Month: December 2008

Paperless Origami

unikatissima Paperless Origami

Links of entry

If you’re folding origami figures they often come undone, are collapsing or sagging.
That’s especially vexing if they were meant to be a holiday decoration.
But now I found a very good solution to avoid sagging origami figures: fold the origami figures from fusible interfacing.
I must say that I find the photos of the tutorial persuasive.
Something more to try one day ;-))
(P.S.: On the photo you can see my iron for a start, I still have to purchase fusible interfacing ;-))


Links:
Paperless Origami

Calorimetry Headband

unikatissima Calorimetry

Links of entry

I really wanted to have a hat, but with my ponytail I don’t like them.
The Calorimetry Headband was the solution and I knitted it in a very short time.
You can see it on the photo ‘in action’.
(To take a photo of myself is not as simple as I thought ;-)))

I find the Calorimetry Headband brilliant.
First: a hat is for people with long hair often difficult to wear and the headband put all those problems away.
Second: I like the short rows pattern.
And third: because it can be done in a really short time it is a very good gift for the (ok, last but one) minute.
And it can even be knitted by impatient people ;-))

unikatissima Calorimetry
I had to adapt the size and the number of stitches, because I used totally different yarn, but I’m really pleased with it ;-)


Links:
At knitty: Calorimetry

Wikipedia entry: Calorimetry

 

String Decorated Ornaments

crealic String Decorated Ornament

Links of entry

A nice method to create beautiful Christmas tree ornaments (and much more) shows this tutorial on how to make string decorated ornaments (French).

It’s very easy:

  1. You choose the element to be decorated ((foam) sphere, box, paper bag etc.).
  2. Paint the pattern on with PVA glue (if necessary after sketching them with a pen).
  3. Put the string on the glue and fix with pins. The glue dries transparently.
  4. After the glue has dried, take away the pins and paint your ornament (or box or what ever you decorated). You can paint the string in another colour than the element. Additionally you can paint some little decorative patterns to lighten the background.

Best if you check the photos of the instruction, they explain every thing very well.


Links:
String Decorated Ornaments (Décors divers en ficelle) (French)

Lenticular Images from Your Photos

photojojo Lenticular Image

Links of entry

A lenticular image is an image that looks different depending on how you look at it.
photojojo published a tutorial on how to make such an image.

 

I already did the first steps:
From those images
unikatissima Lenticular Image unikatissima Lenticular Image

 

I created this one ;-)
unikatissima Lenticular Image

 

I just have to print the picture, to cut it, fold it, stuff it into the frame … ;-))

By the way, I ‘cut’ the pictures in stripes with the help of Splitz, a little freeware program. That was faster ;-) (Links see below)


Links:
4 Easy Steps to Making Old-Fashioned Lenticular Images from Your Photos

Wikipedia entry: Lenticular image

Google search result for ‘splitz software’

Citrus Fruit Ornament

unikatissima Citrus Fruit Ornament

Links of entry

Long ago I found (German) instructions for ornaments made from citrus fruit. They seem to be fragrant.
Last time I checked the site they didn’t show the images, but it is very easy.

That’s what you have to do:

  1. Sketch the pattern onto the citron or the orange (e.g. with a ball pen).
  2. Cut the pattern (it is the same technique as with the eraser stamps: cut the pattern diagonally).
  3. Subsequently you can decorate your ornament with cloves.

On the photo you see my first try. I tried to cut a too broad pattern, I doesn’t really like it.
Fortunately I can continue experimenting and when making faults, I can ‘nibble’ some delicious orange ;-))


Links:
Citrus-Schmuck

Here at unikatissima: Eraser Stamps

Beaded Brooch

unikatissima Beaded Brooch

Links of entry

Are you still looking for a quick but personal gift for a friend?
How about a beaded brooch?
She describes with good pictures how to create a brooch from wire and beads and a lucky charm.
It should be possibl to create pendants or earrings in the same way.
I already have the materials … ;-)


Links:
Get hooked: make your own beaded brooch

Here at unikatissima:
Instructions on how to make brooches:
Necktie Flower Brooch
Needle Felting Brooch
YoYo Pin
Freeform Bead Embroidery Brooch (the tutorial on how to freeform embroider here)

Recycle books

unikatissima Recycling Books

Links of entry

Soon it may be that you get lots of books. You want perhaps to get rid of some old books – or even some new ;-))
Via How to Make and Do-How to recycle Books I found a tutorial for a really great book lamp.
There you can find other good ideas, too.
Find more ideas at How can I Recycle This?, e.g. to make an Altered Book from.
Then I found a tutorial on how to make a book lampstand (which I don’t find as beautiful as the book lamp, but it ‘uses’ more books ;-)).
I also liked the Bookhooks and Romans a clef great as an inspiration for crafters ;-)
I guess that you can make jewelry stands in the same way?!
I also found the book book ends, the book safe and another book safe, the “Audiobook” (an iPod case), the book book shelf and and and … ;-)


Links:
Recycle books
… into a book lamp (at instructables.com)
    (via How to Make and Do-How to recycle Books and How can I Recycle This?)
… into a book lampstand
… into a coat hook
… into a key hanger (via Siebensachen)
… into an artist book (here at unikatissima)
… into book book ends (at instructables.com)
… into a safe (and another safe) (at instructables.com)
… into an iPod case (“Audiobook” ;-)) (at instructables.com)
… into a book book shelf (at instructables.com)
…and much more ;-)

Magazine Embroidery Hoop

unikatissima Magazine Embroidery Hoop

Links of entry

Once I’ve seen somewhere (but I don’t remember, where ;-() how somebody made an embroidery hoop from magazine paper.
On the photo you see how it looks. I used quite stiff advertising paper and the hoop became very robust.
This way I can make fast and cheap embroidery hoops in different sizes :)

Material:

  • Paper, e.g. advertising paper
    It should be strong and may not stain(!) the fabric.
  • Log or dowel
    I used a 8mm knitting needle
  • Tape
  • Drinking glass or the like with the required diameter

That’s what you do:
unikatissima Magazine Embroidery Hoop Select appropriate paper sheets.

 

unikatissima Magazine Embroidery Hoop Roll and fold the paper sheets to paper strips of equal width (see tutorial here).

 

unikatissima Magazine Embroidery Hoop Coil one paper strip firm around the glass and fix with tape.

 

unikatissima Magazine Embroidery Hoop Tape the hoop very well.

 

unikatissima Magazine Embroidery Hoop Slip the hoop over the glass again and coil the second strip of paper very firmly around the first hoop, tape very well, too.

 

unikatissima Magazine Embroidery Hoop These are both hoops, one can be slipped exactly over the other.

 

unikatissima Magazine Embroidery Hoop Put the fabric into the embroidery hoop and embroider.
I didn’t iron the fabric, but it’s firmly tightened into the hoop.

 

unikatissima Magazine Embroidery Hoop That’s the way everything looks from the backside.

 

Have fun with your embroidery :)


Links:
Here at unikatissima: Folded Paper Strips of Equal Width

Kali

unikatissima Kali Pattern

Links of entry
 

From time to time I like to play around with programs to create beautiful pictures.
Kali is one of those.
I can enjoy myself with it for hours ;-)

On the picture you see a pattern that I created.
unikatissima Kali Pattern

 

I made a tile by cropping which I coloured in afterwards:
unikatissima Kali Tile    unikatissima Kali Tile Coloured

 

Then I re-combined the coloured tiles to get a repeating pattern.
unikatissima Kali Pattern

 

In the end I made the whole pattern a little more 3D:
unikatissima Kali Pattern

Beautiful, isn’t it?
 


Links:
At Topology and Geometry Software: Kali


Here at unikatissima:
Entries with the tag ‘digital’
Entries with the tag ‘repeating pattern’

Here at unikatissima: Programs to make beautiful pictures with:
Knotsbag
Fractal Art (Fractal Explorer)
Self-made Landscapes (Terragen)
Droste Effects

Weave In Ends While Knitting

unikatissima Weave In Ends While Knitting

Links of entry

I don’t find knitting soo great, if I must weave in all those ends I don’t begin at all ;-)
But recently I wanted to try something where I had to knit with several colours and was glad to have found instructions on how to weave in ends while knitting.
It worked fine, as you can see on the photo. I only have to cut the last ends which is not so hard ;-)


Links:
How to weave in ends while knitting

LS – Liane – Stitch.de (German)

  1. click on Stricken in the left navigational bar
  2. on this site, click on Strickmuster und mehr
  3. scroll down there and click Stricktipps.