Bracelets with Glass Beads

Glass beads, silver fashion links and pendants are threaded onto a 1mm elastic beading cord and finished with four or five tight knots.

1. Attach an oval ring to the loop of the pendant.

2. Thread the beads and pendants onto the elastic beading cord. Always finish with a bead with a large hole to hide the knot inside.

3. Tie four or five very tight knots – preferably reef knots. Cut off the ends and pull the knot inside a bead.

Wood Chip Boxes with Blackboard Paint

           

These round wood chip boxes are painted with blackboard paint in different colours. Text is written with chalk.

1. Apply two or three (or more if necessary) coats of coloured blackboard paint to the wood chip box.

2. When the paint is dry, use masking tape to create a square for painting.

3. Paint the masked square with black blackboard paint. Always paint from just outside the square (starting on the masking tape itself) towards the middle. Make sure to paint thoroughly so you will only need one coat.

4. Carefully remove the masking tape whilst the paint is still wet.

5. When the paint is completely dry, write text with chalkboard chalk. You may sharpen the chalk, making it easy to write.

Polystyrene Balls with Decoupage Paper

           

Polystyrene balls are covered with decoupage paper and varnished. The attached striped cotton string with wooden beads is used for hanging.

1. Cut out two identical designs from the sheet of decoupage paper. Cut two notches at the top and at the bottom.

2. Glue these onto the polystyrene ball with decoupage lacquer. Apply the lacquer along the moulding line in the middle of the polystyrene ball and smooth out the paper using a brush.

3. Cut a long continuous piece of patterned paper with notches on one side. Rotate the long piece of paper as it is glued onto the ball. Varnish the baubles twice with the decoupage lacquer. Wooden beads are threaded onto striped cotton string which is glued into the hole at the top of the bauble.

4. Varnish the baubles twice with the decoupage lacquer.

5. Double over the piece of striped cotton string and thread it through a wooden bead.

6. Glue the string into the hole at the top of the bauble.