The pocket hugs
Decoration for the home
Bookmark
Decorated baubles
Cards with designs made from punched shapes of straw
Decorated boxesSuitable for 2 hour workshop
A wassail mask. Mask template covered with marquetry leaf shapes. More suitable for a group project.
Questions and Answers on the Topic of Marquetry.(Please note I have not recieved any formal tuition and these questions and comments are only a reflection of my practice.)
Q. What equipment do I need to pursue straw marquetry?
A. The Napolionic Prisoners of war who excelled at straw marquetry, had only the straw in their cells. They produced tools from scrap metals, nails, wire bolts etc. The glue they used came from boiling beef and mutton bones. However the objects listed below make the task easier for the modern day worker
Straw
The only straw I have used at present comes from Something Corny and is listed as being suitable for marquetry.www.somethingcorny.co.uk/product-category/straw-working-supplies/straw/
Straw Splitter
I split my straw with a Hindenburg. An item which is available from :- www.somethingcorny.co.uk/product-category/straw-working-supplies/tools/page/2/
Before purchasing a Hindenburg, I used a seam ripper and a knife.A Working Surface
I work on a 'self heal' mat. I have two. One is large (42cm x 60cm). The second is smaller (14cm x 22cm)
I have two because when I am cutting straws I attach them to a board, which I need to easily rotate to trim both sides of the straw.A Cutting Blade
I have an 'x cut' craft knife from Hobbycraft. The blades are easy to replace as they go blunt very quickly with the straw.
A Metal Ruler
Essential for cutting straight lines but not the ruler. I suggest one without padding attached to the back as this tends to slide.
Glue
The glue I choose to use depends upon the project I am involved with. For small cutouts on item such as cards, I use a Pritt Stick. For larger surface areas I choose either a PVA glue from Hobbycraft or the Pinflair Book Binding Glue available on line.
Q. How do I prepare the straw strips?
A. Currently I split and flatten dry straws with my hindenburg.
Some places advise you to soak the straws first. This seems to make them easier to split and flatten but is also time consuming as the damp straw seem to curl back to their original tubular shape and have to be flattened a second time when they have dried out. The process can be sped up by ironing the split straws flat. I have noticed that this sometimes causes bumps in the straws. I think this may be because I have a steam iron and it is drying the straws unevenly.