Button cufflinks, fantastic!!

These are fantastic for button lovers. You must go and see them and maybe make some.

Make cufflinks for any occasion | The Craft Blog

Make a quick ‘n’ easy Halloween bunting | The Craft Blog

Quick and easy addition to halloween treat bags for the younger kids.

Make a quick ‘n’ easy Halloween bunting | The Craft Blog

Instead of making it with long strips of crepe.

Fold A4 paper so that you have halloween strips. You get a few strips out of it.

Orange for pumpkins, white for ghosts or mummies, green for frankensteins etc

Cut out main shape and leave the faces for the children to draw on.

Love to see your designs.

How to make Christmas decorations out of old Christmas cards | Make it and Mend it

How to make Christmas decorations out of old Christmas cards | Make it and Mend it

Some more ways of using up old greetings cards

How to make junk mail stars | Make it and Mend it

How to make junk mail stars | Make it and Mend it

Came across this and thought it would fit in nicely to my recycled handmade christmas theme.

Doodling flowers

I dont draw - I doodle.

Its much easier then getting frustrated in trying to get everything exact.

Here are some simple step by step pictures for doodling flowers. They get quite addictive. They are great for zentangling.

Pointed flower doodle

 It was my son's girlfriend birthday - he wrapped the present and I doodled on the wrapping.

 Step 1: Make a large dot
Step 2: Zigzag around the dot
Step 3: Do a larger zigzag that complements the previous zigzag.
Step 4 - 6: Repeat step 3
Step 7 : Put pointed petals  in spaces
Step 8: Doodle curvy lines

Doodled in two colours

 Raindrop flower

Step 1 : Make sure you can draw a raindrop
Step 2: Draw raindrops into a circle (it does not matter how many raindrops)
Step 3: Draw a circle in the centre of the raindrops. Draw background petals.
Step 4: Put lines at the centre of each petal
Step 5: Finish it off with stalk and leaves.

Alternative step 5: Put "Green Man's" face or fairy face or use as a sun.




Pansy doodle
 

You need two complementing colours 

Step 1: Make a large round dot
Step 2: Do about 5 squiggly petals around the dot
Step 3: Put 3 squiggly lines in the centre of each petal
Step 4: Using different coloured pen, draw on the inside if using lighter colour, or draw on outside if using darker colour. Outline all the petals.
Step 5: Add petals in the spaces between the petals, making sure to add the squiggly lines and the outline.
Step 6: Continue adding petals until you are satisfied with the shape.

Hope you have enjoyed this - would love to see how people have interpreted it into their artwork/zentagling.

Reusing squashed and crinkled curling ribbon

I get given a lot of curling ribbon from friends, family and freecycle. I dont really mind in what state it comes as it is a great resource. I don't believe in buying it as it is not a "green" packaging option - but reusing it is the perfect option for me.

One use is for threading buttons into sets instead of using wool. I always find the wool catches and does not thread through the button hole easily. With the curling ribbon, you cut it in half with a point on the end and then it will go in almost any button hole so easily.

Though I mainly use it as curling ribbon packaging. Why do I like it so much - because it can be reused many times over. 

A crinkled old large bow made from curling ribbon

Cut the bow up into strips and start curling with scissors. Half way there!

Finished product with no sign of what it used to be like.

An old battered gift bow

Cut the pieces and curl to get a new look!

Another crinkled bow. Cut into strips and curl.

Voila!!

Tutorial for gift boxes from greetings cards

I have been asked for a template for the gift boxes, but as greeting cards come in all different sizes, there is not a template which will cover them all. So a tutorial is the next best thing. It is best to try it with an A5 card or similar first, as a trial run and then go for smaller cards once you have worked out the technique and measurements.

1. Find two greeting cards that are of similar size and the pictures will look good together. ie 2 red christmas cards.

2. Cut both of them to the exactly same size. This is very important - otherwise it will not sit properly as a box.

Decide which is top and which is bottom.


 

3. For the top of the box, measure 15mms from the edge on all four sides and score.

4. On the corners, the scoring should make a box. Cut it diagonally from the corner to the scored meeting point. Fold all scored lines.

5.  On each of the corners. On one bit cut up from the centre half way to create a folded small triangle.
Cut the other scored line half way down as seen in photo. This is to make an interlocking corner.

6.  Fold the slitted triangle into the half slit from the top to make an interlocking corner for the box. ( Sorry not very good at explanations - if anyone can describe this better - your welcome to use the comments section)

7. Do this for all four corners to make the box top.

8. For the bottom of the box do steps 3 to 7, but make the measurement 1mm smaller.

9. You may want to sellotape or glue the corners, but it is not necessary.

These 15mms measurement can be changed according to whether you want a deeper or shallower box. The size of the card can change as well. The only measurement that needs to remain the same is the 1mm difference between the top and bottom box.

This recycling idea does not work well with greeting cards that have extra 3D embellishments already on them.

Ideas to make the box special:

You may want to put a serviette / tissue paper in to not let your gift slide around.
You may want to wrap ribbon or the like with a bow at the top.
Add embellishments or name tags or write a poem in a coloured pen.

I hope this tutorial gets people to reuse their greetings cards. I would love to see some of the gift boxes that people have made from their greetings cards.

Bookmark kits for Uganda

I have finally put the recycled greeting cards into two bookmark kits.

Pack 1 of bookmark kit

These will be good for two different childrens group, whether they are at an orphanage, school or church. I made up one tag and then selected 50 bookmarks and added the wool into the bag - so they can choose the funky fibres to go on their bookmarks.

Pack 2 of bookmark kit

Spool and wool pumpkins

I was thinking what else could I put into my halloween treat bag for the kids that recycled some of the items in the house.

I saw a ribbon spool pumpkin on google images - but could not find any ribbon, but had plenty of orange wool. So I found my empty cotton spools and wound round some wool and some green wire for the stem.









I then found a little wicker basket to put them in. Now they can be used as a minature display on my stairs.

Recycling wine corks

I love all the little wooden embellishments out there - but I am no carpenter, so recycling wood into embellishments would take me a century to complete. Though cork is another matter, easy to cut with a stanley/craft knife.

Through my local freecycle I recieved a few wine corks (as I dont drink very often). Firstly I sliced one up into 8 small round bits.

 Then I inked them up with my different stamping pads

With markers, window cling paint pens and glitter glue I made some hallowen embellishments that could be stuck onto a card for extra dimension. I will be sticking a beading pin in them with a ribbon around. I will be giving it as a "treat" to the kids that come round knocking at halloween.

If you have not beading pins, you can stick a safety pin with some gaffa tape at the back.

 These I do really like and will be making more. Brilliant for when wrapping presents to loved ones - just put a beading pin with some raffia or curling ribbon through to tie the present up.

This Easter cross and Christmas star did not go so well - so will most probably keep them for ideas for when children come round crafting.

 I also made a cork button for my card embellishments - could thread fancy fibres or ribbon through it. I used my ancient zenith paper drill for the holes.











Making the love heart cork embellishments

 On your self-healing mat, cut a corner into the circle.

Cut a little indent opposite to the corner

Round off the edges

 Another picture showing the small indent at the top of the heart embellishment.

 Flower cork embellishments

 This cork piece looked a bit cracked - but it was still useable.

I cut little "v" incisions all the way round - then coloured it in markers

 I added a brad pin and some artificial flowers behind.

There is still the crack at the bottom. So to strengthen it I used some sparkly nail varnish. 

 I really like the finished flower and it adds a lot of dimension to the flower itself.

There are so many ideas that these little cork rounds would be good for -
-stamped alphabet elements,
-tiny christmas tree decorations,
-mini garland,thinking black & orange for halloween, yellow & green for Easter, red & gold for Christmas
-necklaces
- bracelets

Would really love to see your designs on recycling wine corks to small craft embellishments.