Project Idea: Decorative Noticeboard w/ Japanese Paper Backing

Well, I have been in the process of redecorating my apartment for the past week or so and I must say that things are starting to look very snazzy!  It can be really difficult working with such a small place (we have a 1 bedroom apartment with about 450 sq. ft divided between a kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom).  The biggest challenge for me and the partner is having work space.  Let's face it -- where we work is typically the messiest place of the home and yet it is the place we need accessible from everywhere.  And in our case, we need an area to accomodate two people, two computers, and a ton of paper!  

I have a terrible habit of loosing important documents so I wanted a message board where I could tack them up in safe reach.  On a trip to Ikea, we found a great glass "white board" (the KLUDD) which you can easily add your own image behind.  After some experimentation, I managed to make something that looks classy as a decorative piece and yet does all of the tasks I need it to: hold my to-do list, and hold my papers.  The glass is frosted on one side and looks like it has a slight blue tint, so I went with some neutral colored papers behind.  

I did not have any paper at the right size so I broke up the glass in two quadrants (one for clipping materials, one for notes) using chiri style paper.  The word chiri means "left overs" and it contains little bits of bark and plant matter that creates a pretty and natural decoration.  The paper is too thin for my paper dolls so it was a great use for the lot I had lying around.  It looks a lot nicer than a plain ole' whiteboard!

Tutorial: DIY Easy Debit Card or Business Card Holder

So I was browsing the book store and I came across the perfect project.  I despise carrying around a full wallet with me and I learned to use these little cases when I lived in Japan.  They were perfect for holding my teikiken (train pass) and bus pass, as well as my student ID on my morning commute.  I was in my local Japanese bookstore and I came across these simple, cheap, clear cases that I decided to dress up!  These make a great and easy project for just about anybody!

Materials:

• Ruler
• Scissors
• (1) Empty PVC or Vinyl Card Case.  You will want the kind that folds open and closed.  The size I prefer is 65x98mm.
• (1) Sheet of chiyogami paper (15cm x 15cm).  I am using Shinwazome paper here that can be bought at any craft store such as Michaels.
• (1) Sheet of complimentary paper.  I like using Japanese washi paper like ginburimomigami (a thick textured paper with silver and gold foil flecs), but any paper will do.

The reason that chiyogami and washi are perfect for a project like this is their fabric-like texture.  When the card case "folds," it does not crease the paper which keeps it looking nice.  Plus, it is very durable and suitable for long-term use!

1.  If you are not sure of the measurements of your clear card case, you will want to measure the usable portion.  This means you will want to start measuring at the inside of the seam so you know what size to cut your paper.  If you are using this size, the length of normal chiyogami paper (15cm) is perfect, and you will have a width of 4 inches.

2. I took the chiyogami paper over to my paper cutter and cut at 4 inches.  Easy!  The paper is now the perfect size for the card case.

3. Repeat with the complimentary colored paper.

4. Take you scissors and "round" off the edges.  You will not want to cut a lot, just enough so that your paper does not get stuck in the corners when you insert it.  Maybe a milimeter or so. (Repeat this step for the complimentary color).

5. Great, now you need to insert you chiyogami paper.  I insert one side completely and then I work the other side in.  Just be careful not to crease the paper when you are doing this!  This is the most difficult step since chiyogami is so malleable.  You might need to fidget with this for a while before it slides in!  Folding the card case in half in the opposite direction is also helpful during this step.

6. This is what the finished step will look like.  The paper should lay perfectly flat inside the case.

7. Take your complimentary color with the "pretty" side facing up.  You will want to insert this the same exact way that you did the chiyogami.

8. All finished!  Your previously drab and clear card case is now a stunning accessory!  These make PERFECT gifts and great party favors!  Chiyogami is naturally beautiful and you can see the shimmer of the silver and gold accents through the plastic!  Feel free to dress it up even further if you like, but I prefer mine simple. 

These will hold up to 10 business cards on each side and is perfect for carrying your debit card, ID card, drivers liscence, or credit card.  You can even use a small hole punch to attach a jump ring and keychain if you like!  I will be putting a few on Zibbet and Etsy in case you cannot find the supplies or do not feel like making your own!

Tutorial: Fourteen-Point Star

I have been meaning to offer this tutorial for *quite* some time now (since September of '09! Eep!) and I have finally gotten around to making the images into a tutorial. These stars are awesome. They are the perfect size for any kind of ornament, they make excellent over-sized brooches for your purse, and a great addition to any bulletin board. I make mine from 2" square paper. These ones in the image are made from scrapbooking paper. I like scrapbooking paper because it is thicker than traditional origami paper and yet the pieces still fit together nicely.  However, I have made these stars from chiyogami, foil, construction paper, tissue paper, and even chewing gum wrappers.  The pieces require a minimal amount of folding so you can be pretty versatile with your material.  Read below for instructions!

Fan Photos

by Aileen Desipeda

Paper Flower from Helen Croft's Scrap-a-Little!

Most of my projects require very specific sizes of paper, and as a result, I have a whole box of paper scraps sitting in my living room... So in order to remedy my scrap paper problem I stumbled around for a tutorial for paper flowers and came across Helen Croft's Scrap a Little blog and this paper flower tutorial! What I love so much about this tutorial is that it combines a little bit of craftiness and a little bit of folding -- the perfect combination for Japanese chiyogami paper! And it is easy for people like me to understand which is always a definite plus in my book.

So this is what I came up with! I did not have any cute buttons to glue on top, so I tried to make a little flower center with hot glue, seed beeds, and wire. I made the clear and purple part first by threading beads onto the wire, and then made a little mound of hot glue on top to which I sprinkled the seed beeds. I think it looks pretty cute and gives a different texture to the center. You can get a better idea by looking at the close-up photo below.

I think this would look awesome on top of packages or for use in any scrapbook that doesn't mind a little extra volume on the page. I could also see it being used in some kind of paper sculpture or card!

I am excited to some her other flower tutorials to get rid of this ever-growing pile!

Tutorial: Lucky Star

Since my new banner has lucky stars in it, I thought that I should show everyone how they can make their own collection!  Lucky stars are great.  They can be collected in glass jars, used as embellishments, or (my personal favorite) turned into beads and garland!  They are very easy to make and all you need is a small strip of paper.  If you go to a Korean store that sells stationary, you will often find a section dedicated to lucky stars where you can pick up pre-cut, cute paper.  If you don't have access, I tend to use paper that is 1cm thick and 26cm long.

1. Tie a knot at the end of your strip, and flatten it gently.  You only want a small tab sticking out at the end.



2. Take that tab and tuck it in under the top flap (not both).



3. You should now have a pentagon with a long "tail" attached.  Take that tail and begin wrapping it around the pentagon by folding it around the shape.  Crease gently, not hard! When you fold it around, it should be pretty clear what side of the pentagon over which you are folding it.



4. Keep folding until you have a small tab left!



5. Just like step 2, tuck that tab under the top flap.



6. You now have a pentagon!  You will need to apply some pressure to all 5 sides of the pentagon in order to puff out the star.  If your creases were too hard, then this step might be difficult.  Using your fingernails works best, but if you bite your nails like me, the tips will work fine.  I usually apply pressure simultaneously to 4 sides, and then push in the final side after.



Good work!  Now you can use your star for any number of things.  Or simply amass them for an impressive good luck gift to give a friend!