Category: Craft

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Origami Paper Tutorial

Easy Origami Rabbit Tutorial – Step By Step

I chose this for my next tutorial as 2023 is the Chinese year of the rabbit! There are lots of origami bunny tutorials; this is one of the simpler ones.

All you really need is some thin squares of paper and a pair of scissors.

If you make this out of double sided paper, the inside of the ears will be a different colour! Not got any? Use two thin sheets of different colours (that’s what I’ve done here).

Don’t forget to fold neatly and crease firmly – you can press the creases with the back of your thumb nail if you don’t have a creasing tool.

  • If you’re using two-colour paper, start with the colour you want the inside of the ears to be facing upwards.
  • Start with the paper in a diamond shape, with a corner pointing towards you.
  • Fold in half from top point to bottom, crease and unfold.
  • Take the bottom left sloping edge and fold in to meet the centre crease.
  • Do the same with the top left edge.
  • Take the right hand point – fold it back to meet the edge you’ve just made, then fold the tip back the other way so it sticks out over the flat edge a bit (this will be the tail!)
  • Flip the whole thing over.
  • Fold the left hand point over to the right, so it almost meets the flat edge.
  • Next, fold the whole thing in half, bringing the centre crease upwards and the edges down towards each other – it’s easier if you pick it up to do this (see last picture).
  • Now we’re going to make the ears! At the moment, they look like they’re laying along the rabbit’s back.
  • Hold the bottom of the model in one hand and gently bring the points of the ears up with the other.
  • Stop when the back of the ears are roughly perpendicular to the base. Crease well.
  • Ok – so the next step involves separating the ears! Take a pair of scissors and very carefully snip down the centre crease between the ears, being careful not to cut all the way down.
  • To give the ears a bit more shape – stick your finger in them 😂 You can open them out a bit at the bottom, which will show the contrasting paper (if you’ve used it).
  • Lastly, lay the model down and go over all the creases on the body one last time.
  • Bunny is finished! Stand bunny up.
  • 🐇
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Craft Origami Paper Tutorial

Simple step-by-step origami boat tutorial

Simple origami boat tutorial

This simple origami boat is a fun model to fold. Use a fairly thin square of paper, and remember to fold neatly and crease firmly after each step.

  • Start with your paper square as shown above. If you don’t have a creasing tool, you can use the back of your thumb nail to help crease. We’ll be folding it horizontally then vertically to start with, creating a grid of quarters. Ready?
  • Fold in half from side to side, making sure the edges line up; crease and unfold.
  • Do the same thing, this time folding the other way, to create the horizontal fold; crease and open up fully.
  • You should be left with folds dissecting the paper into neat quarters.
  • Turning the paper 90 degrees, fold the bottom point under and up to meet the top point.
  • The next picture shows how the creases sit.
  • Take the bottom point and fold it up to meet the centre.
  • Do the same with the top point, so they meet in the middle.
  • Next, fold the left point into the centre…
  • …then fold this point back, but instead of folding from the original crease, fold a little way in from that.
  • The next step can be a bit fiddly, but the previous folds will help you out! Pick the model up and press gently in the centre; the middle should go down and the outside edges should come up!
  • Gently press the bottom together to encourage the creases – you’re after a big triangle at the bottom and 2 smaller triangles at the top.
  • Once your model looks right, press and crease all the folds well.
  • Lastly, fold the bottom point back to form the bottom of your boat. If you get it just right, it should stand up by itself!

Hope you enjoyed this model. They look great in different sizes to make a whole fleet.

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Books Lunchtime Lusting Stationery Stationery

Planning, Plants & Books

Staying on top of things can be hard work. I love a planner and I love writing lists to help me track things, but I know they’re not for everyone! If you’re looking for something a bit less intense than a physical organiser or planner, how about a digital version? There are some great ones out there to suit different needs. Here are a couple of links; I can also recommend the GoodNotes app if you have an IOS device. 
Digital daily planner 
Weekly digital planner

Outdoor spaces can bring us joy, but during winter it can be hard to get that greenery in, whether you’ve got a garden or not. Having plants indoors can be beneficial to the air as well as your mental well-being. Here are some great plants that will thrive in your home during the winter months.

What have you been reading in the past year? Any stand-out favourites? I’m signed up to Goodreads, so I log what I’m reading and can then take a look back at the books I’ve read over the year. I’m in a couple of (virtual!) book clubs and it’s really nice to read things I wouldn’t normally pick for myself. However, my favourites from 2021 are firmly in my comfort zone! 

Between Two Thorns – Emma Newman. As a fantasy fan, I fell easily into the idea of Emma’s Split Worlds. It’s intriguing right from the start and really keeps your attention throughout. Set in (pretty much) modern day, it flits between our world and a secret mirrored world, where immortal Fae hold power.
Uprooted – Naomi Novik. Yep, it’s more fantasy! The setting is more traditional; think fairy tales and folklore, a simple village by some dark woods and tales of the local dragon…

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Craft Origami Paper Tutorial

Tutorial: Simple origami bat

This simple origami bat is fun and quick to make and makes great decorations for Halloween. All you need is a square of thin-ish paper.

Remember, with origami you need to fold neatly and crease each fold firmly as you make them.

  • Start with the square of paper in a ‘diamond’.
  • Fold in half horizontally, bottom corner to top corner.
  • Fold in half vertically, bringing the left point over to the right point.
  • Open up the last step.
  • Fold the bottom edge up, but not all the way – just so there’s just a small triangle of the underneath layer showing.
  • Fold this little triangle down, over the edge you folded up in the last step.
  • Pick the model up and fold in half, backwards along the central crease, wing tip to wing tip.
  • Now you just need to fold the wings up! Fold the top wing only, by taking the outside point towards you and up, so the bottom edge is now in line with the central crease from the previous step.
  • Turn the model over and repeat the last step with the other wing…
  • …open out the wings slightly and you’ve got yourself a bat!

You can experiment with adding more folds in the wings to make different bats. Made this model? Share it on social media and tag me in your pics.

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Lunchtime Lusting Notebooks Stationery Stationery

Ahoy there, stationery fans!

Stationery fans

Hands up if you love stationery. Me too. So let’s not waste any more time with this section and get right to it!

Do you use washi tape? I absolutely LOVE it. So versatile, so pretty and so practical – you can use it for journaling, wrapping, decorating notebook covers… plus it’s made from natural fibres, so can be recycled. Winner! Joanne Hawker has just added her own designs of washi tape on her website and, like the rest of her range, it is just delightful. 

Have you heard of bullet journaling? Is it still a thing? What even is it? Well, it’s primarily a type of diary-journal-planner, most often done on dotted paper or something that helps create sections, bullet points, trackers etc. The more ambitious use plain paper journals and create their own grids & patterns. People use them for well-being, tracking habits, or just general planning. Personally I think half the fun is customising and decorating the pages! Here are some ideas for if you’re just starting out, and some more adventurous ones.

Did you catch my last blog? Take a look through these 5 signs you’re a stationery addict. From hoarding notebooks to not using pencils because they’re too nice; how many of these do you identify with? 

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Craft Gifts Inspiration Lunchtime Lusting Stationery Stationery

Kawaii crafting, Ghibli life lessons, Mothers Day inspo

Newsletter roundup

If you’ve found yourself doing more craft things during lockdown, you might be on the lookout for some new equipment. But why go for bog-standard when there are things like this available? These Miffy scissors might not be up to much hardcore cutting, but they’re great for simple paper and card tasks and darn it, they are cute.

I am a massive Studio Ghibli fan. Their films are fantastically animated, moving and just downright magical. Creator Hayao Miyazaki has a penchant for strong female leads: “…brave, self-sufficient girls that don’t think twice about fighting for what they believe with all their heart. They’ll need a friend, or a supporter, but never a saviour.” Here are a few favourite inspirational quotes:

  • “Just follow your heart, and keep smiling” ~ Kiki’s Delivery Service
  • “Always believe in yourself. Do this and no matter where you are, you will have nothing to fear” ~ The Cat Returns
  • “You cannot alter your fate. However, you can rise to meet it” ~ Princess Mononoke

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Whether you’re after something big, small, a keepsake or something edible, Modern Guy has you covered! This fabulous gift guide showcases 34 small businesses for you to support. 

New in the Etsy shop!

Categories
General Stationery Stationery

5 ways to organise creative clutter

Organise your creative clutter
Organise your creative clutter

Do you find your creative clutter soon gets out of hand? Being a maker myself, I have lots of different tools and materials and I need them all within reach; which quickly leads to having stuff everywhere. I have found a few things that help, though, so I thought I’d share them with you.

  • Recycling or rubbish? I’ve got a bin for both. I end up with lots of scraps of paper and keep them all together to recycle, or for turning into handmade paper (a constant future project).
  • Upcycle and repurpose. Got an old chipped mug? Use it to keep your pens and pencils in. If you’re like me and have LOTS, you can keep a particular collection in each mug; felt pens in one, fine liners in another etc. You know those little glass pots you get delicious desserts in? They are GREAT for keeping small bits and pieces in.
  • Make the most of desk tidies. A purpose-built desk tidy has plenty of room for larger items and can happily accommodate your bulkier stationery. These wooden houses are the perfect home for big brushes, scissors and chunky pens.
  • Store your bits & bobs. A shallow tray or dish is the perfect place for anything that you need to hand, but that’s too small for a tall holder. Use them so you’ve got easy access to things like pencil sharpers and rubbers, or any small bits of string/wool/beads that may usually accumulate on your desk.
  • Stash your stationery. If there are things you need tidied away, the classic pencil case is the way to go. They’ll keep all your creative tools tucked away until you need them.

Hope these hints and tips have helped to get you a bit more organised! What are your top tips for staying on top of creative clutter?

Find my full range of handmade stationery in my Etsy shop.

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Craft Gifts Inspiration Lunchtime Lusting Stationery

Stationery, portable dinos, street art, blog on fire

Have you seen? I’ve brought out a new range of handmade stationery! Fitting nicely alongside the journals and notebooks, you can now get rescued leather pencil cases, wooden stationery holders, slogan pencils, fun clips and stickers for your planner or diary. These are available from The Emporium, Nene Court in Wellingborough, or peruse a selection in my Etsy shop.

Stegosaurus bags. The kind of bag you’d want at the start of a new school year, but were never allowed. Well, now you’re an adult and guess what? Having a dinosaur bag would still be cool. Rawr! Dino bags from Pordein.

Do you see faces or shapes in everyday things (this is called pareidolia! Every day’s a school day)? Or look at a crack in the wall and think it could be… something else? Well, maybe it could be turned into the thing you see; these clever street artists have done just that. Next time you’re out and about, take a look around and see what you can spot and imagine what you could turn it into…

Bonfire Cherry is run by the lovely Megan, who specialises in linocut printing, producing things like prints, tote bags and badges. I’m a big fan of her art which has a very distinctive style. Along with selling her work, Megain is a prolific blogger, posting every Friday. You can read the latest Cherry Post here! Prefer a podcast? No worries. Check out Bonfire Banter, run by Megan and Dene.

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Craft General Inspiration Lunchtime Lusting Stationery Tutorial

Desk tidies, creative inspiration & crafting for self care

Ahoy there! If you’ve not already signed up to my newsletter (and why not? It’s THRILLING! Check out the handy pop-up and stick your email address in there!) then this is for you to peruse. A little of this, a little of that, just some stationery, fun and creativity. Enjoy!

Like a dress with pockets and a wallet with enough slots for your cards, having a desk tidy with ample spaces for all your different stationery essentials is a much searched for item. But is there such thing as the perfect one? I think this one comes pretty close. Plenty of places for pens and pencils, plus a couple of drawers to hide all those bits you’re not quite sure where to put.

Creativity is great when it’s running free, but how do you motivate yourself when your mojo is running low? Here are a few hints and tips for you to try out:

  • Brainstorm your ideas – just go with it and write down everything that pops into your head.
  • Carry a notebook with you, to capture all those on-the-go random thoughts.
  • Take a break from social media! It can be a great source of inspiration, but try and mix up your input. 
  • Try something new – break out of your comfort zone.
  • Listen to music – how about something completely different to usual?

It’s been proven that craft can be great for your mental health, and I think everyone could do with a little boost at the moment! Why not take a break and try something simple? Pinterest is a goldmine of ideas for fun crafts to try, often using just a few items you can find around the home. You can find a few over on my ‘Craft Tutorials & DIY‘ board. Go get your make on!

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Craft General Inspiration Origami Paper Tutorial

Coffee.Cake.Create: Craft Club

It’s been a while since I’ve written about Coffee.Cake.Create. Last time, I was talking about how it would start running on the last Thursday of the month- which is what’s been happening for the past year! Now, it’s a craft club with a twist; you can just come along, bring your own project to work on, and chat with fellow crafters. But, if you want to have a go at something new, each session there’s the option to do the Monthly Make – a different project every month. All tools, materials and tutorial will be provided; plus of course there’ll be hot drinks and sweet treats on hand for refreshments!

I’m amazed that this is in its second year; thanks to everyone who’s come along and kept it going. We’re a small group of hardcore regulars, with a few who keep an eye out for a particular craft they’ve always wanted to try. We’ve done leatherette purses, scrap fabric pin cushions and crepe paper flowers to name a few, as well as getting through a fair few festive makes in the Christmas session.

Want to keep up with what’s going on? Join the Facebook group for updates. Here’s what’s coming up over the next few months:

Coffee.Cake.Create. Craft Club takes place on the last Thursday of the month at The Emporium at Nene Court, 19:00-21:00. It’s £5 for the basic craft club, plus an extra £5 (sometimes less!) if you’re doing the Monthly Make.
Book & pay in advance on 07747 029400, call into the shop or pay via PayPal to secure your spot.