Fine Craft Guild .com » paper craft

TP Stamp Art = Valentines Card

Fine Craft Guild — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:56:00 +0000

something cool. So simple, even your 2-year-old can do it.

Toilet Paper Roll Stamp Art!

Toilet paper rolls make instant stamps. Besides stamping the obvious circle, it’s easy to fill each circle with hearts and flower stamps. Pretty!!

Make your own Valentines Day card, Mothers day card, fathers day card, get-well card….

Fun and fast craft.

Craft Materials Needed

What you need is what you probably already have at home:

1. Scotch tape

2. lid of a recycled jar to pour in a bit of craft paint

3. craft paint

4. scissors

5. pencil

6. toilet paper rolls

7. nice craft paper / card stock

.. and 5 minutes…

Step-by-Step Instructions

Easy = Pretty

Make Your Own Stamp Shapes

To make a Large Heart, fold the toilet paper roll in half, fold in one end and secure with a piece of sticky tape.

To make the Smaller Heart shown in these photos, fold the toilet paper roll in half, cut one end open and take off about 1/8 of an inch. Then, use a pencil to coil both ends of the toilet paper roll inwards. When you get the shape you like, secure it with some Scotch tape.

To make a Flower as shown in these photos, fold the toilet paper roll in half, and then in half again. Open it back up and place the pencil inside when you push each of the folds towards the center. The pencil helps to make the petals round… If you don’t use the pencil, you probably end up with an X or a Kiss-shape, which is fun too for Valentines Day.

Both the flower and the small heart fit within the standard Circle of a toilet paper roll, so you already have 4 different designs you can mix and match with, once you make just 2 stamps.

Experiment and invent new shapes as you go along. Want to make some Leaves for your flower? Fold the toilet paper roll in half. Cut it open on one side. Cut off 1” on each side, and secure it with a piece of sticky tape. Shape the leaf a bit with your fingers and the pencil.

5 Minute or All Afternoon Craft Project

While this stamping can mean an afternoon of fun for your little ones, making a card like this can actually be accomplished in just 5-10 minutes. Purple card for papa, and a pink card for mama. Any kid can do this, and you can do it too.

When done, you get this glorious card.

Plus two cute stamps which you can have laying around

for cuteness sake.

This craft made me think of my ‘HOW TO DRAW A ROSE’-tutorial… Remember that? Ever drawn one? Maybe I should coil a TP rose next time and show you how to do that…. Mmmm… for a later day.

Paper Paris Vacation Toys

Fine Craft Guild — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:59:00 +0000

: this great freebie!

I have the ultimate toys for bad-weather days and dreaming with your kids of going on vacation in …. Paris!! These travel-sized paper landmark buildings allow you to enact the most wonderful vacation adventures in Paris. Free!! And you don’t even need to pack!

The printable paper city play set comes with a vintage Citroën car to drive through your paper Arc de Triumph and along the Notre Dame cathedral.

Toot! toot!

Bonjour!

Printable Paris in Miniature

There is a authentic French boulangerie / patisserie / confiserie (read: bakery with lots of cakes and candy) and of course, a miniature Eiffel Tower… And lots more: a bike, French Street lanterns, etc.

Those Lovely French People…

Of course, print out the mini-people too. Who do you want to be? I want to be the girl with the flower dress.

Print this free downloadable Paris paper city set today from Made by Joel. Thank you Joel for spending hours and hours drawing this up!

Tip: print this before going on a long road trip or for dinner to a nice restaurant with the kids.

PS I Made This

Fine Craft Guild — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:46:00 +0000

great title, great book.

Part designer DIY
Part fashion
Part lifestyle inspiration guide.

I counted 27 projects in this book. All are practical and with easy (obvious) to follow instructions.

Sample Trendy Fashion Project 1

How to Make a Fancy Ruffle Shirt

(Upcycling a plain boring white t-shirt)

Sample Trendy Fashion Project 2

Get real: How about a feather skirt? I love this one. Fancy the fun of making this, let alone wearing this. My entire village here would talk about it. Ha ha… Love it.

Sample Trendy Fashion Project 3

A glamorous top with glued-on glitter… Mmm..: this is more for me…

Get Inspired

Not only does the writer Erica Domesek give us great projects to do ourselves, with step-by-step instructions; she also shares where she gets her inspiration from, encouraging us to cross-pollinate ideas and be creative ourselves.

As styles are diverse, surely not all 27 will be according to your taste. However, they don’t need to be. If you are an avid reader of my blog, this book will be a teaser for you to apply your own creativity.

You’ll pick up some techniques, which you can take further and you restyle, refashion or reuse things to represent you, using the book as your initial starting point and how-to guide.

E.g. If you don’t like those bouncy balls in that tied pantyhose necklace, well, use something else instead. You could use some left over foam balls, or even some IKEA packaging materials, chopped up. The pack I opened last night had a great foam cube in it that just screamed ‘craft me’ into something good !! Or, use a could of standard black/white dices instead. All these would make great statement jewelry, riding along the lines of black/white and recycling trends.

See it, like it, buy it:

PAPERBACK VERSION: P.S.– I Made This: I See It. I Like It. I Make It
KINDLE VERSION: P.S.– I Made This

Click Here For Other: Craft, DIY & Interior Design Book Reviews

Enjoy free shipping on orders over $25 (conditions apply).

(ps i made this – images source: pinterest)

Curly Grosgrain Ribbons for Valentines Day Wreaths

Fine Craft Guild — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:50:00 +0000

Something nifty today:
Curly grosgrain ribbons!
So cute!

I happen to fancy doing this today. Besides making darling wreaths with them, curled grosgrain ribbons are ideal to embellish a bunch of creative projects I’m working on. You need them too?

How to Curl Grosgrain Ribbons

The traditional recipe of baking curls has been around for ages:

wrap ribbon around long pin & secure,
soak in water,
sprits starch
bake in oven for 1/3 hr.

and VOILA: a mountain of curly grosgrain ribbons.

Doesn’t that look tidy?

Ode to Nikki !!

Nikki, In Stitches, explains how to make curly grosgrain ribbons in some more details on her blog, Nikki in Stitches, and then shows how to make your ribbons into whimsical Valentines Day Wreaths.

In one word: adorable.

Image credit: Nikki’s.

Enjoy free shipping on orders over $25 (conditions apply).

Scrapbooking Canvas Art (Pinterest Fave)

Fine Craft Guild — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:53:00 +0000

‘Soul Smile’

‘Laugh with your eyes, hug with your soul, and smile with your heart’ (Anonymous quote)

Wow. Powerful quote on canvas art. Paper art creation. Scrapbooking collage on canvas.

Below is my favorite Pinterest pin today.

Inspirational?

Love the colors, style and sincerity statement.

Comes with a very detailed tutorial.

source: Unity Opportunity

Like it?
Pin It!

Valentine Greeting Cards

Fine Craft Guild — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:28:00 +0000

Love this pop-up card. Classy, simple. Love the color ~ not pink for a change, with a universal message that any lover will understand. Perfect.

Best of all, it comes with a free template.

You will need some precision scissors however to cut this perfectly, but if you do, you’ll have a stunning and unique handmade Valentines Greeting Card.

source: Duitang

Personalized Desk Calendar Tutorial

Fine Craft Guild — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:49:00 +0000

January 2012

Here is the scrapbooked January page in my personalized CD Jewel Case Calendar. Like it? So easy, so fast, so fun.

How-to:

Calendar Page:

Recycle a cereal box; cut to CD-case size.

Glue on wrapping paper remnants.

Glue on printed calendar month.

Embellish with (very old) recycled foam flower.

CD Jewel-Case Transformed into Calendar Stand:

Carefully undo the lid from the case.

Re-attach it back to front, so the flap stays up at an angle.

Clip in your calendar card.

(easy)

So, if you still need a 2012 calendar, despite my list of recommended online knitting, crochet & otherwise cool & creative 2012 calendars (probably on sale now ….) + despite the wonderful 100%-eco perpetual journal tutorial?! IF SO, then I have good news for you as I have a new freebie to share with you.

Free Printables

To Make Your Own Desk Calendar 2012

If you join our mailing list * **, you’ll get you free downloadable calendar with all the dates and months for 2012.

* Click confirmation link in email;

await auto-responder with lots of freebies;

** Existing subscribers can email in for printable PDF).

Doesn’t a printed month section look neat and crisp? You’ll get 12 of these, on two sheets to chop up with your paper cutter.

With these calendar date vignettes, plus your stash of scrapbooking supplies, paper, fabric and ribbon remnants you can create fabulous personalized desk calendars.

Fun and frivolous CD Jewel Case Calendar

Recycled CD Jewel Case Calendar, 2009

I used to make the pages completely by hand, including the dates section, but with the advent of an actually working printer next to my desk, I’m using a printed calendar as a base for my scrapbooking project, and you get the benefit of this.

Recycle Holiday Cards into Tags

Fine Craft Guild — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:08:00 +0000

Yes, the holidays are really over now that the three wise men are arriving (the 6th). So now is the perfect time to get the ship back into order and clear received holiday cards and gift packaging. Rather than tossing them away, reuse recycle as next year’s gift tags.

Simple and fast. Get it done now. Ready for next year.

Cutting up the cards is fun for kids, and so is crafting the cutouts into new crafty tags. Something fun to do over the weekend.

Options: get a head start on next year, and cut them into proper tags right away. Or create a creative holiday craft box for next year with manageable sized pieces of paper and gift wrapping goodies to make gift tags and ornaments next Christmas season.

image source: Inhabitots

DIY Animal Stencil Mugs

Fine Craft Guild — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:57:11 +0000

: this fun and easy way to spruce up plain white mugs and to personalize them with the kids (or your) favorite animals and designs. Stencil your way to the farm ….

Country Living offers free stencils to download of cows, sheep and pigs.

New Year Table Centerpiece

Fine Craft Guild — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:55:00 +0000

We all celebrate New Year’s Eve in our own merry way. This year, my hubby & I are not planning to give a party but to kind of quietly stay at home instead…, (although Italy is FULL OF SURPRISES and one can never be sure as to what kind of fun might actually happen…).

So, for this reason, I looked for a festive table centerpiece ideas that will be suitable for New Year’s Eve in a simple sort of way. Centerpieces that will create a bit of atmosphere throughout the evening, add some ‘bang’ at midnight, and ideally won’t cost hours ‘n’ hours of crafting or decorating work on my part.

Well, I found 4 inspirational centerpiece ideas. Let me share. Do one or do all!

Inspirational New Year’s Eve Table Centerpieces

1. Unique, Rustic, Calm Candle Display

What’s so special: the mesh, the vintage clock, the orange pomanders, the vintage ‘Happy New Year’ tag, and last but not least, the ease that it’s all group together. Not this picture, but as a bonus: a tag reminding us to get the champagne out of the fridge!

image source: DIY Showoff

2. Pretty Noisemakers for Instant Party Bang at Midnight

What’s so special: pretty, easy, fun. Pretty: love that construction paper & thin art paper wrapped around each store bought noisemaker/horn. Will look great next to a bottle of champagne. Easy: just wrap it around and secure with sticky tape, and cut top into long strips. Fun to look at, and gives an instant party feel to the evening, even though it’s just you and your hubby… + noisemakers can be recycled for future party use. Love that green aspect of it too.

My take: I might like to add some sparkles or glitter on the paper ends, to give it a bit more dazzle.

image source: bhg

3-4. Display Golden Bubbly Champagne without the Alcohol

Better Home & Garden’s fortune bubbles mad not be as photogenic as from Martha’s glorious glitter large sorbet glasses filled with gold and clear ball-shaped ornaments to simulate real champagne bubbles, but BHG’s idea is more soulful and I’m going for it.

Pairing both idea will give both splash & be a fun activity. Again: easy to do. We can write the wishes for the new year during the evening and then add them to the glasses as we go along.