For this simple craft project you will need to gather a few supplies: one skein of yarn ( I selected a skein of darker, earthy colors), felt carrots (These vary from year to year depending on what is available in hobby stores), white tacky glue, a ruler, scissors, and clean paper toilet roles (three napkin rings may be cut from one standard sized toilet tissue role).
Measure and cut each toilet paper role into to three equal parts, then glue yarn down slowly as you push it through the hole and over the top of the tube. Both the inside and outside of each tube should be covered with yarn as it is pictured in the photo above. This is a slow methodical process and your second, third and fourth napkin ring will improve as you become accustomed to the method. Make as many as you need. If you should give these as gifts, it is standard practice to include table decorations in sets of four, for four place settings you would include in a gift, four napkin rings, four fabric napkins and four place mats etc... For a wedding shower, it is considered appropriate to give two sets of any decorative tableware, in other words, eight. This is so that the couple may anticipate guests at a holiday celebration.
After the paper rings have been wrapped with yarn, let these dry over night and then hot glue the felt carrot decorations to the top side of the napkin rings. Choose the side of your ring that has the most attractive color combinations to attach the carrot to. These table decorations are particularly versatile because they may be used any time during the spring or summer to decorate a place setting for a garden tea party, a barbecue and at a Easter dinner party.
Decoupage (or découpage) is the art of decorating an object by gluing colored paper cutouts onto it in combination with special paint effects, gold leaf
and so on. Commonly an object like a small box or an item of furniture
is covered by cutouts from magazines or from purpose-manufactured
papers. Each layer is sealed with varnishes (often multiple coats) until the "stuck on" appearance disappears and the result looks like painting or inlay
work. The traditional technique used 30–40 layers of varnish which were
then sanded to a polished finish. This was known in 18th century England as the art of Japanning after its presumed origins.
The most likely origin of decoupage is thought to be East Siberian
tomb art. Nomadic tribes would use cut out felts to decorate the tombs
of their deceased. From Siberia, the practice came to China, and by the
12th century, cut out paper was being used to decorate lanterns,
windows, boxes and other objects. In the 17th century, Italy, especially
in Venice, was at the forefront of trade with the Far East and it is
generally thought that it is through these trade links that the cut out
paper decorations made their way into Europe.
Artisans in Florence, Italy
have produced decorative objects using decoupage techniques since the
18th century. They combined decoupage with other decorative techniques
already popular in Florence, such as gilt with gold leaf and carved wood designs. These older techniques were already used to produce articles such as furniture, frames for paintings, and even tooled leather book covers. Known as Florentine style crafts, these items are now highly collectible antiques.
Decoupage was added to the Florentine artisans' methods by adding it to
the space within a carved gilt frame, or by adding the decoupage to a
wooden plaque. Artisans used pasted reproductions of famous artworks,
nearly always religious depictions. Florentine triptychs using decoupage images of such Biblical scenes as the Crucifixion are a common motif. As society became more secular in the early 20th century, and non–Roman Catholic
tourists began buying more crafts from Florentine artisans, decoupage
images became less religious in orientation and more reflective of famous Italian artworks in general.
Common household materials can be used to create effects. Here is a short list of supplies:
Something to decoupage onto. Examples include: furniture, photograph albums, plates, ceramics, shelving, frames, mirrors.
Pictures to decoupage with. These can come from myriad sources: newspapers, magazines, catalogs, books, printed clip art, wrapping paper, greeting cards, fabric, tissue paper, lace, paper napkins
Cutting utensil. Scissors, craft knife (X-Acto) or razor blades can be used.
Glue. Standard white glue works best if it is diluted with a little water. Specialty glues can be found in most crafting stores.
Smoother. Popsicle sticks work well. A brayer is a specialized tool like a miniature rolling pin designed to help remove wrinkles, remove excess glue and smooth pictures.
Glue spreader. Many things around the house can be use for this: cotton swabs, paint brushes, sponges.
Rags, sponges, tissue paper to help wipe up glue and other clean up.
Sealer. Glue or other decoupage medium can be used as a sealer. Alternatively, polyurethane, spray acrylic, epoxy resin or other lacquers are usually used.
Mrs. Mary Delaney
achieved unexpected fame at the age of 71 in the court of George III
and Queen Charlotte of England thanks to the 18th century decoupage
craze. Moving in the circle of Jonathan Swift and Sir Joseph Banks, and
possibly taught art by William Hogarth, she was introduced to George III
and Queen Charlotte by Margaret Bentinck, Duchess of Portland, and
became a court favorite.
In 1771, she began to create cut out paper artworks (decoupage) as
was the fashion for ladies of the court. Her works were exceptionally
detailed and botanically accurate depictions of plants. She used tissue
paper and hand colouration to produce these pieces. She created 1,700 of
these works, calling them her "Paper Mosaiks [sic]", from the age of 71
to 88 when her eyesight failed her. They can still be seen in the
Enlightenment Gallery at the British Museum today.
Notable modern day "Master Decoupeurs" include Durwin Rice, Violet
Knoxville (Vanesa de la Puente) and Queen Margrethe of Denmark. Modern
day decoupage has evolved over the years beyond the simpler style of
gluing images to plates and vases. The use of high-tech printers,
resins, and enamel sprays contribute to the "modern" decoupage method.
Flocked figures of animals may sometimes still be found in hobby shops or flee markets.
These little flocked animals are easy to find in hobby and craft outlets. I hot glued this little fawn into a plastic half egg shell, added glitter, Easter grass, trim and ribbon to create a charming egg for our Easter tree this year. Watch Timbecon use flocking materials on wood in his video below. Flocking may be done on other surfaces as well, like the small deer above.
Below are small, flat cardboard Easter baskets I made for hanging on our egg tree this year. These are very light weight and crafted from easy to find materials that most folks have stashed away in their 'junk drawers.' Supplies include: old wire, ribbon, scrapbook papers, scissors, white glue and novelty trims left over from sewing and scrapbooking projects.
Decorative, cardboard baskets full of tiny paper eggs hang on our family Easter egg tree.
Above is my teachers sample. We used magic markers to cover the mask with bright patterns and colors.
I crafted simple butterfly masks with my kids at the school last week. I traced my butterfly pattern onto inexpensive paper plates and cut these out ahead of time. The eye holes were located in the upper oval shapes of the top of my butterfly's wings.
This simple mask project is perfect for kindergarteners. They also loved to skip about the room and pretend to be flying in a garden with their masks on!
Stuff hollowed out eggs with confetti and reseal these with a little white glue and tissue paper. It you are going to dye the eggs first allow the water to drain out of the hollowed egg shells thoroughly before adding the confetti. If you don't have the time to make your own confetti, this may be purchased at craft stores. If you are going to break the eggs outside, you can also fill confetti eggs with bird seed instead.
Cascarones or confetti eggs are festive, hollowed-out chicken eggs filled with confetti or small toys. They are rumored to have originated in China and brought to Europe by Marco Polo.
In Italy they were first used as a courting ritual, filled with perfume
and then capped with wax. Men would throw them at women they found
attractive. The custom then traveled to Spain and was later brought to
Mexico in the mid-1800s by Emperor Maximilian’s wife. It was in Mexico
that the perfumed powder was replaced with confetti.
In Spanish, cáscara means eggshell. Cascarones are similar to the Easter eggs
popular in many other countries. They are mostly used in Mexico during
Carnival, but in US and Mexico border the cultures combined making them a
popular Easter tradition.
Decorated, confetti-filled cascarones may be thrown or crushed over
the recipient's head to shower him or her with confetti. In addition to Easter, cascarones have become popular for occasions including birthdays, Halloween, Cinco de Mayo, Dieciséis, Day of the Dead,
and weddings (wedding cascarones can be filled with birdseed). Like
many popular traditions in Mexico, cascarones are increasingly popular
in the southwestern United States. For example, they are especially prominent during the two-week, city-wide festival of Fiesta in San Antonio, Texas.
Having a cascarón broken over one's head is said to bring good luck.
In order to make Cascarones, one can use a pin or knife to break a
hole on the end of the egg and pour the egg out. The shell must then be
cleaned out. Decorate it as desired and let dry. Then fill with confetti
or a small toy. Apply glue around the outside of the hole and cover
with tissue paper.
April by Robert B. Shearer, age 11 Loving April's come at last. Hurrah, for stormy March is past! Oh, Spring, Spring, Spring, Can't you hear the birds sing? And can't you see the April showers That we all know will make May flowers?
