A Lantern with a Silhouette Effect made from Lolly Sticks

The square lantern for tealight candles is made from lolly sticks, which are glued together. A piece of transparent paper is attached onto the four sides of the lantern. Wood veneer reindeer are glued onto a halved wooden bead and attached to the base of the lantern, providing a dancing silhoutte when the candle is lit.

1. Arrange four standard size lolly sticks into a square, “balancing” on the thin side. Glue the corners together into a square. Make two squares in total.

2. Glue four sets of lolly sticks (each set consists of two lolly sticks) together at right angles along the long side.

3. Now you have made two squares and four right angled corners.

4. Glue the four right angled corners in place inside each corner of one of the squares.

5. Attach the other square with glue to the right angled corners at the opposite end. Glue two lolly sticks horizontally, and arranged in parallel (the large surface of the lolly stick facing down) onto the outside of one angled corner post to the other angled corner post onto two parallel sides of the lantern.

6. Turn the lantern upside down and make a base from four lolly sticks which are attached with glue on the inside of the lantern against the two lolly sticks which have been glued on on the outside.

7. Attach the wood veneer reindeer to the halved wooden bead. Insert the reindeer's hoof in the hole of the bead. Make four of these.

8. Attach the beads with the reindeer onto the lolly stick base inside the lantern. Use glue.

9. Measure and cut four pieces of transparent paper that fit the lantern's squared format and glue the paper onto the four sides inside the lantern along the vertical angled corner posts.

example

A Braided Bracelet using Cotton Cords

This bracelet is braided using two different colours of cotton cord. A decorative novelty button is used as a fastener.

1. Cut a 150cm long piece of yellow cotton cord, double it over, having threaded on the novelty button so it is in the middle.

2. Cut a 580cm long piece of blue cotton cord. Double it over to find the middle and then roll each end onto a piece of card to keep it in order and out of the way.

3. Place the blue cord underneath the yellow cord, making sure that there are two equal length ends on either side of the yellow doubled over cord in the middle.

4. Pass the outer blue cord (on the right) over the first yellow middle cord (on the right) and then under the other yellow middle cord (on the left).

5. Pass the outer blue left cord over the first yellow middle cord (on the left) and then under the other yellow middle cord (on the right).

6. Tighten by pulling both long cords and continue the procedure explained in paragraphs 4 and 5 until the desired length of the bracelet is reached.

7. Finish with a knot, a space for the decorative novelty button (fastener) and then another knot.

Another variant

Nail Art by Marcus Levine

The sculptural works of british artist Marcus Levine enact a physical pointillism, each composed of thousands of nails hammered into wood panels. All works are completed freehand without any sketches or tracing onto the boards.

The number of nails used will vary from 15,000 to his largest sculpture with 52,000.