How To Make Angels and Christmas Trees From A Paperback Book

It is a sad fact that even charity shops have to pulp books after their pages have curled on the shelves too long. Incredibly not everyone wanted to read Mills and Boon 'Christmas Nights' by Sally Wentworth. If I was Sally I would be gutted.

But I have found a craft so simple, so easy, even those missing the craft gene can do it. And in the process we save unloved books from a fate worse than landfill.

Turn unwanted and unloved paperbacks into Christmas Trees and Angels.

I should warn you though, there is one problem making these, especially for a book worm. The temptation to try to read as you fold the pages is IMMENSE and you may find yourself drawn into a fictional world unwittingly. If you resist, these decorations can take less than half and hour to make. If you are sucked in, more like 72 hours.

Here are examples of what you can do with that unwanted fiction...

Simple Christmas Tree made from The Yellow Pages:

Embellished with a little gold spray and a Star:

Blinged baby!

Here's how.

You want a paperback that is about 120-150 pages long (that is numbered pages, not leaves of the book). If you have one longer, just tear it in half. I know that this goes against all things literary but take a deep breath and rip. Now rip off the cover and bend that spine back. If anyone is hyperventilating at the thought of mutilating a book, have a paper bag on stand by.

For a simple Christmas tree.

Fold each page so that the top right hand corner folds down into the middle of the book.

Then fold the page again so that it meets the middle of the book.

Turn this folded page over and fold up the triangle that is sticking out at the bottom.

Tuck this in.

Carry on doing this for every page.

It will get a bit difficult towards the end as the folded pages increase the volume of paper at the spine but try to get each fold into the center of the book. When all the pages are folded it will stand up on its own in a tree shape.

To embellish it, paint with a little glue and add a dash of glitter.
Or lightly spray paint it.
Add a bauble star.
Make an origami star.
Add tinsel. Okay maybe that is a step to far.

To make an Angel:

Fold the first 20 leaves of the book as if you are making a Christmas tree. Then fold the next 5 or 6 leaves upwards, varying the amount of the second fold for each page to create a fan effect.

This is one of the angel's wings. Continue folding pages as you did for the tree until you are about 25 leaves from the end. Then repeat the upwards fold for 5 pages reversing the order of the fanning effect in order for your angel's wings to be symmetrical. Fold the remaining pages as you did for the tree.

To complete the angel glue a bauble on the top for a head or a polystyrene ball or ping pong ball. You can spray paint it or glue and glitter it to create your desired effect.

You don't have to use a book if you find you cannot bring yourself to do it. You could use a quality magazine (as long as it has a glued spine) or a catalogue.

These are seriously easy and hopefully I have inspired the bloggers who are making decorations in aid of The Society of St James, a charity for the Homeless. If you want to know how you can get involved to add a little Christmas cheer for the homeless of Southampton, then visit Mammasaurus blog to find out more.

Wish upon an Origami Star

Call me a cheapskate but if you can make a cute origami star in 5 minutes from a sheet of newspaper or wrapping paper or a magazine why wouldn't you?

These origami five point stars are really simple and after a couple of practice ones *cough* I can knock them out in minutes. I made a garland of them but I'm going to stick 2 or 3 together and make a couple of decorations for the tree too.

First cut yourself a pentagon template that is about 10cm in height to make a 5cm star. If you want bigger stars go for a bigger template but make sure it fits the paper you are using! You can buy templates from a craft shop but being a cheapskate I found an image online and traced it straight off my PC screen.

 

 

1. Cut a pentagon from the paper you want to use. Fold it in half across each of its 5 axis. You don't need to draw the lines but I have so it was easier for you to see.
2. Fold a straight edge of the pentagon upwards past the centre so that the corners meet the folds (lines) coming from the left and right points. Do the same fold for each straight edge. You will have created a small pentagon based 'basket' shape.
3. Pinch the five points together.
4. When all five points are pinched in, bring them into the center.
5. Start to flatten the corners of the small pentagon you have created, folding down towards the left.
6. Continue to work around the pentagon folding each point flatter as you go.
7. You will eventually completely flatten each point down.
8. You will create a mini pentagon in the center.
9. Turn the star over where there is another larger pentagon.
10. Fold up the corner of this pentagon towards the center creating a narrower point to the star.
11. Fold each point of the hexagon up working around in a circular way such that the last fold tucks underneath the first and holds itself in place. This forms the finished star.
12. It also looks good on the reverse!

Have fun making them and feel free to add links to your own origami stars in the comments x

Recycled Business Card Case

A couple of weeks ago I had a very fanciful idea of making 25 things out of an old pair of jeans or two. I then whittled  it down to a shortlist of about 6. I then forgot all about it, distracted by life and family until last week when I remembered it was Pinaddicts time and I really wanted to get crafty.

So out of the short-shortlist I found this.

And this.

I find it really easy to be inspired to make something. And even easier to run out of motivation/energy so this was a bit of a rush job at the last minute (last night in fact). Subsequently I have failed to take any photos of the work in progress (candle light is so hard for photographers you know) but instead I found this handy little tutorial which give full instruction on the main construction elements.

And here you are - the resulting recycled jeans business card case:

The decoration started out as post it pad illustrations that I then interpreted for the sewing machine. I had an hour people so don't be too critical!!


However it gave me a little inspired lightbulb moment!

Who fancies a business card case for Britmums? I would have said Cybher but time is somewhat limited now!
I can knock one up for you from one of 3 designs for the not too princely sum of £6 + £1.50 p&p.

Design choices:

If you are interested, email me with your preferred design choice (cassette, camera or @), your name and address would be handy, and I'll send you paypal details for payment. I reckon (depending on demand *ahem*) I can get one to you in 5 working days.

The outer fabric will be denim but the inside lining material may vary depending on demand!

How cheeky am I?

And here are some other crafters that have been a bit busy interpreting their Pinterest finds for #Pinaddicts.

25 Recycling Projects For Old Jeans

I'm on a revamping mission. Or is it upcycling? It could be repurposing I suppose. But then again maybe I'm recycling. I'm sure there is an argument to say I'm refashioning. What is the difference anyway?

Recycling according to wikiwhatsit is processing used materials (waste) into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials.
Whereas upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value.
Repurposing on the other hand is to use a tool for use as another tool, usually for a purpose unintended by the original tool-maker.
And Refashion does not exist according to the authority that is wikiwhatsit. So it definitely can't be that.

Could jeans be considered a tool? Not sure so let me just say that I have a couple of pairs of jeans that are too big (yay!) and too shabby to be decent for anything more than gardening and I couldn't just throw them out. One pair has a particularly nice back pocket which I thought I could use for something so I googled recycle/repurpose/upcycle/revamp jeans/denim and after hours of research which uncovered a denim covered car (save that project for another day) I found I was spoilt for choice.

Some of the projects I found look really simple (I say look, but the reality may be anything but simple) and some are of a seriously professional quality. Now there's a profession: Jeans Upcycler. Explain that at a dinner party!

Here are some of my favourites:

 

1. Knee patches
2. Turn them into a skirt
3. Crop them
4. Make a bag
5. Make a pot for pens
6. Make a pot holder
7. Make coasters
8. Make a quilt (you may need a few pairs of jeans for this one)
9. Upholster an armchair (yeah in my spare time!)
10. Make a whale
11. Weave a handbag
12. Make a pencil roll
13. Create art (requires an artistic eye that I may not possess)
14. Make a corsage (check out missielizzie who has a Jeanius Challenge going on)
15. Make an owl
16. Make a coffee cup cosy
17. Make bunting
18. Make a dog coat (This is not Misty by the way)
19. Make an ipod, iphone, kindle case
20. Make a cushion
21. Noticeboard organiser
22. Mobile phone socket organiser
23. Make gift wrapping
24. Make some monsters!
25. Make a business or credit card case.

Challenge is I only have two pairs of jeans and a limited number of hours in the day.

I really want to try to get the most out of them though, so I am going to make a skirt, an owl cushion, a corsage,  a monster, a mobile charging pocket, and a business card holder.

So watch this space and who knows what jean-carnage will be erupting here soon!

Sorry Misty but you will have to wait to get your doggy jacket!