Arnold Grummer's Design Team Blog

Wooly sheep, sturdy manger, radiant child. Each done with handmade paper. Merry Christmas to all!  

I've been making a lot of handmade paper over the last few months as an  Arnold Grummer   Design Team  member. I could never bring myself to throw out my leftover handmade paper scraps from all those wonderful projects, so I decided to turn them into gift tags! Here's what you'll need to make your own lovely gift tags: Scraps from your beautiful  handmade paper Scissor with decorative edge - I got mine at Hobby Lobby "To/From" stamp - Hobby Lobby again : ) Ink pads Double sided tape Metallic markers, colored gel pens etc. Grab your decorative edge scissors and trim some of your handmade paper scraps to just a bit bigger than your stamp. Then trim some scraps just a bit bigger than the ones you just cut. I used a scissor that gives the appearance of a deckle edge once the paper is cut. Ink your stamp. And stamp your gift tag. Now use double sided tape, or a glue stick on the back of the gift tag you stamped, and stick it to the bigger...

There is nothing more special than pretty lights at  Christmastime  shining brightly and making everything seem so cozy and inviting! This beautiful little votive candle holder was created by using a very thin piece of white handmade paper using Arnold Grummer's Paper Making Kit . Several months ago I wanted to make some paper that was very thin using only white tissue paper and glitter since I had it in my mind to use them for something during the holidays ,so it worked out great! ~Supplies~ Glass votive holders ( I used one that I had that was already colored orange and wanted to cover it up) Handmade Paper- very thin Snowflake punch Mod Podge Glitter Snowflake Paper ( die cut) 1)To begin with, cut the handmade paper to fit around the votive 2)Stamp out the snowflakes design within the paper itself  3) Secure/seal with mod podge on the outside of the votive holder and then while tacky, glue the small cutout snowflakes onto th...

I am still in full-blown Christmas mode—making cards and decorations. Still need to start the baking!! I love the ethereal look of Arnold Grummer's skeleton leaves , and wanted to use them in some way as a Christmas decoration. Some of the leaves I left natural. Some I painted with USArtQuest Perfect Pigment Acrylic paints. I worked on a craft mat to paint the leaves. I used a fairly wet brush, and this thinned the paint just enough for good coverage without clogging the delicate structures of the leaves. I only used two drops of paint for five leaves!! Painted leaves drying on my work table To form the flower I exposed one side of a Zots Singles 3-D glue dot and arranged the leaves as petals on top and pressed them firmly into the glue dot. Next, I turned the flower over and exposed the second side of the glue dot. Working in a tidy tray, I liberally covered the glue dot with prills , and pressed them firmly into the glue dot. Any prills that didn't adhere to the glue ...

Arnold Grummer's  casting molds are great for making one of a kind gifts.    Not only can they be used with paper pulp but also with polymer clay.  It's a fun and easy way to create embellishments for your projects.  I used the casting molds and polymer clay to create a special gift with a ton of meaning for a special young girl.  Here is what I did. Items used: Arnold Grummer's Cat With Heart Casting Mold Arnold Grummer's Daisy Casting Mold Arnold Grummer's Irish Claddagh Casting Mold Sculpey III Polymer Clay in Pearl Small Recycled and Painted Tray     These are the three molds that I used.  Each mold was chosen because of it's symbolic meaning.  To make the casts I first sprayed the molds with water as a release agent for the polymer clay.  I then push the clay into the mold.  I used my roller to make sure that the back of my cast was was  flat.  Using the roller also helps to spread the clay i...

Now that we have covered a milk carton with paper let's slip the paper off and make a house. I love using both the square bottom section of the carton and the pointy top to make one of these houses. You make these house in three phases. First the walls, then the pointed part of the house above the walls, then the roof. Start with the walls, doors and windows: Make enough pulp for at least two 5 X 7 sheets of paper made in the Medium Pour Mold . For basic paper making instructions visit the Arnold Grummer Website. Make the pulp in batches, then combine the batches in a container, that way all the components with be the same color.  Make a template of the house walls, it will take two sheets of 5 X 7 paper to cover a half gallon carton. Make a seperate template for each sheet of handmade paper Cut out the doors and windows on the template, place it in your frame. Place blocks where the doors and windows will be. REMOVE TEMPLATE, LEAVE THE BL...

I don't have a stellar memory so Post-it notes are a way of life for me. What I do have, is a love of books. I am a book enthusiast. I enjoy reading books, writing, buying, selling and collecting books, and I love making books. When I came upon a way to make Post-it notes into a little book, I was delighted. Arnold Grummer, master of all things paper making and paper crafting, offers an inexpensive, fun and easy way to get started making your own sticky note notebooks at  http://arnoldgrummer.com These are great gifts for men or women, super stocking stuffers, teachers, nurses, and office staff everywhere appreciate them. They sell at craft fairs, and online at websites like  http://www.etsy.com  priced anywhere from $3.00-$20.00+ depending on how fancy and embellished they are. They keep your Post-its safe and warm, travel well, and are refillable (glue stick required). Here's what you'll need to ge...