Tag Archives: paper crafts

Papel Picado – Cinco de Mayo Project

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Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo (the 5th of May). You can read more about this historic holiday in our families.com forums and in this interview with Don Miles author of a book about history behind this day. And here are some recipe suggestions for celebrating further. One of the traditional decorations for the holiday is papel picado (Spanish for punched or pierced paper), paper with cut designs. Papel picado is a popular art form with roots that go all the way back to the Aztecs. The real papel picado banners are works of art. The artists cut through as many … Continue reading →

Make Your Own Envelopes

A lot of people these days are making beautiful cards with photos, stamps, trinkets, ephemera, and scrapbook paper. There are entire magazines devoted to card making. Why stop there? You can make your own envelopes very easily. All you need is your chosen paper, a glue stick, scissors, and a pattern. You can download patterns from the internet, buy a stencil pattern, or simply unfold an envelope and use it for your pattern. I like to just use an unfolded envelope. Once you’ve made a few, you can even pretty much guess at the dimension you need for special shaped … Continue reading →

How To Make Pop-Ups – Joan Irvine

How To Make Pop-Ups by Joan Irvine is one of those craft reference books that I can’t imagine not having. This book not only a great introduction to making pop-ups, it has lots of ideas pop-up fans can build upon to make complicated projects. I’m always amazed how a simple cut and a bit of glue can turn paper into moving, three-dimensional cards. The book begins with easy explanations on folding and scoring. Detailed illustrations accompany directions. Some of the projects use an X-acto knife for cutting in the center of the page. Most of the projects can be done … Continue reading →

Easy Paper Dolls and Paper Shapes

Here’s a simple craft that’s guaranteed to charm young children. As a plus, it only takes paper and scissors. We called this craft “paper dolls” when I was little, but it’s really paper shapes. To make your own shapes, fold a piece of paper back on itself by a couple of inches. Keep folding until you have a zigzag accordion of paper. On the top of the paper you can draw the shape you want. The simple doll shape is a favorite. But think about hearts, snowmen, gingerbread men, shamrocks, or even dinosaurs. You can also change the look of … Continue reading →

The Toymaker – online printable toys and gifts

Today, I want to share one of my very favorite easy project websites with you. The Toymaker. Marilyn Scott-Waters is an author and illustrator. Her goal for the Toymaker site is “to help grownups and kids spend time together making things.” Her wish is “to amuse and delight”. The Toymaker site does all of that. Even the project names are charming – “Dream Theater” and “Window to Fairyland” All the projects are simple to assemble. The directions are easy to follow. The projects only require paper and scissors. A few, like the Penny Butterfly, may require some things like pennies … Continue reading →

Tiny Origami Stars

Origami is always a fun project. It’s so fun to take paper and turn it into something totally different. Children love tiny things. Origami Wishing Stars are tiny, cute, and colorful. You might even say enchanting. I guarantee that either adults or children can pass by a few of these stars without picking them up. Wishing Stars from KLUTZ is a mini-sized kit that makes 100 tiny brightly colored origami stars. The kit comes with 100 paper strips and directions. The directions are simple and easy to follow. What is extra great is that you actually lay out the strip … Continue reading →

New Canadian Scrapbook and Card Magazine

Scrapbook & Cards Today is a brand new Canadian scrapbook magazine. It will be released soon and will be available through stores around Canada as well as by subscription. Currently, if you visit the website and click on Magazine, you can download a copy of the premier issue. This is a free download and is available in it’s entirety or you can download in sections by magazine category. The premier issue offers a free sketch, a free template for using more photos on your layouts, a free digital camera giveaway and some expert advice on choosing background papers and scrapbooking … Continue reading →