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crafts

23 October 2010

#296 Fold a paper airplane

Today’s guest blogger is Mike Christensen, who runs 365 Jönköping.http://365jonkoping.wordpress.com/

I can really only fold one type of paper airplane, but have always thought it would be nice to be able to practice more. The interesting thing about folding paper airplanes is that they don’t really fill a function.

Or do they?

It gives you something to do for a while, and whatever your attitude towards folding paper airplanes is, it’s still creative. To activate the brain and solve a really quite complex problem. Depending on what you want your paper airplane to do of course.

Perhaps your plan is that it will hang in a tree and look good, or you want it to fly straight and fast. What you do with your paper airplane is up to you of course, and there is not only one use that is "right". People tend to get stuck in ruts and what isn’t easier to get caught up in than the folding of paper airplanes?

Figure out new ways to use your paper airplane. Put them in a tree, write a message and send it off to someone you think looks interesting but have never dared to talk to. Paint the eyes, teeth and a balloon. Put them on a bench and let people marvel at the fact that there is a paper airplane there. Think different!

As long as you have access to a sheet of paper, you can do this wherever you want and whenever you want. The templates are often learned by heart. Then, just do it.

Bonus - To get inspired look in here or here. http://www.pysselopill.se/flygplan.htm http://www.bestpaperairplanes.com/

Required time: 
1 hour or less
Cost: 
Free.
Cons: 
There is a risk that you wont succeed the first time, but do not give up!
Pros: 
You become a good problem solver.
Taggar: tabs, problem solver, paper airplanes, paper, Mike Christensen, crafts, 365 University, 365 things you can do
31 August 2010

#237 Train your hands

Human hands are like small children. They want to try things. They want to do things themselves. The modern man has become accustomed to buying ready packaged food, clothes and shelves that need at most three turns with a screwdriver to fasten.

However, there are occasions when we rediscover the joy of being handy. Hands who wake up to discover that their function is not only to dive down on a keyboard or to hold on to the railing on a bus in order for the rest of the body not to fall into the fellow passengers. The hands are the body's best tools. We have cells that are made to feel things. The fingers are triple layer of cells. We’re supposed to know, do and create.

So screw buying things ready-made things. Do it yourself instead.

In order to get your fingers going, you can knead clay. Here are tips on what you can make with it:

- Figures in a puppet show.
- Models of furniture before moving or rearranging your apartment
- Outline a house in 3D
- Scenarios for an animated short film
- Bowls, vases or mugs

Recipe:
4 dl flour
3 dl salt
2 tablespoons of alum (available at the pharmacy)
3 tablespoons cooking oil
5 dl boiling water
caramel color

Required time: 
1 hour or less
Cost: 
Under €10
Cons: 
It can be messy.
Pros: 
You do it yourself instead of buying ready-made concepts. It’s also free of the toxins and crap that one finds in the store-bought kind.
Taggar: non-toxic, hobby, finger-finished, crafts, crab, clay figures, clay, animation, 365 things to do