Active Arts & Crafts Posts
How To: Fold a dazzling origami martini glass for the New Year
Your New Year's party guests will swear these are the real thing and perhaps even pick one up to pour some Chardonnay in if you're not careful! This origami tutorial shows you how to fold realistic - and damn cute - martini glasses.
How To: Fold a fun origami treasure chest
Hone your origami folding skills - as well as craft a pirate-chic treasure chest that can actually store your precious plunder - by checking out this origami video. Your finger dexterity will be challenged by the curved fold, an advanced origami fold that leaves the leagues of angular folds behind in the dust.
How To: Fold an advanced origami macaw parrot
If you're like us, you always begged your parents to let you get a parrot (What? They make you look like a pirate when perched on your shoulder), but they never consented because of the noise factor.
How To: Fold an icky origami earthworm
And you thought real earthworms were scary. This origami earthworm, which has segments that can bend and twist, is just as if not more icky than their living and breathing cousins.
How To: Fold a small iambic icosahedron origami star for Christmas
Love folding origami? Then what better shape to fold for Christmas and the New Year than a star? A symbol of divinity as well as light and life during the dark days of winter, a star also makes great decor for Christmas trees and garlands.
How To: Craft elegant origami Christmas tree cards
One of the most impressive and unique ways of crafting a Christmas card is via origami folding techniques. Using a few simple triangular folds, you can easily make the boughs of a beautiful Christmas tree out of paper, ready to be assembled onto a card.
How To: Craft an inexpensive and fast 5-minute standing Christmas paper tree
During the holiday season most of us have a Christmas tree up in our living rooms, filled to the brim with sparkly ornaments and twinkly lights. But the Christmas spirit tends to be a bit damper at work, where the most jolly it gets is making a makeshift post-it note Christmas tree on our cubicle wall.
How To: Fold simple origami t-shirts from money
Are you sitting in class the last day before holiday break, simply dying over how long each minute is before that last bell rings and you get to head to Big Bear? Pass the time (though obviously do so discretely) by crafting these simple origami t-shirts. Each t-shirt is folded from a monetary bill, which we're pretty sure you have in your pocket.
How To: Craft a modern 3D Christmas tree card
The holidays are all about giving and glitz and glamour, so combine them all together by crafting this cute modern Christmas tree card. A very geometric 3D Christmas tree stands out from its red background, adorned with sparkly glitter dots.
How To: Make a water bomb out of paper and tape
Out of balloons? You can use plain white paper to make a water bomb! All you will need is some fairly waterproof paper (printer paper works well for this), and some Scotch tape. And, of course, some water to fill it with!
How To: Crochet a left handed slanted shell for a baby Afghan
This is a great gift for a baby - crochet a small afghan for them! This tutorial shows you how to use the slanted shell technique, and has been designed for use by those who prefer to use their left hand to crochet.
How To: Make a crafty rosette decoration out of recycled paper
Rosettes can be used to add a little extra touch to nearly any craft project. You don't need to spend a lot of money to buy them - you can take a stack of scrap paper and recycle it into lovely, colorful paper rosettes!
How To: Recycle old envelopes into bags for small holiday gifts
You don't have to spend a fortune on expensive gift wrapping when the means to make them yourself are right at home! This tutorial shows you how to take a collection of old envelopes and recycle them into fun and cute gift bags for small holiday gifts.
How To: Make vintage style luminary boxes as a Christmas gift
This is a fun and festive craft you can use to dress up your home or give away as a gift. All you will need are some of your favorite vintage graphics, your chosen cardboard box, a craft knife and a hot glue gun.
How To: Weave a traditional Danish heart basket for Christmas
This is an easy and fun craft you can use for just about any gift, and can be made with any fabric and to any size. Just start with two pieces of cut fabric, and follow along with this tutorial to end with a traditional Danish heart basket!
How To: Make a produce bag out of recycled old scarves
This makes a great gift for anyone who is into recycled crafts. Start with a lightweight scarf you don't use anymore (square or rectangular) and some cording or ribbon, and then follow this quick sewing tutorial to transform it into an eco-friendly produce bag.
How To: Create a festive Christmas wreath out of recycled materials
Start with a basic wicker round, and then use scraps of recycled fabric to make holiday rosettes. This tutorial uses red and white fabric, but you can make your wreath using any festive, colorful cloth or trim in your scrap basket.
How To: Turn stretchy loose jeans into skinny jeans
Did you recently lose some weight, or do you have some jeans from years ago that you love but are slightly too loose fitting for your tastes? While you can certainly toss them, why not simply make them skinnier?
How To: Turn high waisted jeggings into low waisted jeggings
Jeggings are quite possibly the most awesome fashion piece invented. First of all, jeggings are essentially jean leggings. They look like jeans, but they wear comfortably like leggings. So you can look like you give a damn even if you don't!
How To: Sew a simple high-waisted retro skirt with Gianny L
A high waisted skirt is one of the most flattering skirts you can wear. Because it's cinched in directly at the smallest part of your midsection - your waist - you automatically get an hourglass figure silhouette.
How To: Turn an old oversized tee into a loose dress with braided straps
You know all those t-shirts that you accumulate randomly? Like that XXL t-shirt you got from Subway during their holiday promotion, or that Key Club t-shirt you wore once and never touched again?
How To: Sew a funky superized bow top
Without a doubt this is the biggest bow you can ever wear on your body - ever. And best of all, it's not slightly tackly like a Lady Gaga hair bow or bow clip-on accessory. In fact, this bow is so big it barely looks like a bow at all.
How To: Sew a feminine ruffled chiffon dress
Chiffon is one of those naturally feminine fabrics. Soft, airy, and breathable, it ruffles easily and sashays with the breeze, giving potential suitors just a peek of your sexay curves.
How To: Sew DIY pom pom knee high sock hold ups
Knee high socks are totally school girl chic and help warm up your legs on a cool fall day when you want to stay toasty while looking fashionable. But if you've ever walked around a shopping center for more than half an hour with your knee highs on, you know that they've now quickly turned into mid-calf socks.
How To: Craft a DIY rocker chain ring
Let's face it: Rock stars wouldn't be half as cool without their hardware. We're talking those tough studded leather jackets, piercings, and of course rings.
How To: Craft a simple rock'n'roll fringe and chain tank top
Dark, punky glamour has never been more in on the runways. From YSL's blood red lipstick to the harsh stud and leather detailing on the clothes at Philip Lim, it seems that rock stars are the newest fashion role models.
How To: Fold origami love knots/crane eggs
You've heard about origami cranes before - they are, after all, the primer for all other origami projects. But what about crane eggs? That's right, crane (pre) babies! Sort of. Check out this video to learn how to fold crane eggs/love knots that are cute for putting in jars and gifting to friends.
How To: Fold origami straw lucky stars
Now you can literally count your lucky stars. Take a gander at this origami video to learn how to fold cute origami straw lucky stars. They're beautiful and adorable on their own, though they can be made quickly in large quanities to put into a pretty jar as a gift for a friend.
How To: Fold two versions of origami flat hearts
Most origami shapes are three dimensional. But what if you want to fold a shape to glue onto a Christmas or Valentine's Day card?
How To: Sew Madonna-inspired easy lace fingerless gloves
Have you ever been in a Madonna mood but didn't have the guts to rock full-on padded shoulders and leather glovelets? Then these lace fingerless gloves are the perfect balance between '80s cheekiness and wearability.
How To: Make no-sew simple star cutout leggings
If pop superstar Ke$ha ever saw these star cutout leggings, she'd totally be rocking them in a heartbeat. This crafting project requires absolutely no sewing skills, just a pair of leggings (with stars or some other pattern on them) and scissors.
How To: Sew a cute and romantic halter dress
This shows you how to make a beautiful and simple halter dress. You will need at least one scarf (more if they are sheer), a few yards of your favorite fabric, scissors, a needle and thread, and a measuring tape.
How To: Make a pair of triangle cutout leggings without a sewing machine
This video shows you how to take a pair of leggings (PVC works best, but any tight fabric will do) and turn them into a pair of trendy triangle cutout leggings. You will also need some thin ribbon and a sharp pair of scissors.
How To: Make a steampunk style holiday snowflake ornament
This tutorial shows you how to make a snowflake out of washers and other bits of hardware to make it look like a steampunk Christmas ornament. This only takes a few minutes, and is an easy accent to any gift or tree.
How To: Create beautiful beaded hair medallions
These crafts are ideal handmade gifts, especially if there is a belly dancer on your list. You will need a needle, sturdy thread, scissors, small pliers, clear nail polish and craft glue. And, of course, the medallion you want to use!
How To: Create your own glitter and crackle charms
This small charm makes a great accent for any gift. Turn it into a wine charm, a cell phone charm or a jewelry charm. All you need is a plain pendant style charm, clear craft glue and your favorite craft glitter.
How To: Airbrush onto a mini canvas using Copic markers
Looking for more interesting things to do with your Copic airbrush? This technique shows you how to master the art of airbrushing on a very small canvas, using markers that have been designed to work with this airbrush. Great for holiday projects!
How To: Make gift tags and photo corners out of cereal boxes
This is a great holiday project that also encourages recycling! Take a few old cereal boxes and repurpose them into either tags (which you can use for gifts) or glittery photo corners that you can attach in your albums or scrapbooks.
How To: Make a cute mini button bound book as a gift
This cute project makes a great holiday gift - a tiny hand sewn book bound with buttons. You will need some pattern or designer paper (2 3/4 inches by 5 3/4 inches), about twenty pieces of smaller white paper (2 1/2 inches by 4 3/4 inches), and basic paper crafting tools.
How To: Make lovely and festive Christmas ornaments using a sewing machine
These ornaments make a great embellishment to any Christmas gift or present, and are easy to make out of scrap fabric. You can also use them as a tree decoration! All you need, besides a few sewing notions, is some heavy cardstock.