Friday, May 27, 2011

Paper Lanterns how To Make


Art Project: Paper Box Lanterns
Post by annie
February 19, 2011
http://mightynest.com/blog/art-project-paper-box-lanterns
Wondering how you could re-use your seasonal holiday lights? I've noticed that even towards the end of February, many people in my neighborhood still have their decorative lights displayed. It certainly helps with the dark winter months so they don't really bother me. A spring-like solution: turn them into a magical string of lanterns, and you'll be sure to spruce up any porch, office or even a basement! This project is easiest to do with origami paper but use any paper you'd like, just make sure to pre-cut into perfect squares or the process will feel very frustrating. Here's a step-by-step instructon for making paper boxes:

How to Make a Simple Paper Lantern
1 Fold a piece of paper lengthwise and make a sharp crease. Use scissors to cut along the folded edge, starting and stopping about an inch away from the edges. Make as many cuts as you like, but be sure to make them evenly.
2 Unfold the paper. If you wish to add designs to the lantern, do so now. Consider gluing strips of ribbon down each cut-out, or paint a picture on the paper to add a different look.
3 Roll the lantern together, gluing the 1-inch edges together. Hold them in place with two paper clips until the project dries. Measure a length of a ribbon or fishing line and glue it to the top of the lantern so it can be hung.
4 Measure the diameter of your lantern and cut out a matching piece of thin cardboard. Be sure to include small tabs that you can glue to the lantern. Allow the project to dry again.
5 Place a small tap light with batteries on the cardboard base and turn it on. If you would prefer to use a candle for lighting, visit Candle Help's Web site for instructions on a different lantern. Consider making a few more lanterns to hang around your home, adding a little international flavor to your decor.

By Ned Gorski
Can mere mortals make sky lanterns?

How to
http://blog.skylighter.com/fireworks/2008/11/how-to-make-chinese-sky-lanterns.html

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Fathers DAy Crafts

Great gifts and Sites for DAd and fathers
http://www.holidays.net/father/index.htm

Lots to choose from on this site
http://www.fathersdaycraftbox.com//

Tons of really cute crafts. I love the BBQ bottle

Poem
What makes a Dad
God took the strength of a mountain, The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun, The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature, The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages, The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring, The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity, The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities, When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it ... Dad

http://www.angiesrealm.com/fathers-day/crafts/

Father's Day Crafts

Easy homemade crafts and projects for making father's day extra special, homemade crafts are a very personal way of showing how much your dad means to you on fathers day.

Father's Day Gift-Wrap for your Crafts

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cold water
1 1/2 cups boiling water

Mix the flour and cold water together in a small cup. Add the boiling water and heat on low until mixture starts to boil, stirring constantly. Set mixture aside to cool completely.
Divide into portions and add different colors of food coloring.
Create designs on paper using fingers, fists, old combs, toothbrushes, etc.
Use to wrap up gifts for dad on Father's Day.

Craft
Fishing bucket Craft
Materials
Scribbles Dimensional Fabric Paint
SC121 Bright Red
Collage Pauge Instant Decoupage
Cardstock, brown and cream
Aleene's Original Tacky Glue
Bucket
Photos
Scissors
Marker
Yarn, green
Brush
Tissue paper, green, royal, turquoise, light blue
Steps:
1.Tear strips of tissue.
2.Working in sections, use brush to apply Collage Pauge to surface of bucket, immediately press on tissue.
3.Carefully brush another coat of Collage Pauge over top of tissue. Cover remainder of bucket. Keeping lighter colors towards the top. Overlap the colors to create interest. Then, let it dry.
4.Wrap yarn in a wavy pattern around the bucket and then glue it down.
5.Cut out photos of your kids and pictures of fish from magazines, internet or computer print outs. Arrange kids to determine size of boat. Sketch boat and cut out.
6.Draw planks onto boat with marker.
7.Position and glue kids to backside of boat.
8.On front side of the boat, write "We love you, Dad" or some similar message with Scribbles Fabric paint. Let this dry as well.
9.On cream colored cardstock write "Fish All Day" or your own message and let dry. Cut out around letters.
10.Glue boat with kids to center of bucket and glue "Fish All Day" towards the top of the bucket. Let glue dry.
11.Glue additional fish around the sides of the bucket. Let dry.
12.Present as a loving gift!

Friday, May 13, 2011

Crackle Fried Marbles

I see the crackle fried marble is back in fashion again.
Mother and I would make these by the cake pan full and turn out jewelry and crafts for months.
Dangle earrings, necklaces, car dangles, key chains ,we glued them on clear glass and filled the fish bowl with them.
Here is a few methods for the fried,crackle glass.
We only used the oven method 45 years ago.Lost about 3 out of every 30 that flat shattered into tiny pieces.So don't worry when they don't all come out perfect.



How to Make Fried Marble Jewelry

Frying marbles is a very simple process and makes some really pretty jewelry.
Difficulty:EasyInstructions
things you'll need:

Bag of solid color, transparent marbles.
Frying pan
Wooden spoon
Large Pot
Cold Water
Ice
1 Place the marbles in the frying pan. I used a non-stick pan, but I don't think it matters as there's nothing sticky that will ruin your pan. Turn the heat to medium high.

2 Fry the marbles, stirring a lot. I wouldn't say "stir constantly," but you want to keep them moving so that they don't heat up too much in one spot. Fry them for 15-20 minutes.

3 While the marbles are frying, or you before you start, fill up a large pot with cold water and lots of ice.

4 When finished frying the marbles, immediately pour them into the ice water. The marbles will shatter on the inside while retaining their round shape on the outside. It resembles shimmering glass.

5 The first picture above shows a finished necklace I made by creating a cage with sterling silver wire and attaching to a sterling silver chain. You can easily change the marble to a different colored marble by pushing open the back of the cage, popping out one marble, and replacing it with another. Wire wrapping is a technique that takes some practice and more instructions. I'll try to post a tutorial for that soon. But, there's an easier way to make a necklace and this is my best seller.

6 Blue, White (Clear), and Green Fried Marbles

Buy some pre-assembled wire bead cages. There are many online sources and can also be found at any craft or beading store. Thread a chain, ribbon, or cord through the bead cage. Then, insert your fried marble by pushing open the middle of the cage and popping the marble into the cage. The bead cage will spring right back to it's original shape. Wear and enjoy!

Oven Method

Make inexpensive   by baking and internally cracking ordinary marbles. Make up a few as gifts or for your next hot seller at a craft fair.
Difficulty: Easy
Things You'll Need:

Pie Pan
1 Bag Of Marbles
Bowl Of Ice Water
Oven
Jewelry Bell Caps
E6000 Glue
Jewelry Jump Rings
Necklace
2 Pairs Of Needle Nose Pliers

1.) When you purchase your marbles, purchase can any regular, one color or cat eye marbles. If you use a two tone color marble the marbles will not get a crackling appearance, instead they will just crack in half.

2.) In a medium size, metal bowl place 3 cups water and five ice cubes. For each batch of marbles that you fry be sure to replace the ice cubes. The marbles need to go from a fire, hot oven right into freezing, cold water in order to create the crackling affect.

3.) Place marbles in a metal pie pan and place them in a 500 degree oven for 20 minutes to heat them thoroughly. There might be a few that will crack in half while you are heating them up. This is O.K. and perfectly normal.

4.) Remove the marbles from the oven after 20 minutes. Pour them directly from the pie pan into the ice cold water. Let them cool for about a minute. When you remove the marbles from the water you may find some have broken, if they do just throw them out. It's the marbles that are in intact but have a crackling effect inside and out that you are going to use for the next step.

5.) Dry each marble completely. Place E6000 glue on the bottom or underside of each bell cap and place it on the top of each marble one at a time. The glue does dry to the touch fairly quick but you can not wear the necklace for 24 hours until the glue has completely setup.

6.) When the bell cap is dry, usually within 24 hours add the jump ring to the bell cap. To attach the jump ring to the bell cap you will need two sets of pliers. Hold one set of pliers in each hand. Place the jump ring in your left hand pliers, holding the rings left side with the split side up. Take your pliers in your right hand and gently grasp the right hand side of the jump ring and push backwards to open it. Slip the bell cap hole in the split ring. Place the necklace inside of the opened split ring to. Be careful that the necklace does not go into the bell cap hole, just the split ring should be in the bell cap. Then use both sets of pliers, one on the right hand side of split and one on left hand of split to gently rock the ring back and forth, moving it closer to closing the split ring gap.