Knitting Christmas Gifts

To say I'm late to the "making gifts for Christmas" party is an understatement.  I'm really attending the after party at this point.   Over the weekend I sat down with by knitting needles and began to get to work.  I started with a pair of mittens for my daughter's American Girl doll.  And yes, I've shared about these mittens two other times (here and here) but it's such a great pattern.  They're quick to make and use barely any yarn.  What's not to love?

Anyone else making Christmas gifts this year?  Please share.  Feel free to add a link to your projects in the comments if you want.

Last, check back tomorrow for a fun giveaway I have planned.

Candy Wrapper Origami

 Origami windmill made from a Tootsie Roll Pop wrapper.

Do you still have candy leftover from Halloween?  If so, you might want to save a few of those wrappers to make some fun origami pieces.  Over at Origami Resource Center they've created  a round up of different things to fold with various candy wrappers.  My personal favorite is the heart ring folded from a Starburst wrapper.  Click here to see more ideas from Origami Resource Center.

Pretty Paper Eyelashes

images via Paperself

Have you ever heard of paper eyelashes before?  I just recently discovered them and was intrigued by the accessory.  They come in all kinds of shapes: flowers, butterflies, and even streetscapes.  Of course when I saw the paper lashes, my first thought was, "how to make them?". So I did a little online research and low and behold, I found a craft tutorial for paper eyelashes on Cut Out + Keep.  Now the question is where to wear them?

What do you think of the paper eyelashes?  Have you worn them before?

Crafting with Acrylic Scraps

Do friends and family ever give you random things to make stuff with?  Every so often someone will offer me something they found in their attic or that they plan on recycling.  I've been offered everything from incense holders to lab supplies.  Recently my brother gave me a box of acrylic scraps from the sign shop he works at.  It was a bunch of random shapes that were mainly the pieces cut out from the inside of letters such as "O" and "D".  I decided to use the scraps to make some decorative art (pictured above).  They're just the right size to display on a shelf or use as a paperweight. 

Here's how I made them:

Above are few acrylic pieces that my brother gave me.  Most of the acrylic is clear but it also comes in other colors.  If you happen to have a local sign shop, see if they have any acrylic scraps they can give you.  Otherwise, you can buy acrylic sheets for crafting.  You will probably have to cut it yourself.

Supplies:

Clear acrylic plastic
Black Elmer's painters pen
Gold metallic paint
Foam brush
Felt
Scissors
Glue
Rubber stamps - *optional
StazOn ink pad - *optional

All the paint is applied to the back of the plastic.  Because of this, all words have to be written backwards. 

With a painter's pen, draw out your choice of word or image backwards on the acrylic.  

Once the black paint is completely dry, paint three layers of gold paint over it.  Let the paint dry between each layer.

Cut out a piece of felt and glue it to the back of the gold.  Let dry.

When you flip over your piece, it should look like the picture above.  I also experimented with rubber stamps for this project.  For the bottom piece, I stamped it instead of using the painter's pen.  The rest of the steps were all the same.

Glue Made from Styrofoam

If you're curious like me, than you probably have a few questions about Glu6.  For example, how did someone come up with the idea to transform Styrofoam into glue?   How is it made?  And, does it work?  To answer the first question, the company Nine Lives Products came up with the idea by trying to solve a very important problem, "recycling Styrofoam waste".  As to how it's made, I don't really know.  There is a little blurb on the Nine Lives site that says the Styrofoam is dissolved with natural ingredients.  When it dissolves, it turns into a goop.  From that point, I couldn't tell you what they do with it.  But what I can answer is, "does it work?".

Nine Lives sent me two of their products, the non toxic craft paste and Glu6 original.  I tested out both products to see how they held up.  Here's what I discovered:

The first product I tested out was the non-toxic craft paste.  The craft paste is designed for porous and semi-porous products.  I used it to glue everything on the card above except the pom pom.  

Pluses:

The texture of the glue

Did not saturate the paper like some liquid glues do

Paper stayed in place when drying, did not slide around

Paper dried flat - some times you get puckering with liquid glues

Good for the environment

Minuses:

Strong orange scent - I'm very sensitive to smells

Even though it's recommended for children I think it would be too messy for younger kids in the classroom.   It's not water soluble so it's harder to clean off than other glues.  If there was a glue stick version of this, I would recommend the product for younger children.

The second glue I tested out was the Glu6 original.  This glue is designed for non porous products.  I decided to test out gluing various items to a plastic cup.  The objects used for the glue test were: a metal letter, a button with a rough surface, and a plastic clothespin with a flat surface.  

Pluses:

All products bonded to the plastic cup after ten minutes.  It is recommend that the glue sets up for 24-48 hours. 

Dries clear

Good alternative to using an extra-strength glue.  The Glu6 is a medium bonding glue.

Good for the environment

Minuses:

Strong orange scent

For the first couple minutes the objects need to dry flat or they move around.

Overall, I had a good experience working with the Glu6 products.  I'm sure I'll be using and experimenting with them in future craft projects. Plus, I like that the company is local (located in the Bay Area, CA).  

If you would like to learn more about Glu6, visit their official site here.  

Last but not least, I have a sale code for you. You can get 25% off  your Glu6 purchase by using the code:  Fall2013