TISSUE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS

Rip about fifteen strips of bright tissue paper.  Make some of them the same length and width.  Using a glue stick, glue the edge of one of the strips, then press another strip onto the glue, carry on glueing and overlapping different strips until you’ve made a rectangle.  Glue some small contrasting strips on top, make them overlap the edges of the long strips.  Rip different sizes of spots and glue them on.  Glue on some little horizontal strips too.  Make a simple frame by cutting two lengths of card (approx 8x2”), then cut two more lengths (approx 10x2”).  Overlap and glue the longer lengths over the shorter lengths, leaving approx 1 inch sticking out of each length, so it looks similar to a noughts and crosses grid.  Glue the tissue design into the frame and lean against a window.

MOBILES

(the hanging variety, not phones!).

Mobiles can be created from anything.  One lovely idea is to get some sticky back plastic (about 49p a metre, on a roll from Wilkinsons), cut into approx 4” squares.  Peel back paper with adhesive face up.  Stick anything onto adhesive, punched out shapes, glitter, sequins, tissue paper, beads etc.  You’ll also need a long length of  thread, glitter thread, ribbon, wool which you then lay down the centre of your square (either vertically or diagonally).  Then peel back another sheet and lay it over the top of the first square, sandwiching in all your bits and the thread.  Repeat this process until you have a length of square to hang from your ceiling, or against a window.

BEADS & JEWELLERY

Always popular with the girls.  Collect together cheap beads and thread and let them go.  Instead of buying beads in craft shops, try charity shops, they always have strings of beads for sale very cheaply.  Just snip the thread and you have another collection of beads!

* Jean Mallen teaches jewellery making (the real thing) and has been willing in the past to come down and do an evening.  She is very good! (hint from Hannah M!).

MOTHER’S DAY CARDS

Create a tea pot shaped template out of card.  Then fold in half some coloured card/paper and draw round the template, then cut out, leaving the top (folding part of card) joined. i.e.  You’ll be left with a teapot-shaped card.  Then you can decorate the outside as you please, then staple a teabag in the middle!

(idea by Hannah M)

FLOWER POTS

Cheap flower pots can be bought from shops like Wilkinsons, they will need to be ceramic. Collect together tissue paper, magazines, pictures, wrapping paper etc.  Tear the paper to create ‘softer’ edges.

Using watered down pva (½ & ½), paste the paper and pictures to the pots.

When dry you can use metallic paints etc. to paint on shames and names.

(idea by Hannah M)

FOAM MAGNETS/KEY RINGS

You will need sheets of coloured foam and sheets of magnet which can be cut to size. Then just cut foam sheets to the shapes you require - name badges, animal shapes etc.

Key rings can be made in a similar way, just punch a hole in the foam and attach a key ring (from craft shop).

(idea by Hannah M)

CHRISTMAS BAUBLES

You can get polystyrene balls from Craft Central at Wyevale Garden Centre. 

You will also need lots of pins and sequins, ribbon, beads, foil, glitter etc.

Attach one pin with a cord or thread to the top of the ball.

Cover the ball in foil or glitter, then attach ribbon and sequins with pins.

(idea by Hannah M)

CLAY MODELS

This was really popular and can be done over two consecutive weeks if you want to paint the models as well.

You will need air drying clay and a few tools (maybe cutlery, wooden lolly.cocktail sticks etc).

Although you can make pots, these are more difficult, so if someone is struggling, animal models etc., are better.

When adding legs/head etc. to body of animal you need to wet the area with water before joining, otherwise it will fall off! You will then need to leave it to dry for a week until painting (acrylic paints).

(idea by Hannah M)