Fun Ideas
Make a Cuddly Toy
What you need
Scrap material
Sharp fabric scissors
Two buttons
Thread
Wadding
Sewing machine or a good hand with a needle and thread
What to do
The basic teddy bear template (make two sets of paws, of course)
1. Chose your fabric. You can use absolutely anything – an unwanted T-shirt, some old curtains, something you picked up in a charity shop…
2. Cut out the basic shapes as shown in the pattern.
3. First, make the paws. Turn the fabric on to the wrong side, and sew the legs up along two sides and one end, forming a ‘tube’ shape. Again, this should be inside out when you sew so the seams are on the inside.
4. Do the same with the other leg paw and the two arm paws, all leaving one short side open to stuff.
5. Sew along the sides of the head and body (again, inside out) leaving the opposite side to the ‘cut on fold’ side shown in the template open for stuffing.
6. Turn all the sewn pieces inside out, so the right side/pattern/fur is on the outside. A pencil can be helpful for turning the smaller bits.
7. Stuff the pieces using wadding. Be fairly generous as stuffing does tend to get squashed and lose its fluffiness, particularly when handled by enthusiastic little hands.
8. Sew up the last open seam by turning the edges in.
9. Sew the legs, arms and head to the body by placing the edges of the limbs behind the body edges, and using an over and over stitch or running stitch.
10. To create the teddy’s ears, sew a running stitch over the top left and right corner of the head. Then cut out an ear shape and place it on the corner and sew on top using a over and over stitch.
11. Sew the eyes using buttons, or alternatively you could just embroider them.
12. Sew a nose by embroidering a triangle and then sew a mouth to finish your teddy’s face. It’s worth doing this bit carefully as the mouth really adds character.
Make a Candle Holder from a Recycled Jar
What you need
Glass jars
PVA Glue
Tissue Paper
Paint Brushes
Sequins
What to do
1. Lay out some newspaper as this can be quite messy!, and pour some PVA glue into a container. Mix in some water until the glue is a slightly thinner consistancy, but not too runny. Also prepare your tissue paper (the more colours you use, the more colourful your candle holder will be, but darker colours don’t work so well) by tearing it into smallish pieces of varying size and shape – it doesn’t matter how roughly this is done and the edges don’t have to be neat.
2. Take a piece of the tissue paper and place it on the jar, ‘painting’ the glue on top so that the paper is completely saturated and sticks to the jar. The first piece is a bit tricky, but it will get easier as you go along and the paper has other paper to stick to. Make sure the pieces of tissue paper overlap as this will create a lovely effect.
3. Completely cover the outside of the jar with tissue paper with the exception of the bottom. When papering around the rim, simply fold the edge of the paper over the top with your paintbrush and it will stick down on the inside, although you might need to use a little more glue here to get it to stick.
4. Leave the jar to dry. This might take a little while. When the jar is tacky it’s a good idea to press the drying tissue paper down to achieve a ‘crackled’ effect when it is finished and in use.
5. Once the jar is dry, it can be embellished with sequins or other decorative items using the PVA glue.
6. Pop a tea light into your jar and enjoy your handiwork! These also make lovely gifts.
