Category: All

Mariët from Studio ML shares photos of how to make these paper balls and a template.

Video instructions and measurements for how to make these orbs from Tetra Pak by Luz Mireya Martinez Arcos

Some information about the background and naming of Triskele Globes by Manja from Hattifant.

I recorded the findings of Paula Beardell Krieg about these structures (but not her instructions and template). There are a lot of links to other people who have made these and looked at the maths involved.

A short video of a simple card. Instructions available at Shawn Sheehy’s shop of pop up card instructions.

Sung’s systematic review provides good synthesis and critical discussion of varied definitions and practices of upcycling and some aspects of evolution and emergence of upcycling theory (abridged).

A collection of safety pin bracelet designs – looking for ideas and bead reuse ideas

Shopping bag made from foil coffee bags using 1:6 ratio weave. By Ruutupunontaa.

Instructions for making paper spills by Will Blyth (1923) from David Mitchell’s Public Paperfolding History Project.

Instructions from a Persian recipe for dyeing paper with henna. From Bodleian Libraries, Oxford.

A thorough tutorial by Golden Hands using different types of papers.

Make a beautiful paper hat with coloured paper or newspaper. You can also make a paper basket with the same method. Videos by Ksripriya Kanigolla

Lydia Maria Child (1833) describes how to make ornamental spills, paper feathers and tendrils.

Rhymes, songs, games and projects for the young girl during the shifts between Georgian and Victorian society.

A book from 1831 by Eliza Leslie. The projects that interest me include pincushions, reticules (bags), spill making and hexagon patchwork.

History of paper spills by historian Margaret Highland.

Instructions for pixelator using paper and lego. By Touch Lab.

Pixelator is an on-going video art performance collaboration in New York City by Jason Effink.

A collection of pixelator designs

Instructions for pixelator using plastic pipe, wood, spray paint. By Corey Marie from The Hipster’s Guide.

Pixelator instructions on the old Craftster site.

Who influenced modern Maker Education. Screen captures of interactive media by Open School British Columbia.

Article by Leyla Acaroglu from Unschool for Disruptive Design.

Seamless sewing & modular clothing using loops. News reports about Irina Arsentieva presenting her designs at the International Invention Competition in Sweden (2011).

Different methods of attaching mostly corrugated cardboard together with and without glue and tape.

Encourage your kids to express their creativity as they discover, collect, sort, arrange, experiment, and think with found and recyclable “stuff.” Book by Cathy Weisman Topal, 1999.

“An intervention in response to students’ over-reliance on tape and glue to hold things together in their three-dimensional artwork” Article by Diane Jaquith, Teaching for Artistic Behavior

Jhess Knight explains how she made a baby orangutan puppet out of trash.

Jhess Knight from the Puppet Smithery talks about working on puppet projects simultaneously.

Two pages from Pauline Johnson’s book Creating with Paper. Giving an overview of some basic techniques.

Carol made a bed base and pallets into handy shelves for craft storage.

A huge array of puppets made out of waste/rubbish/trash/garbage/junk from all around the world.

Following the journey of Jhess Knight from making puppets to making a puppet show.

Escape From Trash Mountain is a poignant look at how good relationships and fervent optimism are the key to saving our planet. The show’s central set piece is a large mountain of trash that transforms into a cave and becomes the epic playground for our heroes to fight trash bats, navigate treacherous ravines, and outwit hideous trash monsters!

The film of the story of Coca-Cola’s closed loop recycling process – both a narrative and physical testament to the concept of re-use. A stop-motion animated “World Without Waste”, in which the pieces of the film itself – including it’s narrator Bill Nye – are built out of recycled materials including used bottles, labels, and cardboard.

Fusion Wayang Kulit is an award-winning team working hard to revive the beautiful Malaysian art of wayang kulit (shadow puppet) by fusing the traditional with pop culture and sci-fi elements.

Video by Mansi Patel

The campaign by Pro Carton has carton characters as the 5Rs of Responsibility.

Some quotes on being frugal, minimalist, thrifty, resourceful.

Graphics of alliterative phrases meaning ‘turning one thing into something better’.

A number of ways kaleidocycles can be made from fabric, wool and beads.

Interactive 3D textile art: a cyclic tetrahedron made from fabric, textile paint, quilted and beaded… by Sue Duffy.

Machine embroidered designs by Carol at AnnTheGran.

pcycled tie necklaces with DIY tutorial by Aletha Israels from Artstar.

Tutorial for shair with woven tie seat by Mag Ruffman.

Instructions by Diane Gilleland, CraftyPod.

Instructions and video – by Tiffany Threadgould.

Instructions by Dorothy Costas from Treasury of Arts and Crafts | Paper Projects for the Elementary School (1977).

Almost 500 lessons and bonus ideas by Dorothy Constas (1977).

Instructions using a simple nail loom from the 1976 book ‘Treasures from Throwaways’.

A book from 1976. 194 projects from tin cans, barrels and crates, old furniture, spools and spindles, old clothes and rags, junked metal, decorative paper, cardboard, glass, China, clay, plastic materials, plus “equipment and utensil conversions.”

An early example of flink chain using the silver paper lining from cigarette packets (1972).

A children’s craft book – projects from the 1970’s made from discarded materials from around the house.

Instructions by Jane Mencsh-Mutshnik in volume 11 (UK version) of The Family Creative Workshop (1975).

Video by Svetlana Bell showing how to make a simple frame from household materials and 6 and 8 pointed stars.

Master the art of visible mending with Flora Collingwood-Norris’ colourful tutorial – from Gathered.

Instructions by Ruth Hofer – how to carve pendants and inlay stones.

Instructions from All Year Round by Ann Druitt, Christine Fynes-Clinton, Marije Rowling.

The ABC of Tools by AccessArt provides pupils and students of all ages with a handy visual reference to some of the most common hand tools.

Video instructions by Parshwanath.

Carla from Trashmagination designed a craft called a lenticular photo display using the triangular wood shapes from clementine boxes.

The original Weather Tree designed by Dorothy Thelwall (1983) with a description of its inspiration from a story from China.

Finding ideas for woven ties.

A collection of skirts made from ties.

Different styles of dresses made from old ties.

There are a great variety of styles of top that can be made from ties.

Many styles of bags all made from ties.

Many ways to stitch ties together to create quilts, rugs, hangings and more.

Another early example of a Windmill Loop technique to make paper tassels.

The idea is to have as many stars on the path as there are days in advent. The stars are laid in a path at the end of which is the empty stable. Mary moves onto a star each day, the star she stood on flies up onto a blue cloth behind her and by the time Christmas comes the sky is full of stars and Mary has arrived at the stable. All Year Round p174 Ann Druitt, Christine Fynes-Clinton, Marije Rowling (1995).

A simple nad sweet design. Michael Fulkerson designed and created the birds and mobile for the Spool Sewing website.

Beautiful description of Autumn Gnomes role at a seasonal table and the Gnomes’ Bonfire Party. All Year Round Ann Druitt, Christine Fynes-Clinton, Marije Rowling first published 1995.

A calendar of celebrations. This book is a festival store cupboard: a treasure trove of tomorrow’s much loved childhood memories, all mingled together with a mix of coloured thread, delicious cooking smells, softly sparkling candle light and the snatch of a favourite song. Ann Druitt, Christine Fynes-Clinton, Marije Rowling, first published 1995.

Simple, natural, easy to make, clean looking, and super spinning dreidel tutorial by tali buchler.

The idea is that as the child knits, little presents appear and fall out of the ball of wool. Instructions in The Children’s year by Stephanie Cooper, Christine Fynes-Clinton, Marije Rowling (1986).

First published more than thirty years ago, The Children’s Year has helped generations of families rediscover the pleasures of creating rather than merely consuming.

Different ways to make a coat or jacket from old ties.

Tutorial by Laura Kluvo from Rick Rack Ruby that appeared in Craftster (2005).

Laura Kluvo from Rick Rack Ruby made a range of bag styles from neckties.

Some varied Weather Tree designs.

‘Plastic bottle cutter’ on youtube demonstrates making narrow tubes out of plastic bottle which can then be sliced into beads that look like bugle beads,

A collection of jewellery made from melon seeds

How to make watercolour paint from old felt tip pens. Instructions by Julie Finn.

A simple design for carton wallets

Instructions by Kathy Ciceri with template (2007).

A collection of wallets that utilise the lids of the cartons as closure to explore the differences in design that people have discovered.

A collection of vehicles made fom packaging with bamboo skewer & straw axles.

Instructions to make a range of heat reflecting products to help people living on the street.

Instructions by Fatima.

A workshop exploring Weaving Windmill Loops and how to turn corners – Bridges 2021: Mathematics, Art, Music, Architecture, Culture

Workshop Papers

A collection of frames made from cigarette packets – one doubles as a calendar.

This modular design made from postcards, appears in a book by Isao Honda, published in 1959. Recorded in David Mitchell’s Public Paperfolding History Project.

Instructions for a woven made of postcards from ‘The world of origami’ by Isao Honda (1965) available from Internet Archive.

Instructions for a stand made of postcards from ‘The world of origami’ by Isao Honda (1965) available from Internet Archive.

‘The World of Origami’ by Isao Honda published in English in the USA in 1965. It is the largest of Isao Honda’s books.

The company Ecoist ran from 2004 until 2016, best known for candy wrapper handbags, made by artisans in Mexico and Peru.

Instructions from 1946, Popular Mechanics Magazine.

Instructions for a South African plaiting technique used to make hats from maize husks. Margaret W. Campbell (1937).

The first known printed instructions for this technique using leather to make a belt. Margaret W. Campbell (1937).

Described as a ‘pioneer-folder’ Margaret Campbell’s book of 1937 was highly influential.