Craft & Design

From traditional crafts to modern crafts, we’re covering news and interesting projects to educate you and keep you inspired. Design trends and pop culture related projects are here to inspire.

The Paradoxical Pavilion Optical Illusion

The Paradoxical Pavilion Optical Illusion

Going Photo Set1Walt writes ” Here’s the the making of an optical illusions photograph – This is a look at an optical illusion photo, then a look at the same scene from another angle exposing how the illusion was created.” Like many optical illusions created to be photographed this one only looks complete when shot from one specific angle. Anyone can digitally manipulate an image but few have the creative mind and patience needed to stage such an illusion… Link.

“Green” Holiday Gifts…

“Green” Holiday Gifts…

Presents-0546Article about holiday goods you can buy/make from a shop near MAKE HQ “Typewriter keys transformed into earrings, bike chains that become bracelets, journals bound between the covers of old books and decorative bowls made from old LP records. These are just some of the recycled goodies for sale at Renga Arts, a relatively new Occidental store that turns one person’s trash into another’s treasure.” Link.

HOW TO – Make Springs

HOW TO – Make Springs

SpringsKaden (who has an excellent Machina Arcana biz) sent along this how-to on making springs. “If you’re trying to make a spring to replace a broken one, you don’t need to know a whole lot about design. On the other hand, if you’re making a prototype of a machine, for instance, and you don’t know exactly what you want, then this page is for you. Here you’ll learn some basic data about spring design, which is what you’ll need to know to make exactly the spring you want.” Link.

The end of Spiral Island…

The end of Spiral Island…

Diagram-1 Giorgio write “Hi, with respect to the post you wrote about Spiral Island, well it seems that island was destroyed during the past hurricane season.” – Spiral Island was a floating artificial island in a lagoon near Puerto Aventuras, on the East coast of Mexico south of Cancun. It was built by British expatriate Richie (or “Reishee”) Sowa beginning in 1998; he filled nets with empty discarded plastic bottles to support a structure of plywood and bamboo, on which he poured sand and planted numerous plants, including mangroves. The island sported a two-story house, a solar oven, a self-composting toilet, and three beaches. He used some 250,000 bottles for the 66-by-54-foot structure. Spiral Island was destroyed by a hurricane in 2005. Mr. Sowa plans to build a stronger island in a more sheltered area. Link.