Do it Yourself | Homemade | Recycle

Paper Flowering Spring Branches

2013-08-08T06:28:00.003+05:00

To get ready for summer entertaining season, this month we're sharing a mini-series of pro tips and projects from our guest blogger, party planner extraordinaire and designer David Stark. This week, his instructions for a beautiful take on flowering spring branches, usable year-round.

We are delighted to make Paper Tales available for purchase at Bergdorf’s on their iconic 7th Floor. Each world under a glass dome is hand-made in our studio in Brooklyn, utilizing vintage and antique books.

As one of our go-to art ingredients, accessibility is one of the features we love in paper, but we are also are drawn to the transformative magic that is endemic to the material. We recently created “flowering spring branches” for a party with book page blooms, and it hit us that this is a wonderful décor trick for the home. Beauty is one feature, but unlike fresh cut flowering branches from a tree, these last and last . . .

Here’s What you need:

1. 3-5 branches in which the leaves and flowers have been removed.

2. A used book from the dollar bin at your local book store.

3. A scallop paper punch from your favorite craft or office supply store.

4. A hot glue gun to glue the blooms onto the branches.

And here’s how:

1. Pull out some pages from the book and punch 30 or so “flowers”. (You can punch several pages at a time!)

2. After cutting the flower shapes, fold each scallop in half. Then turn the scallop 90° and fold in half again. Flip the scallop over and repeat the above steps, and unfold after, retaining the crease marks that create the cup of the flower.

3. Give a dot of hot glue to the underside of the blossom and affix to the branch tips.

4. Arrange in a favorite vase and enjoy.

Cheers,

Original Post: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com

10 Things to Do With a Plain Picture Frame

2013-07-29T03:47:00.000+05:00

The DIY experts at HGTV Magazine show you how to make a boring white picture frame as pretty as a picture with these tricks.

1. Start With the Frame

A few of our favorites: White Lacquer Emery 2.5" x 3.5", 4" x 6", and 5" x 7" frames, $2 to $3, worldmarket.com; Malden Wide Linear 5" x 7" frame in white, $12.50, aifriedman.com; Nyttja 5" x 7" frame, $4 for a set of 2, IKEA stores

2. Stick On Fun Tape

Buy patterned washi tape that's about as wide as your frame. Cut four pieces to cover the frame, then press each down firmly, overlapping the corners. Tape: FunTape in argyle, $5 per roll, ginkopapers.com

3. Options Galore

If you find a pattern you like that’s thinner, just use two strips side by side. Make a mistake? Just peel off the tape and start again!

4. Put Down an Overlay

Paint the frame with yellow craft paint, and let dry. Cut a white foam overlay into four strips. Attach to the frame with clear-drying craft glue, like Aleene’s Quick Dry tacky glue ($3, craft stores).

5. Add Flowers

Paint the frame green. Paint the outsides of four toilet paper rolls various bright colors using craft paint. Let dry, then lightly flatten the rolls and cut into 1/2-inch pieces to create petal shapes. Attach the petals with clear-drying craft glue.

6. Dot It

Press pencil erasers into a multicolor ink pad. Stamp the frame, starting with a few dots at the top and adding more toward the bottom. To prevent smudges, coat with a clear acrylic sealer, like Krylon Crystal Clear ($6, craft stores).

7. A Rainbow of Colors

Use one pencil eraser for each ink color. Be sure to use an ink pad that’s safe on wood. Ink pad:

8. Wrap It in Yarn

Put a dot of craft glue on the back of the frame and stick the end of a ball of yarn to it. Wrap the yarn around one side of the frame. (We suggest starting on the inside-upper-left corner.) Snip and glue the end to the frame’s back. Repeat on all sides, leaving the corners bare.

9. Gold-Leaf It

Brush adhesive, aka sizing medium, onto the frame. Following the package's directions, apply sheets of gold leaf to the wood. Brush off any excess, then coat the frame with clear acrylic sealer. Gold-leaf kit: Speedball Composition gold-leaf kit (includes adhesive, leaf and sealer), $11, dickblick.com

10. Stripe It With Straws

Cut paper straws into equal pieces about as wide as the frame. Attach them with clear-drying craft glue.Straws: Summer Sunshine Stripey Straws, $4 for 20, shopsweetlulu.com

11. Add Metal Detail

Paint the frame with blue craft paint, and let dry. Arrange two sizes of metal washers around the frame. Once you’re happy with the design, attach the washers with clear-drying craft glue. Paint: Martha Stewart Crafts satin acrylic craft paint in surf, $1.50 for 2 ounces, Michaels stores; Washers: Crown Bolt …

12. Glue On Letters

Paint the frame and a mix of chipboard letters with two shades of blue craft paint. Let dry, then arrange the letters on the frame. Once you're happy with the placement, attach the letters with clear-drying craft glue.Paint: Matte acrylic paint on (frame) blue medium and (letters) blue light, $2 for 2 ounces, …

13. Belt It

Use a utility knife to cut an old belt into four pieces to cover the frame, trimming each end at a 45-degree angle to match the frame’s mitered corners. Attach the belt with heavy-duty craft or hot glue. If your belt won’t completely cover your frame, paint the frame first with brown craft paint, and let dry.

Original Post: http://www.hgtv.com

How to Make a Recycled T-Shirt Rug

2013-07-29T03:08:00.000+05:00

Don't throw away those old T-shirts — they can easily be turned into a one-of-a-kind doormat to decorate the inside of your dorm room.

Materials Needed:

flat doormat
5-8 old T-shirts
scissors
hot glue gun and hot glue

Cut T-Shirt Strips

Starting at the bottom hem, cut T-shirts across into 2-inch strips (Image 2). Then cut the 2-inch strips into 4-5-inch long sections (Images 3, 4).

Tie T-Shirt Knots

Tie a knot into the center of each T-shirt section. Note: Prepare all the knotted pieces before you start gluing.

Add First Row of Knots to Rug

Place a strip of hot glue along one side of the doormat (Image 1). Stick each knot into the glue (Image 2). Continue the strip of glue and add more knotted pieces (Image 3). Glue the knots with 1/4 inch between them (Images 4, 5). Tip: If you're using a variety of colored T-shirts, glue the colors in a random pattern. It'll create a nice multicolored effect on the doormat.

Continue Gluing Knots to Mat

Keep gluing T-shirt sections in one straight line along an edge of the mat (Image 1). Continue to glue knotted T-shirt sections all the way up the edge of the mat. Move onto the next row. Place a strip of hot glue 1 inch from the previous row. Stick the knots into the glue strip, leaving 1/2 inch between each knot (Image 2). Continue to add glue and knotted sections until the full doormat is covered (Image 3).

You're Finished!

Use your personalized doormat to wipe off your shoes when you walk in from class.

Original Post: http://www.hgtv.com

10 Ways to Transform Your Space With Washi Tape

2013-07-29T02:38:00.000+05:00

Washi tape comes in a rainbow of patterns and is easily removable without leaving damage or residue. It's the perfect material to use to decorate a dorm room and personalize college belongings.

1. Space-Saving Jewelry Storage

Create a funky place to show off your favorite necklaces by taping a tree onto your wall with washi tape. Use small pieces of tape to create each branch, then attach necklaces with thumbtacks. This jewelry tree is completely flat against the wall and saves precious counter space in a small room.

2.

Dress Up Paper Lanterns

Coordinate a basic paper lantern to the color scheme of your dorm room by applying strips of washi tape. Pick a coordinating color scheme, like teal and gold, or go crazy and create a rainbow. Either way, everyone will want to know where you purchased that custom hanging light.

3. No More Standard Doors

Rid your room of boring closet doors with a few strips of colorful washi tape. Extra-wide washi tape makes a big impression on large areas. Create a dynamic look by placing different washi tapes on the diagonal in a crisscross pattern. Each piece is easily removable without damaging painted or wooden doors.

4. Personalize Colorful Frames

Tape up inspirational magazine clippings, pictures of friends and artwork with washi tape that can be easily removed and changed on a whim. Create funky geometric shapes with the tape around a few of the images.

5. Give Personality to a Plain Table

Create a custom side table by covering a plain one with a variety of washi tape. In a diagonal pattern, place tapes in various sizes next to each other. Washi tape won't ruin a tabletop, but if you'd prefer your new piece to be permanent and water resistant, paint a few layers of clear gloss lacquer over the tape to seal it.

6. Add Pep to Your Flowers

A dorm room will feel more like home with fresh flowers around. Personalize clear glass vases with layers of colored washi tape to match the decor of your room. Stick stripes of patterned and solid tape on top of each other to create quirky vases that your friends will love.

7. No-Damage Wall Messages

Bare dorm room walls can be bland and boring. Fill your room with a few uplifting quotes by taping them directly onto the wall with washi tape. Try spelling out each word in a different color of tape for a true splash of color.

8. Decorative Electronics

Never confuse your chargers with your roommate's again by personalizing yours with a funky tape design. Wrap small pieces of tape around the cord, and you'll always be able to find your chargers with ease.

9. Lively Nightlight

Update an old lampshade with layers of patterned washi tape to create a hip, colorful new decoration for your room. For the most variety, use different widths and colors of washi tape that all have something in common. For example, these tapes are all a white pattern on a colored background.

10. Create a Colorful Desk

Basic storage boxes are given an update with modern washi tape. Choose one main patterned tape to be the centerpiece, then choose three or four solid, dotted and striped tapes that are similar in color to those found on your main tape. This will create a cohesive look that still appears fresh and trendy.

Original Post: http://www.hgtv.com

Faux Metal Wall Art

2013-07-27T06:44:00.000+05:00

This faux metal wall art project was originally published on The Sitcom in December 2010, and was recently featured in the August issue of Crafts ‘N Things Magazine along with my free patterns. Who knew that a bunch of toilet paper tubes and an idea would become so big? Yep, I said toilet paper tubes. If you aren’t already familiar with creating from those little rolls that you would normally throw away, then stay tuned!

Anyway, I decided to try my hand at mixing some quilling techniques and toilet paper tubes to come up with some faux metal wall art to spice up my Southwestern theme kitchen.

For this project I used:

A large amount of toilet paper tubes
Several Paper Towel Tubes
Aleenes Tacky Glue
Krylon Spray Paint- Metal look
3/8″ Balsa Wood strips
Click here to go to my free pattern page

I started by cutting the 3/8″ balsa wood strips into 10″ long pieces to form my squares and then glued them together with tacky glue.

The paper towel tubes were used for the straight pieces. I simply cut along the length of the tube, flattened it out and used a scrap of the balsa strips to measure 3/8″ strips cut lenthwise from the tube.

The toilet paper tubes were cut in 3/8″ strips across the width of the tube to keep the curl. Simply cut along the length of the tube, flatten out and mark 3/8″ strips across the width. This will result in 3/8″ curls.

Using some examples that I found on the internet of wrought iron wall art, I created four 10″ squares. I curled the cardboard with the end of a paintbrush where I wanted curls and used the tacky glue to glue it as I went.

With these squares, I started by dividing it into four equal parts and then creating the same pattern in each part. I simply created as I went and used the end of the paintbrush to make any curls needed.

Once they were completed and dry, I then spray painted them with metal-look paint. Unless you get up close and personal and actually touch them, they look totally like metal. But didn’t cost nearly the price.

I now have fancy looking wall art and spent next to nothing to make it. In fact, my toilet paper loving family actually provided most of the materials. You can’t beat that!

Original Post: http://suzyssitcom.com

Samples of Toilet Paper Roll Wall Art

2013-07-27T06:21:00.001+05:00

Toilet Paper Roll Wall Art - 3

2013-07-27T06:06:00.004+05:00

Instructions

You Will Need

o Toilet Paper Rolls

o Glue

o Scissors

o Spray Paint

o Bobby Pin(s)

1.

Gather your supplies. For this project, I used plain old toilet paper roles, (the number you need depends on what design you decide on for your project, mine used around 13 I think...) glue, and a bushed metal appearance spray paint.

2.

Crush your toilet paper roll in half, and cut it crossways. You could measure if you like, but I just guess-timated based on the look I was going for. For my project, each toilet paper role yielded 6 "petals".

3.

Keep cutting until you've got tons of these, the basic unit for your piece.
<-----------

4.

Begin glueing the "petals" together. How you do that depends on what kind of pattern you're going for.

5.

I found that using bobby pins (any type of clip would work too) to hold my pieces together was helpful. It gave the glue between each segment a chance to dry while I continued glueing...

6.

Since a 5 petal flower shape was the basis for my piece, this is what most of my base units ended up looking like. After I made a bunch, I glued them all together in a pattern I liked, and also added a few other viney/leafy looking segments here and there.

7.

Once you're happy with how your piece looks, time for spray paint! (I used a metal finish paint, but any color will do!)

8.

Wait until it dries, and you'll have something like this! (Please note I didn't spray paint every piece individually, this is just an example I did for the tutorial. When I actually made my wall art, I glued the entire thing together first, then painted it as a whole.)

9.

You're done! Now hang your new wall art wherever your little heart pleases, stand back, and admire :)

And you're done!

Original Post: http://www.cutoutandkeep.net

Toilet Paper Roll Wall Art - 2

2013-07-27T05:44:00.001+05:00

Lets get going

You will need:

Toilette Paper rolls
Scissors
White glue
Stapler
Paint + brushes
Glitter
Laundry pins

How to:

Crush paper roll

Cut into approximately 5 equal parts don’t have to be exact

place the rolls on a flat surface creating a desired pattern. spend time trying different compositions and patterns.

glue where rolls are touching, hold with laundry pins to dry. You may use a stapler as an alternative, what ever is easier. I find that glue is easier for the younger kids.

You may paint and add sparkles. Sprinkle the glitter on the wet paint, this way it will sticks and you wont need any glue.

You may expend the pattern in to an organic cell growth. The challenge is when to say STOP.

Original Post: http://www.growingupcreative.com

Toilet Paper Roll Wall Art - 1

2013-07-27T04:28:00.000+05:00

Here was my plan of attack–toilet paper or paper towel rolls. I tried using some wrapping paper rolls, but they were a little too thick to cut through easily, and they didn’t measure the same in width as the t.p. That stands for toilet paper—we’re tight like that.

I measured out the rolls by about 1 1/2” marks and cut them into their little strips. Once they’re all cut out, I glued the joints of them together. I used hot glue because I knew I’d be painting them. Plus, it’s waaaaay faster.

I’ve seen them attached and arranged in a variety of ways, but I was very careful not to make mine too flowery. I didn’t really want flowers, but I did want a soft pattern. (The canvas was from Michaels for $15—it remains unpainted.)

I took the rolls/now shapes to the basement and spray painted away. I would highly recommend using primer for this. Obviously, these suckers soaked up the paint. I followed up with some glossy white paint.

So here it is. Toilet paper wall art. For $15.00.

Because my bedding and curtains have gray in them, I liked that the insides of the shapes throw off a bit of a gray tint. If you’re looking for a more solid color, I would look into painting them a little more carefully inside—perhaps with a paint brush?

I’ll probably still play around with the shape of it. They’re easy to move around since I just attached with a little dollop (I like that word) of hot glue. When I get tired of it, I can throw out the rolls and reuse the canvas.

There’s some pretty good t.p. art out there. Googling it will provide you with a number of pictures, and you can just go from there. No “big reveal” of the bedroom just yet. Still some things to do, but THAT was a biggie.

Original Post: http://www.justagirlblog.com

Toiletpaper Roll Bird Feeders

2013-07-26T22:10:00.001+05:00

Spread on your peanut butter. I used organic, no sugar peanut butter.

Roll it in birdseed

Just for fun, pat it on:)

Hang it on a tree branch. The other option is to put a string through the hole and hang it on the branch.

Take out your binoculars and watch those hungry birds fill their bellies during these winter months!

Original Post: http://moffattgirls.blogspot.com

Egg Carton Lillies

2013-07-26T21:50:00.000+05:00

This might be the easiest ever egg carton flower craft for kids. It includes all the fun of painting and making curly pipe cleaner parts, but is a super simple and quick eco project. It is especially good for the little ones to make for Mother’s day so we’ve included a printable leaf template with little Mother’s day messages as an option.

Follow our step-by-step tutorial below and grab your free template too!

WHAT YOU NEED:

egg cartons
scissors
paints and brush
pipe cleaners and some tape

HOW TO MAKE THE EGG CARTON FLOWERS (LILLIES):

1. Get some egg cartons. We have them piling up all the time!

2. You’ll need the cone-shaped middle bits. Tear them off like this.

3. Cut the corners with a scissors like this. It’s very easy but children – be careful with the scissors when you cut thick materials!

4. Paint them in your favorite colors. You can make white lilles or a big colorful bouquet.

5. Curl one end of your pipe cleaner around a pencil or brush, then pull it to stretch a bit. Make it long enough for the inside of the flower and leave enough length left straight for the stem.
We wanted to use yellow pipe cleaners (although it can be any color) but we only had old-style white cotton ones so we partly painted them yellow. You might have different looking pipe cleaners, just use whatever you have (wire, sticks…) creatively.
Make holes at the bottom of the egg carton cones with a sharp object. Don’t make the hole too big.

6. Put your curled up pipe cleaner through the hole.

7. You can put some tape around the bottom of the flower if needed.

8. Now try some lovely flower arranging in a small jar!

9. Or make some leaves to go with it! You can cut any paper you have in a leaf shape or print our template with messages for this. Pinch the end of the leaf around the bottom of the flower and tape it to fix.

Leaf template with messages

Our free printable files are for personal use only.
Please read our terms & conditions before downloading, thank you!

Make a lovely present for a special mom on Mother’s day. Or use them to decorate your gifts for any occasion!

Original Post: http://www.mrprintables.com

Lovely Daffodils from Egg Cartons

2013-07-26T21:47:00.000+05:00

Daffodils are among the first flowers to tell us it’s spring! As a part of our spring crafts for kids, we’ve made egg carton daffodils – great as a craft project to kick off spring & also perfect for Easter crafts using old egg cartons.
Follow our easy step-by-step tutorial.

WHAT YOU NEED

egg cartons
white, yellow, orange paints & brush
white, yellow papers, scissors, glue

HOW TO MAKE EGG CARTON DAFFODILS

1. First, tear the ‘cup’ parts off the egg carton. Tear the edges roughly by hand so they look like natural ruffles.

2. Ask children to observe daffodils outside or in photos. Paint the torn egg cartons with yellow & orange colors to make the middle part of the flower.
Tip: With normal acrylic paints, yellow paints are translucent and white paints are opaque. So if you paint yellow color directly onto a dark egg carton, it can look dull. Paint them with white first, wait until it dries completely then paint yellow color on top. This way the yellow will look vivid and bright.

3. Daffodils have 6 petals, ask children to count the number of petals and help them draw a template. Or you can print our template onto white or yellow papers and use this as a guide. Pinch the middle of each petal to make it more 3-dimensional as in the photo below.

DOWNLOAD

Daffodil Template – A4
Daffodil Template – Ltr

Our free printable files are for personal use only.
Please read our terms & conditions before downloading, thank you!

4. Glue the painted egg cups in the middle. Done!

Decorate your room or furniture with the lovely paper daffodils and enjoy the early spring! How about decorating a gift with them?

Original Post: http://www.mrprintables.com

Egg Carton Flower Lights

2013-07-26T16:00:00.003+05:00

With the weather getting nicer and the days getting longer, we find ourselves on our front stoop, enjoying the end of the workday. So it's only natural for us to keep the stair area inviting. We spotted these charming egg carton flower lights on Esprit Cabane (an online site for crafty and green ideas). How-to and more views after the jump!

The website suggests saving different colored egg cartons for a whimsical look. You'll first want to cut away excess cardboard surrounding the cup strips and then cut out each individual cup. With scissors, trim the edges of each cup to form flower petals.

Starting at the cup opening, make a short slit into each side of the cup. Then simply insert one LED bulb into each "flower". To make the flowers decorative, use a hole punch or the tip of a sharp instrument and punch holes through the "petals."

This image is from Sabrina, who used Esprit Cabane's tutorial to make her own flower lights for her patio--great job!

Original Post: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com

Light Bulb Oil Lamp

2013-07-26T15:51:00.002+05:00

I've been intrigued by oil lamps for such a long time now. They seemed so mysterious and ancient to me. The only type of lamp I've used is the electric kind, or battery operated when camping. An oil lamp seemed like such a good thing to know how to make for an emergency, yet the process was daunting to me.

It turns out, it couldn't be simpler. All you really need is some wicking, some oil, and a shallow vessel. I read up on making your own oil lamps. Many tutorials talked about making an oil lamp out of a tuna can. While economical and practical, it wasn't quite what I was hoping to make.

And then, one evening while I was changing a light bulb out of our side table lamp I decided to try upcycling it into a chic oil lamp. It just seemed like it was time to take the plunge. I wish I had taken pictures during the process, but alas I only have pictures of the finished product. I'll try to give you a rundown though of the steps I took.

Following the directions here, I carefully removed the glass end of the light bulb in order to put a wick and oil into the body of the light bulb. Once all the shards of glass were removed I noticed that there was a white powdery substance that was scratching off on the inside of the bulb from the glass shards and filament wire. I poured about a teaspoon of salt into the opening, plugged it with my thumb and shook like crazy. The salt took the remainder of the white powder off and I was left with a crystal clear light bulb. Pretty cool, and though not the effect I was going for. I didn't realize the white stuff would come off and I had planned on having an opaque oil lamp. I love the look of the clear light though.

Next I found a small flat washer in our garage and super glued it to the bottom of my bulb, allowing the glue to set for about 10 minutes. The washer allows my light bulb to sit slightly angled without tipping over.

Oil lamps require some sort of natural wick to work. Cotton, hemp, string, paper towels. All are purported to work. I had hemp rope available, but I also had an old cotton sock with a hole in the toe. I cut a strip of sock about 1/4th inch wide and 6 inches long for my lamp. It didn't take much time before I realized I would need something to hold my sock in place though, or it would sink directly into the body of the vessel when I tried to use it. I grabbed a diet Pepsi can and cut out a small circle, just slightly larger than the opening of my light bulb. I used an exacto knife and made a small "X" in the middle of the aluminum circle. It was through this "X" that I would thread my sock.

I poured some olive oil in the bulb, threaded the sock strip down inside the body and through the aluminum circle and waited for the oil to wick up through the top of the sock. It takes a LONG time. Like an hour for the oil to soak all the way up. This was the finished oil lamp:

Olive oil is thick, and doesn't wick very far or very easily. The lamp didn't stay lit very long. This is most likely why early olive oil lamps were made in shallow containers. You really need the wick to rest just above the level of oil. I filled the lamp a bit more, allowing the oil to come almost all the way to the top and it remained lit for about 1.5 hours. Pretty neat.
Today we decided to try our lamp with regular old lamp oil that you can find in any major box store. I actually prefer the look of the olive oil lamp better, but in this shape vessel, the lamp oil works much better. It wicks faster, isn't as viscous, and allows for a longer burn time. We'll keep our olive oil for shallow vessels and use the lamp oil for the light bulb. Oh...and also? I also don't recommend burning these where little hands might be - like near the wooden toys I have in the photo. It was simply staged for the shot. Ours is safely out of reach and ready to use in case of emergency, or when we just want to look plain cool.

Original Post: http://homemadeserenity.blogspot.com

Egg Carton Wreath

2013-07-26T15:47:00.000+05:00

Last night, after a full day of Etsy crafting, he was itching for mama to do something crafty with him. We set about gathering our egg cartons and deconstructing them. We didn't waste much in this process. The portion that holds the eggs was turned into various flower shapes. Some with rounded petals, others fringed. We cut out some of the pointed in-between pieces for flower centers. We used the flat top and sides of the egg carton to make leaves.

After everything was cut into shapes, I had The Boy sit down with some tempera paint and get busy. I LOVE those beautiful Waldorfy wooden paint boards, but I'm a stickler for frugality and repurposing old objects. We use old cookie sheets as painting boards. The side benefit of the cookie sheets is that they hold water spills beautifully.

Our tempera paint was limited to 5 colors. Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, and White. Using small, resealable paint jars, I helped The Boy mix different variations of those colors to create oranges, purples, and lighter cream colors. Per his instructions we worked out a system. He would paint the inside of a flower, and then hand it off to me to paint the outside so his hands wouldn't "get so messy." That didn't work so well - the not getting messy. But tempera paint is great because it cleans up so well with soap and water.

After our flowers dried a bit, I went in with a finer brush and added just a bit of detailing. While I was doing that, Super Hubby was cutting out a large cardboard circle from an old box. The circle was painted a basic dark green and allowed to dry.

Then came the fun part. We carefully chose where to place each egg carton flower along the cardboard frame. The flowers, when dry from the paint were a bit stiff so in some cases we manhandled them a bit. Other times we simply moved them around until we found the proper configuration. I attached them to the frame with my trusty hot glue gun.

The finished wreath is so stinkin' cute! We hung it on the wall near our front door. Because it's made of cardboard and watercolor paint, I don't recommend hanging it outside in the elements. Best to keep it inside where everyone can enjoy it.
We'll be enjoying this all spring!

Original Post: http://homemadeserenity.blogspot.com

Polymer Gift Tags

2013-07-16T06:20:00.001+05:00

Today (well this month), we're in for a treat! Mitsy of the lovely shop and blog ArtMind will be sharing some of her fabulous tutorials with us. If you haven't visited her site, it's a must see, as not only does she make beautiful wares, she has an amazing tutorial section. Click here. Today she is showing us how to make polymer gift tags, perfect for a valentine! Thanks Mitsy! Click below to read:

In July, I saw the new exchange program on Totally Tutorials. The idea behind it is that suppliers offer supplies in exchange for a tutorial. As you all know, I love making tutorials & I love supplies so I didn't have to think twice. I applied for the nice set of 1.5mm letter/number stamps from Evie's Tool Emporium. They arrived very soon after she decided who was going to get them, but I was so busy preparing for the craft fairs that I didn't have much time to play around with them. Well, time has come to show you what I did with them...
I used polymer clay (Fimo) to create gift tags from them. I decided to try white and black and see what the results were.

Here is what you need:

Metal stamping letters/numbers set, polymer clay, acrylic paint, flat wooden sticks, ceramic tiles or glass, cookie cutters, rolling pin, embossing tool or fat needle, paper plate, paintbrush and a cloth.

Take a piece of polymer clay and soften it while kneading.

Put the flat wooden sticks on the ceramic tile (makes it easier to transfer to the oven) and roll with the rolling pin over the clay so that it's nice, flat and even.

When you rolled out a piece, lift it up carefully and transfer it to another tile so you can roll out more little clay slabs.

Punch with your cookie cutters, figures out of the polymer clay slab.

I made two sets in black and white clay.

Before you stat using your letter stamp set, wipe it off with a soft cloth. The stamps are a bit oily to make sure they don't start to rust.

Before you start stamping, try your stamp on a sample of Polymer clay.
This way you know how hard you have to press the stamp to get result and it will also be good to see if you're not holding the stamp upside down.

Hold the metal stamptool as straight as possible and press lightly into the clay.

Here is what I stamped...

If you click on this picture below, you will see better what I stamped on the clay.

Take your embossing tool or needle to punch a hole in the clay.

Carefully take the piece of clay off the ceramic tile and punch with your embossingtool or needle on the backside of the clay so that the hole can be used.

Preheat your oven to 110°C or read the instructions on the packaging of the polymer clay you are using.

Put the ceramic tiles with the clay pieces in the oven for 30 minutes
and let it cool down afterwards. It's ready to use when they feel cold.

Put some acrylic paint on a paper plate and paint the sides and front of the clay.

Let it dry for a while.

When it's dry, rub it with a damp cloth so that most of the paint will come off again.

The harder you rub, the more paint will come off.

Here is another example with gold acrylic paint. Paint it.

Rub the paint away with a damp cloth.

Ready!

Here are some results on the white and black clay. On the white ones, the paint doesn 't look really good I think but I love the black ones. On the white ones, the paint just looks a bit dirty... It obviously is best to use this technique with colored polymer and contrasting paint.

I made a little package with very thin metal wire. I twist the wire around a needle to create a tiny spiral.

I used chrochet thread to wrap double around the package.

You can also make it an ornament.

Wrap lots of chrochet thread around the package and add the clay label.

Only wrap thread around one edge and attach the clay gift tag.

In case you have a hard time getting the thin thread through the little hole, here's a tiny trick that makes it super easy...

Cut a small piece of metal wire.

Fold the metal thread in half and put the thread in between.

Stick the metal thread through the little hole of the clay.

See how easy it is, you don't even need glasses for that! :)

I love the white, untreated gift tags best, they kind of look like porcelain clay...

There are lots of possibilities with this metal letter stamp set and I can't wait to use it for my ceramic work too. If you like to try it for yourself, don't hesitate and order a set of your own at EviesToolEmporium. I garantuee you lots of pleasure with it! :)
Michele from EviesToolEmporium also gave away a metal letterstamp set to a jewelry designer who used it to stamp metal. She made a little video montage and it's awesome, you can find that tutorial here.

Original Post: http://www.poppytalk.com

Plaster Letters

2013-07-16T06:12:00.001+05:00

Contributer post by Arounna Khounnoraj of Bookhou

this project is a fun way to create oversize letters in your own font and style.

what you need:
cardboard (I just cut up an old box)
exacto knife
scissors
cutting mat
ruler
pencil
hot glue gun and hot glue sticks
plaster of paris
burlap (or other fabric that is open weave)
plastic container/bucket
clear packing tape
sanding paper
brush
graphite powder
gloves (optional)
clear coat spray (optional)

step1:
draw your letters on cardboard and cut strips of cardboard 2 inches high (height is optional - in hindsight I realized I could of done them a bit thinner 1 in.)
length of strips should be the same length as the longest side - you want to avoid seams.

once you have the strips cut you are ready to glue them down using your pencil drawing as a guide. make sure when you are gluing that you don't burn yourself and to overlap the corners.

for curve shapes you can take your exacto knife and score lines to make the cardboard curve better. feel free to use additional hot glue on edges and seams to make them stronger - always glue on the side that won't be filled with the plaster.

step2:
use the clear packing tape to tape all the walls of the cardboard mold - this may take some time, but well worth it - it will make the plaster release from the mold easier and less surface clean up.

step3:
take the plastic bucket and fill it with lukewarm water a quarter of the way
proceed to add the plaster of paris to the water
create a little mound and let sit for 1 minute to allow the water to seep in
stir with your hands - wearing gloves is optional (will make cleaning up easier)
the consistency should be like yogurt (if the mixture is watery it takes longer to set - if it's thicker it will set faster)

PLEASE DON'T POUR PLASTER DOWN THE DRAIN - IT WILL HARDEN AND CLOG IT UP
to clean bucket - wait till plaster hardens and you squeeze the bucket to break out the plaster

step4:
pour the plaster mixture into the mold halfway and take your fingers and move the plaster so that it's on the inside walls - this is not a necessary step, but this important if you don't want to see a seam when you pour the send half of the plaster.

step5:
while you are waiting for the plaster to thicken up (around 5 minutes)
cut up strips of burlap - you don't need a lot and you will only need one layer of the burlap
repeat step 3
take the strips of burlap and dip it into the plaster mixture and lay down on top of first layer of plaster poured. once that is done pour the plaster up to the top of the walls of your mold.

let it set to dry (approx. 4 hours or hard to the touch).

step6:
once the plaster hardens - remove from the mold by cutting the cardboard with an eacto knife.

step7:
once the cardboard has been removed use sand paper to sand and clean the edges - you can also use an exacto knife for the edges, but be careful not to cut yourself.
it's also a good idea to sand while the plaster is still damp to avoid unnecessary plaster dust.
if you are doing something else you can wrap it up in plastic to avoid it drying out completely.

step8:
plaster part is completed - if you like the look of the plaster you can leave it white or you can try different surface treatments like painting.

step9:
I decided to use graphite powder to give it a metal look.(if you don't have graphite powder you can take a graphite stick and sand it or you can take a soft pencil and draw on the surface) wait till the plaster is dry and not damp before applying the graphite powder with a brush I rubbed in the graphite on to the surface - this process is very quick. as an option you can use a clear coat to spray the surface so that you don't get graphite powder on your walls etc.

Original Post: http://www.poppytalk.com

Crafty Book Binding

2013-07-16T06:09:00.000+05:00

The materials used for this little book. Everyone seems to have left-over bits of paper, so rather than toss out, make a book!

Tools used for this project. A paper punch (to create circles), needle, awl, bone folder, bulldog clips, exacto blade, scissors, and a ruler.

Cut and fold paper and cardboard to the size you want the book to be. Burnish the folds with a bone folder.

After scoring the back side of both the front and back covers (about 3/4" from side), clip all pages and covers with bulldog clips. Use some paper to pad the bulldog clips to prevent dents in cardboard.

For a 5"x7" book punch three holes with the awl: one in the centre and one on each end about 1" in.

Using book binding thread or a sturdy cord or ribbon, start stitching. I used a stitch very similar to what I did with wedding albums. It's pretty easy, but you really can come up with many different patterns. Try it out!

Cut out shapes with your scrap paper. We made some simple birds and circles. Glue stick was used to attach cut-outs to cover.

My niece wanted a place for "secret messages and stickers", so I made an envelope for the inside back cover. Every girl should have a safe place for secret messages and stickers!

You can do so much with a few bits of scrap paper and some book binding tools. Have fun!

Original Post: http://www.poppytalk.com

Woven Trivet

2013-07-16T06:05:00.000+05:00

I hope you like this project - it's simple and lots of fun to do.

woven trivet diy
I have been collecting the selvage from my sewing projects and thought this was a fun way to use the material to create a nice trivet or little mat. if you don't have selvage scraps you can use and old shirt or pants and cut up strips to use. wool sweaters are really nice after the project you can wash it in hot water and it will felt nicely. this is also a nice project for kids.

what you need:
-four pieces of stretcher frame (I used 10 in.) - hammering into a scrap piece of wood works good too.
-nails and hammer
-scissors (not shown in picture)
-cardboard approx. 1.5 x 5 in. (not shown in picture)
-cut up scrap fabric (I used selvage that I have been collecting)

step 1
before you begin put the four corners together to create the frame and hammer nails about 3/4 in. apart - take the fabric and tie onto the first corner and begin to wrap around the nails on the top and bottom as shown.

step 2
take the cardboard and cut triangular notches with the scissors - take the fabric from the ball and wrap it around the cardboard (this will be your shuttle)

step 3
tie a knot to the first row

step 4
take the cardboard shuttle and begin to weave under and over - continue this way until you reach the other side and tie down the end piece.

step 5
remove the loops from the nails - and because it was under tension the loops will fill in from the expansion.

hope you will give it a try - thanks.

arounna khounnoraj
bookhou.com
bookhouathome.blogspot.com

Original Post: http://www.poppytalk.com

Wire Waste Basket Turned Pendant Light

2013-07-16T05:26:00.002+05:00

Hi Everyone! Janis here, from Pinecone Camp. I mentioned on my blog, a couple of weeks ago, that I had found a $2 wire waste basket, and I was going to turn it into a pendant light. Well here it is. I used scrapes of fabric to create a light for my niece. Simple and really inexpensive!

I picked up a "hemma" cord set from Ikea to attach to my $2 basket.

Next step was to snip out a space to feed the cord through.

Cut strips of fabric to weave and wrap around basket.

Weave fabric strip through basket about every 6 inches.

A happy light for a niece that doesn't like really dark rooms. ;)

Gives of a pinky glow and some pretty shadows. That should scare away any monsters.

Original Post: http://www.poppytalk.com

Flowering Chandelier

2013-07-16T05:18:00.000+05:00

Today we're excited to share a DIY courtesy of Chronicle Books from one of their newest craft books, Sweet Paper Crafts, 25 Simple Projects to Brighten Your Life by Mollie Greene. The book is filled with fun and clever projects like star garlands to string over the mantel to delicate flower wreaths for the front door. Mollie Green founded Royal Buffet, one of our favorite etsy shops and has an amazing talent for unique work using paper. Today we're featuring one of the many amazing DIYs in her book, a flowering chandelier. To kick off the launch of the book, Chronicle Books is also offering one of our readers a chance to win a copy! To enter, visit our Instagram post featuring a picture of this DIY and leave a comment by 6pm Wed., June 26/13. We'll announce a winner Thursday. Our instagram is @poppytalk! Good luck! Here's the tutorial. ~Jan

DIY Flowering Chandelier

Adding the perfect glow to any dark corner of your house, this chandelier, created from a new or used lamp shade, is encircled with clusters of pretty paper flowers and leaves. It is best made with a two-tiered shade that has a universal fitting—where the fitting for the light bulb is in the center of the shade. You will also need a hanging lantern cord and a low-wattage bulb. If you like, you can vary the flowers by using three layers of sewing pattern tissue, three layers of colored tissue paper, or a combination of the two.

Supplies
Two-tiered lamp shade with a universal fitting
Scissors for cardboard
Glue remover such as Goo Gone (optional)
Newspapers (optional)
Multipurpose spray paint in a coordinating color
Hanging lantern cord
Low-wattage lightbulb
20-lb/9-kg cup hook
Scissors for paper
Ruler
Silver metallic thread
Liquid glue
Flowering Chandelier template
Tissue paper for petals
Pencil
Tissue paper or sewing pattern pieces in a contrasting color for leaves
Iron (optional)

Instructions
1. If your lamp shade is covered with fabric or paper, use the cardboard scissors to remove all the covering material. If necessary, eliminate any old dried glue with glue remover. You want the shade to be as clean as possible so it will take the spray paint evenly.

2. (I recommend spreading newspapers over your work area before starting this step.) Following the manufacturer’s instructions and using a light hand, cover the lamp shade frame with two coats of spray paint, allowing the paint to dry between coats. After you apply the second coat, allow the frame to dry completely, at least an hour.

3. Turn the frame so the widest part is facing up. Run the cord through the center and screw in the light bulb. Install the cup hook from the ceiling following the manufacturer’s instructions, and hang the shade from the cord.
4. Using the paper scissors, cut pieces of metallic thread about 12 in/30.5 cm long (or longer or shorter depending on the size of your frame). Starting at the bottom tier of the frame, tie the pieces of thread to the frame, spacing them about 3 in/7.5 cm apart. Place a tiny dot of liquid glue on each knot to keep the thread in place.

5. Download the Flowering Chandelier template at www.chroniclebooks.com/sweetpaper. Stack three pieces of tissue paper. Use the pencil to trace the template on the top piece, then cut out through all three layers. Be careful to cut inside the pencil line so you don’t have to erase it later. Separate the three layers of petals. Place a dot of liquid glue along the straight edge of one petal, in the center. This will be your bottom layer. Place a second petal on top, adhering the two together. This will be your middle layer. Apply another dot of glue in the center of the middle petal, along the straight edge, and place the last petal on top. Fold the stack gently in half, and place a small dot of glue on the top layer inside the fold. Place this glue dot on a piece of the metallic thread, very close to where the thread meets the frame. Pinch the flower around the thread until it adheres to the thread. Make more flowers in the same way and glue them to the thread, overlapping them and occasionally leaving space for leaves.

6. If you are using sewing pattern pieces for the leaves, you may need to iron the pieces on a low setting to smooth out folds and wrinkles. For each leaf, cut a piece of tissue paper about 4 by 1 in/10 cm by 2.5 cm. Fold in half lengthwise. Cut fringe in each narrow end. Apply a dot of glue to the inside of the fold. Pinch the glue-dotted leaf on the thread underneath the flower that you glued to the chandelier. Continue to cut and assemble flowers and glue them to the threads, adding leaves here and there as you like.

7. Trim any excess hanging thread. Allow the glue to dry for about an hour. Then gently spread open the petals of each flower by carefully pulling the layers up and away from each other.

8. For the top tier of the frame, repeat steps 4 to 7 to complete the chandelier.
9. Take care to keep the petals and leaves away from the light bulb. Always use a small, low-wattage bulb and turn off the light when you leave the house.

Original Post: http://www.poppytalk.com

Leather Wrap Bracelet

2013-07-16T03:51:00.002+05:00

I wanted to come up with a new leather wrap tutorial for a while now and I am really happy to pronounce I finally did. If you like to see my other bracelet tutorials please click here. It took me a while to wrap my mind around the "how to" because I wanted to create a braided full leather version as an alternative to the tedious and time consuming version of weaving beads in and out with bead cord between and around two leather strings. Once you get the hang of the braiding rhythm you will see how quickly these bracelets are done and how beautifully they will turn out!

For one bracelet you will need:

– about 2 meter leather cord size 2mm depending on how many times you want to wrap the bracelet around your wrist (2meter length will wrap around 4x - you could do a shorter or longer version by taking less or more length)
– 1.5 meter leather cord size 1mm
– 6 meter leather cord size 1mm
– about 140 little beads with a large enough hole to thread onto your shorter 1mm leather cord piece.
– optional a little jewelry button or something similar from the bead shop

Of course you are free to choose different sizes of leather cord than I did but make sure there is a thinner and a thicker cord and you are able to thread your beads onto the thinner one.

O.K. - here we go! The right one is the version with no button. This bracelet will just close with a loop on one end and a knot on the other end. Take your 2 meter long piece and fold it into half. Take your 1.5 meter long piece and knot it around your loop as shown in picture 1.

Now fold the short end towards the middle and wrap your long end tight around all leather pieces to create a nice beginning. ALWAYS pull gently! 1 mm leather cord is delicate and you do not want to tear it. Please try on an extra piece how much you can pull before it breaks so you get a feeling on how much strength you can use while pulling. By the way - once these leather bracelets are done there is no danger of tearing anymore. The more you wear them the prettier and softer they will become. Place a knot as shown in picture 2. Thread all beads onto your thin cord and secure with a knot at the end to make sure they don't slip off while you are working.

You could now cut the short end or - if your bead holes are big enough - you can hide the end by threading it also into your first bead. So - Please pull up your first bead. Now take your 6 meter piece cord and organize it into two equally long pieces. Don't cut it! You could roll it into little balls for the beginning to make handling easier. Please take a look back to picture 3. You can see my two organized balls of leather. Mine were much longer than 3 meter each because at this point I had no idea of how much length I would need for a bracelet that long...

Place a knot right under your first bead.

Now start following closely and very slowly pictures 4 to 14. It is very important to carefully follow each single step. In the beginning it's very likely that you get confused with over and under. No problem if that happens. Just carefully pull it apart and start over with the second bead.

You always alternate braiding over and then at the next bead under the thin middle cord. It is very important to keep this alternating rhythm to secure the beads nicely in between the two thicker leather strings.

Can you see the always alternating moves? You will quickly get the hang of it - I promise - it looks much more complicated than it really is! Make sure you wrap the bracelet around your wrist from time to time to see how much more length you need.

For the ending fold one of your thin braiding ends to the middle and wrap the other one around all cords. Make the same knot you did in the beginning shown on picture 4.Now take all endings and place a big overhand knot. Pull tight! Depending on the fit you could leave a little room and then do another knot and even another one as I did on the last picture. If you use a button piece on the other end then this little room between the knots will be the place where to pull your button thru.

Have fun with it, and please ask if there is anything unclear - I am happy to help! You can connect further with lebenslustiger on FB, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and Pinterest
Happy Day,
Anette

Lebenslustiger is participating in our market this month at Poppytalk Handmade this summer where you can also purchase her beautiful jewelry collection. Click here to see more. ~Jan

Original Post: http://www.poppytalk.com

Make a Wallet out of an Old Cowboy Boot

2013-07-16T03:36:00.002+05:00

We are thrilled today to share with you another lovely tutorial from the talented Alicia Jepsen of Jepsen LeatherGoods LLC. Last month she offered up instructions on how to make a leather passport holder (which we loved), now this time she's making a wallet out of a cowboy boot! Yup, that's right, a cowboy boot! So fun, yes?

What You Need:

one cowboy boot
waxed linen thread (~70” long)
scratch awl
stitching awl
cutting mat
ruler
scissors
rotary cutter
seam ripper
2 craft needles (~2 3/8” long)

*Many of these items are available from your local craft store.
Time: ~ 2 hours (plus overnight drying time)

1. Cut the top part of the boot off.

2. Wash the top part of the boot with dish soap.

3. Hang to dry overnight.

4. Use a seam ripper to remove the pull straps.

5. Cut up along the side piping.

6. Remove the piping strip.

7. The disassembled boot should look like this.

8. Use the ruler and rotary cutter to cut a 4” by 6” rectangle out of the front piece of the boot. Start with a horizontal cut just above the vamp.

9. Use the ruler and rotary cutter to cut a 2” by 4” rectangle out of the back piece of the boot.

10. The three pieces should look like this.

11. Use the scratch awl to mark a dot every 1/4” all the way around the larger (4” by 6”) piece. Your dots should be 1/8” in from the edge.

12. Mark dots, in a similar fashion, along three sides of the smaller (2” by 4”) pieces.

13. Pierce the dots with a piercing awl. Tip: put the leather on an old phone book to allow the piercing awl to go through the leather easier.

14. The three pieces should now look like this.

15. The most common way to sew leather is saddle stitching. Watch a short video tutorial here. To start, thread a needle on both ends of a 70” piece of thread.

16. Line up the large leather piece with one of the pocket pieces and insert a needle four holes in from pocket’s edge.

17. Pull the thread through the hole so you have equal lengths of thread on each side.

18. Insert the needle in the next hole and pull through the hole.

19. Insert the other needle into the same hole and pull through the hole.

20. Pull each strand tight to set stitch. You should now have equal lengths of thread on either side of the leather.

21. Continue stitching all the way around, making sure to attach the other pocket when you get to the other side.

22. Backstitch over your last stitch and pull each strand of thread between the two pieces of leather.

23. Tie the two strands with 2-3 overhand knots and cut the excess threads.

24. There you have it! Enjoy!

....................................................................

Original Post: http://www.poppytalk.com

Easy Printmaking

2013-07-16T02:59:00.000+05:00

This easy (I promise!) printmaking tutorial is a great way to use up styrofoam meat trays that you are probably hoarding (or maybe that's just me...) and it would also be a fun craft for kids, as long as you did it outside. It's essential that you get water-based block printing ink (it costs about $3 a tube) - otherwise this tutorial goes from an "easy" to "the-reason-why-I-never-majored-in-Printmaking" tutorial because the cleanup is much more difficult for oil-based printmaking ink - that being said, if that's what you have on hand, go for it - actually, if that's what you have on hand, you are probably somewhat beyond styrofoam tray printing anyway!

There are some specific tools I recommend below, because they make the process a breeze - total cost if you buy them all - two brayers (rollers) plus block printing ink- is probably around $30, and you'll be able to use them for many future projects! I give some substitutions though.

Tools and Materials:

• 2 styrofoam meat/produce trays

• 1 pencil or pen

• Water-based block printing ink

• soft rubber brayer

(used for rolling on the ink, substitute a mini foam roller from the hardware store)

• hard rubber or acrylic brayer

(used to printing the plate, you can also use a rolling pin)

• kraft paper

Directions

1. Cut the edges off of your styrofoam trays, so you have a flat rectangular sheet of foam that I'll refer to as the "plate".

2. Using a dull pencil, or a retracted ballpoint pen, design your plate. AS IF BY MAGIC, the areas where you push down with your pencil are the parts that won't have ink on them. The more you push down, the less likely they'll print with ink. I made parts of my print kind of stripy by inscribing vertical lines, you can play with different types of lines for texture. It's called a Releif print because the ink adheres to the parts of the plate that haven't been inscribed.

3. Using the second meat tray, squeeze a blueberry-sized blob of ink on the tray, and roll your brayer (fancy word for roller) over it back and forth until the roller is evenly coated. If you're using a rubber roller, you're looking for the ink to have a texture on the tray similar to an orange peel, and when you roll your brayer, it'll make a sticking noise that sounds like tearing paper - that's how you know you don't have TOO much ink on the roller.

4. Apply a think layer of ink all over the design side of your plate.

5. Print a test print on some scrap paper - place the plate paint side down onto the paper - don't move it. Roll the back of your plate with the second clean brayer, or a rolling pin. Carefully lift up the corner, just to check and see if it's printing right (this is kind of like a giant rubber stamp, right?). If you see areas that have paint in them that you meant to be white, you can wash off your plate in the sink and use your pencil to go over the areas that need to be squished down more.

6. To do your final print, if you're doing a pattern like I did, lay down some newspaper and simply tile your plate on a big sheet of Kraft paper by putting the prints right next to each other - Use waxed paper on top of your plate to keep your brayer or rolling pin from rolling onto the wet prints you just made.

Kraft paper is great for printing on because it absorbs ink so readily. It's not so great for archival artwork , since it's usually not acid free but printed kraft paper would make a lovely poster or gift wrap!

Here's a takeaway hint - if you think your plate looks a little funky (and it might, it's kind of hard to get fine details on styrofoam using a pencil) make it into a pattern by printing it a bunch of times! you'll be impressed when you see how a pattern transforms the original design into something really cool!

Original Post: http://www.ruthbleakley.com

Mini Book Necklace Tutorial

2013-07-16T02:51:00.004+05:00

1. To make this mini book necklace gather these supplies: one sheet of paper (I used Wausau stationery), a small paint brush, scissors, super/scrim, PVA glue, linen thread, bees wax, silk head bands, leather, decorative paper, a sewing needle, an awl, two jump rings, a silk cord, a charm, and a short bit of lace.
2. Fold and tear into 16 (5mm tall x 3 1/4mm wide) rectangles, then fold those in half again.
3. Place five of the folios inside each other to form five sections.
4. Punch two holes in each section with an awl.

5. Wax your linen thread. (Or buy pre-waxed linen.)
6. Insert the needle into the first hole and out the other.
7. Then put it through the corresponding hole in the second section and through the other hole.
8. Tie the two ends of thread together and insert the needle through the first hole in the third section.
9. Insert the needle between the thread spanning the first and second section. This is called the kettle stitch.
10. Complete the fourth and fifth section in the same way. Finally, tie a knot to finish.
11. Snip off the excess thread ends.

12. Glue up the spine with the PVA glue. Press under a larger book until dry.
13. Attach the super/scrim to the spine with glue. Press with your fingers or brush to make sure it's secure.
14. After letting it dry, cut silk headbands to the appropriate size and glue to the spine.
15. The finished spine will look like this. For extra security, add paper to cover the spine.
16. Glue the endpages with a narrow line of glue next to the crease. Trim if they're too large.
17. Your finished book block will look like this.

18. Cut the leather to near the size you need.

19. Spread the glue on both the leather and endpage, making sure that the the holes in the super are filled.

20. Attach the book block to the leather and glue up the spine.

21. After pressing the leather to the spine, glue the other endpage to the leather.

22. Trim excess edges.

23. Allow to dry beneath your book press. Afterward, you'll make it into a charm.

24. Open to a page near the center and punch a hole near the top where you'll place a jump ring.
25. Guide the ring through the hole and close.
26. If you'd like a lace or leather tie, use an exacto knife to cut a line in the front cover. Then, put the tie through and tie.
27. Your book charm is done! Hang it on your cord, and voilà!

This book necklace if for sale in my shop here.

Original Post: http://makingmyrent.blogspot.com