Pictures for the Walls

Get small pictures to put on the walls of the house from advertisements in magazines. Another option is to cut out the small photos on the backs of calendars that show the pictures for each month. Make “frames” by cutting a colored piece of paper slightly larger than the picture, and glue the picture to the colored paper backing so the colored paper shows around all the edges of the picture.

More frame options

Cut frames out of thin cardboard, such as a cereal box. Glue colored paper to it before you cut it out, so you don’t have to cut it twice. Glue the colored frame to the front of the picture.

Another frame option is to cut toothpicks to fit around the edges, and glue them onto the edges of the picture.

Potted Plant

Cut stiff green paper into long thin leaves. Fold each leaf in half to form the vein. Glue the leaves into a small bottle cap, such as from a vanilla bottle. Another option is to make a pot out of self hardening clay.

Coffee Tables

Make a small table to go in front of the sofa buy cutting 3 rectangles out of stiff paper such as poster board, or thin cardboard, or sheets of plastic from a package you would normally throw away. One becomes the tabletop--round the corners of the this one. The other two become the legs. Cut a slit in the middle of the other two rectangles half way across the rectangle. Slide the 2 slits together to form an “X” (see clear table on left.) Glue the table top to the 2 legs.

Another way to make a small table for in front of the sofa, or beside a bed, is to cut off the end of a small box, such as a toothpaste box. Cut all the corners of the cut end, and fold them to form a new end. Glue these flaps in place. Cover with paper and glue in place. Use as is, or cut out a rectangle of stiff paper or thin cardboard for a table top that is bigger than the base.

Lamps

Make a table lamp or floor lamp with a few simple materials. The lamp shade can be made from a disposable communion cup, or a broken ping-pong ball that has been cut in half.

You will need:

More frame options

bamboo skewer or toothpick

plastic communion cup or half of a ping-pong ball

a long strip of stiff paper

a small piece of plastic bag, like a grocery bag, or tissue paper to cover the lamp shade

Optional: Glue a bead on the top of the “lampshade” to make a finial.

Make the lamp base:

Glue the end of the strip of paper to one end of the bamboo skewer or toothpick. Roll the paper tightly around the skewer.

Put the rolled paper and skewer on a table top and press the edges of the top of the roll to make all the layers even. Glue the end of the paper in place.

If the strip is not long enough, glue another strip at the end of the first one. Wind and glue in the same way as the first strip.

A floor lamp is taller than a table lamp, so it is easy to tip over. Because of this, make the base of the of the lamp bigger and heavier than the table lamp. Begin as you would with the table lamp by gluing a strip to the end of the skewer. Then glue a second strip that is narrower than the first strip. This makes the base heavier and wider. It also makes it look more like a real base.

To make a white lamp shade, rub glue stick onto the communion cup, and press the piece of plastic bag onto it. Press out as many wrinkles as you can. Cut off any excess plastic off the top and bottom. Glue the shade to the top of the skewer with a base. Glue a bead to the top of the shade. A glue gun is the easiest glue to use for this.

If you want a design on the base of the lamp, draw a design with markers. Another option is to  glue a strip of ribbon or wrapping paper around the base of the lamp.

Make the ping-pong ball lamp shade into a “stained glass” shade by drawing a design on it with permanent marker. If the ping-pong ball has writing on it, you can probably get it off with some nail polish remover.

Book

Cut a small rectangle out of a greeting card and fold it in half. Try ti get an interesting design from the card. Cut plain white paper to fit inside the book. Staple or sew the pages into the book. If you want to, write a story on the tiny pages.

Alternative way to make a book

Once you have used up a note pad, the end where all the pages have been torn off leave lots of narrow pages. Use sturdy scissors to cut this narrow strip into tiny books with lots of pages.

Cushions or pillows

Cut a short length of ribbon. Fold it around one or two cotton balls so that the ends overlap the length of the cushion. Sew or glue the two sides.

Optional: Instead of cotton balls, use balled up or folded tissue or packing material.

Trash Can

Make a trash can out of a communion cup or bottle cap. Wad up small bits of paper so it is obviously a trash can.

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Crafts > Crafts for Adults by materials > Tissue box doll house > How to make accessories: Coffee table, plant, picture, lamp, trashcan

Crafts > Crafts for Girls > Tissue box doll house > How to make accessories: Coffee table, plant, picture, lamp, trashcan