Active Arts & Crafts Posts
How To: Make Glass Beads at Home
Have you ever been curious about how glass beads are made? Or are you interested in getting started in the glass bead business? In this video, see how one bead maker creates beautiful glass beads.
How To: Attach a Jewelry Clasp
One important part of jewelery making involves properly attaching clasps. This how-to video jewelry making tutorial demonstrates the proper way to attach them. Begin by threading the crimp bead and the clasp onto the bead wire. Using chain nose pliers feed the thread around and loop it back around through the crimp bead. Use the pliers to hold the crimp bead tight. Crimp the bead down securing the wire and clasp.
How To: Facet a Rough Sapphire into a Beautiful Gem
if you are looking for a hobby that will pay for itself over time, consider faceting stones. Precious gems like sapphires and rubies are a sound investment that will never lose value, and you can produce them from your home with the right equipment.
How To: Make an MP40 Gun Out of Paper
In this tutorial, you'll learn how to fold and assemble an MP40 gun out of paper. Using just paper, scissors and tape, you can make a toy replica gun with working parts. (Of course, it will lack the firepower of a real MP40!)
How To: Make Soap Logs and Ribbon Embeds
Learn to make soap logs, ribbon-shaped, and other embeds for candles. Video: .
How To: Make Your Own Beeswax Candles at Home
Beeswax is a clean-burning and pleasantly scented wax for candles, and beeswax candles make excellent gifts. This tutorial shows you how to make your own rolled beeswax candles at home. All you need is your primed candle wick and a few sheets of beeswax.
How To: Add Crochet Embellishments to Clothing
Un-dull your crocheted sweater with a little creativity. Adding some decorative details and features to your clothing will do wonders for fashion, and could hide unsightly holes! Embellishing with crochet can be a creative way to repair a piece of clothing, and it can add flair to a piece by inserting a neckline or a hem.
How To: Make Soap Curl Embeds
These videos show you how to make soap curls for use in molded soap cavities. Create colorful, fun boutique-style soaps for gift giving.
How To: Fold an Origami Magic Rose Cube
Origami, by its nature, injects a bit of magic into its incredibly tangled, convoluted folds and motifs that turn a flat sheet of paper into a living, breathing creature/work of art.
How To: Make a Grave Rubbing
Grave rubbing is more than just an art. It's a record of the past, one that so many people would just rather forget. And graves are the one way to reconnect with that world. Discover the ancient art of gravestone rubbing to record beautiful headstone images or to enhance your genealogy studies. It only takes a few simple tools, and you're on your way.
How To: Cast on with Work in Progress When Knitting
Ever wonder how to cast on with work in progress when knitting? Well, wonder no more with this knitting demonstration video!
How To: Create a Flat Panel on Knitting Loom
Learn how to create a flat panel on a circular knitting loom. The flat panel demonstrated shows the use of a garter stitch to prevent the curling that occurs when knitting a stockinette panel. To learn how, watch the video on YouTube from user PurlingSprite.
How To: Determine if Jewelry or Coins Are Made from Real Gold or Fake
You never know what you might stumble across on your next visit to a flea market or thrift store. Real gold is very soft, so biting down on the piece is a time-honored test for real gold. You can also examine your jewelry for a maker's carat stamp or discoloration that may indicate fake metal.
How To: Machine Knit a Baby Blanket with a Brother Garter Carriage
If you have been curious about how a Brother garter carriage works, this 2 part video will show some basic steps to casting on and knitting a baby blanket. The charity blanket pattern used is available free on the internet. This video machine-knitting tutorial also shows a trick to switch yarn without the joint showing. Follow along with this video and learn how to knit a baby blanket using the Brother Garter Carriage knitting machine.
How To: Fold Paper Airplane | F16 Fighting Falcon
Hi guys, Here is a tutorial video on how to make a paper plane model of a F16 Fighting Falcon.
How to Fold a Paper Plane: Stealth Fighter
This is a tutorial how to make a Stealth Fighter paper airplane. Check it out, guys :D Hope you like it
How To: Make a Paper Plane That Flies Far | Super Arrow
Super Arrow - an awesome paper plane that can fly far. GUARANTEED!!! In the video below, see how to make another cool paper plane that can travel FAST and FAR. Just follow the instructions.
How To: Sew a Knife Edge Pillow with a Zipper
This is a great project for beginners - sew your own knife edge pillow with a zipper. If you can, use a rotary cutter instead of scissors to get better, cleaner lines for your project. Also get a sturdy zipper.
How To: Crochet an Angel Halo
Improve your crocheting skills by creating fun holiday shapes. This how-to video is a tutorial that will show you how to crochet an angel halo. Crochet several angels and halos to decorate your house during the holidays.
How To: Convert a Pattern for Crochet into a Knitting Pattern
Crocheting and knitting are similar but different enough that the same patterns will not work for both. If you've found a crochet pattern you like and would rather knit it, watch this video to learn how to convert your pattern into the kind you want.
How To: Cast on When Using a Serenity Loom
In this video, the author teaches us how to cast on with serenity: wrap your material around twice, grab the back and then up (around your fingers) forming a slipknot. To start off, we will focus on the inside of the loom, pulling the material towards the outside (using a grochet hook). Take needle between two pegs, pulling material through and put the needle down and pull up (rotating towards you) and repeat. This forms a tier duct and if this is done properly, you should be able to do this ...
How To: Fold an Origami Camera Using Nothing but a Dollar Bill
Cameras can be pretty pricey, but this one only costs a buck, though it's pretty limited in its functionality. That's because it's no ordinary camera, but an origami one made using nothing but a dollar bill.
How To: Make DIY Bohemian/Hippie Headbands
Need a fun getup for Earth Day, or want to make an inexpensive but highly fashionable costume piece for Halloween? Then you've stumbled upon the right video.
How To: Loom Knit Newborn Baby Mittens
When making these knit newborn mittens use 2 strings at the same time for warmth. Wrap the string around your finger twice to create a slip knot (back loop over the forward, and then pull it down to leave the loop). Use only 7 pegs from the 24 peg loom. Use the anchor as the starting point. Put the slip knot over the first peg. If you're right-handed, work towards the left; and likewise, if you're left-handed, work towards the right. Now, wrap over and back down the peg beside your first peg....
How To: Origami Money to Make a Hawaiian Money Lei
This video origami tutorial shows how to fold up dollar bills and attach them onto a lei necklace to create a Hawaiian money lei. Watch, follow along, and never give a cheap, boring gift again.
How To: Tie a Rope Helix for Bondage and BDSM Play
Strings of DNA aren't the only things that contain helixes. With a bit of skill and practice, you can make your own rope helix for fun or bondage and BDSM play by watching this video by Two Knotty Boys.
How To: Make a Paper Plane That Flies Back Like a Boomerang
Have you ever seen a paper plane that comes back to its owner? In this video, you'll see how to make a paper plane that flies like a boomerang and keeps coming back.
How To: Fold F15 Jet Fighter Paper Plane
This tutorial will show you how to fold an Awesome F15 Paper plane. Please keep in mind that this model can not fly.
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 an actual currency, paper money was 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 then were heavy.
How To: Angel Wings & Macrame Shell Bracelet Tutorial
In this tutorial I will show you how to make a Macrame shell bracelet with pearls, it also has a very stunning look, kind of reminds me of Angel wings. Perfect for wedding, party and daily wear accessory.
How To: Make a Military Bugle Cord Decorative Knot
Bugle cords are used as elaborate ornamental leashes on bugles and trumpets, but they are also used as snazzy ornamentation, called aiguillettes (a type of fourragère), on uniforms worn by certain members of the military. While you could buy one pre-made, you could also make one yourself. But this should not be confused with the infantry blue cord of the U.S. Army, which is another type of fourragère only with more elaborate knotting.
News: Chinese Ironworkers Build Massive Transformers Megatron Tank
Jiiang Chen and Yang Junlin, of the Wing Wah metalcraft factory in Huizhou, China, forged together a 10,000-pound replica of the Megatron tank as seen in the movie Transformers 2. The tank is from a series of other massive works from the company's "Legend of Iron" project (see last year's insane Megatron below). The tank was assembled and welded together with mostly scrap metal by the two expert craftsmen. In a word... insane.
How To: Crochet a loopy granny square with a flower motif
Crochet loopy granny squares will indeed remind you a little bit of your Gran Gran's favorite knitted coasters that she collected en masse throughout her lifetime. But the snuggly, historical and vintage quality of these granny squares is exactly what makes them so delightful.
How To: Make a Doo Rag Pattern
Video: . Whether you are gardening, cooking, riding a motorcycle or just want to cover up on a bad hair day, doo rags are easy to make and fun to personalize to suit to your style. If you would rather just download the durag pattern click here.
How To: Make Perfect Scrabble Tile Pendants
Gather Supplies Ready to make the best Scrabble tile pendant possible? This easy tutorial will show you how to make your own custom necklace out of a Scrabble® tile.
How To: Make a Macrame Fish Bracelet
This video tutorial shows How to make a Macrame fish bracelet, Good accessory for the summer season!
News: DIY LED Carpet-Light
For the craftsters & LED lovers, great idea by Johanna Hyrkas. The LED carpet-light: a simple, yet novel DIY project. A single strand of LEDs is encased in a knit tube; the knit tube is wound together to form a carpet. Brush up on your knitting skills, and get creative.
How To: Sew 3D faux cathedral window quilt blocks
Watch this instructional quilting video to sew three dimensional faux cathedral window quilting blocks. These easy to make blocks add great accents to any quilt. The cathedral window quilting block is actually made up of four smaller patches with another square sewn inside. The 3D effect requires some careful folding. Pin down the frame of the window to give it a curved edge. For the center patch you can use patterned fabric or a photograph.
How To: Take Your Measurements
These measurments should be taken and recorded before drawing up you clothing design pattern. Wear the bra and panties you will be wearing with the final garment. Another option, especially if you are going to be selling a series of the garments, is to follow a size chart. While sizing is not very standardized in the clothing industry, I like the charts on the Burdastyle website which are in both inches and centimeters. When measuring, the tape measure should be neither too tight nor too loos...
How To: Make an Origami Dragon (Akira Yoshizawa)
Learn how to make an origami dragon design by the famous origami master Akira Yoshizawa from the book Origami Museum Animals.