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.

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.

Crafting Outside the Blog

Even though I went missing on the blog last week, I was doing a ton of crafting.  But before I get into that, let me tell you what I'm doing this week.  You can find me over at Cut Out + Keep sharing craft tutorials each day.  There's also a small interview on the site if you want to learn more about me. 

Now about last week....

Last week I made over 500 Shrinky Dink beads for a women's retreat I attended last weekend.  The bracelets we made were inspired by this tutorial by Cathe Holden.

I was also prepping for a photo shoot for my next book with Chronicle Books.  Since I can't tell you about the book yet, let me share a link to Chronicle Books where you can find all kinds of awesome crafty books.  Or, take advantage of the Chronicle Books app to make your own Grumpy Cat Photobomb.

Since I still had to cook dinner through all this madness, I turned to my trusty slow cooker and made this recipe from Budget Bytes.  This also happens to be my new favorite food blog.  I can't wait to try out the naan recipe!

Now if you would excuse me, I have an American Girl Doll birthday party to plan along with an oversized Candy Land game to make for this year's Halloween carnival.  For real.

DIY Gemstone Rubber Stamps

This DIY stamp project was inspired by an unusual item, packaging for a chocolate candy mold.  On the packaging I spotted a teeny-tiny gemstone which reminded me of a rubber stamp.  Since I had all the supplies, I decided to make gemstone stamp (pictured above).  This stamp would be good for gift wrap, cards, etc.  Tutorial below.

Supplies
Tracing Paper
Pencil
Speedball Speedy Carve block - you could also use a white eraser
Speedball Lino Cutter
Stamp pad
E6000 Glue
Wood block

 1. Click on image, right click, save, and print image.

 2.  Trace printed image with tracing paper and pencil.  Place tracing paper on stamp and transfer image to stamp.

3.  With lino cutter, carve out where pencil marks on the stamp.  Once carved test it out with the stamp pad.  If you see some edges that need to be cleaned up, you can shape it more with the lino cutter.

4. With E6000 glue, adhere the stamp to the back of a wood block.

Washi Tape Label Maker

Have you seen this washi tape label maker?! I just discovered it and I love everything most things about it.  First the obvious, it can print on washi tape.  Two, it looks just like a little vintage suitcase. Cute. However, I don't care for the price ($100 on Etsy).  Also, you can only use the Coharu brand washi tape with it.  What do you think about it?  Would you buy one?  What would you use it for?

Examples of fonts and images it prints on the tape.

Hello Sandwich + Martha Stewart = Awe-Inspiring Crafts

Most of you are familiar with Martha Stewart's blog and maybe even and the Hello Sandwich blog.  But did you know there's a Hello Sandwich x Martha Stewart craft blog?  I stumbled upon it a while back and have meaning to share about it.  There aren't a lot of posts on the site yet.  However, the crafts you will see are absolutely delightful.  Check it out and tell me what you think.

Kid Craft: Washi Tape Beads

Looking for new craft projects to make with all those washi tape rolls you own?  How about creating some washi tape beads?  This craft is quick and easy for kids to make.  Use the paper beads for bracelets, necklaces, and other projects.

Supplies:
Card Stock
Washi Tape
Scissors

1.  Cut a strip of paper into the width of the washi tape and about three inches long.

2.  Fold into a rectangle shape.  Trim excess paper.

3. Tape together edges

4. Wrap remaining tape around paper.  

The beads also work well for triangle shapes.  Experiment with different prints and layers for varied looks.

Printable Swiss Army Knife Father's Day Card

My dad seemed to always have some kind of Swiss army knife on him.  Some were key chains and some were pocket knives.  I can remember him using them on various occasions.  For example, any time a ribbon needed to be cut off a present, I could count on dad to pull out the mini scissors to get the job done.  I'm sure he used the Swiss army knife tools for other things but that memory in particular stands out to me.  So as you may have guessed,  that was the inspiration for this card. 

This card is quick and easy to make.  The paper saw and knife swivel out just like a Swiss army knife. 

Supplies:
Template
One small metal brad
Scissors
Glue dots
White card stock
Hole punch

1.  Click on template twice.  Right click, copy, paste and print on white card stock.  Cut out templates.

2.  Stack saw and knife on top of the back piece.  Punch a hole through all three templates.  Add brad (refer to picture).

3.  Add glue dots where you see the red dots.  Make sure none of the glue dots will get in the away of the knife and saw swiveling out.  Place front template on top.

Your card should look something like the picture above.  Adjust the knife and saw so they stick out a little so they're easy to pull out.

This is what the back of the card will look like.

Sign the card and you're all set. 

Handmade Goods at Maker Faire 2013

Laurel Begley

One of my favorite things to do when I'm at any fair is look at all the handmade booths.  But I especially enjoy looking at the crafts at the Maker Faire for obvious reasons.  Here are a few pictures I snapped at the Bazaar Bizarre tent at the fair.

Pictured above are some mushroom jars by the artist Laurel Begley.  I liked how all her pieces were bright, cheery  and had a touch of whimsy to them. 

I ended up purchasing one her small plates.  I think it makes a nice little card holder.  To see more of Laurel's work, visit her Etsy store.

As soon as I saw Katy Kristin's booth, I knew my daughter was going to want one her plush dolls.  And I can't blame her, they were all adorable.  

My daughter ended up settling on this hamster.  She liked that it had a heart print and a heart shaped face.  She kept it tucked under her arm the entire day and would not let it out of her site. 

To see more of Katy Kristin's items, visit her Etsy shop. 

Technically these robots are not handmade goods but you do build them yourself.  They're called Piperoids and they're a craft kit that comes with paper tubes that you cut and bend to make a robot.  I've bought some in the past for my son and they're a lot of fun to make.  I didn't buy any this time but I did get . . .

. . . this robot instead!  This is also a robot that you construct yourself only it is made up of wood and paper.  The company that makes them is called Play-Deco.  To see more of these craft kits, please visit Magnote. 

This is a very small look into the handmade crafts at Maker Faire.  If you would like to see more, Agnes Niewiadomski has a great write up with lots of pictures over at the Make: Craft blog.  You can also see more of the vendors at the Bazaar Bizarre site.

Digital Washi Tape & More Kawaii Links

For those of you that like all things washi tape, the ModeS Blog is offering up this free digital washi tape download.  Use it for digital scrapbooking, embellishing photos or decorating your blog.  Click here for the download.

Kawaii Handmade Goods - Read about the popular boutique, SOL & BeBe SOL, located in Harajuku on the Tokyo Fashion site.  After looking at all the photos, you'll feel like you visited the store in person.

Party Origami Giveaway - All Things Paper is giving away a copy of my book Party Origami.  Today is the last day to enter.

Mochi Plushie Tutorial - Learn how to make a mochi plushie by HapyFriendsShoppe.

Tapigami Exhibit at Maker Faire 2013

"Tapigami"

Last weekend I attended the Maker Faire in the Bay Area, CA.  The Maker Faire's tag line is "The Greatest Show and Tell on Earth.  It's a family friendly celebration of the maker movement.  If you've never heard of it before or want to learn more about it, I recommend checking out the official site, here.  You can also read about it on past posts here and here.

One of the attractions that caught my attention was the Tapigami Exhibit.  Tapigami (pron: Tāpəˈgämē) is a contemporary art form created by Northern California artist Danny Scheible.

The exhibit consisted of over 80,000 masking tape sculptures, with most made of basic cream masking tape.  I overheard someone on the tapigami staff say this exhibit took ten years to make. 

I'm not sure if you can tell from the picture, but the backdrop is hangers covered in tape.

If you want to make your own tapigami work of art, Danny has a new tapigami book available for sale which debuted for the first time at the Maker Faire.  I'm wondering how this technique would look with some washi tape.  What do you think?

Make a Washi Tape Village

Any guesses what I used for the base of these houses?  I'll give you a clue, you probably have one in your house right now.  If you guessed a paper roll, you're correct!  All you need is a few paper rolls and some washi tape to get started making your own village. 

Supplies
Paper rolls
Washi Tape
Scissors

1. Fold paper roll into a rectangular shape.

2. Once you have it folded, cut on all four folds about 1/3 way down on your paper roll (refer to red dots).  How far you cut down will determine how tall your roof will be.   I trimmed some of the paper roll off the top to make a shorter house.

3.  Fold the left and right side tabs in to make a point and tape together.

4.  Trim the front and back tabs to match with the point you just made.

5.  With your choice of washi tape, place strips all around the entire house.  The tape should cover part of the roof.

 6.  Wrap tape around the front of the house roof.  Flip over and repeat on the opposite side. Besides creating a decorative roof, the tape will also seal up the paper roll.

7.  On the roof, place one or two pieces of tape on top to cover the paper roll.  This will also cover up any unsightly edges of tape from step 6.

8. Last, add any details such as windows, shutters, doors, shrubs, etc with tape. 

The house pictured above my 7 year old daughter made.  I had to fold the paper roll and cut it for her.  She covered the house with tape herself. 

Changing subjects, I wanted to let you know that there's now information over at Whip Up on how you can donate to a trust fund for Kathreen's children.  Click here. 

Kid Craft: Washi Tape Friendship Pins

Do you remember friendship pins?  Traditionally they were made with beads and safety pins.  As a child I enjoyed making them and giving them out out to friends.   Those memories prompted me to revisit the craft and give it a contemporary update with washi tape. I like how they ended up having a slight preppy look to them with the monograms.  These friendship pins would be great for a craft party or just an after school project.

Supplies:

Safety Pins - I purchased some vintage brass style pins at Michaels
Washi tape
Scissors

1.  Fold tape in half over pins so both sides of the print show.

2.  Trim the bottom to make a decorative edge.

3.  Add layers of tape for extra texture. Add letters or other embellishments.

DIY Mother's Day Card

Today I'm excited to be participating in 100 Days of Tombow.  One hundred bloggers across America are creating projects with Tombow products to celebrate the company's centennial year.  But the best part is that for every blogger who participates, $100 will be donated to the Council for Arts Education.  You may know that art education is very important to me.  Often I volunteer my time to do art projects at my children's school.  In fact, just last week I scheduled an outing for a couple classes to visit a pottery studio.

Tombow sent me a few of their projects to make a craft for this event.  Today I will be working with the Tombow markers to make this Mother's Day Card. 

Supplies:
Tombow Markers - two coordinating colors
White Crayon
White Cardstock
Scissors
Ruler
Piece of plastic - I used a disposable plastic pie cover.  Any kind of plastic packaging should work. Check your recycle bin.

To make this card I'm using a wax resist technique.  With a white crayon I wrote out the words "Happy Mother's Day".  To get your letters straight and centered as best as possible here are few tips.

1.  Work in a well lit room so you can see the white crayon on the card.

2.  Place a ruler on the paper and use it as if it was a blue ruled line on your paper.  This will keep all your letters straight. 

3.  A good way to write well centered and spaced words on a card is to start with the middle letter.  For example, write the letter "P" for the word "happy" in the center of your paper.  Then write the letters on each side evenly spaced.

Once you have your images written out, you're going to cover the entire card with marker.  To give it a gradient look, use this method. 

1.  Write on your plastic with the darker color marker.

2.  Pick up the color with the lighter marker.  Just rub the marker brush on the ink and it will pick up the darker color.

As you color over the letters they will resist the crayon and show up.  The marker will also gradually lighten in color as you draw due to the technique you used above, giving it a gradient style.

Make your card into any shape you want.  You can also use this technique to draw images as well.