Easter Shapes sewn from Handmade Paper

These paper shapes for hanging are sewn from handmade paper made from  mulberry and dyed using the classic watercolour technique.

1. Lightly moisten the paper with water.

2. Scrunch up the moist paper and place it on a piece of plastic.

3. Dab water-colour paint, mixed with water onto the moist paper. Let the paper dry. Leave it in its scrunched up shape. Let the watercolour run. This gives a very exciting effect in the uneven fibres of the paper.

4. Smooth the dry paper by hand. Draw a pattern using the template for this idea which is a separate pdf file. Cut it out.

5. Use a piece of mercerised cotton yarn for sewing the parts together with tacking stitches. Leave an opening of 5cm for filling the shape with polyester stuffing.

6. Fill the shape with polyester stuffing and close the hole with tacking stitches.

7. Make a four ply piece of mercerised cotton yarn for hanging. Thread a bead, a flower and finally the finished paper shape onto the four ply mercerised cotton yarn You may finish with another bead.

Another variant

A candle holder cover: measure the paper, cut and sew the two sides together to fit the height and the circumference of a candle holder. You may sew beads and flowers onto the paper in case you want additional decoration.

Attached file: Template (226 kB)

Rio Dancer Chair

Sometimes you see something so fantastic on Pinterest that you are blinded and have to find out more. That is what happend with this chair. I saw it and thought “rainbow fish” but only in the nicest way. I think it’s beautiful, and if I had any extra money it would be mine immediately. I can’t believe that is all felt.

A Silicone Bracelet with Rocaille Seed Beads

This silicone bracelet with a built-in fastener has been decorated with rocaille seed beads and drop beads threaded onto a piece of copper wire.

1. Cut a 130cm long piece of black copper wire. Wrap one end of the wire around one end of the silicone bracelet. Shorten the other end of the wire slightly.

2. Thread black rocaille seed beads onto the long end of the copper wire.

3. When the wire is filled with a sufficient number of black rocaille seed beads, wrap this piece tightly around the top end of the bracelet (moving downwards) seven or eight times.

4. Now thread enough transparent drop beads onto the copper wire for this to reach 15 or 16 times around the silicone bracelet. Thread the same number of black rocaille seed beads onto the copper wire as in section 1. A symmetrical pattern is achieved with the same number of black rocaille seed beads on each side of the section with the transparent drop beads.

5. Finally wrap the last bit of copper wire tightly around the silicone bracelet three or four times. Fasten the copper wire by pushing it back though the last section of black rocaille seed beads and cut off the excess wire.