Paper Mache The Super Bowl

               Paper Mache'

Paper Mache Bowl

NEED: Newspaper strips, magazine strip pics and words, Paste, Paint, Acrylic Spray...Imagination

The paste is made like you make gravy.
 Mix 3 parts water with 1 part flour. Shake content in a lidded container until smooth. 
Pour into pot on medium heat and stir continuously until mixture thickens to that of a yogurt like consistency. 
Remove from heat.
Pour into container and let cool. Mixture will thicken as it cools.
Not necessary to let it cool completely as the feel of  the warm paste in your hands is actually sort of soothing!

The bowl is formed by applying pasted paper strips directly onto the outside of an upside down, stainless steel bowl. 

I lightly oil the bowl to aide in removing the Paper Mache Bowl from the form once it has dried
 but you can also use several layers of cellophane wrap instead 
( make them slightly larger and longer than the bowl so the ends can be used as handles to aide in the removal of the bowl from form. )

 At least 10 layers of newspaper (applied over the course of 2 days) were layered on to create the bowl. 
I work in every and any direction with the paper strips but do take time to ensure that all edges and rims are smooth.
 I have used colored and printed word strips, cut from magazines as a final finish with wonderful results.
 Cut out words, quotes or sayings and simply paste them onto your project.

Lillian the Domestic Engineer.blogspot.ca

  The heart handles on the either side of the bowl were formed by bunching a sheet of newspaper into a ball
 and then applying pasted strips over the ball itself, using long strips to paste the ball onto the bowl.
 When wet enough with paste
, the paper can be molded into all kinds of shapes. I made the handles into heart shapes.

After drying for several days the bowl was then carefully removed from the bowl form and the edges were finished with several more strips of pasted paper to ensure a smooth finish and additional reinforcment around the rim. 
After drying for another day, I then applied an acrylic paint to decorate and finally sprayed the bowl with an acrylic spray.

 The bowl is very sturdy but should not be used to serve food.
 Do not submerged in water. 

   
 I created the bowl for my Niece and her Fiances/ Engagement party which was held on the same Sunday as the Super Bowl that year.

I aptly named the gift The Super Bowl.

 The bowl was stuffed with super things for self and home. 
A group of us individually purchased items for inclusion in the Super Bowl. 
We included love notes and little antidotes, football novelty items and crafty kitchen gadgets, we had candles and scents and chocolates and mints and a whole lot of love in that bowl. 

It was wrapped into a couple full sheet of clear cellophane, bunched at the top and tied with a huge bow.

We enjoyed the party in the garden and the great conversations that stemmed from each and every item they pulled from the basket...

 There is really something to be said for gifting from the heart.

Get your hands dirty all in the name of fun.

Visit my For the Love of Crafting Page for other inspirational ideas
CLICK HERE

                         

Lillian the Domestic Engineer.Blogspot.ca

Crafting the Hockey Hall of Fame

   CRAFTING The Hockey Hall of Fame
Where up-cycling boxes is the name of the game.
                                      Play Paper Mache'

Hockey Hall of Fame

 A fun, easy, functional, effective way to Reduce, Re-use, Recycle!
  

I made a Hockey Jockey Locker for each of my Sons. (Thankfully it doesn't smell the way that they can)
It featured their Jersey number and their Team Name and colors.
( The Hockey Lockers have been Loved and lugged around for many years as is evident by the wear marks around the perimeter.)
They were each created using a Muffin Box. (The 9 pack from Walmart)
 It's one of those strong, sturdy boxes that enters my domain
 destined for the garbage until it calls out my name... no  kidding!
 I attempt to resist the urge to persist....but the box wouldn't crumble.
Instead I wander it out to the garage to place it on the shelf  beside the bits of Styrofoam and other pieces of packaging that have deemed themselves all useful. I store it until I discover or uncover a use or need for it.
 DIY Paper Mache Instructions here

I started by applying Pasted Paper Strips directly onto the sturdy box form itself. After several layers of newspaper had been applied, I cut out and pasted on the words that are seen.  The Team Name at bottom is created from individual letters that were cut from the newspaper. The words at top were cut in whole from a Hockey Magazine.
After drying overnight I used Acrylic Paint to finish the inside of the Locker in a Team Color. I used a dry, fat brush to apply paint around the words that had been previously pasted on.

I crunched and folded together 2 full sheets to create the basic Jersey Shape. The Jersey arms were created by  loosely rolling 2 full sheets of newspaper up and then folding them in half.
(The ends of the roll become the ends of the sleeve) I pasted the arms to the body at the top and under the arm area. Several more layers of pasted paper were applied around the sleeve to finish the two ends as one sleeve and to add overall durability.
 I then painted the Jersey color, the white stripe, the Name and the Number in acrylic paint. For added pop I outlined in Black felt marker.
The Jersey is then hot glued to the inside of the locker.
 My kids used to hang any Team Metals they collected over the corner of their lockers.

 
Creating the real Jerseys for Play On Road Hockey HERE

AMAZON SEARCH find it NOW

Play On Road Hockey Tournament

Play On Road Hockey Tournament

This Tournament comes with the territory!

PLAY ON...Sons
Getting the team dressed
Sew it was that these jerseys were purchased ready made
for Hand Painting the Names but many a hand made marvels are mastered from the beginnings of good yardage!
With the choice of fabulous Fabrics at affordable prices and the easy availability of so many Patterns there are so many reasons to start.
A stitch in time saves 9!
From creating Christmas Ornaments to scaring up the latest in team fashion or Halloween Costuming..
 From setting the table with homemade napkins to trimming the Tree with a home made skirt, the joys of stitching is a hobby to be yearned.
SEW, what are you waiting for?
Clearance and Closeout Fabrics
Fabric.com...Sew Something!


Fabric.com... Free Return Shipping!
  The SUNNYVALE

Trailer Park Boys

Jerseys

Only from the Love of a Mother!

Play On Summer Road Hockey Tournament

I recently took on dressing the team
for the second annual 
Play On
Summer Road Hockey Tournament..

The SUNNYVALE

Trailer Park Boys

Jerseys

                                  were a huge hit!                              
                               

Sunnyvale Jersey

 Needless to say the cost of which were awful hard to beat.
For the price of a Thank You Mom and a "SWEET"
 their request for Team Jerseys a week prior to Face Off got me out of my seat.
 I was happily and most certainly up to the challenge of a creative accomplishment, no matter my current list of things to do.  
 I find myself often looking for things to work at creatively. The monotony of the day to day drills of just living to eat and eating to spill can certainly be a  little uninspiring needless to say.
Frustrating and occasionally even depressing, if you will.
A creative accomplishment of whatever it may be, becomes a  physical, something to see. Something ventured, something gained! 
Each of the boys bought themselves a jersey and I hand painted lettering on the front and the back of at least 8 jerseys.
The second time round, I completed the addition of another 4 jerseys and another new/used helmet.
I masked off the parts I didn't want colored with tape and paper before spraying the blue spray paint.
After drying for 24 hours I masked off the blue areas and spray painted the white.
The helmet from last year which featured a 3 D cheese burger had mysteriously disappeared the year before!
    

    

                The Old+ the New 

Sunnyvale Cheese Burger Helmet


  HOCKEY CRAFT PROJECT
HERE

Great Balls of Polymer Clay

Lillian The Domestic Engineer
Great Balls of Clay

Polymer Key Chain

 
Need a Workout Today?

Polymer Clay is an affordable, versatile, therapeutic , enjoyable therapy as well as good exercise to original Art.
  

All the pieces you create
 are baked to a hardened finish in your own oven. 
 Available in a multitude of colors and 
with many effective finishes
 the possibilities of play with this clay are limitless!
Create your own earrings, key canes, buttons, drawer handles, zipper pulls...
light switch plates, candle accessories, coordinated jewelry, earrings and pins, finger nail finishes, still life statues, ornaments and SO MUCH MORE!...

Polymer KEY CHAIN

Lillian the Domestic Engineer.blogspot.ca

Polymer Earrings DIY

  Get a book and a few blocks of clay today!

A wonderful medium for kids of all ages.
 Polymer Clay is a gift that Inspires the Imagination.

See More Polymer Pleasures

Polymer Pendants and Coat Pins HERE

Polymer Pendants

                  Polymer Clay and Rubber Stamps

Lillian the domestic engineer.blogspot.ca

Really effective results can be obtained by pressing your favorite rubber stamp (or portion thereof) into Polymer Clay. 


Acrylic paint can be worked into the grooves of the rubber stamped
polymer with a dry brush, giving an added depth to the finished piece.
 With a dry cloth gently wipe any excess paint off the top surface of the piece before baking.
Don't forget to put a hole in your Art so it can be hung around your neck.
The Giraffe impression above was married with hand formed, rubber stamped, copper colored beads, bits of copper wire and a frame of black Polymer Clay.
Try an impression of your own.

I have quite a collection of Rubber Stamps that I've gathered and collected from here, there and everywhere over many years.
 When my Boys were younger the box of Rubber Stamps was always a quick, creative fix to the clamorings coming from the other room,
"Mom, I'm bored"
The wonderful results of having sought to beat boredom with a box, a sheet of paper and a few crayons have been proudly displayed on my fridge over the years.
My boys spent many an hour in the depths of the creative process of stamping and coloring,
meandering happily along the path of self discovery, lost deep in their imagination.

Polymer Pendants

 After the boys interest had waned I carted the box off to the Library where many a child spent many an hour 
doing as my Sons had done before them
 stamping their hearts out. 
There is great depth to the art of Rubber Stamping.


Play with your Imagination today.

Make your own rubber stamped, polymer clay beads.
More Polymer Play HERE 

DIY Jewelry

Adorn yourself with Art you make!

DIYjewelry

COAT PINS

These pins are nice worn
on the lapel of a coat or the turtle neck of a heavy Sweater.
The pins are too heavy to be pinned to a lightweight fabric.



Proper Placement of the pins on the back is important to ensure that the Brooch will hang properly.

upcycle jewelry

 I used a mini picture frame for the base and beginning of this Coat Pin.
 
The rectangle is cut from leather that I had sprayed with a light mist of silver spray paint. 
 I don't think a shimmer or shine to anything is ever a bad thing, LOL
 
The bead was up cycled from a broken brooch.
 The black and silver wire worms are a coated craft wire. 
Both are glued onto the square 
made with fun plastic.
All layers are tipped together with epoxy glue.

I finish each pin on the back by covering with felt, cork sheet, leather, or heavy paper cut to size. 
 Finally glue on the brooch pin. 
Remember to think out the placement of the brooch pin before gluing. 
You don't want the pin to pull on the garment so you don't want the pin too low on the brooch back.

DIYJewelry

There is no right 
and no wrong way 
to originality.










I have crafted beads from colored wire found on the ground
and incorporated broken bits of jewelry found
into pieces I've created, sold and even proudly worn. 
I've discovered hearts of glass and branches of love
all in the universe where I trod.

Lillian the Domestic Engineer.Blogspot.ca

 Who makes some of the rules 
we attempt to follow in the process of discovering originality anyways?
Take the road less travelled.

DIYJewelry crafting

The Coat Pin also started on a mini frame.


The wire mesh was removed from a broken brooch and glued with Epoxy to the frame. 
The Copper and Brass piece was once an earring.
The chain was once the weakest link in a necklace that has now becomes an integral part of this coat pin.
The brass coil was scavenged from the floor of a machine shop.

craft jewelry

Angels are made
I had this wonderful glass face button that became the inspiration for my Angels face.
Her Halo was created with a broken earring of the perfect size.
A cute brass button was attached with Epoxy to become her bow tie and several sections from a pair of earrings serve as her shimmering wings.
Her body is made from the bug wings of a broken brooch.
The Dove at her side is a single link from an old bracelet. She too has been mounted on a mini frame from the dollar store.
Fabric paint adds sparkle to frame of the angel.

Craft Blog

When Dragons Fly
This pieces was the result of a compilation of things that came together over the course of several days.
The base of the brooch is a piece of leather that has been synced together at the bottom and tied with a waxed thread.
I then trimmed the top edges of the leather with a melted strip of Fun Plastic.
 Thin strips of the plastic are melted by dipping into boiling water and then manipulated  onto and around the leather edges. The plastic hardens as it is cooled. 
The center of the brooch was also created with Fun Plastic. 
A full strip of plastic was melted and molded into the folds
that the broken earring piece and the broken dragon are placed into. 
The silver fan, also a broken earring completed the compilation.

 Polymer Pendants
      HERE