Category Archives: Art Tutorials

Apr24

QUILLING: Techniques, Tools and Definitions

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QUILLING: Techniques, Tools and Definitions

 

QUILLING PATTERNS

QUILLING PATTERNS

Quilling (also known as paper-scrolling) is a paper art whereby multicolored strips of paper are shaped, scrolled and pasted to produce various shapes and objects. Assemble and grouped together, they form a work of art. Historically, paper quilling dates back to ancient Egypt.

Buy or paper strips make them from paper that is flexible. Other considerations are weight and thickness.

3mm width is the standard and preferable width. Larger works may need 6 mm width while 1.5 mm is preferable for embellishments and smaller pieces.

Thick colored paper or watercolor paper is referable for the background. When using colored paper, organize the background color so that it contrasts or blends with the colors of the composition. The paper that is thick, smooth and stiff is ideal.

Tools:

Slotted tool – This is used for scrolling the strips; insert paper strip into the slot and roll or use the handle for bigger coils.

Small bamboo knife – Use it for smoothing and scrapping the paper strips.

Straight pins – These help fix shapes of the designs.

Glue – Use it for pasting strips, etc. on the background.

Curved tip tweezers – Use them to grip, place and fix small pieces or strips.

Needle tool or toothpick or other applicator – Use them to apply glue on paper strips.

Scissors – They are used for trimming and cutting.

Paper shears – Shears are used for special effects’

Utility knife –  A utility knife is used to cut.

Tweezers – They are used to hold paper while quilling or gluing.

Ruler – This is used to measure the paper.

Dowels – Dowels are used to help make various coils (fingers work, too).

Markers, watercolors, paints and brushes – These materials and tools are used for coloring and/or designing your papers.

Board/card stock – These are used for pinning or gluing the coils in place.

Techniques

Smoothing  – Hold one end of the strip between your left thumb and index finger. Use your right hand to smooth the strip with the bamboo knife with your right thumb on top. This will create a curl. This can also be done by using only your right thumb and finger.

Scraping – Using the bamboo knife, scrap the strip very hard between your thumb and knife or scrape hard with your thumb and index finger.

Scraping and smoothing require using different strengths. Smoothing is the preparation before shaping, scraping and scraping is part of shaping.

Bending – Bend the strip with both hands to create a curve.

Scrolling – Use a slotted tool or small cylinder to scroll the strip to form a coil.

Pulling – Stack several strips and glue one end. Use one hand to loosely hold the middle of the stack and use the other hand to pull the strips into different lengths to create a shape.

Pasting – Pasting fixes the processed strips to form basic shapes and for mounting those shapes on the background. Proper placing and mounting of the last composition is important for overall effect.

Pinching – After scrolling the strip, use your finger to pinch the coil. This creates many variations and shapes.

Pressing – Use thumb and index finger to press the strip or coil to form a shape.

Stacking – Stack several “elements” to crate layering and three-dimensional effects. Add more layers as needed.

Adjusting – Adjust basic components, strips, shapes and compositions to create the best effect.

 

NEXT WEEK : MAKE A QUILLED CATERPILLAR

 

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Apr10

EASTER EGG BANNER

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EASTER EGG BANNER

 

EASTER EGG BANNER PROJECT

           EASTER EGG BANNER PROJECT

EASTER EGG BANNER

Ages: 5 – 12 years

Time: one hour

MATERIALS:

Pink craft foam sheet

Blue craft foam sheet

Yellow craft foam sheet

Yellow felt square 14” x 20”

Dowel rod 18”

String – double the length of the dowel rod

Measure and cut the yellow felt square to 14” x 20” and place it vertically. Make a loop by measuring and folding a 1” seam and iron. Measure and fold a second 1” seam. Iron and glue the second fold. You will be inserting the dowel

rod through this loop. (This felt piece should now measure  14”x18”.)

Using templates or stencils trace and cut a large egg from the pink craft foam sheet. Glue it on the center of the yellow felt piece. Cut the double cross pattern, 5 small eggs, six small petals, and 4 large petals out of the blue craft foam sheet. Cut six small petals and 4 large petals from the yellow craft foam sheet. Cut 5 small eggs and 2 tiny circles from the pink craft foam sheet.

Glue the double cross on the large egg. Place 4 large yellow petals near the center of the top cross. Glue a pink dot in the center of the cross. Arrange 6 blue petals near the top and sides of the cross. Glue 4 large blue petals near the intersection at the bottom of the cross. Glue a pink dot in the center of the bottom cross. Arrange 6 small yellow petals near the bottom and sides of the cross and glue. Glue small blue and pink eggs in a random pattern around the central egg.

Cut the dowel rod to about 18”. Insert a loop at the top. Cut the string to a length suitable for hanging. Tie the string to the ends of the dowel rod. Decorate your home by hanging the Easter Egg Banner from a window, on a wall or door.

VARIATION: What other symbols have special meaning to you? Use them in your own Easter Egg Design.

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Mar3

Crafting = Quality Family Time

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Crafting = Quality Family Time
Prints - made by hand

Prints – a craft for children, adults                      and teens

Crafting = Quality Family Time

Some parents are skilled crafters. Others are doing well to cut paper in a reasonably straight line. No matter which group you fall into, crafting with your kids is beneficial for all involved.

Few things bring families together like crafting. Here are some of the good things that come out of crafting with your kids.

* Crafting builds creativity. Developing minds need a creative outlet, and crafting provides the opportunity for kids to use their imaginations. It helps them learn to solve problems, and it could lay the groundwork for a lifetime of interest in art. For parents, getting creative can help reduce stress and promote using the brain in ways that we don’t have a reason to use it every day.

* Crafting teaches kids to follow directions. This seems like a very basic skill, but we all know adults who can’t seem to follow directions. When kids craft, they learn the consequences of not following directions when their projects do not turn out as expected. They learn that it is important to do things the right way the first time.

* For young children, crafting is fabulous for learning basic skills. Almost any type of craft promotes hand-eye coordination. Kids can also learn to use scissors, measure and do lots of other things they will eventually do in everyday life.

* Parents and children take the opportunity to talk. In our busy lives, it seems that we know less about our kids than earlier generations of parents did. Passive activities such as watching TV do little to encourage conversation. But when you’re crafting together, talking comes naturally. You can seize the opportunity to discuss such things as your child’s interests, his concerns, and how he’s doing in school.

* Crafting is a great way to wind down. It’s wonderful for kids to be active, but there are times when they need to calm down. If you find your child getting agitated or exhibiting a lot of energy near bedtime, try bringing out the craft supplies. Crafting engages kids’ minds, giving them something to focus on and a good reason to sit still for a while.

* Creating things is a confidence booster. Parents who craft regularly know the feeling of accomplishment when a project is complete. Multiply this feeling by ten, and you have a pretty good idea of how your child feels when he makes something. For kids, crafting can help build positive self-esteem.

* Working on a project together is a great way to teach your kids teamwork. This will help them develop skills needed to resolve disputes peacefully and effectively. It will also help them discover their strengths and teach them that doing their best will make the entire project turn out better.

* Crafting creates treasured family memories. The finished product will serve as a reminder of the fun you had making it together.

Crafting as a family provides opportunities for us to interact with our children. It is also a valuable learning experience for them. Don’t worry if you aren’t the world’s greatest crafter. Simply being willing to try anyway is a lesson to your kids in itself.

Crafting = Quality Family Time

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Feb20

Recycled Valentines

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Recycled Valentines

Recycled Valentines

Materials:

Paper in pink, red, purple, white

Greeting cards or images downloaded from the Internet

Lace Paper doilies

Sequins

Glitter

Pearls

Seeds

Beads

Stickers

Recycled cards

Scissors

Glue stick

White glue

Heart-shaped cookie cutters, templates, stencils or the patterns provided below

String or yarn

Markers or colored pencils

  1. Gather greetings cards that you no longer want and cut out shapes that are traditional for a Valentine’s Day theme: flowers, birds, kittens, hearts, puppies, etc. Or download images or clip art from a free program on the Internet.
  2. Using the heart patterns provided or a heart-shaped cookie cutter(s) or template(s) or stencil(s), trace and cut the heart out of colored paper. Use the largest pattern or cookie cutter or stencil for the main part of the valentine. Make more than one valentine and use papers of various colors. Trace and cut hearts of smaller sizes, too.
  3. Glue sequins, images from the greeting cards, small heart-shapes, etc in a pleasing design on the valentine.
  4. Using markers or colored pencils, write a message: “Happy Valentine’s Day!” or any other message suitable for the holiday
  5. Optional: Glue string or yarn on the back of the valentine and hang it up or give it to a friend of your choice.

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

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Feb16

Another Healthy Apple Salad

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Another Healthy Apple Salad
@Photograph by Marion Constantinides Oct. 2016

@Photograph by Marion Constantinides Oct. 2016

Apple Salad:

2  cups Romaine (or greens of choice)

1 – 2 unpeeled red apples, diced

1/2 cup diced celery

1/4 cup craisins (or raisins)

1/4 cup chopped walnuts (or slivered almonds)

For the dressing:

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons pineapple juice

1 Tablespoon sugar

In a large salad bowl, toss lettuce, celery, craisins, apples, and walnuts. In a small bowl, mix the ingredients for the dressing. (Or use a mild dressing of your choice.) Pour over the salad and toss.

Take to a picnic or serve with grilled food. Serve immediately.

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Feb13

Valentine’s Day Votive/Vase Project

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Valentine’s Day Votive/Vase Project

Beat the winter doldrums with a fun craft project! Use it as a Valentine’s Day decoration, give as a gift

 or use it all-year round! Super easy and cheap to make too!

 

VALENTINE'S DAY VOTIVE AND VASE

VALENTINE’S DAY VOTIVE AND VASE

Materials:

Shells in different sizes

Strand of pearls or beads

Large clear vase with a neck (See photo)

Small votive/candle holder (make sure it fits into the opening of the vase)

Small candle or tea light that fits into the votive holder

Optional: Red or pink ribbon (the neck of the vase will decide the width and length of the ribbon)

1. Wash and dry the vase and candle holder/votive so that they shine.

2. Let the shape of the vase dictate where the shells, pearls and other objects of choice will lay inside the vase. Intertwine one strand of beads or pearls. Add some shells. Mix again.

3. Place the larger shells and pearls or beads next and then intertwine another strand of beads or pearls.

  1. Finally, arrange the medium objects on top. Add the last strand of pearls or beads.  Mix. Make sure there is enough room for the candle holder/votive which should protrude above the neck of the vase just enough so that it is noticeable.
  2. Optional: Tie a bow around the neck of the vase. If the vase is narrow at the bottom, and widens just below the neck, place the small ones on the bottom. Refer to the photo of the finished craft.

Substitutions for the vase:

Potpourri

Small handmade soaps

Beads

Buttons

Heart-shaped paper cutouts

Ribbons

Mix it up!

Substitutions for the votive/candle holder:

Flower bud

Tiny beads

Colored water

Potpourri

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Feb6

“Quilted” Heart Banner for Valentine’s Day

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“Quilted” Heart Banner for Valentine’s Day

VALENTINE’S DAY CRAFT

QUILTED HEART BANNER PROJECT

QUILTED HEART BANNER PROJECT

QUILTED HEART

Ages: 5 – 12 years

Time: one hour

MATERIALS:

Yellow felt square 16” x 14”

Dowel rod 18”

Red, pink, yellow, and white craft foam cut into 2″ x 2″ squares

¼” ribbon in red, yellow, pink and white.

String – double the length of the dowel rod

poster board or single sheet of craft foam of any color

Using a template or a stencil or drawing by hand, trace the heart on to poster board or a single sheet of craft foam of any color and cut. The heart should measure about 13 3/4″ x 10.”

Cut 8 yellow, 11 red, 10 white and 10 pink squares from the craft foam sheets. The squares should measure 2″ x 2.” Divide the heart in half vertically and in half again horizontally. (Refer to the photo of the banner.)

Lay the squares down along the horizontal fold in the following pattern: white, yellow, pink and red. Place the next row of squares below the first row. Stagger the colored squares so that the second row is not directly beneath the first row. Repeat the pattern until the squares cover the heart. Glue. Allow the pieces to dry.

Fill in the odd-shaped areas with the appropriately colored squares and glue. When those pieces are dry, turn the heart around and trim along the outline of the heart. Measure and cut the felt to 16” x 14”. Place it horizontally. Make a loop by measuring and folding a 1” seam. Iron. Measure and fold a second 1” seam. Iron and glue the second fold. You will be inserting the dowel rod through this loop. (The length of the banner will be about 16” x 12.” This does not include the ribbons.)

Measure and cut two 18” lengths of each color of ribbon. Poke a hole every two inches along the bottom of the felt with a sharp tool. Alternate the colors, pull the ribbon through and tie a knot in the back so that the ribbon is held in place. (Small children should let adults do this for them.) Glue the heart on the felt. Cut the dowel rod to 18” and insert through the loop at the top. Cut the string to a length suitable for hanging. Tie the string to each end of the dowel rod.

VARIATION: Use other shapes to decorate your heart banner: circles/dots, flowers, squiggle lines, triangles, etc. Today, Valentine’s Day honors lovers. We celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14th by sending gifts like candy and cards.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

COPYRIGHT 2013 Marion Constantinides

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Jan30

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE SOAP

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HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE SOAP
http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/pictures/140000/velka/coconut-jasmine-goat-milk-soap.jpg

coconut-jasmine-goat-milk-soap.

How to Make Homemade Soap

We all use soap. In the old days, most people made their own. Today, we are much more likely to buy it from the store. There are lots of brands to choose from, and each brand has various formulations and scents.

But making your own soap has some definite advantages. One of the most significant is the price. We can make soap cheaper than we can buy it. Making it ourselves also gives us complete control over the ingredients, so we can create a soap in a favorite scent that’s perfect for our skin type.

Making soap is easier than you might think. It is, however, important to take certain safety precautions. Here’s a basic recipe:

Ingredients

* 12 cups lye crystals

* 5 cups softened water

* 6 pounds lard

Instructions

  1. Put water in a glass or plastic bowl. Carefully pour lye crystals into water, stirring constantly with a plastic or wooden spoon. Do this outdoors or in a well-ventilated area because it produces caustic fumes.
  2. Mixing lye and water produces heat. When the lye is completely dissolved, set the mixture aside to cool.
  3. Place lard in a stainless steel or enamel pan. Melt over low heat.
  4. Allow both the lye solution and the lard to cool to room temperature.
  5. Slowly pour the lye solution into the lard, stirring slowly and constantly with the plastic or wooden spoon.
  6. Continue stirring as you add all the lye solution. Drizzle a small amount of the mixture into the pot periodically. When the soap keeps its shape for a moment before sinking into the mixture, you can add scent, color and herbs.
  7. Pour the soap into a mold greased with Crisco. Wrap in a towel, and let set for about 18 hours or until completely cooled. Uncover and let set for 12 more hours.
  8. The soap may now be taken out of the mold and cut into bars. Let the bars cure for 3 to 4 weeks before using.

Customizing Your Soap

There are lots of different ways you can customize your soap. To make the best soap for your skin type, you may want to use different oils. Some that are commonly used include olive oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter and Shea butter. The correct amount varies depending on which oil you use, so look for recipes online or in books until you get the hang of it.

Essential oils have therapeutic properties and add fragrance. Add oatmeal, cornmeal and other grains and use them to exfoliate.To produce the desired color add skin-safe colorants. Mix the ingredients together and add to a cup of the soap mixture, then stir into the rest of the soap mixture immediately before pouring into the mold.

Making your own soap is easy, and is lots of fun. Coming up with the perfect concoction for your skin is rewarding, and sweetly scented homemade soaps make wonderful gifts for any occasion.

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Jan22

Homemade Paint for Kids

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Homemade Paint for Kids
Home-Made Paint for Kids

Painted with Home-Made Kids’ Paint

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Materials:

1 cup salt

1 cup flour

1 cup water

Food coloring

Mix the above ingredients and stir.

Add the food coloring and stir. Make paints in the primary colors first: red, yellow and blue.

Paper

Project:

Mix primary colors to make the secondary colors if you can’t find any of the secondary colors in food coloring bottles in the grocery store. Even if you can find the secondary colors, it’s fun to make your own.

The secondary colors are:

yellow + red = orange

blue + yellow = green

red + blue = purple

Using fingers or brushes, paint a beautiful painting!

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Jan15

MAKE YOUR OWN CARDS – IT’S FUN AND EASY!

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MAKE YOUR OWN CARDS – IT’S FUN AND EASY!

Make Your Own Cards – Fun and Easy!

Instead of giving out a store-bought card for the next special occasion, try your hand at making your own cards. Making your own cards does not need a lot of hard work, but rather a bit of creativity and the right materials.

To start creating your cards visit your local arts and crafts store to search for materials. Most arts and crafts stores have big scrapbook sections. This is where you will be able to find the materials to make your own cards. Let your inspiration guide you as the sky is the limit. You can create various themed cards such as Christmas, birthday, Valentine’s Day cards and much more.

Rubber stamps are widely available and you can buy almost any color ink to go with the stamps. There are several stamping methods that you can use when making cards including embossing. Embossing is the process of creating a raised image on the card and it can give the card an elegant appearance.

There are several die cuts and die cut machines available as well. Die cuts allow you to punch a shape out with ease. They come in all different shapes and sizes. They are very useful in achieving a layered look. You can punch die cuts out of different color papers to display a colorful card.

Scrapbook papers come in all different colors, textures and themes. You can buy patterned paper as well as glitter paper and pre-scored card kits. Card kits come with the note cards already made and ready to decorate. The kits come in different sizes and often different colors to meet a variety of needs. During seasonal periods, such as Christmas, card kits come out with note cards, envelopes and many die cut shapes.

Both regular and 3 dimensional stickers are available and come in many themes. Disney stickers are available as well as licensed characters and many 3 dimensional designs. Adding stickers to your cards can help to foster even more creativity when matching colors and themes. You can further enhance your handmade cards by adding ribbon or brads. Ribbon comes in a plethora of colors, shapes and textures. Brads hold items such as die-cuts on the card without the use of an adhesive.

Simply put, making cards is a creative process that only you can foster. Use a variety of items which found in your local arts and crafts store, second-hand store or dollar store. You can play around using different methods to decorate the cards and have fun at the same time!

All art tutorials are available on this website.

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