Stay Home Stay Safe! Who would have thought that a microscopic virus could bring the world virtually to a halt?? While this pandemic has had a terrible impact around the globe, it is during the lockdown that I have been able to connect with friends from long back, get back into my blogging, work on some incomplete projects.

One of the projects is this newspaper weaving project - Making coasters from newspaper tubes, using the root weaving or coiling technique. I was kinda bored of circular shapes, so attempted something a little different. Not sure how well it turned out, but I can say for certain that the coasters are rock solid.

The holder was a last minute idea, since I had plenty of rolls left over. Turned out pretty useful too, since I didn't end up losing a coaster or two, just because they were left lying around! The edges of the holder leaves a lot to be desired and even now, I am not too sure how to go about making this, but hopefully in the future, it will get better.

On the whole, I am happy with the outcome.

Model Details:

Model: Coiled Coasters with Holder

Difficulty Level: Complex

Tutorial (making newspaper tubes): Youtube

Tutorial (coiling or root-weaving technique): Youtube

 

Here is another of my newspaper weaving trials - a tissue holder shaped like a snail! A couple of years back, I had tried a pot holder shaped like a snail. And had been quite happy with the way it had turned out. So, this is my next attempt to use a snail shape in my weaving. Can't say I have succeeded quite well this time! 

Anyway, my lessons learnt - need to make it bigger next time, so that the entire tissue fits in well! 

Notice in the background, my pot holder from my last post? Complete with its pot?? Quite liked how it turned out 😄

 

Given the intense newspaper weaving session from the last post, I decided to do something a little simpler. So here is my pair of pot holders, made in aqua and white - the colours of my parents' living room. For quite some time now, they have been asking me to weave them something that goes with their room colours. And for a looong time now, I have been putting it off - mainly because I wasn't too sure that I would do justice to their aesthetically pleasing room! 

 So finally, after much deliberation, I decided to try out a couple of pot holders, to be kept over their piano, along with a candle stand in the same colour combination. Since I needed a pair, I used the exact opposite colours, in the same pattern. 

I am quite pleased with the way it has turned out. The centre portion, made from a single tube that is twisted around the base tube, was something new. While this is not always even, I quite like the effect produced. I believe I will use the same pattern in a few more weaves in the future!

A few months back, I had made a leaf-shaped tray using the technique of coiling with newspaper tubes. I decided to revisit the tray, this time using wood-stained tubes, the same ones I had used for this box with lid. This tray is bigger than my previous attempt, measuring about 15 inches at the longest length.

I had sprayed the tubes with water mixed with a little fabric softener, about half an hour before I started weaving. This resulted in very flexible tubes that did not break or crack while weaving. I will try out other methods of coating the tubes as I make other objects using the same technique.

Very happy with how even the weaving turned out. The closeup of the tray brings that out very well.

Finally tried out a new finish. I came across this style of finishing the edges, during my usual perusals on Pinterest and was quite fascinated by this. I feel this style is much better than the usual edging. This gives a very professional look to the product and has a very leathery appearance. I messed up the ending, but I have learnt from that and should do better next time.

Model Details:

Model: Tray

Difficulty Level: Complex

Tutorial (making newspaper tubes): Youtube

Tutorial (coiling or root-weaving technique): Youtube 

Tutorial for the edge: Youtube

More newspaper weaving, this time using magazine rolls. I had rolled up these tubes in the fond hope of making a pen holder. But for one reason or the other, I never got around to making them. So finally, thanks to new year resolutions, I decided to use them to make another attempt at coiling or root weaving.

This time, I decided to try out a rectangular shape, so that I could make it into a tray instead of a pencil holder. I had no particular idea of how big or how long the tray should be. I just coiled till I was happy with the size and till the tubes lasted!

The shape is a little wonky. As you can see, one side is a little larger than the other. But other than that, I think it a fairly good attempt.

The plus point of using magazine tubes is that the end result is very colourful and more cheerful than newspaper tubes that are painted a single colour! The end result is to be sent to a dear friend of mine, who had been asking me to sell one of my newspaper projects. I think this colourful tray will be a good addition to my friend's desk 💖

Model Details:

Model: Tray 

Difficulty Level: Complex

Tutorial (making newspaper tubes): Youtube

Tutorial (coiling or root-weaving technique): Youtube

The Sweet Spring Kusudama is a very simple but very elegant looking origami kusudama, designed by Natalia Romanenko. Each unit is a combination of 2 or 3 smaller modules. Why do I say 2 or 3? Because, while the instructions I found online require 3 modules, you can make do with just 2 of them. 

The basic module is an origami pig base. This is formed from a square. To this module, we add 2 modules folded from a rectangle. This forms the star and a wavy loop on the star. Well, I didn't want the wavy bit, so I stopped with just the star. Hence had ended up with 2 instead of 3 modules. 

So once these units are assembled, the kusudama is formed by inserted 1 unit into the next. The assembly is very simple and the model holds well together. 

I have been meaning to use indigo coloured paper for a long time now, so I clubbed it with orange paper to give me a very bright sweet spring kusudama! 

Have you tried out this kusudama? Do give it a go, if you haven't. 

 

Model Details:

Model: Sweet Spring Kusudama

Creator: Natalia Romanenko

Difficulty Level: Low Intermediate

Paper Ratio: Square + Rectangle in ratio 1:2

Paper Size: 3 inches square / 3 inches by 1.5 inches rectangle

Model Size: ~4 inches in diameter

Modules: 60

Instructions: Paper Finger Cuts

Tutorial: Youtube

 

 

How about that?? I ended up making a very cute little duckling which also served a purpose! This is a little container that I made for my daughter Little Missy. She uses this to store little trinkets and is delighted with how tiny and "kawai" it is! 

I actually had a few sticks left over, after completing a recent project, so wanted to use those remaining sticks. And well, this was the size I could make without having to roll and paint new ones! So a duckling instead of a duck! I should addceyes, I guess, but I thought it looked good even now, no? 

Another first for me is that I have woven this as a free form, that is, I usually have a base form over which I weave. But I wanted to see how it went without a form and I think it has come out fairly well.

Model Details:

Model: Duckling shaped container

Difficulty Level: Complex

Tutorial (making newspaper tubes): Youtube