Active Arts & Crafts Posts

How To: Bleach paper to make the color pop

This video tutorial is going to show you how to bleach paper to make the color pop. First take a piece of black paper, apply a bit of bleach and see what color it turns. Because, different cards change color differently. Next you will need a stamp, embossing ink and black embossing powder. Apply embossing ink on the stamp, stamp the black paper and put black embossing powder on the paper and dust it off. You then need to heat the paper. Bleach out the portions that you want color. Follow the ...

How To: Make a tied fleece blankie

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to make a tied fleece blankie. Select any colored fleece and a coordinated patterned fleece. Purchase one yard of each fleece. Cut the fleece so that you have two pieces of 36 x 30. You will need a pair of scissors and a ruler. Sandwich your fleece together and lay it on a flat surface. Make your first cut at the 4 inch mark. Continue to cut in on strips until you reach the end of the fabric. Then turn the corner and cut a 4 inch square out of the fab...

How To: Make Nintendo perler bead necklaces

The video tutorial is about creating an 8 or 16 bit Nintendo Character necklace. The first step is to select or search an 8 or 16 bit game character, the person in this video tutorial recommends choosing a sprite (which is a 2D character. Doing online search will help a lot in finding a Sprite character. The second step is to gather the supplies such as Perler Beads and Peg Boards. The peg board will be used in assembling the Nintendo Character necklace. Other supplies includes ring, chain an...

How To: Make a simple pair of beaded earrings with wire

To begin you will need to gather the following supplies: needle-nose pliers, wire cutters, two fish hook wires, two head pin wires, and a few beads of your choosing. First take the head pin and string your beads onto the head pin. Once all of the beads are on the head pin bend the top of the pin at a 90 degree angle, then cut the wire about 3-4 cm from the top of the wire. Next use the needle nose pliers and bend the wire into a circle, place the fish hook wire on top of the head pin wire to ...

How To: Make a paper ribbon bow

This is a great instructional video on how to make a paper ribbon bow. This video teaches you step by step to make a nice paper ribbon bow. This will be very much useful for children work in school or even at home. You need color paper, scissors, gum, pencil and a set square. First you have cut the color papers so as to make about 1 inch width ring from it. You have to paste the paper ends to make it as a ring. Similarly you can make another ring with lesser width. You can make about four rin...

How To: Crochet a 10 point star

This is a crochet super star featuring 10 points to the star. This video will take you through this crochet tutorial teaching you what to look for and how to make it. Going step by step, you will be great. This is a wonderful afghan, doily, table setting, baby mat and more. Good luck and enjoy this crochet tutorial.

How To: Crochet a granny ripple afghan

This easy to follow fifteen part series will walk you through each step in how to crochet the granny ripple afghan. Row by row, and step by step you'll learn how to master the granny ripple afghan. With instructions and the proper tools you'll definitely learn the granny ripple afghan crochet.

How To: Crochet with beads

This how video will teach you how to attach beads when crocheting. Beads can be found on purses, doilies, scarves, and more. This will take you through a step by step on how to apply. Be careful now, applying the bead at the wrong part of doing a stitch will cause problems in the future. If not attached at the proper spot, the beads will loosen and flip flop around.

How To: Left hand crochet a sock monkey

This extensive how to video walks you through each step to create a crotched sock monkey, for a left handed person. The instructor slowly and thoroughly walks you through each step in the process. Starting with the limps all the way to the eyes, before you know you'll have crotched a sock monkey.

How To: Basic treble crochet a scarf

This wonderful two part tutorial will have you crocheting in no time. It's a back to basics account, to have you easily crochet your very own treble stitch scarf. Using single crochet, double crochet, and half double crochet. This is great for beginners or someone looking for a new adventure.

How To: Make your own paper box

Gift boxes come in handy when giving quick gifts, but what if you don't have one around the house? Then simply just make your own! This video shows you how to make a small box with just a piece of paper. First, fold a long strip of paper on both ends of the paper. You want it to be the width of your finger. Then, fold the paper in half while the folds are on the inside. Then watch the rest of this video to learn how to master this box-making technique and to start gifting!

How To: Make felted wool ball

This two part video tutorial demonstrating a variety of wet felting techniques used to make a 100% wool ball, perfect for gentle indoor play, baby toys, or even toys for your pet, cats love them. As well as needle felting embellishments demonstrated in part two.

How To: Crochet a flower hair clip

This extensive training video will have you crocheting a flower hair clip. It is an easy to follow training for any level student. The teacher takes you step by step in crocheting this cute flower hair clip for your granddaughter, daughter, or even your girlfriend.

How To: Turn an old towel into shorts

To recycle an old towel into shorts, fold the towel and cut it into a short leg's length worth of fabric. Cut another piece into a short leg's length worth of fabric. Draw a curved seam on one edge. Stack the towels and pin them to hold the fabric in place. Cut out the seam on both of the towels. Separate the towels and sew up the seams on both of the fabric pieces. Do not sew the top seam and front side seam of the shorts. Instead, sew the front and back side seams together. Thread and sew a...

How To: Make button drop earrings

In order to make this your going to need buttons (as many as you want depending on how you want it to look), some hook earrings, jump rings and a flat nose pliers. Take the buttons you wish to use, and open the jump ring with your flat nose pliers. Take another button and do the same thing. Link both of the jump rings together. Close the jump rings with the pliers. Next set up another jump ring with button. Repeat with as many buttons and jump rings as you wish. When your finished with adding...

How To: Make a squared-style friendship bracelet

Kiwua demonstrates how to make squares friendship bracelets. There are 3 pink threads on the left, 2 black threads in the middle and another 3 pink on the right. First, you take two from left and make a knot from left to right. Then, with the same threads, another knot from right to left. Now you take the next two, a pink one and a black one and makes a knot from right to left. She repeats this action, the same way. After that, she takes the next two threads and knots them from left to right....

How To: Make a friendship bracelet with the letter "I"

Ever want to have a friendship bracelet with your own personal saying on? Well, it's going to take a lot of experience to get there. Start off with learning the basics of friendship bracelet making, such as the basic knots and skills. When you think you are ready for a challenge, try to write your name in a bracelet. This video is ideal for learning the letter "i". "I" is a very common letter to be in first names and it is probably found in yours too! After learning how to make the "i" try to...

How To: Make a cross stitch ornament with Needlework finisher

Beth Johnson explains how to use Needlework Finisher to turn cross stitched pieces into ornaments. Needlework Finisher comes out of the bottle as a thick, white liquid, but turns into a clear plastic coating when dry. No special equipment is required, and Beth demonstrates how to daub the Needlework Finisher onto the cross stitched items with a finger tip. She allows one side to dry before coating the other side. The "wrong" side of the cross stitch can be covered with plain fabric, by using ...

How To: Make diamond-styled friendship bracelets

Kiwua How demonstrates making a diamond patterned friendship bracelet. She starts with eight strands of string tied in a knot at one end. She has the knotted end clipped to something so that it doesn't move easily. The diamond pattern is created with a series of simple knots rotating across the strings. The direction of the knots is rotated from left to right and right to left among the screens. She does a great job demonstrating pulling strings out of the way as needed and showing which stri...

How To: Crochet a double treble stitch

For those interested in crochet, this video tutorial outlines the steps to doing a double treble stitch. This type of stitch is a much taller stitch than most others. To begin, you will start with a five chain series that will act as the first stitch. Wrap the yarn around the hook three times and insert it into the next stitch. You will then pull the yarn through working off two loops at a time. Working off essentially means dropping the loops off the crochet hook. Then, you just repeat these...

How To: Make a briolette charm drop necklace

In this video tutorial, viewers will learn how to make a briolette charm drop necklace. The materials required to make the necklace include: a small piece of wire, briolette bead, charm of your choice, a jump ring (for the charm), chain necklace, round-nose pliers, long-nose pliers and cutters. Begin by putting the wire through the bead. Bend and cut the wire to shape a loop. Put the charm on the jump ring and attach it to the bead. Then add the bead to the chain and tighten the loop. This vi...

How To: Make a chunky sailor anchor necklace

Learn how to make your own jewelry starting with a gold anchor and plastic gold chain necklace by following the steps Kandee outlines in her tutorial. You will need a drill, some attachments for it, a gold pendant, gold chain, and clasps to connect your necklace. To begin, create your pendant by gluing an anchor charm to a plastic square pendant. Once you have created the pendant, drill holes in the upper portions of the pendant. Then connect the gold chains on each side of the pendant using ...

How To: Make a felt strawberry

Felt food is a great substitute for unsafe toys for children. A real life mom gives tips in this video on how to create great felt food that her children absolutely love playing with! The instructions are easy: Use wool or wool-blend felt instead of craft felt; it feels nicer. The first thing you need to do is cut out the felt patters provided on the website. You will need a red half circle, and a four pointed star. Seeds can be added by tying French knots using white thread. The next step is...

How To: Do the Brayer technique for scrapbooking

Anyone interested in scrapbooking can learn how to do the Brayer technique with ink refills for cards with this video tutorial. You will need a piece of glossy cardstock as well as stamps. Make sure to keep your fingers off the paper to avoid smudging. You will need the dandelion stamp to stamp the cardstock. Add a stem stamp to your flowers followed by the dandelion fluff along the top of your paper. Then, emboss your stamps with black embossing powder making sure to use a separate piece of ...

How To: Make a paper box for fun

This is a video clip about "how to make a paper box". To make the paper box get a hard sheet paper and follow the instructions. Fold the paper into a half and unfold it and fold the other ending of the paper into half. Then, fold the one corner side of the paper and make a triangle to fit the center as the right triangle and do the same procedure for the other corner side of the paper. After that, fold the bottom side of the paper upwards and repeat the same process for the rest of three corn...

How To: Fold an origami paper Valentine heart

In this video, Nekkoart demonstrates how to make an origami valentine heart. Begin with a sheet of paper that is nineteen cm by eight cm. Fold the paper to form a square. Unfold. Fold both sides to the center crease. Unfold again. Fold the paper in half horizontally (not forming a square) and unfold. Fold a corner to the edge of the center crease. Unfold and repeat with the other corners. Squish both sides down to form a square. Fold down the upper half. Fold down the two triangles at the top...

How To: Make a shredded paper flower

This video shows the method to make a shredded paper flower. Take a butterfly paper from April bad girls kit and cut it into eight and a half by eleven. Put this paper into paper shredder and cut it into strips. Take a handful of strips and cut them into half. Repeat this until you get enough pieces to make the flower. Take the paper strips cut into half and put them together around the center. Staple them at the center so that you get a bunch of strips. Repeat this for two more bunches. Stic...

HowTo: Paper Plate Geometry

Oh, what fun you can have with a little math + a little origami. Bradford Hansen-Smith folds intricate geometric sculptures entirely from paper plates and is kind enough to offer a few HowTo's to get you started. Examples of his work below; scroll all the way down for the HowTo.

How To: Fill a handheld butane torch with fuel

Jill Erickson of Art Jewelry Magazine demonstrates how to fill a handheld butane torch with fuel. You can purchase butane fuel at a grocery store or at a hardware store. First, uncap the butane fuel can and hold your butane torch upside down. There will be a small opening valve where you will vertically insert the top of the butane fuel can nozzle. Make sure the components are aligned straight up and down. Then, use direct downward pressure to get the fuel into the torch. The fuel can will hi...

How To: Easily make a scrapbook shaker box

Cut a square or rectangle card. Similarly make another one but a square hole in the middle. Cut a square of page protector exactly same size of the card and paste it on the back side of the card with the hole using a glue or tape. Now paste a journaling or note you made to the middle of the card without the hole using glue. Place mounting tape on all four back sides of the card with the page protector. Now remove the outside of the mounting tape on three sides, not four. Place the card with j...

How To: Clean a diamond ring

If your diamond ring has lost some its sparkle, it might time to clean it. Diamonds might be expensive, but you can easily clean them with simple household products. Follow the steps in this video and that rock will be shining again in no time!

How To: Make a paper flower mistletoe kissing ball

To make a paper flower mistletoe kissing ball, cut leaf petal shapes out of green paper. Apply glue to white wire berries and attach them in between four paper petals. Wrap the ends of the petals with wire to secure the bouquet. Adjust the leaves as desired. Snip the excess wire with wire cutters. Insert the mistletoe bouquet into a Styrofoam ball. Repeat until the ball is completely covered in mistletoe bouquets. Attach a red bow to the top of the mistletoe ball. Finally, add string to hang ...

How To: Craft a large paper apple tree

This is a perfect craft project for the classroom or to do with the family. Have fun designing your tree and use it as colorful decoration, help learn about trees, tell tails, or as a fun prop to make play theater really come alive.