Mandir - a gorgeous recycled craft

Hi

I was away from my lounge for a pretty long time. My mother and nephew visited me and we had a very great time.  I could not visit any of your blog but will soon catch up with your creations.

My mother who has inspired me and imparted the knowledge & interest in arts & crafts right from my childhood days has encouraged & guided  me while I did this mandir.

Things needed :-

1. Round thermocol pieces - 2 (same size)
2. Two wooden light weight skewers - 4 Nos
3. Ice sticks (popsicle sticks) - 7 Nos.
4. Glue Gun / Fevicol
5. Packaged water bottle cap - 1 No.
6. bell without tong - 1 No.
7. Bell with tong - 1 No.
8. Beads for decoration
9. Gold Colour powder 
10. Craft glue
11. Water
12. Flat Paint Brush 

The thermocol I used had come as a spool for satin ribbons. I did some satin ribbon garland project (which I already posted here) and saved those thermocol spools for some craft project. It has come handy in the project to form the base and ceiling for my mandir.
 

Procedure :

•  Place one thermocol as a base

• Draw a square using a pencil and insert the skewers on four corners

• Fix the second thermocol piece on top to make the ceiling

• To give additional support and form a back wall, stick the ice sticks using glue on the back side to the top as well as bottom thermocol pieces. (refer the picture below)

• Place a waterbottle cap in the centre of the thermocol piece at top to form a platform, using glue

•  On top of it, place the bell without tong (this bell lost its tong hence saved it for future use and now i has come handy in my project) on top of the water bottle cap, using glue.

• Now the mandir structure is ready.

•  Mix little water, craft glue and golden powder to make a paste. Apply this all over the mandir. Let it dry for 15 minutes.

• Now you can decorate the mandir as you like using beads or sequins.

• I made a satin ribbon garland and placed it around the mandir to decorate the base. 

• Use glue gun which helps you finish the project quickly as you need not wait for long for the glue to dry.

• Now your Gorgeous mandir is ready. Adorn it with the mini idol of your favourite deity.

side view

top view

I made this mandir to keep it in our car. So when the car is in motion the bells will raise a sweet & mild sound.

Satin Ribbon Garland - 3

My third satin ribbon garland made based on the the traditional Jasmine, green leaf and rose design using offwhite, red and green satin ribbons.

To know how to make a satin ribbon garland please check this post 

In this garland I have used a crystal long bead accompanied by a silver bead on both sides. Here is the close up shot with the darshan of the lotus feet of Lord Venkateshwara for you.

Satin Ribbon Garland

Inspired by the works of Blogpal Sudha Kailas I wanted to do satin ribbon garlands. First time the outcome was not good. I put that aside for 3 years. Finally 7 months back I again tried to do it and it came out well.

This is the youtube video which helped me to understand the satin ribbon garland making. Hope it is useful to you too.

Decorative Glass Work

I went to market 3 weeks back and on the way in a supermarket  bought a bottle of Amul's flavoured milk as I was feeling hungry . I saved the bottle & brought home. I kept a plant in a plastic container. So replaced the plastic container with this bottle after cleaning. The plant looked beautiful than before. 

Couple of days back saw a glass art work in a TV programme. They showed similar work on a plain piece of glass which was then converted into a Clock. Thought why not try that work in a bottle? So here it is for your views. Sorry folks, i forgot to take stage by stage picture. But one shot will show you the glue in semi dry form.

A simple art which gives amazing texture depending upon the tool you use & your creativity.

I didn't colour it as i felt this is more beautiful than the coloured one. Here is the procedure for you :-

In any glass article, squeeze dabs of fabric glue here n there.

Now let out the magical spell from your fingers!  :-) ha.ha.ha  (yes you all have it!) With your index finger tap on it & spread it through out the surface in the same process.

When the glue is semi dry, using back of a paintbrush or a pen, roughly run it over the semi dried glue to form some rough pattern.

the work will look like this :-

Let it dry for 5 hours

If you want to colour it, you can colour using water based glass colours & spread it to make a nice varanajal on to your glass article & enjoy your interiors by giving it a feather touch make over!

 This makes a beautiful decor item which you can even gift after you do a creative work.

Isn't it simple?   Now cast the magic onevery plain glass you see & turn it into gorgeous show piece!

Happy Crafting!

Ganapati - Cold Porcelain craft

Om Maha Ganapathaye nama :

 

Inspired by cold porcelain works, I tried making the clay at home.

I tried many doll tutorials given in the net but didn't turn out satisfactorily. So tried my favourite Ganeshji. A god who is very simple and his form is so easy to draw or mould.

To make cold porcelain clay at home check this beautiful website. I followed stove stop method.

The idea for the idol I got from this wonderful link

The umbrella making tutorial you can check out here 

1. Popsicle Umbrella
2. Umbrella for Ganeshji 

I used an empty deo bottle's cap to seat my Ganeshji and formed the lotus around it.

 

then the mooshik who will be seen always with Ganapati Bapa

colour using acrylic pearl colours (this gives a shine)

 Ganapati Bapa Moriya, Mangal Murti Moriya

Umbrella for my Ganesha (recycle craft)

Got so bored staying away from system.....so engaged myself in a small project. A nice umbrella

Another DIY project.....it may sound complicated at certain point but it is easy if you have a glue gun. Glue gun makes the project very easy.

After reading about glue gun my search started and it went for months n months........... finally got it in hypercity and here is my first project using glue gun.

My gift for my favourite deity for his birthday

You will need :-

1. carton box (I used the one in which Vanish stain remover comes)
2. Glue Gun
3. Corn pith (comes with kulfi)- 1No.
4. Tooth pick - 2 nos.
5. Metal Bangle - 1 No.
6. Thermocol piece to support the stick
7. Some Zari or lace
8.  colours & glitters to colour your umbrella
9. Thermocol balls - few (I had saved some after using for an occasion)
10. Scissor, Pencil

Procedure :- 

• Wind a lace to cover the bangle (I crocheted SCs around it using glitter thread)

• Cut a piece of round shape out of the cardboard or carton box 

 

• Cut little less than a quarter of the circle as shown in the picture.

 

• Apply glue to one end and stick the other one overlapping that slightly.

 

 

•  Allow it to set completely say for a minute
• Then colour it with your favourite colours. I first painted it with white acrylic colour, then mixed some glitter powder into some glue and applied it. over that I used some glass colours I had & made a simple design. You can use kundan stones, chamkis.
• Place the Zari or lace & stick it all around as shown in the picture using glue gun (as it dries fast)
• Then using thermocol balls I decorated it

•  I used corn pith as toothpick can be easily inserted into it. So I first pierced the toothpicks lightly then removed it, applied glue to the sharp end of the toothpick and fixed it in the hole made. Like that have to fix another toothpick too to give support to the top portion. As shown in the next two pictures. (this may sound complicated but easy to make)

•  Now attach a thermocol piece the same way as we did for toothpick. Pierce, remove, apply glue and again set it in the hole made to make it sturdy.
• stick the thermocol to the prepared bangle as shown in the picture. (I split one end of thermocol piece, applied glue and inserted the bangle lightly into it). To make it clear to you i have shown a plain bangle.

  

 

•  I slipped the bangle stand around him, which you cannot see in the picture because of the satin ribbon work adorning him. so concealed. 
• Here is my Ganesha under the shade........ getting geared up for his birthday isn't it?

Revival of a Boquet

We received a lovely boquet on a special day from our dear friends. It brought such a nice smile in the morning hours as it arrived unexpectedly. 

When it started losing its life after two days, I didn't want to throw it. So it was left on the table for a week. 

Suddenly an idea struck me. I left it dry completely for a fortnight. Removed the dried flowers and retained the stems and leaves.

Planning to add few more decorative flowers and things to it. But I could not resist sharing it with you, hence here I am sharing with you the revived boquet  (I know I cannot bring life into it, but made my level best to revive it in my way) which painted using acrylic colours.

Before revival :

After :

Lotus flower - Pista Shell Craft

Sharing with you another fun project using pista nut shells.

I had some pista shells collected years back. I have the habit of collecting things so that I can use them for my craft work. So a mini junkbox also travelled with me wherever I went. Finally the pista shells bloomed into a Lotus Flower yesterday.

Things needed to create this flower :-

1. Pista shells
2. Craft Glue
3. Craft clay
4. Cardboard piece
5. Acrylic colours
6. Glitter glue (optonal)

Procedure :-

• Draw a circle on a piece of cardboard (I used the pizza box) and cut along the line. You will get a disc.
• Now take some clay, mould it into a ball, flatten it and glue it to the carboard
• Now first place 3 shells in the centre (to form the bud) applying the craft glue & press it.
• Sourrounding that form another line of partially opened petals.
• slowly bring in the blooming action by adjusting the pista shells to form the sourrounding petals.
• You may require 60nos. of pista shells for making this flower.
• Let it dry for sometime.
• Finally with the colour of your choice, bring the life into the flower.
• I gave a final touch to the petals with a matching glitter glue outline.
• This can me used as a show piece or as a paper weight or a fridgee or as a decorative piece in other forms of craft works.

This is how I made it :-

 

Paper Holder

The news paper boy always used to throw the paper at our door steps. As I am busy in the morning hours inside kitchen, i never find time to wait and look for the paperwala to come. My old FIL finding it difficult to bend and take the paper waits for me to pick it up for him. 

Yesterday I was emptying a packet of washing powder into the storage container and suddenly  was strcuk by an idea. After finishing my morning chores, quickly I sat with the materials in front of me to make a ......"Paper Holder"!!!.

To make it, you will need :-

1. Empty Carton Box
2. Handmade paper
3. Craft Glue
4. Cellotape
5. Glitter Glue
6. Thick rope
7. Punching machine
8. Scissors

Procedure :

To make it strong, put cello tape and secure the bottom of the box from inside as well as outside. Similarly stick cello tape to the side where you see the stuck portion. The top covering portion also to be stuck erect using cellotape, as you see in the picture.

Place the carton box over the wrong side of the handmade paper and draw the outline for the sides you want to cover and cut it.

Apply glue over the sides and stick the cut portions of hand made paper

After it dries, decorate the box with glitter glue. Make hole on top portion. Take the rope, tie a big knot on one end. Insert the other end through one of the hole from outside to inside. Pull it out through the other hole and put a knot on that end. I cut the "times of india" from the paper and stuck it in the front side.

Your paper holder is ready to be hung!!!

I fixed a small hook near the door to hang the box. Today I waited for the paperwala to come and instructed him to fold paper and put it into the box. Now my FIL need not depend on us for his morning paper, as he can now pick it up from the box.