Recipes:

How to create your own custom pins

Pins are a great way to customize and show off the world who you are, so here's a tutorial how to make pins of whatever you want.

Creating your own new pin method (The next method is if you want to change what’s on your old pin buttons of you don’t like what’s on there anymore):
Materials:

Pins! (This can be safety pins, pin backs, metal flag pins, or even those flat thumb tacks) (If you use flat thumb tacks you need an earring backing or part of an eraser for your pin because it needs a backing. You could also just make it permanent and not use this and just bend the wire with some pliers as well)
What you want to turn into a pin (I know this is vague but it can be a picture from some packaging you want to turn into a pin, a printed picture, something hand drawn, etc) (You can really go crazy, I’ve made some perler bead stuff into pins or trinkets, it’s all up to your imagination)
Hot glue gun and glue
Scissors
Parchment/wax paper
Tape (Optional, but recommended)
A book or something heavy and flat

Make sure you have your pins and their backings.
Cut out the image/drawing/picture of what you want as your pin. Make sure it’s the size you want it to be. If you are using an object or something that doesn’t need cutting out, skip this step.
Lay out parchment/wax paper on the area you are working with. (Optional: Use tape to secure this down so it doesn’t curl up.) Cover your book or whatever you are pressing your pin down with with parchment paper as well.
Turn on your hot glue gun with glue and wait for it to warm up. Please be careful and make sure that it’s over the parchment paper or a scrap piece of paper because when the glue gun is hot it sometimes drips.
When the glue gun is hot, take your picture and lay it with the side you want showing for your pin facing up on the parchment paper. Take your hot glue gun and coat your picture with hot glue. Remember to work fast before the glue dries and to put enough glue that the whole thing will be covered. If you are using an object or something that doesn’t need hot glueing to help protect it and make it more sturdy and weather resistant, skip this step.
Quickly place your book or pressing item on top of the glue. Make sure that the part covered in parchment paper is facing the hot glue! (aka down) Make sure weight is spread evenly by moving it in a circular motion while not pressing down too hard. Be careful touching your object because it may become hot. If you are using an object or something that doesn’t need hot glueing to help protect it and make it more sturdy and weather resistant, skip this step.
Make sure the glue is totally dry and take off the book or pressing object. Take it off of the parchment paper and flip it over. Repeat steps 5, 6, and 7 with the back. If you are using an object or something that doesn’t need hot glueing to help protect it and make it more sturdy and weather resistant, skip this step.
Use scissors and cut out the photo. Make sure you don’t cut too much hot glue where the paper edges are exposed for maximum durability. If you are using an object or something that doesn’t need hot glueing to help protect it and make it more sturdy and weather resistant, skip this step.
Get your pin and glue with hot glue to your photo or object on the back.
Congrats! You are done!

Redesigning a button pin to a different design method:
Materials:

Button pin
White paint or primer
A printed out photo or a drawn out picture of what you want to be on your button (Make sure this is the size of the button dimensions) Scissors
Paint brush (Optional, but recommended)
School glue (Optional, but recommended)
Water (Optional, but recommended)
Mod podge, hot glue, or some type of sealant

Use the white paint to paint your button in order to make sure what was previously on the button will not show through.
Mix together one part school glue and one part water. (You don’t need a lot of this) (Also this is optional, but it does make your pin better, I’ll explain later)
Get your photo/picture and cut it out with scissors.
Cover your button with the water and glue mixture and put your cut out photo on top. (I recommend using the paint brush to apply but I guess you could use your hands) Put more of the mixture on top of the photo as well in order to help it lay flat on the button. (You could also just put your photo on the pin button without the mix if your photo cannot get wet, but it will not sit the same way compared to if you used the mix because buttons are usually round with some curve to it.)
Wait for the pin to dry. Wash your paint brush as soon as you are done using it if you used it to coat or else it will dry out. Skip this step if you didn’t use the mixture.
Get your sealant and coat it onto the button. Make sure all parts with paper are covered for maximum durability. If you use hot glue, use parchment paper and press the pin down on it while it’s still hot and make sure all sides are evenly coated in a thin protective glue layer. Take it off the parchment paper once it’s fully dry.
Congrats! You are done!

How to create your own photocards/trading cards for your ocs, fandoms, idols, etc

First of all, photocards are small collectible cards usually seen in the kpop industry. They’re most prominently used as bonuses in merch and music albums in order to give incentive for them to buy more from them. They can be seen as a cashgrab item, so instead of paying for a piece of paper, I decided to learn how to diy them for free. Even though K-pop is most known to use them, this is also prominent in other fandoms, like the anime community, but you don’t need to limit yourself and can make a card for anything. (Also just as an fyi, you could also just print them at a print shop to make them look glossy or more professional instead of doing this for free at home)

Printer method (the method after this is if you don’t have a printer):
Materials:

Paper (cardstock/thicker paper is better but you can also use regular printer paper)
Printer (this is better if it’s a colored printer) (you can also go to somewhere that has printers available if you don’t have one like a library)
Colored pencils (or any coloring supplies) if you only have a black and white printer
Tape or self adhesive laminating sheet
Scissors or exacto knife (please be careful if you use an exacto knife instead)
Glue

Print out a photo of the picture you want to become a photocard. Make sure that you print something for the back of the photocard on another sheet of paper. (You can look up something for the back, design something yourself, or create a double sided card) Make sure that it’s the size you want it to be or use an app/website like Canva where you can find templates for the dimensions of photocards. (I looked up a template online in order to find the right dimensions for them)
Cut out the photocards and color them with colored pencils if you don’t have a colored printer.
Glue the front and back of the photocard together to make one. (Make sure the side you want showing is not the part that’s going to be glued)
Put the front of the photocard onto a piece of tape or laminating sheet. Make sure the part you want laminated is facing the sticky part. Make sure you get rid of all the bubbles.
Repeat step 4 again but with the back of your photocard.
Cut along the photocard.
Congrats! You are done!

Non-printer method:
Materials:

Paper (cardstock/thicker paper is better but you can also use regular printer paper)
Computer, projector, or phone (optional, but recommended)
Coloring utensils
Pencil and eraser
Black pen or marker
Tape or self adhesive laminating sheet
Scissors or exacto knife (please be careful if you use an exacto knife instead)
Glue

Cut your paper to the size you want your photocard to be. If you are making multiple, the first one you cut can be used as a guide for the others. You can look online for the regular dimensions of a photocard or make them any size.
Use a projector, computer, or phone to trace the photo or drawing of what you want on the photocard. If you are using a computer or phone, I recommend turning up the brightness. (Also I recommend finding a photo that has clear, defined lines) If you don’t have a projector or device, you can free hand and create your own drawing. (especially for ocs)
After making a base for your photocard, color and make it look nice.
Cut out your photocard.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 if you would like a back for your photocard. I recommend you do this on a separate piece of paper the same size so if you mess up you didn’t ruin the photocard.
Glue the front and back of the photocard together to make one. (Make sure the side you want showing is not the part that’s going to be glued)
Put the front of the photocard onto a piece of tape or laminating sheet. Make sure the part you want laminated is facing the sticky part. Make sure you get rid of all the bubbles.
Repeat step 7 again but with the back of your photocard.
Cut along the photocard.
Congrats! You are done!

How to make googly eye earrings: (or any funky earring, the directions can apply to other projects)

I really enjoy fun earrings and I first saw googly eyes and I thought, wait this would actually be kinda cool which is how they were brought to life. These get a TON of compliments whenever I wear them, so I’m glad others like them as much as I do.
By the way, these instructions can pretty much apply to other earrings you want to make. For example, I used the hot glue method on Lego studs so I can wear Lego earrings! You could also probably do this with charms or puffy stickers. (You could do the resin method with printed photos, your drawings, or even paper stars but you need to prep the paper so that when you apply the resin it doesn't make it wet) (you can do this by applying a few coats of Elmers Glue on both sides of the paper as protection or putting a layer of tape on both sides similarly to laminating, just make sure all the air bubbles are out)

Resin method: This is my tried and true method, I’ve used it multiple times. If you are intimidated by using resin or don’t have it, you can make it with my hot glue method. Also as long as you are being safe with resin and taking the necessary precautions, you should be fine.
Materials:

Googly eyes
Flat earring posts
UV resin
Gloves
Mask
Toothpick or brush you are willing to sacrifice
Pliers (not needed but recommended)
UV lamp (not needed but recommended, if you don’t use this do this during the day time)

Please make sure you are in a ventilated area while working with the resin. Put on the gloves and the mask, just in case it comes in contact with you.
Put a small dollop of resin on the back of the googly eye. Carefully place one flat earring post on the resin.
Cure under the UV resin lamp or let the sun solidify the resin. Make sure you put it under the lamp or sun for an amount of time depending on the UV resin’s instructions. If you don’t know if it’s cured, you can use the toothpick to check. You may need to supervise it to make sure the earring post doesn’t move.
Repeat again with your other googly eye.
Coat the rest of the backside of the googly eyes so the whole bottom is encased with resin and cure. Repeat this step again for the other googly eye.
Hold one of the googly eyes by the earring post with the googly eye facing up. You can also hold this with pliers to make it more stable. Coat the front of the googly eye with resin and use the toothpick to spread it in an even coat. Make sure the whole front of the eye is encased in resin. Cure and repeat for the other googly eye.
Congrats! You’re done! These earrings are water proof/resistant and are sturdy. They may take longer to make, but the quality is better.

Hot glue method: This method has not been officially tested on making my googly eyed earrings, but I did use this for another funky earring project with lego pieces so I can assume that it’s the same method.
Materials:

Googly eyes
Flat earring posts
Hot glue
Pliers (not needed but recommended)

Put a small dollop of hot glue on the back of one googly eye. You may want to hold the googly eye with pliers in order for it to be more stable and so your hands don’t accidentally touch the glue. While it’s still hot, place a flat earring back over the hot glue. Don’t hold it for too long because metal conducts heat.
Repeat step 1 for your other googly eye.
Congrats! You’re done! These earrings are water resistant and are not sturdy compared to the resin method. The quality may not be as good, but they are easy, fast, and cheap to make.

How to make thoughtful cards: (for diy cards and store bought ones)

One of my ultra pet peeves is when people buy birthday cards or cards in general and don’t write anything and just use the prewritten message on the card and just sign “From, [insert name here]”. So, here’s a guide to upgrading some of your cards or diy-ing your cards!

Adding fillers to your message

Usually when I’m writing cards, I don’t really like it when I only write a sentence or two because it looks empty. To fix that, I add jokes. Jokes are a great way to lighten up the card and the person you are giving them to. I think it really spruces up the message, especially if it fits the celebration/theme. (even an inside joke is good!) You could also add a poem, some of your favorite quotes, or even a playlist for them!

Decorating/drawing in the card

Another thing I do with cards is that I make sure that I use both sides. A lot of times I write my message on one and then on the other I like to draw a picture or do bubble letters. Using bubble letters or a big message is a really great idea, especially if you are not artistically inclined. If you decide to draw a picture, you don’t need to make it look like the Mona Lisa if you don’t want to. Usually I just do a doodle. For example, with a lot of my birthday cards I just draw an animal holding a cake/present/balloon/etc.

Filling space

This is really optional, but you can decorate some of the free space with doodles, or even confetti. Sometimes I use a few colors and just draw some lines and squiggles around and that makes the card so much elevated in little time and effort. You can also use this on the front of the card if you are making your own.

Creating the cover (if you decide to make your own)

If you decide to handmake a card, you can add whatever you want on the front. Sometimes I add something I know that person likes or I draw a cake, bouquet, or even bubble letters with their name depending on what it is. Sometimes I like to prep my cards, for example, if I am making a card for someone’s birthday, I would make a few more when making that card so that if I forgot it was someone’s birthday or I didn’t have enough time, I could just grab one that I made in the past and write something in it just like a store-bought one.

Cards don’t have to be traditional (if you decide to make your own)

A lot of cards are seen as just a folded sheet of paper but since you’re making one, you can make it your own. You can create a zine, maybe even a magazine which doubles as a gift, or even a pop out card.

Coming soon:

(please feel free to tell me which one of these tutorials/instructions you want first in the guest book)

How to create your own jewelry for a fandom, your art, etc.
How to sew felt animals
How to sew felt foods
How to make a felt toploader for your photocards
How to make your own magnets
How to make your own bracelets
How to create your own patches