Strange craft kits from the 70s

[Throughhistory]

Anyone else remember them?

Plasticraft - I mean who doesn't want to make a penny embedded in a plastic blob?

Enamelcraft - at least that resulted in a few hardly wearable items of jewellery

A board covered in black velvet. You banged small nails in, then wound gold thread from one nail to another to create the illusion of curves in a picture, often a boat. Yes really.

Did I miss out on any gems?

I knew about sticky back plastic because we had to cover all our school books in it

We had to cover ours with wallpaper and demonstrate that we could do neat folded corners. I'm still not sure why it was necessary to cover them in anything. Probably there was a great need to occupy us all with busy-work before we had the internet.

Wallpaper was usual for school books at my school as well. Although the edgier girls used pin-up magazine pull-outs of George Michael, Morten Harket etc.

An atm that you copied round something and it either came out bigger or smaller

@sleepyhead

Ah yes, Blue Peter. Always using double sided sticky tape for speed.

Yes, I've developed a minor hoarding problem with double sided sticky tape since it's become widely available. It was definitely presented as a life changing product.

My wallpaper was covered in completed huge DoodleArt posters.
I also loved ShakerMakers, and the dipped wire flower things.

Anyone else used to bake Crisp packets (pre foil) to make tiny badges, like an early version of today’s Shrinkies?

@LangClegsInSpace

I knew about sticky back plastic because we had to cover all our school books in it

We had to cover ours with wallpaper and demonstrate that we could do neat folded corners. I'm still not sure why it was necessary to cover them in anything. Probably there was a great need to occupy us all with busy-work before we had the internet.

Yes that pointlessness rotten book covering. My dps wouldn't buy me any sticky back plastic for this or the Blue Peter projectsmso brown paper and lots of muttering. Was it relatively expensive

The touchable bubbles with a very chemically smell: www.amazon.co.uk/Crystal-Ball-Balloons-PREZIOSI-Assorted/dp/B00UM79F5M/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=crystal+ball+bubble&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1612560610&sr=8-4

I didn’t encounter double sided sticky tape in real life until I was about 35. Blue Peter was clearly not for the likes of us.

Did anyone else’s Mum have fabric paints that were squeezed from a metal tube? The nozzle was very fine and you got special printed fabric to trace over and make table cloths and things like that. It was a special treat if I was ever allowed to use them. I think they were sold at parties like Tupperware.

I had several of the kits mentioned here - shaker maker, the 'make a resin paperweight whose fumes would send you sky high' kit (still have my tastefully preserved dead seahorse somewhere) and so on. I also had a painting kit which consisted of several bottles of ink which you dropped onto the special paper. As the ink soaked in, it separated into its component colours so you got lovely two tone effects. When I was 9 I was given this sewing machine. It started a life long love of sewing.

Heaven forbid I should dare to use the sticky backed plastic for a craft project! It was far too expensive for 'playing' with - only ever to be used for covering the precious schoolbooks.

I remember a piece of cloth like a dishtowel with the outlines for cutting out and making a doll. I think it might be the same as the ragdolls mentioned earlier. I have a feeling that they were sold in Oxfam.

I also loved the Anti Colouring Book although it was probably the 80s by then

I wonder if, in 30 years or so, our offspring will reminisce excitedly about Hama beads and loom bands...

@kerkyra Yes! I loved the little flowers. I’ve searched everywhere for them and youcan’t seem to get them anywhere nowadays.

I love the idea of doing a PhD in Clothkits. I loved Clothkits as a child and adored the clothes. Unfortunately my Mum wasn’t arty or crafty in the slightest and refused to buy or make any of them.

@visitorfromtheplanetzog. I don't think so.I know I had the greenhouse and lily pond, and I remember my sister had a little garden hose reel. And I think one of us had the garden roller. I've just been looking at them on ebay, and it certainly brings back memories.

@sueelleker I looked at them on there too - they are probably quite collectable now. I had loads of fun with mine - and I actually once did a garden design course at college and I'm convinced that it was that toy set that got me interested.

@Busydoingnowt

I didn’t encounter double sided sticky tape in real life until I was about 35. Blue Peter was clearly not for the likes of us.

Did anyone else’s Mum have fabric paints that were squeezed from a metal tube? The nozzle was very fine and you got special printed fabric to trace over and make table cloths and things like that. It was a special treat if I was ever allowed to use them. I think they were sold at parties like Tupperware.

The fabric paints were Colormaid which I mentioned up thread. So glad someone else remembers!!

Was helping my enbubbled dad out last week and guess what I found still hiding on a shelf. They never got sanded down so perhaps I can finally finish them!

I have just had a flashback to the picture made by winding wool onto sticky paper, totally forgot that!

Had loads of suncatchers, loops of stained glass like stuff and weird plastic basket frames to wind raffia round. Also loved spirograph and fuzzy felts, FIMO never quite worked for me and neither did the plaster moulds... my brother used some for chocolate though.