HYDERABAD: A few weeks back, my little neighbour kept me on my toes with her need to play and do stuff at home. My sweet toddler friend knows where exactly my craft paraphernalia is stashed with all its ribbons, stickers, beads, papers, tools, embellishments and more and makes a beeline for it. Her objects of affection on this visit were the bundles of stickers that I use for various craft projects.
Kids love their stickers, don’t they? At the same time, we adults get a headache trying to keep our hair ornaments and other jewellery together. They get lost, break or simply find no use after a while. When you end up with those barrette clips from which the decor pieces fall off, what do you do? Here is where the stickers come in.
For this quickie project, I have used new barrette clips. You could use a functional old clip that has either lost its charm, or one that you want to give a makeover to, or a new one that you can pick up from craft stores online and offline.
I used the 3-D stickers for a kiddy barrette clip for my neighbour.
What you need for the project, is of course, barrette clips to begin with.
YOU ALSO NEED
Some multi-surface glue. I have used superglue, a stirring stick and toothpick (optional).
Some acrylic paint, or whitener.
An old cloth, or newspaper, tissue paper, or packaging sheet to absorb spills if any
HOW TO DO IT
Carefully read the instructions on the glue container or packet before you start. When you apply glue, you must be cautious enough not to let any amount of the liquid touch your skin. Make sure you adhere to first aid if it accidentally spills.
Meanwhile, pull out a few stickers to see which of them fit your barrette. I arranged the emoticon-type fruity stickers to get an idea of the dimensions.
Now gently squeeze a drop or two on the barrette surface that is bulged up. Place the sticker on it, and press the two surfaces hard. Use the blunt end of a pencil, the stirrer or your fingers.
If using fingers, be careful please. Should some glue squeeze out when you press, do not try setting anything right. If it falls off, let it drop on to the cloth or paper below.
Let it dry for a while. And move to the next sticker. In my case, I messed up a little on gauging the size of these stickers with their angles.
I pulled out a few more stickers - melons, bananas...finally a pear sticker came to my rescue.
Once it is done, flip it over. You don’t mind these smudge marks on the rear don’t you. I did not mind one bit. But then, I realised that the left over glue an mess up a little girl’s hair. Wait till the barrette and stickers have dried.
And dab a little white paint on the stirring stick, apply on the surface that is not sticking to the barrette clip. Let this dry out as much as possible. I did not try it out, but you could probably pad on some decoupage glue or Mod Podge to give the rear a glossy finish.
Article and pictures courtesy Radhika Malladi
http://www.imprintshandmade.com