All kinds of arts and crafts and DIY. A lot of papercrafts, especially quilling.
A while ago, I decided to let my long-forgotten watercolours shine and spent an afternoon playing with them. I created a few simple bookmarks that day and was left with some scraps of watercolour paper which I didn’t want to go to waste. So, without a real plan, I made a few little tags. They’re really tiny – 3.5x5cm – but I think they’d look okay used as gift tags, perhaps?
Another post in Valentine’s Day spirit? Why not! Today, I’m bringing you 3 simple ideas for DIY gift tags to use with your Valentine gifts. And for once, they’re not all done with quilling! Surprising, I know!
I don’t know about your countries, but mine is now entering the carnival period. Christmas officially ended a few days ago, and the time before Lent is supposed to host colourful, jolly parties. Our celebrations aren’t as prominent as those you’d see in Brazil though, and the group that has the most fun are… children! I’ve no idea where this concept originated, but almost all kindergartens and primary schools organise fancy dress parties for the little ones in carnival here. The project I’m coming with today would have made me so happy 20 years ago! Here’s how, in a few simple steps, you can make a wand – perfect to go along a wizard costume, looking like it was nicked straight from a Harry Potter filming set!
Please forgive me for giving in to the ubiquitous Valentine’s mood – it will soon be over! But before that happens, I’d like to share a few more things. Today, I’m coming with another mandala – heart themed this time. It’s also a great occasion to finally launch a new section on this blog – downloadable resources! I’ve been meaning to do this for ages, and now, having released my Christmas themed book and a few colouring pages, it feels like a good start. So without further ado – here’s what I have for you today!
Continue reading “Heart Mandala Colouring Page – Launching Downloadables!”
The beginning of February is the time when Valentine’s Day occupies every public space. Those who celebrate it – get prepared, those who don’t – complain about the commercial aspect of the holiday. If you belong to the first group and also happen to enjoy little craft projects, you might be planning to make a Valentine’s card. And for all handmade cards in general, it’s nice to have some little decorations to add as details. Whatever cards you’re planning to make – Valentine, birthday or any other type – these mini paper flowers will certainly fit!
Last weekend was quite unusual, as for my standards. Instead of using the two days at home for productive work, I ended up baking a delicious loaf of banana bread, went to an amazing event (more about that on a different occasion) and dragged a box of my rarely used art supplies out of the storage. A quick look inside and I knew what I wanted to play with. Watercolours! That’s how these three bookmarks were born.
After a few food-related posts, I think it’s time for some more papercrafts. And no quilling this time! Today, I’m coming with a super simple craft idea – paper roses. They only use supplies I’m sure you have at home, take close to no time and require no skills. Sounds great, doesn’t it? 🙂 You can make them in any size or colour, with or without stems! Big roses will look nice in a vase, while smaller ones can be used for handmade cards and such. We love such versatility in crafts, don’t we?
The 21st of January, in Poland, is when we celebrate Grandmother’s Day. And who, if not grandparents, can really appreciate handmade gifts? After all, to them we’ll always remain their beloved little grandchildren, no matter the age.
Naturally, I made a card for my Grandmother. A card in quilling technique (oh what a surprise, right? 😉 ). I’ve recently written the first part of my quilling guide, covering all of the available tools – if you’d like to get into this type of papercrafts, you can check it out here! Part two of the guide, covering basic shapes and techniques is in the works.
You may have noticed that I usually praise Aliexpress in my arts and crafts posts. Craft supplies are generally only of interest of a narrow group of people, so with low demand – and rather limited supply too – come high prices in local craft stores. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against supporting local businesses and there are items I buy from them. But when I see the exact same tool that I had bought on Aliexpress in a local store, for 5 times the price, I feel no guilt or shame for buying the thing directly from China.
Buying cheap craft tools and supplies also allows you to play around and experiment with various mediums and techniques, and once you get hooked on something, you know what’s worth spending money on and you can buy higher quality – and more expensive – tools, knowing that you’ll actually use and appreciate them.
Here’s a list of my favourite random creative tools and supplies that I bought on Aliexpress!
Continue reading “My Favourite Aliexpress Arts and Crafts Purchases”
Winter over here has settled for good, which means my lips get dry not matter how much chapstick I use. That’s the time when lip scrubs come in handy. However, instead of buying them, I prefer to make them myself. It’s super easy, cheap and customizable. And you can make sure they’re made out of natural ingredients! If you’ve never tried it – time to give it a go!
