Arts & Crafts — How-To Videos, Articles, & Inspiration « Arts & Crafts

How To: Fold an Origami F-18 Fighter Jet Out of a Dollar Bill

Origami is an art form, but origami using dollar bills? It takes this art form to a whole new level! In this three-part video tutorial, learn how to fold an F-18 Hornet fighter jet plane out of a dollar bill, origami-style.

How To: Fold a Lifelike Origami Rose for Valentine's Day

What better way to express to your sweetheart what love is all about than by giving her an origami rose? Origami roses, unlike the real flowers, last forever (as long as you don't sit on them accidentally) and look beautiful when attached to stems and turned into a bouquet.

How To: Draft a Sleeve Pattern

A well designed sleeve is very important to creating a top or jacket that fits comfortably. Get your correct measurements before you begin. Please view the following step-by-step instructions and accompanying video and diagram to create the basic sleeve.

How To: Make an Origami Lily Flower

this tutorial explains how to make a traditional origami lily from one sheet of paper. No cuts, no glue needed. You'll Need

How To: Do a cabled pleat

In this tutorial, we learn how to do a cabled pleat. First, do three stitches onto the cable need and hold them in front. Then, slide the needles together and start knitting on each needle with the separate needle. Continue to do this until you are done. You will then put four stitches on the cable needle and then hold them parallel again. You will continue doing this process until you have reached the end of your row. This may take you a few times to accomplish, but practice can help. If the...

How To: Make a music box using a musical greeting card

Interesting in making your own music box? This video will walk you through the steps to creating your own makeshift music box, and the main ingredient… a musical greeting card. This is a really easy idea that's perfect for a gift box during the holidays. So simple, so easy. A great project for the kids!

How To: Origami an orchid flower

Looking to add a rare and exotic specimen to your paper garden? Perhaps something in the orcidacae family? You're in luck. This free origami video lesson presents complete instructions on how to make your own decorative orchids from folded paper. For more information, and to get started making paper flowers yourself, take a look!

How To: Make a Yami Yamauchi Pandora's Box with origami

In order to make a Pandora's Box, you first need glossy paper. The paper should basically be in the shape of a square, length 15 cm one side. Then divide the paper into 5ths. Now make 5 such folds on the paper and be sure that every fold is equidistant. Similarly, turn the paper around and start folding it from the other side too, in the same fashion. By doing this you will realize the folds have resulted in equal, similar sized boxes on the paper, 25 in total.

News: Papercraft Steak

Your very own steak dinner. Every little last bit, down to the plate, silverware and side dish.

How To: Fold an origami orchid

Learn how to make an origami "orchid" by slightly altering an origami iris / lily flower. This origami video shows how to make what I call an orchid flower... really it's something I made by mistake when first learning to make an origami lily / iris. You'll need to start from the frog base.

How To: Fold the Record-Setting Glider-Style Paper Airplane (Guinness World Records)

We've all attempted to fold a paper airplane before, right? One we hoped would sail majestically through the air for a good while but just ended up nose-diving into the grass. Paper planes, an invention likely as old as paper, are models of engineering; and they must account for the same dynamics as real planes, from drag force to stability to weight. So what is the perfect design?

How To: Make Chain Mail Armor from Start to Finish

This article is a guide for making Chainmail Armor from start (simple wire) to finish (a finished chainmail shirt). We will be using the European 4 in 1 weave, as this is the most common weave. This is the weave that you usually see in movies. There are several sections to this guide: Materials, Making the Rings, Weaving the Rings, and Making the shirt.

News: 50 FREE Papercraft Robot Downloads

One of the greatest things about the internet? Free papercraft downloads. Enjoy Botropolis' collection of 50 fun robots. Just download, print, and assemble. My top ten favorites below. Wall-E. Robocop. Optimus Prime. R2-D2. The Terminator. Poseable Toy Robot. Retro Bot. Godzilla. Poco Bot with 6 rotation points. Robot Owl.

How To: Decrease Stitches In Knitting

When you make an actual garment you will have to know how to decrease and increase stitches. For this article we'll deal with just the decrease.

Money Origami, Flower Edition: 10 Different Ways to Fold a Dollar Bill into a Blossoming Bloom

The very first banknotes were used by the Chinese in the 7th century, during the Tang Dynasty. Before it was used as a true currency, paper money was used as part of a deposit system in which merchants would leave large amounts of coins with a trusted associate and receive a paper receipt for the transaction. The reason was simple—the copper coins used as currency at the time were heavy.

How To: Draft a Basic Pant Pattern

Written Instructions with accompanying video for anyone who wants to make a basic pant exactly to your measurements! Please get your correct measurements before you begin from How to Take Your Measurements.

How To: Sew you own pair of easy, Victorian style bloomers

The perfect undergarment for your Victorian costume re-creation. You don't need any pattern, just take your measurements and get a yard or so of thin, lightweight fabric. Then cut, pin, sew and finish. Your own pair of Victorian inspired bloomer pants!

How To: Fold a Magic Rose Cube—A Flower in a Box Origami Puzzle

To play off Gertrude Stein's famous quote, a rose is a rose is a magic paper cube. And with this paper folder's guide, you'll learn how to make your very own magic rose cube from paper using the Japanese art of origami. This design by Valerie Vann, and folded by YouTuber German Fernandez, is great for Valentine's Day or any other day where a paper puzzle rose is needed. Just be prepared... it's a not just a puzzle origami rose, it's a puzzle folding it.

Trippy DIY Animations: Use These Printable Templates to Make Your Own Moving Optical Illusions

YouTube illusionist Brusspup has used everything from mirrors to fire to create his optical illusions, but his latest trick is a little more 2D. Using a printer, a transparency sheet and a piece of regular paper, he made several illusions that trick your brain into thinking they're actually animated when the transparency is slid across the paper.

How To: 10 Easy, Last-Minute Origami Projects for Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is a day for love, but it also just happens to be the time when every flower shop in town hikes up their prices. Chocolates are still relatively cheap, but I never understood why you have to give the gift of bigger love handles when something more creative gets the job done at a much cheaper price.

How To: Make a plump origami goldfish with Jo Nakashima

This plump goldfish requires even less maintenance than the real things, and will look adorable as a conversation piece on your desk or a countertop. Composed of orange origami tissue paper, this fish stands up all on its own despite its rotund belly.

How To: Knit with a serenity loom

This video demonstrates how to knit with a serenity loom. A serenity loom can produce a blanket up to 10 feet. To start, thread a double loop of thread through a straw. Then use the loop of thread to pull through a piece of yarn. The straw will help you place the yarn around the pegs of the loom easier. Tie a loop around the anchor of the inside of the loom. Then loop completely around each peg, being sure to place the loops in the middle of the pegs consistantly. Wrap as far as you want your...

How To: Join metal jewelry pieces together without using solder

You can fuse metal together without having to solder it. By using a butane torch, you can heat your pieces of metal until they are almost but not quite melted. Once they reach this flashpoint, you can easily fuse the pieces together.

How To: Draft a Basic Bodice Pattern

Unlock the secret to clothing design. If you can draft and sew a basic bodice you can design virtually any kind of t-shirt, blouse or other top! Attach a skirt and you now have a dress! Take your measurements by using the guide in the " How to Take Your Measurements" section and let´s get started! If you would rather just whip up an easier beginners t-shirt go to How to Design a Quick T-Shirt.

How To: Origami a vagina

In this how to video you will learn how to origami a vagina. What better way to honor your lady than to make her a paper replica of her vagina.

How To: Rig up a harness out of rope to carry large boxes

You will need around twenty feet of thick, sturdy rope (something smooth like jute or nylon will also prevent the harness from digging into your skin). Tie as demonstrated in this video, and you'll have an instant messenger bag for carrying boxy things around!

How To: Make Modular Origami Icosahedron from 30 Sonobe Units

Learn how to make Modular Origami Icosahedron from 30 sonobe units. What do you need: 30 square pieces of paper with size 9cm x 9cm.

How To: Join two granny squares together using a single crochet stitch

The single stitch is a very simple stitch, easy for beginners to master, which can be used to join two granny squares together. This is a useful technique for joining any two crochet pieces together of any size or shape, not just granny squares!

How To: Wrap embroidery thread around a bobbin

In this how-to video, you will learn how to wrap embroidery thread around a bobbin. In this example, the embroidery thread is both purple and light purple, but you can choose whatever you want. First, take the end of the embroidery thread and place it through one of the slots. Hold it back, and then wrap the embroidery thread around the bobbin until you get near the end of the thread. The end should be placed in a different slot on the bobbin. By viewing this video, you will learn how to quic...

How To: Weave a suit of medieval scale mail

Scale mail is slightly superior to chain mail, since it has a greater ability to deflect blows. But it is a little trickier to make than chain mail - but not by much! This tutorial shows you how to make an excellent suit of scale mail.

How To: Fold a Simple Dragon Head

During my early elementary school years, origami was my go-to pastime. When it came to learning about it in art class, I ventured out well past the basics that were being taught.

How To: Knit a Ball

Knitted balls can be used for all sorts of projects. The obvious is a Christmas ornament, but knitted balls can also be the basis for knitting toys or snowmen. And of course, they can be used simply as balls which make a lovely gift for a baby. They can be all one color, striped or patterned. To get started, follow the directions below for a one-color knitted ball. You will need to know how to knit on double-pointed needles, so if you need help with that, check out my other article.

How To: Turn Wooden Ear Plugs on a Lathe

I turned my first ear plug purely as a challenge when the question was asked on a turning forum and nobody could provide an answer. I didn't know much about them, only a general concept of the shape I was going after.

How To: Disassemble your home sewing machine for routine maintenance

Many sewing machine repairs can be made at home, and most repairs can be completely avoided through routine sewing machine maintenance. This tutorial shows you how to carefully disassemble your machine to give it a round of maintenance. You will need a screwdriver - make sure not to lose any of the screws!

How To: Recycle an old cardboard box into sheets of handmade paper

You can recycle your own cardboard boxes and get sheets of beautiful, handmade paper. It's quite easy. You'll need a paper mold, but those are very easy to make (you can use a cake pan or baking dish in a pinch!)

How To: Create an infinite flipping origami square

Flip, flip, flip, flip to infinity! This crafty how-to shows you how to create a super cool, origami square that can flip over and over again! A clear, concise video, teaching you how to make this little project that's sure to keep your hands busy for ages!

How To: Attach a charm on a chain

In this tutorial, we learn how to attach a charm on a chain with Anna. To begin, grab a pair of pliers in each of your hands. Now, pick up the chain with them and gently lift up one side of the flap. After this, pick up your charm and attach it onto the chain. When finished, attach the chain onto the larger chain (bracelet or necklace), then gently close the chain link back up. You will want to gently press the opening back down leaving no gaps in it, or the chain will come loose and you will...