Showing posts with label paper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paper. Show all posts

Monday, December 10, 2012

Colorful Heart

Today I want to share with you this simple colorful paper heart. It makes me happy just to look at it.



I came across the idea on a wonderful blog called Mondocherry:
http://mondocherry.blogspot.com.au/



You can find this design here:
http://mondocherry.blogspot.com.au/search/label/blossoms

They have so many creative ideas and they use this a variety of colors that give a wonderful effect.

I hope you like it like I did.

Enjoy!

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Newspaper Coasters

What do you think of this lovely coaster? Isn't it vibrant with colors! This is my sister OliveOil's latest projects.




Start by cutting a newspaper page to two equal halves. Then divide each half into four strips of paper. You can also use magazine pages or anything similar you have. Now get busy coiling them. Of course you will need to use the glue.




Now you have your coils ready.




Start shaping each coil into the desired shape. You can make circles, triangles, squares, or whatever fits your design. Use the glue to fix each piece.



Here is how she made the circles.



After the glue is dry, start coloring your pieces with acrylic colors.




Now you can assemble the pieces and glue them together according to the design you have in mind.



One last and important step is to seal the coaster with a sealant.



Now you can start using them!


Enjoy!

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Picture Frames with Shells

It has been a while since our last craft. In fact we were at the beach enjoying the sun, the Mediterranean, and the delicious seafood :) I came back with lots of shells too. I wanted to use them in decorating a big picture frame but then I had a better idea! Why not make more than one smaller frames!


I started with a milk paper carton. It is silver and smooth from the inside. Do not forget to wash  the milk cartoon and dry it well before using it.




Then I cut three squares from the milk cartoon (front) and another three squares (back) from normal cartoon to back it with. The square is larger than a 4X6 picture.




In two of the three squares, I glued the front and back together and used a silver tape to hide the edges and make a nice frame.




In the third square I opened a window to insert the picture, before gluing the back square. This is my sister OliveOil when she was 5 years old :)



Then I decorated the frame with some stars and shells at the corners. I attached them with the glue gun because the milk cartoon silver surface is so soft.




In another project I used some colorful paper for the front and back instead of the silver paper. In this case, I cut rectangular shapes.



Then I started making up designs with shells to decorate my frames.




At last, I joined the frames together with some chains and put a longer chain at the top for hanging the final piece.




A friend's birthday was the following week, so I used her picture in one frame and decorated the other two colorful frames with shells and wrote her "Happy Birthday!" with a silver pen.




Enjoy!

Friday, August 24, 2012

Postcard Box

This is a nice box made of postcards that we used to construct all the time as kids. I remember my aunt kept her knitting set inside a similar one. It is easy to construct and you can make your own additions and changes as you go.



You will need:
- Some colorful postcards
- A paper punch or a pricking tool
- Scissors
- Thread


Start by deciding which cards will be put where and which colors will be next to which ones. Do not forget that you will have to cut the two sides of the box shorter than the rest of all cards.




Now punch all cards on even distances to be able to join them later. Take care not to punch all edges, for some will not be joined to anything.




Now using the thread, join the cards together to form the main shape of the box. I did not have to use a needle because the holes were big enough, but if you wish, a needle will help.




At this point you can use another single card to make the top cover. But I  wanted this box to look like a triangle roof house.
So I cut two triangles for the sides and joined them with two top cards.



Now you have a postcard box that opens and closes. As an addition, you can use a button to fasten the cover.



Some ideas and tips:
- I placed the bottom card face up to be seen when the box is used.
- You can double up the cards you are using. This way you will have pictures from the inside and outside and the box will be even stronger.
- You may even line up your box with a fabric of your choice.
- You can think of any simple technique to close the cover, using a button or a ribbon.
- You can if you wish add a ribbon at the top to be able to carry the box, just fix it firmly.
- When sawing the cards together, you can use different stitches to give various effects.
Enjoy!

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Quilled Lantern

Fanoos Ramadan, or the lantern, is one of the most famous aspects in our community. Initially, it was used to light the streets during the night for people to easily go out to visit their families and friends. It is said that the Fatimid Caliph used to go out at night to sight the crescent of Ramadan and the Egyptian children went out with their candle-lit lanterns to light his path, singing joyfully for the holy month. Later the idea of the lantern spread in most of the Arab countries.
My sister Olive Oil made this colorful lantern in celebration of the tradition, for Ramadan is just days away.


You will need some colorful strips of paper and a glue.


Start by rolling five strips to form the teardrop shape and one strip into a tight coil.


Glue three teardrops together, joining them from the bottom with your fingers.


Then glue the remaining two, one at the top and one at the bottom to form the base of the lantern. Finally attach the tight coil above. Now you have your Fanoos Ramadan.


Enjoy!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Origami Hopping Frog

Today I want to share with you an origami frog. I especially love this pattern because it provides more details and it is easy. I hope you like it.



We will start with a white or colored paper. Today, my sister Olive Oil draw some circles on a white paper with crayons. You can use a colored paper too.


Fold the paper in half and fold each half in half diagonally to make two triangles, then cut the remaining part.


The aim is to have a rectangle composed of two equal squares. Make two diagonal creases in each square.


With the help of the fold lines, make a triangle from each square.


It will look like this. Now bring this end to the upper tip and fold.


Then fold it again by half.


This is the first leg of our frog.


Do the same with the other legs and you are done working on that side.


Turn it around and bring the two free ends to the middle.


Fold the lower part.


Tuck the two sides inside it.


Now you have your frog.

Enjoy!