Active Arts & Crafts Posts
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: DIY Macramé Eternal Wave Bracelets
How to make Eternal Waves - Twisted Waves or Double Wave Bracelet. This Bracelet featuring oval shaped designs and wavy bars that crisscross. The bead clasp can be changed if you prefer to use a Sliding Clasp instead, or Clasp with Button. Hope you enjoyed the tutorial.
How To: Make a fake lip or nose ring out of a spiral notebook
In this video from ChickerOutItsSARA25 we learn how to make a fake lip or nose ring using a spiral notebook. At the end of the spiral notebook, pull out the spiral so one loop is out and take your scissors and cut it. Bend it until it breaks off. Now you have a small ring. Bend it into a circular shape to it looks like a nose ring or lip ring. Now before you go and get an actual piercing, you can see what you would look like with a nose or lip ring by making your very own face lip or nose ring.
How To: Torch fire metal clay using a handheld butane torch
The metal clay must be completely dry before you begin the torch fire procedure. Set up your work space in a well-ventilated area with your metal clay on a fire brick. Start your flame and move around the piece in a circular motion, not staying on one point for long. You might see little flashes of flame. Don't panic. That is to be expected. Time yourself for about a minute. Your metal clay should take on a peach color. It is important not to use a butane torch and metal clays that contain or...
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.
News: Amazing Animated Optical Illusions
This is one more cool illusion by maricv84, one where you slide a transparent sheet with black bars overtop a cryptic image to create an animated effect.
How To: Fold an origami magic ball by Kade Chan
The origami magic ball is a very popular but few tutorials show you how to make one in greater detail than this four part series. This complicated paper design takes a little while to create but is worth it in the end when you have a totally unique, fluffy new toy to play with. This origami ball was designed by Kade Chan and is one of the best.
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: 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.
How To: Make your own handmade corset out of some old T-shirts
Upcycle your old T-shirts into a classy and fashionable corset top! All you need are some basic sewing notions, in addition to eyelets and eyelet pliers. Embellish your corset top with ribbon, appliques, rhinestones or any other accessory you fancy.
How To: Make a Paper Plane That Flies Far | Spirit
In this tutorial, I'm gonna show you how to make a very cool paper airplane designed by Kevin Saunders. He calls this model "Spirit".
How To: Store rope to avoid tangles
This is how to store a rope so it will not tangle. If you have long lengths of rope to carry along on a boating trip or camping adventure, it helps to wrap the rope into an accessible yet compact series of loops. This rope will unwind easily for all your rope tying needs.
How To: Join granny squares with crochet flat brain joining
These crochet how-to videos demonstrate how to do flat braid joining to join granny squares. Start by crocheting a border on the first square. Then proceed to join the first and second granny squares with the flat braid joining technique. Watch and learn how simple it is to crochet with flat braiding. Follow along until you have joined all four granny squares.
How To: Do a lanyard tornado stitch
In this how to video, you will learn how to do a tornado stitch. This stitch is similar to a quad stitch. However, instead of bringing the strands straight across, you bring them across diagonally. First, bring the purple strand up and to the left and bring the top purple strand down and to the right. Apply this to the yellow strands. Once this is done, bring the left orange strand right and upwards. Bring the right orange strand left and down. Go over and under and repeat. Do the same with t...
News: Make Optimus Prime Papercraft
Papercraft + Transformers = Fanboy nirvana. Papercrafting is enjoying a renaissance thanks to its nerd-love. Popularity of card modeling boomed during World War II when paper was one of the few items whose use and production was not heavily regulated. Micromodels, designed and published in England, were a popular source of military-themed modeling designs.
How To: Origami a 3D Earth Globe
This origami video tutorial is not for beginners. It's for 3D'ers. Those who fancy the 3D origami sculptures, then watch to see how to origami a 3D Earth globe.
How To: Crochet the start of a granny square
Watch this instructional crochet video to start your granny square pattern. Begin with three loops and a slip stitch. It's more complex than a standard open work stitch, but with a little practice, the granny square is a very comprehensible process. Once you can crochet a circle, you can use this granny square beginning on many other crochet projects.
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: Embroider a stretchy or knit fabric
The problem with stretchy fabrics is that stretching it out in am embroidery hoop will distort the look of the finished project. This tip shows you how to prepare your fabric by using a non stretchy stabilizer, which you can buy at any fabric store.
How To: Make Colorful 'Fireworks' Using Origami Paper
If you won't be near any real fireworks for the 4th of July holiday, do the next best thing and origami yourself some! For this origami fireworks project, you'll need square sheets of paper of different colors.
How To: Tie off the end of your crochet project so it does not unravel
You've finished your very first crochet project! Congratulations! But now how do you tie off the yarn in such a way as to keep the whole thing from unraveling? This video demonstrates a simple and easy technique to finish your project and keep it together.
How To: Wrap a Stone - Easy Tutorial
This tutorial shows how to wrap a Stone easily (Make Cabochon using Macrame knots). With this style you can make your own amulets, pendants or necklaces, also you can wrap a coins or anything else. It's easy to make and suitable for kids and beginners. I hope you will find this helpful!
How To: Make a playing card gift box
What's a better way to give a gift to a magician than to present it in a gift box made of playing cards? This video tutorial will show you how to make this playing card gift box, fold after fold. So, get out that deck of cards, count out 21 of them, and start bending and folding for the perfect card gift box.
How To: Load a quilt onto a frame
Need to load a quilt onto a frame but aren't sure how to do it? This ten-minute free video quilting lesson, which breaks the process down into its simple steps, will remedy that situation post haste.
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: Origami a swan using hundreds of paper triangles
This video shows how to make an origami swan using 471 paper triangles. Your loved one will appreciate this gift because you put in a tremendous amount of effort, dedication and patience required for origami, but its easy to assemble and the only money you will spend is cost of 15 paper sheets. Good luck!
How To: Draft a Basic Pant Pattern Automated
You have read How to Draft a Basic Pant Pattern. It's a most useful guide, but the image is hard to read and the steps many and complex. That's why I wrote a little software program to do the hard work for you.
How To: Make a Patriotic Pinwheel
Keep the kids learning and entertained with this fun pinwheel project. Summer is a great time for family activities, and these Fourth of July pinwheels are a math lesson, craft project and decoration-making session all-in-one.
How To: Make a Fourth of July American Baby Hat
If your little youngster is celebrity his first Fourth of July and you want to get him decked out for the occasion without posing any potential choking hazard with beaded necklaces or bracelets, then this fuzzy hat is the perfect way to get him in the spirit.
How To: Make 3D steps out of paper
Is your life's goal to become a world-renowned architect and build a funky postmodern skyscraper in Dubai? Then start small: Other than learning how to sketch blueprints, you must be able to model your creations from paper.
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: Square up a quilt to get it ready for binding
Before binding a quilt together, the edges of the quilt need to be squared so the quilt will lay flat and look crisp and professional. This video quilting tutorial shows how to square the edges of a quilt before finishing off the quilt.
How To: Sew and join the edges on a crochet ribbing
The Art of Crochet by Teresa explains how to sew together crochet ribbing. Thread a tapestry needle and align the edges of the crocheting project. Sew the first stitch together and secure with a knot. Sewing through the top of the stitch on the edge will help prevent distortion and create a neater look for the ribbing. Pick up the back loop and align it with the stitch on the opposite side. Continue all the way across, sewing through the same stitch. It will push the top of the stitches up, c...
How To: Make a tri-fold shutter card
This tri-fold card idea can be used to make an assortment of great cards for any occasion. This card design may look a bit difficult but in reality it isn't at all. Once you get your card in the accordion fold you are ready to decorate. This video will demonstrate how to fold your card stock into this awesome fold design and make a tri-fold shutter card for any occasion. This scrapbooking design will awe whomever you share it with, just make sure to decorate it to the tee.
News: Fully Functional DIY Pump Action Shotgun Made Out of Paper
This is no paper gun like you've ever seen before. Seriously. Tacome1942's homemade paper shotgun is a life-sized, fully functional Remington 870 replica. It would be hard to tell it apart from the real deal, not to mention it practically sounds like an authentic shotgun, too. The shotgun is made of approximately 97% paper, the remaining 3% consisting of pins, wires, and springs. Check out all the videos below to see the finer details, including the trigger group, shell stop, and disassembly ...
News: Life-Sized Origami Elephant Folded from One Giant Sheet of Paper
Origami is the Japanese art of folding paper, which has been around since the 1600s. The word origami comes from the two Japanese words ori, meaning "folding," and kami, meaning "paper."
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.
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: Origami a Koi fish
Here's a beautiful stop motion instructional video on how to fold a paper Koi fish. Origami a Koi fish.
How To: Make a hair bonnet or night cap
Nightcaps are something that will never get old and have been around for years and years. Originally, nightcaps were invented around the Middle Ages and were used as a way to help prevent head lice. As the years passed by they became more useful in other ways, especially when it came to keeping ones head warm. For women, they were also used to keep not only their head warm, but also to protect the hair from any kind of damage. This video tutorial will show you ladies how to make a hair bonnet...