Monday October 12, 2009

Leafy surroundings

YOU CAN DO IT By TERESA WONG

A nature-inspired frame.

THE Botanical Gardens of Universiti Malaya used to have a volunteers’ programme during the weekends. Chores ranged from cataloguing books and conducting guided tours to mounting plant specimens and of course, gardening. The group of volunteers comprised folks who love nature, but did not have gardens and those who had gardens but did not mind more gardening chores! In tending the plots, we gleaned much information about medicinal plants, palms, local trees etc.

The professor botanist even took pains to run a crash course of sorts for the motley bunch. We were made aware of tree shapes, flower forms and leaf arrangements. For a short period, I helped out at the herbarium, mounting preserved leaves collected from all over the country. Every piece I mounted took my breath away. There was even one specimen that was 100 years old.

Today’s project is yet another nature-inspired one. Pinnate leaves with dainty leaflets cut from CDs are used to embellish the picture frames. The design will be more outstanding against a darker background. The pattern works well for the border of a gift box cover too.

Picture frame

From hard cardboard, newspaper and old white envelopes and CD

You need:

2 CDs
2 pieces hard cardboard – 17cm x 22cm
PVC sheet – 11cm x 16cm
4R picture
Plastic bottle cap – 4cm wide
Newspaper strips
White envelope strips
Small sponge
PVA and UHU glue
Pencil and ruler
Scissors and cutter
Black marker
Acrylic paints – 3 colours
Craft varnish
Brushes

1. Measure 4cm from the sides of a piece of 17cm by 22cm cardboard and draw a window inside. Cut it out. Draw curves on the sides of the frame following the edge of a bottle cap as a guide. Join the curves on the inside and outside to form wavy sides.

2. Trim the sides following the wavy lines.

3. Mix one part water with one part PVA glue. Papier mâché the frame with one layer of newspaper strips and another layer of old white envelope strips.

4. Use a small sponge to paint the frame in three different colours, layering them one after another.

5. Brush two coats of varnish over the painted frame, drying in between layers.

6. Cut the CD into quarters. Then cut out strips before trimming them into diamond shapes. Trim the sides of the diamonds into smooth curves to form leaves. From the other CD, cut out a dozen round pieces between 1.5cm and 2cm and trim them as shown for the clover leaves.

7. Glue the clover leaves in the four corners of the frame with UHU glue. Draw in lines for the leaf-stalks on the sides. Glue the small pieces of CD leaves by the side of the lines.

8. Turn the frame over and adhere the piece of PVC sheet over the window.

9. Cut out a frame measuring 13cm by 18cm from the other piece of hard cardboard. Measure 1.5cm from the sides and draw a window inside. Cut it out and keep aside the cutout piece labelled “A”. Glue this frame over the window with PVC sheet.

10. Place a 4R-size picture into the window, print side facing down.

11. Lay the cutout A over the picture and push it into place. It should stay in place but stick a piece of masking tape at the top side of the cutout to prevent it from coming out.

Display the frame on a picture stand.