Hot Arts & Crafts Posts

How To: Fold Origami Bat-Winged Hearts for Valentine's Day

Hearts are fairly easy to cut out of paper, but origami hearts take a little more work, and that means more appreciation from their recipient. Even better, flying origami hearts. What better way to tell your loved one you care on Valentine's Day than with some bat-winged hearts? It'll send them into cardiac arrest just knowing how much effort you put into making your love known.

How To: Make Homemade Microwaveable Foot Warmers

Well, Ol' Man Winter is upon us yet again, blasting us with his icy breath. When I was a kid, I loved wintertime because it meant the prospect of sledding, snowball fights & missed school days in which to enjoy both. Now that I'm 45, however, my attitude toward the season has taken a complete 180-degree turn: I find myself dreading it because of the likelihood of being snowed-in for days on end, and the certainty of being forced to endure the frigid temperatures.

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: Knit The Raspberry Stitch

There are many beautiful stitches to learn in knitting. Some are harder than others. Some look hard, but really aren't. The RASPBERRY STITCH (shown in the header) is a quite easy. Once you get into the rhythm of doing it and practice for awhile you'll agree.

How To: Manage two different colors of yarn

In this video, we learn how to manage two different colors of yarn with Eunny Jang. You can do this all on your left hand, right hand, or with both of your hands. It's all about what is most comfortable for your, even if it's something different. Start out with all your yarn in your right hand then knit with one yard at a time. This means to just knit as usual by dropping the yarn and picking up the next color. This can be a bit tedious because you will be constantly stopping and starting. Yo...

How To: Knit Portuguese style

In this tutorial, Andrea Wong teaches us how to knit Portuguese style. This is one of the oldest ways of knitting that started in the Middle East. The holding of the needles are the same but the working yarn should come from the left needle. The yarn should be placed around the neck for your tension or through a pin on the shirt. Next, the yarn should go through the middle finger on the left hand. Then, sit in a comfortable position while you insert the right hand needle under the yarn. Then,...

How To: Do the Two Needle Cast On Knitting

There are so many different ways to cast on knitting. I have my own favorite. It's the way I learned when I first started knitting. My way is called TWO NEEDLE CAST ON. I like this 2 needle method because you don't have to guess how much you need to measure out a length of yarn at the beginning. I also think it makes a tighter and straighter edge.

How To: Tie a pretzel knot for hemp jewelry

In this video we learn how to tie a pretzel knot for hemp jewelry. First, making a loop with the chords in your right hand and place them over the left chords. Hold the loose ends on the right side and take the chords from the left hand. Go over the right chords and then up through the top. Then go over the loop under the left side of the loop pulling the chords up. What you get here will look kind of like a mouse, so you will need to get the first color on the outside. Then, slide this up an...

How To: Craft a paper football

In this video we learn how to craft a paper football. First, take a sheet of paper and cut it into a strip. After this, take the strip and fold down the top into a triangle. Then, continue to fold the triangle down until you reach the end of the strip. You will have an extra flap of paper left at the bottom of the strip. Tuck this into the pocket that you have made when you were folding the triangles. Then, use this to place underneath your finger and shoot with your other for a fun paper foo...

How To: Create a simple paper football

In this video we learn how to create a simple paper football. First, fold off a strip of a piece of paper and then cut it or rip it off the page. After this, grab the bottom of the paper and fold it into a triangle. From here, fold the triangle up and then continue to fold it making the same triangle shape. Do this until you reach the top of the strip of paper. You will have a small piece of paper left over at the top of the strip. With this, you will take it and tuck it into the small pocket...

How To: Create a paper football

In this video we learn how to create a paper football. First, take a piece of paper and fold it in half vertically. After this, create a crease and cut this in half with scissors. From here, fold the bottom of the paper into a triangle after folding the paper in half once more. Continue to fold the triangle until you reach the end of the strip of paper. Take the end tab of the piece of paper and tuck it into the pocket that you created when you folded up the paper. Then hold this with one fin...

How To: Crochet a rib cuff baby bootie

In this tutorial, we learn how to crochet a rib cuff baby bootie. Start off by creating 8 foundation half double crochets. After this, work 4 half double crochets in the bottom of the last stitch that was completed. Then, work a half double crochet in each of the next 6 stitches. Work 4 half double crochets in the last stitch, then join with the beginning stitch. This will give you 22 half double crochets total. Next, chain 1 and work 2 half double crochets in the same stitch. Then, work 1 ha...

How To: Fold an origami box and lid by Dave Brill

The origami version of a box and lid may seem like one of the simplest origami projects out there, but you should consider this origami box and lid the hard mode version of an otherwise beginner origami craft. Rather than use two sheets of paper total - one for the box and the other for the lid - this origami project only involves one piece of origami tissue paper.

How To: Make an origami crab for intermediate students

Summer is quickly coming to an end (oh no!), so bask in your last few glory days of sleeping in and playing all day by, well, sleeping in and playing all day. But you should also consider making this adorable sea crab, a sort of testament, if you will, to the summer months spent out by the sea.

How To: Make the legendary golden phoenix origami Pokemon

Most of us are familiar with the names Pikachu, Jiggly Puff, and Maril. If you grew up during the late nineties, then it was virtually impossible to get away from Pokemon fevor, and these were the chubby and cute crowd pleasers that everyone loved. But, if you were (or are) a true Pokemon fan, then you know that Pokemon lore extends far beyond a yellow electricity-conducting rodent.

How To: Apply provisional cast-ons to your knitting project

Hard edged cast-ons in knitting are difficult to remove, so it's important to also know how to complete loose cast-ons that easily remove themselves from your knitting project. Loose cast-ons allow you to hold a knit in place so you can return to it later (so, for instance, you want to knit the sleeve of a sweater first and want the chest area, which you are currently knitting, to stay in place).

How To: Make a paper rose with a paper towel

In this tutorial, we learn how to make a paper rose with a paper towel. First, roll one end to the other, then stick your finger inside one end and pinch the tip while twisting a few inches down. This will be your bud and your stem for the flower. Keep twisting down until you reach halfway to the end of the flower. Now, fold the loose piece on the bottom so it's parallel to the stem. Then, twist the leaf and wrap it around the bud. Then, shape the bud to the type of flower you want, then enjo...