DIY - Make Decorative Light Up Paper Tube or Pillar

This decorative illuminated tube made using poster paper is an easy DIY project and comes out really good. It can be used it in many ways and some of them can be used as following.

* as a decorative piece or night lamp shade
* as a pillar in building model
* as a hiding compartment for surprise gift

Below pictures shows two paper tubes in different size and light colors.

Following suggested items can be used to create such paper tube.

* Poster paper 

* Empty tin like peanut tin or tomato sauce tin. 

* Double side tap

* Light Source e.g. Tea Light or Finger Light or Flash Light (depending on ambiance required to create)

Below are suggested steps to create one such paper tube.

1. Take a poster paper in the height of tube required. One can choose color of poster paper as desired. If one has light in the desired color then choosing white color poster paper will look good.

2. Place double side tap on tin and then start from the edge of poster paper and place it on the tap on tin as shown in picture below. This should fix lower part of poster paper over the tin.

3. Wrap poster paper from other edge and create tube. 

4. Get the light source. In this case Finger Light was used and it require some support to stand straight.

5. Place the light source and place it at the center of the base of the tin.  

6. Once light is on, tube should illuminated. Picture below showing how it looks with room lights on and when placed in dark.

7. Depending on light intensity, you may see light beam coming out of tube and making an impact on ceiling as shown in picture below. If you don't need this to happen then put the another tin or apply the lid on opening.

8.  This tube can be used in many other ways like

• Write message on poster or cut the letters on poster and allow letters to illuminate.
• Instead of standing this tube on floor, it can be hanged from ceiling. If it is hanged then one need to make adjustment to fix light source or make a hole in the base to allow lights source getting in.
• Use paper embroidery and use paper tube as night lamp shade.

DIY - Kids Can Make Quick and Beautiful Birthday String Banner

This Birthday String Banner is very quick to make and looks beautiful. Though Birthday String Banner doesn't cost much but nothing like making it on your own specially doing this with kids. This can be very good project for young kids.

Here is one such Birthday String Banner Sample and below the picture, it contains steps to create similar one.

Items required:

a. Craft twisted jute rope or decorative string to hang banner b. Scissor c. Post-it notes d. Construction Papers (same or different colors) e. Glue f. Hole Puncher g. Birthday Message Letter (Print and Cut the letters as needed to display) h. Push pins to hang banner

Steps:

1. Get letters print in desired style and cut them according to your display. One option is to cut in shape of alphabet as shown in picture below.

Make sure your font size doesn't cross the size of post-it note.

2. Cut a round paper which is little bigger (1"-2") then size of post-it notes so that it gives nice background to post-it notes. 

3. Get some construction papers and use the round paper as created in previous step. Place this round paper on constructions paper and cut it accordingly.

4. Once round shape construction paper is ready, take hole puncher and make one holes at left and right side in straight line. This shape will be base of banner alphabets.

  

5. Get string pass through the holes. This string will hold the base round shape paper.

6. Take post-it notes and glue it in diamond shape on other side of round shape paper.

7. Take alphabet and glue the back of it. 

Note: Be careful to take alphabets in order of appearance of banner. Below picture is sample of an alphabet.

8. Fix alphabet over the post-it and this should get one letter of banner ready.

9. Repeat these steps to create remaining alphabets of banner and insert them using the string.

10. Measure the banner size and cut the string from the roll accordingly.

11. Get 2 pushpins and tie string ends. 

12. This should be all set now. To transport or store, this can be easily pouched into a zip lock pack.

Kids should love and be proud of seeing this banner on during party.

Easy DIY Glow In The Dark Birthday Message

This one is an easy and quick DIY and helps to illuminate message like glow in the dark. You can use it to make a signboard or display a message.

As you see in picture below that message “Happy Birthday MOM” has really comes out impressive.

Below notes illustrates how it can be done.

Item required are as following.

  a. Cereal box (size about 8x11 inch)

  b. Message print (white font on full black background)

  c. Paper cutter

  d. Glue or double side tap

  e. Mounting pad or double side tap

  f.  Finger Light or any other source of light which will provide enough lights to illuminate the message.

DIY Steps to follow:

• Get a paper box like a cereal box which will fit for the message.

• Print message on white color font on a black paper/background. Below is link to Happy Birthday MOM message PDF file to print on 8x11 paper. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5kkJjFzsANPNEMtOWdXcjFyQ0E/view?usp=sharing

• Align paper over the box and make marks on paper where white font area will be placed. It’s easy to cut rectangle box of size of each word. This helps light to illuminate only at fonts. 

 ·         Make cuts on marked area and apply glue on remaining area to fix the printed message.

 ·         Use highlighter (green or yellow looks great) and use it over the white font.

 ·         Place paper carefully over the box to align fonts with area on box being cut.

 ·         Depending on the source of light, cut may be required to make at the desired side of box. In this case battery light was tapped at the center to even out the light.

 ·         Use mounting pad or double side tap and fix the box over the door or wall as desired.

Once ready turn the source of light in dark and see the message glowing in the dark.

Creative usage of battery LEDs

These days Finger LEDs are greatly liked by kids and they are having them either in party favors or at fun zone place where they trade it against their winning tickets.

These LEDs comes in different colors and runs on pre-installed batteries. It also comes with a switch and a band to wear on a finger. Here are some of creative ways one can use this to make to add more value of this product.

1.       Light up a flower bouquet.

2.       Create ambiance at home for a special moment by placing it a place like behind TV, Curtains, Sofa, under kitchen cabinets etc.

3.        On floor or stairs steps, stand them (you may need a support to hold it straight) and put a white Styrofoam glass on it. In dark/low light this will illuminate the area and will provide great ambiance for party.

4.       Tie on the fan blades (front or behind) and while running it will give moving light effects in room. Make sure that these are tightly placed otherwise it may get thrown with the fan speed. Also make sure fan switch is shut-off while you are placing them on blades.

5.       Place it inside a balloon to make a lighted balloon. Though there are LED balloons are available at party supply stores.

6.       Add to decorative piece like a false pillars made from poster paper.

7. Use to light up a box having message written it something like shown in picture below.

                            

                                      

8.       Cover it in clear plastic and put into water crystals to glow them.

Decorate wall with pictures on CD and arranged in a heart shape

This is great way not only to surprise loved one on Valentines or Birthdays or Anniversaries days. This idea can also be used for a party where guests can write their wishes on pictures or heart shape. One will need to get some (10-20) 4x6 pictures which can be cropped into round shape of 3” to 3.5”or can be cropped in a heart shape. There can be many ways to arrange them in heart shape and place on a wall. Here is one such easy DIY way in which pictures are glued on standard size CD/DVD and then they are placed on a wall in a heart shape. To give it more attractive one can place a heart shape cardboard in middle. Picture shown here should give great deal of indication on what it may look like on a wall.

Pictures On CD/DVD In Heart Shape

Here are DIY steps to create this decorative piece like shown in above picture. 

1.       Items required are as following.

a.       Glue

b.      Double side Tap/Small Mounting Pads

c.       CD/DVDs (10-20 numbers)

d.      Trifold board/Cardbox (for cutting heart shape) according to size of heart shape.

e.      Gift paper or other decorative material (paint, glitter etc.) to decorate heart shape.

f.        Heart shape template (One can make one easily using newspaper)

g.       4x6 Photo prints (10-20 numbers)

2.       Get 4x6 pictures prints to be placed on CDs/DVDs. Please select pictures which can be fit in the desired shape i.e. in round shape for this sample. If one is going to order new prints then one can apply basic computer knowledge and use programs like power point to put pictures into the shape and then save slides as JPG file. Once can get more help on this by using reference articles available on web.

Once photo prints are available, cut them into required shape.

3.       Apply double side tap or glue to fix photo prints on CD. Doing this on shining side of CD provides reflection both in day light and lamp and makes it more attractive.

4.       Get heart shape template and make one using newspaper. One will need 2 heart templates in about 5”-6” size apart. I created one in 21” inch and other one for 15” using a newspaper.

5.       Place the heart shape template on cardbox/trifold board and cut it according to shape. Remember you will need to make cut it twice (outer and inner border). In picture you can only see trifold board after heart shape is cut from other border.

6.       Decorate the heart using gift wrapper or color or glitter or other way as one want. One idea is to warp on a light shade gift paper and allow guests write their wishes and then it can be used to put on wall.

7.       First fix the heart shape one made on the wall using mounting pads or double side taps.

8.       Once heart shape is placed on wall then place the CDs/DVDs with photos around it and stick those using mounding pads or double side taps.

This should get the wall a great look be it for surprise or for a party or for a home decoration.