Hot Arts & Crafts How-Tos

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.

Money Origami, Flower Edition: 10 Different Ways to Fold a Dollar Bill into a Blossoming Bloom

The very first banknotes were used by the Chinese in the 7th century, during the Tang Dynasty. Before it was used as an actual currency, paper money was part of a deposit system in which merchants would leave large amounts of coins with a trusted associate and receive a paper receipt for the transaction. The reason was simple — the copper coins used as currency then were heavy.

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: Fold Origami Christmas Decorations - Ornate Winter Snowflakes

Christmas decorations aren't cheap. From outdoor lighting to fir trees, decorating for the holidays can break the bank. That's where ingenuity comes into play, like hacking battery-operated Christmas lights, modifying lighting patterns and building Christmas tree ornaments from LEGOs. But there's even a simpler solution to cheaper Christmas decorations— origami.

How To: Flatten a bottle cap in the Cuttlebug

In this video, we learn how to flatten a bottle cap in the Cuttlebug with Sara Sandberg. Before you do this, make sure you purchase bottle caps from a store, the ones from your home beer will not work with the Cuttlebug. Place your thick white A mat in the Cuttlebug, then place the bottle caps flat side down on top. Next, place a dye on top with the metal side down. After this, crank the lever and pull the papers through the machine. When you remove the top, your bottle caps will have flatten...

How To: Fold an origami crane like Scofield's on Prison Break

Some watch Prison Break for the nail-biting drama, others tune in for the origami cranes. This video tutorial presents a complete, step-by-step overview of how to make a paper crane à la Prison Break protagonist Michael Scofield using origami, the traditional Japanese folk art of paper folding. For more information, and to get started making your own tough-guy paper birds, watch this arts-and-crafts guide.

How To: Make a six-sheet 3D paper star with origami

In this Arts & Crafts video tutorial you will learn how to make a six-sheet 3D paper star with origami. Take three pairs of paper; each pair of different color or take six pieces of paper of the same color. The paper should be square size. Fold the paper in half, open the fold and fold one half up to the center line. Repeat this step for the other side also. Open up the paper and repeat these steps by folding the paper in the other direction. This will divide the entire paper into 16 squares....

How To: Make an origami birthday pop-up card

Enchant that special birthday boy or girl with a unique origami birthday pop-up card by following this well produced instructional video. 1. All you need is a two sided square piece of colorful wrapping paper to create your origami birthday pop-up card. As long as your paper is square, the finished card can be any size you wish. 2. Make a series of simple sharp folds on both sides, carefully following the video instructions. Pay particular attention to the final intricate folds which create t...

How To: Make a Military Bugle Cord Decorative Knot

Bugle cords are used as elaborate ornamental leashes on bugles and trumpets, but they are also used as snazzy ornamentation, called aiguillettes (a type of fourragère), on uniforms worn by certain members of the military. While you could buy one pre-made, you could also make one yourself. But this should not be confused with the infantry blue cord of the U.S. Army, which is another type of fourragère only with more elaborate knotting.

How To: Thread a bobbin on the Brother LS 2125 sewing machine

Many habitual sewers like to sew by hand if possible for smaller projects, since all it requires is some finger dexterity, a needle, and some form of thread. Sewing machines can create stitches and embellishments of great beauty, but as with all electronic devices sometimes their constituent parts have complications. The bobbin, which holds the thread beneath the machine, is one of those pesky things sewers have to deal with.

How To: Make a paper football with basic folding technique

If you want to know how to make a paper football easily, you should watch this. Things you'll need: paper, scissors. 1. Fold the paper vertically. 2. Fold little triangles starting at the bottom and working your way to the top. 3. When you get to the top, tuck the extra paper into the little pocket of the triangle 4. Flatten out the football. After following these simple steps, your football is now complete. You can now play paper football with your buddy.

How To: Origami a dollar bill box

Dollar bill origami is fun, simple & cute. All you need is a dollar bill and some origami folding skills. Spend your spare dollar on some creativity... and you will end up with a cute origami figurine. Watch this origami money tutorial to learn how to fold a box with a dollar bill.

How To: Make Simple Mittens in Single Crochet

This is a simple pattern, designed to produce a well-fitting mitten. Both the right and left mittens worked the same up to the shaping for the top of the mitten. A slight adjustment for making one right and one left, then they are worked the same. The gusset for the thumb constructed with the increases made in the center of the gusset, rather than on each side. This makes it easy with a minimal amount of counting stitches as you go. I have been crocheting for 56 years. In doing research for w...

How To: Knit a Snowflake

For the holiday season, a great knitting project is a snowflake design. It's perfect for handmade Christmas gifts. You can knit just one, or a row of them, or use them as full pattern on a sweater or blanket—or whatever project you choose.

PhD in Paper Craft: Make This Insanely Detailed & Anatomically Correct Human Torso—Complete with Removable Organs

If you're studying human anatomy (or have ever visited a doctor's office), you're no doubt familiar with those plastic anatomical models with removable pieces meant to teach the different parts of the body. Before those, there were illustrated pop-up books. If you need to know the difference between the latissimus dorsi and the multifidus, you're probably better off sticking with your textbook diagrams. But if you prefer a more artful approach (and have a lot of time one your hands), this pap...

How To: Knit a button loop

Berroco knit bits shows how to knit a button loop easily within minutes. 1) Thread a tapestry needle with a 18-24″ piece of yarn. 2) Knot the end of the yarn and insert the needle where you want your first button loop. 3) Make a second stitch an inch or so away from the first stitch. 4) Tighten up the thread, placing your fingers in between the yarn and the button band creating a loop. 5) Work blanket stitch around this loop, stacking each stitch on top of the previous one until the ent...

How To: Fold a "Prison Break"-style paper swan

Want to make a tough-guy paper swan in the manner of Prison Break protag Michael Scofield? This video tutorial presents a complete, step-by-step overview of how to make a paper crane using origami, the traditional Japanese folk art of paper folding. For more information, and to get started making your own paper birds, watch this arts-and-crafts guide.

Prev Page