Lets get crafty

We are always happy to host a variety of art and crafts sessions, to bring women together to learn new things, be around others and have fun - So if you’re interested please drop us a line and we’ll be more than happy to arrange a workshop.

stone head planter

There are a million and one varieties of plant pots aren’t there! But what do you think of this? Made to look like stone, we think it’s really impressive. And you can make it for under £5.00 (it didn’t cost us a penny, as we had all the paint and spray already)

Someone was throwing the ‘girls world’ type head away - think you can see why eh! But you can pick these up at car boot sales.

So here’s what we did:

1. Cut the hair to about 3-4inches long

2. Cut the top of the head off - we simply used a saw to do this, but slowly does it or you’ll tear the plastic

3. The hair is VERY securely stitched, so you need to get a very sharp knife and slice across the lines of hair inside the head - And then you just grab a small amount of hair on the outside of the head, and pull. THIS WILL TAKE A LONG TIME, and your fingers will probably hurt by the time all the hairs out - Sorry about that, but there’s no other way to get the hair out.

4. To paint the head, just use any paint you have - we used a brown/orange emulsion. Pour some into pot and mix in some sand. Make sure you mix together thoroughly. Then just paint the mixture onto the head - we found dapping it on helped it to adhere to the surface better.

5. Let this dry for at least 12hours

6. This stage is optional - Using a couple of different coloured paints, or spray, to create a mottled look. There's no hard and fast rule on where to dab these colours, so just do a bit - stand back to take a look, then dab a little more until you are happy. Once dry, spray with varnish. We only put one coat on, as this is going to house an indoor plant, but more coats will be needed if you want this to live outdoors.

7. Now just pick a plant you like and enjoy

highland cow head

I couldn’t believe how expensive highland cow heads were, so decided to see if I could make one cheaply

1. Purchased cheap mask - £1.99

2. Buy Modroc bandage - my new favourite thing. 12 rolls £9.99 (but I only used 3 rolls)

3. Buy 3 balls of wool - I picked these up from a charity shop for £1.50

4. Cut Modroc into squares, dip in water, mould onto mask - covered with clingfilm for ease of removal. Let first layer dry, then repeat to cover mask again. This stuff dries rock hard.

5. Paint head whatever colour you wish, leaving the nose white.

6. Cut wool into lengths - I found it easier to wrap wool around a card, then cut and place in a row. It just saves time doing several . You will need longer lengths of wool for the top on the head, reducing in length as you go down toward the nose.

7. Spread a layer of good glue, along the head, then lay the wool strips onto the glued area. I found by adding a strip of Modroc along the edge of the wool, ensured it stayed in place.

   I will pre-warn you, this is very time consuming, because you have to wait for each layer to dry - then paint the Modroc strip, and wait for that to dry.

8. I stopped with the wool just above the nose, and everyone who sees this, is blown away. Even been asked if I can make another one? Maybe when I have more time I’ll consider it.

   Total cost £14.00 BUT I have enough to make 4 or even 5 more heads. If I added my time, this would be just as expensive as those who sell them on-line. So now you know why they are SO expensive eh!