Showing posts with label crafts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crafts. Show all posts

2.7.13

A new toy in town

There's been a bit of an owl production line going on for a while now; I've made mountains of them, all kinds of sizes and colours - some have found new homes, but quite a few are still here...
Anyway, it's time to branch out and try something new, so I've started making elephants.


Not exactly sure why elephants, though it probably has something to do with the simple, retro 70's shape again. Always drawn to that. I found a few pictures I liked and came up with a rough pattern... then began tinkering.




I'm sure there's a proper method for working out the correct size of gusset you need - I've put one on top and one underneath to improve the shape, and used the see-how-it-goes method, so the elephants are evolving...
Definitely tested my moderate sewing machine skills with the corners and joins, but I am speeding up!


I'd love a little help with the ears - I've made some using the same fabric and others with crocheted ears, and can't decide....


This is the latest Ellie, made from a piece of vintage sheet - I could go for the same fab fabric, or use some cheery, bright orange wool, what do you think?

Linking up with Handmade Monday

28.6.13

A tissue! A tissue? We all sit down

Maybe you recognise the lonesome green chair tucked in the corner of our spare room? The place where pending projects live. Usually for a long time.


But this one's had a relatively quick turnaround.
Now I'd have happily removed any flaky paint and left it at that - I like a bit of shabby, and it only cost me £2 at the auction; but no one else was as keen on the green, so decided instead to have a crack at napkin decoupage.
Why not I thought, after watching someone cover a small set of drawers in a zoo animal napkin on YouTube. It looked brilliant and different than I imagined. I was thinking the napkins would be cut into a patchwork of squares and used as an alternative to expensive decoupage/decopatch paper - and I'm sure that would be fine, but the beauty of napkins is a whole image can go on, a bit like a transfer.  Well it can if you know what you're doing.
And having already fallen into all the usual paper decoupage pitfalls - wrinkling/bubbling/ripping - I knew it wasn't going to be as easy as it looked.

First there was some prep work to do. And I'd forgotten how much I hate painting chairs.
No matter how careful I am, there's always a dried drip down one of the legs.
After sanding and priming I ran out of patience by the third coat of paint. Also in too much of a rush to take photos...


These lovely napkins cost me £3 for 10 on ebay and I only used 2 of them. Each one is made up of 3 layers of wispy tissue and you just want the top layer, which is SO thin!


I decided to put two birds on the top bar, some flowers along the middle one, and a whole napkin on the seat.
If I'd known then what I know now I don't think I'd have attempted the last part...Maybe a little practice on some card would have been a good idea too! But like I said I've no patience and just ploughed straight on in.

So after quite a lot of huffing, puffing and bad language, I found the way that worked best for me, was to put a thin layer of glue (I used pva) on the area I wanted to cover, then gently smooth and pat the piece of napkin down with the tips of my fingers, before applying more glue with a soft brush over the top, to really smooth it down and push out any air bubbles and wrinkles.


BUT you have to be careful not to over-work it, because if you do the napkin will disintegrate. As I found out. The best way is to work quickly, move on, and don't fiddle. I'm a terrible fiddler. The more you fuss the worse it gets. Luckily the pattern I chose was quite forgiving.


Putting the whole napkin over the seat was a different kind of tricky. I did it in sections, brushing on the glue in inch strips and then repeating the patting, gluing stages above. No need to cut the napkin to the exact size, because it was easy to tear the extra bits away from glued on part, while it was still wet. And I used a knitting needle to push through the pattern of holes.


There are plenty of wrinkles, but it did look better when the glue dried, and luckily the photo has magicked them away!



I stuck the overhanging bits on the bars around the back which worked quite well I think. And all that's left to do is varnish it. Probably 3 times. Not in such a tearing hurry to do this bit..

I guess as crafts go it wasn't the most relaxing thing I've ever tried! But towards the end my confidence grew, and with a bit of practice I can see the possibilities.


I'll definitely do it again.
For a start there are so many fantastic patterned napkins around, and they're cheap, certainly compared to the shop bought paper. Granted they're floaty and fiddly, but if you get it right napkin decoupage can give such a neat, seamless finish. And if you fancy a go, all I'd say is start small...

25.5.13

Easy Elephant

...the latest arrival at our homemade zoo... and very similar to the giraffe and the zebra I made with my daughter last time.


You'll need two toilet paper tubes, cereal box card, an egg box, black and white paint, a black felt tip and some tacky glue. (Make tacky glue by leaving about a cm of PVA/craft glue in a clean yogurt pot or jar with no lid for at least a day. The longer you leave it the tackier it gets)

First, start with the head so you know it fits into the body. Cut a whole egg cup from the end of the box. The end is best as there's more card here. Draw a line around the cup that curves up at this side. With the longer side on top, push the cup into one end of a toilet paper tube and tilt it forward.






If the head piece doesn't fit, try a different sized tube (a kitchen paper roll might work), or, if it's too big, keep cutting carefully around the edge of the egg cup, following the curved shape until it fits snuggly into place. Take the head out and put aside while you make the legs.

As before, cut the other toilet paper tube in half lengthways, and cut one of these pieces in half again. These two strips should be about 4cm wide. Fold them in half lengthways. (Hold onto the leftover card if you're making a rhino or hippo)


Cut a cm or so off the tube body, so it's about 8cm long. Then mark slots for the legs. Hold a ruler along the length of the tube and draw two, 3cm lines about a cm in from each tube end. Move the ruler on about 3cm and repeat, so the slots line up with each other.

With a pair of straight nail scissors or embroidery scissors make a hole on a line (keep them closed, press down and twist from side to side until they pierce through the card). Then cut along the slot - do the same with the other three.

Wiggle the scissors or the end of a spoon in and out of the holes, so it's easier to thread the legs through. When you're happy each side is level, bend the legs inwards, so it stands up. Shorten the legs and trim so it doesn't wobble.



Ok, so now I'm going to sound like a bit of a loo roll craft anorak, but I've a LOT of cardboard middles, and they're all kinds of sizes - the smaller/narrower ones work best for this - you want a cut-out egg cup piece to fit snuggly into the end of the tube.

Put some glue around an inside edge, push the egg box bit in, and angle it down slightly.


Next, get painting - make sure you also paint a piece of cereal box card for the ears, trunk and tail.


When dry, draw a trunk on the painted card - for guidance, the top of the trunk should be almost the width of the end of the egg cup head, and remember to add a cm or so for a tab. (see photo). Draw a large flappy ear, cut it out and use as a template to draw around for the other one.


Put the head back into the body and mark a slot down the centre for the trunk. Take it out again and pierce a hole with the small scissors (keep closed, press down and twist from side to side) Cut along the slot and wiggle the scissors in and out so it's easier to push the trunk through.
Bend the ears slightly so they're curved like the tube body, before sticking in place with tacky glue. Add a small tail at the back (glue inside the tube and bend when dry). Draw on eyes with a black felt tip pen.








Linking With Red Ted Art's Kids Get Crafty