Handmade crafts from matches: easy and quick step-by-step master classes for children and beginners

For many people, matches are just a household item, thanks to which a fire is kindled. This is far from it. For more than a decade, such type of needlework as creating crafts from matches has been gaining popularity.

Real craftsmen create really masterpieces. This occupation is painstaking, but interesting and accessible to everyone.

Recommendations for Beginners

Beginners in any business should first familiarize themselves with the basics, so as not to make mistakes in the future.

Also here there are nuances and subtleties, the understanding of which comes with experience.

What types of matches there are

• Classic. Common matches which can be found in any store. Used for most crafts, they are handy, but lack length.
• For the oven. Length is already 8.5 cm (regular matches are 5 cm). Suitable for large models.
• For kindling fireplaces. Length 10 or 20 cm. Thanks to them, large-sized doll houses, castles, cars, etc. are created.

Glue for handicrafts

For many works it is necessary to resort to glue. However, not all are convenient and safe.

• PVA is a universal glue. Low price, it is suitable for gluing materials such as wood, paper, cardboard, so it will be an excellent choice.
• Moment Carpenter is a better version of the usual PVA. Provides instant drying and bonding of parts.
• Moment Montazh Instant Grip - instantly glues all types of wood. No additional fixation is required.

Some tips for beginners

• In the process of creating matchstick figures, do not glue a large number of elements at once. The glue needs time to dry, or the whole craft will fall apart.
• If the craft without glue, you should consider the distance between the elements. It is equal to the diameter of one of them. So the design will be stable, and the other matches will easily be inserted further.
• In the process allowed to help toothpick, pushing her matches and moving them.

Products made of matches with children

In addition to large-scale projects, children's crafts are also created from different materials, including matches. Their level is much easier, but they are also varied. You can create a home zoo, a railroad, equip a doll house. The only limitation is imagination.

Applique made of matches

For school or kindergarten is suitable handicraft in the form of applique.

You will need:

• cardboard;
• glue;
• matches;
• paints.

Stages:

• Sketches of the desired picture are made on cardboard: houses, trees, animals. The color of the cardboard will be the background of the work.
• The empty spaces are laid out with matches. Glue or plasticine is used.
• Now it remains to paint the handicraft. This is done usually with gouache. It is bright and covers the tree well.

Hedgehog with matches

In the autumn theme, there are also many crafts from plasticine and matches. This can also include materials such as cones, leaves or even vegetables.

So from potatoes you can create the most real hedgehog.

You will need:

• A box of matches;
• potato;
• marker.

Process:

• On one side of the potato, you need to draw a muzzle: the eyes and the spout of the animal.
• Then we take the matches and stick them in place of the "back" hedgehog. Place them tightly, close to each other. This will help create a needle effect.

You can also put some plasticine apples or berries on top. Such a hedgehog will look great as a craft for kindergarten.

Snowflake .

This option is one of the simple matchstick crafts for beginners. To make a snowflake, you will need matches, toothpicks, glue and additional decorations.

Stages:

• You need to prepare a snowflake stencil. The easiest option - cut out of paper a regular octagon.
• For the edges, the matches are glued as follows: the ends protrude beyond the edges of the paper.
• Each sector is filled with matches. It is necessary to alternate the direction of laying - sulfur faces up, then down.
• It is better to move from the center to the edge. In the case where the cardboard base is visible, fill with cut matches.
• For more volume, you can make a few more layers on top of the main one.
• For decoration, you can paint the snowflake, decorate it with glitter.

A steam train with rails

Such an idea for a craft out of matches is great for children. Especially boys will be happy with such a toy.

To begin with, you can assemble the railroad itself.

You will need:

• matches, long matches;
• batteries or buttons;
• glue;
• matchboxes;
• scissors;
• thread.

Process:

• A narrow track is laid out of long matches. The short ones are glued underneath, representing sleepers.
• For headlights in a box at the front a pair of holes.
• All the boxes are fastened together with string.
• For the wheels used batteries or buttons. Four pieces are attached to the boxes with glue.
• The resulting structure is set on rails.

If you have the desire, time and materials can make several of these trains, as well as to collect a whole train station.

Puppet furniture

Simple in execution, crafts in the form of furniture are created from matches with glue. In addition, you can decorate the set in the chosen colors. Usually such furniture fits perfectly into dollhouses, so that they can become full-fledged toys for the child.

It is easy and fast to create items such as tables, chairs and cabinets. Taking more boxes, you can make a whole bed or couch. To do this, boxes are glued to the sides of each other. After them, you can wrap paper or fabric, and the legs, front and back are made from matches.

A chest of drawers is also easy to create from matchboxes. To do this, you need to place several boxes on top of each other and glue them together. On the sliding parts are glued beads, which play the role of handles.

Match and Plasticine Builder

Clay expands the possibilities, allowing you to create moving parts and figures. Also with its help, pictures are laid out on foam or foam rubber substrates:

• Rinse the substrate.
• Create a sketch of the work together with your child.
• Using plasticine layouts, create three-dimensional elements by pressing matches into them.

If desired, everything can be covered with paint and make the work even more interesting.

A match tree

Learning how to make such a tree, you can easily create a whole forest, which can be populated by the same self-made animals.

You will need:

• matches;
• plasticine;
• hot glue;
• skewer.

Stages:

• A base is formed from plasticine, on which the tree will be.
• In the base is inserted and fixed a skewer.
• Around the perimeter of the skewer is glued with matches in levels. For strength, 2-3 layers are made.
• Once the trunk is ready, the crown is made. To the lower tier, the matches are glued at an angle. Closer to the top they are already diverging sideways.
• The crown is gradually expanding. New matches are glued to the matches.
• All complemented by halves of matches for pompousness.

Mill with a bridge

Process:

• The first step is to assemble the walls of the mill. For this, the same parts are glued together from the matches. A pair of beams is glued to the back side for strength.
• When everything is dry, the hull is assembled. The reinforcing beams are glued again for strength.
• The roof gables are made according to the principle of the base panels. Holes are also made to attach the wings.
• It is easier to make the wings according to the outlined sketch. Then a match, a toothpick or a skewer can be glued to the structure as an attachment.
• The roof decking is two identical parts. These are two cloths of tightly glued matches.
• The roof is glued to the rest of the structure.

A river is drawn on a sheet of cardboard, near which the mill is installed. For the base of the bridge you need two arches, each with 3 pieces. Between them is made decking of a few matches. Such a bridge is placed over the river.

Well .

An uncomplicated construction under the power of even the newcomers in this art.

Process:

• The base is made of 4 matches lying in one plane.
• Then another 10-12 rows are assembled.
• Supports are prepared for the roof. Two matches are glued to the opposite wall on the inside.
• Supports need to increase, adding two more matches to each.
• The frame of the roof is assembled and installed on the prepared supports.
• On a frame stacked dense "shield" matches.

House of matches

There are many variants of match houses. These are the simplest, single-story, palaces or castles. And maybe it will be the real doll's house.

To begin with, it is necessary to prepare a workplace. Firstly, the table must be stable. Secondly, the lighting must be good. Thirdly, there should be no drafts or vibrations in the room.

For the creation of the product the following will come in handy:

• Matches and boxes from under them;
• glue;
• scissors;
• heavy cardboard;
• scissors or an artistic knife;
• decor.

A matchbox house without glue

One of the basic models that can be assembled from this material. The main feature already lies in the name - this house will be assembled only from matches, without the use of other tools.

The house can hardly be attributed to easy crafts from matches, but its assembly is not a difficult process.

You will need:

• A lot of matches.

Working process

• Two matches are placed parallel to each other. The distance between them is less than a match length. On them perpendicularly laid 8 more pieces, the heads pointing in one direction.
• The second layer of 8 matches is perpendicular to the previous one. All parts at an equal distance from each other.
• Now we need to collect the walls. A kind of "well" is collected from 7 rows. The match heads go in a circle.
• The upper decking should be similar to the lower one. It also consists of 8 pieces.
• For the second upper layer, 6 matches are taken. Two more are added at the edges later.
• For the construction to be immovable and the matches not to move, put a coin on top.
• To strengthen the house at this stage vertically stick 4 pieces at the 4 corners between the decking. The heads point upwards.
• After strengthening, along the walls are stuck along the perimeter more matches. Then the walls are slightly compressed, and the coin is removed.
• To even out the craft, squeeze the perimeter matches. As a result, the heads should touch the flooring.
• Now the product is more convenient to collect already in hand. The walls need to lay two layers vertically and horizontally. First vertically on one side. The same should be done with the remaining 3 sides.
• After the walls are laid horizontally. The heads alternate with the ends for a beautiful appearance.
• Once all 4 walls are ready, the horizontal layers are pressed in.
• To create the roof, matchsticks must be inserted into the corner holes, with the vertical ones pulled up slightly.
• The roof matches are placed perpendicular to the layers of the decking. It is better to start from the edge and alternate the direction.
• To lay a "tile", several pieces are inserted between the vertical matches, creating the appearance of decking. The heads lie toward the middle. The resulting "tile" is pressed down, it is worth pressing with the fingers from above.
• If desired, you can make additional elements - windows, chimney, door, etc. Also try to paint the house in your favorite colors. Here the flight of fancy is not limited.

Matchbox house with glue

Another version of the match house, but already with glue.

The process:

• For the floor, 2 matches without sulfur heads are laid out in parallel from cardboard or heavy paper.
• The second row - the matches are stacked perpendicular to the first layer.
• This is how all the layers are stacked until the desired height of the building is reached. In the process, a drop of glue should be added to each of the "knots".
• Once the base has dried, it is worth moving on to the ceiling. To do this, a matchboard is laid out on the top layer.
• Now a gable roof is made. It consists of two parts, which are assembled from several glued together matches. After the parts are connected by PVA.
• After the parts are glued and dry, the roof is placed on the base of the house and glued.

Decorative panel

A simple panel is made from available improvised materials.

We will need:

• matches;
• glue;
• ruler;
• varnish;
• ruler.

Process:

• Sixteen squares are drawn on paper or cardboard, with sides equal to one match.
• In the first of the squares the matches are placed vertically. They need to fill the entire area.
• The next sector is filled horizontally.
• Such alternation should be done with the remaining 14 squares.
• Completely dried panel is secured varnish coating.
• You can decorate it with flowers or decor in the form of beads, rhinestones or beads.

It remains to insert the panel in a frame and the original gift is ready.

Anyone, even a child, can make handicrafts out of matches. Over time, understanding how and what works, you can complicate the work and bring them to perfection.

Photo of matchstick crafts