Recycling paper: How to Make Book Page Medallions / Rosettes

This craft is part of the 13 Days of Halloween project. Download number templates for the project, as well as the bug template for Day 3, in the tips and supplies post. Links to all of the crafts from this project can be found in the main 13 Days of Halloween post.

Medallions, rosettes, accordion fold circles … whatever you call them, they’re a neat detail that you can use as everything from ornaments to gift embellishments. I love the look of old book pages in this craft, but you can use any paper that you’d like. I would recommend a text weight paper, as opposed to cardstock, since it’s easier to bend and fold.

 Recycling paper:  How to Make Book Page Medallions / Rosettes

Supplied Needed

a book page or pages

a ruler

a pencil

a hot glue gun

a 1″ circle or square of cardstock

glue dots or double-sided tape

Instructions

1. Cut a 1″ wide by 11 1/2″ to 12″ long strip from the book page. You may have to use multiple strips, which you can connect together using glue dots or double-sided tape. Lay the strip flat, and using a ruler and pencil, mark the edge of the paper every 1/4″.

2. Fold the paper in an accordion fold, using the pencil marks as your guide. When finished, connect the two loose ends together using glue dots or double-sided tape, forming a circular shape. Add hot glue to a 1″ circle or square of cardstock.

3. Immediately place the piece of cardstock over the center of the back side of the medallion. Hold in place (watch your fngers – that glue is hot!) for 30 seconds or so, until the glue begins to cool and the cardstock is firmly attached.

4. Add the calendar number to the front of the medallion using glue dots or double-sided tape.

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Recycling paper for holiday: Awesome Paper Cone Wreath Tutorial

Today I am going to give you a very detailed, step by step tutorial on how to make this wreath.  In fact sorry if it almost feels like paper cone wreath making for dumbies, but I have had a lot of questions about this wreath so I am just trying to cover all my bases.

Recycling paper for holiday: Awesome Paper Cone Wreath Tutorial
Let's get started...

First gather your supplies.

You will want
-5 or 6 double sided scrapbook papers.  I picked 5 different papers from this wreath, but you could do 5 of the same if you wanted.
-Printed pages.  For this wreath I used a book I bought at the dollar store.  But just about any printed pages would work... copy pages... old text book...  whatever.  Just think about the color of the pages before you pick them.  Some pages are whiter than others.
- A 3 inch scalloped paper punch.
-A hot glue gun and about 10 to 15 sticks of glue.
-  A wreath base.




Now lets talk about the wreath base.  Usually I like to get mine from the dollar store, but for some reason they have been out of the 12 inch size wreath lately.  I bought a 9 in base (pictured above) but it just seemed to small and I didn't want to go out to the craft store with all the kids again, so I just made my own.

To make your own you are going to want a newspaper and tape.  Start by laying out the newspaper layers over lapping each other.

Then roll them up making a long tube of newspaper.  Then turn that tube into a lame looking circle and tape the ends together.

Then start wrapping it with more newspaper so it gets a better shape and firmness.

I think most all projects have a "looks really crappy" stage.  This is one of those stages.  Just keep going.  It will all work out in the end.

Alrighty, so now you have a newspaper circle.  Make sure you add enough tape to add strength.

Now lets move on to the paper part of this.  Use the punch to cut out your circles.

You should be able to cut 2 pieces of the thick scrapbook paper at a time.  And don't forget to get those middle punches too.

Don't throw away your paper scraps, you may want them later.

For the book pages you should be able to punch them out 4 pages at a time.  First go through your book and tear pages in sets of 4.  You are going to want a lot of pages.

If for some reason you don't punch out all your circles perfectly, don't worry about it.  You can just roll that spot to the bottom when you make you cones.

Now using your glue gun start making cones.

You will want to make cones of all different widths and try to make sure the cone it closed at the bottom.  They look better on the wreath if they are closed at the bottom.

To make a few that have book page on one side and colored paper on the other, just hot glue them together and the roll them into a cone. 

It is also cute to make a few with off center stacked circles.

I like to make quite a few cones before I start gluing them on.

Start out by working your way around the top of the wreath.

This is another one of the crappy looking stages.

Yes, I like to watch a movie on my laptop while doing this.

Once you get all the way around the top, start filling in the side.  I like to do the middle first.

When I am gluing the cones on top I like to put glue at the base of the cone, but once I am doing the sides I like to put glue on the sides and sometimes on the base.

Once the middle is looking GOOD. I work my way around the outside.

Once you think you got it looking pretty good, look for more spots where you can stick in more cones.  Holding it up to the light can help.

Then make some very skinny cones.

Kinda hold the circle in half-ish and roll it kinda tight so you have a skinny cone.

These cones are great to stick  the middle of other cones.

Then I hot glued circles to the ugly wreath base to make it more pretty.

Then I made the little welcome sign.   I cut them out of s leftover piece of scrapbook paper.

And hot glue them to a string and the glue it to your wreath.

The possibilities are endless.

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Recycling paper and arts: 9 Incredible Book Sculptures

Recycling paper and arts: 9 Incredible Book Sculptures

Some folks freak out everytime they see some traditional form of media made into something else - books, vinyl records, and the like. As someone who has altered these things into many a how-to project, I constantly recieve comments about how "sad it is that books are no longer valued" or "instead of ripping up albums, try listening to them." Folks, my entire home is filled with books. And records. And lots of old furniture, plenty of heirlooms, and even a few cassette tapes. I get it. But, not all old things are worth saving.
Or, better yet, sometime a thoughtful transformation proves the everlasting value of historic media. Honors it in a unique way that doesn't say, "This is old, so I'm gonna turn it into something else," but "this is awesome, and I want it to participate in a work of art, or be echoed throughout my home."


On that note, GammaSquad has assembled nine seriously awesome book sculptures. I know there are lots more of these out there.

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Unique clock for your home: recycling paper ideas

  

how to make a clock from junk mailhome

What You Need

Materials:

• approximately 24 sheets of junk mail: this can be magazine sheets, grocery store ads, newspaper, whatever you'd like, as long as they are all the same size
  
• pen or pencil used for rolling guide
  
• scissors
  
• tape (invisible works best)
  
• long needle (a yarn needle works best)
  
• embroidery floss
  
• two clear CDs (the kind that protect your CD 50 packs)
  
• round cardstock circle with hole punched in middle
  
• battery-operated clock mechanism with hands

Instructions

1. To make a clock, 24 of these tubes will have to be created. Start by taking your pencil or pen, and use it as a guide to roll up your sheet of paper around it.

2. Tape each end of the tube with preferably invisible (matte clear) tape.

3. Fold approximately one third of the tube towards the other end, as shown above. As mentioned before, you will make about 24 of these, and its pointed tapered end will help create the round effect needed for your clock.

4. Take a long, thick sewing needle, (a yarn needle works best) and thread your embroidery floss through. Pierce the folded pointy end of the folded tube. Color doesn't matter for the embroidery floss--it won't show.

5. Thread the floss through the first end again, creating a "knot" that will prevent the thread from slipping through. Don't pull too hard! Next, begin to sew the additional 23 pieces onto your clock.

6. Take one of your clear CDs and place the middle hole above the hole that forms naturally in the center of the starburst. This will be the back of the clock, so choose whichever side you'd like to be the back.

7. Take your battery-operated clock mechanism and place the rod that holds the hands into the starburst and clear CD holes.

8. Flip the clock over and place the other clear CD above the hole on the other side.

9. Take your pre-punched paper circle and place on the mechanism. You may be wondering why this piece is necessary...it keeps all of the parts together and allows the nut to be threaded onto the rod. The hole of the cd has too big of an opening to keep all of the parts together tightly.

10. Screw on the nut tightly. Almost done!!

11. Add your hands!

12. AND VOILA! You have a totally unique recycled atomic starburst clock that's green and swanky!!

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Recycling and gifts for Lover: Doilies & Hearts Tied on Jars with Strings Tutorial DIY

Cut some hearts with my favorite red wool felt ...

Grabbed some chunky natural white string and started wrapping the doilies with hearts onto jars ...

Perfect for a Valentine's table, or to hold treats in the kitchen.

Happy creating. :)

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