Origami boxes

I had an origami session one night at a youth club, and I was surprised at how popular it was with the teens, they couldn't stop making them once they knew how! But on reflection it's easy to see why this craft is so popular with all ages.

As you can see I ended up with simply loads of them. Put sweets in them, or little gifts such as earrings. If you are planning a crafty wedding, they would look great as favours on the tables for guests. Also if you make two boxes with slightly different sizes of paper, then hey presto! A box with a lid!

Step 1: Fold your origami sheet in half to make a triangle. Unfold and do the same the other way. Unfold your sheet to reveal creases as shown.

Step 2: Fold each corner into the middle, until you have all four corners meeting like so.

Step 3: Now take your square, and fold the opposite flat edges into the middle. Rotate and do this for the other set of edges until your square has shrunk as shown. This is just to make the creases necessary for the next step.

Step 4: Now fold your sheet back out until it looks like the top picture of Step 4 above. The dotted line shows the creases we are now focusing on. Fold these creases in, and as you do so, the sheet should rise up to fold neatly and make your first two corners. It's a little difficult to explain but your box should start to take shape, with the inside starting to resemble an open envelope.

Step 5: Now we're going to 'close the envelope' - that is, fold the top triangular edge down, pressing it into the bottom of the box. You need to fold the flap just where my thumb is in the picture on Step 4.

Your box should be finished! Not only is this is cheap quick and non-messy craft for kids, but also an addictive activity for adults, and useful for making parties or occasions even more special, when filled with little treats or knick-knacks. 

Mini Puppet Theatre Craft

As this blog goes along you’ll see I love all things miniature. I first made a mini puppet theatre for my friend back at university – the great thing about being on an arts course is you can make your friends bizarre presents like this for their birthday and they don’t mind.

This craft is great to do with a child as it’s fairly easy, they can throw a lot of their personality into it and make it their own. In fact, this craft is basic, the nuts and bolts are shown here but the final design will be very much down to you and your ideas. If you run a craft group or youth group, it’s also ideal, as the necessary materials aren’t hard to get hold of. 

You’ll need:

A smallish cardboard box

Scrap cardboard

Scissors/craft knife

Glue

Cutting mat

Paints

Paintbrushes

Lollipop sticks for puppets

First, you need to cut a hole in the front of your theatre for the stage area. I found it easiest to work the cardboard box apart so it’s flat, and draw a square with a ruler. Cut out the hole with a craft knife or scissors. 

Glue the box back together, and use masking tape to tape shut any flaps. The bottom of the theatre needs to be open for you to use your puppets, so cut these flaps off, or tape them inside the box to make the theatre more sturdy. If you want, cut out curtains from a piece of painted card, or fabric, and glue these behind the stage, making sure they don’t crowd the space for the puppets.

If you’re feeling adventurous you can use scrap pieces of cardboard to give your theatre more structure. I cut castle battlements and a house shape for my theatres. The possibilities are endless – a rocket, a tower, an opera-house… or why not theme your theatre around a favourite film or TV show? Perhaps make puppets of your friends or family? Next time I do this I’m making a Tardis theatre with little Doctor Who puppets… 

Next, paint your theatre. I used my trusty Plasti-kote craft paint, but acrylics or poster paint will work just as well. Again, this part is up to you and your imagination. If you’re stuck for inspiration, bright colours and simple patterns work well, or you could go for a Punch and Judy stripy effect.

I’ve painted lollipop sticks for my puppets, but feel free to go one step further – you could make cardboard or fabric puppets and stick them on the lollipop sticks for a more 3-d effect. Or maybe you could cut pictures of people out of magazines and mount them on some card.

That’s all there is to it really. Enjoy!

Hello...

Welcome to my new blog, Have a Go, Hannah. In this blog I want to write about all the things I love to do, that don’t fit into my illustration blog.

For most of my life, I have loved to create… stuff. Painting, drawing, knitting, sewing, cooking, writing, restoring, adapting... Along the way I’ve roped in helpers, learned from family members and friends, and made big mistakes which have helped me improve for next time. I also love to dabble and experiment, often flitting from one project to the next. If you’re reading this and share the same haphazard approach to making, you’ll hopefully feel at home.

I’m hoping this blog will be a useful read for people who are up for having a go at something, who like to make presents or want to know how to make a certain occasion just a bit more special.

I'm also hoping to use this blog to learn and improve - improve my art, my writing, my photography, my sense of exploration.

Another thing that interests me is embracing life and opportunities in one’s local area. I’ll be aiming to explore customs, traditions, special days and holidays more closely, and writing about what I find.

It goes without saying I welcome comments and feedback. ;-) Please bear with me whilst I tweak the design and add to the blog over these next few months.

Let’s get on, shall we?