Saturday, November 06, 2010

Easy Paper Ornament Craft

By Sung Kim




Right-click and Print this template on cardstock, or glue the paper print to heavier paper so you can easily trace around it on your special papers with a pencil.

Trace the pattern on to the paper you like, and dont be afraid to try your printed scrapbook papers such as the luxury stack with the old wallpaper prints in it, or anything else you have. I have used linen resume paper because I wanted to try it out on crafts and see if I liked it.  Glue one side of the bow to the middle...

...and add more glue to that. Then, attach the other side of the bow,

and fasten it with a clothespin until the bow is firmly stuck, or you could staple the center with those colored staples available at WalMart in pink, green, blue, gold, etc., or try one of those cute shaped brads such as a pink heart or a blue square.

After that, you can do a number of interesting things, such as outlining the bow with some kind of paint. I used Scribbles or polymer and then dusted it while wet, with glitter, and only outline the front of the object. If the paint sticks in the bottle, use a straight pin to loosen it.

Instructions for dove are simple: attach the wing with the flatter, curved side down, as shown in the picture, so that it matches the other wing. When you outline the bow, draw one side of the ribbon over at a slant so the other looks like it comes from underneath, the way a real ribbon would look, and as I have demonstrated here.

What can be the use of this is more than I can say. Perhaps a package topper, or a tag on a gift. Reduce the pattern to a very small size and make tiny tags for price tags, or use the bow as an ornament. They might work as place settings for a tea party or on top of a gift bag

Try putting the mica type glitter all over it by painting first white glue all over with a brush, and then adding the mica, and see what kind of effect it is. This can also be made with felt, which I hope to show sometime in the future, 

If you prefer to use the bow as a card, you can crease the edges to flatten it for putting inside an envelope.

. I found that the children's construction art paper was really the best, and that is the pink one, above.  I hope you like this easy craft, and will be patient while I invent a few more that are still in my head. I I really must sketch it all out on a planning sheet before the thoughts fly out of my mind ;-)

If you like to relax and look at pretty homes and craft ideas, check out one of these links and go down their own links. People have such tremendous talent, and it really is something when people can make money off a tin can or a jar...maybe that is why our roads are so clean--there are so many shabby chic scavengers about!

Shabby Pink and Pretty

Someplace In Thyme

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

i love when you post paper crafts!



--candy from canada

Unknown said...

There are folks like you who create art. Then there are folks like me who appreciate what others do. I'm not very good at art but I do enjoy nice artwork.

Anonymous said...

Lydia,

papercrafts are beautiful, and have been practiced ever since the invention of paper itself. Here are a few links that may be of interest to you and you readers

http://www.mysteryinvestigators.com/origami/

http://library.thinkquest.org/27458/nf/origami/expert.html

and some entries about origami grandmaster Yoshizawa Akira

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=32650259487

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=32650259487&v=photos(

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article439880.ece

and

http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Akira_Yoshizawa

And All of this from just a simple square sheet of paper with nothing more. As the Grandmaster's years attest, papercraft (and creative persuits, regardless of one's 'talent or ability') can lead to a long life. they provide peace and calm the heart and soul; is it mere coincidence that paper arts and crafts play an integral role in the healing process of those who have survived deeply traumatic experiences and those coming to grips with neurological conditions.

Keep on inspiring us, Lydia!!

Anonymous said...

I like the idea of making the bows from felt. One thing I am doing for small gifts this Christmas is making sachets. As an idea for your readers, you can make 3-4 from pretty fabrics, wrap them in cellophane and attach a pretty bow with a nice tag. The dove you post here would make a nice tag. It takes very little fabric and trim to do this and a yard would probably make well over a dozen. I see things like this selling in a local shop for $15 for three.

Handmade sachets can also be used as part of a gift basket with scented candles or as package toppers.

I would really like to see any other ideas you may have for nice handmade holiday gifts.

Anonymous said...

Just lovely!

Anonymous said...

This is a very pretty little bow. You show it on a tree, I'm thinking that for one of the groups I give things to, I will put two on an oval plate or platter (one on either end) with a few Christmas goodies on the platter. Also I will probably use it on a small brown paper bag for a couple of to have on hand gifts for those unexpected guests or vistors that drop by on Christmas eve or Christmas day. I too especially like those things you show made with paper and embellishments because multiples can be made inexpensively. Also, on an upturned soup sized bowl as a pillar candle holder three of these bows would make it look a little bit festive for a centerpiece.

I like it that your postings are simple enough even for those people that dont' usually do crafts. I have been 39 for nearly a couple of decades now, and I would have enjoyed making these kinds of things as a young girl and as a teenager.

An idea for a future post. Some small things that might be Christmas Eve activities.

Thank you so much for your beautiful posts espeically the ones that make us consider where we are in Christ.

Lydia said...

I hope to set today aside and post some of the paper projects, a few sewing projects, and an inspirational artical about living in reduced circumstances, living in small spaces, living in less than ideal circumstances, etc. It seems to take forever to get one little tiny thing made, pictures taken of step-by-step processes, and posted. Also I wish to remind you if you do a search for paper crafts on the little search area in the upper left of this blog, you can see some from last year you might like. However, I dont like older posts as much as I like new ones, as the new ones are more studied for easy techniques and are somewhat trendy--meaning I make up some of my own trends.