Mollie Makes Papercraft. Review.

Mollie Makes Papercraft

Origami*Scrapbooking*Cardmaking*Stamping

Mollie Makes

Pavilion Books, June 2015

Hardback, £16.99

ISBN 1-978-1-909815-91-9

Star rating: ****

Here’s a welcome new addition to the Mollie Makes-branded range of craft titles (they’ve already got Crochet, Patchwork & Quilting, Embroidery, Knitting, Weddings, and Christmas). What were they waiting for with papercrafts??? – perhaps because the Mollie Makes publication was originally a sewing craft-lifestyle mag. Well – you know what to expect from Mollie Makes – quality crafts with a quirky contemporary/hipster edge – but accessible to all. 

You will find 20 new projects here, designed by a talented team of contributors and put together by the competent Mollie Makes editorial team. This is an ideal title for a newbie who wants a taster of different aspects of papercrafting. The majority of the projects are delightful – dimensionality and the surprise factor figure in most of them. The Techniques section, back-of-book, is very meaty – intros to a variety of papercraft techniques (origami, quilling, pâpier-mâché, paper manipulation, embellishment techniques) are handled concisely – packing lots of useful - and fascinating-  info into the available space. 

The book takes on board how we have all been spoiled by the internet – and instead of clickable links, you will find text boxes with interesting related details like author bios and  project motivations (papercraft story). It is always a pleasure to find out what makes papercraft artists tick.

The step-by-steps accompanying the projects are excellent. Plenty of info about materials, photos or illustrations where appropriate.

My favourite projects include the Teeny-weeny pull-out house (flip back the roof to reveal a fold-out greeting) by Alix Swan; the Origami lampshade, by Esther Thorpe (lovely, and so very do-able); the Foxy nights papercut (urban foxes shadow box – fun!), by Jaina Minton,  and Three little cacti pots, by Sarah Matthew, which is a masterpiece of paper manipulation (two flowering cacti and a succulent – ideal for plant lovers sans green fingers). 

The beautiful cacti project brings to mind the elephant in the front room of 21^st century papercraft projects. Just how many of these projects were designed and made digitally? I don’t know for sure how this project was made, but the preferred method must surely be digital papercrafting. This project is very fiddly and, at the very least, a link to a printable.pdf and cutting files for papercrafters with digital papercutters would be a useful addition to the book. The contributing designers featured in this book are professionals – surely they design digitally. 

So: to book editiors who are reading this review, I am broadcasting a request: there are more and digital papercrafters out there. We want craft titles, too!

Summing up – if you are a fledgling papercrafter, or are looking for a gift for a fledgling papercrafter, Mollie Makes Papercraft will do nicely.

Slider Pillow Box

My pillow box binge continues. I had a bee in my bonnet - just had to make that slider box. Easy access - I've added a handle and a tassel so you can simply pull the lid off.  

I guess I should have been a packaging designer - but in a way, I guess I am one now. Re: the Slider Pillow Box - I intend for it to conjure up visons of elegant Art Deco dressing tables - not Maccy D pies!

Here are your files - there's a tassel refresher course below. 
SliderPillowBox.pdf
SliderPillowBox.svg
SliderPillowBox.studio

Slider Pillow Box
Print and cut! Score and crease the folds. Glue the handle tabs onto the box lid end. Assemble the boxes (top and bottom pieces) - use d/s tape or tacky glue. The tag is optional.

Tassel Refresher Course:
1 Cut a piece of card 7cm wide. Cut two slits at one end to catch the beginning and end thread tails.
2 Wrap craft thread around the card 12-15 times. Tails in slits.
3 Pass a craft thread loop through the tassel top - make a half hitch knot.
4 Cut the tassel off the card. Don't worry if the bottom edge isn't level - trim it later.
5 Time for the amazing tassel wrap:

With a piece of contrast craft thread, lay a downward-facing loop near the top of the tassel. Spiral thread downwards, 10-12 wraps. Don't let go of the spirals. Cut the thread end short and pass it through the loop.
Now gently pull from the top. The thread end will be concealed and the loop secures. Trim visible tail ends. Tah dah.

And that's it. But I'm not done with pillow boxes. Stay tuned.

Celtic Knot Pillow Purse

I'm on a pillow box binge. Everybody likes them (check out last week's post Pillow Box Pockets . ) They are easy and fun to make (a wow moment when the construction puffs up, if you are a papercraft geek like me). 

Today I thought I'd make a gift purse - flap closure. (You don't always have to use the pillow box sides as the openings.)

Okay. Purse designed. How to decorate it? I was browsing through Kerry Richardson's excellent book, Celtic Calligraphy
(reviewed here earlier in the year) - and I thought I'd have a go at designing Celtic knots (digital style, that is). I worked out a hearts entwined motif and a twisted border - the learning curve wasn't too steep. Will have another go soon.

Soo- here's the purse. (I've included a gift card enclosure, too.)
CelticKnotPillowPurse.pdf 
CelticKnotPillowPurse.svg 
CelticKnotPillowPurse.studio 

Very easy to make - no tut required. Print, cut, score the folds. For super-sturdy holes, glue the reinforcements behind. The purse front pillow box folds (the marquise shapes) belong on top. For the handle, thread a ribbon through the holes and knot ends inside the box. A sticky dot makes for a re-sealable flap.

It would be appropriate to inscribe the gift card using a calligraphy felt-tip!

I'm not done with pillow boxes. I am keen to try a slide-close design...