Travel tic tac toe case from Jewellery box DIY

What do you generally do with the jewellery cases from stores? I have forever been fascinated by the size and sturdiness of the jewel boxes that would find their way to mom's large cupboard made of iron, and get hidden away from prying eyes.

A box of that size can be put to umpteen uses after its original purpose gets served. I decided to embellish it, but not much. I love, love and love tic tac toe games.I love making tic tac toe boards. And the jewel box obviously came in handy. I have seen this game get used in umpteen spaces.

What I used for the piece:

-- a jewel box

-- cardstock to match or contrast it

-- optional is a thick felt sheet

-- a pair of scissors

-- hot glue gun loaded with a glue stick

-- embellishments are optional

-- paint pen (I chose metallic silver) to match the jewel box

In the jewellery case that I had at home, the velvet piece covering the hood of the box on its inside was missing. The other half it was half stuck on the inside. The first step, was to glue hanging pieces towards the cardboard.

I cut out a piece of cardboard from the cardstock I had. You get cardstock the width of large bookmarks. It is about trimming it to fit into the box. Insert it on the surface. I did not want to glue away everything. Just inserting worked.

Once you have adjusted them, use a paint pen to mark out the lines for tic tac toe game.

I used a popsicle stick, or an ice cream stick to mark out the straight lines.

For a tic tac toe box of this size, we would need small items to make it for the game. So the best bet for me was buttons.

You can also use beads.

If you noticed, there was an ugly sticker on the box. I just cut out another piece from the cardstock and stuck it on top of the jewel box. And your on-the-go tic tac toe case is ready. Tuck it into your bag or slide it into your pocket with the wallet, and indulge yourself with a fellow player on that plane, train or automobile.

Pictures and content: Radhika M B

Luggage tag using scrap fabric DIY

Every household has hidden scraps of fabric that go unused for umpteen reasons. Sometimes the reasons are obligatory, at other times sentimental. But it's not uncommon to find that piece of fabric or T-Shirt you thought would be useful and never really used.

I found such a piece I had picked up from the temple at a throwaway price because it was an offering to the deities there. I had once thought it would make for good altar decor. Now I have second thoughts, and want the fabric to be useful somehow. The memory of seeing those huge suitcases at the airport luggage belt - with handkerchiefs, satin ribbons, and sometimes torn rags hanging from the handles, prompted me to try a luggage tag. It's a failed piece to be honest, but I managed to salvage it, and I bet it will be useful to me or to a friend soon someday.

What you need for this project (hold it, it's not a quickie. You need loads of patience):

-- less than half a square foot of scrap fabric

-- embellishments to either stitch on to the fabric, or stick such as cloth flowers, buttons, beads...

-- a pair of cloth cutting scissors

-- marker pen, fine tip

-- an object to use as stencil - a rectangle, or circle or oval...I used a needle-case cardboard that came with it from the store

-- a piece of satin ribbon

-- cotton for fill or batting

-- Needle and threads of different colours to match the fabric or embellishments

-- optional is a velcro-tape self adhesive piece

-- quilting pins or ball headpins to hold cloth for sewing

I started by marking out using a needle case cardboard packaging as stencil, on the fabric.

I then pinned the ball pins about an inch and half from the marked lines, so it would make it easier to cut the fabric. The next step was to mark another dotted line along the marked line, about one third of an inch wide.

Cut along the dot-marked lines, and leave some space on what you want as the top of the fabric piece for luggage tag, so you may fix a hook, velcro tape or press-button.

I stitched up a button hole using the button hole stitch, but it did not really work out. It was because there was not enough fabric above the button hole, for accomodating both, stitches and a button after it got inserted.  You may use a velcro tape, or a press button set.

On what I wanted as the front side of the tag, I stitched up cloth flowers. I chose flower colours to match one of the different colours on the fabric print.

The next step. Use a running stitch and stitch along the original marked line. Leave a one inch or two inch gap, ideally on the top or bottom of the to-be tag.

It was time to fill the cotton batting in.

6

I stitched the end of a six inch piece of satin ribbon (about half an inch or less wide) on to the rear inside of the would-be tag. It was a bit of a push and pull here. because of the faulty button hole. The stitched button was not so great to look at and its stitches showed on the rear of the ribbon, so I fixed a cloth flower to cover it up.

Now, this is not exactly a button-able piece or stickable one because of the velcro tape complication. But it will come in handy in the most unexpected of ways, as my life as a homemaker in our own home has been teaching me.

Use this tag for your own personal travels, or gift it to a teen.

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Nursery mobile with cardboard roll, DIY

One of the trends that has made me gape in awe is the sheer magnitude of products for babies these days. As a new mom wanting to give my baby the best, I am obviously tempted to buy more for the bundle of joy. 

But let's not forget that for every plastic toy we collect in the name of a child's learning and play, we add that much more to the earth's toxin burden. Sometimes these toys are a mere phase, leaving you wondering what to do with them. Nursery mobiles are a fad with parents. From colourful to sophisticated, they are a must for any nursery with a baby and crib.

For a change, I decided to make my own nursery mobile. I am not so satisfied with the resulting piece, but it's given me loads of confidence to make more of the kind and gift to babies.

It may sound a surprise, but the project really did not cost me a fortune. I had to make use of household craft stash.

What I used:

-- a pair of scissors

-- a duct tape ring leftover after using the tape up

-- embroidery skein of the same colour as the wrapping paper or ribbon or plarn to cover the duct tape ring

 (I used parrot green colour thread)

-- a needle and white thread

-- cloth flowers of accented shades

-- punches - circle and flower type

-- patterned paper, sequins, some household cardboard if need be

-- craft glue

-- soda can pull-tab...always keep these handy, you never know what they can be useful for

I began by wrapping the cardboard roll with plarn (plastic yarn that I made before with plastic shopping bags). You can try wrapping it with satin ribbon or some patterned paper. If you plan to glue up decorative paper though, make sure you have sufficient glue for it.

I let its end stay for a while, lest I would need it later. Now came the need for my embroidery skein. A white or jute twine could be your alternates here.

I started off by leaving some thread, about half a feet, and fixing sequins on it. To fix sequins, I picked up a pair, squeezed glue on to one of them, placed the thread over it to run through its center, and stuck on it another sequin of the same shape and size.

I used the craft punches to cut out circles and flowers from the patterned paper. Some flower shapes I had in stash earlier from mail trash. I left space of a few inches on the thread, and glued together another pair of circles from the patterned paper, and some flower shaped punched pieces from magazine recycle.

After this it was about tying the thread on to the cardboard ring. Try leaving irregular spaces, and do not stick to the same length each time you cut a piece of the embroidery skein. You can fix about five such pieces on to the roll. Add some pieces of ribbon and maybe knot it up on the ring to hang down alongside the threads.

I used long pieces of ribbon to tie through the roll for a handle on top of the mobile, and inserted the bunch of four lines of the ribbon into the soda can pull tab for buckling up.

Your nursery mobile is ready. This is a rather simple one. I hope to improvise though future projects. I am sure my baby will love this. The piece took some time to make, and was taxing, considering how busy the little angel keeps me these days. But it was worth the effort. I am waiting to see the reaction on her face when I hang it near her bed.

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Silhouette wall decor with household cardboard

Try as we might, household cardboard overwhelms us like nothing else does. It's so invisible, but difficult to discard. It's messy, and seemingly essential. Among the many uses for household cardboard is how you can make quickie silhouette wall decor. Frame it, or stick it up the wall or hallway door, cardboard decor is not just inexpensive, but earthy and authentic too.

I had some boxes that came with shirts and baby frocks in them. And it got me thinking, if we could maybe just avoid trashing them right away. I am not so happy with the result, but it sure is something you can try at home, can find easy to modify to suit your needs and decor.

What you need as basic for the project is household cardstock - which is plain or patterned paper.

Besides, keep the following handy:

-- household use cardboard that needs to get trashed

-- a pair of scissors

-- craft glue

-- string, or burlap ribbon, or satin ribbon

-- wool, if need be

-- old newspapers

-- a rag cloth

-- a pen or pencil to mark and draw out sillouettes

Start by drawing silhouettes of your choice. I looked up the internet to find umpteen shapes of birds and animals, sometimes inaninimate household objects.

If you draw on the thicker cardboard, there is no need to add an extra layer or stick more cardboard to it for thickness. However, if you use patterned paper, try increasing thickness by adding a layer of cardboard to it. Use your pen or pencil to draw out shapes. I chose birds for a start, as something about flying birds appeals to me no end.

I made a bunch of vector shapes. Different bird silhouettes, a lion silhouette, a birdhouse, and the likes. If you have a cardboard that is design heavy, fret not. You never know how the final product will turn out.

For the next step, you can always pick up satin ribbons that are somewhat wider. I had some jute or burlap ribbon and cut it in the middle, to bring its width down. Stick the silhouettes up one by one. Remember - burlap or jute is porous, so the glue will bleed. Keep some newsprint beneath its surface.

If you notice, the size of my silhouettes are smaller than you would expect.Try diffeerent thicknesses. Let the glued pieces dry. If you notice bending of the cardboard, put it all up under a bundle of books so that the cardboard flattens out.

And lo, your cardboard silhouette is ready.

You can get artistic and use your imagination for the silhouteets when you stick. This is not just a classy piece, but a convenient alternative to temporary decor and during events such as baby shower.


Pictures and content: Radhika M B

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One big plastic drink bottle, two uses: How to

Searching online for that perfect piece of a kitchen utensil can be a pain if you have specifics about its make and looks. I got fed up with a search, for an extra ceramic jar to hold my stash of kitchen ladles. It's strange I cannot find the right one in the exact nano second I want it, when my soup is boiling away on the stove. Last week I noticed the plastic drink jar that got empty.

It was thick. It had a unique hand-friendly design. And it threatened to make me cry - I simply could not trash it.

Let's just say the need for a large container enough to hold ladles, and the availability of such a bottle coincided.

I needed one other thing in my kitchen, and scoured the internet away, with hardly any satisfying results - steel or copper funnel to ease storing grains. Too expensive. The drink bottle was a perfect fit for my need.

You can try this with thick plastic bottles that come with drinks or old plastic kitchen boxes that have a good depth. Use your discretion and get imaginative.

After the orange juice got over in my kitchen, all I had to do, was to wash it thoroughly. And bring out the craft knife.

The bright yellow cap I kept aside for future projects.

Among the other materials that came in useful for this project, were:

-- a nose plier

-- tweezer

-- candle and matchbox

-- fine-point marker pen

-- Gold hue paint pen to decorate

You will need to begin by marking out the exact line between the narrow mouth of the bottle and its broad base, that you want for - the funnel and for the ladle jar. I was lucky to find perfect contours on the container. You can mark out with the help of a masking tape.

Run the masking tape along the jar, and cut.

I am dreaming of the day I cut that piece of plastic with precision using my craft knife. The one I have is a sharp piece, but I am a long way from getting the angles right while cutting along cylindrical and elliptical bottles.

I made sure to pull out the `tab' ring from the funnel half of these two pieces.

And trim the uneven edges a little with the craft knife, the way I used to sharpen a pencil as a kid. I had to be careful.

Now, you make cut the container into two with all the precision in the world, but remember, you will still have to deal with sharp edges that can hurt. Here is where a candle comes in handy.

I lit the candle using the matchbox, and ran the cut or sharp edges of the two pieces one after another, over its flame. The idea is to blunt the edges out. If you have the skill you can turn them into artful shapes. Beware. The fumes are not good. So do this in open air if possible.

The funnel got ready. Uneven on edges. But a functional utility piece that will ease my kitchen woes.


I ran the jar half of the drink bottle over the candle next. While I did not feel any need to embellish or paint the funnel, the jar cried for some colour. Out came my gold coloured paint pen. I used its contours and draw away some lines. And over its edges I tried a wavy border to go with its uneven edges.

And the ladle holder was ready for use.

I do not know how long it will last. I did save some bucks on not one, but two pieces I wanted for my kitchen use.

Here is how the funnel looks, and has started to find use.

When you set out for a similar project, remember to keep children away from your work area. Also, remember to work outdoors. Choose a container with thick plastic.

If the container has plastic that is less thick, it can be repurposed for other uses - jewellery/jewelry, toys, household pieces, and the likes.

Just do not buy a bottle for the sake of the project.


Pictures courtesy: Radhika M B


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