Joanne's Craft Nook

Little Friends for Owen

2012-02-01T14:55:00.001-08:00

For my baby nephew, I made him some little friends from the book Baby Stuff by Aranzi Aronzo.

From this book, I made him a towel bunny...

...and a Little Spittle bib.

Hopefully his friends will be there to catch his drools!

A Panda Hat for Izzy

2012-01-23T11:16:00.001-08:00

Following this pattern and instructions from From An Igloo, I made a panda bear hat for Izzy, my friend's daughter. Perfect for a trip to the zoo.

Not only this hat is simple to make, but the double layer of fleece makes it the perfect hat for the cold Canadian winter!

My cat Ninja, and the panda hat.

Makin' Monsters!

2012-01-16T11:29:00.000-08:00

For my niece and nephew's Just Because gifts, I made them some monsters. I found the book Make a monster by Fiona Globe at my local library. The monsters are cute, and quick to make. Here are a few that I've made:

A dress for Emily

2012-01-10T16:24:00.000-08:00

This was a holiday dress I made for my niece Emily. I came upon the Daisy Maisy dress, from Sewing In No Man's Land. For my first dress, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out in the end. I've learned to sew sleeves, create my own pattern, and the hardest part — sewing the waist. Looking back, I can't believe I made a dress!

Felt Zoo Animal Puppets

2011-11-14T11:52:00.000-08:00

For my twin nephew's 3rd birthday, I wanted to make them each a set of puppets after seeing this Old MacDonald Puppet Tutorial & Pattern from Just Another Day In Paradise.

Here are the set of farm animals I made for Ben:

For Adam, I wanted to make a set of zoo animal puppets. Using the existing Old MacDonald Puppet Tutorial & Pattern as a starting point, I've added/modified some pieces to make the zoo animals I wanted.

Here are the zoo animal patterns:

Notes on a few animals:

The Canadian Moose
— except for the antlers, much of it is adapted from The Horse pattern

The Giraffe
— The mane and face are adapted from The Horse pattern
— The tail is from The Cow's tail pattern
— Spots are randomly cut, using The Cow's spot pattern as a guide

The Lion
— The mane is from The Horse hair pattern
— On the front, hand sew the ears and mane in place

— On the back, hand sew the lion's mane, leaving 1/4 inch space around the head

— Before sewing the puppet together, I "tacked" the outer mane towards the center. You could use pins, but I find it's too "bulky".

— Once sewn together, cover up any "bald spots" by hand sewing on more mane.

The Kangaroos
— The adult kangaroo's face is a combination of The Horse and The Cat pattern

The Zebra
— Identical to The Horse Pattern
— Stripes are cut free hand, using The Cat's stripes pattern as reference

The Zoo Keeper and The Snake
— The collar is made by cutting a small slit down the middle of The Farmer's shirt pattern, fold down, and sewn into place

— The felt is too delicate for the snake's tongue. I used a piece of ribbon I already had on hand

DIY — Cross-Over Dress (or Top)

2011-10-29T06:58:00.000-07:00

For both of my friends' daughters, I made them each a little dress. I found the pattern and tutorial here.

What I love about this dress is not only it's super easy to make, but it also converts into a "top" once the baby outgrows her "dress".

My friend added she's going to sew another set of buttons on the back to make the outfit reversible!

Soft baby book

2011-09-27T06:03:00.000-07:00

For my friend's baby daughter, and my sister-in-law's baby boy, I made them each a soft book. Here's briefly how I put the books together:

First, I cut three pieces of felt 4X8 inches for the book. Then I printed out the cover and images with my printer.

Position the image on the felt, and insert a piece of carbon paper between the image and felt. Then lay a layer of clear plastic (I use a zip-lock bag) over the image, and pin into place.

With a pen, pressing really hard, trace over image.

Once the image is transfer, I can begin to embroider.

Here is the animal book I made for Elise:

Here is the leaf book I made for Owen:

To make the pages "crinkle" cut a cereal bag to size and place it between the pages before you sew the book together.

Baby Projects I found

2011-09-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

Baby showers are coming. And for gifts, I found some awesome simple sewing projects from books and online to make.

This giraffe rattle was made for my new nephew. The pattern was found from a book by Lotta Jansdotter, Simple Sewing for Babies: 20 Easy Projects for Newborns to Toodlers.

I tucked a little Christmas bell inside to make the "rattle".

The pattern for this baby bootie is found here.

I made this for my friend's baby girl. At that time, we didn't know the gender, so I embroidered this colourful circle design.

The pattern for this bunny blanket is found here.

I made the blanket 20 inches instead of the recommended 10 inches.

I made the ears a little more "pointy".

And for safety, I used french knots for the eyes instead of beads.

Origami Owl Greeting Card

2011-08-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

I made this card to celebrate the arrival of my friend's baby girl. The owl on this greeting is attach by a magnate, so it's removable. In high school, my friends use the owls to decorate their lockers.

Materials

Square paper
Sharp pointed scissors
White glue
Googly eyes

Step 1
Take a square piece of paper and fold from side to side. Unfold, and fold corner to corner.

Step 2
Fold as shown, and repeat on the other side.

Step 3
Open the top "flap" and fold as shown. Turn over, and repeat.

Step 4
Fold the the top layer down. Turn over, and repeat.

Step 5
Fold as shown. Repeat on the other side.

Turn over and repeat.

Step 6
Lift the wing up as shown. Twist, and press flat.

Repeat on the other side.

Step 7
Fold the head down as shown...

...and fold again as shown.

Step 8
Fold the bottom top layer as shown.

Step 9
Fold the tail as shown.

Step 10
Turn the owl over, and make two cuts on either side for the ears. Fold them up.

Hot glue a magnate on the back.

Step 11
Hot glue a branch and a paperclip onto the card and attach your owl.

Homemade Mosquito Repellent

2011-07-13T06:14:00.000-07:00

Every summer, my husband and I would spend Canada Day weekend with our friends at Wasaga Beach. However this summer, there's a baby girl! To keep mosquito's away, I didn't like the idea of spraying DEET anywhere near a baby. So I decided to try a homemade mosquito repellent recipe I found in the Urban Farm magazine.

Ingredients

1/2 cup vodka
1 tbsp dried basil
1 large cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp (about 40 drops) lavender essential oil

Step 1
Mix the first three ingredients in a jar, cover, and let it steep for 2 weeks.

Step 2
Strain mixture, and add lavender essential oil.

When you need to use it, just pour a bit onto a paper towel and rub onto exposed body parts. Keep away from eyes.

My friends all used it, and they were all surprise at how well it worked!

Felt Flower Hair Clips

2011-06-25T12:49:00.000-07:00

My niece just turned 8, and her mum told me she's really into books and hair clips. So, along with books, I made a few felt flower hair clips.

I stumbled upon the felt flower tutorials over at How Joyful's blog. There, you'll find patterns and instructions on how to make your own.

After making all the flowers, instead of wrapping it in a box, I thought it'll be neat to turn it into a display.

I arranged the flowers on a piece of illustration board, and with a pencil, sketched in the vase and stems. Then I went over it with acrylic paint.

To finish it off, I made a tiny birthday card to go with it.

Soap Making — Melt and Pour Method

2011-06-21T09:04:00.000-07:00

For last Mother's Day, along with a basket of flowers, I made some orange scented soaps. I chose the melt and pour method because it's quick and simple — perfect for beginners.

I read somewhere that the melt and pour method cost more than making soap using lye. But the melt and pour method is less dangerous, and is still cheaper than buying soap from a retailer. Plus, I know exactly what the ingredients are, and I can customize the soap to my liking.

Materials for Making Orange Scented Soap

1/2 lb of melt and pour soap base
Orange essential oil
Orange and a zester
Milk carton
Double boiler
Food Colouring

Step 1
Using tape, form the milk carton into a rectangle, then cut away one side.

Step 2
Grate an entire orange, and sprinkle the zest into the milk carton.

Step 3
Cut the soap block into small "chunks", and gently, melt it over a double boiler.

Step 4
When the soap base has melted, pour it into the milk carton. Add a few drops of food colouring, and a few drops of essential oil.

Once the soap has set, remove the soap from the milk carton, and cut it into soap blocks.

Make Your Own Laundry Detergent

2011-06-14T15:48:00.000-07:00

I've been making my own laundry detergent after seeing this "DIY Washing Detergent Saves You Cash" video on Life Hacker.

Here is the BEFORE picture. During an Ultimate Frisbee game, by husband dived into the mud trying to catch the frisbee.

And here is the AFTER picture.

The three ingredients used to make laundry detergent are: Borax, Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, and Fels Naptha Soap. I found Borax easily at my local supermarket, but had difficulties finding the last two. In the end, Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda is substituted with soda ash (They are the same, I have soda ash left over from papermaking. I have also seen soda ash sold at Wal-Mart, in the craft area, in the tie dye section), and Fels Naptha Soap is substituted with a laundry soap bar I found in the detergent aisle.

Making it was quick, probably under 10 minutes, and I got five gallons of detergent that will last for months. You'll need some tubs to store it all, I used empty cat litter pails. Once I'm down to my last cup, I have enough supplies to make 3+ more batches of laundry detergent.

Looks like I'm never buying laundry detergent again!

Japanese Papermaking

2011-05-23T14:40:00.000-07:00

This year, I was very fortunate to receive a grant from the Ontario Arts Council to take a four day papermaking workshop at Kozo Studio taught by Akemi.

Before this workshop, I never knew there was a difference between Japanese style papermaking vs. Western style papermaking. Except for the mold and deckle, I thought the techniques involved are the same.

After Akemi saw my light sculptures, she recommended I take her Japanese style papermaking workshop. Japanese style papermaking are made from harvesting plant fibers (we used kozo fibers), resulting in a thin, strong, and translucent paper — much more suitable for my sculptures.

Here's a brief overview of my four day intensive workshop. All photos are courtesy of Kozo Studio.

After cooking kozo fibers in a soda ash solution for several hours, the fibers are rinsed and cleaned.

Bark is picked out by hand, the fibers are hand beaten with a wooden stick.

After hand beating the kozo fibers, we ran it through a machine called the Nagintat beater for a few minutes to "comb" the fibers.

Cover off showing the blades of the Nagintat beater. Very different from the Hollander beater.

First try at papermaking with a tiny mold and su.

Carefully removing the su from the freshly made paper.

This time with a larger mold and su. The su is actually a bamboo place mat with a sheet of window netting sewn on top of it.

The su is remove from the mold and brought over to the couching table.

Slowly removing the su from the freshly made paper.

After pressing all the water out with a car jack, the sheet of paper easily peels away from the cloth.

The paper is brushed onto drying board to dry overnight.

In Japan, fibers are harvested from kozo, mitsumata, and gampi trees. Since these trees are not native in Canada, I'm going to experiment and harvest fibers from trees found within by backyard. So far I've made paper with forsythia and hollyhock. Currently my husband just chopped down our garden hedges and a few maple trees...I can't wait to see how these fibers will turn out (or if it's even possible)!

Quick Embroidery Pendant

2011-04-11T09:44:00.000-07:00

This is a quick embroidery project. Perfect if you like embroidering, but don't have any time.

Materials

1 inch blank pendant tray (I got mine from Etsy)
A small embroidery hoop
Sewing needle and threads in your choice of colour
Hot glue
Scissors
1 inch square felt, and card-stock
Paper
Pencil
A piece of fabric

Step 1
On a piece of paper, draw a simple sketch that will fit within 1 inch square.

Step 2
Turn your sketch over, and colour the back with a pencil.

Next, transfer your design to the fabric. Take your sketch (right side up) and place it over your fabric. With a pen and a bit of pressure, trace over your sketch.

Step 3
Place your fabric in the embroidery hoop, and begin sewing along the outline using a chain stitch.

Step 4
I've simplified my flower by omitting the petals. Cut out your design.

Step 5
Turn your embroidery over (so it's wrong side up), and place the felt and the card-stock...

...on top of it.

Step 6
Fold and hot glue the fabric into place.

Step 7
Turn it over, and glue it onto a pendant blank.

One of a Kind Spring

2011-03-08T14:06:00.001-08:00

I feel bad that I haven't have time to post any crafty stuff during this past week. I'm busy preparing for the One of a Kind Spring show in Toronto. If you will be visiting the show, above is the coupon code you can use. My booth number is I-12, I hope to see you there.

Origami Picture Frame by Larry Hart

2011-02-25T05:37:00.000-08:00

Origami picture frames are a great way to re-purpose used gift bags and wrapping papers. To hang on walls, use sticky tacks.

This origami picture frame is by Larry Hart, and here are the instructions with photos:

Materials

Any decorative paper you like (8.5x11" to fit a 4x6" photograph)
Scissors
Ruler
Sticky tacks (optional, to "hang" frames to wall)

Step 1
Take your paper and cut it to size.

For this frame, I took apart an old gift bag that was given to me from my mother-in-law. It's too worn to be re-use, but too pretty to be throw out!

Step 2
Beginning with the short size, fold the paper in half, then fold it in half again.

Step 3
Unfold the last step, and fold the corners towards the center as shown.

Step 4
Unfold step 3, and fold as shown.

Step 5
Repeat on the other side.

Step 6
Fold the bottom edge up as shown. Do the same for the other side.

Step 7
Unfold the last step.

Step 8
Fold the tip down to the crease you've made in the last step.

Step 9
Unfold and...

...flatten.

Step 10
Fold the top and bottom edges as shown.

Step 11
Center a 4x6" photograph over the frame and...

...fold all four corners as shown.

Step 12
Remove the photograph, and tuck it into the four corners.

Homemade Soft Modeling Clay

2011-02-22T06:23:00.001-08:00

For the start of Family Day weekend, I made soft modeling clay for my one-and-a-half year old niece to play with. She loved it. She loves poking it, kneading it, and rolling it. Right now she's learning her colours. Currently, she calls all the colours "red"!

Ingredients

1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
1/2 tablespoon cream of tartar (found in the spice/baking aisle at most grocery stores)
Food colourings
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup flour, plus extra for kneading

Step 1
In a sauce pan, whisk together water, salt, and cream of tartar.

Step 2
Add a few drops of food colouring and vegetable oil.

Next, cook on low heat.

Step 3
Once the mixture heats up, mix in 1 cup of flour.

Step 4
Use a wooden spoon to stir. Stir the mixture until it becomes a soft dough that is elastic but not sticky.

Step 5
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is smooth.

Step 6
Repeat steps 1-5 for other colours.

Papermaking Pulps

2011-02-16T08:20:00.000-08:00

Paper pulp can be made by blending your junk mails in a blender. But junk mails contain acid, and overtime, your wonderful handmade paper will self deteriorate. Since I will be using handmade paper to complete my light sculptures, it's important I have a good quality pulp.

Two weeks ago I order 1kg of papermaking pulp from The Papertrail. The Papertrail supplies materials and equipment for handmade paper. They have all types of papermaking pulp—so many that I didn't know which one to choose.

In the end, I purchased their dry pulp sample set. The dry pulp set came with a little bit of everything. Each piece of dry pulp yields about 20 8.5x11 sheets of paper.

Here is what I got in my dry pulp sample set:
1) Bleached Flax
2) Linen Rag
3) Bleached Abaca
4) Hemp
5) Blue Jeans Rag Pulp
6) Unbleached Abaca
7) Sisal
8) 1st Cut Cotton Linter
9) 2nd Cut Cotton Linter
10) Black Cotton Rag and
11) Cotton Rag Pulp

Take the dry pulp, rip it into pieces, and put it in a blender. Blend for about 2-3 mins. The one in this photograph is blue jean rag pulp.

Then, with your mold and dackle, start papermaking!

This piece of paper is made with a mix of cotton rag pulp, and maple leaves paper.

The raw edges—only from handmade paper.

Blossoms

2011-02-14T10:51:00.000-08:00

When my friend asked me to make her wedding invitation, I want to make her the best wedding invitation ever! After many back and forth discussions, we decided cherry blossoms will be the main design element.

She was quite happy with the blossom illustration alone, but I want to make it "pop". Originally I had two "punch out" butterflies, but that idea was scratched because butterflies are not a good symbol in Chinese weddings. There is a famous Chinese story about star-crossed lovers (think Romeo & Juliet) where they ended up as butterflies.

With a stroke of luck, my friend found this flower punch at the dollar store. It's also the perfect size. A super minor problem is the punch has 6 petals, and the illustration have 5 petals. But we're not going to split hairs.

Using Illustrator, I created the blossoms and printed it out on 8.5x11" paper.

Since I want the white blossoms to have a pink outline, there was a bit of trial and error to get the size just right in Illustrator.

Pink blossoms took less time to create in Illustrator. Just create the middle part of the flower over a pink background.

To attach the blossoms on to the invitations, I use double sided "foam" tape. Also found at the dollar store!

The complete wedding invitation.

Origami Butterfly

2011-02-11T08:38:00.001-08:00

I learn how to fold this butterfly from watching Wayson Chow, author of The Jade Peony, when he visited my high school to talk about his writing. After his presentation, he encouraged us to ask him questions by giving away origami butterflies. I was too shy to ask him a question in exchange for a butterfly, so I watched him very closely as he folds butterflies in front of the class.

Of all the different versions of origami butterfly, this one is my favorite. Not only it's simple to fold, but it's wings "curves" once finish.

Materials

Origami paper
Fishing wire
Acrylic paint
White glue
Binder clip
Magnent (optional)
Hot glue gun (optional)
Nail (optional)
Florist wire (optional)

Step 1
Start with a piece of origami paper, and fold corner to corner, and side to side.

Step 2
Fold the paper in half.

Step 3
Fold as shown.

Step 4
Repeat on the other side. This is call a Waterbomb base.

Step 5
Fold the first layer up as shown.

Step 6
Repeat on the other side.

Step 7
Rotate and turn the butterfly over.

Step 8
Bring the top layer up as shown. Allow the tip to extend pass the top. Don't crease, just hold it in place with your fingers.

Step 9
Fold the tip over as shown.

Step 10
Fold the butterfly in half.

Step 11
To make antennas, dip fishing line into acrylic paint, and allow to dry.

Step 12
Use a bit of white glue and insert antennas into place. I use a clip to hold it in place as the glue dries.

Step 13
Your butterfly, complete.

Ideas

For magnets:
Use hot glue to glue a magnet on to your butterfly.

For walls: Simply tap a nail into your wall for the butterfly magnet.

For a plant ornament:

Take a piece of florist wire and bend the tip.

Mark where the wire should be. Unfold the the butterfly, pierce a hole, insert wire, and add a bit of white glue.

Refold your butterfly. Add antennas. Use a clip to hold wire and antennas in place as the glue dries.

For presents: Use the butterfly, instead of the traditional "bow".

T-Shirt Notebook Cover

2011-02-07T10:17:00.001-08:00

My husband really loves his Fulham t-shirt. But t-shirts are t-shirts. After so many wears, it's destined to becoming a dish rag. Even if my husband is okay with the rag idea, I'd still feel pretty bad using it as a rag. This is after all, his favorite team. It feels wrong. But at the same time I don't want to "hoard" t-shirts. So for his birthday, I turned his favorite Fulham t-shirt into a cover for his notebook.

The type of binding I used is called the Coptic Stitch binding. I choose this binding because it allows the notebook to open flat. I learn the Coptic Stitch binding from watching several video tutorials on You-Tube. I googled "Coptic Stitch binding with hard cover", and watched the first few results.

Note: The photos in this tutorial is taken AFTER the project was finish.

Materials

An old favourite t-shirt
Two thick pieces of illustration board (I used the cover of my old sketch book)
Heat'n Bond Ultra Hold Iron-On Adhesive
Split pins
A string of ribbon (I used an old cat collar)
Needle and string (I used black jewellery string)
Eyelets
Bristol boards
Awl/drill
Hammer
Iron
Papers (11x17 inches)
Ruler
X-Acto knife

Step 1
I cut the illustration board to size. For this particular project, the board is slightly larger than 8.5X11 inches. Make two.

Step 2
Trim t-shirt to size, leaving enough fabric to overlap the covers.
Follow the instructions that came with your Heat'n Bond Ultra Hold Iron-On Adhesive, and adhere the t-shirt to the cover. Use the front to the t-shirt for the front cover, and the back of the t-shirt for the back cover.

Step 3

To make a pencil holder, I took an old cat collar and held it in place with two split pins. Use an awl/drill to poke/drill holes for the split pins to go through.

Use a longer ribbon if you want to make more than one pencil holder.

Step 3

Use the cardboard to cover up the raw edges of the t-shirt. Here, I cut the cardboard slightly smaller than the cover, and I adhered it in place with Heat'n Bond Ultra Hold Iron-On Adhesive.

Step 4

With an awl/drill, punch/drill starting holes along the edge of the cover. Use eyelets to hide the raw edges of the fabric.

Step 5 (optional)

I made an envelope with Bristol board. I used a regular mailing envelope as a template, and created an envelope that is a little bit smaller.

Don't glue the envelope edges together until the envelope is bounded within the notebook.

Step 6

Bind the notebook together using the Coptic Stitch by following instructions gathered from the You-tube videos.

Bubble Bracelet

2011-02-04T07:02:00.003-08:00

This is a "bubble bracelet" I made for my sister-in-law's birthday. This type of bracelet is also neat to make if you have a lot of miscellaneous beads laying about.

MATERIALS

Toggle clasp
Jump rings x 2
Round nose pliers
Wire cutter
24 Gage wire
A chain long enough for a bracelet
Beads

STEP 1
Make a headpin. Cut off about 3 inches of wire, and bend the tip using the needle nose pliers.

STEP 2
Feed a bead through the headpin.

STEP 3
Bend the wire with the needle pliers as shown.

STEP 4
"Hook" it through the chain as shown...

STEP 5
...and begin to coil wrap the wire stem. I prefer a coil wrap over a plain loop because it is more secure.

STEP 6
Trim off excess wire with a wire cutter.

STEP 7
Repeat steps 1-5 along the entire length of the chain. Using as many or as little beads as you wish.

STEP 8
Finally, fasten the toggle clasp onto the bracelet using jump rings.

Pinwheel Money Envelope for Chinese New Year

2011-02-02T07:34:00.000-08:00

For this Chinese New Year, I want to make my own money envelope. I want to make a pinwheel envelope for two reasons:

1) Pinwheels are good luck symbols during Chinese New Year. The spinning of a pinwheel means "turning your luck around".

2) Red Pockets are usually given to children from married couples, so it's important for the envelopes to be fun. A pinwheel brings me back fond childhood memories of enchantment, celebration, and worry free days.

Materials:

Red Paper
Printer
Scissor
Decorative paper for pinwheel
Split pin
Marker
Glue

Step 1:
I created a template. You can download it here. Print it out on a red piece of paper. The Chinese characters along the side is a new year's greeting. It means "Congratulations and Prosperity".

Step 2:
Make your pinwheel. I used and a pin, with dabs of glue to hold the corners in place as it dries.

Step 3:
Cut out the envelope from the template, score, and fold the edges. With an awl, pierce a whole through the pinwheel, and the envelope.

With a marker, draw a stem for the pinwheel.

Step 4:
Fasten the pinwheel to the envelope with a split pin. Then apply glue to the tabs to complete the envelope.

Origami Seed Starter Box

2010-04-27T09:58:00.000-07:00

Get a head start on your growing season by starting your seeds indoor. To save money on seed starter kits, I would like to show you how to fold a newspaper seed starter box.

Materials:

Newspapers
Scissor

Step 1: Turn the newspaper into a square

a) Start by cutting the spread in half.

b) Fold it diagonally — bring the short edge to the long edge.

c) Finally, trim off the bottom edge with scissors.

Your square newspaper. Since it's just for a planter box, it doesn't have to be a "perfect" square. For time and efficiency, trim several pages of newspaper at a time.

To fold the box, I'm going to use origami paper instead of newspaper. This way, you can easily see which side is the front, and which side is the back.

Step 2: Folding the Box

a) With a piece of newspaper, fold it diagonally — corner to corner.

b) Fold all four corners towards the center.

c) Visually divide the square into thirds, and fold.

d) Open it up, rotate 90 degree, and repeat step c.

e) This is what you should have.

f) Unfold as shown.

g) Rotate and fold the edges "up" as shown.

h) Fold as shown.

i) Repeat with the other side.

j) Fold the top over as shown.

k) Repeat step h to step j for the other side.

l) Your completed box.

Once your seeds have sprouted and the danger of frost is over, plant directly into ground. The newspaper will decompose over time.

Handmade gift wrapping paper

2010-04-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

For my brother-in-law's birthday, I wrapped his gift with handmade paper that I had made after experimenting with a variety of papermaking techniques. Needless to say, I have many, many, many sheets of handmade paper that are just "sitting" there.

Since the gift itself was quite flat (a sketch book, watercolour pencil crayons, etc), I thought an envelope would be an appropriate solution.

The paper I used to wrap his gift was made from scraps of office paper (using only the white part of the paper), and I embedded it with skeleton leaves.

As you can see in the photo, the envelope was quite simple to make.

I took two pieces of handmade paper, punched holes about 1" apart, and thread twine through the holes to complete the envelope.

After packaging the gift, I punched two additional holes on top, and tied a quick bow with a short piece of twine.

Handmade Forsythia Paper

2010-02-17T13:45:00.000-08:00

This sculpture, Whisp, is decorated with forsythia fibers. The process took two days — and yields only 5 thin sheets of paper! I do like the whispy texture it gives, so I'll give this plant another try ... one day.

Below are the steps I took from harvesting the fibers, to making the paper.

Materials:

Stainless steel stock pot
Soda ash
Stir stick
Digital Scale
Papermaking mold and deckle
Large basin
Cloths

Step 1
I went outside with garden snipers and began clipping off thick branches from my forsythia bush. Don't clip thin branches — they have less fibers. Look for branches that are about 1 inch thick.

I collected as enough branches to fit into my steamer.

Step 2
Cut at 45 degree angle (to help peeling easier in next step), and place into a steamer.

Here's a cross section of a branch — outer bark, fiber (light green), and the woody core. All we want is the fiber, and steaming will make it easier to strip off.

Step 3
Cover and steam for 30 minutes. Open windows for ventilation.

Step 4
After steaming, peel away the outer bark, and strip the fibers away from the woody core.

Left to right: bark, fiber, and woody core.

This basket of dry fibers weights about 4 oz, yields about 5 thin sheets.

If you wish to continue with papermaking, continue to step 4. Otherwise, dry the fibers and store in a dry/moisture free place. Dry fibers can be stored indefinitely. When you're ready to make paper, rehydrate the fibers by soaking it overnight

Step 5
Fill 2/3 of the pot with cold water — you don't want hot water to overflow when you add the stems. Measure out soda ash and add to the pot of water. For every 1 liter of water, use 15 grams (1/2 ounce) of soda ash.

When water is beginning to simmer, add fibers. Let it simmer for 2 hours.

Open windows and doors for ventilation. Every 1/2 hour or so, give it a stir.

Step 6:
After 2 hours, the water will be dark and thick. Drain and rinse the fibers until the water runs clear.

Step 7:
Begin to pound the fibers until it turns into pulp.

Step 8:
Set up your couching area by layering a pile of cloths.

Step 9:
Fill basin with water and add pulp. Agitate the water to distribute the pulp evenly.

Slide your mold and deckle into the basin, lift up, and let excess water drain.

Step 10:
Remove the deckle and bring the mold over to the couching area. Flip the mold over, paper side down, and sponge off excess water.

Step 11:
Gently lift off mold, and allow the paper to dry flat.

How to Make Paper from Hollyhocks

2010-02-01T06:54:00.000-08:00

Hollyhocks are annuals, growing as high as 6 feet. Very easy to grow, and self-seed year after year.

Unlike paper made from grass and leaf fibers, paper made hollyhock fibers are much stronger, smoother, and less brittle. That is because their fibers are much longer and stronger to begin with.

My sheets were very thin, like tissue paper, but strong. Partly because I don't have have enough fibers, but also because I like to make thinner sheets for my light sculptures. I like the way the delicate fibers show up against the light.

Before boiling the plant in a caustic solution, extra steps are needed to separate the fibers from its woody core and its outer bark. Below are the steps I took from gathering the fibers, to making the paper.

Materials:

Stainless steel stock pot
Soda ash
Stir stick
Digital Scale
Papermaking mold and deckle
Large basin
Cloths

Step 1
Hollyhocks are gathered from my garden. Remove leaves and roots. Bundle and soak underwater for about a week. During this period, the plant will begin to rot, making the process of removing the fibers much easier. You can add a bit of soda ash solution to speed up the process. I have two kittens running around the house, so I rather wait.

Step 2
After about a week, drain and rinse the plant. Begin to strip the fibers. It should just "peel off". But some are more difficult than others. For the difficult ones, I snap the stems to make it easier.

Step 3
Scrap off the outer bark. Remove as much bark as possible for a "whiter" paper.

Left to right: bark, fiber, and woody core.

If you wish to continue with papermaking, continue to step 4. Otherwise, dry the fibers and store in a dry/moisture free place. Dry fibers can be store indefinitely. When you're ready to make paper, rehydrate the fibers by soaking it overnight.

Step 4
Fill 2/3 of the pot with cold water — you don't want hot water to overflow when you add the grass. Measure out soda ash and add to water. For every 1 liter of water, use 15 grams (1/2 ounce) of soda ash.

When water is beginning to simmer, add fibers. Let it simmer for 2 hours.

Open windows and doors for ventilation. Every 1/2 hour or so, give it a stir.

Step 5:
After 2 hours, the water will be dark and thick. Drain and rinse the fibers until the water runs clear.

Step 6:
Begin to pound the fibers...

...until it turns into pulp. I pound for about 45 mins to an hour.

Step 7:
Set up your couching area by layering a pile of cloths.

Step 8:
Fill basin with water and add pulp. Agitate the water to distribute the pulp evenly.

Slide your mold and deckle into the basin, lift up, and let excess water drain.

Step 9:
Remove the deckle and bring the mold over to the couching area. Flip the mold over, paper side down, and sponge off excess water.

Step 10:
Gently lift off mold, and allow the paper to dry flat.

Hearts for Haiti

2010-01-20T06:55:00.000-08:00

Thatched Lamp has been donated to Hearts for Haiti. 100% of the proceeds from this shop (minus Etsy and PayPal fees), will go directly to Doctors Without Borders.

I have no concept of what a 7.0 magnitude earthquake is, but from the photos I've seen, it's horrible.

I hope my contribution, together with other Etsy member's contribution, will help Haiti recover from the earthquake.

How to Make Grass Paper

2010-01-08T10:32:00.000-08:00

The process of making your own paper from plants can be time consuming, but extremely rewarding. I've been noticing plants in my neighborhood I usually overlook. Suddenly weeds are beautiful, and yard work is no longer work.

Materials:

Stainless steel stock pot
Soda ash
Stir stick
Digital Scale
Papermaking mold and deckle
Large basin
Cloths

Step 1:
I went out to my backyard and harvested a pile of dry grass.

Step 2:
Grasses are cut to 1" length.

Step 3:
Fill 2/3 of the pot with water — you don't want hot water to overflow when you add the grass. Measure out soda ash, and add to your pot of cold water. For every 1 liter of water, use 15 grams (1/2 ounce) of soda ash.

Bring to a boil.

Step 4:
Add grass a handful at a time. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 2 hours.

Open windows and doors for ventilation. It will get smelly. The smell reminds me of the Chinese medicine my mom use to make...

Every 1/2 hour or so, give it a stir.

Step 5:
After cooking, drain and rinse the fibers until the water runs clear.

Step 6:
Put on a good movie and start pounding the fibers. Pound it into pulp. I pound my fibers for about 2 hours.

Step 7:
Set up your couching area by layering a pile of cloths.

Step 8:
Fill basin with water and add pulp. Agitate the water to distribute the pulp evenly.

Step 9:
Slide your mold and deckle into the basin, lift up, and let excess water drain.

Step 10:
Remove the deckle and bring the mold over to the couching area. Flip the mold over, paper side down, and sponge off excess water.

Step 11:
Gently lift off mold, and allow the paper to dry flat.

How to Make Your Own Maple Leaf Paper

2009-12-30T12:18:00.000-08:00

Materials:

Stainless steel stock pot
Soda ash
Stir stick
Digital scale
Papermaking mold and deckle
Large basin
Cloths

Step 1:
Grap a bag. Go outside. Collect some leaves! A grocery bag full will yield about 5 thin sheets of paper.

Step 2:
Weigh leaves to determine the amount of soda ash needed. The amount of soda ash you need is 20% of the leaves' weight.

Step 3:
Calculate the amount of soda ash you will need.

Step 4:
Fill pot with water (enough so it won't overflow when you add leaves), and add soda ash to water. Bring to boil.

Step 5:
Add leaves. Poke the leaves into soda ash solution with the stir stick. Let leaves simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Open windows for ventilation.

Step 6:
After an hour of simmering, the water will be dark and thick. Drain and rinse. Rinse until water runs clear.

Step 7:
Put something good on TV. Start beating the leaves into pulp. It needs to be beaten to separate individual fibers. I've spent about an 1 hour beating. To test if pulp is ready, pinch off a bit of pulp and put it in a jar filled with water. Shake the jar. If fibers are not "clumping", your pulp is now ready for papermaking!

Step 8:
Set up your "drying area" by stacking up a pile of clothes. This is where you'll be removing excess water from your paper later.

Step 9:
Fill basin with water and add pulp. Agitate the water to spread the pulp evenly. Dip mold and deckle into vat, and slowly lift up. Let excess water drain.

Step 10:
Remove the deckle, bring the mold over to your "drying area", and flip it (paper side) to the cloths. Using cloths, sponge off excess water.

Step 11:
Gently lift the mold.

Step 12:
Take your paper (along with the first layer of cloth) to an area to dry.

The just of how I made my papermaking mold and deckle

2009-10-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

1. I got my husband to build me two identical frames. My frames are roughly 11x14", but you can make it any size you want, as long as it will fit in a basin while you're holding it on two sides.

2. Since the frames will be underwater, it needs to be protected. I applied a generous coat of Polycrylic to protect them. Allow to dry.

3. To one frame, attach a window screen with a staple gun, and seal all four sides with duct tape. This is your mold. The other frame is your deckle.

Nature Walk

2009-10-26T12:57:00.001-07:00

An afternoon bike ride with my husband through Warden Woods, a nature trail close to our home.

In a few weeks, I'll be collecting a bunch of dry leaves like these for my papermaking project.

Making paper with plants

2009-10-22T08:48:00.000-07:00

A lot of work, but so much fun. This sample is made from the stems of Daylillis. I love the way the fibers intertwine.