Papier Mache & other free hobbies for all ages

sweetpea03 · 22 December 2007 at 8:17PM

Thank you Pap, you are a star :A :j ( hope you are enjoying making budget the bear!)

Prudent · 22 December 2007 at 8:53PM

butterflylady wrote: »

This sounds really bad.

After every christmas I steal other family members cards so I can take the pretty stickers etc for my homemade cards for the next year. I also steal the ribbons etc off christmas crackers!!!

You are not alone

Prudent · 22 December 2007 at 8:58PM

I shall make the prudent panda, ta for the idea.

sweetpea03 · 22 December 2007 at 9:40PM

nykmedia wrote: »

I get the old cards and ribbons to make into gift tags for the following year

Before you throw any cardboard packaging away from christmas presents have a look to see if you can make any birthday gift tags out of them too, I got a couple years worth out of last years presents, things like toiletry sets have some really nice designs on sometimes. I even cut the pics out of selection boxes to make tags

I also stick pics from old christmas cards onto the next years christmas card envelopes to make them look more festive. I don't (yet!) do like my mother did & iron the paper from unwrapped presents to reuse the next year!

Frugaldom · 22 December 2007 at 9:47PM

LOL I remember the days of ironing wrapping paper but it just isn't the same these days. It's all rip and tear and shiny foil. It's still ok for paper mache, though

Good ideas for the packaging, thanks for that.

Here's another one. Does anyone collect jam jars? You get some really nice shaped ones these days and they look great if you use glass paint on them and then use them as tealight candle holders. (Candles are a must here because of winter power cuts).

I also have one of those logmakers for crushing paper into firebricks, but we live in an area where open fires are still commonplace as there's no mains gas. But I have to admit, making paper firelogs isn't the most exciting of hobbies LOL

Frugaldom · 22 December 2007 at 9:48PM

Prudent wrote: »

I shall make the prudent panda, ta for the idea.

I can't wait to see Prudent Panda and Bear Necessity :j

Umm... edited in... don't know where I got 'Bear Necessity' from, I meant 'Budget Bear' :rotfl:

Milly1974 · 22 December 2007 at 9:57PM

nykmedia wrote: »

I also have one of those logmakers for crushing paper into firebricks, but we live in an area where open fires are still commonplace as there's no mains gas. But I have to admit, making paper firelogs isn't the most exciting of hobbies LOL

Ooooh, where do you get one of those, and are they much good? Sounds like a fab idea! :beer:

Frugaldom · 22 December 2007 at 9:57PM

I'll bore you all to tears soon with my daft passtimes but kids seem to like them. This one is an adult supervised one for making hanging mobiles.

I save the metal tubes from tomato puree! Don't buy the plastic coated ones as they don't work for this

If you carefully cut off the top and the sealed edge at the bottom then cut the long edge you can open these out and they look like copper or brass inside. Use a blunt pencil and draw your shape on the printed side with enough pressure that the pattern goes right through and is embossed on the gold side. I made half a dozen seahorses last time. Once you have the shapes you can cut them out and emboss the details into them from the reverse/printed side and once completed, suspend them with thread from something like an old shower curtain ring or similar. Even make a loop (a slice from an old washing up liquid bottle has been used before, too). You can paint over the print before hanging them and they look quite nice. Use same method for making card embellishments etc.:D

theunknownstuntman · 22 December 2007 at 10:00PM

Prudent Panda. love it.

Frugaldom · 22 December 2007 at 10:04PM

Milly1974 wrote: »

Ooooh, where do you get one of those, and are they much good? Sounds like a fab idea! :beer:

Just do a search online for logmakers and there are loads. There are 2 main types, the simple tubular one and the metal one, which I got after requesting it as a really exciting (they thought I was mad) Christmas pressie. The metal one looks a bit like the old fashioned potato chippers! Perhaps you could adapt one if you have one or see one at a carboot sale or charity shop? No promises on that one, though :rotfl:

I can promise that the home made 'logs' burn really well and for quite some time. Brilliant if your hot water heats off your fire! You can add dried vegetable waste or wood shavings etc, whatever is safe for burning and carbon neutral

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Papier Mache & other free hobbies for all ages

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