Last updated 19th Sept 2011

Welcome to craft workshop. Here you will find tutorials for how to make almost anything such as origami, cards, decorations, clothing, cakes, pottery and jewellery. If you would like to send in your own craft tutorial to earn 20 points, please neomail creative_therapy with a paragraph explaining how to make your item, preferably with a picture. Also, please let me know if you have tried any of these tutorials and tell us how you've got on. Send in your pictures of the crafts you've made and you'll get 10 points for each one! Please use the bar on the left to navigate your way through the different sections.

Ratings

To rate a tutorial or picture in the gallery, neomail creative_therapy with the name of the piece, a rating out of ten and a short comment (one or two sentences) explaining your rating. Ratings are worth 3 points each.

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There are no papercraft tutorials yet. Please check back soon.

Redesigning Your Old Shoes by Chels

First, you need a pair of old shoes. High heels or platforms are ideal, but most shoes will do (except for skinny flip flops). Then you want to find some fabric. You can use old clothes, scarves, book bags, or fabric bought from the store. As long as the fabric isn't too thick, it will work. You can buy other accessories like bows, sequins, ribbon, whatever you like! Making the shoes does take time, but it's not hard. Take some varnish (this can be bought from a craft store) and decoupage the fabric in any way you like on the shoes. You want to apply several coats to ensure the shoes stay together. Then put on your accessories. It's that easy. Before they dry make sure to cut off any loose fabric strands or replace falling accessories. Wait at least 24 hours for your shoes to dry and then put them on and show them off!

Bottlecap Art by Chels

Easter Cupcakes by Phoenix

(makes 12 cupcakes at roughly 270 kcals each)

These chocolate orange cupcakes make the perfect Easter treat. You could give them to your family as an alternative to chocolate eggs or just serve them as a treat after your Easter meal.

Ingredients for cakes:
125g softened butter
125g caster sugar
2 medium eggs
100g self-raising flour
2 tbsp milk
3 level tbsp cocoa powder

Ingredients for topping:
87.5g softened butter
175g icing sugar
3 tbsp boiling water
Few drops of orange flavour oil
24-36 mini chocolate eggs
Few drops yellow food coloring

Method:
1) Beat together the butter and sugar in a bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy.
2) And the eggs and milk, sift over the flour and cocoa powder, then beat until the mixture is smooth and brown. 3) Spoon mixture into twelve silicon cupcake moulds (or a cupcake tray)
4) Bake in the oven for approximately 8-12 minutes AT ABOUT 180 degrees until raised and brown.
5) While the cupcakes are baking, start making the topping. Beat the butter in a bowl to soften it.
6) And the icing sugar, boiling water, orange oil and food coloring and beat until the icing is smooth and a consistent bright yellow color. Pop the buttercream in the fridge so it doesn't melt.
7) Remove cupcakes from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
8) When the cupcakes are cool, use a spoon to cover them with the yellow buttercream. Don't worry if you're messy-it only makes them look yummier!
9) Pop them into bright colored cupcake cases and add two or three chocolate mini eggs to the top and you're done!

Healthy Muffins by Phoenix

(makes 12 muffins at 212 calories each)

Ingredients:
170g dried chopped apricots or dried blueberries
170g unsweetened museli (I used Alpen)
250g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
250ml unsweetened apple juice
3 tbsp vegetable oil
100ml honey
1 large egg

Method:
1) Line a 12-hole muffin tin with 12 paper cases.
2) Put the dried fruit, museli, flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl and stir.
3) In a seperate bowl, mix the apple juice, oil, honey and egg. 4) Fold the liquid into the dry ingredients but do not over mix.
5) Spoon the mixture into the paper muffin cases. 6) Bake in a pre-heated oven at 190 degrees (375 degrees farenheit/gas mark 5) for 20 minutes, until golden and risen. 7) Remove from the oven and serve immediately, or transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Valentine's Day Cupcakes by Phoenix

(makes about 18 mini cupcakes)

Okay, so I'm definately not a domestic goddess and I usually struggle with the most basic culinary tasks, but I've finally found my baking niche-cupcakes! I have a great book of cupcake recipes and my Mum got me a mini cupcake maker for Christmas. It's a bit like a sandwhich toaster and you can just mix up your batter, pour it in, close the lid, wait about ten minutes and hey presto, perfect mini cupcakes. Yesturday I tried it out for the first time by baking some Valentine's Day cupcakes and this was the result. The icing came out a bit messy but that's my style and they tasted absoloutely scrummy. If you want to have a go yourself, here's the recipe I followed:

Ingredients for cake mix:
125g (4 1/2 oz) softened butter
125g (4 1/2 oz) caster sugar
2 medium eggs
125g (4 1/2 oz) self raising flour
2 tbsp milk

Ingredients for buttercream icing:
175g (6 oz) softened butter
350g (12 1/2 oz) icing sugar
Few drops of vanilla extract
Few drops of pink food colouring
3 tbsp of boiling water
Pretty sprinkles to decorate

Equipment:
1 large mixing bowl (for cake mix)
1 small mixing bowl (for topping)
2 x wooden or plastic spoons
Non stick mini cupcake moulds/mini cupcake maker

Method:
1) Beat together the butter and sugar in a bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy
2) Add the eggs, flour and milk to the bowl and beat until the mixture is smooth.
3) Pour into the mini cupcake moulds but not right to the top as the mixture will rise.
4) Bake in the oven at 200 degrees for about ten minutes (or in mini cupcake maker for time specified) or until golden brown.
5) Meanwhile mix together the butter and icing sugar for the topping and add the boiling water and vanilla extract and a few drops of pink food coloring.
6) Beat together until the icing is very smooth and pale in colour.
7) Leave the cupcakes to cool on a wire rack then place in mini cupcake paper cases.
8) Cut a circle from the top of each cupcake and slice the circle in half. Put a dollop of buttercream icing in the center of each cupcake, then place the two halves of sponge on the top like wings.
9) Decorate with sprinkles and enjoy!

Soap Cupcake Recipe by Phoenix

Ingredients

• Melt and pour soap base (opaque looks best)
• Food colouring or cosmetic colour (yellow/brown for the base and pink or white for the frosting).
• Fragrance oil (vanilla or chocolate for the base and something sweet like cherry or strawberry for the frosting)
• A cupcake mould (one for making real cupcakes)
• Jojoba beads to use as sprinkles (optional)
• 3 Tablespoons Meringue Powder/Powdered Egg Whites
• 1 lb. (By weight) Powdered Sugar
• 5 Tablespoons warm water
• 1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
• Pretty cupcake case

Instructions
1)Melt the soap base in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until it has melted into a liquid.
2)Quickly put in a couple of drops of yellow/brown colour and a couple of drops of vanilla or chocolate fragrance oil and stir well. If it starts to set, melt it in the microwave again.
3)Pour the mixture into the cupcake mould, right to the top.
4) Leave to stand somewhere cool for about an hour or so (the longer you leave it the harder it will be)
5) When it is completely solid, gently turn it upsde down and press it until the soap falls out, and you have your cupcake base.
6)Next it's time to make the frosting. Mix Meringue into warm water first. Add cream of tartar and powdered sugar, then add a couple of drops of fragrance (strawberry, cherry etc.) and a couple of drops of colour (pink, white etc). Whip on medium speed for 4 to 7 minutes.
7)While the frosting is still light and fluffy, use a spatula or a frosting piper to spread it over the top of the base soap that you made earlier. Be creative and make it in any shape you like.
8) Before it hardens you could sprinkle on a few sprinkles or even put a real cherry on the top.
9) Leave to harden. The frosting will form stiff peaks and harden within an hour or so. When it's ready you will have your very own soap cupcake. You can even put it in a pretty cupcake case to make it look more realistic. If you do a few and put them into a decorative box, they make a really great birthday present for someone. When you use them in the bath, the frosting part should fix like a bath bomb, but the bottom part will be like normal soap so it will last longer. Enjoy! But oh....don't try and eat them!

Here's where we display pictures of all the craftworks you have made! If you would like to send one in, please neomail creative_therapy and you will earn 10 points for each one!

Bottle Cap Art by Chels

Shoe Redesign by Chels

Easter Cupcakes by Phoenix

Blueberry Muffins by Phoenix

Apricot Muffins by Phoenix

Mother's Day Cupcakes by Phoenix

Valentine's Cupcakesby Phoenix

Cranberry and Orange Soap by Phoenix

Orange Soapby Phoenix

Gingerbread Man Soapby Phoenix

Chocolate Soap by Phoenix

Christmas Soap by Phoenix

Lemon Soap by Phoenix

Cupcake Soap by Phoenix

Anniversary Cupcakes by Phoenix