Discover the expert in you.
Attaching quilling flowers to paper is something you have to do in a very particular way to make sure that nothing looks tacky. Attach quilling flowers to paper with help from an experienced crafts expert in this free video clip.
Making snowflakes with children's fingerprints is a great way to let all the kids in your home have a little fun while being creative. Make snowflakes with children's fingerprints with help from a high school art teacher in this free video clip.
Do it yourself decorative tea light crafts can be made right at home from broken glass and a few other primary tools. Make do it yourself decorative tea light crafts from broken glass with help from a longtime crafts professional in this free video clip.
Sometimes you don't really need anything other than paper to decorate great Valentine hearts right at home. Decorate Valentine hearts on paper with help from a longtime crafts expert in this free video clip.
Clear shelf paper and cellophane are two key tools you'll need to make great do it yourself Valentine hearts right at home. Make do it yourself Valentine hearts with clear shelf paper with help from a longtime crafts expert in this free video clip.
You'd be surprised by just how versatile a tool Cricut really is. Make paper heart garlands using Cricut with help from a longtime crafts expert in this free video clip.
Cutting heart doilies from paper napkins requires a steady hand and just the right amount of know-how. Cut heart doilies from paper napkins with help from a crafts expert with over fifteen years of experience in this free video clip.
Paper ornaments are a great, modern and easy way to show your creativity off during the holidays. Find out how to make paper ornaments with help from an elementary art teacher in this free video clip.
A ladybug bracelet balloon animal requires a few key things, like a 260 balloon. Make a ladybug bracelet balloon animal with help from a professional crafter of over ten years in this free video clip.
As the Internet matures, technologies such as Cascading Style Sheets become more capable of producing eye-catching special effects. CSS3, supported by the latest browsers, can animate objects on a Web page in a variety of ways. If you’d like to make an object spin, for example, you can animate it using JavaScript and CSS3 transforms. Make your code even more compact by adding a few lines of jQuery to your JavaScript code.
Glue and string decorations are fun crafts that you can complete right at home. Learn about do-it-yourself glue and string decorations with help from an experienced craft instructor in this free video clip.
Making a paper plate chain requires you to follow a few basic, easy to manage steps. Get a tutorial for a paper heart chain with help from a crafts expert in this free video clip.
Tissue paper is a great tool to have in a variety of creative projects, especially card making. Use tissue paper in card making with help from an expert with a natural knack for teaching, creating and communicating in this free video clip.
Making a paper heart dollie requires only the right tools and a little bit of ingenuity. Make a paper heart dollie with help from an experienced teacher in this free video clip.
When it comes to flower blossoms, not all types of paper are going to get the job done. Learn about the best paper for flower blossoms with help from a dedicated and experienced flower aficionado in this free video clip.
Shaping paper flowers will require you to have access to a few very specific tools. Learn about the tools for shaping paper flowers with help from an art professional in this free video clip.
In a tray ceiling, a decorative ceiling treatment, the center area of the ceiling appears recessed from the outer edges. Usually a tray ceiling is designed and built during the initial construction of a home, and the ceiling height is increased to allow for the sides of the tray to drop down closer to standard ceiling height. If you want to add a tray ceiling as a renovation to an existing home, the least expensive way is to build down from the existing ceiling around the tray edges. It looks best if you have a large ceiling height when you…
You’ve re-glued that old dresser and varnished it, but the handle-less drawers tip precariously when opened. Until the last half of the twentieth century, many pulls measured 3 inches on center (the handle ends were each 1 1/2 inches from the center of the drawer face), so replacing old handles might just be a matter of removing old and installing new parts. Add strong side slides to replace old wooden center slides. If you can’t simply replace parts, a few extra steps will retrofit your drawers.
Few things are associated with parties more than balloons, and balloon displays at the entrance of a party are very popular. Balloons can be assembles as decorations, archways or even characters to greet new people to the party. Balloon greeters come in a variety of forms and can be custom-made depending on the occasion. A basic balloon greeter is made from both round balloons and long, thin balloons commonly used to make balloon animals. Once the general shape is made, more balloons or other decorations can be added as embellishments or to customize it for a special occasion.
The khoom fay, or sky lantern, originated in the Yuan Dynasty of 13th century China. Invented as a means of military communication among troop regiments, they are now considered symbols of hope and good luck most popular during the Chinese New Year and are a staple of traditional Asian weddings. Launching a collection of sky lanterns into the air promotes tranquility; and it is believed that the lantern's flight symbolizes great prosperity bestowed upon its owner. These lanterns are a project for the whole family to build together so they may send their wishes and prayers for a bright future…
Sky lantern balloons, also known as Chinese flying lanterns, are constructed out of thin paper and lift into the air by the heat given off the wick inside. These miniature hot air balloons were originally used by the Chinese military as a form of distance communication and have been around since 200 AD. Since then, Chinese sky lanterns are now a symbol of luck and used to celebrate holidays and special occasions around the world.
Children love having a pinata at birthday parties and other celebrations. Watching your friends try to hit a moving target provides almost as much enjoyment as scrambling for the spoils after someone breaks the pinata. You can purchase a pinata at some party stores, but the child may prefer to help build the pinata. Choose a simple shape such as a clown head for your pinata project.
A child's birthday celebration just isn't complete without a colorful, swinging pinata. Traditional pinatas are typically made from papier-mache or cardboard and filled to the brim with delicious candy, coins, fruit or small toys. The pinata is suspended from a rope and made to swing so that party goers can have a whack at breaking it open. Though premade pinatas are available at your local party supply store, making your own out of papier-mache is a fun, delightfully messy way to save some cash. Try making one to look like an elephant's head to make it different from the typical…
Pinatas are a common source of entertainment for modern birthday parties, but these cardboard and papier-mâché decorations have a storied, sophisticated history. Pinatas have been used in celebrations for Lent, and in some cultures were assigned religious meaning. Whatever the reason for your pinata, you can make one at home to save money if you have the time required.
Having the sniffles is never fun. However, you can brighten up your sick child's day with a homemade puppy tissue box. An adorable puppy will hold her tissues in its belly and it replaces her usual boring tissue box. If she feels up to it, you may even want to allow her to share in the fun of creating the puppy tissue box craft with you.
Firefighters across the U.S. and presumably other places in the world use drip torches to start backfires and burnouts, also known as prescribed burns, allowing them to control and contain real forest fires. The apparatus is lightweight and can be transported on the back, can be made from relatively easily obtainable materials and often uses a mixture of diesel fuel and gasoline. According to the book Rangelands, drip torches are the best method of igniting prescribed fires.
Shredded pants allow the wearer to show some of the skin on their legs. Alternatively, they allow the wearer to add color to their outfit by wearing a pair of colored leggings beneath the pants so the color will show through the shreds. This deconstructed look is a staple of the punk, rock and pop music scenes. People of all ages can wear this style, but it is more common among teen and young adult age groups.
Whether you’re hosting a formal dinner, a birthday celebration or a wedding reception, a high style centerpiece can help you create an atmosphere that evokes opulence, sophistication and exclusivity. Because they are in the middle of a table and meant to draw the attention of your guests, centerpieces play a crucial role in the overall design of an event’s venue. To qualify as “high style,” a centerpiece needs have a contemporary feel and align with the latest stylistic trends.
Adding studs or gems to your leather jacket, cellphone holder or purse adds a level of customization that makes it uniquely yours. You can add studs and gemstones to leather items in various ways. Heavyweight leather is often too thick to work with products like Bedazzler or competitive products. However, lightweight leather, suede and deerskin offer a thickness that works well with a Bedazzler. Even so, you may find that pre-cutting the holes for the prongs saves you time, as well as wear and tear on the machine.
Trusses are prefabricated roof rafters. The construction material is made out of wood and the joints are connected by pressing a metal plate, or gusset plate, in place. The truss is made up of two top cords, one bottom cord and interior webs. Each joint has a plate pressed into place to hold the structure together. Making a truss machine requires some mechanical and fabrication experience. By following certain steps and purchasing the correct material, you can easily build a machine to assembly trusses.
A balloon dress, otherwise called a bubble dress, features a puffy skirt that balloons away from your legs when you wear it. The elastic band positioned around the bottom of the skirt allows you to adjust the ballooning effect for length. However, if you want to lengthen the dress even further, you must make alterations to the dress instead.
Cutting snowflakes from thin paper leads to paper cuts and frustration. Instead, save your nerves and use sturdier cardboard for your winter wonderland decorations. Salvage cardboard tubes from empty paper towel rolls to create geometric snowflakes suitable for years of use. As you design each snowflake, consider that no two snowflakes are ever the same and craft accordingly. Hang the finished white snowflakes on your Christmas tree during the holidays. If you yearn for a white winter, attach these faux snowflakes to your window using glue dots for an impromptu snowfall.
Paper lanterns add a touch of whimsy to home or party decor. Alone, paper lanterns are attractive, but when illuminated they make an eye-catching statement. If you've made your own paper lanterns, adding lights to them is a fairly simple task that is sure to yield dramatic results. Suspend your illuminated homemade paper lanterns from a ceiling, set them on tabletops or use them in any other way that you find visually appealing.
Decorate for a special event such as a garden party or wedding without spending a lot of money. Make your own tissue paper roses to provide a touch of spring to the indoors. By building tissue paper roses around a pipe cleaner, you create a bendable stem you can hang in a number of ways. Twist the pipe cleaner stem around a candle holder or hook in the ceiling. String many paper roses by twisting the pipe cleaners around a garland of ribbon.
Making a heart out of a balloon is a thoughtful and creative craft that you can do for someone on Valentine's Day, perform at a child's party or create for any other special occasion. While there are a variety of ways to make balloon hearts using multiple balloons, the simplest way is to make one using one long balloon and shaping it into heart formation. Practice making a balloon heart several times before showing off your new skills.
Physics is the branch of science dedicated to the study and observation of the scientific principles that govern the natural world. Through conducting physics experiments, students learn explanations for many of the phenomena they observe throughout the daily lives. They can learn the cause of the static electricity that shocks them when they remove clothing from the dryer, why the sun feels hotter when wearing a black T-shirt than it feels when wearing a white T-shirt, and much more.
Balloon trees are versatile decorations that work for any celebration, from Christmas to the Fourth of July. The trees are aptly named, as they consist of a “trunk” and “foliage” area made with balloons. The key to creating a fire cracker balloon tree is to turn the “trunk” area into the firecracker and the “foliage” area into the explosion.
When your house is plagued by a lighting fixture that doesn't fit your style or hasn't been replaced since the 1950s, an inexpensive and simple way to update your style is with a paper lantern. Paper lanterns come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors, and they can be used in place of your current lighting fixture through a few simple electric augmentations.
Pinatas have long been a staple at Mexican celebrations, and they've recently become a popular mainstay at children's birthday parties. Coming in all shapes and sizes, pinatas are made from paper mache and filled with candy. Most animal-shaped pinatas start with a rounded balloon base, but for a Gila monster, which is a lizard-like reptile, you'll want a longer, thinner base. Gila monsters are patterned in orange, yellow and black scales and they can grow anywhere from 9 to 14 inches
A sine plate that is attached to your Bridgeport mill is used to obtain the precise angle of an odd shaped tool or part. Sine plates are used to make machine and vehicle parts. To use a sine plate on a Bridgeport you need to first determine its size. Once you know the size, calculate a constant to set the angle of the sine plate.
Tissue paper might seem like an unlikely material to make a chandelier out of, but consider its benefits: it's inexpensive, easy to work with and lightweight. If you buy the fancy tissue paper with a pearlescent finish, the chandelier will look like it is made out of mother-of-pearl from a distance, but at a fraction of the cost. If you reuse an old lampshade to provide the framework for the chandelier, the whole project costs almost nothing but your time.
When creating balloon animals, balloon artists find that the duckbilled platypus is a highly requested design. Whether the audience is hoping to stump the artist or simply wants to see how it is constructed, the consensus is that this animal is quite a complicated one to design. Learning this complex construction will allow you to impress your friends or fellow partygoers.
The concept of simple line symmetry is relatively uncomplicated to explain to young students, if you talk about two halves of an object mirroring each other. Students often have more trouble understanding objects with more than one line of symmetry, or those that possess rotational symmetry. Most children enjoy making paper snowflakes in the winter as a decorative craft, but those same paper snowflakes can also be an invaluable tool in teaching the concept of symmetry. Have your class make up a batch of snowflakes so they can identify and understand symmetrical lines in a concrete way.
Tissue paper is a common sight in gift bags, presents and any other projects that require wrapping. However, tissue paper is often only used once and then thrown away. For a green alternative to tossing or burning left over tissue paper, considering making craft projects from the material, such as tissue puffs, also called tissue poms, which can be used to decorate for parties or other special events.
Balloon shades are experiencing a resurgence in popularity. Their unique style of soft folds makes them particularly well suited to feminine rooms of classic or country decor. The advanced needleworker has the knowledge to put together the hardware, or mounting mechanism. Understanding how a balloon shade functions, and careful measuring, will ensure success.
Create a shabby chic home decoration with a paper heart wreath. The base is a foam form to help the wreath hang sturdily. Paper decorations mimic the decor of a floral wreath. Use paper of natural colors or all one color for a monochromatic look. For the holidays, use white leaves coated with a fine layer of silver glitter to form the base of the wreath. If you're good at drawing, create your own paper garden creations for this project.
Paper lanterns are an expressive way for kids to display their artistic talents. Lanterns can be strung together to decorate homes, classrooms or even outside parties. Even the smallest children can learn the art of putting together a few inexpensive materials to make circle paper lanterns. Follow a simple pattern and feel free to make variations for holidays, including Halloween and Christmas.
Teens grow quickly out of clothes, and it can seem like you’re buying a new pair of jeans every month. Instead of throwing the old pair of jeans away, you can create a fashionable bag out of the old pair. Not only does this recycle old material, but it also allows your teen to personalize the bag to match her interests and personality.
A dinner party is a fun way to bring a group of friends and loved ones together. When setting the dinner table, you don't have to be a world-renowned hostess to create centerpieces for the table. With a few ideas and a little imagination, create uncomplicated centerpieces for the dinner table with many items you may already have at home.
Paper lanterns provide a festive look while softening the light in most rooms. Hanging paper lanterns horizontally helps to distribute light throughout a large space either in a room or on the patio. You can hang an arrangement horizontally and eliminate many of the extra plugs and switches if you attach them to string lights within reach of an electric outlet.