Do Body Painting

Body painting is an ancient art that stretches through the ages, from henna work on hands, to the simplistic war paint of indigenous cultures. Body painting for art's sake emerged post-1960s as a result of increased acceptance of nudity. A few steps can help you begin body painting.

Instructions

1. Assess your own abilities. Elaborate body painting like you might see among the World Body Painting Association portfolios certainly takes advanced artistic talent. However, anyone can dabble in body painting for fun. Decide how far you want to go with your endeavor and study accordingly.

2. Buy the materials. Most body painters work with oil- and water-based paints. The choice depends on the longevity required of the artwork and the conditions under which the painting will take place (climate and such). You'll also need brushes. Rudimentary brushes will get you by, but if you wish to practice advanced shading and layering techniques, you'll need an extensive collection.

3. Jump right in. Whether you practice on your child's face or decide to undertake a full body painting, try various techniques, approaches, and designs to get a feel for painting on the human body. It's a wildly different experience from painting on a lifeless canvas.

4. Have a plan. Body painting is an intensive process, and you should pre-plan your mode of attack before beginning a painting. Explore pictures online or in books or just take inspiration from everyday life.

5. Be flexible. Even the best plan will change as you work. Art is about being flexible and handling problems as they come. Painting on the human body presents its own unique set of challenges, so be flexible and open-minded to change as you create your art.

6. Get in touch with others. Body painting organizations have begun to crop up across the country, so seek out body painting exhibitions in your area to meet other body painters.

Make Silhouettes

A silhouette is a drawing of a person or an object in which only the outline is drawn, and the space within the outline is filled in with a solid color. This type of portrait has roots as far back as stone-age cave drawings and was used extensively in classic Greek culture. In the modern world, the silhouette is a popular craft project for both children and adults.

Instructions

1. Mount the sheet of white paper to a wall at the height of the person or object you will be silhouetting.

2. Place the silhouette subject 2 to 3 feet away from the wall in front of the paper, leaving enough room next to the paper so that you can draw on it easily.

3. Place your bright light source so that it will shine on your subject and cast a direct shadow onto the white paper. Turn on the light, and turn off any other lights in the room.

4. Use the pencil to trace the shadow's outline onto the white paper. Remove the paper from the wall.

5. Cut along your tracing line. Tape the resulting white cutout onto the black construction paper and use it as a template to cut out the silhouette on the black paper.

6. Glue the black cutout onto a piece of the colored accent paper. Use additional colored and/or patterned paper to mat the piece, add a border, or accent your work in a decorative manner.

7. Frame the finished piece, if desired.

Make Signs On Facebook Chat

Facebook is a social networking website that helps keep you in touch with family and friends. In addition to sharing and commenting on status updates, you can also send messages and, when another user is online, chat. Facebook's chat feature supports many popular signs, also called emoticons. When typed, these emoticons turn into graphic icons -- for example, smiley faces. You can learn make these emoticon signs in Facebook Chat by following a few steps.

Instructions

1. Log into Facebook at its website.

2. Click on the "Chat" tab at the bottom of the screen and click on a friend's name to open a chat window.

3. Insert your cursor into the text box at the bottom of the chat window.

4. Type an emoticon into this window. You can use a number of chat emoticons. For instance, typing :) displays a smiley face. Entering :v inserts a tiny Pac-Man icon. An angel emoticon can be shown by typing O:). All you need to remember is that these emoticons are not icons that you click on to display during chat. You must type out keyboard symbols to make them work.

Make Shrink Art From Styrofoam

The next time you have an extra Styrofoam tray in your house, instead of throwing it away, use it to create shrink art. With a few supplies, you and your child can do a fun experiment and craft project all in one.

Instructions

1. Decide what design you want and use the pen to draw it on the tray; it should be a simple picture or shape. If you prefer not to draw, then you could use a cookie cutter to trace a design onto the tray.

2. Use the markers to add color to the picture, then cut it out with the scissors. If you want to hang the finished product, use the hole punch to create a hole on the top of the design.

3. Place a piece of aluminum foil onto a cookie sheet and put all your cut-outs on the foil. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

4. Put the cookie sheet in the heated oven for 2 to 5 minutes. Leave it in until you see the shapes curl up and shrink down, then flatten back out.

5. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and allow the shapes to cool. If you made a hole in your design take a piece of ribbon or string and thread it through. Your Styrofoam shrink art is now complete.

Make Shadow Silhouettes

Silhouettes are featureless profiles of objects, similar to shadows.

A silhouette is a drawing of an object that shows the object's outline, but none of its features. Silhouette portraits were very popular in the 19th century and were made by cutting the outline of a person's profile from thick black paper. The origin of the silhouette lies in the traditional, pre-photography practice of tracing shadows on paper or even walls in order to draw objects more accurately. While the practice is no longer common, anyone can make silhouettes from shadows with light and some paper.

Instructions

1. Ask the person whose silhouette you want to draw to sit in a chair with his profile parallel to and 3 feet away from the wall of a dark room. If you are drawing a silhouette of an object, place it on a table or other stand at the same distance. The wall of the room should be smooth and flat so you will be able to draw against it.

2. Place the flashlight on a table with the light going slightly over the edge. Turn on the flashlight and direct it toward your model so it casts a shadow against the wall. Adjust the distance of the table and the light until the shadow is the same size as the model.

3. Tape the black sheet of construction paper to the wall so the model's shadow is on it. The paper should be taped at least once on each end so it will not shift when you draw on it. Also, so you will be able to clearly see the outline of the shadow, do no use overly dark paper.

4. Trace the outline of the shadow on the black paper with the white chalk. If you prefer to have a thinner line, you can substitute a Liquid Paper pen for chalk. In order not to block out your model's shadow with your own, trace the shadow one half at a time on either side of the paper.

5. Cut out the outline of the shadow you traced on the black paper. Using its size as a reference, trace an oval on the poster board and cut it out. Paste the the black outline to the oval, completing the shadow silhouette. If you want to go one step further, you can add a border to decorate your background.

Make A Prank Call To A Friend

Making a prank call to a friend is a fun joke if it is done properly. Most prank calls happen during a sleep over or slumber party. April Fool's Day and Halloween are good days to make prank calls to a friend.

Instructions

1. Pick a friend to prank call. You should pick someone with a good sense of humor who will find your call funny.

2. Decide on the prank. Remember that the prank call should be funny. Pranks that hurt people or make fun of people will seem mean instead of funny. Make sure that you use a new prank each time you make a prank call.

3. Rehearse the phone call. You have to disguise your voice so your friend won't recognize it.

4. Block your phone number when you call your friend. On most land line phones, you can dial *67 to block your number. Some people block private numbers from calling their phone. If this is the case for your friend's phone, consider going to a pay phone to make the call.

5. Make sure that you have the right phone number before you dial. Making prank phone calls is a crime. You have to make sure that it is your friend that you are calling so that no one gets offended or in trouble.

6. Say that you dialed the wrong number if someone other than your friend answers the phone. Hanging up the phone before you say anything is rude. By saying you dialed the wrong number, you seem polite and if you call later with a blocked number or from the same number, you are more likely to get an answer.

7. Tell your friend about the prank later if desired. Sometimes, a prank is fun to keep between those who pull the prank.

Make A Banner Style Title In Ms Word

You can use WordArt to turn blank space into an appealing banner.

Instead of using plain text to title a MS Word document, you can create a WordArt object that formats the title to look like a banner. This gives you significantly more options for jazzing up the title's appearance. You can slant it, curve it, tilt it, rotate it, change its shape, give it a shadow, make it look 3-D and add a colored outline or background.

Instructions

1. Open the Word document and click at the top of the first page, or wherever you want to insert the banner-style title.

2. Click the "Insert" tab on the Ribbon.

3. Click the "WordArt" icon on the Ribbon, in the Text group. A menu will drop down, showing the different styles and formats of banner-style titles you can use. Click the style you prefer.

4. Type the title in the Edit WordArt Text dialog box that pops up, in the field marked "Your Text Here." Use the drop-down Font and Size fields at the top of the dialog box to change the appearance of the WordArt's text, if desired.

5. Click "OK" at the bottom of the dialog box. Word will insert your newly created banner-style title in the document and will switch to the Format tab on the Ribbon.

6. Click and drag the gray squares at the sides and corners of the WordArt to change its size, if desired. Use the controls on the Ribbon to change the banner's color, outline, shape and effects, if desired.

Make Scrapbook Cards

Using scrapbook supplies to create handmade cards is thoughtful as well as frugal and green. Making cards is an easy way to use leftover paper and embellishments from other paper crafts such as scrapbooking. Store-bought cards can cost several dollars for one card, whereas you can make several beautiful cards for the same price. A one-of-a-kind, personalized card is a sure-fire way to show someone you care. Creating an entire set of mix-and-match cards is a fast, easy, and practical gift.

Instructions

Make Scrapbook Cards

1. Decide what size card you would like to make and have appropriate-sized envelopes to go with them. Cards can be square, rectangular, or even circular. You can buy pre-cut cards with envelopes or purchase envelopes in various sizes and cut your solid or patterned card stock to size.

2. If you are not using pre-cut cards, use your ruler and paper trimmer to measure and cut the acid-free card stock to your preferred size. Make your card at least a half-inch smaller than the envelope in both length and width. Use a paper scorer to make a crisp fold.

3. Focus on one theme of card during a card-making session to get the most out of your time and your stash of supplies. Some popular themes are birthday, thinking of you, sympathy, hello, graduation, wedding/love, baby, new home, inspirational, and various holidays. The great thing about making cards is you can write any sentiment you like.

4. Gather your themed supplies, including card stock, patterned paper, stickers, rubber stamps, eyelets/brads/buttons, ribbon or fibers, flowers, paper pieces and whatever else you would like to include.

5. Work from the inside out. Decide if you are going to leave the inside of the card blank or include a pre-written message. Use your computer and printer or rubber stamps or handwrite your message. Rub-on letters/phrases or stickers are also ways to include a sentiment.

6. Decorate your card freestyle or make use of a card sketch to help with placement of embellishments. If you plan to use eyelets, brads or other embellishments that would show through on the other side of the paper, use them on a separate piece of paper and then adhere to the card, so as not to mar the inside of the greeting card.

Make Scrapbooks

Scrapbooks are great for sharing memories with your family and friends.

Scrapbooking, a hobby that involves arranging decoratively displayed photographs in albums, gained popularity in the 1990s and is now practiced in many countries. It provides a creative way to protect your photos and preserve family memories. Each scrapbook is different and allows the crafter to use his or her imagination to create something unique and personal.

Instructions

1. Decide how your photographs will be organized. Organizing your photos by themes or chronological order are common alternatives. Different themes include births, christenings, milestones, Christmases, birthdays, holidays, day trips and family pets.

2. Choose your scrapbooks. The scrapbook, which comes in a variety of sizes, should be attractive and fit the theme of your album. The number of photos you have will dictate how many scrapbooks you need. Choose ring binder scrapbooks that allow you to easily remove and add pages to your project. Ensure that the book's clear plastic page protectors are acid free to prevent your photos from becoming damaged over time.

3. Choose the scrapbook paper you want to use for your project. One or two different types of background paper per book will work well. Choose another one or two types to use for matting purposes. Matting is the layering technique that creates a paper border around your photos. These mats are affixed to the background paper in order to add interest and depth to your pages.

4. Decide what photos you want to use in your first scrapbook and what order you want to display them in. Lay the photos out on the pages so that you get an idea of where you want each photo to be placed.

5. Crop any photos that you want to make smaller. Photos can be affixed straight onto the background paper using an acid free glue. They can also be matted onto a separate piece of paper. To mat a photo, glue it to the corner of the matting paper and leave a gap between the photo and the paper's edges. Cut around the photo to create an even border. Glue the matted image to the background for a layered effect.

6. Add embellishments that match the scrapbook's theme. There are many different types of scrapbook embellishments available, including cardstock letters, wooden buttons, ribbon bows and stickers.

7. Write any important descriptions or comments on the pages that relate to the photos or the themes of your scrapbook.

8. Leave your pages to dry; drying times vary according to the type of glue used. Place the pages in the plastic page protectors prior to assembling your scrapbook.

Make Science Scrapbooks

Scrapbooks are one tool for learning about science.

Science scrapbooks are like science journals. These books are used to present what you have learned about a particular topic within the study of science. They are projects that show the process of what you have learned, or how you came to a conclusion regarding a specific query.

A science scrapbook may be put together in a photo scrapbook, or by using a sketchpad. Things may be drawn and written within, and glued or taped. It may be decorated however you like, or not at all.

Instructions

1. Choose the materials that you will use to create the scrapbook. Start with the album. Decide if a photograph album will be used, or if a scrapbook of blank white pages will suffice. Use stickers that have something to do with the theme of the book you are creating.

2. Brainstorm ideas for your project. Think about the assignment or experiment that has been assigned, and decide what you will need to incorporate into the scrapbook. Using a plant theme, you may choose to add microscope slides of specimens and actual samples. Place a few flat rocks into a scrapbook using glue for rock studies.

3. Use journaling cards to explain the items that you are placing into the scrapbook. Explain the process of acquiring samples, draw out what the slide samples look like through the microscope and label everything. Add lab reports and important science notes to the book as well.

Write down questions that you have to start with, and that come to you throughout the course of study. Leave room for answers, and research to find out everything you can about what you feel is important. Be sure to date everything.

4. Decorate the pages according to what each is about. Use stickers of the planets, sun and moon for space studies, doodling stars along the edges of the pages. Consider black journaling cards and silver gel pens for journaling on this topic. Use cloud stickers and doodle raindrops for a weather scrapbook, or use embellishments consisting of general science equipment for a lab experiment.

Use premade scrapbooking borders for simple page embellishments, and puffy stickers to add depth to some of the pages. Decorate the cover of your scrapbook with markers, indicating the topic title, your name and the project due date.

Make Sand Casting Molds For Kids

The PTA decided on a tropical theme for the annual fundraising carnival. The high school’s prop people can create a beach scene and the principal’s brother promises palms from his garden shop, but sand is pricy. At nearly $1.00 a pound, it represents a large chunk of the fundraising budget. Recoup the cost of the sand with a sand casting craft booth. The molds make an excellent memento the kids will cherish, and a mere hundred sold covers the total sand costs.

Instructions

Preparation

1. Determine how many children can craft at one time. You need a shallow container and paintbrush for each kid accommodated and two plastic jugs for every four.

2. Cut your plastic jugs to contain plaster and water. Draw a line from just in front of the handle around the center of the jug. Use the utility knife to remove the front part of the gallon jug. Measure plaster into half the cut container to speed mixing later; tape mixing instructions to the jug. Repeat to achieve the required container count.

3. Fill the shallow containers with clean sand, Make at least two casting containers for every craft station to have an easy back up incase of spill accidents.

4. Collect seashells and other beach shapes into a central location; allow crafters to choose from them before going to their art stations. Ensure the shells and shapes are small enough not to contact the sides of your sand containers.

5. Put a paintbrush at every station and place generous decorative items like beads and glitter pens accessible to every crafter.

Ready Set Go

6. Dampen the sand in the container so it will mold to the shapes of the beach items and shells the kids selected.

7. Push a shape into the sand so it makes a deep impression. Repeat with various shells and shapes to create the desired design. Encourage the kids to be creative. Remember to remove the shapes and shells from the sand.

8. Mix the plaster and pour it into the sand molds; do this slowly to avoid air bubbles forming in the cast.

9. Allow the plaster to dry for one hour. Dig the cast up and brush the sand from it with a paintbrush. Let the kids decorate their sand castings with glitter glue and beads.

Make Sandcast Garden Ornaments

Creating sand molds for cast concrete garden ornaments is a lot of fun and yields ornaments with a rustic surface that seems weathered. Bird baths, stepping stones, wall copings, bench seats, wall ornaments and shallow planters are all good candidates for sand casting.

Instructions

1. Make a simple wooden form or box that is large enough to accommodate the ornament that you'd like to make.

2. Fill the box with mason's sand.

3. Wet the mason's sand.

4. Model the ornament that you'd like to make or find an existing element that you'd like to use as a model to create your mold. Choose a model with a bold, simple design since this method won't pick up a lot of intricate detail.

5. Press the model into the sand.

6. Remove the model gently from the sand, leaving an impression in the sand.

7. Touch up any rough spots with your fingers.

8. Keep the sand mold moist with a spray bottle so it doesn't crumble.

9. Mix a batch of concrete. Experiment with the consistency. Strive for a balance of runniness - to allow the mixture to flow into the mold - and stiffness - to allow you to form the bottom.

10. Fill the sand mold with concrete. Smooth the surface, creating the shape that you want for the bottom and sides of your ornament.

11. Allow the concrete to set.

12. Remove your ornament from the sand mold, brushing away any excess sand.

Draw Pen And Ink Trees And Foliage

Pen and ink set

Trees and foliage are a great subject for drawings because they are found nearly everywhere, and they're not difficult to reproduce. Drawing trees with a pen and ink set is not so different from using a more usual medium like pencils. The most important thing to keep in mind is that everything you put on the page is permanent. Draw patiently, and slowly.

Instructions

1. Draw the basic structure of your tree and foliage with a pencil. Do this lightly, so that it can be erased later. It is important to have a basic map of what you'll be drawing before you begin with the pen and ink, because the pen and ink is permanent.

Draw the trunk of the tree with two parallel vertical lines that curve inward toward the middle, and then curve back outward toward the portion of the tree that the leaves begin. To draw the foliage of the tree on top of the trunk, draw a wavering line around the perimeter of the foliage.

2. Choose a fine-point pen nib (or even a crow quill pen). Assemble the pen shaft and the nib, then dip the nib in the ink. Test the nib on a piece of scratch paper before applying it to your drawing.

3. Outline the exterior of the trunk, following the lines you drew in Step 1. Connect the two sides of the trunk at the bottom with a line in the middle that looks like a shallow, upside down V. Connect the two sides of the trunk at the top with a line that looks like a shallow V. You have just drawn the trunk, roots and bottom branches of the tree.

4. Use your pen to shade the inside of the trunk. Shading may be done by drawing lines that run parallel to each other inside the trunk. These lines may be diagonal, horizontal, or vertical. To shade one side of the trunk more heavily than the other, draw lines that cross over your first lines, over one half of the trunk.

5. Outline the foliage around the top of the tree.

6. Draw a series of wavering lines throughout the interior of the foliage. These lines may be drawn in a series of stripes across the foliage for an interesting pattern, or they may be drawn willy-nilly throughout the foliage for a more chaotic and slightly more realistic vision of foliage.

7. Erase all the pencil marks you drew in Step 1.

Make Stop Motion Movies

Throughout the history of film, one form of animated filmmaking has made an impact on audiences and impressed them with their vivid detail. In movies like King Kong and the Nightmare Before Christmas, Stop Motion animation was used to create incredible life-like creations that entertained audiences. The make a figure come alive using stop motion, get ready to use your imagination and put a lot of time into your film.

Instructions

1. Figure out what kind of stop motion movie you want to make. You can create stop motion movies with any kind of object, or have actual characters like action figures or customized clay figurines.

2. Write a script. Creating stop motion movies successfully requires every detail planned out, so make sure that you have a solid script that you want to create material out of.

3. Form your characters or “stars” of the stop motion movie. Use a wire frame to build your own clay characters or use already created action figures for the movie.

4. Set up backdrops and settings for the stop motion movie. Be aware of shadows, lighting and anything that might get in the way of the actual production.

5. Organize your equipment. Even though you are actually creating a movie, the best thing to use for a stop motion title is actually a high quality digital SLR camera.

6. Start filming your scenes. Every picture actually only represents one frame of the movie so it will take approximately 24 pictures for only one second of footage.

Filming the Movie

7. Be patient while you are filming. Stop motion movies take a long time to create, so take your time to create the best product possible. One tiny flub can be easily noticed when viewing the movie later.

8. Use multiple cameras if possible. You can become so involved in your production that only one camera will create a boring and static shot. Different angles and movements of the camera can add a lot to the scene.

9. Plan a lot of special effects and other tricks during editing. In editing you can add several special effects and other elements to make the film look more professional.

10. Compile all of your footage and put it on your computer. There will be thousands of pictures, so make sure that you hard drive can store all of the pictures and consider upgrading or purchasing more hard drive space.

11. Edit together the movie. Separate the pictures into separate shot folders so you can stay organized while editing. String the shots together, render the video, and then speed up the rendered video for real time video.

12. Add in any titles, special effects, or other features as needed. Make the production look as professional as possible.

Engrave Photos

Example of a grayscale image that is good for engraving.

Engraving a photo is a great way to preserve an image and turn it into a beautiful piece of art to showcase in your home or give to someone as a gift. The engraving process involves a machine called a "laser system", which uses lasers to etch the image into the material you are engraving it on. Laser systems can etch an image into wood, acrylic, coated metals, plastic, glass and stone.

Instructions

1. Scan the photo you are going to engrave. Set the scanner resolution at the highest quality.

2. Open the photo in a photo editing application, such as Photoshop, GIMP or Picasa. Turn the photo into a grayscale (black and white) image. Then, crop the image to the same dimensions as the object you are engraving it on. Save the image as a high-resolution TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) file when you are done.

3. Connect the laser system to your computer. Follow the instructions that came with your laser system to properly connect it to the computer.

4. Refer to the instructions that came with your laser system to send the photo as a print job to the laser system.

5. Place the material you will be using on the bed of the laser system. Set the type of material you will be engraving to by choosing the options menu on the laser system, and then pressing the "Start" button. The laser system will begin etching the image into the material.

Make Wire Yard Art

Make Wire Yard Art

Wire yard art can add a whimsical touch to your landscape. Even if you are a novice at working with wire, you can easily shape it into a variety of projects with the help of a template and a jig. Once you create a sturdy wire outline, you can embellish the space between the outlines with beaded wire. Create beaded wire bumble bees, butterflies or dragon flies to decorate your yard or garden. Place them among the flowers that border your home or create a grouping as art for your yard.

Instructions

1. Select a template for the outline of your wire yard art insect. Trace the outline of one wing or wing set onto a wood block and hammer finishing nails around the outline to create a jig. You will only need to make a jig for one side of the insect's wings. When you wrap the wire to make the wings, you can flip it over to make the wings on the opposite side of the body. It's easier to make similar size objects from wire if you first create a jig.

2. Cut a length of 18-gauge wire to fit around the outside perimeter of the nails on your jig. Wrap the wire around the jig to shape the wings. Remove the wire. Make a loop on the ends with your round nose pliers. Hook the loops together and press them closed to complete your wing formation. Repeat this step once more.

3. Cut a strip of 18-gauge wire three times as long as the desired body of your yard art insect. Wrap the wire around a dowel to form a spiral. You can shape the spiral as you like, tapering it on one end or widening it on the other to configure the body of your insect.

4. Cut a length of 22-gauge wire as long as the body of your insect. Bend the wire to make a hook at one end of the strip. Thread beads over the strip to the top. Make another hook and insert the strand inside the wire spiral. Close the hooks around the spiral body formation.

5. Cut a strip of 22-gauge wire to fit across one of the wings. Hook the wire on one end. Bead the wire with one or more beads to create embellishments for the wings. If you prefer, you can add only one or a few beads to the wires that cross the wings. Each time you place a single bead, bend the wire before and after the bead so it will stay where you want it. Make a hook when the wire is beaded as you like and attach the beaded wire to the wings. Add as many wire strands as you like across the individual wings. It's a good idea to keep the sides symmetrical so that your insects will be evenly weighted.

6. Cut four 6-inch strips of 22-gauge wire. Connect the wings to the body by wrapping the strips around the wings and then around the body spiral.

7. Cut a 4-foot section of 18-gauge wire. Beginning 12 inches from one end, wrap the wire around the dowel to make a spiral. Make a hook at the end of the spiral and attach the wire underneath the insect's body. Insert the straight end into the yard as decorative art.

Make Retro Vector Images In Photoshop

Adding a vector effect to photographs in Adobe Photoshop gives your images a retro-cartoon look. The effect takes a little bit of time and effort, but the final result is a uniquely-manipulated photograph.

Instructions

1. Launch Photoshop and open the image to which you want to add the vector effect.

2. Save the image as a .psd file by clicking "File" then "Save As." Select "Photoshop (*.PSD, *PDD)" from the "Format" drop down menu, name the image and hit "Save."

3. Unlock the base layer of your image by double-clicking on the locked layer. Name the new layer in the dialog box that pops up and click "OK."

4. Duplicate the original layer.

5. Select the eye dropper tool and capture the darkest area of the image. Then choose the pen tool from the toolbar and select the "Shape Layers" option.

6. Add anchor points around the image. Then connect the anchor points to create your outline. Make the copy layer invisible to see what the outline looks like.

7. Turn on the visibility of the copy layer. Select the "Convert Anchor Points" tool. Move the anchor points as needed to wrap the outline tightly around the image.

8. Delete the anchor points you didn't use by selecting the "Delete Anchor Points" tool.

9. Highlight the "Shape 2" layer and duplicate it. Manipulate the anchor points so they wrap around the dominant color of your image. Change the color from black to the image's dominant color.

10. Toggle the copy layer so it's visible and hide the "Shape 2 Copy" layer. Choose the pen tool and select "Subtract from Area Shape" in the options bar. Select the "Shape 2" layer and trace the elements in the image, adding anchor points.

11. Tweak the anchor points with the "Convert Anchor Points" tool. Delete the unneeded anchor points and add color to the outline.

12. Repeat Steps 9 through 11 until your image is complete.

Make Reflective Icons

Generators help make icons reflective.

Icons are generally a smaller version of a representative image that appears in browser address bars, on computer desktops and in your file folders. Making an icon requires some graphic design skill using image manipulation software. Making the same icon reflective means adding another layer; an artist must understand both the software and basic principles of light. With practice and the proper tools, images can be created, adjusted and converted into usable icons.

Instructions

Making an internally reflective image.

1. Create a square image --- where height is equal to width.

2. Mask your background shape within that image. Fill it with a linear gradient that is light at the bottom and darker at the top.

3. Mask a highlight area at the top of your image. Create a new layer and, on that layer, fill the highlight mask with a linear gradient that is white at the top and transparent at the bottom. Adjust the transparency of your entire highlight layer as needed.

4. Mask a highlight area at the bottom of your image. Create a new layer and, on that layer, fill the shadow mask with a linear gradient that is transparent at the top and dark at the bottom. Adjust the transparency of your entire shadow layer as needed.

5. Add additional highlights, shadows and color gradients as needed to achieve the desired effect.

6. Save your image as a JPG.

Making an externally reflective image using an online generator.

7. Create a rectangular image --- where height is half the width.

8. Save your image as a JPG.

9. Upload your JPG to GenerateIt.com's Image Reflection Generator, adjust the reflection size and background as necessary, then click "Generate It."

10. Right-click over the newly generated image. Choose "Save," "Save As" or "Save Image As" depending on your browser.

Convert an image to an icon.

11. Convert your image into an ICO file for use as an icon. Upload your image to GenerateIt.com's Favicon Generator, select "Get It Now" and save the file.

12. Extract the contents of the file to a folder on your local drive.

13. Open the folder --- you will find that your original image has been converted into 16-by-16 and 32-by-32 pixel icon files.

Get An Mfa In Painting

An MFA in painting will help you learn new skills and hone the ones you already have. The experience is very helpful in getting a job as an art teacher in the future, and it can give you a chance to network with other artists. Read on to learn get an MFA in painting.

Instructions

1. Get your Bachelors degree in visual arts or humanities. Most MFA programs in painting allow you to move into this genre with no prior experience, but you may want to look at the criteria of your highest ranked school before earning your undergraduate degree.

2. Develop your painting skills, especially if you have an undergraduate degree in another field. In order to get an MFA in painting, your skills must match up to the school's graduating undergraduate students. Talent is needed, but your form must be up to par as well.

3. Gather your portfolio. Before you begin the process of searching and applying to different graduate schools, you must get your portfolio in the best possible place for showing your talents. Get as much feedback from reputable artists before you submit your portfolio to any school.

4. Search for the right school. There are many schools that will get you an MFA in painting, but you should look into each program's curriculum and scope before even applying to any of them.

5. Win them over with your vision. Artists are a dime a dozen, and there are tons of people out there trying to get an MFA in painting. Set yourself apart by delving into your passion for the art and making it come alive in your personal essay.

Make Fake Plastic Rocks

There are lots of reasons to make fake rocks out of plastic. Many people have big rocks in their garden. These look great, but are very heavy and can be difficult to move. If you’re the set designer for a play set outdoors, you need rocks that look realistic, but can be moved by stagehands between scenes. Making these fake rocks can be a fun weekend project and can be a way for you to flex your artistic muscles.

Instructions

1. Decide what kind of rock you will make out of plastic. As you’ll remember from elementary school, there are three kinds of rocks: igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary. Sandstone (sedimentary) is a powdery, brown/red colored rock, while obsidian (igneous) is a shiny black rock. Rocks can also cleave in standard patterns or have jagged, waved edges. If you’re putting your fake plastic rock into your garden, think of what kinds of rocks can be found around where you live.

2. Use pre-formed pieces of plastic to serve as the basis for your rock. A gallon milk jug, for example, can be made into a rock without having to melt anything. Use a utility knife to remove the handle from the milk jug. (Rocks, you see, don’t have handles.) Use super glue or caulk or another waterproof adhesive to plug all of the holes in the jug. A crushed cottage cheese container can be recycled in the same way. Crush the container to obliterate the artificial shape and make the top part your plastic rock.

3. Make your rock from scratch. Craft stores have beads of easy-to-melt plastic that you can shape into a rock. Just find a rock whose shape you like and put it on something that won’t melt or burn. Pour the plastic onto the rock, carefully coating the whole thing. Once the plastic dries, you can use a utility knife to cut the plastic from the rock. Just glue the pieces together, and you have a plastic version of the real thing.

4. Paint your rock to look like a real one. (You are, of course, free to make your rock look unnatural, if that’s what you want.) Acrylic paints will do well and look realistic. Some rocks have pieces of shiny minerals in them. Mimic this effect by adding some well-placed pieces of glitter. If you’re making sandstone, sprinkle some fine sand onto your plastic rock before the paint tries to make it look genuine.

5. Seal your rock if you’re going to leave it outside for a long time. You can get shellac in a spray can that adds a fine layer of protection to your plastic rock. Shiny rocks, such as obsidian, could use a coat of clear nail polish to reflect the light.

Make Porcelain Sculptures

Human shaped porcelain sculpture can be created using molds.

Hand building a porcelain sculpture is an ambitious project, but with some perseverance and patience, you may obtain pleasing results. Without any previous sculpting or pottery experience, you can create some abstract shapes by hand and even human or other shaped figurines using a mold. Porcelain is a type of ceramic material that is fired to higher temperatures than other types of clay and one that, after firing, displays a fine and translucent surface. Porcelain is most frequently glazed.

Instructions

Make a Porcelain Sculpture

1. Decide on the shape you want to create and draw a sketch. Even if you want to make an abstract shape you need to have a basic idea of how you want your sculpture to look. If you want to create a more complex shape, you need a mold.

2. Choose a space in your home, basement or yard. You need a working table and a comfortable chair. Place old newspapers on the table and floor to protect these.

3. Play with the ceramic material prior to starting your project.

Condition the porcelain. This is a procedure that is needed to warm up the material and make it more malleable. Play with the material and form a few coils to get used to the material.

4. If using a mold, press in the material using both your hands. Your mold may be made up of two pieces, so fill both pieces and join these by pressing them together.

If you choose to create your sculpture without molds, form a few clay balls, squares, coils or slabs and combine these following your initial sketch. Insert wire between two distinct pieces to connect them and make your sculpture more stable.

5. Take out the porcelain from the molds after 5 to 10 minutes. Make the surface smoother using a moist sponge or paint brush.

You may decorate your hand built sculpture by carving a few lines or symbols or by applying some clay coils.

6. Allow the porcelain sculpture to dry at least 48 hours (or even more if the atmosphere is humid) before firing. The sculpture needs to be bone dry when placed into the kiln. The sculpture is fired in a kiln between 1,800 and 2,000 degrees F. The initial firing is called bisque firing and is performed at lower temperatures to extract the moisture and harden the porcelain, while still keeping the surface porous to make the glazing process easier.

7. Glaze your sculpture using glazes. Apply the glaze using paint brushes. Skip this step if you prefer to paint your sculpture without glazing it.

8. A second firing is needed to allow the glazes to penetrate the porcelain. Glazes make the porcelain impermeable to liquids and will also imbue the porcelain with colors, so you don't need to paint your sculpture.

Emboss Foil Into Card Stock

Embossing foil into card stock or other art work will give it that extra touch. You can emboss with foil using regular embossing tools. All you do is layer a piece of foil over your card stock before you pass it through the embossing machine. If you don't have an embossing machine, you can use an embossing template that yields similar results.

Instructions

1. Cut the card stock to a rectangle of the desired size.

2. Place a sheet of foil on the work surface with the shiny face down. Place the card over it.

3. Cut the foil allowing a centimeter extra all around the card stock.

4. Fold the extra foil inward onto the card stock. Make sure the card and foil are laying flat on the surface, to prevent wrinkles. Do this on all four sides. This will fix the foil securely on the card stock.

5. Place the card stock with the foil into the embossing folder. Make sure the card is placed evenly and is covered by the folder. Inside the folder, one side will have the design indented; the other side will have it raised. The card stock should be placed with the foil facing up on the raised side.

6. Place the embossing folder between the two cutting pads. Follow the instructions for your embossing machine. Place it on the platform provided with your embossing machine. Crank it through the embossing machine.

If you don't have an embossing machine, place the card stock foil side down onto your embossing template and apply pressure the the back of the card stock to achieve your desired look.

7. Open the folder and take out the card stock carefully without damaging the foil. Leave the card stock in the foil for extra strength.

Make Pop Art

Pop art can accurately recreate popular figures and products or present them in an entirely new light.

The celebrity icons and product brands of our time represent their own special kind of art to the discerning eye. But this can be hard for most people to see; after all, the symbols of public and consumer culture can get lost in the ocean of everyday life. Pop art lends a legitimacy to these images by acting as a sort of middleman, running the subjects through the lens of accepted artistic media. The genre can show the subjects as is or represent them in a new or nontraditional way.

Instructions

1. Choose a subject. Think of everyday items or popular celebrities seen everywhere but not classically thought of as art. Consider your feelings about them and whether they're worth recreating in painstaking detail. Take or find a photograph of the subject for reference.

2. Set up your easel and painting supplies in a space with plenty of light. Pin your reference photograph at the corner of your canvas, where it can quickly be compared against your painting. Select the paints you'll be using---either accurate colors or completely new, unexpected ones.

3. Paint your subject. Use smooth, even strokes to make an attractive picture. Highlight the most defining features of the subject. Allow each layer of paint to dry before painting on additional layers to preserve the colors underneath.

Make Pockets In Altered Books

Turn old books into pocketed scrapbooks.

Instead of tossing old, faded hardback books, alter them into beloved keepsakes. Altered books are decorated with fabric, paper and other scrapbooking materials to take them from ordinary reading materials to original, antique-looking memory books. You might even use one of your favorite classic novels and highlight your favorite passages with empty name plates, or make pockets in the books to store photos and post cards. Pockets are one of the best parts of altered books. Opening them is like having a miniature treasure hunt.

Instructions

1. Open your book and mark all of the pages you want to turn into pockets with page flags. Try placing a pocket at each chapter or filling each chapter with the same number of pockets according to a theme.

2. Hold the book open at the first flagged page. Remove the page flag and grip the top right corner of the page. Fold the page down diagonally until the top of the page sits in the center crease of the book. Press down sharply to secure the fold.

3. Rub a glue stick over the unfolded edges of the back of the page. Press the glued edges into the page right behind the folded page. Glue down the fold so it stays put and let the glue dry overnight.

4. Flip to the next flagged page in your book. Remove the flag and slid a utility knife down the crease in the center of the book, freeing the top half of the page. Fold the page down, press to crease, and glue the top edge of the page to the bottom edge. Let the glue dry overnight.

5. Choose the next flagged page in your book. Remove the flag and rub the back of a decorative envelope with glue. Press the envelope into the page. You may center the envelope on the page or place it at the top or bottom of the page. Let the glue dry overnight.

Make A Family Silhouette On The Wall

Make a Family Silhouette on the Wall

Making a silhouette mural of your family is an easy, inexpensive way to personalize your home or to capture images of your children while they are young. While silhouettes can be painted on canvas or wood paneling, there is no reason why you can't paint a family silhouette directly onto a wall. Traditionally, silhouettes are painted in black on a white surface, but any contrasting color combination could be used.

Instructions

1. Select the wall where you want to paint the silhouettes of your family. One at a time, have the members of your family stand sideways in front of the wall.

2. Have another family member hold the flashlight behind the subject so a clear shadow appears on the wall. Move the peson closer or farther away from the wall until the shadow is in the correct place and is the size you prefer.

3. Using a soft lead pencil, trace around the shadow directly onto the wall. Follow this procedure with each member of your family.

4. Fill in the silhouettes with paint. Allow to dry and erase any stray pencil marks with an eraser.

Make Plaster Molds From Oil Based Clay Sculptures

Easily make a mold of any oil clay sculpture.

Making a plaster cast of an oil clay sculpture is sometimes necessary, especially if you plan on selling more than one sculptured piece, or if you plan on casting a sculpture in plaster, ceramic or metal. However, clay sculptures are three dimensional so you need to make two halves to your plaster mold. Because of this you need to decide the best way to divide your sculpture, so that joint lines will be less visible and the plaster mold can easily be removed from the figure without breaking either the figure or the mold.

Instructions

1. Look at your sculpture with a detailed eye and determine where the easiest divide lines for a two part mold would be. Remember you want to keep joint lines in an area that is not easily visible on molded casts. Draw a line using a felt tip pen on the clay sculpture where you are going to divide the cast.

2. Hand form fresh, wet clay around the sculptured piece up to your parting line. Extend this clay approximately an inch from the widest point of the sculpture. Cut off the sides so that it has a rectangular shape. This will serve as one of the temporary sides of the plaster cast while the other side of the mold is being made. Allow the clay to dry to leather-hard (meaning it will still be visibly damp but will not deform when handled). This takes about a day.

3. Add petroleum jelly to the exposed part of the sculpture. Paint mold releasing agent onto the clay base and the exposed part of the sculpture, leaving the clay sculpture and base very oily. Cut four strips of heavy cardboard box the size of your clay base, but 4 to 5 inches higher than you clay base. Enclose the base with these strips and hold them in place with duct tape at each of the outer corners. Make the duct tape corner hold as strong as you can.

4. Mix your plaster according to the plaster package directions. Add plaster to your water instead of water to your plaster to avoid getting lumps. Cover the exposed area of the clay model with plaster up to the top edges of your molding cardboard retainers. Allow the plaster to set for 30 minutes. Remove cardboard retainers. Grasp the opposite sides of the plaster clay mold and loosen the clay from the plaster. Clean plaster of any clay with alcohol. Clean the sculpture of any clay with a damp cloth.

5. Place the sculpture in the plaster mold and place the plaster smooth side on the table with the reverse side of the sculpture facing you. This is the area that was previously covered in clay. Place you casting cardboard sides around the plaster sides and tape with duct tape again. Coat the exposed clay sculpture with petroleum jelly and then coat the bottom plaster cast with parting agent.

6. Mix your plaster according to the package instructions. Pour the plaster over the exposed sculpture and up to the sides of the cardboard retainers. Allow the plaster to set for 30 minutes. Remove the retainers and separate the plaster mold. Clean the sculpture and the mold. Remove leftover clay or debris from the mold with alcohol, Q-tips and clean cloths.

Join Columbia House Dvd Club

You can join Columbia House DVD Club online.

Columbia House offers potential club members access to thousands of DVDs by agreeing to the membership terms and agreement. After fulfilling the initial required DVD purchases, members are free to continue or cancel membership. Follow a few simple steps to join Columbia House's DVD Club.

Instructions

1. Log onto Columbia House's official website. Browse through DVD selections from a variety of categories such as comedy, family, television and other subjects. Select three DVDs of your choice.

2. Click "Add to Cart" after selecting each DVD. As of 2010, all DVDs are $1 each, plus any applicable sales tax. Shipping is free of charge with your introductory package.

3. Purchase a fourth DVD, which is completely optional, for $9.95 as of December 2010. This purchase counts towards fulfillment of required DVD purchases. Customers must purchase three additional DVDs at the regular club prices throughout the year. You can cancel your membership anytime after completing your membership agreement.

4. Sign up for membership. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the enrollment and registration process. Input personal contact information such as your shipping and billing address, a valid email address and other pertinent data. Choose between email or regular postal mail as your preferred contact method.

5. Confirm your order. Review order details for accuracy. Select your payment method and submit your order. After receiving your membership agreement and DVD selections, you have 10 days to review your order. If you are unsatisfied for any reason, you can return your unopened DVDs at Columbia House's expense. All payments will be credited or refunded to your account.

Make A Photo Montage With Music

Wedding photos can be put together with a couple's favorite music to create a gift or favor for guests.

A photo montage is a great way to preserve memories and make great gifts for events such as weddings and graduations. Putting one together from photos and music on your hard drive is simple with the right tools.

Instructions

Making Your Photo Montage

1. Pick the music for your montage. Three or four minutes, about the length of one song, is a good length that will help ensure viewers don't get bored and that you don't run out of photos.

2. Divide the number of seconds in the song by four. This is a good approximation for the number of photos you will need.

3. Locate the photos you wish to use and decide what order you would like them to go in.

4. Open Windows Live Movie Maker (or another program of your choice) and start a new project.

5. Import your photos, dragging and dropping them into the storyboard.

6. Click the AutoMovie button, which will automatically add a title and transitions to your montage. It will also prompt you to upload the music you wish to use.

7. Tweak the montage if you wish using the other menu functions or save the completed montage.

Make Party Hats For Kids

Make Party Hats for Kids

Party hats can make any gathering more festive, and allowing kids to make the hats themselves just adds to the fun. You can even incorporate the hat making into your party's festivities and allow each guest to design his or her own hat. The possibilities for creative decoration are endless.

Instructions

1. Decorate the construction paper or tagboard as desired using markers, crayons or other materials (such as glitter and sequins).

2. Let the paper dry thoroughly.

3. Roll the paper into a cone shape, leaving a small hole at the top for the yarn to go through.

4. Staple the cone shape into place.

5. Trim off excess paper with scissors.

6. Cut multiple pieces of yarn into 5- to 7-inch lengths.

7. Stuff the yarn into the top of the hat.

8. Secure the yarn by taping the ends to the inside of the hat.

9. Punch two holes at the bottom of the hat on opposite sides.

10. Cut a length of elastic cord long enough to stretch from the two holes with a little tension.

11. Tie one end of the elastic cord through each hole in the hat and secure by knotting.

12. Your hat is now ready to wear Re-tie the elastic cord as needed to ensure a comfortable fit.

Make Paper Wall Art

Making paper art for your wall is similar to making paper snowflakes.

Perhaps you have a large empty space behind your sofa and want to brighten things up. You could spend plenty of money purchasing and framing art, but you can also create an eye-catching treatment using the same technique you did to make paper snowflakes in elementary school. With a little bit of time, patience and a trip to the craft store, you can turn your empty wall into an accent wall for several dollars.

Instructions

1. Cut a piece of colored craft paper into a square. Fold the square into quarters.

2. Cut shapes and designs from the folded square. Keep the folded edges together so your shape won't fall apart when you open it.

3. Unfold your folded paper slowly. If it doesn't have enough embellishments for your taste, fold it up and make several more cuts. Experiment with square, triangular, round and irregular cuts in different sizes.

4. Lay your paper creation out flat when you're happy with the design.

5. Repeat the process for as many designs as you want to place on your wall. Use one color or several, depending on the room's current color scheme.

6. Place one design at a time on a flat surface with a piece of thin cotton on top. Iron the paper on a very low setting so it sits flat. Make direct contact with only the cotton, not the craft paper. Repeat this for each design you've cut.

7. Attach double-sided table on the back of each design. Place it in several areas around the surface area and along the edges or perimeter.

8. Adhere the designs to your wall, one at a time, smoothing them from one edge to the other. Place your hand on one taped edge of the design and smooth it across. Gently press the top and bottom as well.

9. Affix the other designs to the wall. Cluster them close to one another, space them out for a faux wallpaper pattern, or arrange them in a curvy, diagonal line on your wall, with some areas having small clusters of the designs.

Make Paper That Looks Like Popcorn Art

Making popcorn collages is a creative activity for preschoolers and elementary school-age children. If you don't have popcorn on hand for this project, or if you're worried about insects or leaving a collage up for a length of time, you can use colorful tissue gift-wrapping paper to get the same effect. Using paper instead of popcorn doesn't make the craft any more difficult for children, and with colored paper you can produce even brighter, longer-lasting results.

Instructions

1. Choose the colored tissue paper you want to work with, or use white if you prefer so the result will look more like real popcorn. Cover a portion of your workspace in wax paper.

2. Cut the colored tissue paper into 5-by-5-inch squares and stack them up. You'll need a lot of squares, as each one will be equivalent to one piece of popcorn; how many you need will depend on the size of your collage, but popcorn art can take at least a large bowl or two of corns.

3. Place one square of colored paper on the wax paper in front of you. Spray it with laundry starch (don't saturate it, just mist it). Crinkle up the tissue paper into a tight ball. Place it in a container to dry as you make more.

4. Continue making paper popcorn one by one. Twist them or roll them if desired. Make each one look unique, as each piece would be unique in real popcorn art. Allow the starch to dry before giving the paper popcorn to the child.

5. Draw an outline of the picture you want to make with a pencil on paper or posterboard. Instruct the child to spread white craft glue with a popsicle stick or craft paintbrush onto one section of the paper or posterboard.

6. Press the colored paper popcorn onto the glue. Continue section by section until the design is complete.

Make Paper Shred Art

The paper shredder sitting in your office is good for more than just making your personal paperwork unreadable. Use it to turn sheets of colorful patterned paper into material to design eye-catching ornaments, crafts for kids and home decor projects.

Instructions

1. Gather cardstock, patterned paper, wrapping paper or magazine advertisements in a variety of colors and textures. Run pieces through a paper shredder to create narrow strips or diamond-shaped pieces, depending on the machine you own. For a crumpled effect, allow the collection basket to overfill or simply crush the pieces by hand.

2. Give the paper to your kids to create dimensional artwork. Trace shapes like flowers, animals or holiday motifs and designs onto large pieces of cardstock or tagboard. Let them "paint" the surface with a thin layer of glue and sprinkle shredded paper onto the surface. Press it down lightly and allow the paper to dry completely.

3. Design vibrant Christmas tree decorations as the holiday approaches. Stuff shredded paper into clear acrylic ball ornaments to coordinate them with your festive color scheme. Feed red or green cardstock through the shredder or use silver and gold wrapping paper or pretty translucent vellum. (See Resources.)

4. Create backgrounds for scrapbook layouts and handmade greeting cards by spraying the surface with adhesive or applying double-sided adhesive to the desired areas. Add the shredded paper, allowing the pieces to overlap slightly for added texture.

5. Add add color and texture with shredded paper to projects around the house. Use strands that complement your room decor as filler in clear vases that hold artificial plants or flowers. Sprinkle it around your table centerpiece or use it as confetti during parties. Pour it into bags to surround gifts as a change from tissue paper.

Make Paper Safari Animals

You need only a few materials to make safari animals.

Most people enjoy the beautiful, majestic look of safari animals. The wild manes, striped or dotted coats and array of colors make the animals excellent art subjects. Pictures of safari animals frequent art exhibits and magazines, and children often draw and imagine safari animals. This craft utilizes a specific cutting and gluing technique to create paper versions of these exotic creatures.

Instructions

1. Find a picture of your favorite safari animal.

Choose a picture of a safari animal from a magazine or online template. Select a picture large enough to trace and cut without the loss of details such as the tail, feet or ears. Cut the picture from the magazine or printed template. This picture will serve as a stencil.

2. Creat paper animals in both natural and unnatural colors.

Fold the piece of card stock in half. Use the stencil to trace the animal onto the card stock. Trace the animal so the head, tail and back touch the folded portion of card stock.

3. Be careful when cutting your animal.

Cut the lower portion of the animal from the card stock. Do not cut the section of the animal along the fold. Leave the fold intact so that both sides of the animal remain attached.

4. Add the animal's markings to make it distinguishable.

Use the markers to decorate the animal. Draw the animal’s markings and distinctive features such as stripes or scales. Glue the googly eyes onto the animal. Allow the eyes to dry for five minutes.

5. Cutting and gluing allows paper safari animals to stand.

Glue both sides of the animal’s head and tail. Do not glue the legs. The unglued legs will splay out and allow the safari animal to stand. The safari animal is now complete.

Make A Tattoo Gun With Guitar String

Make a Tattoo Gun With Guitar String

The art of tattooing has been around for centuries and has had many different uses, including cultural identification, body art and self-expression as well as creating a subculture of artists all its own. Many individuals opt to build their own tattoo guns from a few household items and give themselves a tattoo.

Instructions

1. Take the small pointy end of the smallest gauge guitar string and bend it. The shape should be similar to a seven or an L.

2. Grab a Bic-style pen and remove the ink from the tube. Take a file and rub it across the ball in the brass tip of the pen until it pops out. Take a knife or a really sharp pair of scissors and cut the empty pen tube down to 3 inches in length.

3. Slide the guitar string into the empty ink pen tube.

4. Take your scissors and cut off all of the nylon bristles from a plastic toothbrush. Chop the plastic toothbrush down to a 4-inch piece. Grab a lighter and use it to heat up the middle of the toothbrush and make it bendable. Take the plastic and bend it into the shape of a 7.

5. Use some Scotch tape to fasten the bent plastic to the ink pen tubing.

6. Remove the motor from an old Sony Walkman. Remove the eraser from a number 2 pencil and slide it on the shaft of the Walkman motor. Use your tape to attach the motor to the toothbrush.

7. Take the bent end of the guitar string and force it through the pencil eraser. The guitar string will be a bit off center.

8. Connect the motor to some type of power source. You can either use the battery pack from the Walkman or plug it directly into the wall outlet.

9. Pour out a glob of tattoo ink on a folded paper towel. Dip the guitar string tip into a glob of tattoo ink. You can purchase this ink at local tattoo shops or online. Tattoo ink comes in a variety of colors and can be mixed with different colors for shading and coloring.

10. Switch the motor of the Walkman to the "On" position. The motor should make the guitar string vibrate. Now apply the ink to the skin you desire to tattoo, drawing the design.

11. Remove the guitar string after the tattoo design is complete. Wrap the string in a paper towel, place it in a plastic sandwich bag and throw it away. Take some rubbing alcohol or other disinfectant, apply some to a paper towel and clean the tattoo gun.

Make Paper Collage Art

Make paper collage art from images in magazines.

Professional artists, children and other creative people have created beautiful works of art by piecing together materials to form a united image, a collage. The word "collage" is derived from the French word "coller," which means to glue or paste. Collage art consists of various materials such as fabric, wood or paper glued on a surface. Paper collages are colorful and easy to make. You can find most, if not all, of the supplies needed to create paper collage art in your home, such as old newspaper, magazines, flyers and construction paper.

Instructions

1. Spread newspaper over a table or your work area to protect the surface from splattered glue. Sit all of your supplies within reaching distance on the table.

2. Search through colorful pictures inside your magazines. You can choose a personal theme such as flower gardens, fruits and vegetables, hobbies, or people. Cut out the images and arrange them on your illustration board in an interesting pattern of your choice. Play with the images by moving them around until the position feels right to you. Leave some spaces between the images to add color and decorative beads later.

3. Spread glue to the back of each piece of magazine paper with a glue stick or white glue and a paintbrush. Stick the images in the pre-arranged position on your board. Smooth out any wrinkles or air bubbles in the paper and wipe off the excess glue with a paper towel.

4. Allow the paper collage to dry completely.

5. Add different colors between the spaces of the magazine images using paints and a brush. You may want to use colors that create a contrast between the pictures so the collage really stands out on a wall or desk.

6. Glue a few craft beads within some of the open spaces surrounding the magazine images for a 3-D effect if you wish, and allow the beads to dry.

7. Seal your magazine paper collage by pouring white glue onto a paper plate. Dip a paintbrush into the glue and paint a thin coat of glue over the images and beads. Allow the glue to dry thoroughly for a decoupage effect.

Make Paper Art Swirls

Quilling is an easy project to do with children.

Quilling is the art of twirling small strips of paper into decorative swirls and coils. These swirls of paper are arranged to create animals, flowers, and other shapes and patterns to use as standalone pieces of art or to embellish cards, book covers, invitations and more.

Instructions

1. Squirt a blob of white glue onto a piece of scrap paper and set aside.

2. Insert one end of a strip of paper into the slot on the tip of the quilling tool.

3. Place an index finger on the tip of the quilling tool where you just inserted the paper. This will stop the paper from sliding out of the slot and off the tool when you are turning the paper strip into a coil.

4. Hold the tool with your free hand and turn it toward you, guiding the paper with the thumb of your hand holding the paper. Guiding the strip will make sure you make a nice, even coil.

5. Continue turning the tool and twirling the paper into a swirl until you reach the end of the strip. Then turn the tool a quarter-turn in the opposite direction.

6. Pull the coiled swirl of paper off the quilling tool gently. Do not pull the tool out of the coil or it will distort the paper shape you are creating.

7. Dip one end of the toothpick into the glue and dab a bit onto the loose end of the paper coil. Press this end onto the coil and hold in place until set. This will ensure your paper swirl keeps its shape.

8. Make paper swirls of different shapes by curling the paper looser or tighter. Pinch the ends to make a teardrop shape. Push the center of the coil out for more dimension. Experiment twirling and shaping the strips to make a variety of paper art swirls.

Identify A Surrealistic Painting

Identify a Surrealistic Painting

The term "surrealism" means "beyond reality." Surrealistic paintings heighten reality through creating scenes that can only be experienced in dreams. To identify a surrealistic painting, focus on the images that are presented rather than the way that it's painted.

Instructions

1. Look for juxtapositions of recognizable images in the painting, which are usually presented in a fairly realistic manner. The objects may have qualities that they don't have in real life. They might be especially large or small, or may behave in ways that they wouldn't in real life. For example, Salvador Dali painted giant clocks that appeared to be melting.

2. Seek out transformations in the painting. Surrealists often present ordinary things in such a way that they transform into something else. For example, a human figure may transform into a landscape, or a machine may transform into an animal.

3. Examine the painting for elements of the unconscious that are presented in a positive, though perhaps disturbing, way. Surrealists embrace idiosyncratic imagination and exploration while rejecting the notion of a dark subconscious or insanity underlying anyone's imagination.

4. Explore the potential meanings of the painting. A surrealistic painting uses a symbolist approach for a wider range of interpretations. By providing only enough information for the viewer to construct her own meaning, a surrealistic painting makes the viewer an active participant.

5. Check the date of the painting to see if it was part of the original surrealistic movement, or if it is a modern painting that uses a surrealistic approach. Though a painting of any date can be considered surrealistic, the original movement lasted from the mid-1920s to the 1940s.

Make Paper Animal Heads

Make several folds in various directions to create an origami animal head.

Origami is a Japanese art form of folding paper into decorative figures and shapes. When creating these figures, you normally use a single sheet of paper and make a variety of folds and creases to create the image. Such figures can include: stars, diamonds, boxes, airplanes, flowers and animals. You can learn to make origami figures, such as animal heads by making the right folds and creases.

Instructions

Dog's Head

1. Lay the square piece of paper on a flat surface, fold it diagonally and make a triangle. Crease the fold along the edge.

2. Fold the triangle down the center and crease it to make a smaller triangle. Unfold the smaller triangle so that the crease shows down the center of the triangle you created in Step 1.

3. Fold each corner down and crease it on each side so that the corners point downward and you have a point at the top.

4. Flip the paper over, fold about 1 inch of both points away from you and crease it. Turn the paper back over to see the shape of the dog's head. Draw the dog's face using a marker.

Cat's Head

5. Lay the square piece of paper on a flat surface, fold it diagonally and crease it along the edge to create a triangle.

6. Fold the triangle down the center, align the corners and crease the paper along the edge to create a smaller triangle.

7. Unfold the triangle created in Step 2 and lay it out flat. Position the triangle so that the middle point is facing upward.

8. Fold the left and right corners upwards and crease both sides to make the cat's ears. Fold the top corner downward towards you and crease the fold along the edge.

9. Turn the paper over to see the head of a cat. Draw a face on the front, twist two pieces of black pipe cleaner and glue them on the face for whiskers.

Koala Bear's Head

10. Lay the paper on a flat surface with one corner pointing upward and fold it diagonally down the center by aligning the left corner with the right corner. Unfold it and then fold the paper diagonally by aligning the top corner down with the bottom corner and crease it along the edge to create a triangle.

11. Position the triangle so the center point is facing downward. Fold both corners down to meet at the center.

12. Bring the folded corners upward and make a slanted crease so the corners point up and out on each side. Locate the small tip at the top, fold it down towards the front and firmly crease it.

13. Fold the two points down at an angle to create the koala's ears.

14. Fold the bottom tip up, flip the paper over and fold the bottom tip up. Use the marker and draw the ears, eyes, nose and mouth to complete your koala head and face.

Make Paper Animals In Videos

The most effective way to use paper animals in video is a technique called "Stop Motion." This is a form of animation that involves taking many pictures and moving the subjects ever-so-slightly for each picture. When the pictures are put together and sped up, if done well, it creates an animated effect.

This tutorial, uses the Macintosh program iStopMotion2. While Windows users will have to find an alternate program, the principles will be very similar no matter what program is used.

Instructions

1. Make one or more origami animals. You can use as many, or as few animals as you feel you'll need for your animation. A good basic shape to start with, would be an origami swan or scorpion.

2. Use your camera to take plenty of pictures of your animal in many stages. Do not move the animal very much, or change the fold of the animal very fast. Take it slow, and change very little at a time. The more pictures you are able to take, the smoother the animation will be. If you take too few pictures, or move the animal too much, your video will be very choppy and look amateur.

3. Connect your camera to the computer when you feel you have enough photos. Download all the pictures off the camera, and onto the computer in order.

4. Download and install a stop-motion program. The program iStopMotion2 costs money, but has a free trial version. Once installed, open a new session with all default settings. You will see a timeline at the bottom. This is where you are going to "drag and drop" all your photos in order. Once they are imported, you can select a background and even add music by dragging it onto the timeline as well.

5. When your movie looks the way want, click on "File" and then "Export" and choose where to save your movie and in what movie format.

Make Paper Animals

Making animals out of paper is an endlessly popular craft to use with children of all ages, and it can become a fascinating hobby and even a sophisticated art form for adults. There are many traditional ways to craft paper animals, and lots of resources available to help you do it.

Instructions

1. Make paper bag animal puppets. Use a flattened paper lunch sack as the puppet base; the side where the bottom of the sack flaps over is the front, and the flap will form the head. Use crayons or markers to add realistic or fanciful animal facial features, and glue on front legs (where the "arms" would be on a human puppet), horns, yarn manes, tails and other details, or use printable templates from Enchanted Learning Software. Operate the puppet by slipping your hand inside the flattened paper bag and hooking your fingers into the flap so you can make the paper animal "talk."

2. Cut out animal paper chains. Start with a long strip of paper, approximately 3 inches by 24 inches. Accordion-fold the strip lengthwise into a 3-inch by 4-inch rectangle. Sketch the silhouette of a simple animal, seen from the side, on the rectangle, making sure that the animal's nose (or trunk, if it's an elephant) and tail each butt up against a short side of the rectangle. Then use sharp scissors to cut out the silhouette, making sure not to cut across the nose or tail; unfold the strip, and you should have a chain of six paper animals joined at nose or tail.

3. Recycle newspapers to make papier mache animals. Start by building a simple armature, or framework, using a toilet tissue roll as the body and taping on crumpled newspaper shapes for the head, legs and tail. Tear old newspapers into small pieces and thin strips, and make a half-and-half mixture of white glue and water; dip newspaper pieces into the glue and lay them on the armature, smoothing them in layers until the whole animal takes shape. After your creation is dry, paint it to add realistic or fun details and coat it with spray gloss.

4. Move on to the more intricate paper animals crafts of Japanese origami (paper folding) and Chinese jianzhi (paper cutting). Making even the simplest paper animals in these traditional ways can be a tricky art to master, so you might want to begin with origami kits like the Busy Kids Origami Animals kit from Jo-Ann's, that have preprinted animal features and easy folding directions, or download free patterns for Chinese paper cut zodiac animals from Hewlitt-Packard's Activity Center.

Make Paint Splatter On A Drawing

Splattering paint brings an expressive touch to a drawing.

Several techniques offer easy methods for splatter painting. You can give flare to any drawing by splattering paint over it. This type of painting was popularized by the artist Jackson Pollock in an American art movement called "Abstract Expressionism." Pollock stood above large canvases to splash and splatter paint in broad, gestural movements. You may apply splatter paint in the same large-scale fashion or use a small brush to apply a light spray of onto your drawing.

Instructions

1. Mix your paint with thinner to achieve a liquid, runny texture. If using acrylics or watercolors, opt for water. If painting with oils, use turpentine or other desired thinner. Blend your paint and thinner thoroughly.

2. Load your brush with paint. Hold your brush near the tip of the handle for a loose, flexible grip. Stand far enough away from your canvas that you can move your arms in broad strokes.

3. Flick paint onto your canvas or paper using arching movements from your wrist and shoulder. Use your wrist and arm, not your fingers, to achieve a broad, free range of movement with the brush.

4. Allow paint to fly from the brush to the canvas. This will naturally create long arcs of color with splattered circles and pools of color.

5. To achieve a finer splatter of paint, hold the brush firmly by the handle at a close distance from the canvas or paper. Tap the handle of the brush with the handle of another brush to release a small splatter of paint or run your finger over the bristles of the brush to create a light spray of color.