Handmade products are simply called handicrafts. There are different tools used for handicraft, for example- paper, clothes, clay, wood, bamboo, cane, metals, etc. Many handcrafters use natural, even entirely indigenous materials while others may prefer modern, non-traditional materials, and even recycle industrial materials. Handicrafts are the part of our Nepalese tradition. They bear high cultural and economic value.

Paper Crafts

In our culture, paper is not only for writing but also used for sanitary work. There are various uses of paper. Some of the uses are as below:

Preparation of Greeting cards

Greeting cards are most demanded products. It can be used in every field. It is used in Dashain, Tihar, wedding ceremony, New Year, birthday, etc. Such greetings are wonderful when we prepare them on our own. Some tips to prepare the cards are:

1. Take a sheet of paper or it's better with Nepali handmade paper and cut paper in 16x10cm in size or you can also buy ready-made plain cards as your choice.
2. Add decorations to your card like a borderline or symbolic words with different colors.
3. Try decorating your card with letter patterns.

Preparation of Kites

Kites are of different design and sizes. We can make a simple kite from a sheet of paper and bamboo stick.

1. Take a sheet of paper and cut it in a diamond shape to your required size.
2. Take two thin bamboo slits. To make sure they're in the right spot, line them up with your paper first. Tie as tight as possible.
3. Pierce 4 holes in the diamond-shaped paper at each corner. Thread a string through each hole and around each pipe cleaner or stick.
4. Tie a string to the right and left-hand sides of the horizontal stick.
5. Tie on paper or ribbon to the corners to form the tail.
6. Now the kite is ready.

Preparation of Flower Bunch

We can make a flower bunch with a sheet of paper, newspaper or art paper, scissors and glue.

1. To begin, all you really need is some paper, glue, and scissors. The floral tape and stem wire are optional. You can make your own stem out of things around the house or by rolling paper.
2. Cut out a petal and crumple. Then just shape the petal into the form of the center bloom.
3. Just add a small dab of glue to the bottom of the petal to hold the shape you want.
4. Add petals to create a flower that is as big and open or as small and budded as desired.
5. Pinch a little fold at the bottom of the paper to create a curved petal. Add as many as you feel are sufficient.
6. Add a dab of glue to stem wire or whatever you want to use as the base and insert into the center bottom of bloom.

Preparation of Paper Napkin

1. Buy some piece of tissue paper sheets or roll.
2. Cut the tissue in square shape of 10 – 20 cm.
3. Not a piece of paper should be wasted.
4. You can make 5 -10 pieces of a napkin with required length of tissue from a roll.

Preparation of Different Articles from Local Materials

Nepal is rich in natural vegetation. Non-timber forest products like bamboo, cane fibrous grass and agricultural by products like the straw of maize, wheat, rice, etc are being used traditionally to make bags, broom, cushion, ropes, etc. Some of the useful products made from those are:

Preparation of Fan

 

 

1. Take a knife, some 40 or 50 pieces of bamboo strips of 25cm size, colored thread, two split pieces of a bamboo stick of about 450 cm and a 10 cm long hollow bamboo stick for the handle.
2. Arrange the bamboo strips in a row to cover 20cm length over one side of one of the long splits at a right angle.
3. Put another bamboo split just above the earlier split.
4. Tie up the two firmly at both the ends and at the middle side as required in such a way that ends of arranged strips are stretched firmly.
5. Insert rest of the strips at right angle one after another alternately from both the sides until the length of arranged sticks is covered.
6. One side is already stretched, give border either through embroidery or otherwise towards rest of the three sides.
7. Join the other side of two splits using either adhesive or smoothly wrapping the string and insert this end into the cylinder hollow handle.
8. The fan is ready.

Pen holder and Bamboo flower vase

1. Take a bamboo piece of 6-8 cm diameter with at least one node and 10 cm internode.
2. Cross-cut one-sided of the piece just beyond node and the other side 10 cm away from the node.
3. Clean the inner side and smooth the outer side of the piece.
4. Paint the outer surface and sketch attractive designs.Flower vase is ready for use.

You can use it for both pen holder and bamboo flower vase.

Recycle use of Waste Products

Recycling is processing used materials (waste) into new, useful products. It also reduces the use of raw materials that would have been used. Recycling also uses less energy and a great way of controlling air, water, and land pollution.

Discuss the secondary uses of the waste products with your teacher and write your findings on:

1. Organic waste
2. Food waste of restaurants
3. Disposals of human and domestic animals
4. Used paper
5. Worn-out garments

Tools used in Wood and Stone Carving

• Mallets: Mallets are used to hit chisels.
• Chisels: Chisels are used to carve stone and wood in a different structure.
• Sandbag: While carving, sandbags are used to support safely.
• Carving knives: Carving knives help to design the structure of wood.
• Bench: While carving it is a working table with vice and c-clamp to hold wood firmly.
• Equipment of personal safety: They are safety glasses for the eye, dust masks to protect the lung from dust, leather gloves to protect your hands when missed the chisels or knives.

Appropriate Selection of Wood and Stone for Carving

Carving cannot be done on every wood and stone. Some character decides whether to carve or not to carve on them. Some selection processes are described below:

Appropriate wood: Carving is of different types and it’s not easy. For a beginner a soft wood like walnut, mango would be the right choice. For durability, a hardwood like thick wood would be best. It also depends on what kind of texture is desired. In general, durable, fine textured, safely available and non-fragile wood is appropriate for carving.

Appropriate stone: Selection process is same as in wood. Beginners are advised to use soft stones. Some of the stones used for carving are following:

Soapstone: It has various colors and texture.

Alabaster: It is found in different color. It is beautiful and it’s easy to carve on it.

Limestone: These stones are good for carving even it does not polish.

Marble: Without using tools, it is very hard and difficult to carve marble

Granite: It is suitable for advanced carve. Special tools and a lot of efforts are needed during carving on it.

Carving Method on Wood

• Select wood and sketch a rough design.
• For protection wear safety glasses and a dust mask to protect eye and lung.
• Use appropriate tools. Keep your hand on the tool’s sharp edge and don’t hold in your lap during carving period, keep it on a table or vice. Keep first aid kit near.
• After carving, use sand paper, primer or wood polish.

Carving Method on Stone

• Make a rough drawing of your idea.
• Select a stone or cut into size. Make drawings or markings on the stone. Use pencil or crayon. Do not use a marker or pen.
• Wear safety glasses, dust mask and hearing protectors.
• Use appropriate chisel for shaping your product. While cutting keep chisel inclined to your side.
• Use files for smoothing the surface of your product.
• Apply sandpaper in wet form to make it more smooth.
• Apply a wax to make it bright and shiny or use stone color.

Painting Handicrafts Articles

Painting is the art of creating pictures by applying color to a surface. Painting is a mode of creative expression, and the forms are numerous. Paint is made by mixing a pigment (colored powder) with a medium (a liquid substance) such as water. There are different forms of painting like an oil painting, powder painting, spray painting, etc. The painting also has its own style such as modern, abstract, eastern and western paintings.