Matchbox camera

Posted in Kids, Paper, Photos, Recycled materials, Stuff to make by Margaret Muirhead

This matchbox project was inspired by “cameras” my brother and I used to make when we were kids out of band-aid boxes (back when they were tin, which really wasn’t that long ago, was it?). We taped on a lens and a viewfinder and snapped imaginary pictures. To make this wee version, I covered a matchbox with black paper, except the ends, which I covered in light blue washi tape. Then I folded a strip of paper to make a viewfinder, and sliced off a circle of cardboard from a toilet paper roll to create the lens.

Inside is the treat: an accordian album of tiny photos. I went old-school for this part—good old cut and paste. I printed the photos on regular printer paper (albeit high quality printer paper) and glued the photos in place.

1Jul2013

Instagram photo books

Posted in Paper, Photos, Stuff to make by Margaret Muirhead

More summer fun projects–Instagram antics! I’m trawling through the (seemingly endless) camera roll on my Iphone and modifying my favorites on Instagram (see above: first grade Crazy Hair Day). What I like about Instagram: turning all images into squares and filtering them circa 1976–and yes, one of the filters is called 1976. Once I get to 72 images, I plan to make a set of these wee photo albums from Printstagram (you get 3 tiny books for $10).

I also love this photo book by Elizabeth Kartchner at Dear Lizzy. She used Blurb to create her paperback album and had the savvy idea to keep some pages blank to write in captions and anecdotes by hand.

18Jun2013

Summer Craft Camp

Posted in Fabric printing, Kids, Stuff to make by Margaret Muirhead

School’s out! (In 9 days–but who’s counting?) My list of summer hopes & plans grows with each passing minute. First on my list? Something frivolous & impractical that I can do with my kids like . . . build this children’s summer teepee by Courtney Cerruti from Creativebug! Creativebug offers online D.I.Y. tutorials for a fee, but this summer the site is featuring family-friendly “craft camp”–free video workshops of stuff to do with kids. Other workshops include making clothespin dolls with Amy Karol or Shrinky Dink earrings with Nicole Blum.

30May2013

Painted Rocks Round Up

Posted in Stuff to make by Margaret Muirhead

Rock art is a perfect project for hunchbacked, myopic beach combers like myself. I mean, what to do with those treasured stockpiles of rocks anyway? Don’t even get me started about the shells.

To make these garden markers, I grabbed what I had on hand–rocks, black Sharpie, white gel pen, and Mod Podge. The white gel pen didn’t last long–I’ve since read that white paint markers work far better. I’m going to make more–there’s something so appealing about doodling on a rock! Here are some other nifty ideas:

Row 1, left to right: Ladybug and bumblebee tic-tac-toe from Chicken Scratch; rock dominoes from Martha Stewart

Row 2: Painted rocks by giochi di carta; herb markers from August Wren; and rock doodles from The Art of Being Creative

9Apr2013

Upcycled Books Round Up

Posted in Paper, Recycled materials, Stuff to make by Margaret Muirhead

In my library day job, I’ve been weeding old books from the shelves. The books aren’t in circulation any more but they’re still hardcover treasures with great illustrations about Arctic explorers and Presidential boyhoods and stuff like that. With some help from The Repurposed Library and a glue gun, I remade some of them into “bookmobiles.” (Repurposed has instructions for dismantling books to make all sorts of upcycled crafts.)

Kids think the mobiles look like birdhouses. I think they look like something that exploded and spilled over in weird loopy accretions. But I like them anyway.

Here are other great ideas for upcycled books (links below):