Easy Craft Projects for Boys
Girls seem to be naturally attracted to arts and crafts, but boys are sometimes a different matter. If you’re running a summer camp, holding a crafts party or just want to get your sons involved in a neat project, you may be scratching your head when it comes to craft ideas. Fortunately, there are several categories of crafts that attract boys of all ages.
Nature Crafts
Nature crafts are a good choice for boys. This allows them to go out into the wilderness and gather the materials.
A great nature craft idea is “Forest Friends.” These crafts are easy to make and will allow the boys to work off some of that excess energy. Take them to the park and ask them to gather leaves, twigs and pinecones.
When you return back home from the park, let the boys decorate their finds with googly eyes and puff balls. Use Gorilla Glue or another multi-purpose glue that will adhere to the natural surfaces. Make faces on the leaves and pinecones, and then attach the twigs for bodies. You can make limbs from construction paper and the boys will have nature-inspired puppets to play with for the rest of the day.
Character Crafts
Boys like creating crafts that help them pretend they are their favorite heroes and characters. Pirates are very popular these days, so any pirate-related crafts will be well received. You can provide the supplies to make a construction paper or sewn felt eye patches, depending on the age of the boys.
Every pirate needs a parrot, so there’s another simple craft idea. Use old toilet paper tubes, feathers and markers so each boy can have a personal parrot sidekick. Boys will also enjoy making treasure chests from old shoeboxes and treasure maps to find their loot from paper bags and markers.
Science Crafts.
If you have an older group of boys to entertain with crafts, don’t underestimate the power of science-themed crafts. These crafts are part science experiment, part craft. One example of a science themed craft is invisible writing. For this craft, you’ll need a laxative tablet, one tablespoon of rubbing alcohol, cotton balls and ammonia.
Crush the tablet into a container and then add the alcohol. Have the boys use paintbrushes to create their secret messages. As the ink dries, it will disappear. To see the message, simple have them rub the pieces of paper with cotton balls soaked in ammonia. It’s not the most pleasant smelling craft, but it sure is a lot of fun!
As long as you keep boys active and engaged, they’ll have as much fun with crafts as girls do. Although they aren’t patient enough for beaded lanyards, they have activities and interests that can engage them just as much. So before you assume that boys and crafts just don’t mix, try some of these ideas.
Jamie Jefferson writes for Momscape.com, where she shares coupons for discount art supplies and discount craft supplies.
How The Sewing Machine Part Has Changed Throughout
Sewing has been around for thousands of years in one form or another. Throughout the last millennium, the greatest technological advancements to the sewing machine has been the types of materials that are used to make sewing needles as well as threads.
It was not until the nineteenth century, that a working sewing machine was created. To no ones big surprise, it caused an uproar. Unfortunately, in a less than positive way.
The Discovery
Sewing by hand is almost intuitive. Two separate pieces of cloth, a thread and a needle, the relationship between them is obvious. The movement comes quite naturally of the needle through the cloth and then back again is completed automatically.
The difficulty is that the basic movement that is so easy for a person doing it by hand is impossible for the same movement attempted by a machine. It has the ability to force the threaded needle down through the cloth yet it cannot let go of it up again on the other side of the cloth and push it back through the other side.
The initial patent that was filed for a sewing machine part that had the ability to replicate that movement was filed in the year 1755 and others soon followed yet no functioning machine was developed until the year 1830.
The first fully functioning machine with various sewing machine parts was created by Bathelemy Thimonnier, who was a French tailor. The sewing machine part utilized a hooked needle as well as a single thread to make a chain stitch. The fear of ending up obsolete overwhelmed a mob of other French tailors in the country who ended up burning down Thimonniers factory.
How It Works
The sewing machine part that makes a chain stitch can be found below the fabric. A needle thread near it’s point pushes down through the material and the unique hooked end catches the thread and then pulls it up into a loop prior to it letting go.
After that the next stitch places more thread within the loop and the hooked piece pulls the initial stitch tightly which makes the next loop. While such a device saves people a lot of work, it can just create a straight seam that can be pulled loose if any part of thread breaks.
The sewing machine part which adds to the functionality of the home machine is the bobbin which puts in a second thread and then attaches to the first. This has the effect of making a lock stitch, which, as the name suggests, is many time more secure.
Even though this kind of sewing machine part is the discovery that actually made sewing by machine possible, each subsequent sewing machine part made its mark in history. Newer sewing machine additions include parts that make the fabric move forward, make zig-zag stitch, control the length of the stitch and so on have resulted in extraordinary advances in modern sewing.
Listen to Corbin Newlyn as he shares his insights as an expert author and an avid writer in the field of fine apparel. If you would like to learn more go to Sewing Table advice and at Sewing Kit tips.
Different Quilling Techniques To Create Different Designs
Quilling is the art of rolling strips of paper around a simple tool to create elaborate designs that you can use as decorative touches for many different reasons. Although quilling is very time consuming because you are working with small items, it is one that is easy to learn. By combining paper quilling techniques, you can glue several designs together to make a large design.
The basic technique of quilling involves cutting a strip of paper about 1/8 inch wide and three to four inches in length. You need a needle or toothpick or if you wish you can buy a quill. Dampen the end of the paper, usually by licking it, and roll the strip of paper around the quilling tool of your choice. Roll it tightly and then remove the tool. Allow the coil to relax a little but don’t let go of it completely - just enough to let it expand a little bit. Glue the loose end of the paper in the center, so that the coil forms a circle. Pinch one side of the circle to make the shape of a teardrop. Then you can make four other teardrops and glue them together to form a flower.
Some of the standard quilling techniques are:
- Diamond Shape. To make a diamond you can either roll the paper around the quill very tightly or have it a bit loose. Once you make the coil, pinch two opposite sides. This technique is often called the marquis or the eye-shaped coil.
- Leaf. If you make flowers in paper quilling, you will want to add leaves to make the flowers stand out. To make a leaf, make the standard diamond shape and then pinch one or more ends of the diamond.
- Oval. To make this type of shape from the paper strip, wind it in a oval shape and take care not to pinch the ends.
- Square. This is another shape made from the basic diamond. Once you have the diamond made, pinch the smooth sides of the diamond to form a square.
- Rectangle. To make a rectangle, you first have to make an oval. Then you pinch the corners to make the shape of a rectangle.
- Star-shaped leaf. To make a leaf that looks like a star, you first have to form a diamond. Take hold of the ends and push them in toward the center so that you form two new points and there will be a curve between these new points.
- Triangle. Form a loose coil to make a three-sided shape. To make this triangle look realistic, you need to try to keep the center as round as you possible can.
- Closed Heart. First you form a triangle, pinch the sides and then push one of the sides inwards to form an indentation.
- Half Moon. Form a loose coil and pinch it on two sides while you keep your finger on the middle of one of these sides to form an indentation.
- Tulip. Form a loose coil on two sides and push one side toward the center.
For more information on quilling techniques,how to paper quill and other paper quilling related topics visit http://www.MyPaperQuilling.com
How to Find Paper Quilling Ideas
Once you discover the art of paper quilling, you will realize the many different designs that you can create with this simple craft. Rolling small strips of paper around a toothpick can help you create designs for invitations, thank you cards, pages of your scrapbook or even small gifts you give to family and friends. Different flower designs are always popular paper quilling ideas, but you can use several different designs in each flower. You can make one petal at a time and arrange them around a central point or glue large petals on top of one another to give the impression of a flower that rises right off the background.
If you want to create quilled flowers with a difference, simple snip one edge of the paper strip before you start rolling. Roll the paper really tight will make fringed flowers. If you want to make a paper rose, you need to have a slotted quilling tool. First fit the end of the strip through the slot and wind it around the quill for a few turns to make the center of the rose. Then fold down the paper so that it is at right angles to the back. Continue rolling the strip making sure that you keep the bottom of rose in alignment and letting the edges splay away from the center of the rose. When you reach the end of each folded section, fold the paper again and continue rolling until you only have a small amount of paper remaining.
At this point you can releases the rose from the quill and although you let it relax, don’t let go of it completely. If you do the rose will unwind and you will have to start over. Push the center of the rose downwards until you can see the inside rolls of the paper. Now you can glue the paper in place. You will have a little bit of paper left over. Fold this over to cover the glued piece and hold it with your finger until the glue dries.
Flowers are not the only ideas you can use in paper quilling, although they are usually the designs you will begin with. You can also make animal designs using strips of paper, but the process is a little more complicated. To make a quilled mouse for example, you can use three different shapes and glue them together.
Craft stores have books about paper quilling filled with ideas you never thought possible. You can also find many free ideas when you search online. When you get used to paper quilling you can start creating your own designs. The easiest way to do this is to purchase a children’s coloring book of simple shapes. Color in the various pictures with different colors that represent the colored paper strips you intend to use.
For Easter, you can make chicks or eggs, for Christmas you can make wreaths or bows, and for Thanksgiving you can make vegetable designs or leaves in fall colors.
For more great paper quilling ideas, as well as information on how to quill and other topics related to paper filigree, visit http://www.MyPaperQuilling.com
Introduction to Paper Quilling
Paper quilling is the art of rolling, shaping, gluing and decorating strips of paper. This craft is also called paper filigree or simply quilling. You do need a tool called a quill to create the basic coiled shape to the paper. You then glue the paper at the top and shape the coils to form various designs, such as flowers, leaves and other different decorative designs.
This decorative method of using paper dates back to the Renaissance, when nuns used the coiled paper designs to decorate book covers, bookmarks and religious items. At this time the most commonly used type of paper was the gilded edges of the pages of books. The nuns coiled the small strips of these gilded edges to try to imitate the iron latticework of the time period. It was an art practiced by ladies in the 18th century and was one of the techniques that young girls of wealthy households were required to learn as part of their studies. The colonists brought the art with them when they emigrated to America. Most of the quilled paper designs that have been preserved are of religious artwork.
The art of quilling did die out for a time, but has recently become a very popular craft. This is because of the low cost of the paper supplies needed to make different designs to decorate invitations and boxes and especially pages of scrapbooks, with the increased interest in scrapbooking.
The tools you need to get started in quilling are very basic - strips of paper, something to wind the strips around and glue. The strips of paper can be cut in widths of 1/8 inch to I inch, but most people use 1/8 inch strips. You can choose the paper in whatever weight you want, but the standard is construction paper, which comes in a variety of colors. The winding tool can be a toothpick or a needle, but you can also visit a craft store to buy a specially designed quill.
Other tools that you need include sharp scissors for cutting the paper and a ruler to ensure that you cut all the strips the same size. You can cover a piece of corrugated cardboard with wax paper, rather than use the top of the table, This will keep the glue from getting onto the table. You should also have a damp cloth close at hand for wiping the glue off your fingers.
Some of the simple designs you can start out with include:
- A V-shape design which involves folding the strip of paper in half and rolling the ends of the outside of the paper around the quill. You have to roll the paper away from the inner crease.
- Feelers involve rolling only part of the strip of paper. You leave the rest of the strip straight. You can make this design by folding the strip in half or by using an infolded strip.
- Coiling the paper either loosely or very tightly around the quill can make a peacock eye. You can form a petal in the same way by bending the pinched part ot one side.
For more information on paper quilling, great paper quilling ideas, and lots of other paper filigree related articles visit http://www.MyPaperQuilling.com
So You Want to Know How to Quill
Paper quilling is the art of rolling strips of paper and forming designs from the coils. It does take time to create a quilled design because the strips are so narrow, ranging from 1/8 inch to one inch and only about three or four inches long. However, it is not hard to learn how to quill and anyone of any age can do it - even children. This is not a new craft. It has been practiced since the invention of paper in an attempt to replicate the intricate designs made from gold and silver.
Quilling, today, can be used for many different reasons. The most common is to decorate greeting cards and to decorate pages in scrapbooks. Quilled designs can be glued onto backgrounds, framed and hung on the wall. Some people use them on gift tags, as a decoration for invitations and thank you cards or to add a decorative touch to a photo album.
The first step in quilling is to cut paper of different colors into strips. The most commonly used paper is construction paper or cardstock. Although you can use ordinary paper, this thin paper tends to bunch when youroll it and it will tear easily. You need a quilling tool to wind the paper around. While you can buy a special tool for this purpose, you can basically use any small thin object, such as a needle or a toothpick. For making roses, though, you will need a bought quill with a slot in the top.
You don’t need to cut the paper ins trips with a scissors if you don’t want to. Simply use a ruler to make sure you have all the strips the same size and holding the ruler firmly on the paper, you can tear the paper down the side of the ruler. Moisten one end of the strip of paper by just touching it to your lips and lightly press it to the edge of the toothpick. If you are using a quilling tool, you fit the paper through the slot at the top to help hold it in place.
Start wrapping the paper around the tool, winding it tightly as you go. Make sure you line up the edges and keep the coil of paper very straight. When you get to the end, gently slide the roll off the tool. If you want the coil to stay tight, glue the piece you have left to the roll as soon as you take it off. Hold it in place with your fingers until the glue dries. You can also use tweezers, especially if you are using Superglue, which will cause your fingers to stick to the paper.
If you want the coil to be a little bit looser than what it is when you take it off the quill, just let the roll go a little so that the paper relaxes a little. Watch the roll as it spreads out and when it reaches the looseness you want, then you can glue in the end piece. If you need several pieces to make a larger design, you will have to measure the coil so that you make all of them the same size.
For more information on how to quill as well as lots of great quilling ideas visit the paper quilling site http://www.MyPaperQuilling.com
The Origins of Paper Filigree
No one really knows when or where paper filigree actually started. However, it is believed that it did develop very soon after paper was invented. Since precious metals were used to create ornate ironworks and latticework, the art of rolling paper was intended to replicate the same designs in a simpler and smaller fashion. Because paper does not age very well and can be destroyed when it gets wet, there are not very many surviving examples of filigree designs from paper.
The belief that this art form originated in religious institutions, such as monasteries and convents, is quite possible. These institutions were considered to be places of learning and scholars. The people spent a lot of their time preparing religious books with gilded edges. They them trimmed these edges so that the pages of the book were uniform. Instead of throwing way the scraps of strips of gilded paper, they rolled the paper and created designs to decorate the covers of the books.
Filigree with paper, also called paper quilling, can easily be created to look like intricate gold or ivory carvings. When you look at pictures of book covers from the 19th and 20th centuries, you will see examples of this craft. It was at this time that the art work moved beyond religious uses, such as to decorate boxes. Some of the finishing schools for girls taught this craft as one of the subjects in the curriculum. During the Victorian era, it was quite common for daughters and wives of wealthy households spent their leisure time rolling paper to make various designs, usually flowers. No matter where they were they always had a quilling tool because they had hatpins they could use.
The examples of paper done during the 19th century were used to decorate wall sconces, tea caddies, and cribbage boards. They were also used to decorate family crests so that they had borders, flowers in the corners. At this time, this craft was known as paper mosaic and mosaicon. When colonists moved to America, they brought this pastime with them and used the strips of paper to add decorative touches to items in their homes. It was at this time it became known as quilling because the tool used was a goose quill. Some of the colonial women used porcupine quills.
In the 18th century, the practice of rolling paper was looked upon as a waste of time and many thought that young ladies would be better off learning how to run a household. The practice faded in favor of embroidery. It was not until the 21st century that the interest in paper quilling once again became popular with the interest in decorating pages used in creating scrapbooks. Although you can buy the paper decorations already made, many scrapbookers want to make every part of the scrapbook pages themselves.
Paper quilling is time consuming, but the results you produce from such an activity are well worth the effort. You can decorate invitations and cards in all kinds of flowers and designs reflecting the elements of nature such as animals. There are basic shapes involved in quilling and by using variations of these techniques, you can make many others.
For more information on paper filigree, instructions on how to paper quill and lots of quilling techniques visit http://www.MyPaperQuilling.com
Instructions to Help You Learn How to Paper Quill
If you want to learn how to paper quill, the best thing you can do is to find a set of instructions and follow them carefully. Depending on the shape you want to make from the coiled paper, the instructions will tell you the size of the strips of paper that you need. Usually bought instructions call for a quill that you buy in a craft store, but you can achieve the same result with a simple toothpick. It is important to use the right kind of paper, such as construction paper or card stock. Ordinary writing paper is not a good choice because it will bunch when you take it off the quill, (the winding tool, such as a toothpick) and it will tear very easily.
You do not use a scissors to cut the paper when quilling. Rather you tear the paper into strips. To make sure the strips are all of uniform size, use a ruler to mark the measurement and the ruler or some other flat edge to use as a guide for tearing. When you use a scissors to cut the paper into strips, the sharp edge will be very noticeable in the finished product, whereas the torn edges will look natural.
You also have to take note of the different technique you should use depending on the quilling tool you use. If you use a slotted quill, you move the quill to turn the paper. If you use a toothpick or a needle, you have to wind the paper around the quill. These instructions are for using a slotted quill because using other ordinary tools does require a certain amount of skill in this craft.
Moisen the paper a little and fit it into the slot on the top of the quill. Make sure that you only have a tiny bit of paper protruding through the slot. Hold the tool in one hand and the paper in the other between your thumb and index finger. Then slowly turn the quill so that the paper winds around it, making sure that the paper winds evenly around the tip. Keep the edges of the paper lined up and don’t exert more pressure at one point of the turning. You have to keep the same pressure on the paper at all times when you are winding.
Once you come to the end of the strip, turn the quill upside down and let the roll slide off into your hand. You still have to keep it in its roll because if you don’t it will simply uncoil, even though it will uncoil a little, but it is supposed to do that. Then you take a toothpick and dab a little bit of glue to the end of the strip and let it stick to the center of the coil. You can hold it in place with your fingers or use tweezers to hold it place until the glue dries.
Once you have the coil made, then you can manipulate in by pinching parts of it to make various shapes that you can glue together.
For more information on how to paper quill, great quilling techniques and other paper quilling related topics vist http://www.MyPaperQuilling.com
How To Make Paper Tissue Flowers
Learning how to make paper tissue flowers is an easy and creative way to spend your time. Allow me to share with you briefly how I got started in the wonderful craft.
I was unfortunately involved in a horrific accident a while ago and bed ridden for months as a result. With all this time on my hands, I decided to read up on different ways to express myself through the art of making paper tissue flowers. This hobby proved so relaxing that I recommend it to anyone, no matter what their age or level of imagination. I even make origami flowers out of paper tissue rather than the usual origami paper. The number of ways you can create paper tissue flowers is limited only by your creativity.
There are only a handful of items that are needed when learning how to make paper tissue flower and most of them can be found right around your home. You need some tissue paper and a pipe cleaner, a pencil, a pair of scissors and a ruler. Then you will have everything needed to start and complete your project.
1) You can begin by folding each sheet the width of a pencil (accordion or fan style).
2) Then lay all the sheets on top of each other making sure all the creases meet.
3) Then fold the whole thing again, and put the pipe cleaner in the middle of the accordion.
4) Now wrap the pipe cleaner two times around the accordion and fold down the top of the pipe cleaner and twist.
5) Then, you will carefully cut off each of the ends of the accordion, making the corners round.
6) Then carefully fan out all the sheets so none are stuck together until a fluffy flower appears.
Whole flower bouquets can be made with paper tissue flowers in a broad range of sizes and colors. The petals can be folded or cut at any size imaginable. You can make larger or smaller flowers depending on your taste.
You can use many different types of colored tissue paper when designing these flowers. This will create multi-colored blossoms that will be one of the main topics of conversation at your next house party. Tie-dye or colored splashed tissue paper flowers can be used to bring some color to a dull, dreary room or to cheer up a sickly person.
A couple of months ago, I was visiting a dear, old friend in the hospital when I realized that tissue paper flowers would lighten, and cheer up her room drastically and dramatically. Because she was deathly allergic to real flowers my tissue flowers were the key. The next day I returned to the hospital and brought a vase full of my multi-colored paper tissue flowers and gave it to her. She was so happy that she began to cry. Thirty plus years I have known this lady an I never saw her so happy, and it gave me this feeling of warmth all over my body that is unforgettable.
There is nothing better than the feeling you get when you look at the finished product. I cannot begin to explain the satisfaction you will get from this inexpensive old pass time. Our great grandmothers, and their grandmothers made paper tissue flowers and now we can enjoy this sensational hobby also. It is also a very therapeutic process that is used in most nursing homes today. It helps to loosen up the fingers of patients with joint pain problems while keeping their minds working and learning.
There are no limits on what the imagination can visualize and the rewarding challenge of making these paper tissue flowers is one of the ways. I hope you will consider learning how to make paper tissue flowers like countless others. It is simply an amazing skill to have. You will be thankful you did!
In the next step you should not have to go to great lengths to learn How to Make Paper Tissue Flowers. Tommy invites you to visit his friend’s free site with images, instructions, videos and more to steer you correctly plus this other web site on How to Make Tissue Paper Flowers which is his #1 recommended resource.
How To Make Mexican Paper Flowers
Learning how to make Mexican paper flowers such as those that you see in some of the stores around town or on some of the television shows on the T.V. is not as hard as you might think. Although after I was involved in a devastating car accident a while ago, and had been bed ridden for many months with no transportation, I thought that learning to make these and other paper flowers might be something difficult for me because of no prior interest. I began looking for alternative activities to get involved in (besides watching television!) and I eventually discovered how interesting and gratifying making Mexican paper flowers can be.
Making Mexican paper flowers gave me an outlet of how to express myself through creativity. Not only is it an inexpensive hobby, but it also is very relaxing and when you finally have a finished product it is exceptionally rewarding. I thought that it would only be an activity I would perform during my recuperation period, but I was wrong. Making these Mexican paper flowers has now become one of my favorite pass times.
There are only a few items that are needed to make a Mexican paper flower. Tissue paper or crepe paper, pipe cleaner, twisty wire tie, scissors, ruler, coloring markers, perfume, and an imagination. Most of these items can be found in your kitchen cabinets, tool drawer or at the local store. Then once you have all of the needed items and hardware for making those Mexican paper flowers the fun begins.
Here is your first lesson learning how to make Mexican paper flowers:
1) First, you want to make the leaves, so you cut a pile of 6 to 10 pieces of paper 10 inches wides, and 14-20 inches long.
2) Next, you want to make approximately 1 inch folds in the layers (accordion style).
3) Then you need to tie the middle or the accordion with a twisty wire tie. Then you get to use your creative mind and trim all the edges with your scissors.
4) Then, start at the outside of the flower and start to bend each piece of tissue paper in half (be very gentle with this step).
5) The last step is use the pipe cleaner for the stem of your festive Mexican paper flower and as a special additive you can also spray that Mexican paper flower with perfume to make it perfect.
A situation arose in my own life where friends of my family commented on how original and gorgeous the Mexican flowers I made were. This made me feel extremely good inside. I then began to explain how easy and inexpensive it was to do and the enjoyment I felt while doing it. Later that year, my family and I were at their house and sure enough they had a vase full of Mexican paper flowers displayed in the middle of their dining room table.
Once you actually design and create a Mexican paper flower you will see how much fun and relaxing it is. It can become quite an addiction because you always think of different shapes, colors, or sizes to make the flowers depending on the mood your in that day.
Even if making Mexican paper flowers is not your preferred style, making other types of flower crafts such as paper flowers or origami flowers might be. Discover what countless other people have who have enriched their lives creating beautiful paper flowers either for a living, as a regular hobby or even just as a skill in their arsenal to expand their minds. Don’t delay and get started making beautiful and gratifying paper flowers today!
By now you may wonder How to Make Mexican Paper Flowers and other kinds of paper flowers with visual help. Tommy invites you to visit his friend’s free web site with visual instructions, videos & more plus this other web site on How to Make Origami Flowers.
