The Anti-Social Butterfly

One of my long-standing principles about decorations has been to do everything handmade. I like the ef fort and love that goes into creating the items. One of the items that I created recently were Moravian Stars.  These German-origin origami sculptures are popular during Christmas and require patience and precision to get them right.  This link is my favourite for the instructions. It explains the steps simply and tells you the the right proportions. Materials 1. 4 long strips of paper - choose the dimensions basis the guide .  2. Scissors 3. Loads of patience to get it right the first time. Time: 20-30 mins for first star. 10 mins thereafter. Rohini's hack: Instead of cutting strips of paper, I use pre-cut quilling strips. They are available in a multitude of colours and sizes. Pick the right one basis the guide and you all set! Check out my set of colourful stars. I usually string them up and hang them on my Christmas tree

Not many of my friends know this, but I love jigsaw puzzles. I love how a seemingly jumbled series of bits and pieces can somehow come together to become a beautiful picture that has a story to tell. Mind you, completing a jigsaw is no mean feat. Like every act of love, it requires, attention, concentration and loads of time. I learned this the hard way after it took me just over a year to complete my first puzzle. Previously, I had played with puzzles as a child and then later on numerous Websites. With the very first jigsaw puzzle picked up 6 years ago, I was hooked!