Wire wrapping is like the bread and butter of jewelry making. It doesn't matter if you're into vintage inspired, assemblage necklaces or Steampunk pieces - wire wrapping is essntial for securing everything in place and often times is even used as part of the decor.
If you're a baby boomer or at least older than 40, then you probably remember the Five and Dime stores around your neighborhood street corner. Carrying kitchy knick knacks like masks and cheap candies that even little kids could afford, they were quite the sensation in their day.
Want to make your own jewelry? While there are loads of pre-made earrings and necklaces and bracelets out there, it's often hard to find one that suits your personality to a tee, so we totally feel you. But before you start haphazardly strining stuff onto a wire, check out this jewelry making video first.
If you've never heard of Steampunk before, then you're about to be educated. Steampunk is a relatively new hybrid style (and subgenre) of old anachronisms and technology. So, for instance, a steampunk computer is one that's done in an industrial, victorian manner with brass parts.
Adding a patina to brass stampings is what gives it an aged, beautifully vintage look. If you've never worked with patinas before, then check out this jewelry crafting video to learn about how to use different types of patinas - including resin and acrylic paint - to make a flower you can attach to a pin to make into a brooch.
Dark, punky glamour has never been more in on the runways. From YSL's blood red lipstick to the harsh stud and leather detailing on the clothes at Philip Lim, it seems that rock stars are the newest fashion role models.
We're not going to lie: Papercut designs take a bit of time and lots of precision to accomplish, but the results, as you can see here, are totally worth it. These gorgeous papercut cards come in any shape you desire, from intricate polar bears to Christmas trees.
Before your guests enter the front door to your Christmas party and before they witness the beautiful swags of garland, lights, and the Christmas tree, the first thing they're going to see is your wreath.
When it comes to Christmas gifts, stuff that comes from the heart and is handmade is nice, but often times we really DO want that new iPad.
If you follow designer Tory Burch then you probably know that her high class and trendy clothing and accessories are also extremely high priced, costing upwards of thousands of dollars.
Typically during the holiday season hostesses give very little attention to the plates that food is served on. Because the focus is on the food, the plate needs to be nothing more than a plain white backdrop, right? Wrong.
If you're looking to play a samurai or other Japanese inspired character at your next boffer larp, this tutorial is for you. You're shown how to build a foam katana using duct tape, a razor blade, measuring tape, cloth athletic tape, DAP contact cement, liquid craft latex, fabric to cover your blade, rope, fiberglass core, and of course, foam!
Dressing up like Batman is way not cool. But dressing up in a Batman-inspired batwing sleeve top? Totally hot. Check out this fashion DIY tutorial to learn how to create an easy batwing top that's easy and breezy for fall.
This is a video tutorial in the Arts & Crafts category where you are going to learn how to fold a five-point paper barn star. You will need a square sheet of paper. Fold it in half to make a rectangle. Take the right folded corner and fold it up to the left edge of the rectangle. Place the corner about 1/3 from the top edge and fold the sheet. Next take the left corner and fold it over the edge you just folded. Finally take the flap on the right and fold it over to the opposite side. Now cut ...
It's a classic dilemma parodied in so many TV shows and movies we now roll our eyes every time we see it: Two women are trying to pry open a jar of jam (or some other condiment) but, despite their best efforts, the lid just won't pop. So they enlist the help of a pretty boy who lives next door to finish the "manly" job.
In Minecraft, survival is key, especially at night when the creatures of the darkness come out to play. If you're doing a lot of crafting work at night, one big pain is going out to get water and trying to find new sources of water. Wouldn't it be great if you could create a pool of water that automatically refilled itself all the time? It's really simple and fast to make! All you will need is two buckets of water and a shovel! In this great video you will watch as he designs the pool and cre...
These hot dog cutting projects are the perfect "crafts" to practice on a rainy day. From making spiny hot dog balls to an octopus with funny curled tentacles, these hot dog projects are a delight to make and to eat, since you'll be deep frying them.
If you've always wanted to build your own Classical Acoustic guitar, this video series can get you started! You will watch he starts with some simple blocks of wood and an idea and crafts a great classical guitar! He will also show you his mistakes along the way and his own fixes, so that way if you make the same mistake, you will have an answer right there!
As we've seenin Katy Perry's music video for "California Gurls," candy is in in a big way for fashion. And the best part is that you can indulge your sweet tooth all you want without any calories!
We don't know where the penguin trend started, but for the past couple of years the arctic animal has been getting some serious loving. From "Happy Feet" to Club Penguin, penguins are flopping around everywhere in the public conscoiusness. And who can really blame our fascination with penguins, given their chubbiness and adorable waddling?
Bunnies are the last things you'd expect to eat your face off, but behind those cute, beady eyes and fuzzy fur lies a ferocious monster just waiting to get out. Or at least that's the case with this fiendish rabbit monster.
This video tutorial is in the Arts & Crafts category where you will learn how to make a Cricut get well card. Cut out the shape of a dog out of white at 4". Then cut out the ears and nose out of brown also at 4". Cut the dog again in brown at 4" for the background. Now assemble the dog as shown in the video and glue on two Google eyes. For the card base take a 10" x 7" card and fold it in half. Take out a brown sheet at 4 3/4" x 6 3/4" and a striped mat. Now apply glue on the card and assembl...
Eagles are the most effective of the predator birds. With eyesight like nobody's business, a huge wingspan for excellent air foil control when flying and diving down for a yummy little mouse, and a strong, muscular body, it seems eagles were designed to, well, kill.
Here in California, we Wonder How To writers don't get much snow. In fact, during the holidays we get excited just see frost on the windows and that it's cold enough that we can't wear shorts outside. Obviously during Christmas this is a bummer, because this means no snow angels, no snowmen, no sledding.
Do you know why we hate those envelopes that come with any greeting card you buy at Hallmark, Papyrus, or a drugstore? They're SO boring. Always the same rectangular shape, always the same opening mechanism, with the only innovation for each envelope being the color, which does vary to match the card.
What's so genius about this project? yeah, it may just seem like a plain white piece of paper that you fold a bit to stand up, but you're actually getting two beginning origami projects for the price of one. That is to say that if you learn how to make the origami tent in this video, you'll also be learning how to make a pyramid.
It's flattering enough to be complemented on your pretty bag. So how awesome would it be to get compliments on a bag you made yourself? Not many people endeavor to craft a homemade bag (for fear of loose ends, things falling out of random holes, etc.), even though it's actually pretty easy.
You know those long drives home in the car after you've spent a weekend at a cousin's house, or back from visiting Las Vegas? With more than a few hours at your disposal, what do you do to fill up the time? If you're an avid crafter and enjoy making jewelry, that you can turn those usually idle hours into productive crafting time by making this portable beading studio.
When you muse on the topic of origami, you're probably imagining some pretty advanced stuff that sends your head - if not your fingers - for a spin. Modular dodecahedrons (what?) and magic squares, done by the more advanced origami artist, make the art seem too difficult for common butterfingers like us. But fear not; no matter how clumsy you are with crafting, we've got an origami project that you can do easily.
We promise that even the wimpiest of lightweights can lift these weights. So small they can fit into the palm of your hand, these "weights" are actually made out of polymer clay. While they won't give you quite as intense a workout as your typical gym weights, they're awfully cute and a sweet gift for a friend who's a gym buff.
You can't get better gumbo than in Louisiana, but if you, like us, can't make it out there anytime soon then the best way to soak up the savory and spicy flavor of Louisiana is to bring Louisiana home to you. Gumbo, a very thick and deep stew consisting of meat, vegetables, and more chili powder than most of us would deem safe, is a tradtional Lousiana dish.
Eyeballs are spooky any time of the year, not just at Halloween. Whether they're on a necklace chain as evil eye pendants or simply being displayed as diagrams at the optomotrist's office, they're inherently creepy.
Fanning things out always seems to add a flirty, attractive effect: fanned out, lush eyelashes make cartoon cayotes' hearts leap out of their chests and their eyes get as big as saucers, while fanned out, cut pieces of paper make pretty snowflakes.
Fanning things out always seems to add a flirty, attractive effect: fanned out, lush eyelashes make cartoon cayotes' hearts leap out of their chests and their eyes get as big as saucers, while fanned out, cut pieces of paper make pretty snowflakes.
Unlike being a square, being a square knot means you're multifaceted, fun, and unique. Of course, we're talking about square knots in friendship bracelet/jewelry making, in which you utilize two different colors of string to create a tight zig zag knot pattern followed by loops.
You've probably seen lots of duct tape tutorials for making guy's wallets. After all, using duct tape to make a wallet shows you're creative, stylish, and cool in an urban/street art kind of way.
Cosplay, or "costume play," is basically dressing up with costumes and accessories to represent a specific character, usually one in anime (like Sailor Moon) or manga. Like most Japanese fashion trends, cosplay emerged from the trendsetting Harajuku district of Japan and continues to thrive today, even in America when people wear costumes to anime conventions.
We're totally not lying when we say that the necklace featured in this video sells for upwards of $100 at some fine retailers in Beverly Hills. Composed of a long, sparkly necklace chain and a teardrop shaped pendant attached with intricate wire wrapping, this is a necklace that looks a lot more difficult to make than it actually is.
These days, with such an intense demand for everyone to be on the go, up, productive, and "happy," it's no wonder we supplement our tired souls with a cup of coffee every morning. In fact, we know of some friends who simply don't function without that first cup...or two.
In our opinion, fake flowers are much better than the real things. While we're never going to turn down a handsome lad knocking at our door with a bursting bouquet of peonies in one hand and a box of chocolates in the other, fake flowers - in origami form - last far longer.
