Craft Spotlight: Paper Craft & Origami

Scraps of card, paper, tissue, foil... we throw them away everyday. Start a little tray in your studio or home collecting these offcuts ready for a rainy afternoon of making fun.

Carousel & Toadstool Village lampshades handcrafted from paper.

Carousel & Toadstool Village lampshades handcrafted from paper.

Today I added this delightful book to the shoppe ‘All Made From Paper‘ written in 1974 and published in Great Britain. It contains oodles of fantastic craft projects making decorative objects for the home, to give out as presents or just for fun – all from scraps of paper. Love it!

Nesting bluebird picture made from scraps of tissue paper.

Nesting bluebird picture made from paper napkins and toilet paper.

This is one of my favourite projects from the book which is the cutest collage of a nesting bluebird made from paper napkins and toilet paper. The book includes a template of the pretty little bluebird but you can make any shape your heart desires. The author of the book admits to pocketing loo roll from friend’s houses when they have some in a fun colour she can use. Cheeky! A good tip she imparts to give the bird a ‘feathery’ finish is to gently push the paper into tiny wrinkles using a knitting needle after it’s been pasted down.

Learn to make paper bangles at the Pop-Up Craft event in Clapham.

Learn to make origami bangles at a Pop-Up Summer Craft event in Clapham.

If you fancy giving paper craft a go then Drink, Shop, Do in Kings Cross often host themed origami parties and next Monday 13th & Wednesday 15th June they’re making Father’s Day cards where all the supplies are free with the purchase of one drink. I also have an ace 80s origami book in my shoppe if you fancy teaching yourself how to make anything from paper birds to an Ornithomimus. I’m heading to the SW Craft Club in Clapham on 7th August to learn to make paper jewellery alongside sipping ‘frocktails’ and taking part in a clothes swap. Can’t wait.

If you know of any other paper craft workshops happening around the UK, please post the deets below! Thanks x


6 Responses to Craft Spotlight: Paper Craft & Origami

  1. Louise says:

    Try The create place? Bethnal Green or the make lounge also London based..

  2. Kye Sangha says:

    Love the bird! Just in the last year I’ve started regularly using those bits & pieces that come my way through life-in my journal! It’s been really fun!

    Your paper workshop/clothing swap sounds so fun! Wish I was on the other side of that big puddle!
    Keep on creating!

  3. Thanks Louise and yes both those places have a whole host of ah-mazing making events but still London based. It would be great to hear what else is going on paper craft wise around the UK! Anyone? xx

  4. Aww, thanks Kye! Have fun x

  5. Looking forward to teaching you how to make the origami bangles! Hope you’ve got your nimble fingers on!
    Drink Shop and Do looks AMAZING, might have to go to one of the ‘do your hair 50’s style’ ones! 🙂

  6. Uh-oh… my nickname is ‘sausage fingers’ – this might be trickier than I first thought!

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