How to make gift bags from newspaper When I bought something at a store recently, the clerk handed me my purchase in a bag made from a newspaper. I liked it very much and had to make some more—thus today's DIY recycled newspaper project: gift bags made from the Wall Street Journal. You can vary the dimensions, of course, but here's what I used to create a bag that's 5" tall, 4.5" wide, and 3" deep. Stack two sheets of newspaper on top of each other. This will be a two-ply bag for extra sturdiness. Cut out a rectangle that's 15.5" wide and 8.25" tall. Fold a flap 1.25" down from the top. Cut two pieces of cardstock or chipboard to 4.25" x 1", then glue them on the widest two panels just under the top fold. Put glue on the outside of the 0.5" tab and bring the left-most panel over to form the body of the bag, aligning the cut edge of the panel with the folded edge of the flap. Upend the bag so the 2" flap is now up. Put glue on both flaps and fold them inward to form the bottom of the bag.
rolled paper flowers {tutorial} |&jones design company Welcome to flower week – five days of simple and delightful flower projects. I could probably do three weeks of flowers because there are so many different ways to create them, but I’ve limited it to five of my current favorites. Before we get started, let me make a few disclaimers: 1. I find inspiration for projects all over the place {online, in shops, in magazines}, then figure out how to re-create them on my own. Each of these projects are my adaptation of something I’ve seen elsewhere. 2. 3. Okay, so let’s begin. Here’s what you’ll need: :: paper {either cover or text weight} :: florist wire :: scissors, pencil, glue gun STEP ONE: cut irregular circle This circle is approximately 8 inches, but you can do any size you wish. STEP TWO: cut spiral Start at the outside edge and cut in a spiral fashion to the center. I like a sort of bumpy shape so that the petals end up a bit irregular If you aren’t so sure about your cutting skills, feel free to draw your spiral before cutting.
TLC Family &Ultimate Guide to Recycled T-Shirt Crafts& You probably have a favorite T-shirt. You know the one you've worn until it's holey and ragged. Maybe it's from your first concert or your favorite vacation spot. Maybe it's your team's old logo, or a college favorite from decades ago. The flip side is that you probably also have a drawer full of T-shirts that you never wear. A great compromise for all those T-shirts is to recycle them. This article will show you just a few of the many crafts you can create from your recycled T-shirts, from pillows to rags to rugs. So before you sneak off and throw away your family's aging T-shirts, consider the crafting potential.
{macramé: half knot spiral} washer & wingnut bracelet By Kate on October 25, 2011 Hello there! I finally got around to posting after a hectic few weeks. I’ve been working on a big project which is all done and dusted now so I will be making more frequent updates between now and Christmas…phew! I sincerely wish there were more hours in the day! I’m hoping to post another Halloween craft in the next day or so. It’s comprised of a’half knot spiral’ (and is even easier than the square knot bracelet I showed you previously). A few people left comments about the last bracelet saying it looked like it may take too long to make. By the way thanks to all you lovely people who ‘liked’ my facebook page. Full tutorial after the jump! How-to Please note: I have used different colored cord in the tutorial so that it’s easier for you to figure out whats going on! 1. 2. 3. Note: You fasten this bracelet as you would a friendship bracelet.
{Valentines day} pixel-y popup card I‘ve been scratching my head trying to come up with a card for my hubby {AKA the non-romantic type}. I finally decided to make this pixely popup heart card! They are really minimal (which I love) and take about 20 minutes to make (that includes the card, insert and envelope). You can even make some pixely confetti to put inside the card (if you are a big kid like me!). Full instructions and printable templates below! (BTW I remember seeing something similar in a popup book years ago. How to 1. (If you have a cutting machine then see note at end of post!) Cut along the black lines and score the grey lines. 3. 5. 7. Edited to add: The lovely Kayla from saynotsweetanne has send me a .dfx file of the card which you can use if you have a cutting machine.
Bleach on fabric tutorial - Stencil Revolution Here is my Bleaching Tutorial, exclusively for Stencil Revolution members. In 2002, I was hired by a small clothing company to invent a process by which we could produce images on garments that would be more “tattooed” into the fabric than screened on. I immediately thought about bleach and began two years of research and testing. I worked with chemists, fabric manufacturers, and artists. I wrecked my studio, my clothes, and my lungs. Chemically, to achieve different values, I worked with retardants to slow the process of the chemical’s effects, I watered down mixtures, I used “stop-baths”, dehydrated bleach crystals… you name it. So, here is the big secret, just for S.R. members. Contributed by Phelyx. I have finally completed this simple tutorial and am pleased with the results. This Japanese Koi design was created specifically for this tutorial. There are a few basic need-to-know items and suggestions that I can offer. First: bleach will not work on most synthetic fabrics.
Easy Folded Gift Boxes - Cosmo Cricket UPDATE: If you came here from Pinterest, we later updated our readers with more examples and a video tutorial... it's much easier to follow! You can find it here. Happy crafting and thanks for dropping by! Eric often tells me I remind him of Maria from the Sound of Music. So, it's a little ironic that I lead the children's choir at my church. Once a year we combine the two choirs for the Sunday services as the main event. It just doesn't seem like enough, but I made several thank-you's yesterday for my friends that helped my little ones sing so well, I swear I could hear them all the way in Minnesota. Here' the first one I made. To make the box, take a full sheet of paper and mark it at 6" on two opposing sides. Then fold edges in to match up with the marks. Now measure and mark at 5" and 7" on the folded edges. Fold as shown below. The next fold is the only slightly tricky part, and only because it's hard to put into words. Update: Christiee asked me to try to explain this.
Silk-Dyed Eggs {aka TIE-Dyed!} I posted this tutorial a few years ago and it has become somewhat of a tradition to bring it back every year! One of our family Easter traditions is dying eggs with pieces of silk. I saw a cute lady show Martha how to do it a few years ago and I ran upstairs right then to steal a tie! Here’s the run-down: You need 100% silk for this to work. I try to find an assortment of colors and patterns. Usually it will tell you if it’s 100% silk right on the main label of the tie, but a lot of them don’t, and if that’s the case, check that little tiny end, it’s usually hiding there. The first step is to deconstruct the tie. Next you cut a piece large enough to cover an egg. Now, notice how I tied the eggs in the above photo- with the tie on the top of the long side of the egg. However, if you want the best part of the design on the wide side of the egg, you’ll want to wrap them horizontally, like this: Just wrap them as smoothly and tightly as you can for the best transfer. Gorgeous. Love it?
Hand Stitching, part 1 - LA - StumbleUpon One of my favorite crafts is hand stitching-- it's fun, addictive, expressive and relaxing :) Over the next few weeks, I'm going to share easy ways to make your own patterns for hand stitching along with some tips and ideas :) These are some samples of my past projects-- I like to draw patterns freehand and use my handwriting. However, sometimes I adapt clipart type images to make a more complicated pattern, like the sewing machine or I just stitch the outline of an image I love, like the Goonies "Hey You Guys" silhouette :) I use a Back Stitch for all my hand stitching because it's very versatile and I like the look but you can use any combination of stitches for your projects... there's lots of fun ones! Today, we're going to start with handwriting & transferring your pattern :) You will Need: - Card-stock or Thick Paper (I cut a piece of 6x8" card-stock & folded it in half to create a greeting card) - Needle & Scissors - Embroidery Thread - Scrap Paper & Pen - Thumbtack or Piercing Tool
Do-it-Yourself DIY String Wedding Lanterns Yarn Chandeliers Jessica of Wednesday Inc shows us how to make those gorgeous twine chandeliers from the inspiration shoot she shared with us this morning. Using balloons, glue and twine, you can also make these lanterns for your wedding – and then bring it home and use it as your very own mid century lampshade. What you will need are: balloons, glue, yarn, tray for glue, corn starch 1/2 cup of Corn starch, 1/4 cup of Warm water, clear fast drying spray paint, hanging lamp cord or fishing line (depending on your desired final product), and a lighting kit if you’re looking for a fully functional lantern. Jessica recommends using a sharpie to mark on the inflated balloon how much room you need to leave for the lighting cord. She also recommends coating the balloon with vaseline prior to wrapping the yarn coated with glue so it doesn’t stick on the balloon once it’s dry. Are you getting excited to try to do this at home as much I am? Instructions: 1.
DIY Envelopes » Fellow Fellow This little DIY is by no means new or particularly innovative, but fun nonetheless! During Chinese New Year it is customary for parents to give their kids a monetary gift in bright red and gold envelopes. So I thought I’d try making my own envelopes, inspired by the red and gold ones I’ve been seeing around for weeks, but in my own style. All you need is paper (whatever colours you like), glue, scissors, and a paint pen (also in whatever colour you like!). Step 1: Cut the paper using the template (or create your own size/shape and draw it onto the paper). Step 2: I found it easier to fold and glue the envelope before drawing on it so the pattern was seamless, but you can do it either way. Step 3: Get drawing! Thank you, your sign-up request was successful! Given email address is already subscribed, thank you! Please provide a valid email address. Oops. Other posts you may like:
Il me va comme un gant ! : Nain.de.Jardin Et pour cause... C'en est un ! Le Mâm' Sca'lett du gant, vous connaissez ? Nonnn... Une idée à croquer, née sous les doigts agiles de Miyako Kanamori. Où comment recycler tout en douceur l'ultime gant de Poupette, gardé dans l'hypothétique espoir d'un retour de son jumeau... Et de vos mains agiles rendre vie à cet esseulé. Un doudou doigts doux. ***Nain.de.Jardin***
How-To: No-Carve Stamps By Jeromina Juan 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? Materials 1/8″-thick acrylic plexiglass; can be found at hardware storesX-Acto knife Metal ruler Silicone rubber caulking (clear); can be found at hardware storesWater-based paint BrayerNote: 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. Step 2: Hold the caulk tube vertical and tap it against a flat surface 8-10 times to remove any air bubbles. Step 3: Let the caulking cure for 24 hours, and then your stamp is ready. About the Author: