Showing posts with label Perler Beads. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Perler Beads. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Wily Wednesdays - Treasure Chest

Okay, I've got to own up to something. I have a guilty pleasure (addiction?) for geeky Perler Bead creations. This silly medium lends itself too well to pixel art, and I can't help indulging in some nostalgic Nintendo crafts. I made little Hylian shield, and then I realized it needed a container, so I set out to build a proper treasure chest. What ensued involved a bit more time and beads than I had originally planned, but I'm glad I put in the extra effort.


Here's what the individual pieces look like. For the right-angle edges, I really wasn't thinking, otherwise I would have alternated the beads in a jagged fashion so they locked together on the sides. Oh well, noted for future projects. To create the domed top piece, I only ironed one side and bent it into the proper shape while the plastic was still hot. I had no idea how well that was going to work, but it came out better than expected. Next, I lined each of the pieces with blue felt.

When I was ready to assemble the pieces, I toyed with the idea of sealing them with heat, either using the iron (which is a tad awkward) or a heat gun (which could easily and quickly ruin the box if I messed up). Threading it together with embroidery floss seemed like a pretty good idea, and with Kai's insistence, I went that route instead of using heat or glue. I even sewed on the hinges, because...why not?







Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Wily Wednesday - Yule Crafts 2011

It's time to reveal what was keeping me madly busy during the last two weeks of December (and part of 2012). I wanted to wait until I gave away most of the gifts before writing this post, which is why it's late. I had big plans for Yule, but I procrastinated too much, and technically I'm not even finished. Anyway, here's a sampling of the 2011 Yule crafts:
  • New clothes for Bender!
  • Head scarves for Kai (in the background)
  • Paw stockings
  • Catnip fishies
  • Plush Angry Bird (Kai's obsessed with these guys)
  • Winter-themed FSMs (I only had the tree on hand, but I think the Santa hat is my favorite.)
  • Polymer clay tree ornaments
  • Jars of homemade blackberry, raspberry, and blueberry jams (I'm most proud of the blackberries -- we picked them in our own neighborhood. Doesn't get much more local than that!)
  • Homemade soaps, lip balm, and lotions.
  • Geeky Perler Bead magnets (I never did these as a kid, so I had to try them out.)
  • Oatmeal fudge (a recipe from Kai's mother)