Basket ball for your office cubilcle DIY

An entire industry thrives on the office cubicle or corporate desk products. From desktop gods to photoframes, pen-stands, mobile-holders and expensive pen sets, the product list goes endlessly. I once made a miniature golf set for the office desk. This week, I got attracted to the idea of making a basket-ball set for the desk or a wall with a hook, or simply a shelf with door knobs, by hardly spending a penny on it. 

I love how in front of homes in our neighbourhood, basket-ball baskets are a must-fixture for kids to play. And all you need is a container to throw ball in. I had containers in the form of glasses, but no ball. The ping pong balls stash in my home has gone missing. And I have not been in the mood to shop afresh.

You need a few things for this project-in-a-jiffy.

-- a used gift bag (in paper) or cardboard -- the hard surface for it

-- used paper cup (I had a plastic cup, but a paper cup is anyday a better idea)

-- a small hold paper punch

-- ball point head pins (jewelry findings)

-- hot glue gun with glue sticks (optional) or tacky glue (optional)

-- tacky glue is optional or a stapler if you choose

I also kept handy some gift wrap tissue paper or kite paper. And a toothpick.

If you want to use a sheet of cardboard, the hard variety, punch holes towards its center along the top edge and fix a hanging loop with twine or wool. I started by using some tacky glue to stick up the folded end of the bag's bottom.

This is meant to firm up the bag's base.

Now hold the plastic cup against the gift bag, under the handles but centered enough.  Roughly gauge in your head, how much space you need to leave out before punching it.

The next bit is to punch holes in the paper cup by leaving about half an inch towards the center.

I then twisted two ball-point head pins together as one was not enough for the punched holes. The next bit was about inserting this into not just the glass but the other paper cup as well, and once this is done, secure it by twisting further, and bending it inwards into the paper cup. Your desktop or office shelf basket ball set is ready. I was only too eager to play, and so crumpled some gift wrap tissue paper that is helpful for the presents packaging.

You really do not need expensive toys for the office space. This sort of a project can work well for kids too, who have less attention span and tend to throw toys away after the first few days.

This is one way to reuse gift bags. You can involve your bored kids into this project. No sharp items around, not even a pair of scissors.


Pictures and content: Radhika M B

Write to: radiscribegmail.com

Bottle caps for a painting palette DIY

Ever tried to pacify a toddler with toys galore? Or paper and paints if the child is creative? Chances are that you ended up paying through your nose to keep the little one engaged for all of half an hour.

It's amazing how you can reinvent household discard-ables to keep your little one occupied before you go anywhere near the trash can.

Fingerpaints, watercolours and the likes are a rage with kids these days. How they love to smudge themselves with colours! As a child, I had such wishes too, that I get a room full of paper and run with paint on my feet, and hands. No reprimanding teachers, no worry about spoiling my uniform.

Teaching the child to stick to pouring paint into a palette is a big task. And you can make your own palette! Show your kid some variety. Use household plastic lids. You don't need scissors. You do not need needles. Nothing.

Just some multi-surface glue or super adhesive, and maybe some sandpaper, besides of course the lids of bottle caps of different sizes.

I used the lid of a box that usually contains dosa batter for this activity. Its diameter is approximately six inches. You can find such plastic boxes in stores that sell packaged curd, batter or other foods.

Scout around home for smaller size lids of various bottles. Wash them all thorough, and get to work.

You need:

- a large lid for the base of the palette

- glue (multi-surface) or super glue

- smaller size bottle caps of an inch or less in diameter

- sanding paper (optional)

- tissue paper (just in case you spill glue)

If you are using multi-surface glue, sand the upper surface of the caps so that the glue sticks. If you use super glue you do not need to do it. Arrange the caps on the large lid to get an idea of, how many may fit on it.

Glue on.

And stick the cap on to the large lid.

Continue this with the other caps.

When you stick, chances are that the glue will overflow. Do not fret.

The palette is ready, not to use, but to dry. My piece took a whole day to set in and dry. You may get luckier. Buoyed by the results on this, I tried this with the measuring caps of cough syrup bottles over one half of a styrofoam or thermocol clamshell container.

Instead of multi-surface glue, I used super glue.

\And let it dry.

It was tricky, thanks to the ridges on the container's base, but I pressed the surfaces hard.

Meanwhile, the former piece dried.

It is ideal for temporary use. And enough to catch a kid's attention for a while.


Pictures courtesy: Radhika M B

For permissions ot reuse, write to: radicreative@gmail.com

Cup and ball catcher toy DIY

Cup and ball catcher toys are ubiquitous. When we were little kids, a wooden cup and ball catcher that my dad bought for my sister and me was a favourite. The toy with its bright green and red paint, and a wooden ball on a string was a great entertainer in summers.

Known by different names, the toy is traditional and prevalent in different cultures of the world. It is called boliche in Spain and balero in most of Latin America. In France it is known by the name bilboquet. If you get a chance, hop into the nearest handicraft store and ask for it, or check online for the various ethnic versions of this toy.

A great option would be to make it yourself at home. You need disposable paper or plastic glasses to begin with. The toy makes for a good pastime with kids. It is easy to teach children how to make with a little adult supervision.

If you need to host a kids' party at home, nothing like this toy that the kids can play with and take home. It is a great crafting project and will not burn your pocket.

Here we go, with the materials we need for the simple DIY toy. This tutorial has two versions.

What you need and can keep handy:

-- a large red plastic cup used for serving, washed and dried thoroughly
-- a white paper cup
-- a white twine roll or jute twine roll
-- tapestry needle
-- a pair of scissors
-- a craft knife
-- ping pong balls or styrofoam/thermocol balls (I used a styrofoam pumpkin)
-- large beads, buttons and large hole sequins
-- a cylindrical bottle or thick toilet paper roll or tube
-- craft glue and super glue - keep them handy
-- Optional are embellishing items - in this case, some decorative violet tape and Washi tapes
-- you may keep some sanding paper if needed


For the Red Plastic Cup Ball Catcher,

Use your crafting knife to poke a hole on its bottom.

I made use of the recycle symbol that came embossed with the cup. Using its shape to guide, I carved out a triangle hole along its inner edges.

String a large button using the white twine, and the tapestry needle through this hole. The button must fit in the cup's base inside.

Here, in this picture above, the button is inside the cup, while I have made a knot with the twine outside of the cup. You will now need to string another large bead on the outer bottom of the cup.

Note that the size of the twine should be large enough to toss the ball a little in the air. A way to do it would be to measure the string upto your elbow twice. And adjust the length accordingly. Please note, that the twine's cut end disintegrates through the inserting and stringing, so you will need to cut to level it.

Use the tapestry needle to string through the thermocol ball or round object, or the pingpong ball, and knot it. Your cup and ball catcher toy is ready.

With the white cup that is smaller in size, I used an old medicine bottle to make the handle. Another option is to use the base of a tissue roll, or an incense sticks tube. Anything that you can hold easy will work. Look around your home.

Use a pen or the tapestry needle to poke a hole in the center of the paper cup's bottom. Use a narrow pen refill or bamboo chopstick to widen this hole.

String a bead into the inside of the cup. And after measuring the twine according to your need and comfort, cut it.

Use the string and work with the tapestry needle to fasten a large button on the outside of this base, in such a way that it firmly holds against the cup. You can leave the larger part of the string.

Pour crafting glue under the button, over it, and enough to cover this base.

Embellish the medicine tube or any other tube you have and glue it on to the base. Some glue may spill out, do not fret. Let this dry for an hour or two. You can use a table fan or cool setting on the hair dryer if you want a quicker result. If you live in a windy place, make use of it and place it at the window.

Once it is dry, string the other end of the twine to a large bead or ping pong ball.

Your cup and ball catcher toy is ready. A cool way to prevent trashing of disposable cups. And an even less expensive way to keep kids engaged.

Go ahead. Look around the trash around home, and use the objects to invent your own version of cup and ball toys. Play away.

Pictures Courtesy: Radhika M B

For permission to re-use, write to: radicreative@gmail.com

Owl nest fridge magnet with plastic bottle cap: a nest on my fridge

Owls are my favourite birds. Contrary to what I heard growing up, owls are wise, and that I say in the affirmative.

On an earlier visit to the crafts store, I chanced upon owl buttons. They found  their way into my cart with no reason to be bought at all. Today I put them to good use. I built a little nest for them in a plastic bottle cap. And made them sit on my fridge door.

Plastic bottle caps that we mindlessly throw away can come handy in a million ways. For the little owl nest, it was a large red plastic cap that made a perfect bowl for the nest.

The materials you need for the project are available easily, except for the owl buttons. You can opt for small owl stickers, stick them up a card board and cut through the shape to give them the 3-D effect, or simply buy 3-D stickers.

Here goes the list:

 

-- Owl buttons

-- a self adhesive magnet

-- plastic bottle cap

-- a pair of scissors

-- jute or burlap twine - one thick and one thin

-- cloth leaves that you get from craft stores for flower making projects

-- a tweezer to nudge the twine into the cap properly

-- straw or stirrer to use tacky glue

-- tacky glue

Roll the thicker twine into a disc that's enough in size to fit into the bottle cap. And glue this into the bottle cap. Use enough glue.

Now pick up those owl buttons or 3-D stickers and glue them on the disc, a little above half of the cap.

The flowers project leaves usually come with a wire attached. You can cut this wire and add randomly into the glued area, and fix the leaf on the bottle cap edge. The leaf can also go in before the owl buttons do, so you can nestle them on it. 

Add more pieces of the jute or burlap twine - thick here, thin there...you can also pull out strands from the pieces to stick randomly and give a mish mash effect. Images of owl nests I came across have mostly been with twigs. Here I have mounted the glued owls on a large twine roll.

Let the piece dry out a little. And add the self-adhesive magnet. If the adhesive does not stick well, glue it with tacky glue.

Here they are, the owls, drying out in the bottle cap nest.

They acquire a different glow, almost Christmas tree like, when an LED bulb shines on them. If you want to quick dry them, try using a hair dryer in `cool air' setting. After an hour of drying, the piece is ready to sit on my fridge.

This little DIY piece makes for an excellent gift that you can stash into an old earrings box and give away. You can earn those `recycled' stars with ease among peers. Get your kid to do this for a school crafts project. Or simply enjoy its beauty on your fridge.

If you do not have owl buttons or stickers, use tiny pebbles that look like eggs, or oval beads of plain colours. Enjoy the company of your new friends.

Pictures courtesy: Radhika M B
For permissions to re-use, write to: radicreative@gmail.com

Copyrights: Radhika M B