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Pics above show: upper right - Little Kitty Sewing Kit by pupurin, lower right - BottleCap DIY kit by IndieOwlCreations, lower left – Make it Yourself Playing Card Book by ReminiscencePapers.* *Obviously these DIY kits are not designed to fit an Art+o+Mat box, but give a great idea of the range of things you could fit into one, with a little creative jiggery pokery!
Swap description: Craft+Kit+o+mat
Huge thanks to @fieldstudio31 for first introducing me to the Art+o+mat concept with her original DIY Art-o-mat swap. I have previously hosted a Mail+Art+o+Mat swap but decided it was time for yet another variation, following on from a recent group forum discussion. :)
The Art+o+Mat box
Traditional Art+o+Mat pieces fit inside a box which measures 2 1/8" x 3 1/4" x 7/8" (54mm x 82mm x 21mm) – there is a printable template available here. The box is then wrapped in cellophane and vended from Art+o+Mat vending machines across USA. However, as there will be no vending machines involved with this swap, I will not be a stickler for the exact box size: an altered (standard) playing card box (or similar) is fine as an alternative if that is easier for you than printing the template above. A matchbox style box similar to Art+o+Mat dimensions is also fine.
The DIY Craft+Kit+o+Mat
Design a DIY craft kit that will fit inside a box as described above. Any craft is fine so long as you are able to provide instructions for the project, and the materials required for its manufacture will fit in the box (so unless you have a source for miniature crochet hooks & knitting needles, those crafts are probably out...). Your kit should contain:
- instructions/diagrams/patterns required to complete your chosen project
- materials required to complete your project
- specialist tools required to complete your project
In terms of which items to include in your kit, your partner should be able to start crafting straight away without shopping for any additional items. You can assume your partner will already have items such as blank paper, scissors, & craft glue in their stash, but you should provide any item which they may not have ready access to, such as needles, ink pads, fabrics, threads, jewellery findings etc.
Decorate the outside of your Craft+Kit+o+Mat to complement the contents (hand-decorate, add labels - whatever suits your style); then wrap box with cellophane & package up for mailing!
What kind of kit?
Please provide a project for your partner to complete, rather than 'just' a technique how-to. In case your partner is not familiar with the technique/s required, though, please provide either a 'basics' tutorial of your own or a link to a free online tutorial. The project itself should be written/designed by you. Here is a non-comprehensive list of project/kit ideas:
- DIY faux postage
- hand-carved stamps
- a cross stitch ornament
- an embroidered gift bag
- beaded jewellery
- friendship bracelet
- fabric covered buttons
- worry dolls
- a mini notebook
- a mini stuffie
- a bottlecap pincushion
- a spool doll
- a woven coaster/mug rug
- just be creative!
Swap requirements
- No recent/unexplained 1 or 3 ratings, and no late swaps on dashboard as of sign-up date
- 2 partners = 2 DIY Craft+Kit+o+Mat boxes sent and 2 different Craft+Kit+o+Mat boxes received
- Each DIY kit to include instructions, materials & packaging, all made/put together by you (please do not 'borrow' project/instructions/diagrams from a commercial kit or online source).
- Your Craft+Kit+o+Mat box should be either made using the original Art+o+Mat template or an altered/decorated standard playing card box or another similar sized handmade box (try this box template from Mirkwood Designs). The size should not exceed (approx.) 1/8th of a standard letter-size or A4 sheet of paper and be no smaller than the traditional Art+o+Mat box. Boxes should be made & decorated by you if using a template or altered/decorated by you if re-purposing another box.
- Wrap your filled Craft+Kit+o+Mat box in cellophane or similar before packaging. (When I made my DIY Craft-o-Mat box I mutilated a greeting card cello-bag for the wrapping.) The wrapping does not strictly need to be cellophane, but should be transparent so that the box within is clearly visible.
- Package your Craft+Kit+o+Mat box well, both inside and out, so that it is not crushed in transit. It will be too small to mail naked, so package in bubble mailer or slightly larger box for mailing. If the inside of your Craft+Kit+o+Mat box is not full, fill out with bubble wrap or stuffing of some kind to prevent being squished!
- Send on time!
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