What is needed for textile creativity? The best DIY thread crafts. Tips for beginners from the masters.
Crafts from threads are an opportunity to have fun and turn an ordinary hobby into an entertaining creative process. Various techniques are used to create stunning decorations and functional items for the home. And if you make crafts from threads with children, then joint creativity will not only bring maximum benefit to the emotional background in the family, but also help develop fine motor skills, attention, perseverance in the baby. In order for a creative idea to work out the first time and without unnecessary material costs, it is first necessary to study all the subtleties of craftsmanship.
What are thread crafts?
In the photo, a craft made of threads
The first yarn products began to be made more than 3000 years ago and were of an exclusively applied nature. The thread was used to create traps, protective cloths, capes. By the way, this skill was considered exclusively masculine. Only when women began to create handicrafts from threads with their own hands, applied art grew into the category of creativity. Some examples of such creativity are even exhibited as museum pieces.
Of course, works of art from threads will only come out with practice and with the development of new techniques. But the new hobby is useful in any case. Researchers argue that the monotonous movements found in most thread-making techniques have a meditative effect on the human brain, promoting relaxation and reducing stress.
During meditation and working with the thread, the same areas of the brain that are responsible for attention are activated. And memorizing complex patterns and drawings improves the functioning of the brain as a whole. The implementation of creative ideas has a beneficial effect on the emotional state, motivating for future achievements.
Separately, it should be said about crafts from woolen threads for children. At a young age, any creative experimentation contributes to the development of fine motor skills. And given the neuro-connections of the fingers and individual parts of the brain, such a development has a beneficial effect on all brain activity.
For older people, threading helps prevent or slow down the development of dementia and other age-related changes in the brain due to the same activation of neural connections.
Materials for making crafts from threads
In order to interest the child in creativity, it is important to choose the right level of difficulty for crafts made from threads, glue and other materials. The same rule applies to adults who decide to learn a new hobby. After all, it is extremely important for both older and younger ones to see the positive results of their work at the end of painstaking work - in this case, a beautiful toy, a picture, a homemade product.
What materials are needed depends largely on the technique chosen, how to make a craft from threads. For beginners, it is recommended to pay attention to the following techniques:
- Flat glue molding … Pins are fixed on a cardboard blank or a wooden base, the glued thread is laid out in random order between such clamps. When the glue is dry, remove the craft from the base.
- Bulk glue molding … Thin and airy yarn is given an unusual shape with the help of glue, when the glue dries, the rigid base is removed from the weave. In this technique, the most common craft is an egg made of threads - an ideal gift for an Easter holiday or an unusual decor element.
- Applique thread … A drawing template is drawn on a paper blank. Threads of the corresponding color and length are laid out on the workpiece. The laid out threads are fixed on the paper with a lot of glue. The piece of paper must be completely covered with yarn.
- Isothread (thread graphics) … This is non-linear embroidery with cardboard yarn.
- Flowers from pompons … Very light thread crafts. In order to get an original bouquet, it is enough to form fluffy pom-poms from the yarn and attach a "stalk" of wire to them.
- Doll technique … The pieces of yarn folded together are tied with cotton threads, from which the head, legs, tail or skirt of the workpiece are formed. Such a "doll" will have to be finalized with the help of applique (glue eyes, mouth) and sewing (make clothes or other decoration).
- Simple knitting or crocheting … To create a beautiful decor element, it is not necessary to study complex loops and patterns; even simple loops can be used to make an elegant product.
Regardless of the technique you choose, you will need a variety of yarn colors, scissors, and glue. The thickness of the threads is selected according to the author's idea: for light air techniques (flat and volumetric glue molding), thin fibers are suitable, and for applications, volumetric colors, it is better to choose thick acrylic yarn. It is best to use the desired color of thread immediately.
But if you do not have the entire palette, you can give the yarn the necessary tone with the help of special paints. It is necessary to dye the material even before the start of the creative process; try to ensure that the dye lies evenly on the entire fiber. It is better to choose a persistent glue, use a jar opened immediately before starting work. And instead of scissors, some craftswomen are more comfortable working with a clerical knife.
The further set of materials and tools depends on the technique, but, as a rule, it includes:
- Cardboard - used as a rigid base for appliqués and embroidery.
- Colored paper - for creating additional details, such as a peephole, pens, a hat, or an apron. Having shown imagination, even an ordinary pompom will quickly turn into a voluminous toy. For example, a simple thread chicken craft is a pompom with glued wings, beak, paper eyes.
- Cloth scraps - for decorating simple toys, as a soft base, and when combining different techniques.
- Knitting needles, crochet hook if you decide to try knitting techniques.
- Textile dyes, glitter glue or glitter dyes for finishing simple thread crafts.
Depending on the complexity of the idea, you can get by with a minimal set of materials and tools. But as skill grows, it is still recommended to move away from the usual techniques, combining them with each other or complicating them.
Important! Home art involves tactile contact with various materials. Before starting work, make sure that you are not allergic to synthetic yarn, dyes, glue.
The best thread craft ideas
It is quite difficult to determine which technique is most suitable for a beginner. For some, crafts from threads and a ball are suitable, while others will immediately begin to create with the help of knitting needles and a crochet. To decide, carefully study the master classes, choose the simplest and most understandable instruction for yourself, and only then prepare the materials and start the creative process. For the first crafts made from threads and PVA, other materials, it is better not to replace tools and fabrics, work with those indicated in the instructions. Also try to strictly follow the step-by-step recommendations of the craftsmen.
Easter chicken made of threads
Easter is a bright spring holiday, and therefore the product should be light and airy. For these purposes, such a technique of working with the material as glue molding is best suited. Do not be limited to just yarn, paper and thread crafts also look good in the Easter theme. As the first product, you can make a chicken from yarn, decorate it with paper elements.
Necessary materials:
- yellow cotton thread;
- balloon;
- PVA glue - 1 package;
- colored paper, scissors, pencil.
We make an Easter chicken from threads:
- Inflate the balloon to the size of a goose egg.
- We wrap the ball with cotton thread.
- We wet the thread abundantly with PVA glue, wait until it dries.
- We pierce the ball and carefully pull it out of the thread egg.
- In the technique of flat glue molding, we make 2 blanks of wings: place pins in a foam sponge so that the outline resembles a chicken wing. Pull the thread in random order between the pins, and then grease the thread with glue.
- Draw eyes, legs on paper, cut out along the contour. You can also make a paper cylinder for your chicken.
- We collect children's crafts from threads: glue the wings, eyes, paws, cylinder.
Various Easter decorations in the form of thread eggs are made in the same way. The shape of the workpiece can be easily changed if the ball is pulled together in several places before winding. For example, by dragging the balloon down the middle, you get a neat heart shape. And if you make several such ties, then it is easy to make a flower craft from threads.
Picture of threads
For those who want to diversify their art lessons, it is recommended to try the threading technique. In essence, this is the coloring of the workpiece, where glued yarn is used instead of paints. You can work on cardboard, but in this case, you will also have to fill in the background with thread. We recommend using a cloth stretched over cardboard as a backing. In this case, the background can be left blank, and the difference in textures will give the fabric and thread craft a special originality.
Necessary materials:
- cardboard - 1 sheet;
- linen for the base;
- knitting yarn of the required shades;
- a clerical knife or sharp scissors;
- PVA glue;
- pencil for drawing on fabric.
We make a picture from threads:
- We stretch a linen cloth on a cardboard base. Try to stretch the fabric evenly, without wrinkles. You can fix the canvas around the perimeter with glue or a stapler.
- On the linen in the center of the palette, draw a picture, for example, of a cat under the moon. A template for such a picture is easy to find on the net.
- We begin to lay out the yarn along the contour of the pattern. Move from the center to the edges, constantly gluing the thread. When the pattern is complete, cut the thread with a clerical knife. For the cat, you can take gray yarn, and for the moon, white.
- Along the contour of the knitting craft, also lay out the frame with an applique to hide the traces of fixing the flax to the cardboard.
If you find it difficult to draw by hand, use a stencil. The drawing can be transferred to the fabric even before stretching to the cardboard base.
Horse made of thread
The first crafts from yarn and thread that you met are, perhaps, traditional reeled dolls. With your imagination, you can easily use old techniques to create a modern horse toy.
Necessary materials:
- knitting yarn in two colors (you can take white and black);
- scissors.
We make a horse from threads:
- We wind the thread with a dense layer on the cardboard blank template. You can take a small book as a basis.
- Cut the bottom edge of such a skein, leaving the entire skein folded in half.
- At a distance of 2 cm from the fold, we make a sling, forming the horse's head.
- After 4 cm, we make another sling - the neck.
- At a distance of 1 cm from the cut edge of the skein, we make a sling - hooves.
- We wind the thread on the cardboard blank again, cut one edge.
- We put the first skein with sling into the fold of the second skein.
- We place the second skein so that the torso is formed, we fix it with a sling.
- On the second skein, we make the hind legs of the horse and hooves with a sling.
- Cut a short mane and tail from yarn of a different color. We stretch the mane under the sling around the neck, fix the long tail.
Such a thread crafts master class is easy to implement together with a child. If there are several children in the family, then make a toy with the older child, and give the younger one. This will help strengthen the friendship between the children. In response, the youngest child can make a simple craft of a bird from threads: in a chubby and short skein, one sling is made in the middle of the skein, and the other is at the tail, the beak and eyes for the bird are cut out of paper and glued to the yarn.
Bookmark fish for books made of thread
Having studied the techniques of thread crafts step by step, you can easily find out how to make your creativity useful. For example, light balls of yarn can be used as original necklaces, and beautiful jewelry boxes can be made from textile applique. For the first applied homemade product with a child, we suggest making a bookmark for books in the form of a fish.
Necessary materials:
- cardboard;
- pencil and felt-tip pen;
- yarn (it is better to use floss).
Making a bookmark for the book:
- Draw the outline of the fish on the cardboard, cut out the blank.
- Along the contour of the body of the fish at a distance of 0.5-1 cm from each other, we make serifs perpendicular to the contour line. Leave the head of the fish even, sans serif.
- We cut the serifs to a depth of no more than 1 cm.
- We put the thread of the floss into the serif at the tail of the fish and begin to wrap the body, if necessary, fix the thread in the serifs.
- When the body of the fish craft made of thread is completely wrapped, cut the thread from the skein, hide the free end under the winding.
- We decorate the bookmark: draw eyes with a felt-tip pen, cut out a fin from cardboard, glue it to the workpiece.
It is recommended to use a floss thread in the work, since the finished bookmark will be used in books, that is, it should have a small thickness. Such crafts made from floss threads can have absolutely any shape, for example, a cat, a bird, but their thickness will not break the book binding.
Tips for beginners
Masters recommend not to set goals and objectives for yourself, but to work only when there is inspiration. Colored thread crafts are a creative process that does not tolerate planning. If you want to accustom your child to needlework or help in the development of fine motor skills, be sure to do the first homemade products with your baby.
When the craft is ready, be sure to praise the child. Psychologists recommend supporting it even directly in the moments of creation. When the kid becomes interested in the process, you can reduce your role in the step-by-step creation of crafts from thread.
Remember safety precautions:
- Do not give scissors to children under 3 years old, do not let them work with glue on their own.
- Preschool children should only be supervised when handling glue and cutting objects.
- Organize a place for the student to be creative - the room in which they work with glue should be well ventilated.
How to make a craft from threads - watch the video:
Crafts from threads are a great opportunity to relax emotionally, and at the physical level, fine motor skills and neural connections are developing, both in children and adults. As your skill grows, crafts from threads, be they dolls, fish, flowers, will turn into a real work of art. The main thing is not to restrain your imagination and experiment with techniques and materials.
