

3. Print out the paper hat template and cut out five (there’s an extra one included on the printable just in case).

4. Use a fine tip pen to draw faces onto five of your wooden beads (leave one bead blank). Make sure that the holes are at the top and bottom of your bead before drawing.

5. Create the hats by applying glue to one straight edge of each hat shape.

6. Curl the glued straight edge over the top of the other straight edge to form a cone. Press down along the edge for a few seconds until glue sets. Repeat with all five hats.

7. Fold each of your 35 – 2″ circles in half.

8. Create the bodies for your Circus Pals by applying glue to the outer half of a folded circle.

9. Place another folded circle on top of the glued portion, aligning edges (folded edges should be facing the same direction).

10. Repeat this process until you have used all seven circles. Leave the last flap unglued.

11. It’s time to assemble your mobile! Cut five long lengths of yarn, approximately 18″ or more a piece. Tie a thick knot onto one end (you can double or triple knot if you need to). Place yarn through the center of one of the prepared paper bodies and seal the open flap closed with glue. Next thread onto the same piece of yarn: a 1″ collar circle, one wooden head bead, and a paper hat. If you are having a hard time feeding the yarn through any of these elements, you can use a wooden skewer to help thread it through.

12. Pull all pieces downward until they rest snugly on the knotted end of the yarn. Leave the long portion of yarn hanging from the top and set aside. Repeat steps 11-12 with all five Circus Pals.

13. Time to hang them up! Tie your Circus Pals onto the inner circle of an embroidery hoop, allowing Pals to hang at a length that you like. Loop yarn around several times and knot a couple of times on the inside. Trim off loose ends.

14. Once all Pals are hung, you can slide the knotted sections around the wooden hoop so that they are evenly spaced.

15. Create a hanger for your mobile. Cut five even lengths of yarn around 24″ a piece. Wrap a piece of office tape snugly around the ends of all five piece to create a narrow portion for threading (like the aglet at the end of a shoelace). Cut across the very top of the taped end to make it nice and neat. Thread yarn through your final plain wooden bead.

16. Tie each loose yarn end onto your embroidery hoop where you attached your Circus Pals. Knot on the inside several times. Now pull the plain wooden bead downward until it rests where you’d like it to. Pull one yarn at a time to adjust and make your mobile level. Trim off tape and use loose ends to suspend.

Variation suggestions: Feel free to adapt this project to suit the supplies you have on hand. For example: a stick, wooden hanger, or wooden dowel can be used in place of the embroidery hoop. Patterned paper can be used in place of the coloured card stock, or get creative and paint or stamp designs onto plain white cardstock. You can even attach your Circus Pals onto bamboo skewers and use them as cake toppers! I can’t wait to see what clever ideas you guys will come up with!

Safety note: This project is not intended to be used as a toy. Small parts can pose a choking hazard. Do not suspend within reach of small children. Make sure all pieces are especially secure (I recommend using hot glue to attach all parts together) if hanging above cribs or changing stations.

Stick + Drill = Threading Game

2014-03-18T04:08:00.000-07:00

Aren’t sticks brilliant! I’m certainly getting carried away with them at the moment and have a big pile building up on my windowsill.

All you need to make this threading game is a drill, saw and some sandpaper….and a stick of course.

I took the cut the bark off mine because it was a bit yukky…

Free toys = Smiles all round…hurrah!

3D paper diamonds

2014-03-18T04:04:00.004-07:00

Print out the template onto a sheet of paper. Cut around solid line.
Using a needle (or compass point) and ruler score along all the dotted lines.
Turn over and lightly bend along scored lines.
Using a glue-stick glue each flap into place. (I would recommend that you glue one flap and stick in place and then glue the next flap etc).

Paper diamond by Jean Carvalho

2014-03-18T04:00:00.002-07:00

Diamond Template (print out this template then refer to the cutting/scoring plan below)

Cutting/scoring plan (cut along the green lines/score along the black lines.)

Carton Cuties

2014-03-12T05:33:00.000-07:00

Made from an egg carton, these curly butterflies are especially charming swaying above an Easter basket or a house plant.

What you'll need

Mod Podge or white glue
Plastic egg carton
Coloured tissue paper
Pencil
Scissors
Black card stock
Tacky glue
Clear tape
18-gauge aluminium wire

How to make it

Brush Mod Podge (or watered-down white glue) onto a section of a plastic egg carton and cover it with torn pieces of coloured tissue paper. Seal the paper with another coat of Mod Podge and let it dry.
Use a pencil to draw a four-lobed butterfly shape centered between two carton cups, as shown (we used a marker for clarity), then cut it out with scissors.
For antennae, fold a thin strip of black card stock in half, then curl and trim the ends into points. Attach the antennae with tacky glue. With clear tape, mount your butterflies to lengths of the wire.

Plastic Spoon Rose Pendant

2014-02-20T09:14:00.000-08:00

You can use any colour spoon you want or you can also spray paint them afterwards.

- cut off the handles using scissors
- when you have 17 (10 for outer petals, 5 for petals around the 2 in the middle)
2

- Light the candle
- Take your needle nose pliers to hold the spoon.
- Try not to keep the spoon too close to the flame as it will cause blackening of the plastic.
- Melt the bowl of the spoon and heat the underside.
- let it cool down a bit but while it's still warm and bendable shape the petal by pulling the tip and bending it backwards with your fingertips.

- You could speed the cooling down up by blowing.

Repeat- this step for all 17 petals.
3

- Beginning with the 10 outer petals take two spoons and melt what's left of the handles. Fuse placing them next to each other and smooth out the melt until the handles stick together. You could use the needle nose pliers to do this since the melted plastic is incredibly hot!
- Repeat this 4 times so that you have 5 sets of 2 petals.
- Now melt the handles of 2 sets and stick them together.
- Repeat this step until you have the 3 pieces of the rose.

This will take a while to figure out which is the right way to assemble all pieces.
4

- Glue the pieces together with a glue gun or by melting the bottom side of the petals.

- Insert the 5 petals into the 10 petals and the 2 middle petals into the 5.

See picture.
Now that your rose is finished melt the bottom of the rose and push it flat (I used a saucer to push it flat). Once it is flat enough melt the plastic again and push a safety pin into it and secure by laying a small piece of melted plastic over the safety pin.

Optional:
Pendant - hang it onto a long jewellery chain.

DIY Beaded Friendship Bracelets

2014-02-20T09:09:00.002-08:00

There's nothing like a little new arm candy to brighten up your day....

After see some beaded friendship bracelets around and about I decided this was something I could do myself. The results of my experiments are above... the options are endless and its fast to do, and you get a great result for not a lot of money.

If you're keen to give this a try yourself, the following guide will get you started.

Materials:
Crochet thread
Bead thread (or cotton, but it won't be as strong)
Seed beads
Beading needle (that will fit through tiny beads)
Embroidery hoop (25cm works well) or bead loom if you have one.

NB. It's important to choose seed beads of high quality that are very even in size, which will keep your bracelet width even as well.

To get started you need to think about your design and decide the width you want your bracelet (ie, number of beads across - I went for 6 in the pink options and 8 in the zigzag designs). I mocked up some basic ideas on paper - graph paper would be great for this.

Diamond shapes and diagonal stripes are a good starting point, or try something a little more free form.

Today I'm going to used these assorted sorbet coloured faceted beads in a graded rainbow pattern.

Once you know the width, you know how many lengths of the crochet thread you'll need. Today, I am going to make my bracelet 6 beads wide, so in this case, I need 7, as these run on the outside and between the beads.

Count out the lengths, ensuring that they're long enough to sit across the diameter of your embroidery hoop.

Tie one end and lay the threads across your hoop so that none of the threads cross over. You will need to ensure the threads stay taut throughout the beading process, so adjust them as you need to.

I like to put my beads in a small bowl, so that they're easier to thread onto the needle.

Then you're ready to get started.

Leave enough space to plait and tie off the ends afterwards (I leave about 6cm) and then tie on your bead thread, which needs to be about 2 arm lengths.

Thread your needle and then thread on your first row of beads, running left to right.

Pass the needle behind your threads, pushing a bead up between each crochet thread,

then thread your needle back through the beads, on the upper side of the crochet threads.

When you pull the thread back through give it a little tug to ensure the thread is taut. You want to keep the rows at an even tension.

You've just completed your first row!

And repeat, ensuring you follow your chosen pattern... every few rows, push the beads up slightly to make sure that your beading is compact and again, remember to keep the tension even.Keep going until your beading is about 15cm long...

Then you need to remove the ends from the embroidery loop, leaving it held in place at the top end (where you started). Plait these loose ends for about 5 - 6cm, depending on how wide your wrist is, and tie off. Then remove the other end from the hoop, plait these ends in the same manner and tie off.

Your done!

I hope you enjoyed this little project and that you've created something you love to wear. Let me know what you've created and I will post the results to share with everyone. A little inspiration goes a long way!

Making Flower Pom-poms with a DIY Pom-pom maker

2014-02-20T08:53:00.003-08:00

1. Firstly, determine what size of pompom you want to make. The final pompoms seem to be about 10% larger than the diameter of the pompom maker. My cardboard pompom maker was about 5cm/2 inch diameter for the outer circle and 2.5cm/1 inch for the inner circle. The final pompoms were quite a large handful in size.

So, according to the size you decide, cut 4 half circles with a hole (inner circle) in the middle with extended ends (let’s call them tabs). Make fold lines at each end of the half circle by pressing a ruler across so you can fold those tabs later. Cut smaller half circles and glue them on to the large ones (like the ones on the right in the pic). This is to create some space along the edge between the cardboard pieces when they are put together so you can insert the scissors between them easily.

2. The one with the inner part (right in the pic) and one without (left in the pic) make a pair. Put two together facing each other so the small glued-on inner part is between the larger outer arcs. Each pair makes one half of your pompom maker.
3. Now draw your pompom design roughly on paper and draw a line down the middle (dotted line in the diagram below). If you imagine that this line is your pompom maker viewed from the top, you can see how the yarn should be layered based on your drawing. Starting with whatever is directly in the middle touching this center line, add yarns accordingly in layers towards the outer circle edge.
I did this in reverse at first, starting with the background colour and finishing with the colours in the middle. It sort of worked but the result was a little bit messy. Then I figured out starting it from the middle like below, working outwards, which is a lot easier.

Got it? Now you can make anything into pompoms!
4. Make the other half. I just made it with white yarn only but you can repeat the same thing to have the flower design on both sides. Don’t wrap the yarn beyond the fold lines. (Of course you can fold the end tabs first and then wrap it, which I forgot to do when I took these photos.)

5. Now fold all tabs outward and bring the two parts together to form a whole circle. Clip the tabs together with binder clips as in the photo below.

6. Insert scissors into the gap between the cardboard pieces and cut the yarn. As you do, the hidden pattern will be revealed like a blossoming flower which is an exciting part!

7. Insert a yarn between the cardboard pieces, running it all the way around. Pull and tie tightly. Choose a good position for tying it up as you’ll use that piece of yarn to hang your pompom. Now you can unclip the clips and pull out the cardboard pieces.

Done! The pompom will not be perfectly round so you’ll need to give it a bit of a trim to form a good shape.

Pom Pom Town Play Set

2014-02-20T08:43:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Pom Pom Town! It’s soft and cuddly here.

Pompoms are soft and friendly, they are the perfect size and softness for little hands so it makes a lot of sense to make some pompom soft toy play sets. They are also the easiest things to make. A complete novice with yarn can make pompoms!

Firstly, here are some very serious technical diagrams for the pompom houses and cars.

1. Wrap a couple of layers of yarn for the door. Then wrap the house colour over it. If you want to make a triangle shape for the house facade, start with one wrap at the top and add more as in the photo (above right). More on this technique is on the alphabet pompom post.

2. Now wrap the rest with the roof colour. Make the other half in the same way but without the door, unless you’d like a back door!

3. The final pompom comes out as a round fluff ball. Firstly, trim the front of the house flat with your scissors vertically against it. Then trim the sides, back and bottom the same way. Trim the roof into a roof shape.

You can create many different car designs. Some wheels and a window or two will make a car! This step-by-step tutorial is for the top left car in the diagram above as one example.

1. Wrap the car body colour (let’s say grey in this case) in one layer all along the pompom maker. This creates the vertical line between the windows in the drawing. Wrap more on the bottom half to create distance between the wheels (above left).
2. Wrap some black yarn to make wheels. When you cut it open later, this will create 2 wheels. Wrap plenty of white yarn (or whatever window colour you’re using) on the top half.

3. Wrap more grey to cover the bottom half on top of the wheels. As an option, wrap a bit of yellow on top for the headlights then cover it up with more grey.
Now you’ll need to repeat exactly the same thing for the other half of the pompom maker to make a symmetrical car and then put the two halves together.

4. Cut open the pompom and tie up. Trim the bottom flat so the wheels touch the ground and trim the top into any car shape you like. It could be a dome shape, square etc. With a bit of an initial trim, you can see the car shape but it will be quite rough like the one above. If you want a more dense and defined car, just keep trimming…!

DIY Paper Ballerinas

2014-02-20T07:47:00.006-08:00

Supplies / ingredients:

a fine needle
scissors
pliers
wire
white napkin
diluted potato starch or PVA adhesive
transparent fishing line
thread

First, bend the wire into a “skeleton” of the figurine. Don’t worry – it doesn’t have to be detailed.

Divide the napkin into layers. If the napkin is patterned, use only plain layers. Remember to leave some single-layer napkins for later.

Tear the rest of napkins into 1.5 inch wide strips (don’t use scissors). Now, take your wire outline and wrap it with paper strips, then cover it with the diluted starch or glue. You can also dip it into the solution.

Fold the napkin as if you were going to cut out a snowflake.

Now, take the whole napkins. Choose the right length of the dress for you ballerina and cut the napkin. The hemline should be rounded.

Curl the “dress” in two directions for the best folds.

Prepare at least two dresses for one ballerina.

Make a little hole at the top of a dress and put it on a figurine.

Take a thread and wind it around the waist of the ballerina.

Coloured Nuts and Bolt Necklace

2014-02-20T07:22:00.001-08:00

Supplies:

Nuts

Bolt

Silver chain

Jump rings (2)

Lobster clasp

Magnetic closure (you will only use one half of the closure)

various colours of spray paint

jeweler’s pliers

Spray Primer

100 grit sandpaper

Super Glue – Ultra Gel Control

1. Lightly sand the bolts to give it a little tooth for the paint to stick too. Spray primer and then spray paint the nuts in various colours. Let them dry for a few days to make sure they were fully dry before touching them.

2. Meanwhile use the Super Glue to adhere the magnetic closure to the top of the bolt.

3. Add a jump ring to that and then cut the length of chain to the size wanted and add a jump ring and lobster clasp to that.

4. Then just screw on the coloured nuts you want to wear for the day and you are done.

DIY Deer Art Silhouette made with Yardsticks

2014-02-20T07:03:00.001-08:00

370 Hello Infarrantly Creative readers, Laura here stopping in from Finding Home to share a new project. Currently my obsession is old yardsticks. I love to collect them, all kinds of colors, with all kinds of words and advertising on them. Some I keep intact, but I love to make projects with them as well. I have had this deer wood cutout in my craft supplies for a bit. Then I was back at the craft store and saw it again – I picked up a few more. I was beginning to feel self conscience of all these deer heads I was gathering when I didn’t know what I was going to do with them. And then it hit me – a yardstick deer silhouette. This is where I started. A simple wood cut out. Now, I chose to use a deer silhouette, but this same technique could be used for almost any design.

1. I know not everyone has a collection of vintage yardsticks – so I made two different ones. One has new yardsticks and the other is a mixture of new and old. I found my new ones at Staples and dug through the stack to find some colour variation. I am sure you can find them at many different types of stores. I cut them down into smaller pieces and figured out the pattern to lay them out with. They can be cut using a chop saw (carefully!) or a miter box. I tried to have the numbers not fall in order – to make it look a little more “collected”.

2. Then I used a fast drying glue gel to attach them. I was very happy with this glue – it set up quickly and was able to withstand all that was to come.

3. I placed a piece of scrap wood on the front for some extra stability and then I clamped it for about 30 minutes to be sure it was secure.

4. I used my Dremel rotary tool next. If you are not familiar with this tool, it is a hand held device that can cut, sand and route in small spaces. With several passes of the router bit, on a flat surface, you are able to cut through yardsticks following the lines of the wood cutout as your guide. A regular router, if you can set it down real low, might work. When we tried ours, it broke off the antlers.

Tips: – Lucky for you, I tried a whole lot of different tips and found that the router tip really works best. The cutting tools seem to burn out pretty quickly or can’t reach all of the small spaces. – Work on a piece of scrap wood so that if it goes through, you are not ruining your work surface. – My Dremel is a bit older, but I did find that the routing ran through the battery quickly. If you have a back-up battery, keep it charged and nearby.

5. When it is finished, the edges will be a bit rough. Switch your Dremel tool to a sanding bit and smooth out all of the edges. This is what it looked like after it was sanded.

6. You could leave it just as the above picture. However, I wanted mine to have more of the look of vintage even when using new yardsticks. I hit all the edge and front with Annie Sloan dark wax and then buffed it off. Here is the completed version made with all new yardsticks.

And here is the one with a mixture of vintage and new using the same steps.

I am actually surprised because I might even like the one made with all new yardsticks better. Imagine the possibilities if we are not limited by how many vintage yardsticks we can find!

And the one made of all new yardsticks has now made its way to the gallery wall in the office.

Long Stemmed Fabric Flowers

2014-02-20T06:53:00.000-08:00

I wanted to add a bit of fabric flower goodness to my studio. I've had these on the brain for quite some time and I finally got around to creating them. I think spring inspired me. So here's how they turned out…

1. Cut fabric (selvage to selvage) in 5" strips. (approximately 5"x 45" long strips).2. Fold strips in half lengthwise (wrong sides together) and press. Your strip is now 2.5" x 45-ish"

3. Trim off selvage edges (finished edges).4. Open up strip. Sew a gathering stitch along the pressed seam. Fold back into place.

5. Now to cut the petals. Scallop the open ends of the strip. Each scallop is approximately 2.5 inches. If you make a small mark at the open end every 2.5 inches it will help guide you as you cut.

6. At one end make what I'll call a tail. It's about one inch wide by at least 4 inches long. (See photo)

7. To make things easier, I then use the first one and place it on top of another strip and use it as a pattern to cut the scalloped edge. These don't need to be "perfect."

8. Now back to the sewing machine. Sew the open ends (scalloped edges) together. I like to use a contrasting thread, but you can do what ever you please. (I still had my machine set for a gathering stitch on the photo. You could do that, but it looks better as a regular stitch. So disregard the stitch length in the photo).

9. Now take your tail and tie it around the end of a stick. Make sure the end of the tail is pointing upward from the stick. (Not pointing downward). Again… see photo.

10. Now wrap the tail around the top of your stick. As you wrap come up at a strong angle, and then down in the opposite strong angle. This creates a "point." (Play with it before you actually glue it, so you make sure you get the right look, and so the end of the stick is completely covered). Glue in place. And there is the center of your rose!

11. Now carefully gather the remaining fabric. Be ginger with it, you don't want the string to break. Tie the thread together once gathered.

For a closed rose…12. Have your glue gun handy. Add small dab of glue on stick and wrap the fabric around it. Repeat until you have wrapped the entire strip of fabric around the stick. (Try to keep the glue on the "inside" of the rose… so you don't have any showing).

For an open rose…

-Follow steps 1-1112. With glue gun handy, add a glob of glue to the stick and wrap the fabric around the stick. Wrap the fabric 1 to 1.5 times around. 13. Now with your glue gun, pull a line of glue out from the stick, onto the fabric (about 1/2 inch). Follow with your fabric. Hold in in place so glue dries. Then continue.

When you can see that you will have just enough to wrap the remaining fabric around the stem, tapper your glue line in towards the stem. Follow with the fabric. Then glue the last of the fabric tightly against the stem. And there is your open rose!

DIY Rose of Coffee Filter

2014-02-20T06:43:00.001-08:00