Memory Wire... added with Paper Beads

After months of being neglected, my paper beads have finally come to use. It looks cheesy tho and I still can't really remember whether or not I have varnished it. But oh well, at least now I have one new bracelet. :)

Bead Necklace (from an unused tasbih)

Saturday two weeks ago (16072011), one of my besties, @nisa_interisti, had a sleep over at my over. She brought stuffs which (she thought) I could recycle. I couldn't recycle all but at least I did make her a necklace out of her unused tasbih.

Tasbih is a like a Rosario, but it is used by the Muslims. It usually has 11, 33 or 99 beads on it (always odd numbers). Some prefer to use tasbih, but Nisa and I prefer to use our fingers. That's why her tasbih was unused.

Most tasbih are made out of very very pretty stone. I had ones made out of cat's eye stones while Nisa's is made out of brown stones. I think the Big Boss wouldn't mind if we turned it into something which people could appreciate more. :)

Things needed:
1. Beads/stone beads
2. Cord (1,5 m)
3. Transparent nail polish - to glue the cord
4. Scissor - to snap this and that, of course.

Bottle Cap Galore

Last year (and also earlier this year) I went into a bottle cap crazy stage. I first saw it here and suddenly became addicted. These bottle caps make really cute necklace pendants. And the good thing is, you can use anything media that you like. Some people even use food - preserved with resin of course!

Anyway, here are some stuffs that I used to make my pendants:
1. air dry clay
2. PVC glue (fox)
3. fabric
4. stickers
5. glitter glue
6. sequins
7. nail polish
8. permanent pens
9. acrylic paint

Here are some of the results of my bottle cap charm. They don't really look like bottle caps once being painted and decorated, ne?


This is my first bottle cap pendant. It's my lucky shamrock charm. I got the inspiration from cutout and keep.


These are what they look after being painted.


They look cute, don't they?

Thesis Box

The lid. It has a quote from Little Mermaid's Ursula on it.

This is a box that is made out of my unused thesis paper revisions. I had heaps of them and I needed a ring box so this is what I came up with. It eventually turned out into a box to store my acrylic paints and other thingamajigs.

I chose not to paint it because I wanted the prints to be seen. I think it's some sort of vanity of mine to show that I did make my thesis months ago!

And ps, despite being made entirely from paper, it's pretty sturdy. But don't let an elephant step on it. Even I can't guarantee that. Hehe. XD



This is what the lid and the box looks from the inside. On the lid you can see the title of my thesis and also the logo of my uni. And inside the box, you can see my mini oranges and my cloth flower.


This is what it looks from the side.

Let's Make Paper Beads :)

Have you ever wonder what to do with paper wrappers that are too cute to throw away? Well, wonder no more! With things you can find on hand, plus extra time, you can turn these paper wrappers into pretty paper beads. Wanna know how? Follow me right now!

Hehe, how was my promotional writing? Did you buy it? I hope you do, because paper beading is fun! I think many people already know this technique, but I feel that it's no harm to post the how-to here. I first learned this technique when I was the fourth grade. At that time I used calender paper. It was pretty plain and I didn't do it neatly so the result wasn't that good.

Well, enough babbling and let's make paper beads!

What you need:
Pretty paper wrappers (or any kind of paper, it's recycling at the best)
Scissor/razor
Ruler (optional)
Pencil/pen (optional)
1 Toothpick
glue
Clear nail varnish (optional)

Steps:

1. Measure your beads

I used these triangles to make the beads. The longer it is, the bulgier in the middle it will be. The wider the base is, the longer the bead will be. I prefer the base to be around 1-1.5cm, while the length around 22cm.
Triangles are just optional. You can make a rectangle and roll it up (it will turn into a cylinder, tho).
Cutting a lot of these in advance saves time.



This is what it looks like after it is being cut (wide: 1cm, length: 22cm)

2. Roll It



Put the base of your triangle on a toothpick and start to roll it. I prefer to put a little bit of glue every other time to maintain its shape.



Roll it tightly, glue the end, and here is what you get!


3. Repeat Step 2



And you get pretty paper beads. Turn your paper beads into necklace, bracelets, earrings, door curtain, etc. Be creative!

I normally add two coats of nail varnish after I've done making the beads. It gives extra protection and also extra gloss. Unfortunately, I haven't got nail varnish right now. But when I've varnished it, I'll put an update.

Happy Crafting! ^^

Plastic Bottle to Earring Holder

What You Need:
Plastic Bottle (I used Pocari Sweat 300l - better without any or minimum lines/grids)
Cutter/scissor (I used both)
Ribbon
Glue
Paint (I used nail polish)
Marker pen(s)

I've always been wondering how to store my dangly earrings without them getting tangled or so. There are many good ones using canvas or those wire nets. Unfortunately it takes a lot of space since I can't hang it on my wall.

I found a quite efficient one on the internet using plastic bottle. The original instructions was to poke holes into the plastic. I chose to cut it because I have some dangly earrings which have clasp on the back, therefore holes cannot fit in.

I decorated it with ribbons and painted it with markers and nail polish. You've gotta use what you have, so nail polish it is. You could also decoupage it or cover it with whatever to your heart's content. Feel free to be creative.

All in all, this project is fun and free! Yay!

Pleated Headband

What you need:
One long string/rope/cable, whatever you like (as long as it's safe)
elastic band (length - adjust to your head)
needle
thread

I learned the technique from a site in the internet. I'll show you the way it is made, but please bear in mind that the pictures are NOT mine. I'd credit the owner of the photo if I knew who.

Since I had pixie haircut, I cannot separate myself from headbands. These pleated ones are easy peasy ones made out of just one single string/rope/cable, etc.









The maroon one was used using the string left from a previous project, Sakura drawstring bag. The gold one is made from an old mouse cable. It's a good recycling project, isn't it?

So, after I complete the steps above, I sew the plait on an elastic band. I normally like gluing things, but in this case, sewing makes it stronger.

This is me wearing the cable headband. My hair was still long. :)

Felt Cake (with strawberry on top)

I made this project during my felt craft rage. It was inspired by one of the wedding gifts that my parents received.

Unfortunately, since I didn't like to follow the exact tutorial, I had to alter a square cake into a round cake. Square cake is easier, especially if you have to insert a box inside it.

But that didn't discourage me, and ta-da, you can see the result of my persistence!

So, if you're interested, here are the basic "ingredients":

felt (any colour that you want your cake to be)
thread and needle, or glue if you're feeling lazy to sew
a small box to put inside the felt.

My box was made out of extra manila paper that I had around which I wrapped with flowery scrap cloth. Recycling? Definitely. :D


Not that neat, but I'm quite satisfied with the result


I use it to store my extra charm loops. Oh, and one of my unused SIM card.

Paper Rose Bouquet (out of my final project papers)

I just finished my study and now I'm waiting for my graduation. Between the final test and the graduation day, I have no exact activities. Therefore, I made these paper roses out of my final project papers (I've got heaps of them).

If I sell my papers, I can't bear seeing someone eating food which is wrapped with paper with my name or my work on it. I heard this once happened to my friend.

And after all, this is recycling, isn't it? Save the trees everyone! :D

If you're interested in making these lovely (unscented) roses, just go here. But beware, it's rather addictive. Hehe.

Craft: Medium Choice

I love crafting since I was a little girl. It gives me the satisfaction of making things, though sometimes I do not like doing it when under pressure (re: school craft).

There are many kinds of crafts that are done, from sewing, beading, knitting, crocheting, macrame, kneading, wiring, and so on.

From where I come from (Java, Indonesia), I think that the preferred craft here is beading. Beading is making things from beads. It's not necessarily jewelry. Those beads could be created into tissue box cover, bag, tiny purse, and more.

One of my aunties pointed out to me about how she likes bead creations and somehow I get the feeling that what I do is inferior. I like bead creations and I admit that they are tricky to make but those are truly not my things. Reasons why they are not: 1. I have to buy the beads. 2. However different the motif is, but the beads are quite common, sometimes even dull. Unless if these beads are not bought but hand made so they have different texture from one and another.

When I went to this craft-jewelry store, most people where learning how to make jewelry out of beads and wire. Okay, pretty, but then it all looks the same to me. Craft medium like clays and doughs somehow are associated with little kids.

Personally, I'm not a fan of every craft that I have to buy the medium firsthand. I do indulge my whim once in a while by buying wire, felt or clay. But normally I'd rather use what I have in hands. So basically, I like recycling.

The feeling of recycling is really fun. From one thing you can turn it into another. Who'd guest paper wrapper could turn into cute beaded bracelet? Or maybe carton turns out into tissue box? And, I think, it's also earth preservation.

But anyway, crafting is a choice. One cannot force whatever one likes to another. Difference makes this world colourful and unique! :)


These are beads that I bought (and given).


These are recycled things, flower brooch from cloth, bracelet from paper wrapper.