Clay flower basket that I made with the help of my teacher, Ms.Kalpana (Kalpana Clay Art). Arranging the flowers in a vase/basket is still challenging to me. Making the flowers is far more easier 😉
Tag: Craft
Felt Peacock
Felt Peacock Wall Hanging
It was 20 years back, when SV & I made a peacock rangoli for a Rangoli competition at school. It was 1996 and we were in the 6th grade.
Peacock Rangoli at School
I learnt to draw this peacock from one of my mom’s embroidery sketches. I drew this everywhere. Mostly in the last page of all my class notebooks. SV, RK and I were the last benchers in 8th grade. RK had added a tree near the peacock neatly sketching the bark. Since then, I started adding the tree to the ‘last page drawing’.
Two years back I found a black velvet fabric board at the dollar shop. That was the time I was too interested in felt crafts. I immediately got the idea of peacock patchwork on the board using felt. I bought the board and it was lying idle for 6 months. Then I started to work on the paper cutting. Another 6 months passed. I started doing it from last week.
I used embroidery thread for the tree bark. I tried to cut the leaves from felt but it didn’t look attractive. I tried the leaf sequins and thought it looked better. I bought few coloured rhinestones during my last India trip. The colours were perfect for the peacock. The little stars are the ones used in nail art. Nail art stars suited better than the regular star sequins.
Hope you all liked it!
Handicrafts from around the world – Otomi
Handicrafts from around the world – These are the ones that I love and wish to do some day. I know it’s not going to happen very soon. 🙂 For now, I’m just sharing all the info I collected. I hope you enjoy it. Please share your views and ideas too! Thank you!
I’m going to start with Otomi handicraft from Mexico. The thought of writing about different handicrafts struck me when I was reading about Otomi. So started with it.
Otomi Embroidery
Otomi people are an indigenous ethnic group from Mexico. Otomi people were hit by drought in 1960’s and the farming community found a new form of revenue through their embroidery.
Otomi embroidery mostly depict birds and animals. Otomi people draw it free hand and don’t use stencils. These embroideries are colourful and take a very long time to finish.
Otomi embroidered pillow cover Source: http://www.tlallidesigns.com/
Otomi Dress -Image Source: ArteOtomi
Otomi Handbags- Image Source: http://casaotomi.myshopify.com/
Otomi pattern printed fabric is also available. They are used for curtains, table runners, pillow covers and many more. Unlike the colourful embroidery, this comes in single colour.
Printed Otomi fabric Source: http://www.hyggeandwest.com
The below picture shows a upholstered headboard using printed Otomi fabric . For DIY instructions, click here DIY Upholstered Otomi headboard
Otomi headboard Source: http://www.designsponge.com
Otomi patterns can also be painted on walls, furniture and fabrics using stencils.
Table top stencilled with Otomi pattern Source:http://www.royaldesignstudio.com
Wall stencilled with Otomi pattern Source: http://m.cuttingedgestencils.com
Papier-mâché
These are the baskets my grandma and mom made using Papier-mâché. Mom was a little girl then. She painted them. These are more than 40 years old!! Grandma still uses them. 🙂
40 year old paper basket
Materials required:
- Bits of paper
- Fenugreek seeds
- Water to soak
- Blender
- Paint
Soak bits of paper in water with fenugreek seeds. Let it soak for more than 24 hours. Then remove excess water and blend it into a paste. Mould it into a shape or apply it on a bowl or basket. Let it dry for one or two days. Once its completely dry, paint it.
I haven’t tried it yet. I will try it very soon and post the step-by-step pictures.
Daisies & Daffodils
This is my first attempt at making daisies and daffodils. I still need a lot of practice.
Clay Shell & Rose Wreath
A wreath made of clay shells, starfishes and roses. The wreath base is also made of clay. I’ve painted the shells with acrylics to give a natural look.
Little Birdies
I made these little birds using felt and was wondering what to do with them.
Recently, we bought Ikea’s Kallax shelf and placed it below the clock in our living room. I tried this combination on top of the shelf. A photo frame, house, books and the birds on either side of the clock.
The house is a replica of Gasshō-zukuri Minka from Shirakawa-gō, Gifu, Japan. I made the photo frame using shells and corals collected from Miyakojima, Okinawa. 🙂 The two Shisas (lion dogs) are also from Okinawa.
