Papier Mache Projects

I've been working on some more papier mache projects recently, and revisiting some old ones. Meet Dora the doorstop cat. 

I am giving Dora the cat doorstop a makeover, she's now 15 years old and has faithfully held doors open or closed all that time. 

She's looking a bit battered and tired so she will get a new coat of paint and varnish. 

She has a small crack on one of her ears that I will fix with a little pulp.

I will keep the same features and colors though as this was the very first doorstop I made. 

I love this style of doorstop and they are surprisingly heavy even though they are made from papier mache. I have started another one and Freddy the Frog doorstop should be ready to hop along to Dora's side really soon. 

 

Yarn Dolls

I've been doing lots of yarn crafts recently, using up lots of the odd bits left over from larger projects.

My craft room seems cold at this time of year even with the heating on.  
So I've been sitting in the living room with watching telly and working with lovely warm, brightly colored yarns. 

Making this yarn doll took me right back to being a kid again. We made loads of these, sorting through my Mum's scrap wool bags. 
My own kids used to make them when they were small too. My daughter remembered them as soon as she saw this one. 

You can find the tutorial on my site Mia's Craft Ideas

 

Worry Dolls

These gorgeous little worry dolls are really addictive. I made some of these years ago for my kids when they were little. 

They are really easy to make but quite addictive too. I thought I'd make one and put up the tutorial on my site and before I knew it I had a whole family of them including the dog.

I've always made them a little differently than the traditional worry dolls, which were made from wooden sticks. I use pipe cleaners so the dolls are flexible and can stand, sit down or give the dog a hug. 

You will find the tutorial here

Origami Hearts

These origami hearts make a great Valentine's day project. 

You won't need any special materials or equipment just a sheet of paper and lots of patience. They are quite easy to make but the patience is important as there are a lot of steps.

The size of the heart will depend on how big your piece of paper is. A good starting point is to take an A4 piece of paper and cut it to make a square. 

The folds create a stand for the heart as well so they will stand up on their own.

If you'd like to have a go yourself visit my Origami Hearts pages to see the whole tutorial.