Patticrafts » General Party Crafts

Chinese Lantern Banner

Patti — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:32:09 +0000

Trace around out lantern template onto several different colours of foam sheet. Cut out the outline of each lantern with scissors. (pic a)
Fold the lanterns in half across the middle so you can easily cut out the curved slots from the sides of each shape. (pic b)
Place a glitter dragon sticker in the centre of each unfolded lantern and make two small holes at the top. (pic c)
Thread the lanterns onto satin ribbon. Cut some shorter lengths of ribbon in contrasting colours and tie these onto the main hanging ribbon, between each lantern. Hang across your classroom or at home. (pic d)

Download the Chinese Lantern Banner template ►

Button Gift Bag

Patti — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:35:16 +0000

Punch two small holes in each side of the gift bag, inside the handles. Assemble the bag by folding in the tabs at the base. (pic a)
Cut a 6cm diameter circle of self-adhesive blue foam. Cut a 1cm wide strip of green self-adhesive foam and cut a fringe in one side of it. Fix the fringe behind the blue circle. (pic b)
Stick the fringed circle to the centre of one side of the bag. Add a small green foam disc to the middle and glue on some assorted white buttons. (pic c)
Cut two 3cm circles of self-adhesive foam. Glue buttons to both discs and then sandwich the end of a length of narrow ribbon between them. Thread the other end of the ribbon through the holes in the bag to tie it closed. (pic d)

Pirate Treasure Chest

Patti — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:23:22 +0000

Using the chest templates, cut out two pieces of green card. Score along the folding lines and crease. (pic a)
Cut two edges of the lid section into a series of triangles and punch two small holes close to one of the ‘tabbed’ edges (measure carefully so they are centred). Roll this piece of card around a rolling pin to make it curve. (pic b)
Assemble the main chest by fixing the tabs to the sides with double sided tape. Tie a loop of narrow ribbon through the holes in the lid and then fix the trimmed edges of the lid to the top of the chest. Bend in the triangles along the longer edges and fix to the curved sections using double sided tape. (pic c)
Make a small hole in the front of the chest and fix a paper fastener into this so the ribbon loop fits over it, holding the chest closed. Cut some 1cm wide strips of silver card and fix around the chest with double sided tape before decorating with a red 3D metallic pen. (pic d)

Download the lid template ►
Download the base template ►

St George’s Day Bunting

Patti — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:05:06 +0000

Cut a rectangle of white felt 10cm by 12.5cm. Cut two 3cm wide strips of red felt and sew these onto the rectangle to make a cross. (pic a)
Trim the strips of red to the edges of the white felt. Make some more flags in the same way.
Cut a rectangle of orange felt 10cm by 12.5cm. Cut two wings from green felt and a dragon’s body from yellow felt. (see template)
Position the shapes in the centre of the orange flag so the body overlaps one wing and the other wing overlaps the body. Sew in place using pale green thread (pin the shapes in place if this is easier for you). (pic b)
Use large running stitches to mark out the ribs on each wing, and then fix a small wiggle-eye to the dragon’s head. Make more dragon flags like this. (pic c)
Cut a length of red ribbon and stitch the flags onto the edge of this, alternating between a St George’s Cross and a dragon. (pic d)

Download the template ►

Pop-Up Chick

Patti — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 18:54:35 +0000

Choose three sheets of self-adhesive foam in bright, spring colours and cut three long, thin isosceles triangles from each colour. The triangles need to be 13.5cm long and 2.5cm wide at the base.
Roll up the cardboard cone from the pack and secure with sticky tape. Fix the foam triangles to the sides of the cones, alternating the colours. (pic a)
Cut some strips of yellow self-adhesive foam about 1cm wide and wrap these around the base and top of the cone to decorate and neaten the edge. Glue some gold sequins either side of the yellow strips to decorate. (pic b)
Cut two chick shapes from yellow self-adhesive foam and two wings from plain orange foam. Remove the backing paper from one chick shape and lay the stick down the middle. (pic c)
Fix the wings to each side of the body before covering the stick and body with the other self-adhesive chick shape. Stick on wiggle-eyes and a foam beak and decorate the wings with more gold sequins. (pic d)
Push the stick down through the hole in the base of the cone so the chick can pop up.

Kokeshi

Patti — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 17:06:34 +0000

Mix green and white acrylic and paint the main dress of the doll with pale green. Colour the face pale pink and use black to create a neat hairstyle.
Paint the sleeves in a dark blue to contrast. Use pale pink and red paint to make a pattern of flowers all over the dress of the doll. (pics a & b)
Use a fine brush to make tiny features on the face with black and red.
Cut a 15cm length of red ribbon and gather along one edge with running stitch. Pull the stitches tight and tie the gather around the doll’s topknot. (pic c)
Cut three 10cm pieces of red ribbon and gather each one up in turn to make little flowers. (pic d)
Stitch a piece of narrow green ribbon to the back of the bunch of flowers and glue to the top of the sleeves to look like a bouquet.

Masquerade Mask

Patti — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:16:16 +0000

Place the mask on a sheet of newspaper and spray with red textile paint. Turn the mask round to make sure the paint gets in all the dips and curves. (pic a)
When dry, use strong glue to decorate the mask with large gemstones and sequins. Add eyelashes and a border across the bottom using a 3D metallic pen. (pic b)
Tie the elastic securely through the holes in the sides of the mask.
Cut the ends off two peacock feathers to make them about 20cm long. Choose some pink, red and blue speckled feathers and tie together with thread to make a bunch. (pic c)
Cut eight lengths of narrow ribbon in different colours. Wrap the tops of the ribbon together with a piece of double-sided tape. Fix the ribbons to the side of the mask and cover the tape with a large heart jewel. (pic d)
Use more tape to attach the feathers to the other side of the mask and use a second jewel to cover the join.

Freaky Frogs

Patti — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 10:34:46 +0000

Roll some green Fimo in your hands to make a ball and place on a baking tray.
Make two small sausages of green clay and flatten one end of each. Press the end of a cocktail stick into the flattened part to make toes. (pic a)
Make two larger sausages of green clay and bend each one into an ‘L’ shape. Flatten the top part to make the back legs and press toes into the other end. (pic b)
Make two very small balls of green clay for eyes. Press a disc of white clay on top and add a smaller circle of black clay with a slice cut out to make the pupils. (pic c)
Place the eyes on the top of the large ball of clay. Use a cocktail stick to mark out the mouth, and press the front and back legs to the frog at each side. (pic d)
Bake the frog in the oven for 30 minutes at 110°C and leave to cool. Remove from the baking tray and finish with a coat of clear varnish.

Decorated Candle

Patti — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:58:10 +0000

Paint a round wooden coaster with two coats of blue acrylic and leave to dry.
Use red candle paint to make a row of dots around the base of a candle. Add dots of blue candle paint between the red dots and leave to dry. (pic a)
Draw a circle in the centre of the now dried coaster and paint PVA glue all over the top, leaving the centre circle clear. Cover the glue with green iridescent glitter and shake off the excess.
Use red candle paint to make an eight pointed flower on one side of the candle. Add lines of yellow paint between the red petals, then add a blue centre. Finish with a circle of green dots around the flower. (pic b)
Add two concentric circles of glitter glue in contrasting colours to the coaster and leave to dry. (pic c)
Paint three more flowers around the sides of the candle and leave them to dry. Place the decorated candle in the centre of the glittery coaster.

Pirate Wallet

Patti — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:20:54 +0000

Cut a piece of black foam 21cm by 11cm and fold 7.5cm up from the short edge. Fold the top 5.5cm down and punch two holes in this part, 1.5cm from the edge and 6cm apart.
Thread a 30cm piece of stretchy cord through the holes and knot together on the inside of the wallet. (pic a)
Draw a skull and crossbones onto red foam and cut out. (pic b)
Refold the black foam and use PVA to glue the skull to the centre of the top flap and the crossbones to the part underneath. Leave to dry completely. (pic c)
Cut two pieces of red foam, 6cm by 11cm. Position inside the wallet and lightly glue along the shorter edges of each to hold in place for stitching.
Use a double thickness of thread and over-sew around the edges to form pockets inside the wallet. Use the stretchy cord to loop around the wallet and hold it closed. (pic d)