The surpriseaholic: craft thursday: masquerade masks. Every New Years for the past 4 years I’ve tried to do something slightly different than normal. This year, it involved going to a proper Masquerade Ball—in San Francisco, with the symphony orchestra. The invitation said that masks were supplied, but we decided we didn’t want to fit in with the crowd…so we made our own. I used Christmas ornaments to create mine, and Chris made his out of paper mache, paint, and hot glue! Check it out! What we started with: What we ended with: Chris’ manly mask: He altered the shape of the cheap plastic green mask by adding hard paper, then paper mache to the outside.
A paint layer next, to get rid of the newsprint! The finished product! Lucy’s somewhat more-feminine mask I started with a couple of Christmas ornaments we picked up for free at a thrift store the day after Christmas. Next, I got a cup of tea (important step), and hot glued the ornament pieces all over the mask in a mosaic style. Me happily crafting away (it was a rainy day, even better!)
Enjoy! PAPER TOWEL ROLL STARS {day 8} Talk about simple upcycling! Slice up a paper towel or toilet paper roll and you’ve got yourself a glittery, star ornament! Origami Pine Tree Tutorial. Want to extend a happy hello and thanks for coming over from Craftgawker!! Let me show you how you can take a few square pieces of paper and turn them into your very own forest like this! You can also make cute little trees for small figures like this iguana!
He looks right at home, doesn't he? Here's how you do it... Step one. Step two. Step three. Step four. Step five. Step six. Step seven. Step eight. Step nine. Step ten. Step eleven. You'll know you have it right when you now are holding a square 1/4 the size of the original piece of paper with the pretty side facing the outside all around. Step twelve. Step thirteen. REPEAT Step thirteen on the remaining three arms. Step fourteen. REPEAT Step fourteen on the reverse side. Step fifteen. REPEAT Step fifteen on the other three sides. Step sixteen. Step seventeen. REPEAT Step seventeen on the other three flaps. When you are done your paper will look like a flattened tree (right). Step eighteen. Ta da!! Hope you have fun with this!! Christmas cracker templates.
By Kate on December 10, 2011 I can’t imagine tucking into a Christmas dinner without pulling a cracker first. I love the naff hats, the cringe-worthy jokes (and just the tradition of it all). Crackers are so easy to make…and if you don’t fancy making some for the table you can make some miniature ones to hang in the tree. They also make really cool gift boxes. I’ve put some templates together if you wanna try. Here’s how: 1) Download the pdf and print onto thin card. 3) Score along all the dotted lines. 5) Fold along all the vertical lines. 6) Fold along horizontal lines as shown. 7) Bring ends together and join using a glue stick or double sided tape. 8) Tie one end with a length of cotton/ribbon/string* 9) Wrap a gift/sweets/hat/joke/confetti* in some tissue paper 10) Pop inside cracker and tie the other end with cotton/ribbon/string* * delete where appropriate!! Job done!! Hope all your Christmas or Hanukkah crafts/preparations/plans are coming along a treat.
8 DYI Handmade Christmas Cards. How ’bout a Nightcap? Here’s a fun little pattern to embellish your gifts of spirits for the New Year. These sweet little stocking caps look adorable perched atop bottles of all kinds. Knit them in the round with small amounts of scrap yarn in about 30 minutes, then pat yourself on the back for avoiding buying another expensive, throw-away bow! Materials: 3.5 mm double pointed needles (US size 4) small amount DK to worsted yarn Instructions: CO 15 loosely and join in the round being careful not to twist stitches P 4 rows K 12 rows (K2tog, k3) around K 3 rows (K2tog, K2) around K 7 rows (K2tog, K1) around K 14 rows k2tog around k 10 rows cut yarn and thread through remaining stitches. Happy 2012 to you, Crafty Friends! Download How ’bout a Nightcap PDF Pattern © Copyright 2011 Simply Notable Fine Print: We are absolutely flattered that our crafty friends would want to make cute items from our original copyright patterns to sell in their online shops or brick and mortar stores.
I Don't Know How She Does It. Have Yourself A ReinBEER! Make black cat o'lanterns. Candles light up the eyes of Halloween cats made from stacked pumpkins painted black. No need to hollow out the large body pumpkin; the candle sits inside the head. Thomas J. Story Click to Enlarge Knife or carving kit Pumpkins Pen Scissors Stiff felt or paper for ears Newspaper Curved cucumber or skinny gourd for tail Mini pumpkins for paws Black floral spray Wood floral picks (5 or 6 per pumpkin; optional) Mallet or hammer for attaching picks to base pumpkin (optional) Tea-light candle in flat dish or jar lid Clay polymer or poster putty Create a spooky trio of glossy black cats to watch over trick-or-treaters at your door.
More great ideas for pumpkins At the pumpkin patch, look for body shapes with character and a stable base. Choose a tall one for an elegant cat, or a squat orange heirloom for a chubby cat curled on its paws. This twist on the traditional jack-o'-lantern cuts down on some of the usual pumpkin cleaning: No need to hollow out the body. Carve a cat pumpkin. Bat-o'-Lanterns | Halloween Decorations. How to "No Carve" a Pumpkin: Ideas for Halloween. 25 Christmas Wreath Crafts | The New Home Ec. 24 Crafty Christmas Tree Projects | The New Home Ec. Paper Flowers – Anyone Can Do That | FindInspirations.com.
Japanese Kusudama, this tutorial is featured on Craftuts Anyone can do that, I assure you. The proof: I can, just take a quick look at my result below. And, believe me, I am neither meticulous nor particularly patient. You could even say I’m the opposite. Below you can see my very first attempt to create paper flowers. What you will need to make your own Kusudama paper ball? 1. 3. 4. (optionally) I prefer torn paper instead of cut. You have to start with a single petal.
Now you have to glue your 5 petals into a flower. Apply the glue to only one side of each petal, except for the last one, in this case cover both sides with glue. Your first flower is done. Don’t glue every petal right after you make it. When all 12 flowers are finished you have to glue them together. When two halves of Kusudama Flower Ball are ready you have to glue them together. Grapevine Pumpkin.
Have you noticed the grapevine garland at your craft store? People use it for all different reasons and decorations….but I realized I could turn some into a pumpkin. And for so cheap, why not? All you’ll need is some grapevine garland and some floral wire. If you can find dark brown wire, that would be best. (I paid about $3 for my garland……if you can’t find it locally for around that price, there’s a link here and here to buy some online. Start by unwinding your garland. Then make another loop and continue winding the wire around both loops several times……pulling really tight.
Continue to add one loop at a time, making sure the loops are all about the same size…..and pulling tight as you wrap the wire around each loop several times before adding a new loop. Here’s what you’ll have at the end. The spread all of your section around to form a sphere shape. Then, the garland that I bought had little pieces of the grapevine wrapped around the garland to keep it all together. And you’re done. Christmas STAR. Need a little something to cheer up your door or a wall with a little Christmas cheer?
This star is pretty simple and doesn’t take a lot of time. (Well, unless you are interrupted a bagillion times by a toddler who wants a cracker, water, play-doh, etc. ……..Oh well.) What you’ll need: If you are using two different colors like I did, you’ll need 5 different cutouts of each of the colors. If you’re only using one color, you’ll need 10 cutouts. Then, lay it flat and trace over the creases to get sharp, accurate lines. Then, cut it out and place it over the side of the star to see if it fits. Then cut out 5 pieces of one color of fabric, turn over the pattern, and cut 5 pieces out of the other color of fabric. Then, lay down some newspapers (or Kmart ads like I did).
Then turn your star over and you’ll probably see some excess fabric. Then apply a generous amount over the whole thing (not the back), making sure to smooth down any fabric that has lifted or puckered.