Spring Crafts

spring

Spring is in full bloom! The weather is warming up, birds are singing, grass is getting greener, and the winter cold has washed away. Spring is a fresh start and a perfect time to get busy with some fun crafts! The following crafts are great for adults but can be adjusted to a simpler version for kids as well!

springPainted Mason Jars / Flower Vases

Painting is always a fun project, but have you ever tried painting a mason jar or flower vase? This can be as simple or as detailed as you would like and is also very kid friendly! Grab some mason jars or flower vases, a range of paint colours, brushes, and get busy! A nice design is to first paint the jar white as a base, let it fully dry, and then add a design on top! Try playing around with spring colours such as yellow, pink, and green. When you are all finished, take a walk to go pick a bouquet of wildflowers to put in your new vases!

Tissue Paper Flowersspring

If you didn’t get a chance to find some fresh wildflowers for your new vases, why not try to make some cute tissue paper flowers that will last much longer? Tissue paper flowers are simple to make and are a nice touch to add a pop of colour to your home for spring! All you will need are pipe cleaners and tissue paper! Simple how-to below:

  • Layer about 8-12 pieces of tissue paper of either the same colour or a couple colours that go well together
  • Using a cup, trace a circle out onto the top sheet of tissue paper and cut it out
  • Cut two small holes in the center of the layered tissue paper
  • Take a pipe cleaner, put in through one hole and loop it through the other
  • Lastly, you just need to scrunch up each layer of the tissue paper, going from the top to bottom
  • You can also create leaves with extra pipe cleaners

springNature Clay Impressions

Clay impressions are a fun and simple little project but make for beautiful decorations and memories. Before you get started, go for a hike or walk through the outdoors and pick some leaves or plant materials that catch your eye. Be mindful and do research before you pick something – you want to make sure you are not picking a protected flower or plant.

To make the clay, you will need the following:

  • Flour
  • Salt
  • Water

Mix together equal parts flour and salt – add teaspoons of water and continue mixing until a soft, smooth dough is formed. Grab a piece of the mixture and roll in your hands to form a ball. Put the ball down on a sheet of baking paper with flour sprinkled over. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to at least ¼ inch thickness. At this point, you can create any shape you’d like using a cooking cutter.

Once you have prepped your clay to the thickness and shape you want, take your flower or leaf and press it into the clay mould. After, lift the flower or leaf to reveal a nice pattern on the clay. Allow the clay to set by leaving it out for approximately two days in a well-ventilated room. Alternatively, you can bake the clay at 100 degrees for approximately 3 hours. Once the clay impression is dry, you can leave as is or add some paint!

Faux Stained Glass

Stained glass is beautiful but can be fairly expensive so why not try your hand at a faux stained-glass project? There are a variety of ways to make faux stained glass, but using acrylic paint allows for the most intense colour results.

Supplies:

  • Acrylic paint
  • 1 bottle white glue / 1 bottle clear glue
  • 8×10 photo frame (or other sheet of glass)
  • Craft blade
  • Painter’s marker (black tip)
  • Super glue
  • Clear acrylic spray sealant
  • Paint brush

Before you get started, you will need to find a template that you want to use. If it is your first time, try going for a simpler design. Put the printed template underneath the glass and outline the picture with the black painter’s marker straight onto the glass. Once you’ve finished outlining, let the paint dry overnight. The next day, your design will be ready for paint. Mix one colour at a time – with 3 tablespoons of clear glue and a few drops of acrylic paint. Make sure the paint is thick so that the colours show up vibrantly.

 

 

Introducing the Makers

With the cancellation of this years Maker Faire, we have decided to go virtual! If you’re new to the website and want to learn more about what the Maker Faire is, check out our previous blog here!

We have many talented Makers this year with a wide variety of skills and creations. Over the coming weeks, we will be going in more depth on each individual’s creations to give them the spotlight to show off their talent. Today’s blog is a sort of appetizer that will briefly touch on the Makers we will be interviewing. We will be showcasing our Makers in two ways, through video or through article and photo, depending on their trade and preference.

 

Summary of Makers:

We have Makers who create art, apparel, home décor, robots, props, as well as a variety of other things! Beginning with hand-made personal care products, we have Scott Walde who makes soap from scratch! He uses a variety of scents and moisturizing components such as olive oil and coconut oil. Amanda Bosiak is also a soap maker and creates hot process soaps using a slow cooker with oils and lye!

 

Moving on to textiles and fabrics, we have Ryan Linklater who creates apparel and costumes! He uses a hand cranking sewing machine, mainly creating pieces for cosplay and background sets. Next, we have Amanda Brown who is a textile artist focusing on handweaving to create accessories and home goods. Kara Perpelitz uses a spinning machine to spin yarn and later weaves onto it. We will be releasing a video demonstration the techniques she uses to create the materials and final product.

 

In the category of music, we have John Demchenko who composes electronic music! He uses his computer and software programs, all from his at-home music den. (Listen to “String Theory” he created for the Saskatoon Maker Faire string art video below.)

 

In the realm of arts, crafts and design, we have Laura Henderson Shylo who creates children’s books, at-home crafts, and photo restoration. Jordan Yaworski uses his vast experience and education to create props, sculptures, molding, and a variety of unique pieces for hire. Ferne Hebig crafts hand-painted miniatures and RPG themed dioramas. The Saskatoon Kilobots is a fun group that creates radio-controlled fighting robots. The robots are in tournaments and are some of the most destructive sub-lightweight robots in the world!

 

 

Become a Maker:

With this brief summary, we can see just how many talented individuals we have in Saskatchewan! There are many interesting products, arts, and crafts that the people in your community are ready to share with you! Again, if you are interested in becoming a Maker for the Saskatoon Online Maker Faire, feel free to submit here!