This art is easy and super cheap to make. I love the how the 3D effect of weaving the cardboard pieces together really makes it pop. Although the design looked complicated, all you need are four cardboard U’s, glue, a utility knife, and paint.
When creating a template for your cardboard U’s, keep in mind that the wider the U-shape is, the easier it will be to weave. Using a popcorn bowl for a guide works well.
Trace and cut out one piece using the circle guides (I used the popcorn bowl for the outer circle and pan lid for the inner circle) and then make 3 more “U” shapes from the first piece. Once they are all cut out, it’s time to weave them together. This can be a little bit tricky, but you can do it.
If you look at the design, you will see how they are woven together. Start with opposite sides. One “U” will go over the top of the other “U” and under the bottom of the other “U”. Then the third “U” weaves over one side “U” and under the other side “U”. The fourth “U” weaves over-under-over-under the other three, to complete the design.
Once your pieces are woven together, you can pull the ends out to secure the design. You will want to glue the ends to connect them. Hot glue works very well for this kind of project, and again, you’ll want to start with opposite ends. Be sure one side is cool before gluing the opposite sides.
Once your design is intact, you can paint it! You can use green spray paint to give it a nice, even coat for a base. For the finishing touch, add a little gold metallic paint around the edges to accentuate the overall look. Whalah! Ready to dance a little jig? Me too!
Art is about doing what you like, experimenting, and having fun. Feel free to use this idea, but if you get a better one along the way, take the risk and invent it!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Inventor!
Welcome Inventors! I wanted to make a good, old-fashioned flower press. When I was in third grade, I went to a camp where we pressed leaves, flowers, and grasses to create leaf collections, art, and cards. I loved it! So, this summer, flower presses were on my bucket list of things to introduce to my kids.
I needed:
1 – 2×4 ft. piece of ½ inch plywood
2 – ¼ in. carriage bolts (4 per press) about 2 inches long,
3 – ¼ in. wingnuts and washers (4 per press)
That was it! I was able to make four 12×12 inch presses – one for each of us! The kids helped, and here’s how:
First, I cut the plywood cross-wise into four equal parts. I used a scroll saw because I am a big chicken with circular saws. Once I had my four pieces, I cut them in half again.
After we had all eight pieces, I let two of the kids sand the edges of their boards with sandpaper. I worked one-on-one with my third kid (in rotation) using a drill with a ¼ inch bit. We painter-taped the boards together and drilled through both at the same time. That ensured our would holes line up even if the measuring and cutting wasn’t perfect. We drilled 4 holes in each board, about 2×2 inches from the corners.
Once each board had the holes, we pressed four carriage bolts through one board. It took some wiggling, but it worked. Carriage bolts have a square under the head of the screw that will press into the wood and keep it from shifting/falling out easily, but regular bolts will also work great.
The presses were ready for flowers and leaves. We put newspaper down first and then put the flowers in between paper towel sheets. This was cheaper than using all paper towel, and it prevented newspaper ink from staining our stuff.
When our press was loaded, we put the top board on the other side, and secured each bolt with a washer and a wingnut. We turned the wingnuts until there was a lot of resistance and the board was slightly warped. Drying time from plant to plant can vary, but a good rule of thumb is at least 2 weeks.
My kids and I had fun with these. They’re portable, easy-to-use, and when we make memories in the great outdoors, now we have a special way to keep a piece of them forever. Thank you for visiting, and I hope this encouraged you to invent timeless memories in your story today.
Welcome Inventors! Do you like travel stories? Whether it’s an airplane to Africa or a walk to Ben’s Pretzels, getting away from home base is an invention adventure. My latest real-life adventure was a surprise birthday trip to Cross Village, MI. Huge thanks to my Alex, who wanted to give me the stars.
Cross Village was less than a half-hour south of a dark-sky park. This stargazer’s dream gave us a full view of the night sky without competition of city lights. To be completely honest, we brought kids, and they were not enthused to stay out past 11:00 when it really started to get good. But the park and night were gorgeous. If this idea sparked your interest, check out: http://www.darksky.org/idsp/parks/
Then there was Legs Inn – a restaurant with unusual history and a gorgeous view of Lake Michigan. 
Traveling was wonderful for inspiration because it challenged me to think differently. The house soup at Legs Inn featured hard-boiled eggs! Adventure was delicious.
If you venture out, you could run into people like the artists at Three Pines Art Studio. Gene Reck and Joann Condino were not only gifted in ceramics & textiles, they were also kind. They partner with other artists internationally and host classes for all ages.
I left with this fabulous oven-safe, dishwasher-safe salmon dish that easily decorates my home as much as my table!
Also noteworthy: we did accidentally break a piece of pottery when we were there. We wanted to pay for the piece, but Gene and Joann insisted they had a better idea. They invited our kids to help them plant the (mostly intact) broken piece of pottery in a flower pot they had out front. I want to write book characters inspired by these two.
We had breakfast at the Old World Cafe, and the stonework, ornate paintings and enormous fireplace within gave us the feeling we’d been transported to another country. The food was as grandiose as the building. But tastier. 🙂
My challenge to you is to make some travel plans. Let yourself be inspired by the journey, and when things don’t go according to the plan, plant your broken pieces in a flowerpot. That may be the inspiration you were looking for all along. Now go – invent your story!
Welcome Inventors! Oh yes, it’s more fun with paint sticks. It’s the snowball effect – or in this case paintball. Moving on. ????
These paint stick wall sconces are lightweight and you can give them great personality. They cost next to nothing to make. All you need is a glue gun, paint sticks (these took seven sticks apiece) wood stain and a cylindrical object. I used a candle holder.
Step 1: Place the glue sticks around the cylinder (if they are printed on one side, be sure to put that side facing in) and hot glue them together. I glued the tops together first and then flipped it over to glue the bottom half.
Step 2: Stain your sconce. Go outside or to a well-ventilated area, and brush away! If you’ve never stained wood before, people usually go with the grain of the wood, but do what you like. It’s yours! You could also stain your pieces before you glue them together, but I chose not to.
Step 3: Add your style.
I liked these with flowers, but I also thought I’d try a night version. They are sconces after all! I mapped out a simple design with pencil and drilled holes in the middle of the sconce.
I cut the lid of a coffee container to (more or less) make a ledge for my candles, and added a wire on top.
And now I have a paint stick wall sconce!
I’m going to play around with some different designs, but this was fun. Let me know how it goes and what you do with your paint sticks. Thank you for stopping. As always, enjoy your day and invent your story!
Welcome Inventors. What catches your eye? I love life’s unusual suspects. Metal art has texture and depth that appeals to me, so I set out to make the cheapest metal art ever.
I used four different kinds of La Croix carbonated water cans. The drink was tasty and the colors were cool – everybody wins! To make the simple paint stick backdrop, see my last post.
Step 1: Cut the Cans. Take a pair of sharp scissors and puncture the can, then cut the metal into your desired shapes. I like flowers and wanted a spring theme, so I made long, thin strips for green stems, and I cut fatter pieces in white and pink for petals.
I did not cut myself while handling the metal, but I would not recommend this project for kids. If you want to do a similar project with kids, you can use these same techniques with paper and get amazing results.
Step 2: Shape the Pieces. To make your can art really pop, (it had to be punned) use a variety of markers, pencils, and whatever is handy to shape the cut metal pieces. I wrapped my green strips around a pencil to make curly stems.
I cut circles of yellow and wrapped them over the flat top of a pencil to create the centers for pink flowers.
For the bigger petals, I used a marker to make a softer look.
Step 3: Glue the Metal. After your pieces are ready, hot glue them to your backdrop. For the large flower, I started with a big circle (pictured above) to serve as the full circumference of the flower. Working from the outside in, I glued the rows of petals (about half a flower at a time) until I reached the center. A small petal finished the piece.
For the pink flowers, I glued the pink petals in a small circle first, and then I dotted the yellow centers with hot glue to secure them in the middle.
Glue a wire or string on the back, and it’s ready to hang on the wall! Like all art, this has endless possibilities. Have fun using your imagination. Enjoy your day, and invent your story!
