Materials needed:
1) Large wooden candlestick.
2) White wood primer.
3) Paintbrush - 1.
4) Pale-pink water based paint - 1 can.
5) A very fine sandpaper.
6) Copper-coloured gilt cream - 1 jar.
7) Soft rags - 2.
How to make:
1) Apply two coats of white primer on all parts of the candlestick. Place in a well-aired room to dry thoroughly and quickly.
2) When the primer has dried, apply two coats of pale pink paint on the candlestick surface. Leave to dry.
3) Rub the painted surface with the sandpaper to get a smooth finish.
4) Pour a little gilt cream into a rag and gently rub it into the surface with a circular motion. Do not colour the surface with too much cream, so that you get a broken finish whereby you can see the base colour through the gilt cream. Allow sometime to dry.
5) Turn the candlestick upside to paint the flat circular section with cream. Keep the structure reversed to let the paint dry.
6) Rub the candlestick firmly with the other clean rag to make it shine.
Shooting Stars Greeting Card
Materials needed:
1) Black/Deep Blue smooth card - 1 piece (12" by 4").
2) A steel ruler.
3) Bone folder.
4) Cutting mat.
5) Sewing machine.
6) Multi-coloured machine embroidery thread.
7) Black tape.
8) A pair of scissors.
9) All-purpose adhesive.
10) Gluestick.
11) Cocktail stick.
12) Star sequins - 4 large and 6 small.
How to make:
1) Make small marks into the surface of the card 3" from one short end.
2) Refer the main picture to properly machine-stitch curving lines from the score line across the short, front section of the card.
3) Turn up the threads on the leading edge to the back. Place lengths of craft wire over these and secure in place with black tape.
4) Cut the wires into different pieces of varying lengths.
5) Use glue to stick two large star sequins together with the end of a wire between them.
6) Repeat the step with the end of the other wire.
7) Around the lines of stitching and wires, put some tiny adhesive dots on the front and the inside back of the card.
8) Moisten the end of the cocktail stick to use it to pick up tiny star sequins. Place these gently on the adhesive dots.
Let dry for sometime.
9) Insert a message inside the card and send it as an Eid greeting to whoever you like.
Fabric star
Materials needed:
1) Template (provided here).
2) A stiff card.
3) A pair of scissors.
4) Fabric pencil/chalk.
5) Coloured silk dupion.
6) A needle.
7) A spool of thread.
8) Wadding (batting).
9) Beads, sequins and braids.
10) Small glass beads.
How to make:
1) Trace the template star design onto a piece of stiff card. Cut out the shape.
2) Place the shape on the fabric pieces and use fabric pencil/chalk to draw around it to form its outline on the cloth.
3) Cut out the fabric stars.
4) Using a machine, stitch the two stars together with right sides facing. Leave a small gap for turning the stars through.
5) Turn out the right sides and stuff with wadding. You can use a small pair of scissors/knife to poke out the corners if you face problems in stuffing.
6) Turn in the hole and hand stitch with tiny overstitches.
7) Use beads, sequins and braids to decorate the stars.
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