Felt Roses in Wine bottle

The dining section really required a change as it was dull with few table mats. Also, as felting is now too interesting, I thought of making roses using felt. I was interested in contemporary look, so planned to go for blue and beige shade combo..!! 
So, lets get started...!

Required materials:
9 in * 12 in basic felts- for 24 roses I used 4 Aqua blue sheets and 1.5 Sandstone shades.( from Michaels)
Glue- Elmer's glue
Needle and thread
Florist Wire
Scotch Masking Tape #2050
Krylon Texture Paint 
Wine bottle
Wire cutter

My approximate cost: $12.00
Time consumed: approx 8 hr
Complexity: Medium

How to do:  
1. Making Roses- 
Roses are inspiration from a youtube video. I made these roses 2 years before using satin. So this time wished to fold it using felt.
Divide the 9*12 inch felt sheet into 1.5 inch strips. This gives you 6 strips of 1.5inch * 12 inch. I used 4 sheets to make 24 of these.

I created the below video to explain the making of roses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5-mXJXK_Fc&feature=g-upl

2. Making sepals-
Use the Sandstone shade of felt for cutting out sepals for roses. 
Take a small sheet of paper and cut out 2 inch * 2 inch square.
Follow the below diagram for next steps.

As in diagram 1., fold the sheet into 4 both horizontally and vertically. Crease diagonally too.
Diagram 2. Cut out the shape and use this to cut out 24 pieces from felt sheet

Diagram 3. Fold each piece into half and give a small cut in the middle to make a grove.

3. Insert sepals to each rose through the groves. You can glue them to roses if there is a gap between them. Once all roses are ready its time to make the stem..!

4. Use the floral metal wire to create stem. I took 12 inch length and folded it thrice to give it strength. Then twist the wires together.

5. Insert it in the roses and tape it using either masking tape or colored duct tape.

6. Making a leaf-
I added a leaf to bring out beauty to the bouquet.!
- Fold the felt sheet and draw out half shape of the leaf. Cut the shape now.

- The leaf too needs floral wire so that it can be twisted the way you wish to keep it in the bottle
- Cut a wire of 10 inch and tape it at the center of leaf using masking

- Fold the leaf again into half, keeping the wire in the center.
- Use needle and thread and stitch around the wire and felt sheet. This gives a projected line at the center of leaf to give it a natural look.!! Isn't this pretty?! :)

- This is how it looks from backside.
- Twist the wire of the leaf around the bouquet and make it fall downward.

7. Wine bottle painting
- Spray paint the wine bottle using same shade as sepals. I used Krylon Texture paint with Stone texture.

8. Let them dry well for 4 hours. 
Note: Please read instructions on the can carefully before using.

9. You are ready to keep the roses in the bottle and decor the dining set..!!

10. Add little glitter at the center to make it more attractive.

Now its your turn to try it out.! Happy crafting..!! :D
Let me know your suggestions and comments.! :)

Suggestions:
- Roses can be made of satin ribbon of 1 inch or 1.5 inch width too.

Inspiration from:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53sVo-K6peg&feature=related 

Roll..! Tissue Roll..!

This time I saved the tissue roll's left out cardboard roll to do weekend craft. There are many designs and patterns you can do using these.!! 

Let me share the one I have done.

Required materials:

cardboard rolls of tissue rolls- I picked 3 of them

glue - I used Elmers glue

paint- you can use water color or arylic

canvas sheet- again its up to the design you pick. I sticked on a 10*10 inch canvas

My approximate cost: $ 8.00 

Time consumed: approximately 2.5 hrs max

How to do:

Get the cardboard rolls to start with. Fold them to give a crease and shape them as you wish to. 

Paint them and let them dry.

 Cut the strips of 0.5 inch each.

Take one strip and glue it to the other. Keep sticking in the shape you wish to. 

I gave flowers, buds and leaves shapes. The sepals of each bud is created by folding one strip through its center and glue it. Let them all dry for 10 min before moving them to canvas

Now time to stick on canvas. You can use glue guns to glue and center and edges of each petal. I used paint brush and spread them carefully. Make sure that the paints doesn't get messed up because of glue.

Let them dry off for 15 mins.

Now ready to hang..!

Suggestions:

You need not glue on canvas. The patterns can be glued one to the other and hung as a wall decor.

You can try painting the inner side of strips with contrast colors to the outer paint shade. This can definitely project the design more.

If you are interested, you can do little shading on the canvas, inside each petal using paints and brush. Well, that all up to your artistic mind..!! 

Inspired from:

http://rustic-crafts.com/?p=1996

Try it out. ! Let me know your questions and suggestions.!!

Feel good bowl..!!

Another tiny project, which can be later turned to a terrarium. I am planning to create a terrarium with artificial plant, but before that lets do this.

Required Materials:

Used buttons, stones, gravels, sand, marbles, pebbles and all what you would like to put as a theme in a glass bowl

One glass bowl

Dried tree branches

Time consumed: approx 1 hr max

How to do:

Collect few dried tree branches depending on the bowl size. Lets paint them as per theme. I used brown to show my tropical effect..!

Get your glass bowl, fill with gravel and sand. Sand can always help to tuck whatever you wish to be fixed in the bowl.!

Arrange the stones and I gave green effect with few pending buttons...

Complete filling and then add the painted branches in it. Its all set..!! You can think of making trees green by gluing tiny cut pieces of green felt paper. 

Suggestions:
Try making a winter theme with brown sand, layered with white stones or cottons. Tuck the brown painted branches, you can then stick little cotton on branches to show the snow everywhere.!! 

Keep kids happy with these tiny projects.!! :)

Wine bottles..:-)

Wine bottles can be used and decorated in so many ways..They add to your room to give classy, contemporary, messy or whatever look you wish to..!! Not joking. :)

These are easy projects which can be done enjoyed by any age group. Also if you really wish to customize a wine bottle before gifting someone, add little paints over it.. what say? :)

How to do:

So paint a used wine bottle if you wish to or use it as it is. I spray painted it. Spray painting gives it a bit uneven surface as the excessive paint starts tripping downward and as it dries it looks pretty..!

Now ready to pick paints, I used acrylic and created 3 musical notes. Select any theme you wish to and you are done.! Doesn't this look good to be on a corner of your dining room..! :) Hope you love to do this..!

Hanging dangling..Patio decor

This is one of my interesting projects. I thought of making these when I saw few old faded bangles which I still love, but can't wear anymore.

So thought of using them in some possible easy and cheaper way.!!

How to do:

All you need are satin ribbons ( I selected 3 shades), bangles, and mirrors to add the spark and glue to stick the mirrors.

Take the 3 satin ribbons, tie a knot and start braiding them. In between keep one side of bangle and again braid till u reach its opposite side. Now loop that side in.

Once its done, you can glue the mirrors, either one side or both sides and allow them to dry and they are ready to be in your patio..!!

Watch them far and see the way they sparkle in light. I have my patio light adjusted to fall on them and the reflections fall on ceiling. Doesn't it sound interesting?? Give it a try..!!

Alphabets anywhere ..:-)

This project is just for time pass as my husband and myself where getting bored. This adds liveliness to any corner of the house you wish to place it if you can stick magnets ..!

And come on, anyone can do this project. You need nothing other than any paint you wish to paint it with. If you wish to do this for kids, then let them color with crayons, markers, color pencils or what not.!!

I used spray paints.

How to do:

I got these alphabets again from Michaels and of course they are wooden..

Paint them the way you wish and let it dry off. Glue the magnets which you can buy again from any crafts section. Let them dry off and its all ready..!! :)

I got them on my living room doors.!!

So where are you willing to have them ..!! :)

Canvas with easy roses..

I feared using canvas for these many years thinking its for all professional artists...

Now I gained confidence that anyone can pick it and use, if you have little hands on paints to get things done the way you wish..!

You can see the new art along with my Crayons art.

How to do:

I made split canvas style using 3 canvas of 10* 10 inch size. Painted with acrylic. Aligned them together and drew branches using brown shade.

Now its time to make flowers and stick them on.!

Flowers are made of felt papers. I picked them from Michaels.

I forgot to capture the steps for making roses. You can refer the below link for the steps from the blog I referred

http://fleurfatale.blogspot.com/2008/10/paper-felt-flower-tutorial.html

 Stick the flowers using glue (I used Elmers glue). Once dried, they are ready to be one of the amazing art on your wall..!

Hope you enjoy making one for yourself..!! :)

Crayons and Magics..!!

Crayon are definitely part of ones school days.. Now you can make them part of any day..!!

They can bring up all new style on your wall..

This idea is from Pinterest and I am sure its gonna make you reach any shop to pick couple of Crayon packets.. :D

How to do:

Get a canvas board, any size you wish to hang on your wall. I suggest that you make sure it has height so that the crayons can melt down and add to the beauty..!

Crayon packets as many you wish depending on board's length. I know Crayola crayons melt evenly and faster. Not sure about other brands

Stick the crayons using any glue on the Canvas. I used Elmers.

Start blowing a normal hair dryer closer to the crayon and allow them to drip off. 

Note: Make sure that you hold exactly vertical else the air direction can make them drip off in different directions. Have patience to do this.!! You are gonna love this..!

Let them melt down as much you wish to..!!

Once cooled down, its all ready to be an amazing piece of decor..:)

Reference: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/back-to-school-diy-melted-cray-154672

Halloween is yet to come..! :-)

Yes I know we have few more months for Halloween, however I couldn't resist posting my last years work.

This is again a simple easy to do wall/ door decorator.

How to do:

You need normal sheets. If you want to pick same orange colors then you can do that or can paint as I did. 

Also pick the flower making metal wires. These are required to fix the items and you can twist and turn the pumpkins and leaves the way you wish..!!

Cut the leaves into maple leaves shape. If its not possible, just pick a leaf and make a trace out on paper and cut it out. It would look natural if you can shade it..

Similarly, draw pumpkins and give shades on it. You can cut out as many as you wish. I created a bigger one to add at the bottom and then branch out the rest.

Bigger pumpkin is then decorated with paper cut outs to makes funny plus scary look..!! Hope kids gonna enjoy this part.!! ;)

Now stick these to wire pieces and at then end arrange them to different heights. Keep twisting the wires together to make them intact. 

At the end, paste the biggest pumpkin at bottom as in first pic..!! I added few feathers on top just to make it more interesting..

Hang them wherever you wish..!! :)

Have a fun filled Halloween this year.!

Paint Easy..!!

I was new to US and staying alone for a while. When loneliness started dominating me all I could find to come out of frustration was to walk as much I can, though I knew at times it was risky to walk on isolated roads. That's when for the first time I wished to pick these cones and start giving them some shades. One of my colleagues cum good friend suggested to check in Michaels to get paints.

These are painted with golden and Green and yellow shades.

And later in 2011 I did few more but painting only the outside with different fall colors.

How to do:

Any age people can do..!! Its just fun.. :)

Pick the cones which you feel are in good shape. Brush them off with dry brush to remove any dirt and make the surface clean. I recommend that you never wash them with water. Their texture may change.

I used acrylic paint and flat brush.

The best thing is arrange them the way you want and paint with any theme colors. I would suggest go for the season and then decorate accordingly.. You can tuck them on beautiful wreath for coming fall and winter..!

I am planning for few more this year..!! :)

Hope you enjoyed this art..!