26th Project announcement - HALF WAY!!!!!!

Well here we are again, Sunday evening and the 26th project coming up - halfway through the challenge already!!!


The last 6 months has passed really quickly for me. It is my Daughter's 14th birthday this week, it feels like last time I looked it was Christmas!


Any way back to the question of what to do this week, 


I found this in the pile ready to go out for the bin men and it seemed too good to throw away and can't be recycled so I think I will use it for this weeks project.......

Large bubbled bubble wrap!

25th project completed - a scary dragon sock puppet!

I love making puppets, it really is something I should do more often. So here he is my latest creation in the recycle4real challenge. I think I shall call him Ignatius - don't know why but it seems to suit him!

Materials

•        Odd sock any colour will do as you can add colour with the fabric paint!

•        Scraps of felt / craft foam

•        Scissors

•        Fabric paint

•        Glue

•        Needle and thread

Instructions

 

1. Cut out the spikes, eye parts, ears, nostrils, tail, teeth and eyebrows from the scraps of felt or craft foam

   

2. Pinch the ears together at the bottom where marked and secure with a couple of stitches, set aside.

3. Using glue, or a needle and thread sandwich three sets of spikes together so that the middle one sticks up above the other two slightly.

4. Push your hand into the sock and mark where you are going to put the parts

5. Take off the sock and carefully stitch / glue the parts securely into place.

6. If you wish, you can add some detail such as scales using fabric paint, and add extra sequins, beads or buttons to finish if you like

There you have him, Ignatius the not so ferocious dragon sock puppet!  

25th Project announcement

Hi all!

Well it's been a really busy day, we had a bus rally at Hollycombe with 15 visiting vintage buses as well as it being Father's day which really brought the visitors in and kept all us volunteers really busy.

Back home now, dinner cooked and dogs fed so time to sort out this week's project.

I have had a good rummage through the rubbish and found....

A couple of pairs of my other half's old socks. Washed of course!

24th Project Completed - Floaty 'feather' earrings

What a dreadful day weather wise! I don't think it stopped raining for more than a few minutes all day! Mind you it did give me some inspiration for this week's project. I was watching a dove in the back garden this morning and as it started to rain it fluttered away. As it flew it dropped one of it's feathers and it reminded me of a project I did a long time ago using heavy interfacing. It struck me that it would work just as well with the plastic milk container I needed to use so here it is..................

A pair of feather earrings made from a recycled milk container!

Materials used

• A 2l plastic milk container
• Scissors
• Large 'wool' needle
• Jump rings and earring wires taken from some broken jewellery
• Jewellery pliers

Instructions

1. Cut off the top and bottom of the container, remove the label and cut open the middle piece to create a flat sheet.

  

2. Cut out 2 larger feather shapes and 2 smaller ones. Then with sharp scissors, cut small slits (about 1mm wide down each side. Then using a wool needle score lines on the back to add detail and shape the feather. 

3. Now pierce a hole through the top of each feather and using the jump rings attach one large feather and one small feather to each earring wire.

There we have it a fab pair of earrings suitable for all occasions!

24th Project announcement

Well here we are again, Sunday evening. Why is it days at the weekend seem to fly by compared to the days during the week? I guess it is just one of life's little mysteries!

Any way, this week I have a 2l milk carton to play with, so check back on Saturday night to see what I come up with this week. At the moment I have no idea so it could be fun!

23rd project completed - A cute charm bracelet

Hello everybody, here we are Saturday night again, I hope you have all had a good day. This week I have been playing with a sauce pot and a length of chain. So what did I create?

A simple charm bracelet!

Materials used

• Sauce pot
• Length of chain
• Scissors and pliers
• Paint
• Epoxy resin glue or Hot glue gun (you will need glue sticks that do not cool too opaque)
• Beads and scraps of coloured paper
• All purpose adhesive
• Large sharp needle
• Jewellery clasp and jump rings

Instructions

To make the charms

  

1. Cut out six shapes from card taken from the sauce pot. 

2.Paint the back of each charm with a colour of your choice then add beads and scraps of paper with all purpose adhesive to make a pleasing design on the front.

3. Place each decorated charm on a sheet of parchment paper or Teflon sheet and cover the front of each charm with a large blob of epoxy resin glue or hot glue and allow to settle. If using a hot glue gun your charms will have an opaque finish. They will brighten up slightly with a coating of multi purpose glue over the top.

4. Once dried / cooled, remove each charm from the sheet trim and pierce a hole at the top with a large sharp needle. Add a small jump ring.

To make the bracelet

1. Cut the chain to length and using pliers attach the clasp. Now add the charms by linking the jump rings to the bracelet chain.

There we have it a simple charm bracelet, great for a gift!

23rd Project announcement

Hi, only 3 more weeks and I will be half way through my challenge, I can't believe how quickly this year is passing. I really hope you are enjoying the projects so far.

Well time for this weeks project materials:

A sauce pot from the recycling and a length of old chain I found in the shed.

22nd project completed - A butterfly hair decoration

Hi, as you know this week I was playing with an old pair of tights, well this is what I came up with - A butterfly hair ornament!

Materials used

• An old pair of tights
• Thread
• Sewing Machine
• Large embroidery hoop
• Fabric paint
• Length of left over coloured wire
• Scissors
• Hand sewing needle
• Small seed beads (optional)

Instructions

1. Stretch one leg of your tights by inserting the Inner hoop from your embroidery hoop into it, pull tight and tie a knot in each end as shown above.

2. Draw your butterfly onto your tights with a marker pen, make sure it leaves a mark you can see clearly!

3. Hand or machine tack your wire around the edge of your butterfly and then cover using satin stitch. Add some rough detail with straight stitch.

4. Using fabric paints add some colour and leave to dry. Once dry add some final accents, and beads etc.

5. Bend a short piece of coloured wire to make the antennae and head and stitch to the reverse. 

6. Carefully cut out your butterfly and stitch a hair pin to the reverse. Now bend the wings into a pleasing shape.

There we are, a cute butterfly to brighten up your day (and hair!)