Adhesives - Seven Ways to Make Paper Craft Projects Without Using Glue and Tape

It is very easy to reach for my double sided tape or any of my various glues when paper crafting. One of the things I love about paper is that there are often many ways to achieve the result you want. Adhering things with glues and tapes are just one way of making your elements stay where you want them. Come with me to look at a few other ideas for making things stick!

You can make your project without any adhesives at all. Taking a challenge to do so is a fun way to inspire yourself. Here are seven ways you could make your project without adhesives.

1. Brads

If you have been a paper crafter for awhile, you are probably familiar with brads. They are made of metal and come with a split pin backing that can be pushed through layers of paper to hold embellishments together. You often see them used in the middle of flower layers. There is no reason why you cannot use them in other ways such as to hold mats in place, to place tags where you want them, to bind together a small album or booklet, to make a swing tag to cover hidden journaling, to provide an anchor for ribbon or braid or cord, or as an embellishment in their own right. Use an odd number of brads in a row to draw the eye to a place on your page or card, make a curved line of them, or use them as corner points.

2. Stitching

Hand sewing or machine sewing can add a great deal to your pages and cards as well as being a convenient way of holding your elements together. Stitch together layers of cardstock or designer paper using straight lines or decorative stitching. Stitch around a photo using straight stitch or zig zag or blanket stitch to hold it to its mat (use a paper piercer and grid template first to make way for your needle and thread when hand stitching). Sew buttons onto your layout to hold things in place. Sew pages of an album together to bind them, with threads or yarn or string. Make a folded paper book with a stitched spine. Sew on felt or other materials to make flowers or any other shape you wish and then stitch them in place. Sew ribbon to your page.

Hint: If you use your sewing machine for paper crafting, be sure to keep a needle just for sewing paper. Stitching through paper will blunt your needle a little and may cause snags on fabric items afterward.

3. Clips and Other Hardware from the Stationers

Fossicking through stationery stores can reveal wonderful items for you to use in your paper crafting. Paper clips, little bulldog clips, pins, coloured staples and the like can all be used in place of brads or glues or tapes. Manufacturers are constantly coming out with new little trinkets for the Office. Why not incorporate them into your paper crafting projects?

4. Paper Folding, Cutting and Paper Crimping

Clever ways of folding or crimping paper can help you get by without adhesives too. Make slits in your paper to hold photos or mats at each corner. Make a row of slits and thread through ribbon, paper or a feather. Fold layers of paper together a few times and then punch through to add a brad or stitching. Use origami techniques on your project, folding flaps of paper over and tucking them under other layers of paper. Crimp papers together with a paper crimping tool. Investigate the stationers shop again to find paper binding tools that do not use staples, cleverly cutting and crimping the papers together without metals.

5. Magnets

Using magnets on a metal board or to hold elements in place can make for an interactive display. Using a magnet to hold a small book of journaling on your layout means people can pick it off the page, read it and place it back where it belongs. (Use another magnet on the reverse side of the page). Make paper pins that can be worn for special occasions and use magnets to allow people to wear them on their clothes (check to make sure no one has a pace maker before allowing them to wear a magnetic pin or it could interfere with the mechanism).

6. Velcro

Use Velcro to close your tag albums, make childrens fun books with elements that can be pulled off and placed back on the page at will. Sew Velcro to your page or element to keep it in place. Use Velcro to close a small paper box. Use it to make paper pins that can be worn on clothing, instead of using magnets.

7. Sealing Wax

Back before they manufactured glues and tapes i such abundance, people sealed paper envelopes and scrolls together with wax. There were special stamps and signet rings for pushing into hot wax to make decorative or informative pattern before the wax cooled. Try your hand at using sealing wax to make a special paper project. Use the wax to seal wedding invitations, for example. You can also use it on your cards or scrapbook pages to hold small elements in place.

And there you have it - seven ways to adhere paper together without the use of glues or tapes! There are other ways of making cards, layouts and off-the-page projects without the use of tape and glues. I encourage you to challenge yourself to find new ways of paper crafting and to share your ideas with me if you know if another way or two to make things without adhesives.

Want more ideas for making paper projects with or without adhesives? Go to http://www.papercraftcentral.com/papercraft-adhesives.html to find some.

At PaperCraftCentral.com, you can ask questions about paper crafting, submit your own work and subscribe to Paper Twists, a newsletter all about papercrafts, for free! To subscribe to Paper Twists go to http://www.papercraftcentral.com/subscribe.html

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6 Tips on Choosing Paper For Your Craft Projects

There is such a wide range of paper to choose from that paper crafters have unlimited options to choose from. There are obvious considerations in selecting the best type of paper. Here are a few tips on making sure the paper you finally go for makes the most of your paper craft skills.

1. Weight. The paper you work with must be the right weight to take the handling required. Will you need to fold the paper, and if so, how much? Can the paper keep a fold well and will you be able to manipulate the paper as you need? Bulky paper may not be flexible enough and thinner weights may not be substantial enough to handle the actions required. Paper is sold in weights (grams) but you will also need to think about the physical properties of the paper and how it lends itself to your project.

2. Absorbency. If your project required sticking or gluing, do you appreciate how it will take your chosen glue?Thinner papers can turn to mush whilst some glossy cards may not absorb glue at all. You may need to trial a sample to appreciate individual paper qualities.

3. Cutting. Does the paper cut easily with scissors or will it need a craft knife, metal ruler and cutting board? Many papers can be torn for different effect. If you know the type of cut you want, you can choose a your paper accordingly. Use a good paper of paper scissors or a safety knife with a retractable blade. Always retract the blade after using, or cover with a protective sheath.

4. Composition. Many papers are a composition - a mix of other materials. You may have a smooth surface backed with a textured finish or an absorbent layer topped with moss paper or a handmade natural mix. You can create your own layers for stitching or handcrafted projects. mixing paper and boards to suit your project.

5. See how your chosen paper behaves before using it with your projects. A common sense approach to choosing with help you make the most of expensive, quality papers,

6. Mixing things up will give you more options, but always bear in mind basic rules before deciding on your papers. A good selection of general craft papers plus a range of specialist papers will see you through.

Enjoy working with your papers, handle them regularly to remind yourself of what you have, and share them with others. There is nothing like a piece of quality paper to lift your craft projects and to share a bit of joy.

The process of Learning Crafts is an individual as we are. We all have our preferred way to pick up new skills and techniques. The Craft Teacher can have you learning crafts fast with a Proven system for mastering any Craft Skill. Our Weekly Step by Step Online Craft Course gives you choices in how and when you learn. We create the steps and you set the pace. Go here to learn a range of Paper Crafts.

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Paper Blankets (Craft Pads) As Moving and Storage Blankets

Paper blanket? For moving? You probably never heard of this.

When considering packing furniture for a move or storage many people think about quilted moving blankets as a first choice. That is absolutely right, but what will happen after you done with the move?

You get stuck with bunch of moving blankets that you will not need in any foreseeable future...You can try to sell it on e-bay, but online auctions for moving and storage blankets are already filled with used packing blankets for sale and you would have to sell your moving blankets cheap, which might not even be worth the trouble.

There is an alternative to cloth quilted moving blankets which is paper blankets, brown paper packing blanket or craft pads.

Many people simply do not know that this option exists. Paper packing blankets are actually better to use than quilted moving blankets, when you are placing your items into long term storage. They are clean, breathable, light and do not take too much extra space.

Paper blankets are environmentally friendly, they are made from managed resources and 100% recyclable. Paper blankets reliably provide Furniture surface protection for storage and moving including sea export shipping to hot climates. Paper moving and packing blankets are clean, strong and breathable/porous to protect wooden surfaces in damp and humid environments. They cost much less than a moving blanket. And after you are done with the move - you can just place them in a recyclables bin.

So what is a paper blanket?

Paper moving blankets are a natural product, manufactured from recycled materials. The cover is reusable and fully recyclable and a green alternative to other furniture blankets and covers. Paper blanket has two outer layers of durable paper and three inner layers with soft tissue like paper that provides cushioning.

How is it made:

Paper blankets are constructed of two outer layers of brown kraft paper and three inner layers of light weight paper. The three inner layers can consist of newsprint, light weight kraft, tissue, towelingbogus, tissue or non woven papers.

Paper moving and packing Blankets come in standard widths of 42", 48", 54" and 60" and can be cut to almost any length.

The sides of paper packing blankets have a folded edge which creates a more durable blanket and reduces the chance of paper cuts.

What to use on

Paper blankets are ideal for use with any furniture that might retain moisture or be susceptible to rust. When retained moisture evaporates in warm conditions it will condense if restricted in polyethylene. Water will stain wood and cause mould, on metal it may cause rust. Regular moving blankets are also breathable, of course, but because of thickness of the quilted material it will retain moisture longer and it will also absorb more moisture than paper blanket. Paper moving blanket can be used on any furniture that other moving blankets can be used for:

Wooden tables and office desks, Glass tables and coffee tables, Headboards, Dressing tables, Chest of Drawers, Wicker furniture, Antique furniture, Wardrobes, Bedside cabinets, etc. Paper blankets can also be used as a cushioning material to fill in boxes or to nestle fragile items: just tear paper packing blanket apart and stuff moving boxes with it.

Premium quality quilted moving blankets provide better cushioning for wrapping the furniture, they are long lasting and durable of course, but you do not necessarily need that for a single move, and all these qualities come with much greater expense.

When you need covers for long term Storage or shipping, or single move, packing blankets do not need to be everlasting, be durable and heavy, They just need to get you through the move. Paper blankets ( craft pads) designed to provide cover and protect furniture from dust, light, and light scratches so the furniture does not fade and get dusty during long storage. Paper pads are very inexpensive and light weight which will serve you well when shipping overseas container or even using locally for a move around the block.

Plus they are fully recyclable so after use you can simply place them into recycling receptacle. That save environment and save you headaches of dealing with used moving blankets.

NOTE: Do not be discouraged from using regular blankets, but make paper blanket a money saving and environmentally friendly addition to your packing list. And if you are looking to save costs on moving it make sense to get paper blanket along with regular moving blankets. Get quilted moving blankets for heavy furniture that needs more cushioning and get paper packing blankets for lighter furniture or for items that will stay in storage for a long time. You can also wrap furniture in paper blankets first and then get movers to use their moving blankets which they will remove in storage and you item will remain covered inside the storage unit and well protected during moving job.

You can find paper blankets available at http://www.MoversSupplies.com.
Example of Paper blankets: paper packing blankets or craft pads: Paper-blankets, Craft-Pads
Go to MoversSupplies.com, where you can find variety of quilted moving blankets.
We can produce custom moving blankets for you

Jeff Morgan
support @ moverssupplies. com

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Amazing Craft For Making Paper Sculpture

Inexpensive items like paper can be used to make amazing paper sculptures that are unbelievably fine. There are many such paper crafts that make it possible. One of them is Quilling which, although, is a centuries old craft but somehow got extinct. However, this art of paper quilling has again become popular, thanks to the creativity of the people of our times.

What is Quilling?

Quilling is the art of combining narrow strips of paper into beautiful arrangements. It is the art of rolling, shaping, gluing and decorating strips of paper. It is also known as paper filigree or paper quilling. The important fact is that it can be done with very simple tools.

Tools Needed for Quilling

Some basic tools needed for quilling are paper, glue, tweezers and scissors.

Stripes of Paper: Quilling papers can be found at any arts and crafts store or you can cut your own at the initial stages from scrap paper just to make your hands habitual with quilling! The ready made quilling paper comes in narrow i.e. 1/16 inch, standard i.e. 1/8 inch, wide i.e. ¼ inch and extra wide i.e. ½ inch. The length of these strips range from 17 to 25 inches. You can find a variety of colors including metallic, two toned and graduated tones. However, ideal paper is the one that rolls easily and smoothly, and holds its shape well when released.

Glue: The glue should be white craft glue that dries clear. A small glue bottle with a nozzle makes it easy to apply the glue exactly where you want. While working, keep the bottle upside down in a small jar with a scrap of wet paper towel in the bottom.

Tweezers: Eyebrow tweezers work well to hold paper strips. However, you can even get tweezers with narrow point, as fine as possible, without any ridged surface that could crumple the paper. They can be found at any good crafts store.

Sharp Scissors: required for trimming ends of strips, fringing flowers etc.

A Flat Surface: to work on, preferably plastic or something similar.

 

You can even get a quilling tool which is a long needle with a slot in the end. This needle is set into a handle. The paper is inserted in the slot, pulled to its end, and the tool is rotated in the hand while the other hand gently guides the paper until all is wound around the needle. The paper is slipped off the tool, either before or after adding a dab of glue to the end. Many shapes thus created are then combined to form a design. Afterwards, as you are comfortable with the art, you can use a needle tool. The larger the handle on the tool, the less strain and stress on the hand.

How to do quilling?

In the beginning, you can start making some of the simple designs. A V-shape design involves folding the strip of paper in half and rolling the ends of the outside of the paper around the quill. You have to roll the paper away from the inner crease. Feelers involve rolling only part of the strip of paper. You leave the rest of the strip straight. You can make this design by folding the strip in half or by using an in-folded strip. Coiling the paper loosely or very tightly around the quill will make a peacock eye. A petal can be made in the same way by bending the pinched part to one side. Follow the paper quilling instructions to make fabulous paper sculptures!

For more information about paper sculpture making tools like scissors, paper, glue, tweezers etc.

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