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| Gasket Art - She knows Her Mind |
Traditional Craft
Gasket decoration is
a traditional craft of the south. It is particularly famous among the Badagas
of Nilgiris. There are a lot of techniques involved in this craft. You can
knit, stitch or paste according to your requirements. Given here is the old
method using gasket and fish wire. This beautiful wall hanging was used to
adorn the drawing rooms. Nowadays this craft is not so common. Also there are a
lot of variations to the original craft. This is easy to understand and to try.
The raw materials needed for the craft are readily available. Old and unwanted
cooker gaskets are used for this.
The badagas are the
natives of the Nilgiri Hills. Since they hail from a hill station, they are
very good at making sweaters and shawls. They make different kinds of
handicrafts from glass, wool, wood, fish wire and gasket. They are known to
make their own crafts for interior decoration. It is hard to believe that they
actually can make it from such simple things. For instance from fish wire they
can make the structures of fruits, vegetables, birds, show pieces and baskets.
Their houses are very colorful and are mostly made of handmade items. They also
knit scarves and crochets.
Images: Indusladies
How to make the wall hanging
The pressure cooker
gasket is a rubber ring that fits into the lid of the cooker. This regulates
the pressure while cooking. But sometimes due to wear and tear the gasket does
not do the required function. These gaskets cannot be used for cooking anymore.
Such items are used to create beautiful wall hangings.
Time required: 1 hour
Difficulty: easy
Materials:
·
Cooker Gasket
·
Fish wire
·
Match Sticks
·
Velvet paper
·
Thermocol Sheet
·
Decorative Mirrors
·
Your favorite picture
Tools:
·
Cello tape
·
Scissors
Instructions:
1. Trace the inner outline of the gasket on a
thermocol sheet. Now with the same radius cut the velvet paper.
2. Stick the velvet paper on the thermocol sheet
and keep it within the gasket.
3. Place a matchstick on the gasket. Now take
the fish wire and secure one end on the gasket with a cello tape.
4. Twist it around the match stick in the form
of an '8’. Now place the next match stick and twist the fish wire around it in
the previous pattern.
5. Continue doing it till you cover the entire
circle and reach the point where you started. Cut the fish wire and paste it to
the gasket using a cello tape. Now you get a beautiful twisted border along the
gasket's outline.
6. You can choose your own design for the
central portion using beads, chamkis or mirrors as shown.
7. Stick your favorite picture or your family
photo on the velvet cloth in the center using glue.
8. Tie a loop from the thermocol and your wall
hanging is ready to decorate your drawing room.
Protect Your Craft
When you make such a
wall hanging it might seem as if the luster of the product is reduced after few
months due to dust accumulation.Cover it well with a transparent cover to
preserve it. There are a lot of products available in the market specially for these purposes.
Crochet Inspired Gasket
Given here is a craft
for those who love crochets. You can knit any design of your choice.
Material needed:
Woollen threads
Needles
Small pins
A small toy
Ribbons
Paper
Method:
Cover the gasket with
a shiny or bright color paper.
You can make the
paper rose by tracing and cutting the shape of ten petals and then joining them
together.
You have to cut out
the leaves too. In case you are finding this part difficult, you can purchase
small paper roses from the shop.
Measure the gasket
and knit a beautiful design using the woollen threads accordingly. It is best
to make the design out of different colors.
Now stretch the
design outside the gasket (the gasket should be within the design) and start
pinning at equal distances using small colored pins. (The pins should be able
to hold the design in place)
Now stick the ribbons
and small toys on it along the circumference. On the ribbon stick these paper
roses.For a bright colored ribbon choose a light colored paper rose.
You can also use
buttons for an added effect.
Spiritual Gasket
Do the outer layer as shown previously. Within the inner space, cut your favorite picture according to the circle and stick it on a cardboard. You ca also try out by painting something on your own. It would be a memorable gift to someone else.
Gasket
with the family drawing of Lord Shiva.
Themed Gasket
Here is another
simple craft idea with a gasket for those who find this twisting with fish wire
difficult.This is a very straight forward type of craft.
Materials needed:
Cloth or paper
flowers
Plastic grass
Small bird toys
Glue
Method:
Trace the outline of
a flower in a paper and cut it. In the same method trace twenty flowers.
Now paint the flowers
in a plain or double color and allow it to dry.
Clean the gasket well
before using. Otherwise it might retain some dirt in the groove.
Now paste the flowers
one by one on the border of the gasket.
Buy some plastic
grass and stick it in the lower end. It is available in all aquarium shops.
Finally place the
birds in the appropriate position and stick the toys with glue.
You can come up with
your own theme and decorate the gasket accordingly.
Gasket with Hanging
If you do not want a
clustered central portion for your wall hanging, then here is an alternate
method.
You can use the same
fish wire to make small shapes like fish or bird and hang it in the center. You
can get small toys or flowers and use it too.
Why spend money on wall hangings when you can creatively come up with these. These are brilliant gift ideas too. What do you think of them? Have you heard or tried these types of hangings? Let us know!
