OK, who nicked the first half of January? I have no idea where my days are going just now, but they're going there fast. The only time the hands on the clock seem to slow down is when I'm wide awake at 4 in the morning, trying to get back to sleep, trying to follow the 'don't get up and do work' advice. I'd tell you what I find myself doing to numb my brain into submissive sleep instead, but it's way too embarrassing. Let's just say I know a little more about certain children's TV shows than I can pass off as being useful for work. One of the things I managed to tick off my to-do list very early in the new year, though, was this fun project for Kitschy Digitals.
I knew as soon as I saw the kit that I wanted to print the feathers on to aceteate (and not just because it means you can be a bit lazier cutting out all the tiny details when your background is see-through). My initial idea was to wrap them around a votive holder. Acetate….candle….hot, naked flame. I don't need to tell you why it wasn't such a good idea, do I? Or admit how long it took me to work that out. So, napkin rings it was. After a bit of messing around with cardboard rings and silver leaf, I remembered a sheet of lime-green recycled leather I picked up a few months ago, and it turned out to be perfect for the job. If you want to try making a set of your own, here you go with a quick step-by-step.
Feather and leather napkin rings
1. For each napkin ring, cut a 5 x 16cm (2 x 6 1/2 inch) strip of leather.
2. Punch a hole, roughly 1cm (1/2 inch) from one narrow end of the strip, and a second hole 1.5cm (3/4 inch) from the opposite end.
3. Curve
the strip round and overlap the ends so the holes are aligned. Fix in
place using an eyelet.
4. Print
out feathers on to a sheet of inkjet acetate. Cut around the edges of your
chosen feather.
5. Snip
a length of string, thread or narrow ribbon. Hold the feather in position
at the front of the napkin ring, then wrap the string around several times
to hold it in place.
6. Knot
the string above the feather and trim away any excess.
Notes:
:: Find printer-friendly acetate here.
:: Recycled leather is a bit trickier. I bought mine in the flagship Paperchase store on Tottenham Court Road, here in London. They do offer mail-order if you check their website, although it doesn't look like they ship internationally. I've searched for an alternative online supplier and so far drawn a blank – if you know of somewhere, please do leave a link in the comments.
