Make Your Own Zentangle

Zentangles are a relaxing form of pattern making and make great colouring pages! In this post we’ll show you how to make your own. You can make it as simple or as complicated as you like. If you don’t fancy making your own but would like to colour one in you can print our design and simply add your own colours.

You will need:

Pencil

Paper

Pen (a black fine-liner is ideal but a ball point pen or felt tip will also work)

Eraser

Colouring pens or pencils (optional)

Step 1.

Using the pencil make some sweeping lines right across the page. Press lightly with the pencil. Keep making lines until your page is divided into lots of smaller sections.

Step 2.

Still using the pencil start filling in the small sections with different patterns. Use your imagination and see how many different patterns you can create.

You could try:

Shapes such as circles, square, triangles or random blobs
Shapes from around you; leaves, rain drops, clouds, wood grain
Lines; straight, wavy, dotted, dashed
Patterns you like; maybe hearts, flowers, dots, zig zags

Keep going until you have filled each section with a pattern.

Step 3.

Carefully go over your lines with the pen.

Step 4.

Rub out your pencil marks. Make sure you wait until the pen ink has dried before you do this and work slowly so you don’t crease your beautiful drawing.

Step 5.

If you want to you can now colour it in!

Have fun and don’t forget to show us how you get on!

Terrific Tassels!

Tassels are really easy and fun to make and look great added to key-rings, as decorations or used to make a wrapped present extra special. Follow our instructions to make your own!

You will Need:

String, yarn or thick thread
A small piece of cardboard
Scissors
Ruler (optional)

Step 1.

Cut a rectangle of cardboard about 4 cm wide and as long as you want your tassel to be. So, if you want a 10 cm long tassel cut a rectangle of cardboard 4 x 10 cm.

Step 2.

Place the end of your yarn (or thread or string) at one of the narrow ends of the rectangle and then begin winding around the length of the cardboard.

Step 3.

When you’ve got lots of wraps (the more times you wrap the fuller your tassel will be) cut the yarn, ending at the same edge you started.

Step 4.

Cut a small length of yarn and slide it under one half of the wraps, tie it tightly around the yarn wraps at one end. Knot the two loose ends together to make a hanging loop for your tassel.

Step 5.

Carefully cut the loops of yarn at the opposite end of the cardboard.

Step 6.

Cut a longer length of yarn and wrap it around the tassel about 2 cm down from the end you tied off previously. Tightly knot the ends of this bit of yarn so it holds the tassel together and doesn’t come undone.

Step 7.

Give your tassel a haircut to tidy it up! Make lots of tassels and use them to decorate things. What else could you use to make tassels? Strips of fabric? Ribbon?

Have fun and don’t forget to show us your makes!

Delightful Decoupage!

In this post we’re going to show you how to turn an ordinary box into a special container using scraps of paper and glue.

Decoupage is a form of collage used to decorate furniture and small objects by covering them with coloured paper, magazine cutouts and other decorative elements.

You will Need

A box to decorate (a shoe box or small, sturdy cardboard box is ideal)
Papers to decorate with (scraps of wrapping paper and old magazines are perfect)
Glue (PVA if you have it but a glue stick will work just fine)
If you’re using PVA glue a spreader is useful (a piece of scrap card works well) and a small bowl to put the glue in and water it down
Scissors

Step 1.

Select your decorative papers and cut them into pieces. Try not to cut them too big or too small; anywhere between 2cm-10cm is ideal. Squares and rectangles are easiest but any shape is fine. You could cut out images and pictures you like form magazines such as birds, people or landscapes.

Step 2.

Cover one side of your box with glue then start sticking on your pieces of paper, overlapping all the edges slightly so that all of the background is covered. Fold your paper over the edges of the box as well to give a smooth, neat finish. If you’re using PVA glue it’s worth watering it down a little bit to make it easier to work with and so that it goes further!

Step 3.

Cover the other sides of the box in the same way. You might need to let them dry out in-between so you don’t stick to the table! Make sure you don’t have any gaps and that all the edges of your paper are properly stuck down. If you’re using PVA glue remember it dries clear so don’t worry if it squidges out a bit.

Step 4.

Leave the box to dry thoroughly. If you have any bits of paper sticking over the edges now is a good time to trim them off and neaten things up.

Step 5.

To make your box more long lasting (and shiny) you could finish it off with a coat of varnish or another coat of PVA Glue. You could even decoupage or paint the inside of the box as well.

Have fun and don’t forget to share your finished makes with us!

Paper Wreath

Here we show you how to transform some cardboard and old magazines into a beautiful wreath!

You will Need:

Cardboard
Pencil
Two plates, one bigger than the other
Old magazines
Scissors
Glue
A piece of string or ribbon

Step 1.

Use the pencil to draw round the larger of the two plates on your piece of cardboard

Step 2.

Place the smaller plate inside the circle you’ve just drawn and draw round it to give you two circles

Step 3.

Cut out the circles so that you have a cardboard ring

Step 4.

Tie a piece of string or ribbon onto the ring so that you can hang the wreath

Step 5.

Select green pages from your magazine (if you want green leaves, you could have any colour) and cut out lots of leaf shapes. Try and make them slightly different sizes.

We made ours by folding the magazine pages in half and cutting half a leaf shape which we could then open out, giving us a more 3D effect.

Step 6.

Start gluing your leaves onto the cardboard ring. Tuck them underneath each other and work your way around. We only glued the ends of our leaves so that they would stick up a bit and not be too flat

Work your way all around the ring

Step 7.

Cut some petal shapes and small circles from your magazines to make flowers

Step 8.

Glue your petals and centres on top of the leaves. Think about how many flowers you’d like and where you’d like them. I put a few on one side

When you’re happy with the arrangement hang your wreath up and admire your handiwork! Don’t forget to show us how you got on!

Magic Pictures!

How to make your own magically appearing pictures!

This week we’re going to show you how to make magic pictures, they’re great for experimenting with water-colour paints and they make lovely cards.

You will need:

Paper
Water based paints (poster paints or water colours are ideal)
Paint brush
Wax candle or white wax crayon
Water

Step 1.

Use the wax crayon or candle to doodle a design on your paper; I know you can’t see it but don’t worry!

Step 2.

Start painting over your doodle with very watery paint, the wax will resist the paint and your design will magically be revealed! You can use several colours on each piece if you want to.

Step 3.

Let your design dry and then, if you want to, you could make it into a card to send to someone you’re missing at the moment.

Have fun and try lots of different designs, don’t forget to let us know how you get on!

Rocking Rabbit Card!

How to make a rocking card for Easter (or just for fun!)

As it’s nearly Easter we thought it would be fun to show you how you can make a rocking rabbit card. You don’t need many supplies and you could adapt this tutorial to make all sorts of other rocking characters.

You will Need

A piece of A4 card
A pencil
A circular template (for example a tub or plate)
A Glue Stick*
Googly eyes*
Yarn*
Tissue paper*

*If you don’t have these things you can use felt tip pens instead

Step 1.

Fold the card in half

Step 2.

Use your circular template to draw a half circle on the card, making sure the middle of the circle goes along the fold in the card

Step 3.

Cut along the line you’ve just drawn

Step 4.

Open the card out and check the fold goes down the middle of your circle. Draw two rabbit ears onto one side

Step 5.

Be careful! Cut out the rabbit ears along the pencil line but DO NOT CUT THE FOLD. If you have a craft knife and a cutting mat you might find it easier with these.

Step 6.

Your card should now look something like this, fold the ears up to make it more rabbity!

Step 7.

Decorate! Give your rabbit eyes, a nose, whiskers and a mouth. Fill the ears in with little pieces of scrunched up tissue paper. Or, you could just use felt tip pens or coloured pencils to draw your rabbit.

Step 8.

Almost Finished! Write a message in your card and check that it rocks then send it to someone special.