I've decided to make something different this year as presents and I figured this might be a fun craft to do with high schoolers or just, like me, as presents when you're both broke and a tiny bit eco conscious. It doesn't need much materials and costs barely nothing to do, so here goes.
Tools and materials:
Scissors and/or exacto knife
Empty soda cans
Marker
Something to poke a hole ; awl, needle, nail
Something pointy but dull to emboss, probably a pencil
Something to sand with ; sandpaper, files, or paper nail files
Thread or ribbon
Something cushy to emboss in ; I used my ironing mat but we used to use a telephone book back when I was in school.
Access to a printer with paper
Contact glue
Ruler
Tutorial
Cut apart and clean soda cans to have one flat piece of metal to work with. Scissors and exacto knives easily get through, just make sure not to cut yourself.
Find a nice star picture online and print it to the scale you want and need. It's better if the center is clearly marked.
Print and cut out the star shape to use it as your pattern.
Use a marker to transfer the shape to your metal sheet on the wrong side. You need 2 star shapes per ornament you want to make .
Use scissors to cut the shapes carefully.
Place the shape with the wrong side up on the soft surface and mark the middle of your stars by gently pressing your pencil in.
Using a ruler, emboss lines from the middle of the star to each point.
Turn the stars right side up. Emboss new lines with a ruler, from the middle to the shortest points of the star.
Move to a table with the right side up, and flatten a few milliliters all around the shape. It will make gluing the shapes together easier.
Repeat steps 7-9 without a ruler to refine the shape of your star.
Apply contact cement to the flat seam of the star in a well ventilated area. A q-tip might make this step easier than a brush
Wait for the contact cement to set according to the information on your packaging.
Carefully glue both sides of a star together. You kight need a stick or a tool to make sure both sides are pressed together properly.
Cut away any excess and round off the points.
Sand away any barbs left from cutting with scissors on both sides of the ornament.
Poke a hole through one of the star's point with a needle or a nail. File off the resulting barbs on the back side.
If any marker is left, time to grab soap and a rag and scrub it clean.
Finish your ornament by threading a ribbon through the hole, or use a thread through multiples ones for a fun garland.
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