Paris en Rose http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en Des objets uniques fabriqués à partir des matériaux recyclés, récupérés et revalorisés Wed, 29 May 2019 21:42:26 +0000 en-EN hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.2 FAB Perigord : a new adventure http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/fab-perigord-a-new-adventure/ http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/fab-perigord-a-new-adventure/#comments Wed, 29 May 2019 17:00:04 +0000 http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/?p=6751 Long time no see! Hello everyone. It’s been a while since I last blogged or posted on Paris en Rose. I have been taking a little break – not entirely deliberately, but for a very […]

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Long time no see!

Hello everyone. It’s been a while since I last blogged or posted on Paris en Rose. I have been taking a little break – not entirely deliberately, but for a very good cause – as we have been working on buying a house, moving, and starting a whole new-and-very-exciting project!

We started looking to move out of Paris over a year and a half ago, visiting the south west of France – near where my partner, Jonathan, grew up – trying to find the perfect place for us to spend the next chapter of our lives! We finally moved in June 2018, to a beautiful spot in the Périgord Vert: Siorac-de-Riberac. Our amazing new property is located in a place called Le Grand Bost, Bost meaning forest or wood in the local dialect. We have been spending the last year settling in, and i’m finally ready to tell you about the exciting new project we’ve been working on…

FAB Perigord - Le Grand Bost
Our new home – Le Grand Bost

Project FAB : Fabriqué au Bost

So we moved house, big deal right? But here’s what’s exciting about it. We moved not only to get away from the busyness of Paris life, but to create a local business here in the Perigord brewing beer, running craft workshops and renting out our two little holiday homes.

Paris en Rose will be continuing locally in Dordogne under the name FAB (Fabriqué au Bost)

The project has multiple elements, which hopefully will not only mean there is something for everyone, but also bring people together to create a place to relax, discover interesting local produce, and learn new skills!

FAB - Fabriqué au Bost
FAB – Fabriqué au Bost

FAB Perigord


Recycled Crafts:

Paris en Rose will be continuing locally in the Dordogne under the name FAB with workshops both at le Grand Bost and elsewhere. I will continue to sell my recycled creations in local markets, shops and more.


Local beers:

Jonathan has been home-brewing for the last 9 years or so, and we are making the (big) step to becoming a (small) professional brewery. To begin with, we are offering just one beer – Double Entendre – a bitter, reproducing the beer we miss from England. Double Entendre is available to buy directly from us, or from a growing list of local shops and restaurants ; visit the FAB Perigord website for more details.


Beer workshops:

Jonathan will also be offering brewing workshops to share his masterful brewing skills.


Holiday homes:

We have two small holiday homes, both fully equipped apartments that sleep 2-4 people, that we will be renting out to visitors who can enjoy both the tourist attractions of the area, and our own on-site activities…including a pool!


Creative getaways:

We want to bring all these activities together by proposing creative getaway packages, combing a stay in our beautiful guesthouses with a choice of our various creative workshops.


And More:

We hope, in the future to be able to host other events like beer tastings, beer festivals, language exchanges, etc.

FAB - Reycled crafts
Recycled crafts in the Perigord
FAB's first beer : Double Entendre
FAB’s first beer : Double Entendre

What about Paris en Rose?

Although I will be continuing my crafting locally under the name FAB, I also plan to keep the name Paris en Rose for my blog and my Etsy shop which is still open now (even if I haven’t been adding so many new items recently – sorry about that!) and I hope to be back with lots of new projects for both soon!

I hope to be back with lots of new projects for the Paris en Rose blog soon

I hope you are as excited as I am about this new adventure, although it’s true that I am a bit sad to leave Paris. I just wanted to keep you updated on why I haven’t been posting any new craft projects recently, and to let you know that I haven’t gone away for good! As I say, my Etsy shop remains open, but I hope to be adding more items to it and be back blogging on Paris en Rose soon (if not at the same frequency), even if our other local activities will be using the name FAB, and on our new website www.fab-perigord.fr.

flyer-fr flyer-en FAB-article-Dordogne-Libre

I would love to hear your thoughts about the project, so let me know what you think, or if you’d be interested in coming to stay with us in one of our holiday homes. If you need any encouragement, here is a video of our beautiful new village, Siorac-de-Riberac 😀

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Halloween lanterns made from recycled jam jars http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/halloween-lanterns-made-from-recycled-jam-jars/ http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/halloween-lanterns-made-from-recycled-jam-jars/#comments Sun, 29 Oct 2017 16:48:53 +0000 http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/?p=6545 Spooky Halloween lanterns made from recycled jam jars These spooky Halloween lanterns made from recycled jam jars are a quick and easy recycled craft project for Halloween. Put candles inside them to see the spooky […]

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Spooky Halloween lanterns made from recycled jam jars

These spooky Halloween lanterns made from recycled jam jars are a quick and easy recycled craft project for Halloween. Put candles inside them to see the spooky silhouettes flicker through the glass for a great Halloween decoration.

Halloween lanterns made from recycled jam jars
Halloween lanterns made from recycled jam jars

These Halloween lanterns made from recycled jam jars are so easy to make. Just cut out a spooky image and stick it inside the jam jar, then spray paint the outside orange. Without a candle it just looks like an orange jar, but with candle light you can see spooky shadows showing through! Follow these 4 easy steps to make them for yourself.

Halloween lanterns made from recycled jam jars
Halloween lanterns made from recycled jam jars

What you need :

Step 1 : Cut out spooky shapes

Choose what spooky shapes you want to put in your lanterns. I used pumpkins, but you could try anything you like: ghosts, bats, witches, skeletons, skulls, zombies etc. I drew my designs on a piece of paper to decide on the image and its size. You could also print shapes out at this point if you don’t feel up to drawing them. Make sure the shapes are small enough to fit inside your jam jar.

Design and cut out your spooky shapes
Design and cut out your spooky shapes
Design and cut out your spooky shapes
Design and cut out your spooky shapes

I cut around my paper design and then used this as a stencil to mark and cut out the shapes from the thicker black card. I used two different shapes for each jar, one on each side.

Design and cut out your spooky shapes
Design and cut out your spooky shapes
Use thick black paper to block the light and create a shadow
Use thick black paper to block the light and create a shadow

Step 2 : Stick shapes inside the jam jars

I used styrene to stick the shapes to the inside of my jars. This is a kind of heat resistant sticky back plastic used for making lamp shades. I had some left over from making a cardboard lampshade. You could equally stick the shapes directly to the inside of your jar with glue, but in that case, be careful about using an open flame next to the paper – maybe you could use electric tealight instead.

Cut a piece of styrene to fit the jar
Cut a piece of styrene to fit the jar

I cut a strip of styrene the same height as the flat part of the jam jar, long enough to fit inside the jar. I stuck the cardboard shapes to it, then carefully placed it inside the jar, sticking it to the sides.

Stick the shapes to the styrene
Stick the shapes to the styrene
Stick the styrene inside the jam jar
Stick the styrene inside the jam jar

Step 3 : Spray paint jam jars orange

Once your shapes are inside the jar, you need to paint the outside of the jars. I used orange spray paint, but you could use any colour you like. However, I think light colours will work best, as the light will shine less well through darker colours. You could also try applying acrylic paint with a sponge if you dont have spray paint.

Spray paint the outside of the jars
Spray paint the outside of the jars

If you are spraying make sure to do so in a well ventilated and protected area. I used about three coats to completely cover the jars, letting them dry between each one.

Spray paint the outside of the jars
Spray paint the outside of the jars

Step 4 : Add handle with black wire

As a finishing touch, I used black wire to attach a handle to turn the jars into lanterns. This also means you can hang up the lanterns more easily. Simply wind the wire around itself to make a handle, then wrap tightly around the jar to secure it.

Twist the wire together to make a handle
Twist the wire together to make a handle
Wrap more wire around the neck of the jar to secure it
Wrap more wire around the neck of the jar to secure it

This is an optional, decorational touch, and you could also add other things to the jars to embellish them : ribbons, fake blood, glitter, string etc.

Halloween lanterns made from recycled jam jars
Halloween lanterns made from recycled jam jars
Halloween lanterns made from recycled jam jars
Halloween lanterns made from recycled jam jars

Thats it! Happy Halloween. :-)

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Handmade Kindle case from a hardback book http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/handmade-kindle-case-from-a-hardback-book/ http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/handmade-kindle-case-from-a-hardback-book/#comments Wed, 30 Aug 2017 15:00:31 +0000 http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/?p=6441 An amazing handmade Kindle case from a hardback book I created this handmade Kindle case from a hardback book that I found in a car boot sale. I recently got a new Kindle, and wanted […]

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An amazing handmade Kindle case from a hardback book

I created this handmade Kindle case from a hardback book that I found in a car boot sale. I recently got a new Kindle, and wanted a case to protect it, so I found a hardback book with a pretty cover, that was the right size, and turned it into this amazing Kindle case!

Handmade Kindle case from a hardback book
Handmade Kindle case from a hardback book

I have seen the idea for a handmade Kindle case from a hardback book in several places before. You can even buy purposed made Kindle cases in the style of a book cover. Here is my take on the idea, that you can make at home for a fraction of the cost.

What you need :

  • A hardback book a bit bigger than your Kindle
  • A cutting knife, ruler and cutting mat
  • Thin card (a piece as big as the book is when it’s lying open)
  • Fabric (one large piece a bit bigger than the card. I also used a second, smaller piece, to make a pocket)
  • Fabric or paper glue
  • Elastic
  • Sewing machine
  • Stronger gel glue or a gluegun

Step 1 : Cut off cover

Cut the cover from the rest of the book
Cut the cover from the rest of the book

Cut out the inside pages of the book leaving just the cover. I managed this leaving the pages of the book intact and still bound together. However, I also wanted to keep the decorative headband and ribbon, so I then cut all of the pages off, leaving just the spine.

Cut the cover from the rest of the book
Cut the cover from the rest of the book
Cut the spine from the book pages
Cut the spine from the book pages

Step 2 : Cut a piece of card

Cutting a piece of card to fit the book cover
Cutting a piece of card to fit the book cover

Measure the size of your book cover: the right and left side and the width of the spine between the two when the cover is lying open. Cut your piece of card to fit. Mine was 18cm high, and 13cm wide on each side, with 2cm in the middle, so my card was 28x18cm in total. I scored and folded the card along the 2cm spine.

Cutting a piece of card to fit the book cover
Cutting a piece of card to fit the book cover

Step 3 : Cover the card with fabric

Covering the card with fabric
Covering the card with fabric

Cut your piece of fabric so it is a few centimetres bigger than the card on each side. Glue the fabric to the inside of your folded card, making sure there are no creases or bubbles. Cut diagonally up to each corner or fold of the card in order to fold and glue the fabric around each edge of the card. This will give you a nice neat edge once all the pieces are glued together.

Covering the card with fabric
Covering the card with fabric
Covering the card with fabric
Covering the card with fabric

Step 4 : Add pocket and elastic with sewing machine

Fixing elFixing the elastic to the cardastic to the card
Fixing the elastic to the card

I then used stronger glue to attach four pieces of elastic to the four corners of the right hand side of the decorated card. I folded the elastic around the edge of the card but for the two left hand pieces that aren’t on the edge, I cut a small slit to pass the elastic through. Once glued, I then sewed all the way around the right hand side of the decorated card, to make sure all the elastic was well secured. I also used a smaller piece of fabric to make a pocket on the left hand side.

The elastic is sewed on to the card to secure it
The elastic is sewed on to the card to secure it
Sewing the pocket and elastic to the card
Sewing the pocket and elastic to the card
The competed card and the book cover ready to be glued together
The competed card and the book cover ready to be glued together

Step 5 : Glue together

Gluing the card to the book cover
Gluing the card to the book cover

Once your cardboard has the elastic and pocket well attached and sewn on, you can glue the whole thing into the book cover to finish off your Kindle case. I glued the spine of the original book, with the decorative headband and ribbon, to the back of the decorated card before gluing it into the hardback cover. This gives the finished case more the look if a real book, and allows you to keep the ribbon too.

The completed Kindle case
The completed Kindle case
Handmade Kindle case from a hardback book
Handmade Kindle case from a hardback book
Handmade Kindle case from a hardback book
Handmade Kindle case from a hardback book

I really love my handmade Kindle case from a hardback book, and I am really excited about this project. I managed to buy a whole box of similar books at the car boot sale, so hopefully they will be available soon in my etsy shop as Kindle cases, or even as a Paris en Rose workshop!

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Shrink plastic jewellery with recycled bottle tops http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/shrink-plastic-jewellery-with-recycled-bottle-tops/ http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/shrink-plastic-jewellery-with-recycled-bottle-tops/#comments Sun, 09 Jul 2017 14:20:23 +0000 http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/?p=6251 Make your own personalised shrink plastic jewellery with recycled bottle tops This is an idea of how to make shrink plastic jewellery with recycled bottle tops. You can use this method to turn metal bottle […]

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Make your own personalised shrink plastic jewellery with recycled bottle tops

This is an idea of how to make shrink plastic jewellery with recycled bottle tops. You can use this method to turn metal bottle tops into beautiful necklaces, earrings, brooches and more.

Shrink plastic jewellery with recycled bottle tops
Shrink plastic jewellery with recycled bottle tops

Have you used Shrink plastic before? It is a special sheet of plastic that you can draw on, at a normal scale, but when you cook it in the oven, it shrinks to about half its size. These durable, miniature plastic creations can be used for all sorts of creative projects and jewellery.

The jewellery is made by making a circular pattern on a piece of shrink plastic that will shrink to the exact right size to fit inside a bottle top. You could use this technique to make all kinds of jewellery. Use any design or colours to create jewellery in your own style!

Through a competition with Oui are Makers and Graine Créative, I recently had the challenge of trying to come up with some new ideas for using shrink plastic. Of course, I wanted to find a project that used recycled materials, so I decided to try to create jewellery using shrink plastic and recycled bottle caps.

Shrink plastic and other tools from Graine Creative
Shrink plastic and other tools from Graine Creative

What you need :

  • Shrink plastic
  • Pencil, ruler and scissors
  • Colouring pencils
  • An Oven, (plus tray and baking paper)
  • Bottle cap
  • Hammer and nail
  • Jewellery fixings : head pins, jump rings, chain, etc.
  • Pliers and wire cutters
What you need
What you need

Step 1: Find the measurements for your circle

To make your shrink plastic jewellery, you need a circle of shrink plastic that, once shrunk, fits perfectly inside a bottle top.

To measure this, you need first to know exactly how much the plastic shrinks when cooked. I made a shrink plastic ruler to do this. I drew a ruler, to scale, using a pen onto a piece of shrink plastic. I actually made two rulers from both transparent and white shrink plastic to see if there was any difference between the two. I then cut them out into ruler shapes.

Use a pen and a ruler to make your shrink plastic ruler
Use a pen and a ruler to make your shrink plastic ruler
Shrink plastic rulers before cooking
Shrink plastic rulers before cooking

I cooked the shrink plastic rulers in the oven according to the shrink plastic instructions – for a few minutes at 150°. They curl up a lot as they shrink, which can be worrying, but after about 5 minutes they finish shrinking and flatten out.

The shrink plastic curls up during cooking
The shrink plastic curls up during cooking
The shrink plastic rulers
The shrink plastic rulers

My rulers both shrank the same amount, but were both slightly warped. The transparent one even more so. I’m not sure if this is because of a difference in the two plastics, or just coincidence. Either way, I was able to measure my bottle top with my shrink plastic ruler.  I discovered than I needed a circle of shrink plastic with a diameter of 6cm to fit inside the bottle top.

Using the shrink plastic ruler to measure a bottle top
Using the shrink plastic ruler to measure a bottle top

Step 2 : Draw your design

So now I was ready to draw my design. I did a small sketch based on a photo of Paris, but you could use any design you like. You could try a graphic pattern, an illustration or simple drawing. Whatever you choose, you do not necessarily need to draw it freehand. You can easily trace a design by either printing it out and sticking it to a window (so the light shines through and you can see the lines to trace), or tracing over an image on a tablet or telephone screen directly, like a light box.

Drawing my design for shrink plastic jewellery with recycled bottle tops
Drawing my design for shrink plastic jewellery with recycled bottle tops
Tracing my design on a window
Tracing my design on a window
The design drawn on transparent and white shrink plastic
The design drawn on transparent and white shrink plastic

Again, I drew my design on both transparent and white plastic to test the difference. I drew my design with pencil and coloured it in with colouring pencils.

Tip

I recommend using a hard pencil, and colouring softly, as the colours all become more intense when the plastic shrinks, and if you use heavy pencil lines, your design could end up dark and smudgy.

Different tests for shrink plastic jewellery with recycled bottle tops
Different tests for shrink plastic jewellery with recycled bottle tops

This image is of jewellery made from drawings on transparent (left) and white (middle and right) shrink plastic. The far right drawing was made with a softer, pencil and it looks a lot darker and less attractive.

Step 3 : Cook

Cooking the shrink plastic circles
Cooking the shrink plastic circles

Cook your plastic circles in the oven. Again, follow the instructions, and cook at 150° for a few minutes. When the come out of the oven, make sure they are flat by placing a heavy object on them before they cool.

The two cooked circles of shrink plastic
The two cooked circles of shrink plastic

Step 4 : Prepare bottle cap

To turn the shrink plastic circle into a piece of jewellery you need to fix the bottle cap to a chain. To do this you need to make a small hole. If you want to make something like a brooch or a magnet, you could skip this step and glue a fixture directly to the back of the bottle top. However, I used a small nail and a hammer to make a hole in the edge of the bottle cap, at the top.

Make a hole with a hammer and nail
Make a hole with a hammer and nail

I then placed a head pin into this hole from the inside, and made a loop. I cut off the excess with wire cutters, and fixed the pin in place with a small dab of glue. Glue your circle of shrink plastic into the bottle top too.

Place a head pin through the hole
Place a head pin through the hole
Use pliers, cutters and glue to fix the head pin in place
Use pliers, cutters and glue to fix the head pin in place
Preparing the bottle top
Preparing the bottle top

Step 5 : Make jewellery

Using pliers, jump rings and jewellery fixtures, you can now turn your bottle tops into jewellery. To make a necklace, simply open a jump ring with your pliers, and use it to fix the bottle top, using the loop you created with the head pin, to a necklace chain.

shrink plastic jewellery with recycled bottle tops
shrink plastic jewellery with recycled bottle tops
shrink plastic jewellery with recycled bottle tops
shrink plastic jewellery with recycled bottle tops

You could make other objects too, like earrings or a keyring.

shrink plastic jewellery with recycled bottle tops
shrink plastic jewellery with recycled bottle tops

What do you think of this idea for shrink plastic jewellery with recycled bottle tops? What other projects or ideas do you have using shrink plastic? Let me know in the comments!

 

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Recycled hair clips http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/recycled-hair-clips/ http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/recycled-hair-clips/#comments Fri, 02 Jun 2017 14:55:58 +0000 http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/?p=6232 Make these recycled hair clips by re-purposing bottle tops, nespresso capsules, buttons and more ! Here are a few simple ideas to make your own recycled hair clips by using different re-purposed materials for decorative […]

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Make these recycled hair clips by re-purposing bottle tops, nespresso capsules, buttons and more !

Here are a few simple ideas to make your own recycled hair clips by using different re-purposed materials for decorative effect. There are many items from your day to day lives that can be used to create original, colourful and beautiful creations. The bottle tops from your favourite drink, the colourful capsules used to make coffee, old buttons, and even odd pieces from games or toys.

Recycled hair clips
Recycled hair clips

What you need

What you need
What you need

All you need to complete this project is a glue gun, some good glue sticks suitable for use with metal, some hair clip bases, and some recycled materials for decoration. I used bottle caps, nespresso capsules, wine corks, old buttons, and wooden game pieces. You may also want some additional basic tools like a cutting knife and pliers.

Bottle top hair clips

Recycled hair clip made from recycled corks and bottle tops
Recycled hair clip made from recycled corks and bottle tops

Metal bottle caps come in many different colours and patterns and can provide a great decorative element for a creative project. One of the problems with using them, however, is that they are not flat, so can be difficult to glue onto another object. To solve this problem, I simply cut a recycled wine cork into slices about as thick as the bottle cap, and glue one inside each before gluing the whole thing onto the hair clip base. I find that 3 bottle tops fit perfectly onto a 8cm long base.

Ready to make a hair clip from recycled bottle tops
Ready to make a hair clip from recycled bottle tops
Slice the cork with your stanley knife
Slice the cork with your stanley knife
Glue the cork slices into the bottle tops
Glue the cork slices into the bottle tops
Glue the bottle tops and cork to your hair clip
Glue the bottle tops and cork to your hair clip
Recycled hair clip made from recycled corks and bottle tops
Recycled hair clip made from recycled corks and bottle tops

Nespresso capsule hair clips

Recycled hair clip made from nespresso capsules
Recycled hair clip made from nespresso capsules

Nespresso capsules can be flattened to make colourful circles of aluminium – just remember to clean them out first! These can be glued directly onto a hair clip or rolled up to create a sort of bead that can then be glued to the base. I used 8 rolled up capsules in rainbow colours to create one 8cm hair clip.

Flatten your cleaned out nespresso capsules with a hammer
Flatten your cleaned out nespresso capsules with a hammer
Use round nosed pliers to roll up the flattened nespresso capsule
Use round nosed pliers to roll up the flattened nespresso capsule
Use round nosed pliers to roll up the flattened nespresso capsule
Use round nosed pliers to roll up the flattened nespresso capsule
The rolled up nespresso capsules ready to make a recycled hair clip
The rolled up nespresso capsules ready to make a recycled hair clip
Glue the central pieces first
Glue the central pieces first

Button hair slides

Hair clips made from recycled buttons
Hair clips made from recycled buttons

Old, new, recycled or found buttons are always a great decorative element to add to projects like this. Try layering them up on their own, or mixing with nespresso capsules or other materials to make your own design.

And more…

Recycled hair clips
Recycled hair clips

Don’t stop here! You can also try using odd pieces of games or toys, recycled paper, or any other pretty objects you can find to make interesting recycled hair clips. These are just a few ideas to get you started, but there are many other materials you could use to make these kinds recycled hair accessories. Check out my post about how to make a decorative hair accessory from an egg carton, for example. You can also use nespresso capsules to make brooches or other jewellery.

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Recycled paper for display http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/recycled-paper-for-display/ http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/recycled-paper-for-display/#comments Fri, 19 May 2017 17:40:08 +0000 http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/?p=6146 A project to make recycled paper for display at the exhibition Afriques Capitales I recently had the opportunity to work with an artist to make recycled paper for display as part of an art installation […]

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A project to make recycled paper for display at the exhibition Afriques Capitales

I recently had the opportunity to work with an artist to make recycled paper for display as part of an art installation that is currently being shown at la Villette as part of the Afrique Captitales exhibition. Here are some photos, as well as a short description of the project and how it was completed.

Recycled paper for display
Recycled paper for display

Artist Poku Cheremeh approached me to help him with part of his installation POKOJ, which is a reproduction of a student’s room made from dried foods and other everyday items : a night stand covered with with chewed gum, a curtain made from hair, a stool covered in Carambar caramel, and walls made from dried WASA crackers.

Walls made from dried WASA crackers
Walls made from dried WASA crackers

My role in the project was to make an exterior façade for the room out of the packaging from the products used to create the interior, as well as personal documents of Poku’s.

WASA packets from the crackers used to line the walls
WASA packets from the crackers used to line the walls

We worked together to make a paper making frame at the correct panel size, do some tests with the different materials and try out different techniques for hanging the completed paper façade. I eventually made over 200 sheets of paper using recycled documents, sugar packets (which had been used to ‘glue’ the cracker walls together) and the WASA packaging from the cracker walls.

Tests made from wrappers of different products used for the creation of the installation
Tests made from wrappers of different products used for the creation of the installation

The paper was made using the same basic technique as my tutorial for handmade plantable paper. However, to make rectangular sheets of the correct size I made wooden frames to use as a more solid screen, and added ripped up packaging instead of flower seeds as I made each sheet of paper.

This hand made frame with fabric stretched over it is what I used as a paper making screen
This hand made frame with fabric stretched over it is what I used as a paper making screen
Recycled paper and cardboard is soaked and blended before being transformed into new sheets
Recycled paper and cardboard is soaked and blended before being transformed into new sheets
Excess water is removed with a sponge
Excess water is removed with a sponge
Each sheet is pressed before being left to dry between absorbant sheets
Each sheet is pressed before being left to dry between absorbant sheets
The completed paper sheets before hanging - I made over 200
The completed paper sheets before hanging – I made over 200

Finding the correct method to hand the paper was another big challenge. In the end I used two methods to hang the façades. One using eyelets to make sturdy holes in each sheet from which to hang and clip them together. The other method involved sewing each vertical section to two ribbons which were then used to hang the whole section from the top of the wall.

Paper hung by being sewn to two ribbons
Paper hung by being sewn to two ribbons
Recycled paper hung using eyelets
Recycled paper hung using eyelets

The project is on display at La Villette, as part of the Afriques Capitales exhibition which will be open until the 28th May.

Afriques Capitales exhibition
Afriques Capitales exhibition
Afriques Capitales
Open until 28 May 2017
From Wednesday to Sunday 12 to 8pm
Grande Halle, La Villette, Porte de Pantin

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Hand carved rubber stamps http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/hand-carved-rubber-stamps/ http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/hand-carved-rubber-stamps/#comments Sat, 15 Apr 2017 15:00:12 +0000 http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/?p=6039 Make your own hand carved rubber stamps to make cute floral patterns this Spring These hand carved rubber stamps are made by cutting into a pencil eraser. With a few simple tools and some imagination, […]

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Make your own hand carved rubber stamps to make cute floral patterns this Spring

These hand carved rubber stamps are made by cutting into a pencil eraser. With a few simple tools and some imagination, you can make all kinds of personalised stamps, floral patterns, and more!

Hand carved rubber stamps
Hand carved rubber stamps

What you need

What you need
What you need
  • Rubbers to carve
  • A lino cutting tool
  • Pencil/paper to draw your designs
  • A printer, if you want to print your designs
  • Paint/ink to stamp with
  • Paper to stamp on

Step 1 : Plan your designs

Drawing the designs for the rubber stamps
Drawing the designs for the rubber stamps

I chose to make several stamps in shapes that can work together to make interesting floral patterns. I made several leaf shaped stamps, in different configurations, some petal shapes that could be used to make larger flower shapes, and some smaller flower shapes, both to make smaller flower patterns, and to use for the centre of the larger flowers. I even made some little insect shapes : a bee and a butterfly. After doing a bit of research by looking at ideas on Pinterest, flowers in the garden, and existing stamps, I drew out my designs. You could also trace or print your designs.

Step 2 : Transfer your designs to the eraser

Drawing the design onto the rubber
Drawing the design onto the rubber

Since all of my designs were simple, hand drawn shapes, I just drew each shape lightly onto my eraser with a pencil. For a more precise transfer, you can draw (or trace) the design in pencil onto a sheet of paper, then place this sheet of paper, design side down, onto the eraser. Drawing over the design a second time from the back of the sheet of paper will then transfer the design to the eraser. This has the added benefit of mirroring your design for you.

Draw the design on a sheet of paper
Draw the design on a sheet of paper
Put the design face down on the eraser and draw over the back of it
Put the design face down on the eraser and draw over the back of it
Your design is transferred to the rubber
Your design is transferred to the rubber

Remember that the design as you see it on the eraser is a mirror image of what will actually be stamped ! So make sure, especially for text, that the design is mirrored.

Step 3 : Carve shapes

Carving the rubber stamps
Carving the rubber stamps

On the side of the stamp where your design is marked, carve out the negative space with your lino cutting tool. Carve away at least a few millimetres or rubber over the whole face, leaving the flat surface only where you want the rubber to stamp (your design). For fine details you don’t need to cut very deep, but for large areas and corners, you can cut away a lot more.

Carving the rubber stamps
Carving the rubber stamps
Carving the rubber stamps
Carving the rubber stamps

Just remember to be very careful. Take it step by step, removing a little bit at a time. You can always remove more rubber, even after testing the stamp, but you can’t put any of it back!

Hand carved rubber stamps
Hand carved rubber stamps

Step 4 : Stamp!

I did some printing with acrylic paint that I brushed onto the stamps, but the easiest way of printing is with a stamp pad, designed specifically for rubber stamps.

Hand carved rubber stamps
Hand carved rubber stamps
Hand carved rubber stamps
Hand carved rubber stamps
Hand carved rubber stamps
Hand carved rubber stamps
Hand carved rubber stamps
Hand carved rubber stamps

Using just a few different stamps, there are an infinite number of patterns, images and arrangements that you can make. Play around with different colours, paints and papers to see what you can make. I tried making gift tags on recycled book pages, and also created some greeting cards, which are now available on my Etsy shop.

Floral greeting cards
Floral greeting cards
Recycled gift tag made with hand carved rubber stamps
Recycled gift tag made with hand carved rubber stamps

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Recycled glass lanterns http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/recycled-glass-lanterns/ http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/recycled-glass-lanterns/#comments Sat, 25 Mar 2017 15:50:07 +0000 http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/?p=5922 Recycled glass lanterns made from re-purposed bottles These recycled glass lanterns are made from re-purposed bottles. You can use jam jars, wine bottles, beer bottles and more to create a variety of beautiful lanterns and […]

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Recycled glass lanterns made from re-purposed bottles

These recycled glass lanterns are made from re-purposed bottles. You can use jam jars, wine bottles, beer bottles and more to create a variety of beautiful lanterns and candle holders.

Recycled glass lanterns
Recycled glass lanterns

For the Challenge DIY Porcelaine & Co with Edding and Oui are makers, I had a chance to test out Edding’s porcelaine brush pens. This project not only recycles old glass bottles into useful objects, but also gives you a chance to put your artistic talents to good use, as since these pens also work on glass, you can decorate the lanterns with any design you want!

What you need
What you need

What you need :

  • Glass bottles or jars in different shapes and sizes. Collect as many as you can, as some of them will not cut quite straight.
  • Edding’s porcelaine brush pens
  • Glass cutter
  • Chain (must be thin enough to fit through the neck of your bottle but sturdy enough to hold up the lantern)
  • Ring (you can use an old keyring, or any other ring that does NOT fit through the neck of your bottle)
  • Wire
  • Wire cutters and pliers
  • Sandpaper
  • Night light candles to put in your finished recycled glass lanterns
Use varied glass jars and containers to make smaller recycled glass lanterns
Use varied glass jars and containers to make smaller recycled glass lanterns

The most difficult part of this project is cutting the glass. There are several different methods that you can use to do this. I chose to use a simple glass cutter as this is a cheap and easily accessible tool. However, there are also tools you can buy especially for cutting bottles, although these are more expensive. You could also look at this method, which involves tying string around the bottle and setting it on fire!

Step 1 : Clean your glass

Clean your glass bottles carefully
Clean your glass bottles carefully

The first thing you need to do is clean your glass bottles or jam jars. Usually soaking for a few minutes will help get off any labels, but for very sticky labels you can also scrape them off with a sharp knife or a scourer. Wipe away any sticky residue and make sure the bottles are nice and clean.

Step 2 : Cut your glass

Scoring the glass bottle with a glass cutter
Scoring the glass bottle with a glass cutter

This is the trickiest part. First you need to score the glass with the glass cutter. This is a very important step, as how you score the glass will define how neatly the bottle will cut. Ideally you want one deep score all the way around the bottle rather than several small ones. I did this by holding my glass cutter on a solid object of the same height as the place on the bottle I wanted to cut, and then rotated the bottle while pressing against the glass cutter. Add some oil to the glass surface before scoring it, to make a smoother groove.

Bowls of boiling hot and ice cold water
Bowls of boiling hot and ice cold water

Once you have your bottle scored, you want to alternately heat up and cool down the glass, which will eventually force the glass to break. You can do this by placing the bottle over a candle, and rubbing with an ice cube, but I found that this made a lot of mess, so I found it easier to use hot and cold water. Fill two big bowls of water, one boiling hot and one with ice cubes in, and place the bottle in one after the other. You can even do this step over the sink, pouring water from the cold tap and the kettle directly over the bottle. But watch out not to burn your fingers!

You can see the bottle beginning to crack along the scored line
You can see the bottle beginning to crack along the scored line

It’s quite difficult to get a perfectly straight cut, but possible if you persevere. Depending on what you are going to use the bottle for, this doesn’t necessarily matter that much, a slightly curved edge can add character to your recycled glass lanterns.

For one lantern, cut the bottom off a large bottle (i.e. a wine bottle), and the top off a smaller bottle (i.e. a beer bottle) that fits inside it.

The 2 glass pieces needed to make recycled glass lanterns
The 2 glass pieces needed to make recycled glass lanterns

 

Step 3 : Sand down the edges

Sand down the edges of your glass
Sand down the edges of your glass

Sand down the edges of the glass so they are safe to touch and no longer sharp. Start with sandpaper of a grit size of 80 to get rid of the rough edges, then use finer papers (for example 120 then 280) to polish the edges.

Step 4 : Paint the glass

Decorating the glass
Decorating the glass

I decorated my glass using Edding’s porcelaine brush pens. You can use any design you like. I made a geometric pattern using triangles in rainbow colours.

The finished design
The finished design

Once you have finished your design, leave to dry for 15 minutes, then cook at 160°C for 25 minutes to fix it.

Cook the glass to fix design
Cook the glass to fix design

Step 5 : Assemble lantern

To assemble your lantern you need a chain, a ring large enough that it does not fit through the neck of your bottle, and some wire.

Start by using the wire to make a cradle. Begin by making a spiral shape big enough to cover the base of the small bottle. Then continue working the wire in a spiral shape to contain the interior, smaller bottle. You will later fix the chain to this wire cradle and it is this that will hold the candle inside the lantern.

Start by making a wire spiral
Start by making a wire spiral
Continue wrapping the wire around the glass to hold it and to fix it to the chain
Continue wrapping the wire around the glass to hold it and to fix it to the chain

Once the cradle is complete, cut 3 pieces of chain. You will need 2 small ones of around 10cm, and one longer one of around 30cm. Attach these three pieces of chain to your ring.

Preparing the chain
Preparing the chain

Fix the two small pieces of chain to two sides of your wire cradle and pass the longer one through the neck of your bottle from the inside. The ring should catch on the neck of the bottle, holding it up. You can add another ring or a hook to the other end of the chain to hang your lantern.

Here is the finished lantern. To add a candle, simply lift up the larger bottle to access the interior.

The finished recycled glass lantern
The finished recycled glass lantern
Lift the bottle to add a candle
Lift the bottle to add a candle

As well as these recycled glass lanterns made of wine bottles, you can also make simple lanterns or candle holders with jam jars, or with the bottom of a cut bottle. Experiment with different shapes and sizes to see what you can create!

Recycled glass lanterns
Recycled glass lanterns
Recycled glass lanterns
Recycled glass lanterns
Recycled glass lanterns
Recycled glass lanterns
Other recycled glass lanterns
Other recycled glass lanterns
Candle holder made from an old nutella jar
Candle holder made from an old nutella jar

I hope you find this glass cutting technique useful for your own creative projects. For more bottle recycling techniques, you can also check out my article on how to recycle plastic bottles into boxes and nightlights.

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Rainbow notebook with woven pipe cleaners http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/rainbow-notebook-with-woven-pipe-cleaners/ http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/rainbow-notebook-with-woven-pipe-cleaners/#comments Fri, 03 Mar 2017 15:40:37 +0000 http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/?p=5663 This rainbow notebook with woven pipe cleaners is bound with coptic stitch I made this rainbow notebook with woven pipe cleaners. The pipe cleaners make a colourful cover for this chunky, coptic stitch bound notebook. […]

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This rainbow notebook with woven pipe cleaners is bound with coptic stitch

I made this rainbow notebook with woven pipe cleaners. The pipe cleaners make a colourful cover for this chunky, coptic stitch bound notebook.

A rainbow notebook with woven pipe cleaners
A rainbow notebook with woven pipe cleaners

We had loads of pipe cleaners left over from crafty activities at Christmas, so I decided to weave them together to make this colourful notebook. Here is how I did it:

Firstly I wove the pipe cleaners together to make two covers. I laid out some of the pipe cleaners parallel to each other (Mine were very long so I doubled them up) and then wove other pipe cleaners over and under, back and forth between them. I then weaved in and cut off all the ends to make two rectangles of the same size.

Weaving pipe cleaners
Weaving pipe cleaners
Weaving pipe cleaners
Weaving pipe cleaners
The woven pipe cleaner covers
The woven pipe cleaner covers

I wanted to use rainbow coloured paper to make a really bright, bold book. I found 6 bright colours to use, that went well with the vivid colours of the pipe cleaners.

Coloured paper
Coloured paper

My two pipe cleaner covers measured 15 x 11 cm, so I was able to use exactly A5 sheets (half of A4), folded in half to make my signatures.

One cover with an A5 page folded in two
One cover with an A5 page folded in two

I made 4 signatures of each colour, with 5 folded sheets in each. I arranged thee 24 signatures to make a rainbow, matching up with the red/pink/yellow cover on one side and blue/green/black/white cover on the other.

10 sheets per signature x 24 signatures(4 signatures x 6 colours)= 240 pages
The pages ready to be bound
The pages ready to be bound

I sewed the signatures together using a coptic binding stitch.

Piercing holes before binding the pages
Piercing holes before binding the pages
Coptic stitch binding
Coptic stitch binding
The bound pages
The bound pages

Here is the final notebook. It is extremely chunky, which is kind of what I was going for, but I perhaps went a little overboard. This made it more difficult and long-winded to bind, so if I did it again, I would definitely use slightly fewer pages. But overall i’m pretty pleased with the result.

A rainbow notebook with woven pipe cleaners
A rainbow notebook with woven pipe cleaners
A rainbow notebook with woven pipe cleaners
A rainbow notebook with woven pipe cleaners

I love how the coptic stitch binding looks, and will be making more notebooks using this technique in the future. Stay tuned for a more in-depth tutorial!

 

 

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Recycled craft workshops in Paris http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/recycled-craft-workshops-in-paris/ http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/recycled-craft-workshops-in-paris/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2017 16:30:18 +0000 http://www.paris-en-rose.fr/en/?p=5721 Upcoming recycled craft workshops in Paris this Febuary and March I am planning a few recycled craft workshops in Paris over the next few months. Come an join me to learn how to make notebooks, […]

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Upcoming recycled craft workshops in Paris this Febuary and March

I am planning a few recycled craft workshops in Paris over the next few months. Come an join me to learn how to make notebooks, recycled necklaces, nespresso capsule jewellery, and felted slippers. Sign up now to reserve your spot!

recycled craft workshops in Paris

Recycled notebook Workshop

February 15th 2017 – 10€

A workshop to make an A5 notebook out of scrap A4 paper. Learn how to make a notebook using a Japanese stab binding technique and recycled materials.

Sign up here
recycled craft workshops in Paris

Recycled paper and paper clip necklace workshop

February 16th 2017 – 10€

A workshop to make a necklace out of recycled paper and paper clips. Learn a basic folding technique that can be used to create jewellery, baskets and bags. For this project recycled paper, chocolate wrappers, or plastic wrapping can all be used.

Sign up here
recycled craft workshops in Paris

Nespresso jewellery workshop

March 1st 2017 – 10€

A workshop to make a brooch out of recycled nespresso capsules. I will be teaching this simple technique that I created. Create jewellery of almost any shape out of flattened nespresso capsules and felt.

Sign up here
recycled craft workshops in Paris

Recycled notebook Workshop

March 16th 2017 – 10€

A workshop to make an A5 notebook out of scrap A4 paper. Learn how to make a notebook using a Japanese stab binding technique and recycled materials.

Sign up here
recycled craft workshops in Paris

Felted slipper workshop

April 1st 2017 – 60€

A longer workshop to make hand felted pair of slippers. Learn a basic wet felting technique and create your own colourful, personalised slippers.

Sign up here

Interested in participating in my recycled craft workshops in Paris, but can’t make these events? Sign up to my meetup group to be notified of all upcoming events.

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