Crafty Stuff

[callistra]

Does any one have any good URLs they can recommend to show me crafty stuff to make for christmas? I am extremely clueless as to what I can make, but I have heaps of coloured paper, very fine glitter, glue, things to stick on things, sticky things, punches, and etc.

Mostly purchased for "card making" which I know can also be used for other things. So far, I have started making paper chains.
:-)

I think I remember how to make snowflakes, and I think I can remember how to make lanterny type things (same style as the snowflakes really).

Um, if the webpages have pics, this would *really* help.

Ta!
:-)

Comments

[divaflip.livejournal.com]

do you want to make cards, or just other stuff?

Better Homes and Gardens usually does a special issue in November each year that has a lot of 'how to make stuff for christmas' projects in it. Or you could try the magazine 'Handmade', it is from Express Publications and is in most decent sized newsagents.

I know a lot of sites with card ideas, not so much on other stuff. Will have a think about it and trawl around on the weekend to see what I have bookmarked. I often find little surprises when I check out my favourites ;)

[callistra.livejournal.com]

I don't think I am qualified to make cards like you do *grin*
Other stuff for now.

[divaflip.livejournal.com]

but I started out with really basic cards, and christmas ones at that. A christmas tree stamp, some brush pens to colour in the baubles (or use glitter glue like Kindyglitz), and stick it on the front of a different coloured base card with double sided tape. Write 'Handmade by Callistra 2005' on the back and you are set :)

some ideas:

get some papier mache boxes, paint them in bright colours and add glitter, faux gemstones etc. Little trinket boxes, and you can fill them with christmas lollies, some affirmations you have printed and cut up, a chunky beaded bracelet you have made etc.

paint / stamp / punch a design onto really thin tissue paper, wrap it around a pillar candle, and either use a split pin or thumb tack to hold in place (you can paint them with nailpolish to change the colour to match you designs), or wrap a ribbon on top of the tissue paper and glue it in place.

I don't know if you have Spotlight or Lincraft in WA, but try one of those big craft & fabric stores. You can buy clear plastic or glass christmas baubles, and drip metalic and bright colour paint into the centre. it takes a bit of experimentation, but you can layer the colours and it looks really cool. I find adding a final layer of white on the inside makes all the other colours look brighter.

From the same kind of store, buy a set or two (depending on how many you want - there are 4 settings in a pack) of craftwood placemats and coasters. Spray or paint them in the colours you want. If you are feeling creative, either freehand draw or use a stencil to put a christmast tree, a gold star or whatever you want on them.

Use glass paint to decorate old jars, and then put tea lights into them. I tend to outline in pretend lead paint (which is raised), mostly stars or flowers, and then use the glass paint to fill in the spaces.

Better Homes and Gardens has a Craft section, and there are quite a lot of christmas ideas: http://www.bhg.com.au

Get Creative magazines has a few special books available. I have the 'Christmas Crafts' one (although it is on loan at the moment), which I got from a newsagent for about $20. There are complete table settings and menus with different themes, such as traditional, modern, etc. A lot of good craft ideas for how to decorate classes, table settings etc. You can find more info here: http://www.getcreative.com.au/books/

Handmade, by Express Publications, has a range of crafts - paper, sewing, cross stitch etc. I haven't got it for a while, but from the look of their website the Christmas edition is out: http://www.handmade.com.au/index.php

If you are feeling extra creative, try some air dry or oven bake clay, either in moulds (or cookie cutter shapes) or make up your own shapes. Paint them once you are finished - if you use a skewer to put a hole in the clay before it sets, you can then put ribbon through it and hang the item off a tree or around a wineglass. BH&G had some in the shape of stars last year which looked really good. Other clay ideas:
Sculpey - http://www.sculpey.com/projects.htm
Creative Paperclay - http://www.paperclay.com/projects.htm (they also make Delight, which is really light weight and able to be posted)
or even good old DAS modelling clay, which comes in terracotta and white colours

Someone already mentioned Fiskars, that is a pretty good site.

Some of the big stamp companies also have excellent sites. Obviously they promote the use of their own products, but with a bit of adaptation you should be able to use what you have:
Hero Arts - http://www.heroarts.com/
Stampington & Co - http://www.stampington.com/
Toybox - http://www.toyboxart.com/
Expression Magazine - http://expressionartmagazine.com/
Rubber Stamper magazine - http://www.rubberstamper.com/ (some cool decorations in the project section)

And finally, this is a cool site I found last year with ideas on handmade christmas gifts: http://rubyglen.com/articles/handmadechristmas.htm

have fun! and just wave your hand in my direction if you have any questions or want some tips. I have tried most things, and can at least tell you what to avoid with some crafts ;-)

[callistra.livejournal.com]

OMG@!!!!!

LOL

I am SOOO stupid. Did you read John's blog the other day when he quoted me? For yea, I am the Idiot in the Valley of the Stupids.
*grin*

I just READ all this. I've been saving it (a bit like a lolly, really) for when I had time to really appreciate your suggestions and websites. And guess what?? (I can post this here, no one should spot it until I'm ready to post it properly) ...

http://pics.livejournal.com/callistra/pic/00038dkp/g18

http://pics.livejournal.com/callistra/pic/000390rd/g18

I hope they work.

So there you go, I followed your advice without even trying, and it turns out the book I am following the instructions from is a "Get Creative" book called "Christmas Crafts!" Mum bought it for me ages and ages ago

I am having a problem though - do you know if you have this book? It has a "modern" christmas with a purple and silver theme, and they put a liquid gloss on their placemats which appears to come up so shiny you can see the reflections of things on the pictures of the placemats. If that makes sense. I'm tired and apparently an insomniac. :-) I bought a "liquid gloss" which John thinks is just pva glue, and I don't like the finish. So we've lacquered this batch with car varnishy stuff. (We just had it around.) Which is much better. But still not quite as mirror shiny as the two part stuff in the book. But I'm scared of the little heat gun they appear to be using, which looks much meaner than my hot air thing I have used for embossing.

Um. Help? Do you understand my question? Sorry if it's all rambly and lost - right now *I* am rambly and lost!! And we have both spotlight and Lyncraft - I got all this stuff from lyncraft. And I popped in yesterday and bought a second pack of the stars cos my table takes 6 people. :-)

The first batch are basically done. I should probably air them for a while longer so the varnishy smell goes away. It's not too bad though.

Is there a high gloss liquid I can pour onto my placemats and it will make everything shiny and smooth?

[mortonhall.livejournal.com]

The fiskars website has a few ideas - http://www.fiskars.com

you usually have to search a bit to get to the ideas though :)

[callistra.livejournal.com]

I see what you mean! I got filtered! Filtered! On a webpage! Straight into a PDF of gardening equipment. Very sharp gardening equipment, yes, but... Now I am pretending to be american, and there's a webpage with articles!