DIY Projects

I love the way a well-made prop can tell a story before anyone reads a single word. A sun-faded book cover, a box with flaking paint, or a faded poster edge can instantly place a scene in a different time. Over the years I've experimented with all kinds of ageing techniques for paper and cardboard — stains, inks, abrasion, and little mechanical tricks — and what I've learned is that convincing patina is often about restraint and layers...

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I often get asked how a small idea — a doodle in the corner of my sketchbook — becomes a little mechanical prop that actually moves. Designing tiny paper-and-cardboard mechanisms is one of my favourite ways to combine storytelling and craft: you get the immediacy of drawing with the delight of something that springs, flips or slides when you least expect it. Below I walk through my usual process, from the first sketch to a working prototype,...

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I have a soft spot for things that transform the ordinary into something a little magical — a cereal box becomes a stage, a bit of wire becomes a puppet armature, and a bedside lamp turns into a spotlight. This shadow puppet theater is one of those small, joyful projects that feels equal parts craft, theatre and tinkering. It’s cheap, quick to make, and endlessly adaptable. I’ll walk you through how I build mine, offer variations, and...

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I love tiny devices that make an idea feel like a small miracle. A pocket-sized thaumatrope is exactly that: two simple images that seem to animate when spun. It’s one of the oldest optical toys — Victorian parlour entertainment — and it’s a brilliant little project for anyone who likes drawing, tinkering, or teaching the basics of persistence of vision. Below I’ll show you how I make a durable, delightful thaumatrope that brings my...

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I love a simple trick that looks like magic, and this little paper automaton — a flipping bird that needs no glue — is one of my favourite quick projects to teach and to make when I want an instant charm hit from humble materials. It’s the kind of thing I sketch in my notebook between larger pieces: quick to prototype, satisfying to wind up, and endlessly tweakable. Here I’ll walk you through how I build it, why the mechanism works, and...

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I love a small, tactile trick — something that makes a viewer pause and tilt their head, then smile when the hidden thing is revealed. This project is one of my favourites for that exact reason: a magic picture frame that looks like a normal framed picture until you slide a hidden panel and an illustration appears or changes. It’s simple, playful, and uses humble materials like card, lightweight wood or store-bought frames, and a little...

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I love little tricks that feel like small, domestic miracles: a message that appears and vanishes, an ink that fades like a ghost. Disappearing ink effects are perfect for that — they’re cheap, safe (when done sensibly) and wonderfully theatrical. In this piece I’ll show you how to make a disappearing ink using common household materials, explain the science behind it, and give ideas for playful projects you can try right away.What is...

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I’ve always been drawn to the slightly imperfect, inky warmth of vintage lithographs — the ghostly registration shifts, the subtle halftone screens, and the way colours sit on the paper like old memories. Recreating that look using a modern inkjet printer and a bit of hand distressing is one of my favourite studio exercises. It’s equal parts design, printcraft and playful abrasion, and it transforms digital images into tactile, timeworn...

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I love the tiny, quiet moments when a small object suddenly seems larger than life. Over the years I’ve learned a handful of tricks to make miniature sculptures read as deeper and more three-dimensional than their actual thickness — and one of my favourite combinations is painted shadow with foamcore layers. It’s an inexpensive, fast way to fake depth that works for whimsical characters, diorama nooks, and tiny stage-like scenes. Below...

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