Our philosophy that art has the power to make you feel good means that we try to reach as many people as we can to help boost their wellbeing. While we are closed to the public due to government advice, we're sharing loads of ways to stay creative at home.

"Art for Normals" blogs are aimed at everyone. We want you all to feel good with a bit of art. No artistic knowledge or, dare we say it, talent required!


Need a new place to store your trinkets? Fancy getting a bit creative at the same time? Well, haven't we got the craft for you.

Equipment needed:

  • Magazine or newspaper (the thinner the paper, the easier it is to work with)
  • Glue stick
  • Ruler
  • Pencil
  • Scissors

1. Start by cutting a few strips of your magazine. They need to be 1.5cm wide and cut as evenly as possible. If you have a craft knife and cutting board you might find it easier to use those instead of scissors for a straighter cut.

The number of strips you need depends on how big you want your bowl to be. Start with about 15 and then cut more later if needed. 

2. Fold the strips of paper in half length ways.

3. Start with the base of the bowl. To begin, take one of your folded strips of paper and roll it very tightly. The tighter you roll, the more sturdy your bowl will be. Add dabs of glue as you go to keep it rolled tightly. 

4. When you have rolled the first strip, add another strip to your rolled disc. Add a dab of glue to stick it to the disc, then run the glue along the back of the paper and continue rolling your disc. Keep adding strips of paper until the base of your bowl is the diameter you want. Remember to always keep the fold of the strips facing upwards to ensure you have a neat base. 

 

5. Once your base is your desired size, begin building up the sides of your bowl. This time have the fold of the strip facing downwards. Begin rolling it angled slightly above the base of the bowl. Keep winding it around, very slightly bringing it higher with each rotation. Keep gluing as you go to hold it all steady. 

6. Continue adding strips of paper with the fold facing down to build up the sides of your bowl to the height you want.

7. When your bowl is a shape and height you like, use a final strip of paper to create the rim of the bowl. For the rim turn the strip of paper over so the fold is on top again and wind it around the lip of the bowl in the same way as before. This will create a neat edge to your bowl. You might want to use a brightly coloured strip for the rim, or a strip which has a more solid colour. It is up to you. Make sure you glue the final strip well.

Ta-dah! There you have it, a paper bowl which, thanks to the glue and the fold in each strip, is much more sturdy than you would expect. 

Experiment with how high you place each strip of paper on the sides of the bowl to create different shaped bowls. The higher you place them, the taller and thinner your bowl will be - more like a cup. If you barely move them up at all you will create a wide, short bowl shape instead.

Ours is perfect for trinkets and bits and bobs - what will you keep in yours?