Newspaper project ideas

METHOD: HANDY CONTAINER

• Fold lengths of pink newsprint over on themselves several times to create sturdy stripes. Secure with tape on the underside. Repeat to create three strips that are wide enough to cover the height of a container, with enough left to bend over the rim and under the base.

• Repeat this process with black and white newsprint to create vertical strips, ensuring they are long enough to fold over the rim and under the base. Tape the three pink strips at one end to hold them in place and carefully weave the shorter lengths of black and white newspaper through the longer strips. Keep taping on the reverse to create a secure weave.

• Wrap double-sided tape around the circumference of the container and attach the woven panel to it. Secure all the ends of the black and white strips over the rim and under the base.

METHOD: NEWSPAPER CARD

• Cut two pieces of newspaper, 9.5cm x 13cm. Tear the sides of one. Stick down the sides of the other. Colour the edges and tears with brown ink. Layer these onto black and bright pink cardstock. Stick at an angle on a pink blank.

• Stamp a circular design in black ink on the top right and bottom left corners of the newspaper. Draw flourishes and leaves beside each in black pen. Glue pink glitter to the flourishes and edges of the stamped designs.

• Position a range of large and small pink gemstones as shown. On a blank area of newspaper, stamp a 'You're the best' greeting. Cut this into a rectangle, round the corners and layer onto black and pink card. Fix to the card with foam pads.

• Cut a circle of black card to cover the base and raw strip ends and fix in place. Line the inside of the container with black card.

METHOD: DECORATIVE SPHERE

• Die cut numerous flowers and 15 bows from both black and white and pink newsprint. Cut some large flowers from black card.

• Assemble 15 paper blooms by layering a black flower, large newspaper flower and smaller pink one. Attach a gemstone to the centre of each.

• Position the 15 bows in groups of threes, using glue dots to fix them. Punctuate each trio of bows with a group of paper flowers. Add black gemstones to the centres of each bow.

• Do not leave the decorated lampshade unattended. Use a low watt bulb that sits in the centre of the paper lantern and does not touch the sides