My toddler stayed with my sister for a few days this week, giving me more spare time than I’ve had in almost three years. I used that time to get caught up on a lot of things that I’ve been meaning to do including several little craft projects, and I wanted to share some of them with you. Hopefully you'll be inspired to give something new a go.
1. Home-Made Angry Birds
My son loves playing Angry Birds and I wanted to make him a real life set that he could throw around without damaging anything. I found some polystyrene balls in a local craft shop and painted them green using acrylic paint; I pierced them with hat pins pushed through rolls of sticky tape prior to painting so I could leave them to dry without them being in contact with any surfaces. Once dry I used Sharpie markers and stickers to create the features. For the pigs I simply used white dot stickers to create the eyes and drew the rest; for the birds I used the white dot stickers and also a yellow flower sticker which I cut up, using its petals for the beak. I initially went for an open beak using two petals however this doesn’t look right on the finished bird and so for the second I used a single petal instead.
2. Playing Card Art
I picked up a packet of Harry Potter playing cards for £1 at a charity shop a few months ago. I already own multiple decks of playing cards but these drew me in, as every card in the deck had a different picture drawn on it. The numbered cards each had a simple black and white sketch and the aces each had a full color sketch, but what really attracted me were the royal cards. Each one had a different full color drawing of a scene from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. ("Sorcerer's Stone" to you Americans!) I decided to frame the royal cards together to make a piece of art for our wall. I used clear photo corners so the cards could be taken out and repositioned or played wit, and so the cards wouldn’t be damaged by adhesives. Lining up the cards was the most time-consuming part of this project and I know they’re still not perfect, but they’re close enough for me to be happy. I used the same technique a few weeks ago to frame a set of X-Files collectable cards (the ones that were packaged with the VHS tapes) and it created a really stunning piece of art. One thing to remember, however, is that anything you frame and hang on the wall will eventually fade with sunlight, even if placed in a shady area, so this is not a technique to use on anything valuable.
3. Recycled Magnets
If you’re anything like me then your kids love those magnetic make-a-scene playsets. We have several scattered around the house. Once you’ve pressed out all the pieces from the set, you’re left with the excess that held them all together. I always thought it a waste to throw this away so I’ve hung onto them to create my own magnets. First you need to remove the shiny top layer so glue will hold it better. This can be a bit fiddly and time consuming, but you could probably peel it off whilst catching up on TV. Next, chop it into pieces. I generally didn’t use anything smaller than a fingernail so the really thin connecting strips were thrown away – you can’t keep everything. I had some GetGlue stickers I wanted to convert into magnets but anything lightweight would work, such as used ticket stubs or business cards. I attached my stickers to cardboard circles and then used PVA glue to attach pieces of magnet on their backs and let them dry. Presto, custom magnets!
I hope you have been inspired to try making something, whether a piece of art for your wall or a toy for your kids. Many craft activities can be done with leftovers, garbage and just a few dollars worth of supplies such as glue – however, many of you will find these lurking in your kids’ art supply drawers. If you have a go at making anything, please share it with us.
