Craft Ideas

How to make Beads out of Paper

Each of these many colored beads will surprise you because each is different. String them together to make one-of-a-kind necklaces and bracelets. To fill your jewellery box or surprise someone: The materials you will need are: Typing paper: lightweight cardboard: transparent tape: strong thread: pictures from old magazines. Tools need: ruler: pencil: scissors: needle: and round toothpick.

Fold up 1 inch at the bottom of a sheet of typing paper. On the folded part, mark off ½ inch on the short edge and 5 ½ inches on the long edge. Draw a line joining the two marks.

Cut out along the pencil line. Unfold. This triangle will be the pattern for one set of beads. To make the pattern easier to use, tape it to a piece of lightweight cardboard and cut out the cardboard.

Now fold up 1 inch at the other end of the sheet of paper. On the folded part, mark off ¼ inch on the short edge and 7 ¼ inches on the long edge. Join the two marks, cut out along the line, and unfold. This triangle will be the pattern for a second set of beads. Tape it to a piece of cardboard and cut out.

For a necklace, put a length of thread around your neck and cut the thread off when it is as long as you want your necklace to be. Then thread it through a needle.

Pick some colourful pictures in an old magazine. Magazines with glossy paper are best. What the pictures show doesn’t matter.

Put one of your triangle patterns on a picture, draw around it, can cut the triangle out.

Lay a round toothpick on the back side of the picture triangle, across the wide end. Roll the triangle up around the tooth-pick. Roll straight so that the two sides taper evenly. This makes a bead.

Tape the loose end to keep the bead from unrolling. Remove the toothpick and run the needle through the hole to thread the bead.

Repeat, using the other triangle pattern, to make a differently shaped bead. Keep changing the triangle patterns until your necklace is completely threaded with beads. Then tie the ends together.

You can make differently shaped beads by changing the size of the triangle pattern Experiment until you find some new shapes you like.

You can make bracelets instead of necklaces by stringing the beads on shorter threads.

Make a Tissue Flower and Vase

Put a bright flower on the breakfast table. Or give it as a special present. Here is how to make it: You will need: five sheets of tissue paper of different colours: pipe cleaners: coffee can, quart milk carton, or large plastic bottle: newspapers. Tools: pencil; scissors: yardstick. Optional materials you could use are gift-wrapping paper or crepe paper: white glue: enamel paint: thinner: paint brush.

Choose five sheets of tissue paper in the colours you want to use for the petals of your flower. Stack the five sheets on top of each other. Measure and draw a square 15 inches by 15 inches on the top sheet. Cut out all five squares at the same time.

Pick up the top square only. Fold it three times. Starting about halfway up on each side, round off the top with your scissors.

Open up the tissue paper. Than hang it over a yardstick, with the rounded edges pointing down.  Push the tissue together on the yardstick, gathering the part that’s pushed together.

Take hold of the gathered part and wind a pipe cleaner around it to hold it together.

Do the same with the four other pieces of tissue. When all are finished, twist the five pipe cleaners stems together and wrap another pipe cleaner around them all.

To make a vase for your flower, first cover your work space with newspapers. Then cover a coffee can or milk carton with gift-wrapping paper or crepe paper. (If you use a milk carton, cut the top off first).

You can also use a large plastic bottle-an empty bleach bottle or distilled-water bottle for a vase. Remove the label and, if you wish, paint the bottle with enamel paint.

Make your own Maracas

Maracas are rattles used in playing Latin American Music. They make a swishy sound. The maracas player shakes a maraca with each hand to mark the rhythm of the music. The Indians of South America, the first people to use maracas, make theirs out of gourds. Here is how to make your own with easy day to day materials.

You will need: newspapers to over work space: two round balloons: white glue: 24 dried beans or small pebbles: two cardboard tubes: masking tape: paint: crepe paper: Tools: jar: ruler: scissors: measuring cup: foil pan: pin: paintbrush.

Blow up two balloons to the size of a grapefruit. Tie the end of each.
Place one of the balloons in the mouth of a jar. Then cut strips of newspaper about 6 inches long by ½ inch wide. (save time by cutting triple layers.)

In a foil pan, mix equal amounts of white glue and water about ½ cup of each. Dip the newspaper strips in this mixture and apply the wet strips to the balloon, criss crossing them. Use about five layers, to make the maraca strong. Make sure that no part of the balloon shows through except at the very bottom.

Do the same with the second balloon. Let both balloons dry over night.
Hold each balloon in turn by the tied end and burst it with a pin. When the balloon has gotten small enough, pull it out by the tied end.
Insert 12 beans or pebbles through the hole in each maraca and tape the hole closed.

To make handles, use a cardboard tube for each maraca. A tube from gift-wrapping paper is best, but you can use a paper towel tube instead.
Cut four parallel slits into the end of each tube, running lengthwise. Make each slit about 3 inches long. Circle the tubes with tape just below the slits to keep them from splitting farther.

Spread the slit pieces apart. Fit the maracas onto the slit pieces and tape the slit pieces firmly to the maracas.

Paint the maracas and let dry overnight.

To decorate the handles, cut two strips of crepe paper about 3 inches wide and 14 inches long. Cut 1 1/2 –inch slits all along the edge of each strip, about ¼ inch apart. This will make a fringe.

Glue the uncut edge of one strip to the handle of one of the maracas, starting just below the maraca. Wind and glue the strip around the handle toward the bottom end. Repeat with the other handle.

Cut out several crepe paper circles and glue them on the maracas.

How to make your Very Own Space Rocket

THE MOON? MARS? Pick your space target. To get your rocket ready for the launch pad and countdown you will need Materials: newspapers to cover work space: round oatmeal or cornmeal box; masking tape; light weight cardboard: white glue: salt box: (for a super rocket two boxes): three empty spools: paint. Tools needed: pencil: ruler; scissors: compass or other circle maker: paintbrush.

Tape the cover onto an oatmeal or cornmeal box. Cut four fins from cardboard. Each fin should be a triangle 4 inches at the bottom and the same height as the oatmeal or cornmeal box.

Glue and tape the fins to the box. On a piece of cardboard, draw a half circle with a 7-inch radius. Cut out the half circle and roll it onto a cone.

Adjust the bottom of the cone until it just fits the top of a salt box. The tape the con’s seam and tape the cone to the box.

Cut four cone fins from cardboard. The fins should be the same height as the side of the cone (or, for a super rocket, the same height as the salt box) and 3 inches wide at the bottom.

Glue and tape the fins to the cone. For a super rocket, attach the fins to the salt box instead. Then glue this salt box on top of a second salt box.

Now glue the salt box (or boxes) to the oatmeal box, being careful to line up the top fins with the bottom fins.

Glue three spools to the bottom of the oatmeal box. These are your rocket’s engines.
When the glue is dry paint your rocket. Mars has never looked better!

Making Jewellery from Shells and Pearls

A popular medium for making your own jewellery at home is shells in their various forms and colours. When visiting the seaside you can usually find a selection of shells on the beach that can be used in your own jewellery projects. Shells come in so many different shades and types of colour from light pinks through to the amazing mother of pearl colour of the abalone shell. If you use your imagination when collecting shells at the beach you can create designs for your shell jewellery around the shells available to you. As well as shells other interesting beach combing articles can be used to make your own jewellery. Unusual shapes and colours of pebble can be found on the beach that would make a nice addition to an item of jewellery. Often stones on the beach can be found with holes worn in them from thousands of years of being buffeted by the waves, these can be easily threaded onto your jewellery designs.

When you have completed your beach combing expedition wash your various shells and stones in clean water ready to use in your jewellery. If you will be making necklaces you need to drill some holes in your shells to allow you to thread them onto your wire or string. Stones and other items like coral can be glued onto jewellery to create unusual pendants, rings and earrings. Mother of pearl can easily be found on the beach and the amazing colour can make some of the best pendants, necklaces and bracelets. Jewellery suppliers offer many different types of fittings and jewellery mounts that will allow you to set your mother of pearl and stones into silver or even gold jewellery. Shells can be threaded onto string or twine and clasps added in silver or base metals to secure the jewellery. Many varieties of clasp are also available from most good jewellery suppliers in precious metals as well as base metals.

If you wish to invest some additional time and money into your jewellery from the sea designs you may want to try using some of the more expensive jewellery materials. You can use pearls in your jewellery pieces to add that extra bit of class to your creations. When using pearls you may prefer to use clasps and jewellery wire made from 14 karat gold rather than lower cost silver or base metals. Nothing sets off pearl jewellery better than gold fittings and accessories, although some excellent results can be accomplished using silver with pearls too. Obviously pearls are highly unlikely to be found when beach combing, but will be available at most good jewellery supply stockists. When purchasing your pearls it is advisable to get them already drilled as this will allow you to concentrate on the creative side of making your jewellery. Cultured pearls are less expensive than saltwater pearls as they are easier to obtain, but they are still supplied in a beautiful range of different colours from pure white through gold and pink to pitch black. Stringing pearls can take time to get right as each pearl needs to be secured perfectly tight on the string to create the best effect with your pearls.