Mini Decorating 9781512426328, 9781512428100

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MiNi MaKERs

DECORATING

Rebecca Felix

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MiNi MaKERs

Decorating by Rebecca Felix

Lerner Publications

Minneapolis

Copyright © 2017 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc., except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review. Lerner Publications Company A division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. 241 First Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA For reading levels and more information, look up this title at www.lernerbooks.com. Main body text set in Bembo STD 16/25. Typeface provided by Monotype Typography. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Felix, Rebecca, 1984- author. Title: Mini decorating / by Rebecca Felix. Description: Minneapolis : Lerner Publications, [2017] | Series: Mini makers | Audience: Ages 7-11. | Audience: Grades 4-6. | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2016013083 (print) | LCCN 2016014577 (ebook) | ISBN 9781512426328 (lb : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781512428100 (eb pdf) Subjects: LCSH: Decoration and ornament--Juvenile literature. | Handicraft--Juvenile literature. Classification: LCC TT157 .F435 2017 (print) | LCC TT157 (ebook) | DDC 745.594--dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2016013083 Manufactured in the United States of America 1-41383-23324-8/1/2016 Photo Acknowledgements The images in this book are used with the permission of: © Mighty Media, Inc., pp. 4 (left), 5 (bottom), 8 (left), 8 (right), 9 (top), 9 (googly eyes), 9 (felt), 10, 11 (top), 11 (middle), 11 (bottom), 12, 13 (top), 13 (middle), 13 (bottom), 14, 15 (top), 15 (middle), 15 (bottom), 15 (pom-poms), 16, 17 (top), 17 (middle), 17 (bottom), 18, 19 (top), 19 (middle), 19 (bottom), 20, 21 (top), 21 (middle), 21 (bottom), 22, 23 (top), 23 (middle), 23 (bottom), 24, 25 (top), 25 (middle), 25 (bottom), 26, 27 (top), 27 (middle), 27 (bottom), 28 (top), 28 (middle), 29; © Buravchikova/Shutterstock Images, p. 4 (colored pencils); © Victoria Rayu/iStockphoto, p. 5 (top); © Ryan Lindberg/iStockphoto, p. 5 (scissors); © benjamas154/Shutterstock Images, pp. 5 (buttons), 6 (buttons), 8 (buttons); © kemalbas/iStockphoto, p. 6 (buttons, bowl); © Uber Images/Shutterstock Images, p. 7; © Marta_Iaremko/Shutterstock Images, p. 8 (red beads); © Palokha Tetiana/Shutterstock Images, p. 8 (toothpicks); © HomeStudio/Shutterstock Images, p. 9 (rubber bands); © Aleksander Erin/Shutterstock Images, pp. 11 (paint and paintbrushes), 24 (paint and paintbrushes); © Diane C Macdonald/ Shutterstock Images, p. 12 (office supplies); © pixelliebe/iStockphoto, p. 16 (confetti); © Anton Ignatenco/iStockphoto, p. 22 (acorn); © valentinarr/iStockphoto, p. 27 (evergreen branch); © AlexussK/Shutterstock Images, p. 28 (rocks). Front cover: © Mighty Media, Inc. Back cover: ©Mighty Media, Inc. (left, right); © kemalbas/iStockphoto (buttons); © Vladvm/Shutterstock Images (scissors).

Contents 4

Getting Started

6

Before You Begin

10

Wee Wall Art

12

Tiny Garland

14

Bitty Box Collections Itty-Bitty Bowl

Very Small Vase and Peewee Little Lamp

Teeny-Weeny Tea Set Super-Small Shelf Tiny Terrarium Wrapping Up Glossary Further Information Index

16 Paper Flowers

18 20 22 24 26 30 31 31 32

Getting Started

Mini Marvels Have you ever heard of elves, pixies, or gremlins? Tales from the beginning of time tell of tiny creatures and their magical, miniscule

worlds. Part of people’s fascination with these mini

beings is their itsy-bitsy size. And picturing their super-small belongings is part of the fun. What would a little home full of teeny-tiny decor look like?

4

Imagine a painting the size of your pinky nail. Now think of a bookshelf that fits in your hand. Dream of a flower smaller than a dime, or a vase that holds just one drop of water! Everyday items shrunken to teeny scale are amazing and adorable. You can fill your home, inch by inch, with your own diminutive decor creations. Get ready to make small things happen!

5

Before You Begin

Slow and Steady

Making mini decorations takes patience. It can be difficult to grab on to, hold steady, and assemble tiny parts. One big glob of glue could coat your entire craft if you’re not careful. It is easy for mini beads to roll onto the floor. And tiny scraps of paper can fly away at the slightest breeze! Before you begin any mini craft, gather your materials. Many mini project materials can be found at craft stores. Next create a clean workspace. If you’re painting, cover your work surface with newspaper to protect it. Make sure you have good lighting to spot all small supplies. Keep track of tiny parts and pieces by placing them in little bowls. Then, practice crafting on a small scale before making final cuts or gluing things in place. But most importantly, work slowly and carefully! Your teeny treasures will turn out best when you take your time.

6

Work Safely! Some crafts require the use of sharp tools. That means they also require adult help. An adult will make sure your fingers, eyes, and workspace are protected as you craft amazing mini creations.

7

Imagination and Itty-Bitty Tools

Making mini decor can be a challenge. But crafting is mostly about having fun! As you craft, get creative. Think about what everyday tools might help you handle small supplies. For example, a paper clip can hold small beads in place. A toothpick is the perfect tool for adding a tiny touch of glue. And a cotton swab makes a marvelous mini paintbrush!

8

Don’t just get creative with the tiny tools you use. Dream up decorative touches for your crafts too! Would a teeny book look incredible on your mini bookshelf? Or would a row of tiny beads make your pom-pom garland

sparkle? Small details add

to your decoration in a big way! So incorporate tiny features to make crafts your own.

9

Wee Wall Art Paint a petite masterpiece on a miniscule canvas. Then display your work of art in a colorful little frame you can hang on the wall!

Materials • • • • • • • •

10

scissors construction paper paint in several colors paintbrushes cardboard all-purpose glue permanent marker poster putty or tape

2

1

Cut a tiny canvas from the paper.

2

Paint a scene or design on your canvas. Let the canvas dry.

3

Paint a square on the cardboard. Make sure it is larger than your canvas. When the painted square has dried, glue the canvas to its center.

4

Draw a frame around the canvas, and cut it out. Decorate your frame with marker.

5

Hang your framed work of art on the wall using poster putty or tape.

3

4

Tiny Tip! Find super-small pictures or stickers and follow steps 3 through 5 to make frames for them. 11

Tiny Garland Craft a colorful garland from tiny tassels and itty-bitty pom-poms. Hang it up anywhere that could use a touch of fun!

Materials • • • • • •

12

scissors small sticky notes clear tape mini pom-poms needle thread

1

1

Cut one small sticky note in half lengthwise. Keep the sticky part at the top. Make vertical cuts along the bottom of the note, stopping before you reach the sticky part.

2

Roll each sticky note lengthwise to form a tassel. The sticky part should be on the inside. Use a small piece of tape to secure the seam.

3

Repeat steps 1 and 2 to make several tassels.

4

Lay out the pom-poms and tassels in the order you want them on the garland.

5

With an adult’s help, thread the needle by poking the thread through the needle’s hole. Use the needle and thread to carefully string together the tassels and pom-poms. Cut the thread, leaving some at both ends, and tie each end in a knot.

6

Use tape to hang your teeny garland in your room, on a photo frame, or on the wall!

3

5

13

Bitty Box Collections Store tiny collectibles in colorful little boxes that look supercool on display.

Materials • • • •

14

matchboxes • collections of small • all-purpose glue newspaper items, such as buttons, paint in several colors stamps, tiny photos, paintbrushes stickers, beads, shells, and more

1

2

1

Take apart the boxes. Cover your work surface with newspaper. Paint all pieces, and let them dry.

2

Gather items to store in your boxes. Sort similar items into collections. Each box could hold different types of items. You could also sort items by color or shape. Decide which items will go in each box and fill.

3

Decorate the boxes with designs or images that relate to what is inside. Glue one small item to the front of each box to show what’s inside.

4

Display your bitty boxes on a shelf. Leave one box open to reveal the tiny items inside!

3 15

Itty-Bitty Bowl Make a magnificent mini bowl to hold your favorite teeny treasures!

Materials • • • • • • • • • • •

16

scissors colored tissue paper paper plate disposable glove large, round bead toothpick twist tie clay or poster putty newspaper all-purpose glue paintbrush

1

2

1

Cut very small pieces of confetti from the colored tissue paper. Set aside on a paper plate.

2

Cut a finger off the glove. Put the bead inside the cut finger. Insert the toothpick into the bead’s hole. Use the twist tie to secure the glove around the bead.

3

Stick the toothpick in the clay or poster putty. The bead should be sticking up.

4

Cover your work surface with newspaper. Paint the top half of the bead with glue. Then roll the glue-covered bead in the confetti, and let it dry.

5

Repeat step 4 a few times, until you have created several layers of glue and confetti.

6

Let your bowl dry overnight. Remove the toothpick and bead. Carefully pull the glove away from the hardened confetti. Your bowl is ready to store your super-small stuff!

Tiny Tip! 4

After your bowl dries, trim off any loose paper ends. 17

Very Small Vase and Peewee Paper Flowers Turn a thimble into a tiny vase to hold a bitty bouquet!

18

Materials • • • •

newspaper thimble paint paintbrush

• • • •

tissue paper ruler scissors thin wire

2

4

1

Cover your work surface with newspaper. Paint the thimble a fun color. Let it dry.

2

Fold a sheet of tissue paper to create six to eight layers. Cut it into tiny rectangles about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) long.

3

Stack three to six rectangles together.

4

Cut a piece of wire 2 inches (5 cm) long. Wrap one end tightly around the center of the tissue stack.

5

Carefully cut each rectangle down the middle. Stop before you reach the wire. Then gently pull the tissue layers apart to form a flower.

6

Repeat steps 2 through 4 to make more flowers. Arrange the flowers in the tiny thimble vase to display your small, beautiful bouquet!

5

19

Little Lamp Build a little lamp that actually lights up!

Materials

• 3 buttons • toothpicks • all-purpose glue

20

• beads • scissors • mini LED light

• electrical tape • watch battery • mini baking cup

2

4

1

Stack the buttons so their holes line up. Stick the toothpick through one stack of holes.

2

Put a dot of glue between each button. Let them dry.

3

Thread the beads onto the toothpick. Leave space at the top where the toothpick narrows.

4

Carefully cut the wires on the LED light to shorten them slightly. Then use electrical tape to secure the LED light to the battery.

5

Tape the battery and LED light to the beads. Leave space on top for your baking-cup shade.

6

Poke a hole through the center of the baking cup with a toothpick. Then poke the top of your toothpick lamp stand through the hole. Put one more bead on the toothpick’s top, above the shade, and glue it in place. Now watch your small shade light the night!

Tiny Tip! 5

Test your LED light on the battery before taping the wires. Touch each wire to one side of the battery. If the bulb doesn’t light up, flip the battery over and try again! 21

Teeny-Weeny Tea Set Design an amazing mini tea set from forest materials!

Materials

• 3 acorns with crowns (one acorn should be larger than the others) • scissors • newspaper • paint • paintbrushes • strong, quick-setting glue • twig • leaf stems

Tiny Tip! Depending on the time of year and where you live, acorns may be hard to find. Thimbles, nutshells, and other tiny, bowl-shaped objects work too. Get creative when crafting your own tiny tea set! 22

2

4

1

Carefully remove the acorn crowns. Decide which two will be your teacups. If these crowns have nubs on top, carefully break them off with a scissors. The third crown will be your teapot top.

2

Cover your work surface with newspaper. Paint your crowns and acorns fun colors. Let them dry.

3

Glue the teapot top crown to the top of the largest acorn.

4

Cut off a small piece of twig so it has an angle at one end. Glue the angled end to the acorn. This makes a spout.

5

Gently bend a short piece of leaf stem to form a teapot handle. Glue each end to the acorn.

6

Gently bend two more leaf stem pieces to form smaller handles for the teacups. Then glue the handles to the upside-down acorn crowns, just like you the did for the teapot. Use a leaf or another tiny tray for woodland teatime!

5

23

Super-Small Shelf Create an itty-bitty bookshelf to display teensy statues!

Materials • • • • • • • • •

24

newspaper paint paintbrushes small paper box lid wooden craft sticks ruler pencil scissors tiny trinkets

1

Cover your work surface with newspaper. Paint the box lid and wooden craft sticks fun colors. Let them dry.

2

Use the ruler to measure where you would like each shelf to sit. Make small marks on each side of the box for each shelf.

3

Cut slots into the box lid where you marked. Make sure the slots are large enough for a wooden craft stick to wedge into.

4

Slide wooden craft sticks into the slots to make shelves.

5

Stand up your bitty bookshelf and fill it with tiny trinkets.

6

Display your tiny creation on a full-sized shelf, on your desk, or anywhere you want to show off your supercool small stuff!

2

3

4

25

Tiny Terrarium Make a super-small forest scene that is a shelf showstopper!

Materials • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

26

small jar soil moss pebbles leaves, pine branches, and twigs scissors thin wire clear tape newspaper thumbtacks paint small paintbrushes 2 to 5 white beads small animal figurines

2

1

Add some soil and moss to the bottom of the jar.

2

Place a few pebbles in the jar. These will look like boulders.

3

Trim the leaves, branches, and twigs you gathered into tiny trees. Keep the stems intact if you can.

4

Wrap a small length of wire a few times around each stem. Leave enough leftover wire to make a small tail. Straighten out the wire tail. Push the wire into the soil so the tree stands upright.

5

Repeat step 4 for all your tiny trees.

3

Tiny Terrarium continued next page

4

27

Tiny Terrarium, continued

6

Cover your work surface with newspaper. Make mini mushrooms out of the thumbtacks. Paint each tack bright colors or add polka dots. Let the paint dry.

7

Thread a white bead onto each tack to make a mushroom stem. Then push each tack into the soil.

8

Add small animal figurines to your scene.

9

Display your teensy terrarium on a table, shelf, or windowsill. Watch people lean in close to explore the wee world you created!

Tiny Tip! Want to add fake moss to your terrarium but can’t find any? Paint bits of dryer lint green and let them dry. The result looks pretty mossy!

28

6

7

Show Off Your Crafts! Finding creative ways to display your mini creations makes them seem even more amazing. Make your crafts seem extra small by showing scale. Put tiny toys or large plants next to your teeny terrarium. This shows how little your creations really are!

29

Wrapping Up

Cleanup and Safekeeping Tiny tools and small supplies are a breeze to clean up. Make sure all little scraps of paper, bits of wire, and every last itty-bitty pom-pom are picked up. Store little parts or pieces in small tins, containers, or plastic bags. After your craft is made, keep it safe! Little things are easy to misplace, step on, tip over, or overlook. Display your tiny treasures in areas where they can easily be seen. Avoid breezy areas, such as in front of an open window or under a fan. And always keep your mini decorations out of the reach of pets and younger siblings.

Keep Crafting!

Get inspired by your darling decorations. Dream up new ideas for miniature decor. Or make different versions of the mini crafts you constructed. Think big and create small!

30

Glossary

canvas: a piece of cloth on which a picture can be painted

collectibles: objects that are valued as part of a collection confetti: small bits of colored paper often thrown as part of a celebration diminutive: very small garland: a wreath or string with materials, such as leaves or flowers, that can be used as decoration

miniscule: so small, it is barely visible petite: small or trim tassels: ornaments constructed of a bunch of cords or strings connected at one end

terrarium: a clear, enclosed container designed to hold plants and wildlife so they can be observed trinkets: small ornaments or objects that are seen as having value

incorporate: to combine with something to form a united whole

Further Information Braden, Linda Z. Mason Jar Crafts for Kids. New York: Sky Pony Press, 2015. Discover how to create fun decorations that will fit in a mason jar. Bryant Aiello, Amy, and Kate Bryant. Terrarium Craft: Create 50 Magical, Miniature Worlds. Portland, OR: Timber Press, Inc., 2011. Make your own miniature terrariums with the projects in this book. “Decorating Crafts”: FreeKidsCrafts.com http://www.freekidscrafts.com/misc-themes/decorating-crafts Find out how to make fun and easy crafts to spruce up your space. Ross, Kathy. Earth-Friendly Crafts: Clever Ways to Reuse Everyday Items. Minneapolis: Millbrook Press, 2009. Learn how to recycle used objects into awesome crafts! Scheunemann, Pam. Cool Stuff for Your Room. Minneapolis: Abdo Publishing, 2012. This book is full of fun ways to decorate your bedroom. 31

Index bitty boxes, 14–15

lamp, 20–21

tools, 7, 8–9, 30

cleaning up, 30

materials, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 30

vase, 5, 18–19

collectibles, 14 picture frames, 10–11 displaying crafts, 29, 30 safety, 7 flowers, 5, 18–19 shelf, 5, 9, 24–25 garland, 9, 12–13 storage, 30 getting started, 4–9 tea set, 22–23 itty-bitty bowl, 16–17 terrarium, 26–28, 29

32

work area, 6, 7, 15, 17, 19, 23, 25, 28

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Imagine a bookshelf that fits in the palm of your hand, a terrarium smaller than a tennis ball, and a bowl that holds just one drop of water. You can make each of these and more! Deck out your locker or decorate your bedroom without taking up too much space! Easy-to-follow instructions and detailed photos guide you through creating your own miniature decorations, dioramas, and figurines.

These pint-sized crafts may be small, but they’re big fun! A wide variety of fun projects ranging from tiny picture frames to a small-scale science lab make mastering the miniature a blast. Becoming a mini maker has never been easier.

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