Written by: Sadie Latimer | News Editor
These simple crafts are fun for anyone of any skill level:
Altoids tin wallet
Required materials: an empty Altoids tin or similar container, tape and/or glue.
Optional materials: stickers, colorful paper, acrylic paint, beads, buttons, charms and other small decorations.
Have an empty mint tin lying around? Decorate it and turn it into a fun wallet. The outside of the tin can be left untouched and be disguised as a regular Altoids tin, or it can be decorated however one’s heart desires.
Paper garlands
Required materials: yarn, scissors, liquid glue and any kind of paper.
Cut the paper into any shape. If the paper is thin enough, cut a small stack at one time. To really get creative, mix and match the shapes and sizes of the paper. Next, glue the paper shapes horizontally onto the yarn. If the garland is going to be hanging straight down, then glue the shapes vertically onto the yarn. Finally, hang the garland wherever it looks the best.
Start a junk journal
Required materials: an unused journal or notebook, any junk collected, e.g. receipts, postage stamps and ticket stubs, tape and/or a glue stick.
Make each page a collage of daily life. Take things that would normally be thrown away or left lying around, and instead, glue or tape them into a page of a journal. Once the journal is filled, one can keep it as a memento for their future self.
Bead curtains
Required materials: Many assorted beads, string, scissors and a curtain rod.
First, decide what length the curtains should be, then cut that amount — plus a few extra inches — of string. Start with a larger bead and tie it to the bottom of the string so that it doesn’t move. Then, just thread the string through the beads until there’s a few inches of string left. Tie a knot around the last bead to secure it, then tie the remaining string to a curtain rod. Repeat this process until the amount of strings desired is met.
Paper bookmarks
Required materials: scissors, a ruler and sturdy paper, such as cardstock or construction paper.
Optional materials: acrylic or tempera paint, colored pencils, markers and/or colored pens.
Cut the paper into a rectangle about two inches by seven inches. Next, let creativity take the wheel and draw or paint anything that can be imagined. For thicker paper like cardstock, acrylic will work the best, but for construction paper, tempera paint is recommended.
Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu
