Pages:

13 February 2022

Handmade Paperweights

Hey guys, how ya doing?

hand-knit bouquets at Beijing Winter Olympics 2022, hand-knit bouquets, hand-knit flowers, crochet flowers, Olympics Awards ceremony, blah to TADA
via shine

hand-knit bouquets at Beijing Winter Olympics 2022, hand-knit bouquets, hand-knit flowers, crochet flowers, Olympics Awards ceremony

The Winter Olympics are on-going in Beijing and I found out that instead of fresh bouquets, the winners receive hand-knit flowers created by Shanghai grannies. The bouquet includes roses, Chinese roses, lilies of the valley, hydrangeas, laurel and olive branches. These flowers symbolize friendship, tenacity, happiness, unity, victory, and peace. Apart from the medals, I think these are such nice (hooray handmade!) and long lasting souvenirs.

Now, on to our craft for the day. 

I found these paperweights at a store many years ago and I took a photo for inspiration. "Maybe I can craft something similar?" I told myself.  

paperweight, handmade paperweights, Love paperweight, Cheers paperweight, gold letters, West Elm, blah to TADA!, clay crafts

The paperweights are gold-plated and have a bit of heft. One spells "love" and another spells "cheers"...very celebratory don't you agree?

In my head, I was planning to use alphabet cookie cutters to spell them out and find a way to connect the letters together.

cookie cutter crafts, salt dough crafts, clay crafts, paperweight tutorial, LOVE, crafts, handmade, blah to TADA

But then I found this at a home store and what's even better, it was on clearance! I just love a good bargain. The universe was conspiring with me to bring this craft project alive!
 
cookie cutter crafts, salt dough crafts, clay crafts, paperweight tutorial, LOVE cookie cutter, crafts, handmade, blah to TADA

This "love" cookie cutter measures 9 inches by 3.5 inches, making for a big cookie. I can't wait to make that with shortbread or sugar cookie dough, but for now let's use the cookie cutter for crafting.

cookie cutter crafts, salt dough crafts, clay crafts, paperweight tutorial, LOVE, crafts, handmade, blah to TADA, rolling pin, Silpat, baking tray

First, I made some salt dough. All you need are: 1 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup salt, and 1/2 cup water.  Mix these together in a bowl with a wooden spoon or with your bare hands until it comes together in a ball. If it's too wet, add a little flour and if it's too dry, add a little water. Remember: small amounts. The goal is to get the consistency of Play Dough or pliable clay. 

cookie cutter crafts, salt dough crafts, clay crafts, paperweight tutorial, LOVE, crafts, handmade, blah to TADA, rolling pin, Silpat, baking tray

I took about two handfuls of salt dough (and kept the remaining salt dough inside an air tight container to keep it from drying out). I rolled out the salt dough using a small rolling pin until it was flat and about 1/4 inch in thickness (you can go thicker if you like).

I rolled directly on the baking tray lined with a silicone baking sheet (or parchment paper). I did this to avoid unnecessary transferring of the dough that can cause it to lose its intended shape.

cookie cutter crafts, salt dough crafts, clay crafts, paperweight tutorial, LOVE, crafts, handmade, blah to TADA, rolling pin, Silpat, baking tray

Then I pressed the cookie cutter into the salt dough.

cookie cutter crafts, salt dough crafts, clay crafts, paperweight tutorial, LOVE, crafts, handmade, blah to TADA, rolling pin, Silpat, baking tray, cake tester

I removed the excess dough that formed on the sides of the cookie cutter. I used a cake tester (a skewer would work, too) to get into the corners.

cookie cutter crafts, salt dough crafts, clay crafts, paperweight tutorial, LOVE, crafts, handmade, blah to TADA, Silpat, baking tray

Bake this in a pre-heated oven (250 degrees Fahrenheit) for about 2 hours.
 
cookie cutter crafts, salt dough crafts, clay crafts, paperweight tutorial, LOVE, crafts, handmade, blah to TADA, rolling pin, Silpat, baking tray, acrylic paint, paintbrush, gold paint

Once cool, apply acrylic paint in your preferred color. Use three to five coats while letting it dry in between each coat.

cookie cutter crafts, salt dough crafts, clay crafts, paperweight tutorial, LOVE, crafts, handmade, blah to TADA, gold paint

And here it is, my handmade LOVE paperweight...TADA! It doesn't have the gloss and sheen of the original design but this matte gold works for me.


Use it to decorate the dinner table for a special feast at home.


Or for engagement parties, bridal showers, weddings, baby showers and other LOVE-ly parties you plan to throw. 

Don't you LOVE how we turned some plain salt dough from "blah" to "TADA?"

And if you LOVE these crafty ideas and want them delivered to your inbox every week, you can subscribe here.

2 comments:

  1. I do LOVE how you turned plain salt dough into a golden paperweight. Happy Valentine's, Claire!

    ReplyDelete

Your comments are very much appreciated!