#Quick Crafty Makes 3 - Paper Pom Poms (stained with beetroot juice)

Another quick make, paper pom poms, they are cheap, easy and effective. They look great for Christmas, children's parties, weddings etc. The thing that takes the longest with this make is waiting for the paper to dry once dyed, the thicker the paper the longer it takes. Alternatively you could buy coloured paper and fore go the dying. Tissue or crepe paper works best for these.

I only had white tissue and crepe paper and wanted to dye it, beetroot was lurking in my fridge so 'voila' beetroot juice stain it was, it is such a beautiful colour.

See my step by step guide on how to make.

You will need:

some tissue or crepe paper about 10 sheets to the size you want

fine wire

inks/dyes (or beetroot juice)

PVA glue

scissors

glitter

::cut your paper in to squares, layer them on top of each other and fold in to a concertina fan::

::dip the end of your paper in to the dye::

::ensure you dip both ends and leave a gap for the dye to bleed into the paper::

::once you have done this you will need to carefully separate each sheet and leave to dry, I put mine on the radiator for super quick drying::

::once dry lay them neatly on top of each other again::

::refold into a fan shape::

::bend in the middle::

::cut your ends to the required shape, they can be pointed, rounded whatever takes your fancy::

::cut a length of wire about 20cm long and wrap this around the middle crease of your folded paper::



::fashion a hanging loop by twisting the wire together::



::and looping at the end::

::carefully start to unfold each layer of tissue paper from each side, take your time and try to pull each layer out fully::

::keep shaping the paper until you get a full round pom pom::



Taking it Further

::mix PVA glue with water and glitter and gently paint a thin payer on to your pom pom to get a shimmer effect::

:: add another pom pom this ones made from crepe paper for added texture and contrast::

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#Quick Crafty Makes 2 - Glitter Pin Wheels

I had never made a pin wheel before, I thought they would be super tricky to make, how wrong was I? They are so easy and can be made from any robust card or paper. I decided to have a go at making single pin wheels to place on a Christmas tree or on the mantle piece, this then led to a pin wheel garland. If you're a pin wheel virgin give it a go, follow my step by step instructions below.

You will need:

some robust card

some PVA glue

scissors

glitter

a pencil

a ruler

some buttons

a needle and thread

embroidery thread

Step 1: cut your card into a square and mark a cross on the back from corner to corner.



Step 2: On the front of the card create your own decorative design using the glue and glitter and leave to dry

Step 3: Once dry turn the card over to reveal the cross and cut 3/4 of the way down from the corners to the middle.

Step 4: Thread your needle and double up the thread, knot at the end.  Push the needle up through the centre of the cross.

Step 5: Fold each alternate point to the centre of the square sewing through each one in turn.

Step 6: Once each point is secure sew a button in place and tie off at the back, use some sticky tape to secure if required.  And there you have it, one finished pin wheel.

The above pin wheels are not designed to rotate, to do this you will need some dowel rod (or similar) and a pin.  Click on the link to see a good tutorial on how to do this.

missmustardseed.com

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