Tutorial: Felt Roses: Fast, Easy, and Fun!

Unlike yesterday's tutorial, which was quite lengthy, this one is short and very simple!

Step 1: Start with a felt square.  Mine is 4inX4in.

Step 2: Starting anywhere along the edge of the square, cut it in a round spiral.  Don't worry about cutting it evenly; it's actually better if you don't.

Step 3: cut the corners off of the square.

Step 4: Start with the pointy end and begin rolling the felt up, as if rolling it on a spool.



Step 5: The picture above shows it about halfway rolled up.  The picture below shows it completely rolled up.  Have the backside of the rose be flat.  The front can be uneven.

Step 6: Now that you have finished rolling, you need to glue the round tab at the end of your spiral to the back of the rose.  You can use pretty much any glue you want.  I just used clear school glue.

 

Step 7: The photo above shows the back of the rose with the glue on it.  The photo below shows the rose with the tab glued on.

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Step 8: Here is the front of your rose!

 



 

Step 9: You can use these for all sorts of projects.  Here is a Valentine's Pin I made with one:

 

You can also glue a pinback or a hairclip (or both, as in this example) on the back:

To make the pin/clip extra pretty, I glued some seed beads in the center of the rose:

 

You could also use these on headbands, presents, purses, pillows, garments, or whatever!  They are so easy and fun, you'll want to make many of them!

 

Thank you for looking at this tutorial.  PLEASE leave a comment for me and let me know what  you think!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tutorial: How to Make a Decorated Composition Book

I have seen many examples of decorated composition books.  I have, through a process of trial and error, come up with a method that works for me and that I like best.  I have tried to come up with a step-by-step tutorial to show you how to do it too.  Keep in mind that I did this alone.  I did not have anyone to take the photos for me so, in some cases, they are not quite as clear as I'd like.  Still, I think you can get the idea.  Have fun!

Step 1: Start with a composition notebook and a glue stick.

Step 2: Glue the first three pages together.  Then, glue the next three pages together.  Then, glue the next three pages together.  You should end up with three sets of three pages each, glued together.

Step 3: I will refer to these three sets of pages as flaps: flap one, flap two and flap three.  You will now need to get your ruler and pencil.  On flap one, mark a line from the edge of the page that is as wide as your ruler.  Then put your ruler on the line you just marked and mark another line as wide as your ruler.  The second line is the line you are going to cut on.

Step 4: On the second flap, mark a line from the edge of the page that is as wide as your ruler.  This is the line you are going to cut on.

Step 5: Leave the third flap alone.  Do not make any lines, do not cut, do not passs go.......

Step 6: You should now have three flaps.  The first flap is the shortest, the middle flap is a bit longer and the third flap is the longest, kind of like steps. I put the scissors and the ruler between the flaps, to help you see the different lengths.

Step 7: Now, we will leave the flaps for a moment and work on the cover.  Select a piece of paper that you would like to use to decorate the front cover of your book.  Put glue all over the front cover, EXCEPT on the black fabric binding.  Line your paper up against the binding, leaving some paper at the top and the bottom of the cover to fold over.  Glue it on.

Step 8: Now, we are going to make a mitered corner.  You need to cut the three edges of the paper that are not glued down, as shown in the picture below.

Step 9: Now, fold the three edges over so that you can see them on the inside of your cover, then glue them down.

Step 10: Now, we are going back to our three flaps.  We are going to use the flaps to make a set of pockets in our book.  We are going to start with Flap 3, the longest flap, the one at the back of the three flaps.  Take a piece of paper that you want to use to decorate flap three with.  Line it up so that the bottom of the paper is even with the bottom of the book and draw a line on the back where the top of the book goes across the paper.

Step 11: Cut the paper along the line, fold over a small flap and glue that to the front of flap three -- the front is the side of flap 3 that is closest to the front of the book.

Step 12: glue the other part of the paper to the back of flap 3.

Step 13: Now we move to flap 2, the middle flap.  For this one, you can use a smaller piece of paper, so if you have a scrap you want to use up, now's the time.  Fold a small flap and glue it to the back of flap 2.  The back is the side of flap 2 that faces the back of the book.  The glue the larger part of the paper to the front of flap 2, which is the part of flap 2 that faces the front of the book.

Step 14: Now, for the front flap.  Take a piece of paper that you want to use to decorate flap one.  Fold over a small edge and glue it onto the back of flap one.

 

Step 15: Now, fold the rest of the paper to the front of flap one. 

Step 16: You are going to glue the rest of the paper to flap one.  When you get to the binding in the middle of the book, you need to put a LOT of glue there so that the paper will stick well.  I've used a purple colored glue stick in the picture to show you what I mean.

Step 17: Keep gluing the paper down and press it really well into the crack at the binding.

Step 18: Then, finish gluing the rest of that paper down.  Now, we are going to take our three flaps and make pockets out of them.  Line your ruler up at the bottom of flap one, so that the 5 inch mark is on the edge of flap one.  Make a little dot at inches 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 1/2, and 6 1/2. 

Step 19: Punch holes in flap one where you made the marks.  Only do one flap at a time, or your punch will break.  After you punch your holes, use your pen/pencil to color in the holes so that they show on flap two.  The holes will be in all three flaps and they MUST line up for the pockets to work.

Step 20: Turn to flap two and punch the holes right where you made your marks.  Then, mark through those holes onto flap three.  Turn to flap three and punch the holes.  You should now have holes in all three flaps, that line up.

(Actually, that top photo shows the dots on flap two.  The bottom one shows all three flaps with the holes in them.)

Step 21: Mark the same places on the top of the flaps and punch the holes so that you have matching holes in all three flaps, top and bottom.  Then, get your narrow ribbon and start threading it through the first hole, closest to the edge of the pages.  Thread it from the back to the front.

Step 22: You want to pull through about 8 or so inches of ribbon and keep threading it through the holes from back to front.  Remember, you are going through the holes in all three flaps.

Step 23: When you get to the hole closest to the binding of the book, turn around and go back the other way.

Step 24: When you get back to the edge, tie the ends in a small square knot. 

Step 25: Do the same to the top of the flaps, so that you have bound the top and the bottom with ribbon. 

Step 24: Now you have three pockets to put stuff in.  I've put papers in between the pockets in the next photo.

Step 25: Then, get a paper that you want to use to decorate the inside of the front cover with. Put it inside of the cover and trace around the cover to make a line on the back of the paper. This is where you will cut the paper.

 

Step 26: Cut the paper and glue it to the inside cover.



 

Step 27: Now cover the back cover of your notebook and the inside back cover, just as you did the front cover.  Then, all that is left is for you to decorate your book!  Here are some examples of books I have done:

 Notice that, on this book, I divided it into sections.  I glued three pages together to make a flap to separate the sections.  I put tabs on the flaps, too.

This is a book I did on the color green.  On the inside, I put all kinds of green things.  I attached a ribbon at the top and used a green emery board as a book mark!

 

You can do anything you want to with these!  Have fun!

 

Please, please, PLEASE!  If you have read through this entire tutorial, PLEASE leave a comment for me.  Please let me know if it makes sense, if you like it, if you are going to try it, or anything else you want to say.  I want to start doing more craft tutorials on this blog.  Please give me your honest feedback.  Thank you!

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To Continue......

I guess that today's post is a bit of a continuation of yesterday's.  It is SO distressing to me to read and see images of the horrific things that are going on in our nation and in the world.  Christians being targeted in Egypt because of Morsi's overthrow.  Blacks all over the United States "hunting" whites and beating them in retaliation for Trayvon Martin's death and threatening more riots and civil unrest if George Zimmerman is found guilty.  (The jury is still out on that question.)  The corruption in our government is staggering, from the I.R.S. to Benghazi to the billions upon billions of dollars that Obama is throwing to countries and groups that HATE us while he ignores the poverty in our own nation.  And don't even get me started on Michelle Obama's vacations, parties, and other luxuries -- she is sucking our country dry and complaining all the while.  BOTH Obama's are the most un-American, anti-Christian, greedy, EVIL people I have ever seen. 
The internet has been such a great blessing to the world and to me, in particular.  If it were not for the internet, I would never have met Roger.  We all have access to so much more information, we have tools for finding people and renewing old friendships.  The gospel is spreading through the internet.  But the fact that we have so much more knowledge is a double-edged sword.  I know of things happening around the world that I probably would not have known before, or at least not known so quickly and with such graphic detail.  The good things make me cheer but the horrible, wicked, ugly things hurt my heart.  There is so much evil in the world, just as we have been told there would be as the end of the earth draws near.  I HATE hearing and reading about innocent people suffering.  I think, too, that it is the reason for their suffering that is so difficult for me.  It is very sad to read of people going hungry because of famines or losing their homes due to a natural disaster, but to hear of women being butchered because of Sharia Law or people being tortured because of their religion or their political beliefs -- that is a lot worse to me.  Nobody can stop a natural disaster, but man's inhumanity to man IS something that, to my way of thinking, does not HAVE to happen.  It happens because someone is wicked and CHOOSES to do it.  THAT is what is hard.  Seeing the hold that Satan has on SO many hearts, seeing that the number is growing, not being able to help those who are victims.....
There are times when I think it would be better to not know, but I still look and read and investigate.  Roger tells me to stop, to not look, to put it out of my mind.  He loves me and just wants me to not be upset.  When I talk to him about things I read and see, he will listen for awhile but then he will ask me to not talk about it anymore because it upsets him too much.  So I stop because I love him, too, and do not want him to be unhappy.  Maybe he is right. 
I wrote last time about balance.  I DO think it is hugely important!  And trying to put more good into each day DOES help. I cannot stop the evil in the world.  I can pray for the people who are victims.  I can pray that those who are inclined to do evil might have a change of heart.  But I am not a president or a queen or someone with any power, so I really cannot have much of an impact.  All I can do is to try to make the tiny little piece of the world that I am in a better place for my having been in it.  I try to live so that the Spirit will be in our home.  As a teacher, I work hard to teach my students the academic concepts that they need to know but I also try to be an example to them and guide them to be good citizens and decent human beings. At church, I try to fulfill my callings and do what I can to help build the kingdom.  In all of these areas, I know I can do better and that I must try harder.  That is all I can do. 
I think that all of this relates to Lehi's dream in The Book of Mormon.  As he and his family held tight to the iron rod and made their way through mists of darkness and all kinds of dirt and muck and gross stuff, they were constantly besieged by the voices of those in the tall and spacious building.  I have always thought of those people as the ones who do evil and try to dissuade the righteous from doing good.  But maybe a part of those people who are in that building are those who are screaming about all of the wickedness in the world -- who are shouting about Sharia Law and corruption and war and inhumanity.  Those things MUST be part of the distractions that are being thrown at us to make us stop and let go of the rod.  It isn't just the voices trying to entice us to do things we know are wrong -- a lot of people can withstand that, at least most of the time.  But it is much harder to ignore the voices that say, "Look what Obama's doing now!" or "Look! the Muslims raped another girl and cut off her hands!"  If we stop too long to look and fret and become angry, we lose our grasp and can be swept away.  THAT is why Roger tells me to stop looking.  I have got to hold on tighter.  As I write this, I realize that that is the answer: "Hold to the rod, the iron rod.  'Tis strong and bright and true.  The ion rod is the word of God.  T'will safely guide us through." 

Heavenly Father is Trying to Tell me Some Things......I am Trying to Listen!

The last week or so has been one of great personal enlightenment for me.  I went to the joint Priesthood and Relief Society meeting where they showed a video on the church's "new" missionary program.  As I sat, watching the video, I felt so strongly that I really need to refocus my life a bit.  I have been SO consumed with politics and the awful things happening in this country, I have become more and more depressed and hopeless and ANGRY.  I still believe it is important to keep up with what's going on and I still am NOT someone who can just sit by and watch things happening that I KNOW are wrong and not try to do something about it.  I totally believe the quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that says, ""He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it."  However, I realized that my life has been very unbalanced of late.  I have focused so much attention on protesting against evil that I have not been working to do as much good.  I was so grateful to have this little moment of inspiration and, since then, I have been trying very hard to do some good each day.  I have not done anything really huge or noteworthy, just things like visitng people, being friendly to those who serve me in stores and other places, working a little harder on my callings, writing letters.....stuff like that.  But the difference in how I feel has been wonderful.  Yes, we DO have to fight evil but we also NEED good in our lives every, single day.