CRAFT IDEAS TO INSPIRE
In her latest series, Elizabeth Harbour creates a collection of beautiful, handmade decorative pieces for seasonal celebrations THIS MONTH: SUMMER PARTIES
Elizabeth Harbour creates beautiful handmade pieces for summer celebrations
These are perfect for adding colourful handmade style to an outdoor celebration.
YOU WILL NEED Pencil A4 tracing paper A4 pieces of plaincoloured card Decorative paper Newspaper PVA glue Wide-area brush Scalpel and cutting mat Double-sided tape Stapler Long needle Green 20 gauge florist wire (available from hobbycraft.co.uk)
1 On a piece of tracing paper, draw the outline of a simple flower silhouette, making sure there is space between each petal and that they are disconnected from the centre. 2 Draw several flowers with different petal shapes in the same way to cover the tracing paper, making sure they are well spaced and 2.5cm from the edges. 3 Take two pieces of card in contrasting colours, or replace one with decorative paper cut to A4 size. 4 Place one piece of card onto newspaper and apply a thin coat of PVA glue with a brush to one side, spreading it to the edges. Move this onto a clean piece of newspaper and stick the second piece on top. Smooth the palm of your hand over the top and place it under a heavy weight to dry flat. Repeat if you’re making more than one lantern. 5 Once dry, decide which side of the card you would like to have on the front and transfer the flower design onto the back. 6 Using a scalpel and cutting mat, cut firmly around the edge of each petal, stopping before you reach the centre so the card remains attached. 7 Once all the petals are cut, gently push out each one from the back of the card to form 3D flowers on the front. 8 Cut and stick a 20cm piece of double-sided tape to one short edge of the card and remove the back of it. 9 Pull round the short ends of the card to make a cylindrical shape, overlapping the edges by 1cm and securing in place with the positioned double-sided tape. 10 Reinforce the join by stapling over it at the top and bottom. 11 With the join in the centre at the back, make a mark approximately 1.5cm down from the top edge on the left and right sides. This is where the wire loop will hang from. 12 Pierce a hole at these points using a long needle and thread florist wire from one side through to the other. Bring both ends up to form a loop and twist them over each other to create a handle. 13 Tie a glow stick or a battery-powered candle to the wire that goes across the inside.