Active Arts & Crafts Posts
How To: Make German paper stars for Christmas
This video shows how to make German paper stars for Christmas.Step 1. Measure and cut strips of paper.Step 2. If we are using shorter pieces of paper glue the strips together.Step 3. Weave the strips.Step 4. Starting with the upper left strip. Fold down. Repeat all the way around. Skipping every other strip.Step 5. Tuck the last strip under the first strip.Step 6. Flip and repeat. If there is a trouble getting some of the strips to go under the other strips cut the ends at an angle.step 7. Fl...
How To: Master the basic crochet steps
Start by making a loop around the needle. Next you grab the yarn string with the needle hook and pull it back through the loop. It should now be around the needle shaft. Do the same thing again, grab and pull through. When you have done as many as you want, turn the crochet around and put the needle through the last loop, grab the yarn and pull it through, ending up with two loops around the needle, grab the yarn and pull through both of the loops, you now have one loop on the shaft. Repeat u...
How To: Make an evelope without scissors
This video will show you how to make an envelop without using any scissors. You’ll just have to fold the paper into a diamond and fold in all of the points to the intersection line. At about the halfway point fold the bottom half up and the top flap half way down. You’ll have to estimate that manuver to get the envelope look. The great thing about folding your own envelop is you can make it out of whatever you’d like including colorful magazine pages.
How To: Bind a quilt without bumps
In this video we are shown how easy it is to complete the finishing join on a quilt binding. Just before the final join 6 inches of binding should be left over at the beginning and the end, while the rest of the binging should already be sewn down. The two ends of the binding should overlap by at least 6 inches. You will then need to cut the thread and remove the quilt from the machine, then measure the binding width and overlap the two pieces and cut off the excess binding to match the width...
How To: Make chainmail quickly
Like A Flint demonstrates how to quickly make chainmail. First, find heavy gauge wire at a construction site or a craft store. Then, wrap the wire around a dowel or a tube until it forms a coiled spring. Remove the coiled spring from the tube and clip the spring into rings with a pair of wire cutters. Using two pairs of pliers, open up the ring and thread four rings inside of it. Close up the ring. Keep adding rings on top of rings until you achieve a chainmail like design. The process of mak...
How To: Make a paper Chinese star
This video is a demonstration of how to make a Chinese paper star out of newspaper. First take a folded piece of newspaper and fold it in half again the long way, and then again, to make a narrow strip. Fold the strip in half to crease it, then fold the strips at a right angle in both directions. Fold the outside edges in toward the center twice and then in a triangle. At this point you will have a thick diamond shape. Repeat with another sheet of newspaper. He demonstrates how to join the tw...
How To: Make a basic paper airplane glider
There are very few pasttimes as fun as tossing paper airplanes around during class. But, don't you hate it when you make a really neat looking plane, throw it and it falls straight down? In this tutorial, learn how to make a very cool paper airplane that is designed to glide, so that you can impress your classmates and properly annoy your teacher..after all, isn't that the fun of study hall?
How To: Sew a buttonhole pattern
This video will show you how to use your sewing machine to create a buttonhole stitch. The buttonhole patter is very useful when making clothing because it does exactly what it’s name implies. It is the stitching used to sew a hole for your button. The pattern is not as hard as it looks. You follow an ABC sewing pattern to create the four sides of your buttonhole and if you go slowly and follow the pattern with appropriate height adjustments your will be butting stuff up in no time. To finish...
How To: Fold the Cobra style paper airplane
In this how-to video, you will learn how to make Cobra-style paper airplane. All you need is a regular piece of paper. This style is useful for hitting targets or flying straight. Fold the paper in half vertically and unfold. Take the top corner of the paper and fold it to the edge of the middle crease. Repeat with the other corner. Take the tip of the center and fold it to the horizontal line created by the folded corners. Make sure you make tight folds. Open it up and make a fold horizontal...
How To: Bead a necklace with a pendant
This video will show you how to make a beautiful and dramatic beaded necklace with a pendant. She uses a sterling steel shield pendant but you can use any pendant you like. You can choose any type of beads depending on the look you would like to achieve. In this case hematite beads are used to create a medieval look. You will also want soft flex beading wire, needle nose pliers, beads, lobster clasp, and sterling silver spacers. Create a patter and then go to town with your beading. Try makin...
How To: Make a woven yarn friendship bracelet
Friendship bracelets are classic gifts. They are easy to make and mean a lot to the person who receives them. In this video, learn how to weave a friendship bracelet in the "V" pattern and make something that looks unique and colorful. This video tutorial is quite easy to follow and detailed. If you are already familiar with the weaving process you should have no problem mastering this technique.
How To: Make a friendship bracelet with letters
Friendship bracelets are a simple gift that can really show someone how much they mean to you. What better way to tell someone you made something especially for them than personalizing it?
How To: Crochet a left-handed frilly crochet square
Want to know how to crochet a left-handed frilly crochet square? My southpawed friend, have you ever come to the right – or, should we say, correct place. This free video crocheting tutorial will walk you through the process, step by step.
How To: Make a paper napkin flower
With this artsy, craftsy how-to, you'll learn how to make flowers with paper napkins and a pair of scissors. Pretty. And pretty cool! For a detailed, step-by-step look at the process, watch this free video tutorial!
How To: Make a meteor diorama
Make a breathtaking meteor diorama that will blow the competition away! This five part video series will show you everything you need to know about making a diorama, from setting up the box to placing dolls. This diorama is sure to impress!
How To: Make three easy hair brooches
So you want to make a brooch, do you? You're in luck. This video tutorial, which outlines how to make three distinct types of hair brooches, will get you started making your own custom hair accessories in no time. For detailed instructions, watch this arts & crafts how-to.
How To: Knit toe-up socks
You don't have to pay retail prices for store bought socks. Make your own toe-up socks by knitting them at home. This four part video series will take you through every step of the process with detailed instructions on knitting toe-up socks.
How To: Tie paracord knot balls
Have more paracord than you know what to do with? If so, and if you're interested in storing it in a creative, esthetically-pleasing fashion (that is completely without any sort of material utility) then the paracord knot balls outlined in this video are for you! Tie some with this free video lesson.
How To: Make paper mache mirrors
This illustrate us how to make paper mache mirror. Here are the following steps.Step 1:Take a piece of cardboard and make two circle on it with two different circumference.Step 2: Now cut through the outer circle as well as the inner circle to obtain the rim.Step 3 : Now take a sheet of cardboard and cut it in shape of a flower.Step 4: In the center of the sheet place the rim.Step 5: Now along the petals of the flower stick a pile of rounded newspaper.Step 6 : On this newspaper and cardboard ...
How To: Make an origami spinning top, step by step
This is an instructional video that demonstrates how to make an origami spinning top. You need seven square pieces of paper, and she uses 6"x6" sheets. First fold the paper diagonally. Fold the short edges to meet the long edge. Unfold it and use that as a guide for the next fold. Fold the top triangles down and tuck on corner into the pocket. Make seven exactly the same. She shows how to slide one folded piece of paper into the next one and fold the edges over each other to hold them togethe...
How To: Make a front-post double crochet stitch
First of all you need to work around the stitch that you have made in the previous row. To make this front post double crochet you have to first loop over the yarn on the hook. Now pass this into the first stitch of the previous row at the bottom. Go around the stitch to the back and from there you have to come back again to the front. Now yarn over and pull it through the loop. Again yarn over and pull it through the two loops as shown. Again yarn over and pull it through the last two loops ...
How To: Make braided friendship bracelets
Learn how to make friendship bracelets, using a cardboard braiding disc and string (wool, embroidery thread, colored string, etc.)
How To: Square up a quilt block
This video demonstrates how to square up a quilt block. Once you have your quilt blocks made up you have to square them so that they are all even sided and the same size. Take your most uneven sided square and lay it down. Place a square ruler over it. Line the ruler with the sides. Once you've measured the square determine how much should be cut from each side. Use a rotary cutter to cut each side down so it is even. Then lay the square ruler over the square again to measure your success. Re...
How To: Fold a paper wallet with 5 pockets
A wallet is something everyone carries around. Stand out with this wallet which you can make yourself! Start with a regular eight and a half by eleven inch sheet of paper. Fold it in half width wise. Then open it out again. Next fold the paper into fourths by folding the halves over. When you open the sheet back out you should have four equal, long rectangles. After that, take one edge of the paper and fold it over half way into one of the four rectangles. Watch the rest of the video to compl...
How To: Fold an origami anime, Pokemon Palkia
This video origami tutorial shows how to use the traditional Japanese art of paper folding to make an anime, Pokemon Palkia. These instructions begin from the basic form of four cranes. Learn how to fold and origami an anime, Pokemon Palkia by watching this instructional video.
How To: Make an easy and simple wallet out of paper
In this video, you will learn how to make a wallet out of paper. First, you will need a piece of paper, a pen, a straight edge, and something to cut the paper. Place the paper on a flat surface. Fold the paper in half, hamburger style and unfold. Fold the bottom half up to the middle crease. Now fold the top half to the middle crease. Fold this in half again and fold it in half one more time in the hamburger style. Now, unfold the paper. Draw lines where you need to cut the paper. Once this i...
How To: Make a paper parol Christmas lantern
Here is an easy way to make a beautiful parol. All that you need is colorful papers, scissors, tape, stapler pin. Now take five sheets. Cross fold it and tear the extra paper, so that a perfect square is formed. Do it for all the five sheets. Now fold it cross wise, and again fold it in the same manner, so a triangle shaped paper is formed. Cut the papers cross wise and not on the edges. Care should be taken that it is not fully cut. Then open the paper, several sheets are formed now. Join op...
How To: Measure a quilt for binding
This is a great instructional video on how to measure a quilt for binding. This video teaches you about binding. First you have to get your quilt and tape measure. You need to know the size of your quilt. You have to be careful while measuring a quilt. You can measure the breadth with your measuring tape first. Then you can measure the breath as well accurately. You can take measurements down the center of the quilt. In some cases you can measure from one side, the center and the other side. ...
How To: Make a 2D paper jack-o'-lantern for Halloween
This is a fun and easy craft demonstration that shows how to make a paper jack-o-lantern with orange, green and yellow construction paper, scissors, tape, a pencil, a black Sharpie and an X-acto knife. Begin by drawing a jack-o-lantern on the orange paper. Use the knife to cut out the eyes, nose and mouth. Cut a top out of green paper and attach it with tape on the back. Cut out a piece of yellow paper and tape it to the back, to show through the holes on the front of the jack-o-lantern. Add ...
How To: Make wool mittens
Olivia shows how to make ‘Woolen Mittens’ in this video, by recycling an old sweater! She begins by washing an old sweater in cold water. After washing, she puts the sweater in a dryer at high heat mode, to shrink it. The washed, dried and shrunk sweater is then placed on a table. The required length of the mitten is decided, taking care that the bottom end of the sweater shall be placed at the point where the mitten ends on the arm. The arm is then placed on the sweater and a mark is made ab...
How To: Make a flower from a recycled dryer sheet
This video is about how to make flowers from recycled dryer sheets. Since the dryer sheets have already passed through the dryer it will be wrinkled but it does not matter. Cut the dryer sheets into strips 1 inch wide approximately and need not be uniform. Take a button and place the edges of the3 strips in such a way that it takes the shape of the flower and the other edge collects at the button holes. You may color the dryer sheets with dye like Ranger perfect pal mixed with water and spray...
How To: Make an origami wallet from an old book page
The video starts out saying that we will learn how to make an origami wallet made from a page from an old library book. You trim the page to the size of 8 1/2 x 11. You then fold the page in half and then fold each piece back up, on the front and on the back. Then unfold so the page is just folded in half. Fold the ends about half an inch on each side, back and front. Then you fold each corner into little triangles, so that they meet the line that you had previously folder, about half way up ...
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: Make a tote bag out of an old t-shirt
This video demonstrates how to make a tote bag out of an old T-shirt. For this project, you will need the following: scissors, a T-shirt, duct tape, a sewing machine, thread, and a leather sewing needle.
How To: Make an easy origami jasmine flower napkin
This video shows how to make an easy origami jasmine flower napkin. Wee need 2 square papers. Fold this papers diagonally on two sides. Fold 4 corners of both the papers to the center. The folding of both must be exactly same. Use the first one as a template. Creases of the other one is exactly aligned with the template square. Repeat for the second one as the template. Fold the papers diagonally to the corners. Fold it double 4 more times on the other side. The folds should not end at the po...
How To: Make marbled greeting cards
This video is about making a marble greeting card. The materials required for making them are marabu marble starter kit which consists of six marble paints,a marabu konturf paste, a polyester ball, a bowl, kebab sticks, a pencil, a cutting knife, a glue, sweat pieces of card, three cards of different colors and a bucket of water. The video starts by folding one piece of card into half and then cutting the ball into two pieces. Keeping the piece of ball as the center draw a flower around it on...
How To: Make a half double crochet stitch
First of all you need to need to chain one more the amount of the stitches that you wish to complete. In this example you have to do six chains. So you have to do five half double crotchets. To begin first you have to yarn over once and then skip the first two stitches and then work into the third and then yarn over and then pull through the one. Now again yarn over and then pull through all three. Now again yarn over once and insert it through the next stitch and then pull through all three....
How To: Fold a frog using origami
Kevin demonstrates how to make a paper frog. Take a regular sheet of construction paper. Fold the outer ends towards the center forming a triangle. Fold a crease at the base of the triangle and cut it out. Open the folds and you can observe two creases. Create two X-shaped creases by bending the opposite corners. Hold the triangles on the side of the X and squash it down such that the other two triangles meet. Repeat the process on the other side. This forms a square with a diagonal cut conta...
How To: Make a paper wallet without tape or scissors
This short video on craft shows how to make a paper wallet without using tape or scissors. The first step is to fold an A4 size paper into half and press the fold in the center. The next step is to fold the top flap to the bottom outwards and pressed hardly. The same has to be done on the other side. One quarters of the flap on one side is folded downwards and is again repeated on the other side. Next the two corners of the flap are folded outwards as triangles for both the flaps. The next st...
How To: Sew your own dream catcher baby blanket
Don't overpay for a marked up baby blanket at a department store or fancy boutique? You can make a beautiful blanket for your newborn and future family heirloom right at home. All you need are some basic sewing materials and your imagination. This video will show you how to sew a dream catcher baby blanket.