As summer starts, the demand for cool beverages also rise. Keep yourself hydrated and don’t throw the drinking straws because we can make cool crafts out of used/new drinking straws.

Today’s craft is all about reusing the straws in an innovative way. In just a few steps, you’ll have a beautiful photo frame and a candle holder.

Things you need:

1. Bunch of straws (colourful)

2. 8x8 inches cardboard (you can take bigger)

3. 8x8 inches plain paper (two pieces)

4. White glue/hot glue

5. Scissors

6. A small transparent glass (if you can get one; dont use plastic)

7. Two way tape

8. Pencil

9. Ruler

Directions:

1. We will start with the photo frame from the cardboard. Draw whatever shape you like on the cardboard, picture 2.

2. Leaving 1.5-inches from the drawn line, make the same shape again, picture 3.

3. Cut the figure out carefully, picture 4.

4. You have the mainframe, place it on one of the plain pieces of papers and cut out the same shape, leaving the other piece, as it is; pictures 5 and 6.

5. Glue the cutout on the supposedly front side and then the other piece at the back of the frame, leaving the top unglued so that you can insert the photo; see pictures 7 and 8.

6. You can either make a small stand from the leftover cardboard in “A” shape or attach a loop of string on the back to hang the frame, as in picture 9.

7. Cut the straws in pieces of 1.5 inches (the size of the frame border); pictures 10 and 11.

8. Glue them in any design you like on the border and leave the it to dry, pictures 12, 13 and 14.

9. For the candleholder, use the two-side tape around the glass three times; picture 15.

10. Take the covering tape off and place straws straight or diagonal, one by one on the sticky surface until you cover the whole glass; picture 16 and 17.

11. Put a small candle inside. And see the magic of colourful straws when the light passes through them.

This could be a nice addition to your writing desk or a gift to your friend or a family member; so why buying something from the shop when you can make beautiful crafts by yourself?

Published in Dawn, Young World, March 31st, 2018