Quilled christmas ornaments

Quilling, also called paper filigree, originated more than five hundred years ago; it involves rolling and combining strips of paper into highly detailed designs.
I made this snowflake ornament from six V-shaped strips of paper, curled at the ends with a quilling needle and joined with a dot of glue at the center.
Before working on the ornament, practice some quilling basics. Wind a strip of paper around the needle; it will form a tight curl. Play with the paper to stretch it back out to the shape you want. Try folding a strip in half and curling both ends in for a heart shape, or curl them out for a V shape. Quilling paper is easy to manipulate, but working with it is not an exact science: It takes some practice to make the same shape twice.

Tools and Materials
6 strips of quilling paper strips
Quilling needle
Craft glue
Metallic thread

1. Fold each strip of quilling paper so that one of the halves is about little longer than the other, and curl the ends. Repeat with five more strips.

2. On a flat surface, fit pieces together with their points in the center. Use small amount of glue to attach pieces together in pairs. Let glue dry, and attach a piece of metallic thread to hang ornament.

I hope you liked my quilled christmas ornaments! If you tried making them then click some bright pictures and send them to me at artchitrasutra@gmail.com

If you'd like to include the Chitrasutra button in your blog, grab the html code from underneath the Chitrasutra logo on the side bar to the right. To receive the latest posts, as well as updates, have CHITRASUTRA delivered right to your Inbox. You'll find a link to subscribe via Email on the sidebar to the right. Thanks for reading.... so glad you are here!

Painting Diyas for this Diwali

I bought my diyas from a road in Ameerpet, Hyderabad that has pottery lined up on the pavement on either side for diwali. As the diyas were kept on tables on the roadside, they were rather dusty.

So how do you paint a diya? What paint should you use?

Things you will need:



Soak the diyas in water for 15-30 minutes. Dry them in the sun or under a fan. This helps make them receptive to paint.

Choose acrylic or fabric paint in bright colors to paint the diyas and use a wide brush. Gold, crimson and other metallic colors are my favorites.
TIP: Try a bit of each color that you plan to use on the base of a diya. This way you can check how dark/light the paint will be and whether you can get an even coat on the terracotta. I tried out the different color combinations.
You can decorate the diyas with one or more colors. If you like solid color diyas, the best way to accent them is by adding a line of gold paint along the rim using a thin brush.
Dry the painted diyas for 3 to 4 hours.

BRING ON THE BLING!
Stick tiny mirrors, zari thread, small shells, sequins, beads or glitter on the diyas to pack a decorative punch.
I hope you liked my painted diyas! If you tried making them then click some bright pictures and send them to me at artchitrasutra@gmail.com

You can also go through my previous posts for Diwali:
Reusable Rangoli
CD Sparkles!
Torans for Diwali

If you'd like to include the Chitrasutra button in your blog, grab the html code from underneath the Chitrasutra logo on the side bar to the right. To receive the latest posts, as well as updates, have CHITRASUTRA delivered right to your Inbox. You'll find a link to subscribe via Email on the sidebar to the right. Thanks for reading.... so glad you are here!

DIY felt case for a tablet

I was lucky enough to get a tablet as a gift and, after a while without any protection, it was in danger of getting a bit beat up in my bag. I was looking around at cases and kept on seeing all these lovely felt tablet cases around that I liked but I didn't want to spend the money they usually sell for. So, I decided to make mine out of craft felt sheets instead which happen to be just the right size. Yay, I love a bargain solution! This project cost me less than 25rs.

Materials needed:

A4 sized felt sheet
Thread
Needle
Buttons for closure

I hand-sewed just simple hemming across the side of the case using thread in a matching color. Then I trimmed the seams, created a flap, turned it right side out, sewed on the button for closure, and voila! I can't really give specific instructions because I just eyeballed the whole thing as I went, but it was an easy project and fortunately, my tablet fits in there perfectly.
It's a simple case, which is just what I wanted. It protects my tab from scratches when I slip it in my bag and from dust when it's lying around the house. No, it's not going to protect your tab if you drop it on concrete.... :-) I made this thing one month ago and it's still holding up like new. Hooray for simple projects that I can actually complete!

I hope you enjoyed this post! If you tried making them then click some bright pictures and send them to me at artchitrasutra@gmail.com
If you'd like to include the CCM button in your post, grab the html code from underneath the CCM logo on the side bar to the right. To receive the latest posts, as well as updates, have CHITRASUTRA delivered right to your Inbox. You'll find a link to subscribe via Email on the sidebar to the right. Thanks for reading.... so glad you are here! Note: Images collected from various sources on web.

Shell candles DIY

I love collecting shells when i visit the beach. When I got the shells home they were perfect size and shape for some whimsical candles. They are great for adding a pretty touch to any room and would make great center pieces or favours at a wedding. These shell candles look beautiful when placed in a tray of sand or on a top of sea glass.

Things you will need:

Sea shells

Candle wax or soy wax

Candle wicks

Fragrance



1.Firstly the collected sea shells are soaked in bleach water for 24 hours. Rinse and dry thoroughly.
2. Glue the candle wicks to the inside center of the shell.

3.Met some paraffin wax or soy wax in the double boiler and carefully pour the melted was in the shells.
4.Fill each candle evenly and close to the top without overflowing.
5.Let cool until hardened for about 30 minutes.
6.Once the wax has solidified trim the wicks and clean off any wax that might have gotten on the back of the shell.

And you are done. Light the candles and enjoy the soothing ambience!!

I hope you enjoyed this post! If you tried making them then click some bright pictures and send them to me at artchitrasutra@gmail.com

If you'd like to include the CCM button in your post, grab the html code from underneath the CCM logo on the side bar to the right.

To receive the latest posts, as well as updates, have CHITRASUTRA delivered right to your Inbox. You'll find a link to subscribe via Email on the sidebar to the right. Thanks for reading.... so glad you are here!
Note: Images collected from various sources on web.