Category Archives: Art Tutorials

Apr27

RECYCLED CRAFT: PAPER PENCIL TOPPERS

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RECYCLED CRAFT: PAPER PENCIL TOPPERS
PAPER PENCIL TOPPERS

PAPER PENCIL TOPPERS

MATERIALS:

Pencils (colored pencils, No.2 pencils, etc.)

Various scraps of paper (left over pieces of construction paper, typing paper, gift wrap paper, etc.)

Scissors

Templates

 

PROJECT:

  1. Decide the shapes of the pencil toppers: hearts, leaves, circles, squares, etc. Select the color paper to be used for each shape: green for leaves, red or pink for hearts, etc. Patterned papers are especially eye-catching for pencil toppers.
  2. Trace the shape on to the paper. Cut.
  3. Cut two small slits in the middle of the paper shape. Do not cut up to the edges. You want a slit wide enough to pass the pencil through.
  4. Slip the pencil through the slit and you have a pencil topper for your favorite writing tool!
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Apr21

RECYCLED CRAFT PROJECT: PAPER BAG BOUQUETS

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RECYCLED CRAFT PROJECT: PAPER BAG BOUQUETS
PAPER BAG BOUQUET

PAPER BAG BOUQUET

 

MATERIALS:

Dried or silk flowers

Small brown paper bags

Sand, beans, rice, or bird seed for the base

Scissors or clippers

Raffia, twine, yarn, ribbon or string

Washi tape

Rubber stamps (optional)

Ink pads (optional)

Crimping scissors

 

PROJECT:

  1. Cut your bag to the size you desire.* Fill it with sand, beans, rice, or bird seed. This will hold the flower stems and keep your bag from falling over.
  2. Trim the top of the bag with the crimping scissors to give it a more decorative look.
  3. Use washi tape to decorate the bag. Or use rubber stamp designs in different colors.
  4. Cut the stems of the flowers short enough so they don’t fall over when you stick them in the bag.
  5. Tie string, ribbon or raffia around the neck of the bag.

*Any size bag will do as long as the flower stems show above the top of the bag.

VARIATION:

Use rubber stamps and ink pad to decorate the bags. Before the ink dries, sprinkle the designs with glitter dust. Shake the excess off. Allow to dry before completing project.

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Apr14

RECYCLED CRAFT PROJECT: PAPER BEADS

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RECYCLED CRAFT PROJECT: PAPER BEADS
PAPER BEADS

PAPER BEADS

MATERIALS:

Brightly colored paper from magazines, scraps of gift wrap, catalogs, etc. or craps of thin paper stock.

White glue or glue stick

Scissors

Pieces of Yarn, string, fishing line, plastic-coated wire,or pipe cleaner etc.

Additional embellishments: tiny beads, glitter, small stickers (optional)

 

PROJECT:

  1. Cut long skinny triangles of paper, approximately 1” wide and 4” long.
  2. For each bead, smear glue on half of one triangle toward the tip.
  3. As you roll each triangle up, leave a hole through the middle for your string to go through.
  4. When the glue has dried, string the beads into necklaces, bracelets and even garlands.

VARIATION:

Measure and cut long strips of paper 1″ wide and 4″ long instead of cutting long skinny triangles of paper. Roll up or not too tightly around a pencil and secure with a spot of glue at the tip.

TIP:

Pipe cleaners can be bent to the shapes you desire: circles, ovals, etc. and the pipe cleaner will hold that shape.

 

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Apr8

STEVE JOBS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF CALLIGRAPHY

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STEVE JOBS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF CALLIGRAPHY

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Mar24

CELEBRATE THE SEASONS: SPRING IS HERE! BANNER

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CELEBRATE THE SEASONS: SPRING IS HERE! BANNER

WHAT IS A BANNER?

A banner is a piece of cloth suspended between two poles and often bearing a design, symbol or slogan. Banners can celebrate the seasons, holidays or bear slogans. The designs in this series of Art Tutorials celebrate summer, spring, winter and fall.

SPRING IS HERE! BANNER

SPRING IS HERE! BANNER

Ages: 5 – 12 years

Time: ½ hour – 1 hour

MATERIALS:

White felt 36” x 36”

Green Fun Foam

Pink Fun Foam Pink Fun Foam

Blue Fun Foam

1. Measure and trim white felt to 14” x 20”. Place the piece vertically in front of you. Measure and fold a 1” seam at the top and iron. Fold another 1” seam. Iron and glue the second fold. The dowel rod will go through this loop.

2. Enlarge the photo of the completed banner above. Then trace and cut the flower shapes: yellow Fun Foam for one tulip and one daisy; pink for the second tulip and daisy; blue for the three morning glories; pink for the butterfly and green for the stems and leaves. (NOTE: The daisy and the tulip have different leaves.)

3. Cut one small yellow circle for the center of the pink daisy and one small pink circle for the yellow daisy.

4. Glue all the pieces, scattering the shapes randomly to create a cascading effect. Avoid placing two flowers of the same color next to each other.

5. Draw the centers of the morning glories with a black marker. Add antennae to the butterfly and dots in its center.

6. Cut the dowel rod like the other ones, insert, tie the string to the ends of the dowel rod and han

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Mar17

WEAVING PROJECT: WEAVING WITH A SIMPLE FRAME

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WEAVING PROJECT: WEAVING WITH A SIMPLE FRAME

The craft WEAVING WITH A SIMPLE FRAME is an updated adaption of the project “A Simple Weaving Frame” found in The Reinhold Book of Arts and Crafts Techniques published by Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., a division of Litton Education Publishing Inc. in 1976. Many important events happened in 1976.

Challenge yourself and always use your imagination!

Materials:

Cardboard

String

Ruler

Pencil/eraser

Scissors

Yarn

Large-eyed tapestry needle (optional)

Ribbon, feathers,  wool and other strips of fabric, leaves, twigs, string

* At all times refer to the photo illustrations.

  1. Weaving consists of a warp and a weft. The warp comprises the vertical strings of the loom while the weft consists of the yarn interlaced through the weft. Take a piece of strong cardboard. Measure and cut ¼” incisions at regular intervals of ¼” to 1/8” on both ends of the cardboard.
  2. To make the warp: Take heavy string (i.e., kite string) and make a knot at one end. Loop the string from one end of the cardboard to the other and back up again. When finished, cut and make a knot in the back or tape the end of the string to the back of the cardboard. (Always leave a little extra string at either end.)
  3. To make the weft: Think of a theme or a design for the weaving. The design is up to you! Use a variety of materials to weave in and out as you did with the paper weaving. (The weaving below was woven with pipe cleaners and kite string but almost anything goes!)
  4. Start with about an inch and a half of warp at the bottom. Make sure strips of material alternate with each row. Roll the material into a ball if possible and pass it through the warp back and forth for several rows depending on the design. Tuck the end in the back of the warp. Do not tie a knot.
  5. Tips: Consider using a the tapestry needle to weave the yarn and string. A ruler will help you lift the warp so you can pass material through easily but you must lift every other string (see step 4.)
  6. When the weaving is finished, cut any loose thread in the back of the warp but don’t cut too close to the weft.
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Mar11

WEAVING PROJECT: FENCE WEAVING II

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WEAVING PROJECT: FENCE WEAVING II

The craft Fence Weaving was adapted from the project “From the Yard/Fence Weaving” found in All-Around-the-House Art and Craft Book by Patricia Z. Wirtenberg and published by Houghton Mifflin Company in1968.

Materials:

One fence preferably a chain link fence

Ribbon, yarn, pipe cleaners, tassels, string, rope, feathers, strips of fabric or paper, and anything else that easily woven through or tied on a chain link fence

Pompoms, beads, tiny shells, paper dessert cups, and anything else  glued to ribbon, yarn, strips of fabric or paper, etc. and attached to the links in the fence. Bits of drawings or photographs can also be used.

Scissors

Glue

1)      Weave, loop or tie materials such as pipe cleaners, ribbon, yarn, rope, strips of fabric or paper and string diagonally, vertically or horizontally through the links in the fence.

2)      Weave or loop or tie the ends of fabric, ribbon or paper through the links in the fence and secured with glue. The more you material you use, the more festive the fence looks.

3)      Glue artificial flowers, beads, tiny shells, and similar items to ribbon, strips of fabric or paper, etc. Weave the ends through the links in the fence.

4)      Make a garland of paper or similar material and attach the ends to the fence. Celebrate the Fourth of July with a red, white and blue garland!

5)      Cut paper letters and/or numbers and glue to a long strip of paper or ribbon and attach to the links in the fence at each end. Anything goes! The signs can say “Happy Summer!”  “Enjoy Summer Camp!” “Hooray for Summer!”

6)      Another idea: decorate the fence according to themes: nature; summer/seashells; art; Disney; cars/trains/airplanes; sports, etc.N

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Mar3

WEAVING PROJECTS: PAPER WEAVING

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WEAVING PROJECTS: PAPER WEAVING
PAPER WEAVING

PAPER WEAVING

PAPER WEAVING

PAPER WEAVING

PAPER WEAVING

PAPER WEAVING

PAPER WEAVING

PAPER WEAVING

PAPER WEAVING

PAPER WEAVING

The craft PAPER WEAVING was adapted from the  project “Stitches, Scraps and Haute Couture/Paper Weaving” found  in Arts and Crafts Activities Desk Book by Joyce Novis Laskin and published by Parker Publishing Company in 1971.

MATERIALS:

Large sheet of thick paper or cardboard for the frame of the mock loom

Two or three different colored and/or pattered papers cut into strips

Ribbon (optional)

Scissors

Ruler

Pencil with eraser

Glue stick or scotch tape

  1. Fold paper in half. (Choose any size paper or cardboard from 8 ½” x 11” and up.) Draw lines ¼” to ¾” apart down the length of the fold.
  2. Look at Step II below. Make incisions with the scissors, starting from the fold up to ½” of the edges of the paper. Don’t cut all the way to the end or you will cut the paper/cardboard into strips! Cut up to ½”  at each the end of the paper/cardboard and draw a line across. (In other words, leave an uncut margin at both ends.) This is the weaving “frame” or “loom.” Open the paper or cardboard.
  3. Measure and cut strips of paper to weave in and out of the paper loom. To minimize mistakes, make sure that the strips are a little longer than the width of the loom.
  4. Choose two or three different colored papers to weave through the paper loom. (Alternate ribbon with paper for a different look to the weaving.)  Start at one end and work your way up to the other end. Alternate the in-and-out pattern with each row. (Refer to photograph.)
  5. Trim loose ends and glue the ends down using a glue stick.
  6. Use your paper weaving as a placemats or give it as a gift.  What else can you do with your paper weaving?
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Feb24

WEAVING PROJECTS: FENCE WEAVING I

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WEAVING PROJECTS: FENCE WEAVING I

The craft Fence Weaving was adapted from the project “From the Yard/Fence Weaving” found in All-Around-the-House Art and Craft Book by Patricia Z. Wirtenberg and published by Houghton Mifflin Company in 1968.

MATERIALS:

One fence preferably a chain link fence

Ribbon, yarn, pipe cleaners, tassels, string, rope, feathers, strips of fabric or paper, and anything else that easily woven through or tied on a chain link fence

Pompoms, beads, tiny shells, paper dessert cups, and anything else  glued to ribbon, yarn, strips of fabric or paper, etc. and attached to the links in the fence. Bits of drawings or photographs can also be used.

Scissors

Glue

PROJECT:

1)      Weave, loop or tie materials such as pipe cleaners, ribbon, yarn, rope, strips of fabric or paper and string diagonally, vertically or horizontally through the links in the fence.

2)      Weave or loop or tie the ends of fabric, ribbon or paper through the links in the fence and secured with glue. The more you material you use, the more festive the fence looks.

3)      Glue artificial flowers, beads, tiny shells, and similar items to ribbon, strips of fabric or paper, etc. Weave the ends through the links in the fence.

4)      Make a garland of paper or similar material and attach the ends to the fence. Celebrate the Fourth of July with a red, white and blue garland!

5)      Cut paper letters and/or numbers and glue to a long strip of paper or ribbon and attach to the links in the fence at each end. Anything goes! The signs can say “Happy Summer!”  “Enjoy Summer Camp!” “Hooray for Summer!”

6)      Another idea: decorate the fence according to themes: nature; summer/seashells; art; Disney; cars/trains/airplanes; sports, etc.

 

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Feb10

MAKE A HEART- SHAPED WAND!

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MAKE A HEART- SHAPED WAND!

MATERIALS:

Model Magic – white

Dowel rod, 12 – 14 inches in length

White glue

Markers – color(s) of choice

Beads/sequins/glitter/feathers

Curling ribbon – color(s) of choice

Scissors

Brush

PROJECT:

  1. Make a big fist-sized ball of Model Magic. Using a rolling pin or the palm of your hand, flatten out the Model Magic into a rectangle about ¼” thick.
  2. Make sure a corner of the flattened piece comes to a point. Place this piece vertically on the work surface. Squeeze the sides to form points. Refer to the photos above.
  3. Squeeze the bottom of the piece to form two points, too. You should now have five-pointed star: one point at the top, and two on either side and at the bottom.
  4. Color the dowel rod with markers. Insert it between the two points at the bottom.
  5. Push beads, feathers and sequins into the star. Apply glue to the surface of the Model Magic and cover it with glitter. Shake off the excess.
  6. Cut 3 or 4 pieces of curling ribbon 12” long. Tie the ribbon just under the star. Curl the ribbon with one of the scissor blades.
  7. You now have a magical wand!

OPTIONAL: Make other shapes! Shamrocks! Diamonds! Clouds! Stars!

Art work by Chloe B.

 

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