Cute as a Button Mobile Tutorial

Way back in July I got a very exciting email informing me that I had been chosen as a blogger to work with Fantastic Ribbons, a great online supplier of ribbons and buttons (and washi tape!) I will be trying out and reviewing their products and of course, showing you what I've made.

For my first project I chose a packet of the 'Candy' button selections because I couldn't resist the gorgeous colours. Wiss and I wanted to make a decoration for the new addition to our family so I devised the 'Cute as a Button' Mobile!

You will need:

Buttons

Origami Paper in squares of various sizes 

Scalpel or Craft Knife

Ruler

Glue or Double-Sided Tape

Thread or String

Large Stick (not shown)

As our baby would be looking up at this mobile I wanted it to look best from that view. Many mobiles you can buy look great from our perspective but can be dull from underneath. I love origami, especially folded birds but I thought windmills would move beautifully in the breeze and catch baby's attention. Plus they are easier to make with a 4 year old!

To make the windmills you need to cut from each corner diagonally in towards the centre, but not all the way. I cut approximately 2/3 of the way, leaving the centre uncut.

We used small squares of double-sided tape (but you could also use glue) to stick all the left-hand corners into the middle of the square. This will create your windmills. I made some by sticking all the right corners as well (this will cause the windmills to turn in different directions.)

Using glue we stuck a button into the centre of each windmill. Not only does this give them a nice finishing touch but the button helps to weigh the windmills down and hang straight.

Next you need something to hang your windmills from. We went looking for a large stick on a walk in the woods but you could use bamboo canes, dowelling or even coat hangers if you prefer. We scrubbed our stick and let it dry before giving it a coat of white acrylic paint.

Now to hang your windmills! Make sure you hang them at various heights and spacing so they can spin freely in the breeze. I drilled holes in the stick so I could thread the windmills on cotton through them and then secured them all by finishing off with another button at the top. This looks cool but will also prevents the windmill from falling.

I hung the mobile using more thread and some invisible hooks. It looks lovely in our bay window but from underneath, the baby's perspective, it looks fantastic!

Baby Ferne is captivated by it!

I hope you have been inspired and if you do make a 'Cute as a Button' mobile then please share a photo with me, either on here or on twitter @thisiswiss. And don't forget to check out the Fantastic Ribbons website for your supplies. Happy making!

Tutorial Stall - Village Fair at the South Bank Centre

 Tutorial Stall - featuring 12 UK Craft Bloggers

Village Fair at the Southbank Centre

 

This weekend (24th and 25th August) the Southbank Centre is hosting a large scale quintessential Village Fair including stalls, traditional games and crafting.

The key theme of the fair is community and bringing people together to share their passions. This is explicit in a series of interactive talks titled the Craft Code Village, which explore the relationship between the craft community revival and the Internet. In response to this the Southbank Centre have invited 12 Craft Bloggers from across the UK to create a collective Virtual stall on their blogs for the weekend of the fair - and one of them is me!

Crafters traditionally share their practice at market stalls and sell their goods as a way to generate income, whereas craft bloggers are more likely to share online and often share how to make their craft too. What happens when craft bloggers create a virtual stall?

THIS is the result: a Tutorial Stall sharing one link to each blogger's favourite DIY tutorial on their site. It provides a chance for all 12 bloggers to simultaneously share each other's practice to their readers and through doing so celebrate the very foundation of Craft Code Village.   

Participating Craft Bloggers (click on the link to be taken to the tutorial)

1

DIY Plastic Taxidermy by Pointless Pretty Things

2

DIY Dip dyed Shoes by Trends with Benefits

 

3

DIY Rubber StampPrinted Handkerchief by Davina Drummond at The Making Home

4

Crochet pin cushion by Crafting Finger

5

Woven ribbon lavender by Tales From Mountpleasant

6

Flower Fabric Badges by The New Craft Society

7

Felt Streamers by This is Wiss

8

Little Paper Book by Some I Made

9

Teacup Embroidery by Ailie Willia

10

Booboxes by Emily Quinton at the Start Up Wife

11

DIY Curve Bead CordBracelet by Claireabellemakes

12

Bunting Notebook by Papermash


I hope you are feeling inspired and please let me know if you do follow our tutorials - I'd love to see the results. Happy Bank Holiday!

The Village Fair Virtual Stall - This is Wiss Tutorial for Felt Streamers

This weekend the South Bank Centre in London is hosting a quintessential Village Fair, with an urban twist! There will be stalls to browse, traditional games to play, local brass bands, and loads of crafting. For more details of the events on Saturday and Sunday then check out the South Bank Centre's website.

The key theme of the event is Community and bringing people together to share their passions. I am really excited to be part of the Virtual Tutorial Stall, where rather than selling items 12 craft bloggers are sharing ideas and giving tutorials, so that you can make rather than buy. Interesting idea, huh?

 

 

Here is my tutorial for quick and easy felt streamers. Perfect for celebrations, decorations or maybe to go on a stall of your own...