31.10.13

Ice cream Stick Crafts - Handmade Star Tutorial

Ice cream Stick Crafts 

Handmade Star Decoration Tutorial

Ice cream Stick crafts
Dear friends  sharing a super simple and quick handmade star decoration you can whip up for the festive season with something you may just be having lying around the house: 5 wooden ice cream sticks
These handmade stars will look great on your tree or mantle piece and for crafters who sell handmade crafts I bet these wooden stars can be dressed up in your unique style [say quilling,beads,clay craft etc]to be a hit at your craft stall!
Popsicle stick crafts

Materials required

  • Ice cream sticks -Just 5 sticks are required to make 1 star so this is an ideal recycling craft to use up hoarded lolly sticks!
  • Double sided Foam tape -believe me I tried other options and the foam tape was the quickest, easiest and sturdiest adhesive to make your handmade star!
  • Scissors to cut your foam tape -Pictured above is my new Tim Holtz nonstick scissors ...I love it so much...no more sticky scissors with foam tape cutting![Earlier I used to steal my daughters scissors to cut foam tape...so wicked of me!].See this post for Paper Cutting Tools
  • Optional to decorate your ice cream sticks:
    • Paint 
    • Washi Tape or Fabric tape - quite the rage these days!
    • Decorative Gift wrapping tape [the shiny glittery ones seen in the picture above]
    • Rhinestones, Beads,Glitter
    • Ribbon 
    • + I'm sure you can think of lots more stuff you can use to jazz up your star !

How to make a Popsicle Stick Star

Popsicle stick crafts
Start by laying the lolly sticks one  on top of the other step by step as shown above in the pictorial of the Popsicle stick star
Popsicle stick crafts
Believe me getting a perfect 5 pointed star in the first go is tricky! If you are obsessed with symmetry like I tend to become at times...concentrate on the pentagon in the center and you''ll make a near perfect ice cream stick star!
Washi Tape Crafts
If you are crafting with kids you can always let them paint the ice cream sticks or if you prefer a quicker  mess free option use washi tape , fabric tape, decorative cello-tape or even ribbon to wrap around both sides of the ice cream sticks.
Ice cream Stick crafts
Once you are happy with the star shaped arrangement of the sticks ,use double sided foam tape to stick the points of the ice cream sticks. You can even reinforce the stars by adding more double sided tape at the central intersecting parts of your ice cream stick craft star.
Ice cream Stick crafts
If you are making a batch of stars like I did use your first star as a template and place the ice cream sticks for your next star atop it and stick it with foam tape in a step wise manner as you go!
Ice cream Stick crafts
The lolly stick stars look rather pretty  just wrapped in tape but they were so quick to make I had a go at jazzing them up a bit more! Added red foam flowers and glittery green leaves to make a traditional Christmas colored star
Ice cream stick crafts
The silver tape in the star below really sparkles and I went a bit crazy and made it even more sparkly with sparkling sequin flowers,glittery silver leaves and a glittery Christmas tree!
Popsicle Stick crafts
My daughter and I like the polka dotted red one the best.Which is your favorite ice cream stick star?
Ice cream Stick crafts
I hope this simple tutorial will come in handy for that quick last minute decoration for the festive season.Do tell me how it is.
Linking to Mad Skills party

30.10.13

Photosynthesis School Project

Photosynthesis Chart
Dear friends these days most of the crafty stuff  I do with my 7 year old don't get posted on the blog as taking photographs is often such a chore ![Do you ever feel that way?] She was so proud of this particular 3 D chart on photosynthesis that I did snap a couple of pics before it was rushed off to school!
Photosynthesis School Project
My little one is allowed to use all my craft supplies for school projects and she really went to town using  die cut alphabets and glittery leaves!The Carbon dioxide , Oxygen and food molecules are thermocol balls!
Photosynthesis School Chart
We made a tree trunk  by rolling thick brown chart paper and sticking just the edges on to our chart paper
3 D Photosynthesis chart
Added a grassy border over the 3 D embossed tree trunk
3D Photosynthesis Chart
I didnt have the heart to say no when she raided my stash of quilled flowers!
Photosynthesis 3 D chart
They are learning about plant parts so we made a bunch of roots for our paper tree! Just posting this so that it may be of help for anyone contemplating a "plants themed " school project!
Supplies: Dies: provocraft leaves,Spellbinders Donna Salazaar Alphas,Cheery Lynn Olive branch negative,Cheery Lynn Grass,Itsy Bitsy Circle .Embossing Folder: Darice wood grain.

24.10.13

Fancy Fold Pop up Card Tutorial

Pop Up Card
Pop up card
Dear friends its been quite some time since I shared a pop up card. Sometimes craft challenges can really inspire creativity and the whole concept of this card was inspired by BGC's "over the edge + multilayered" .
Each layer of this Fancy fold Card goes over the edge of the layer on top and when folded up the multiple layers tuck in and disappear!
Pop Up Card
The card actually has a simple pop up mechanism but I did spend quite a bit of time designing it as I wanted to perfectly incorporate 3 layers of gorgeous Spellbinder die cut shapes in this fancy fold pop up card.
Pop up card
The Poppies are a 3 D decoupage and has around 4 layers.I am so in love with the little red ruby crystals as I actually made them by dipping white beads from a broken bracelet into a bottle of red glass paint !
Fancy Fold card
I used the left over golden metal thread from our Zardosi painting to tie the rubies on my leafy vines.[Here is the tutorial link to the leaves].The Cheery Lynn die cut swirly leaves  with the rubies go all over the edges of my pop up card.
Pop up card
Here is the tutorial for this pop up card - its a modified version correcting a design flaw in my initial design!
Pop Up card tutorial
You dont really need any fancy tools or dies to make this type of pop up card but sharing the tutorial using the most popular type of Spellbinder dies .Use 3 of the largest Spellbinder rectangles[largest] and 2 of the next smaller size. [I used the rectangle instead of the oval for the central panel to help the card stand well]

Pop Up card tutorial
Score 2 of the largest rectangles at 2 and 3/4 inch and both the smaller rectangles at 2 and 1/4.
Pop Up card tutorial
Fold at the scored lines as shown above in the photo of the pop up card tutorial

Pop Up card tutorial
Take a strip of thick card stock[ I used Ivory sheet from the local stationary store] 9.5 x 3 inches and score at intervals of 2, 1 and 3/4, 2, 1 and 3/4  inches. Valley and mountain fold as shown above.
Pop Up card tutorial
Apply glue on the first 2 panels of your base strip and glue the folded large rectangle on to your base strip as shown above
Pop Up card tutorial
Make the pop up mechanism by scoring a 3 and 1/4  x 3 inch strip of card stock at 3/4, 3/4 , 1  and 3/4 inches. Snip off the corners to help you glue the tabs of your pop up. Mountain fold all score lines as shown above.
Pop Up card tutorial
Apply glue on the tab of your pop up mechanism strip and line it  and stick it at the 1st fold line of your base card as shown
Pop Up card tutorial
To get a perfectly flat folding pop up card, fold down the pop up strip and apply glue on the other tab as shown.Fold over the card and your pop up mechanism strip will have glued at the correct place. 
Pop Up card tutorial
When you open it up your pop up mechanism would have formed a step!On this pop up step, stick on the folded smaller rectangle as shown [like a shelf!]
Pop Up card tutorial
Make the step like layers on the other side in the same way. Lastly apply glue to the central 2 inch part of the base strip  and stick the 3rd large rectangle![I found folding it all up at this stage helped give perfect alignment!]
Pop Up card Tutorial
And your Fancy fold  Pop Up card is done.
Pop Up card
The photo collage  shows how the pop up card folds up on itself completely ,all the layers disappear and it can  be mailed flat in the true fashion of a pop up card!
Pop up cards
Want to try some other types of pop up cards?Here are links to Pop up card making tutorials
And if pop up cards seen too difficult here is a link to a compilation of Card making tutorials.

Linking to BGC[ 3 layers of spellbinder die cuts on the base card + 4 layers of the 3 D decoupage; Over  the edge-each layer+ leaves, red rubies, red dangler in the center]
Edited : This project came top 3 at BGC
 

22.10.13

Zardosi Painting

Zardosi Painting
Dear friends this Zardosi painting is my 7 year old daughters work.She had 17 days holidays recently and I really struggled to keep her busy [hence the paucity of my blog posts and blog visits!]
We picked up a Zardosi painting kit [labelled as "Jardosi" on the kit] from a fancy store near my clinic and though I had no prior idea what Zardosi painting was we had fun with our version  of Zardosi painting!
Zardosi Painting
Here are the materials we used
Rhinestones
Glitter paint and 3 D Glitter glue
Paint brush- to apply the glitter paint
Scissors to cut the Zardosi thread
Glue-should be of good quality so as to stick the rhinestones and Zardosi metal thread
Zardosi thread- we used gold metallic thread
Velvet cloth
Zardosi Painting Tutorial
My kiddo used a paint brush and glitter paint in the first step of the Zardosi painting
Zardosi Painting
The kit came with multicolored rhinestones but it was a struggle for my daughter to apply glue to tiny rhinestones so we improvised with rhinestone stickers [so handy while crafting with kids]
Zardosi Painting
I was surprised to see that my little one's hands had got steady enough to handle 3 D glitter glue to highlight the flowers on the Zardosi painting!
Zardosi Painting
The toughest part was actually the " Zardosi" itself! The Zardosi metal thread was spring like and if you pulled it the slightest it would stretch and thin out so it took a lot of effort to glue the Zardosi in place!
Zardosi Painting
We have a Cocker spaniel at home [you can see him here:Paper Flower Tutorial]and it was a big challenge keeping golden doggy hair off the black velvet of our Zardosi painting!
Zardosi Painting
My little one is so proud of her sparkling glittery Zardosi painting and was ecstatic when I promised her we would get it framed!
Supplies : Rhinestone stickers[Big Market,Sahakarnagar],Zardosi Kit[Fancy Store Sahakaranagar]

8.10.13

Recycling Crafts -Tin Can alteration

Recycling crafts
Recycling Crafts
Many of my readers know that a couple of months back I moved into a new home-well a lot of my crafty projects these days are home decor crafts for our new home!
Recycling Crafts
I wrapped this empty tin can in glitter textured paper and went to town adding glittery butterflies ,tiny 2 toned mulberry roses and large handmade paper roses
Paper Roses
This view shows the many layers of my  shimmery 3 D decoupage flower fairy!
Paper Roses
The 3 d decoupaged fairy  has nearly 6 layers and required a lot of patient cutting and layering but well worth all the effort!
Handmade Paper Roses
This altered tin literally shimmers when light falls on it as I added lots of glittery leaves and the decoupaged fairy is made of shiny sparkling paper!
3 D Decoupage
Tip to make more natural hued flowers -Use 2 shades of paper to make your handmade flowers:I used deep pink chart paper for the inner petals and  pale pink card stock for the outer petals of my paper rose
Handmade Paper Rose
I have made so many crafty friends in blogland who continually inspire and encourage me.One significant influence for altered projects is my amazingly talented blogger friend Audrey's altered and recycling crafts.
Recycling Crafts
I have not yet decided what I am going  use this altered tin can for - seems a bit too gorgeous as a pen stand !Maybe I'll use it as a candle stand for the festive season!What do you suggest my dear friends?

Supplies : Dies :Cheery Lynn Butterflies[Priya],Provocraft Butterfly[Itsy Bitsy],Cheery Lynn Olive branch,Spellbinders floral oval,rectangle,rose creations[[Crafters Corner] ,3 D decoupage sheets-[Devi Co] ,Pattern Paper -DCWV Botanical Stack [Itsy Bitsy],Glitter Paper-Itsy Bitsy,Lace and Pearls-Commercial Street Market
Edited : This project was TOP TIP winner at Top Tip Tuesday

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