How to Alter Dress where Bodice is joined to Gathered Skirt WITHOUT Cutting Garment At Seams

The answer depends upon several things:

the features of the dress you are altering, such as, sleeveless vs sleeved, types of sleeves if present, gathered vs fitted waist, presence of side seam fasteners or pockets, etc...
the fabric the dress is made of
how much you are altering the dress
how persnickety you yourself are about things like seam finishes and drape of the finished product (as noted by @SueC and @Stefan in the comments above)

In the first youtube video you site, the front and back pieces of the bodice and skirt are each one continuous piece of fabric, so reducing the circumferences of the body and sleeves a small amount by simply stitching along the side seams and underarm seams (what my Mom calls “taking in the seams”) would probably work “well enough”. However, Kurtis are made of woven fabric, and the sleeves are quite fitted, making alterations of anything more than a small amount potentially unforgiving; one would need to proceed with caution, the explanation of which will take up most of the rest of this answer...

So yes, this scenario could possibly apply to your alteration of a dress with a gathered skirt, from the standpoint of re-fitting the basically-tubular shapes of bodice and skirt in a relatively straightforward manner. That is, and here’s the tricky part, “unless” your dress has sleeves, is made of a woven fabric, and / or there will be a large amount of fabric left in the new seam allowance, in which cases the ability of the shoulder seam to lay nicely and articulate normally could be hindered.

This is because the armscye is one of the most complex places to alter on a torso garment (dress, shirt, jacket...), as both the size and shape of the wearer, and motions of the arm and shoulder in actions such as reaching forward or overhead, are involved.  I would consider this an advanced skill in the alteration realm.

Certainly this depends on the dress you are altering.  If it is sleeveless, and / or made of a knit fabric, you will possibly have less of an issue altering at the armscye.  But even on a sleeveless dress, it is easy for an armscye to become too small or too gaping during the alteration process.

The second and third videos you site demonstrate cutting the too-large dresses apart first at the waist, then at the side seams, then reassembling them to a smaller size. In the second video, the dress has to be trimmed down extensively at the sides because the original dress had pleats, as well as being 10 sizes too large. A sheath dress such as her finished product is meant to fit just right, conforming to the figure, so cutting away a great amount of material is necessary, which obviously leaves raw edges for seaming... She wisely uses a pencil skirt that she likes the fit of as a pattern for cutting away the sides of the skirt, which also allows her to confirm that the amount she takes off of the side seams of the bodice is correct, since the two circumferences apparently match.

The lady who alters down a thrift shop dress basically cuts all the pieces apart, which is somewhat like starting from where you would when cutting out a pattern on new fabric. The difference being that from there, she needs a method to know how much to take in, and where, which she doesn’t explain. She had to either use her own measurements, taking positive ease into consideration, or she used a dress she likes the fit of as a pattern, or she used an actual sewing pattern. That dress is of knit fabric, so I assume she is using a serger or a stretchy stitch on a regular sewing machine; both methods would lend a lot of forgiveness to the fit, if the reduction method she uses is less than perfect. Also note, it is a sleeveless dress, which obviates most of the potential complications of fitting the articulation of the shoulder joint.

So, the fourth video seems to express your question most directly. Wouldn’t she have saved time and effort by merely “taking in the seams”? Possibly yes, but in my experience, I don’t think so.  Notice that at 3:09, she trims the armscye.  She feels this is necessary as evidenced by her statement there that she determined how much to trim “from the shoulder seam” (while the cut she makes actually affects both the armscye and shoulder seams) by measuring “across from one shoulder to another”.  She did shorten the length of the shoulder seam, which makes it a smaller size, BUT although she states that this action has not changed the size of the armhole, it actually has: it is now larger and deeper, which counterintuitively makes it less articulating. This website, “Parisian Gentleman”, explains this phenomenon well:

  ...if the armscye fits close to the armpit, then movement of the arms will not be restricted and the front of the jacket will not move when your arms move. Conversely, an armscye positioned too low, leaving too much space between the armpit and the bottom of the armscye will cause a small sartorial catastrophe which includes discomfort, strain on the mid part of the jacket when the arms move and riding up of the back of the jacket when seated at a table with arms forward.

I have made this mistake myself, and believe me, it is very uncomfortable, you feel like your upper arms are tied to your torso!

So again, could you take your dress and merely “take in the seams”? Very possibly, depending upon these many factors, chief among which is that pesky armscye. The gal in the last video certainly could have made all of her changes, except the alteration of the armscye, by merely “taking in the seams”.

One simple strategy to test your theory that cutting apart the seams doesn’t always seem necessary, would be to baste the seams you intend to take in, about 1/16th inch outside of (that is, closer to the edge from) where you want the seams to go. (This way the basting can be easily removed later, as it will not be sewn over, OR you could perhaps choose to leave it in...) When you try the basting-altered garment on, move your arms forward and upward, in reaching motions, to test the armscye fit. One caveat: the seam allowance in the armscye area might be pulling things tightly even though the seam is placed correctly, in which case some very strategic and careful notch placement would be in order, which might also require you to finish that section of the seam...

The last “depends upon” factor to mention is, your personal standards and preferences for finishing seams. In some situations this is strictly personal preference, but sometimes the way a seam is finished does affect the outcome of the garment so strongly that the finished garment is either the best thing you ever wore, or it is never worn again after trying it on. This is because things like waving or puckers in the seam allowance, or, pulling or twisting of the garment around constricted areas like the waist or arms, can occur to a surprisingly severe degree, simply due to an improperly finished seam. It has to do with the behavior of fabric that is stitched.

Understanding this personality quirk, which is different among each of the fabrics you will sew with, comes with study and experience. The best place to start is what you are doing: follow your instincts and try things. It sounds like you are experimenting with some interesting seam finishes (although I have never heard of a “weft seam”, except with hand-woven fabrics?) There are many ways to any given result in sewing, and no single right way to do anything. Go forth and try what your mind is suggesting, and see how it works out!

Since I have talked about a couple of important and specific sewing skill sets, here are some links for further study:

Fitting Armscyes:

“How to Re-Shape Armholes}, at Fashion Incubator
“How to Adjust the Bodice and Sleeve Pattern When Armholes are Too Large”, at The Daily Sew
“Armscye, Front & Back”, at Sempstress
“Armhole Adjustments You Might Never Have Considered”, at Bluprint
“To Get The Right Armhole, Fit The Bodice”, at Threads Magazine

How Seam Finishes May Affect The Finished Garment:

“Standards of Quality”, at Sewing Professionals: This excellent article describes standards for Seam Finishes on page 3:

  SEAM FINISHES - A seam finish is any technique that is used to make a seam neat, to prevent the seam allowance edges from raveling and/or fraying, to prevent seam allowances from rolling, to prevent stretching and rippling in some seam allowances, and to give the inside of the garment a more pleasing appearance. Examples of seam finishes are pinked, overcast, Hong Kong, turned and stitched, and serged.
  1. The seam finish is appropriate to the garment fabric, the garment design, the intended use of the garment, its quality, and garment care.
  2. The finish is applied securely so that it remains in place during normal wear and care.
  3. The finish does not add bulk to the seam.
  4. The selected finish prevents the fabric from raveling, rolling, or
  stretching and contributes to the overall neatness of the garment.
  5. The finishes’ binding or thread color is appropriate to the fashion
  fabric, unless used for decorative purposes.

“Pretty on the Inside”, at Emily Hallman Designs
“Seam Finishes 3 Ways”, at We All Sew
“The Best Techniques to Finish Your Raw Seams”, at DIBY Club
“Seam Finishes”, at The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment
“Seam Finishes”, at The University of Nebraska Extension
“Seam Types, Bulletin 17”, at Coats


Yes, that is a quilted pattern. Quilting refers to the process sewing three layers of fabric together, usually two layers of woven cloth on the outside, with a layer of insulation sandwiched in between.
You can absolutely buy quilted fabric. Any sewing supplier with a large selection of fabric should have some, but usually not a huge selection. You might find some in the "home décor" section of the store as well as in garment fabrics. You can also sometimes get "quilted insulation" or "quilted batting," which is quilt batting / insulation with fabric only on one side of it. You can use it as the lining for another garment, but the quilting pattern would only be visible one side.
Bedspreads are often made of quilted fabric; in fact the specific stitch pattern in your example is exactly the same as a quilted bedcover I had years ago. So if you don't find what you're looking for as "by the yard" fabric, have a look at premade bedspreads. In fact, it can sometimes be less expensive to buy a finished item than fabric by the yard. (Why? Ask an economist.)
As to the actual fabric material, that looks to me like a synthetic fiber. The fabric might be rayon or nylon. Ideally you would want to go to a fabric store, feel the fabrics and talk to a salesperson about which fabrics would work best for a coat. Second-best would be talking to someone on the phone, at a store dedicated to selling fabric for sewing, so they really know how to advice you on what fabric would be best for a given purpose. If you have to buy online, look for fabrics that are specifically intended for outer garments. The main concern is that you buy something that looks great in a photo, but that isn't actually sturdy enough to hold up as an outer garment. However you buy your fabric, you'll get the best advice about specific products from a store that's dedicated to selling fabric and sewing supplies, rather than a more general "arts and crafts" store. This list in The Guardian of "Top ten fabric shops in the UK" might be a good place to start.
If you quilt your own fabric, it's important that the fabric layers are densely woven enough to hold in the insulation. If you make a quilt with loosely woven fabric, the insulation will work its way out over time, creating unsightly "pills" on the outside. Outdoor DIY gear suppliers usually sell both fabrics and insulating layers, and they usually provide guidelines on which combinations will work together. A few of my favorite suppliers of materials for making my own outdoor gear are: ripstopbytheroll.com, therainshed.com and diygearsupply.com. Sorry, I have no idea if any of them ship from within the UK. Note that if you start with a waterproof outer layer of fabric, then quilt it, it stops being waterproof because you just punched a bunch of holes in it.
Making your own quilted fabric will take at least as long as sewing a jacket out of it. If that doesn't sound like fun to you, I definitely recommend just buying premade quilted fabric. If you want to make your own quilted fabric, keep reading.

How to make quilted fabric
This is just a short summary. As with most hobbies the additional information that exists could fill a small library. I include a few links to more references at the end. Quilting as a hobby has been popular for centuries, so your local library surely has a few books.
Materials:

two layers of woven fabric - these can be the same fabric or different
a layer of quilt batting
large safety pins
thread
a sewing machine, or a quilting hoop and a hand sewing needle
a fabric marking pencil (or other fabric marking method; more details below)

Get your two layers of woven fabric. As with most sewing projects, before you begin the fabric should be washed, selvedges trimmed off, and ironed. Get a piece of batting the same size (don't pre-wash it).

Lay the bottom layer of fabric out flat, with the "good" side facing down. The "good" side is whichever side of the fabric you want visible; the other side will be hidden.

Lay the batting on top, smoothing out any wrinkles.

Lay the top layer of fabric on top, with the good side facing up. Again, smooth out any wrinkles.

Tack the three layers together at regular intervals. The point is to secure the layers so they will stay in place when you move the quilt to sew it together. Large safety pins work well for this - they actually make special quilting safety pins that are bent, which lets you more easily put then into the fabric. Regular pins aren't a great idea - some will fall out, and you'll stab yourself a lot as you manipulate the quilt.

(Optional) Mark your stitch pattern on the top of the quilt. Make sure whatever you use to mark the pattern is 100% removable. Quilting suppliers sell a wide variety of supplies for this, and there are lots of DIY methods.

To draw the design freehand, a scrap of white bar soap or a piece of white chalk works okay for a few marks, but if you're doing a lot of marking a fabric marking pencil is worth the few dollars it will cost.
You can draw the design freehand or use a stencil. You can buy premade stencils or make your own. Premade stencils come in a huge variety of designs, from simple to very intricate. For a simple design like in your example, I would make my own by cutting a wavy edge on a long piece of cardboard.
A stencil with lines cut out of it (as opposed to a simple edge-trace stencil) allows you to mark the fabric by just wiping chalk powder over the stencil. Brand names include "Miracle Chalk" and "Pounce Pad."

If you buy a fabric marking tool like the pencils or dust pads I mentioned, read the reviews and be sure to get one that's easy to remove. White chalk fabric pencils or marking dust tends to come out fairly well, but blue or other colors of chalk have a reputation staining the fabric.

Fold or roll up the pre-quilt from both edges, leaving the middle unfolded and exposed. Working from the middle of the quilt out to the edge, use a straight stitch to sewing along the marked lines (if you marked them) or freehand sew it. There are a lot of tips and tricks that will help you do this smoothly and efficiently, so instead of trying to list them all here, I made a list of references.
Quilting on a home sewing machine:

https://www.generations-quilt-patterns.com/how-to-machine-quilt.html
https://suzyquilts.com/how-to-machine-quilt/
https://www.diaryofaquilter.com/2019/03/how-to-plan-your-quilting-from-christa-watson.html

Quilting by hand:

https://suzyquilts.com/how-to-hand-quilt/
https://www.thimblelady.com/hand-quilting/

In case you want more references or these links go dead, useful search terms include "machine quilting" or "sew a quilt on a home sewing machine" (if you're using a sewing machine) or "hand quilting" (if you're sewing by hand).

Note also, that many people who make piecework quilts will either send out their assembled quilt to be professionally quilted, or they will rent time on a long arm sewing machine at their local quilting supply store. Quilting by hand or on a home sewing machine is just not everyone's cup of tea.

Offset Wavy Line Top Stitch Pattern
The actual top stitch pattern in your example is just made of wavy lines, with each wavy line offset from the one next to it, so the bottom of one "wave" almost lines up with the top of the "wave" in the adjacent line. It's such a basic design I couldn't find a name for it, even though I'm sure it has one. I made these outlines in Microsoft Paint.
To draw it, make a stencil with a wavy edge, like this:

Stencil one wavy line, then add a second wavy line offset, like this:

Continue adding wavy lines until you hit the edge of the fabric. Notice how the "onion bulb" shape appears as you add more repeats.

With a bit of practice, you could probably sew this design freehand. You might want to mark out a grid on your fabric to keep your midlines parallel and your peaks and valleys lined up, but you could do that by placing your safety pins in a grid pattern.
Tip: Curves are difficult to sew. Straight lines are much easier. If you're not wedded to this specific stitch pattern, consider using a simple diamond grid pattern. You don't even need a stencil for this one, just a ruler and long straightedge. Use the ruler to draw evenly spaced  marks along one edge. Draw marks along the adjacent edge, using the same spacing. Use the straightedge to draw lines connecting connect those marks. Repeat for the other two sides. Using the same spacing on both sets of sides will give you 45 degree oriented square diamonds. Using different spacing on each set will give you different angled diamonds.
45 degree diamond grid:

(image source)
60 degree diamond grid:

(image source)


What you're looking for is EVA Craft Foam sheets; these are the typical choice for costumers who want to create leather or metal-look pieces without using leather or metal. They're widely available from most craft stores, typically in the "kid craft" sections under brand names like "Foamies;" lately, more deluxe versions are also available in some stores in the newly-forming "cosplay" sections, often under the "YaYa Han" brand. The sheets are sufficiently thick to replicate leather, but soft and flexible enough to cut with regular household scissors (as opposed to using knives and leather shears). EVA foam won't be as durable as leather, but with care should hold up well, and there are a lot of tutorials available for crafting costume armor pieces using it.
You definitely don't want to do fiberglass; it's very difficult and hazardous to work with, and gets very heavy very quickly.


You totally can make your own wigs

Are cosplay wigs generally handmade, or bought and then customized?

Yes and Yes or a combination of both.
When you need to get a certain style of wig for a character it can be hard to find that perfect wig online or at a costume shop either due to availability or budget. So making your own could be a useful skill you have in your back pocket when cosplaying or costuming.

but is this something we can expect to do ourselves?

Like many crafts it is something that requires patience and skill. You can't expect to make a magical, handsome, mysterious, captivating, bagelrific etc. wig your first try.
The following is a really brief tutorial of what you can do for a basic wig.
You need hair off course (synthetic or otherwise). The hair will typically be assembled into wefts for the portion of the wig. Wefts are assembled "rows" of hair. The units can be sewn or glued together usually to some other material like. You might also know these as hair extensions (which coincidentally make good raw materials for custom wigs). You could make these yourself from existing wigs or "raw" hair or purchase them outright.

Image from beautybychristinelieu.com
Depending on the overall design you might need to make other constructs, like a ball base for a pony tail or buns or something, but wefts would be a simple start. You could easily ask several questions about making wefts alone. I will move on assuming that your hair has been treated and /or processed so that it is now straightened (if you made your own wefts from fibre stock).
These wefts, and other parts, will typically be assembled on a cap e.g what you will actually be wearing on your head. Caps can be commercial products specifically designed for wigs or just material that can be used for a cap base like jersey etc. The caps are important as they need to be comfortable and allow your head to breath. That and something you can sew into.
Having a head model, preferably fake, is almost a necessity for assembly and getting a good idea of what the finished product will look like. Bear in mind, model heads are likely not the same shape and size as your own and that adjustments will need to be made to compensate for the size difference.
You then just need to sew the wefts to the cap. Examples of in progress wigs:

Image from cherishedcrowns.blogspot.ca

Image from casualtycosplay.blogspot.ca
As you progress you will likely need to use a combination of at least water and or heat to help form the wig into shape while also preventing damage to the hair while you work. One of the tips I read is that when sewing don't sew into the weft but into the hair as to not damage the weft.
Again this was a really simplified overview of a wig making process. Depending on you wig needs things can get pretty crazy but you will still be doing much of the above as your base in most cases. I hope this gives you a little incentive to consider wig making in the future.
Continued reading
A non extensive list of resources I saw while researching wig making.

A really good primer on making your own wigs with ties into other custom wig tutorials: Wig making from scratch
Wefting: Getting Started
Beginners wig making on YouTube by BeautyCutright


Is there a single "best" position for holding a fountain pen while writing?

You should develop your own style of writing. The most important aspect, is that the hold must be comfortable, especially if you use the pen for long periods of time.
Other aspects to consider, less important: esthetics, quality of the result (i.e. the writing), the coolness factor, the formal-vs-informal setup when you will use it etc.

I used fountain pens for more than 20 years. I use them less now, since the computer is quite incompatible with them. I speak from my own experience, as well as the experience of my family and colleagues.

I guess that holding the pen from the "neck" will allow you better control, e.g. fast writing. Holding it from farther away from the nib would allow you to fuel your imagination and create fanciful text / drawings.
The size of whatever you write / paint also depends on the position of the hold.


Laser cutter versus electronic cutting for stencil making?

Having used frequently both a Silhouette Cameo 3 and a reasonably powerful laser cutter, I can perhaps offer up both sides.

Cameo 3

Plus:

Quieter in operation, by a huge factor
Much less expensive
Easier to set up/calibrate initially
Can use common software such as Inkscape, Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw to create designs
Hobby grade cutters are usually small footprint

Minus:

Slower in cutting
Single sheet capacity
Time consuming to attach material to cutting panel and to weed off cut pieces
Commercial grade cutters much more expensive, have tall profile (floor models) and larger footprint
Limited to mat size provided with hobby machine, not so limited in commercial grade units

Laser Cutter

Plus:

Extremely fast, especially on thin material
Flexible with regards to material choice
Once configured for specific job, very fast in swap out for volume creation
Able to cut multiple layers for higher production
Not limited to cutting stencils: engraving glass, acrylic, cutting thin wood veneers, as thick as 6 mm plywood, for example
Can handle much thicker material, depending on power
For RDC type controllers, a hugely supportive forum located at RD Works Lab, highly recommended for pre-purchase perusal and post-purchase support
Can use common software such as Inkscape, Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw to create designs
Bed sizes are varied, but typically larger than hobby sized cutters

Minus:

Almost always expensive, even "cheap" China made models
Support equipment (water pump, chiller, exhaust fan) adds to noise level
Can generate unpleasant smoke fumes (exhaust fan mandatory)
China made models do not work "out of the box" and require calibration, sometimes repair (see 7 above)
Non-China models often require additional expense for factory technician to install/set up
China-made models often over-rated, that is, 60 Watt model ad copy for 40-50 Watt laser
Typical China-made models include "challenging" software for creating work, but support forums exist to ease the pain. See note 7 (plus) above for balancing point
Even small models are larger than Cameo type cutters
Feature options (rotary accessory, bed type, bed control) can be confusing, see note 7 (plus) above


How to glue stones and shells to burlap-covered wood?

I have been working with all different types of glass on a daily basis for over 20 years, stained, frosted, fused, etc. I create mosaic art pieces using all sorts of different backings. For example: Glass on glass, glass on wood, glass on metal, glass on ceramic, glass on plastic, and the piece I'm working  on now is glass on egg shells. Yes, glass on blown out egg shells.

Over the years  I have tried everything from Elmer's school glue to contact cement, to hot glue guns and I have found that the best adhesive to attach any type of glass to any surface is "Weldbond". It is the strongest, weather and water proof, a little goes a long way, dries clear glue. And best of all it's inexpensive. You can find it in any craft store for around $8.0o. I swear by it, I wont use anything else my glass pieces. I promise you wont be disappointed. Here are a few links, check it out for yourself.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Weldbond-All-Purpose-Glue/47657022

https://www.amazon.com/Weldbond-8-50160-Universal-Adhesive-5-4/dp/B00P94NRDE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1502264340&sr=8-3&keywords=weldbond+glue+mosaic+adhesive


How to prevent Tunisian crochet from curling?

The main issue with Tunisian crochet is that, since you don't turn your work, all your tension will be distributed on the same side of your project, with nothing to "balance" it and prevent the curl. Apart from blocking, all the methods suggested to reduce the curl are actually methods to reduce the tension.

There are a lot of blog articles and videos dedicated to that topic, including this pretty useful review from Holly's Crafty Shoebox
. From what I've gathered, you should try to:

increase your crochet size
try to reduce your tension
work your fondation row into the back bumps of the foundation chain (as shown on the video)
add a double crochet row
add a few Tunisian purl stitch rows
wet blocking your work once finished (not so much efficient if you're working with acrylic yarn)

You might want to combine several of these tips for increased efficiency. The woman in the video by instance suggestes combining a bigger hook and working a few Tunisian purl stitch rows at the beginning and end of your project. Let us know if that worked for you!


I have some experience with canvas hats.  I owned a Real Deal (hatmaker from Brazil) for several years. They're made from old canvas tarps, like the ones used to cover truck payloads.

Canvases has its advantages over felt.  It is slightly more breathable, and wicks moisture away a little bit better.  It's a marginal improvement over felt.  The greatest advantage is in durability.  With reasonable use and care, canvas will last for years.  Mine survived about 4 years of heavy abuse.

For heat control, eyelets will be helpful, especially high up near the top.

To help the top of the hat keep it's shape without making it too thick, there's stuff called boning that is used in fitted dresses and corsets.  Its a thin plastic mesh that adds stiffness without adding significant weight.  Asking around at a fabric store will put you on the right track.

Perhaps the easiest way to help the brim keep its shape is a piece of wire.  You can cut it to fit and then secure it to the edge of the brim with bias tape.  To keep the tips of the wire from poking through the tape, you can tie them together with dental floss,  a heavy dab of epoxy or if you have the ability, welding the tips together.


What criteria should I consider for choosing paper for watercolor pencils

One of the first things you’ll want to remember is that you should always be using archival quality acid-free paper. Also, the heavier the paper, the less the paper will wrinkle when wet. In fact, after about 2mm of thickness one will generally be speaking of board, not paper.

Hot pressed papers (and boards) are smoother than cold pressed, and although there are many pulp options, you should really consider 100% cotton rag. Don’t try and be a hero saving the environment - use virgin non-recycled materials.

Many artists attach their watercolor paper to a wooden board with masking tape along all the edges. This prevents the paper from curling too much, however I never liked the fact that the tape generally rips off the top surface of the paper. That’s why I spread acid-free bookbinder’s PVA glue across the back of 350g cold-pressed paper and bond to the smooth side of a sheet of Masonite (HDF) reinforced with a wooden struts, all of which is later used as a backing plate to attach the frame.

My advice specifically for your use case is to use the pencils only when the paper is dry - otherwise you really run the risk of damaging the surface. That and to start using a brush.


Let me start with a disclaimer.  If it was my box, I wouldn't try to restore it.  There's a good chance of turning it into a mess.  Right now, it shows the character of age.  Trying to restore it could leave you with something very unattractive.
The wood seems bare, but if it had any kind of sealer (possibly including the stain), you will end up with a blotchy finish if you don't sand it first.  It would be tough to sand it without damaging the sheet metal, which looks like it isn't removable without damaging it.
If the sheet metal has any kind of protective finish, the results will be blotchy.  If it has a copper patina, it's likely solid copper sheet.  If there are irregular small blotches of dark patina that aren't consistent with natural sources like finger prints, that would suggest that there might be a protective finish (or it could have been something in contact with the metal at those spots).  The proper way to restore it would be to first strip any potential finish or coating, but it isn't very practical to do that without removing the metal.  So you will be taking a chance with any kind of cleaning.
There's a potential for creating a mess on the wood from what you do on the metal, and on the metal from what you do on the wood.  It's risky to do this kind of stuff after the fact.
So I would advise against trying to restore it, but I'll provide some tips and ideas on doing it if you're set on doing it.

Remove parts that can be easily removed without damage so you can access the surface of the box unobstructed and work on the removed parts without messing up the box.

Do meticulous masking.  Seal off the metal when you work on the wood, and the wood when you work on the metal.  Regular painters tape isn't good enough.  I would put down an edge strip of something like rubber cement to seal the surface, then something like FrogTape, which blocks water-based materials from getting past the edge.

If the filigree had been a surface decoration, you'd be out of luck.  Since it's the edge of embedded metal, it theoretically would allow you to re-stain the wood.  But it won't be as simple as slapping on some stain and wiping it off.  The stain will soil the metal, and cleaning it off the metal will mess up the stain on the surrounding wood.
You can try to apply stain and wipe it off while it's still wet, and see how cleanly it comes off the metal.  You may need to employ a procedure like using a penetrating stain, letting it soak in deeply and dry, then lightly sanding the surface with extremely fine grit sandpaper.  You could also try using a tiny brush to apply the stain around the filigree, being careful to avoid the metal (a very slow process).

Cleaning copper isn't the problem.  The problem is keeping it that way.  Copper starts to oxidize as soon as you stop cleaning it.  Cleaning dissolves the oxidation, and leaves a microscopically rough surface with a lot more surface area.  So every time you clean it, it oxidizes faster.  And every time you clean it, you remove some of the copper.

Many weak acids will remove copper oxidation.  Lemon juice, orange juice, or vinegar are popular.  People use tomato sauce or ketchup (the tomatoes are a little acidic; ketchup also contains a little vinegar).  Commercial cleaners often use citric acid.  For heavy oxidation, people add salt, or use a baking soda paste as a mild abrasive.  You can mix the acid with a little flour to make a paste that you can apply and let it sit for awhile.  There's an interesting comparison of the effectiveness of various popular mixtures: Compare Home Made Copper Cleaners.
Commercial products may clean copper faster, but that's not necessarily a good thing.  They do it by using stronger, more aggressive acid, which will lead to a need to re-clean sooner.  Some also contain a chemical used to purposely create patina.  I'm guessing that's in there to create the need to use the product more often.

If you don't protect the metal, it probably doesn't make sense to clean it.  You can coat it with oil (which will also be good for the wood), so you can do the whole box.  If you use a permanent finish, it will need to be something impervious to air and moisture.  If any air or moisture gets through, the copper will oxidize under the finish, and the finish will make it all that much more difficult to clean it again.

You don't necessarily need to restore everything to it's original appearance.  You can do things to merely improve how it looks now.  For example, touch up the most worn areas of the wood to be consistent with the rest, or restore only the aspect that bothers you the most or is the least risky.  It may improve things just to clean the box.
Sometimes, it's sufficient to just make things more uniform.  For example, the wood has some dark blotches.  Rather than staining all the wood, you may be able to lighten the blotches.


What type of paint for mildly flexible plastics?

Elastomeric paint
 And the asnwer you are looking for...
 Acrylic Paint
Acrylic paint is indeed very elastic, as the comment section points out: It prevents cracking from occurring.

Other Options
There arent really 'other options that doesn't contain acrylic based paints... one of them is called: Urethane, this bad boy is basically modified acrylic paint.
Elastomeric paint Would be your final answer


I want to paint a shelf in White , and a mask in it like image attatched. Should i use oil based or acrilic?

Ignoring the masking in of the mask design for now and answering original question.

The choice of paint is up to you. As fixer1234 noted you are better off using oil based enamel paint as it gives a harder more permanent finish but latex will do if you want to avoid solvents and messy cleanup.

You would want to sand and prime the board first. Match the primer to the paint you plan to use. Sand after priming, maybe use two coats if the wood is extra thirsty or the old finish still shows through. Same goes for your finish coats.

To add a design, make a stencil or hand paint it after applying the base coat. Be sure if you are using a different color that it is the same type of paint (latex or oil enamel).  Then apply a clear coat to protect it, also of the same type of paint.

I am not going to go into paint brands or how to prep and clean brushes etc... that you can find out for yourself with a little basic research.


What can I do to avoid brush strokes in my Mod Podge?

When applying the Mod Podge, use a soft, wide brush and as few brush strokes as possible, as it begins to set quickly. If you can brush it on with only one or two strokes, that is best. Use very thin coats.

Ideally, use a different medium. I think part of the problem is just the Mod Podge itself. I no longer use it because I think it has a haze when it dries. I like to use Delta Ceramcoat Varnish or Annie Howes Glamour Seal. The Glamour Seal can also be used as an adhesive.


Preparing Canvas to Prevent Yellowing Over Time?

The quick fix is a sealer so the tannin or stain can't penetrate through. Stain blockers that are oil-based primer/paints, spray shellac, polyurethane, or even wax.


How can I precisely and quickly tie loops of line?

After a brief search using "diy knot tying tool," and mostly coming up with fly-fishing helpers, I think your best option would be to create a jig with pegs in the right locations. What are the right locations? That's a trial and error project.

Picture a board of suitable length for your longest set of loops. Cut it in half and create a means to adjust the length over about a 30 cm distance. I'd use threaded rods and brackets along the side of the board, perhaps with wingnuts for ease of adjustment.

At each end of the board, a series of pegs representing the loops in your selected knot around which you would wrap your lines.

Your drawing does not show it, but for loops that will not collapse, a bowline knot is a good choice.

The main portion of your line would wrap around two pegs spaced far enough apart to pass the line through, then continue to loop (1) around the peg at the far end of the board. Add a peg, or extend the far peg as needed to adjust the size of the loop.

Once passed between the pegs (1) and wrapped back on itself, the pegs can be removed to tighten the knot.

This will result in a consistent length of line being used for each knot, based on a reference point in the general area of the first two pegs. Excess line at the end of the knot can be cut, but over time, you'll develop a feeling for how much is needed.

At the other end of the board, duplicate the pegs and the steps.

The threaded rod in the middle allows you to adjust the end-to-end spacing to get the precise distance needed.

If a knot other than a bowline is used, you may need more pegs.

EDIT: In the case of 58 different lengths, you have a different task, but need only one board of pegs. Provide at the base of the board a marker or a clamp to which you will reference your line length. Initially, you will place your line at the marker, tie the knot as above and then remove and untie the knot. This will give you a reference distance to determine the length of line "consumed" by the knot, as well as a known distance from the end of loop to the marker.

For example, you place a marked line at the reference point, tie the knot, remove the knot and measure the loop distance to the reference. It's 4 cm. and consumed 10 cm of line. If you need a total of 180, you know that you have to have 180 - 4 - 4 = 172 between the markers and 172 + 10 + 10 = 192 cm of line.


What paint should I use on a concrete statue?

Sealing the concrete is the crucial step. I'd be using two coats of external plastic primer. You can buy primers with more than usual grip, but they cost twice as much (worth it). Then I would paint with a paving paint for extra durability. You might be able able to buy sample pots of enough paint for the whole job.

At some stage someone is going to have scrub it clean of dried bird droppings or even high-pressure wash it, so your paint will need to withstand this.

If children are going to clamber over it, or people are touching it as they walk past, I'd consider a final clear coat of a slate/concrete sealer to prolong the life of the paint.

I'd also give the new owner you left over paint or at least the color formula so they can touch up if they need/want to, with details of the products you used for each coat.


No, you don't really need that white charcoal :) However, it can be a very useful and fun to work with.
White charcoal can be used to create highlights in drawings, and is particularly effective in combination with dark charcoal. It is often used in academic drawing when drawing from a real-life references, like nudes:

Pierre-Paul Prud'hon - Standing female nude, seen from behind - 1810s
Notice the hue of the paper: white charcoal is naturally especially useful when used on non-white paper, preferably dark paper, as mentioned in the comments by users Lyssagal and agarza, or, when used in combination with charcoal, a hue in between white and black (medium greys, often slightly coloured, in blue, green, or yellow, are quite common).
Using this approach, you can use white charcoal as an opposite of charcoal, in the sense that you build your subject up from the illuminated aspects instead of its shadows, as one usually does using charcoal. Together, especially on toned paper, these two complimentary approaches give you more freedom, a larger tonal depth, and a quicker method of working, as you can correct most (minor) errors on-the-fly.
You can actually create your own toned paper by crushing some charcoal and rubbing it on a paper sheet using the palm of your hand (if necessary, you can use tissue or cloth to even it out more).
Unlike charcoal, white charcoal is harder to erase, and less prone to blurring as regular charcoal is (see the note below for the reason).

Note that - unless you're talking about binchō-tan - 'white charcoal' is obviously a misnomer: charcoal, from 'charred coal', is the product of burning wood.
This so-called "white charcoal" may be similar in character and regularly used in conjunction with charcoal, but is a pigment combined with a binding agent, often a (compressed) soft pastel. Binchō-tan is indeed (seemingly) white charcoal, but not suitable for drawing (and would probably appear grey).


The knot on the web page you posted looks like a basic square knot (aka reef knot) to me, at least as far as the end result is concerned. (They're tying it upside-down for some reason, but they're ending up with two simple overhand knots, one right, one left, and that's gonna get you a square knot.) One of the square knot's main uses is to join two pieces of thread/yarn/string/rope, so it can certainly be used to tie in a new piece of thread while weaving.
What you're tying looks like maybe a strange configuration of a granny knot, which is not likely to stay put if you pull on the ends.
An actual "weaver's knot" does exist, but doesn't look like either your image or the website you linked to. It's also called a sheet bend, if that helps.


How to prepare and carry out drawing line art on a tree round?

Preparation
As the wood dries, it shrinks.  You'll likely get big splits and cracks.  The rule of thumb for a board (vs. a round) is a year of drying per inch of thickness.  Wood dries faster through the end grain but also tends to develop splits and cracks as a result because of the uneven shrinkage (but has less tendency to warp in that orientation).
You can slow drying by sealing the end grain, but on a round, that leaves a lot of wood for water to migrate through, so drying could take years.  A round two feet in diameter is pretty big and limits some of the tricks that can be used to speed up drying.
To do this in a "reasonable" timeframe, my inclination would be to not seal the end grain.  Cut a bunch of rounds and let them dry for about a year until they stop losing weight.  Assume you will get cracks and splits and just deal with that.  Pick the best one to work with.
Cracks and splits aren't necessarily cause for rejection.  A common way to deal with them is to fill the gaps with resin.  Colored resin can turn it into a piece of art.  Note, though, that the resin will limit the tools you can use for the engraving, at least on the resin portion.
Carving the logo
If you have access to a CNC shop, you can give them the round and a computer file of the logo (they will typically be able to create the computer file if all you have is artwork or a bit map image).  They will be able to produce a perfect engraving, with very smooth and precise lines.
You can do this by hand; it will just require some time and being careful.  A router could be used, at least for the larger lines, but it will be hard to see what you're doing for the small details.  A rotary tool, like a Dremel, would make it easier to see what you're doing.
You could even use carving knives and gouges and do it the old-fashioned way.  Unless you are an experienced carver, those tools are likely to give the result more of a handmade appearance, which might even be better for the look it sounds like you want to achieve.  Knives and gouges won't be practical on resin, though, so if you have resin fill where you need to engrave, you could use a rotary tool in those spots.
Terminology
There are a number of related terms you could investigate.  Wood "engraving" is often reserved for fine, shallow cutting used to reproduce detailed pictures.  The lines are cut into the wood (a "negative" image).  "Woodcut" refers to a process where the background is cut away leaving the lines; it typically produces a cruder image.  Patterns of thick, deep lines are usually referred to as just "carving".


Tips for pressing flowers using a microwave

The following might be suboptimal, but it worked several times for me (and is purely empirical):

Set the microwave at minimum power.
Put the flower in a folded paper towel which you place in a tupperware.
Put the tupperware a few seconds in the microwave.
Open the tupperware, change the paper towel and dry the vapor in the tupperware.
Restart at step 3 until you are satisfied.

Of course, the number of seconds depends a lot on the type of flower. Typically, I start with 5-10 seconds and then decrease the amount of time. I never did it for flowers with petals, but I guess that you'll have to reduce the time in this case. Note that keeping small times allows a better control on your experiment.
I should admit that I never could get it as dry as after a long natural process, but you can definitely boost it with this technique.


The biggest problem in this question is the age of the child.
If we're talking pre-teen, then I see no chance that the child will spend regular time practicing pen strokes or how to draw straight lines, because that simply isn't fun.
Children want to have fun. Coloring books are fun because you can achieve a pretty result without putting too much effort in it. Drawing mom as a stick figure an declaring that "it looks like mom" is fun because it's quick and sufficient to express what the child intended. Indeed, this art of reducing the real-world information to the minimum required to recognize the object can still be helpful as an adult if you happen to design graphical user interfaces for computer or phone apps.
What you need most is listening to what the child wants. Do they want stick-figure-mom to look more realistic? Or do they just want to express their phantasy by creating colorful blobs on paper? Are they interested in drawing comics or mangas? Or do they want to create cool tribal style tatoos? The only thing they will practice voluntarily are the things they truely want.
Since all of the above examples require very different techniques, there is no one book or one art class we can suggest. But there are many different books and online sources that cater to teens and young adults and teach them how to (better) execute one single art style. One of the all-time classics is figure drawing where you start drawing a cat by linking a few circles together, and in each chapter the circles get more and more pronounced until you only need them as guidelines for the finished cat. The same is true for comic and manga drawing books where you're shown how to simplify the human body by linking circles and rectangles.
My suggestion is to observe what kind of art the child is creating now and asking them what they love drawing the most. Then translate that to adult terms like "figure drawing", "landscape drawing", "still lifes", "comic art", "water color" or whatnot and go looking for one very short beginner tutorial (either as book or online; I personally prefer books because you can easily find them again and reread a chapter if you forgot. Printing an online tutorial is a cheap alternative). Give it to your child and let them explore without any pressure. They might forget about it for a year and then suddenly be in the mood again.
Don't give them more than 2 books at once, it might feel overwhelming. Don't go for the thickest book available, those are usually intended for older and more advanced students. Don't be discouraged if your child finds a particular book unhelpful, they might not have the required skill yet, but will probably return to it once they acquired the skill level. If your child tells you that a certain book doesn't help them at all, listen to them and ask them what they expected / want to read about, then go looking for a different book that covers those topics. Even if you have no idea about drawing at all, you probably are able to recognize those topics if you see them in a book.

To the question of copying:
Copying reference images is the first step for almost all professional artists, because it's the best way to produce encouraging results and learn the required technique.
Portrait artists spend countless hours copying photos of peoples faces. Landscape artists spend countless hours copying landscape photos. Comic artists spend countless hours copying photos of people in different poses. It's the best way to learn.
Granted, the step away from reference photos to your own imagination is a hard one, but forcing a child to take this step even before they learned things like shading or body proportions (by copying photos) is extremely discouraging.
And by the way: The full title of the article you linked is

"Copy?...Real Artists Don't Copy!" but Maybe Children Should.

The article talks about how children are discouraged from copying artwork from their peers and teachers in an attempt to encourage originality. But how is a child supposed to create "beautiful" original art if they were never allowed to learn the technique by copying existing beautiful art? If a child can only compare their own stick-figure cat with a real cat, their judgement of their own skills will be devastating. If they can compare their drawing with a stick-figure cat of another child, they will see their own skills in a much better and realistic way.


so maybe something like that? I just used 2 pieces of bent and shaped 18 gauged wire, hammered out to make the pieces sit more flat, and then used 2 thin pieces of beading wire to anchor the 2 pieces together


Some more observations that didn't fit into a comment:

The stones are certainly no precious stones. The color indicates glass stones. If you're willing, you could try scratching the surface in an unobtrusive place like the edge where they're connected to the metal. If you can chip or scratch them with a nail or other sharp object, they are glass stones.
The shade of the metal could indicate silver, but the dark and consistent shadows in all the recesses could mean it's a non-precious metal that was dipped into a color wash to make it look like silver. You can clearly see the color in the areas of the leftmost cross.
All silver (or gold) objects should have a "Hallmark" at the backside, which is a special punch denoting the content of precious metals. If there is no hallmark anywhere on the piece, it is not silver or any precious metal.
If this were a high value artisan work, these hallmarks would be on each of the pendants as well. There would also be special hallmarks indicating the artist.

Example of english silver hallmarks:

All things considered it doesn't give the impression of having any material value. Far more interesting would be the symbolic value, but unfortunately I cannot help you with that. It could be that each of the pendants has a certain meaning that, combined with the other symbols and the place where it was made, could tell a story, commemorate an event, show the association with a certain society or symbolize wishes for the bearer's life.


How to make a stone (or something similar) and put there electronics?

What about Feather Rock? That is lightweight and easy to alter. Or check out some of the hidden outdoor speaker ideas and simply convert them for your project.


This is most likely an applied ceramic label. It's an industrial process that can't be achieved in a typical handmade craft setting (e.g., your garage), requiring ceramic inks or enamels, screen printing to apply the design, and high-temperature baking to set.

If you're considering removing an ACL to decorate the beer glass differently, the verdict is apparently that it isn't really removable (see related Q/A).


I have a couple suggestions.  If you knit in the French Method, try the German Method. If you knit in the German Method, try the French Method.  Try a peg loom knitting.  Or even machine knit. Else Weave & Sew, an entirely new topic.

Knitting with the yarn in the hand opposite the working needle (i.e. the left hand if the knitter is right-handed) is commonly referred to as Continental knitting, German knitting, European knitting, or left-hand knitting. The term 'left-hand knitting', however, is discouraged by left-handed knitters because it leads to misunderstandings. Unlike English knitting, the tip of the working needle is used to hook the yarn and bring it forward; the motion is thus sometimes known as picking. Continental knitting can be done at a greater rate than English knitting, as the stitches are formed closer to the needle points and the yarn has a shorter travel...

English knitting, also known as right-hand knitting or throwing, is a style of Western knitting where the yarn to be knit into the fabric is carried in the right hand. This style is prevalent throughout the English-speaking world, though it is by no means universal.

Other Western knitting styles include continental knitting (also known as "left-hand knitting") and combined knitting. Despite the names, choice of knitting style has little to do with the handedness of the knitter; plenty of left-handed individuals use the English style, and plenty of right-handed knitters use Continental. Various non-Western styles also exist, many of which are substantially similar to these, but which twist each stitch, making for a subtly different-looking fabric... but this can also be called French Knitting...


How to remove excess glue from around the edges of paper?

cotton tissue: I find this to be the most messy option, since it's difficult to regulate where the glue ends up, which means you might get glue on places where you do not want it

a toothpick: The sharp point might damage your paper if you press too hard

craft knife: might make your knife dull!

I mostly use thick scrap paper (or craft sticks) to scrape the glue off and haven't had any problems with that.


What are good methods to attach glass to wood?

Epoxies are the essential answer to your question.

Since you are affixing two materials that can expand or contract quote a bit, you need to choose an epoxy that will not shrink and risk cracking the glass.  The wood should be ok.

From here, the answer would turn into a bevy of brand recommendations.  I think you should look for what is available to you, and decide one that matches your 'mechanical properties', color, hardening process, etc.

I have used "Acraglas" for a nearly-identical purpose.  It only comes in brown color, from what I know.


Adhesive for applying keyboard keys to wood

I always recommend two-component epoxy for this kind of bond (PE plastic with laminated wood), however if you have a lot  of keys it can get pretty expensive (and messy).

A cheap approach would be to use plumbing silicon (the kind in the tubes). Put a drop in the back of the key and press it firmly onto the board. It should hold for a long time!


How to copy game box art prints to wall posters?

You can either scan the boxes with a high DPI setting, or take photographs of them with a semi-professional camera. In both cases you'll end up with a high-definition digital reproduction.
You might have to perform some post-processing in software like Photoshop to properly isolate (crop and adjust the perspective of) the cover, adjust the white balance and/or the colours, and, if required, increase the size of the image and add some noise or light blur to disguise the (Ben Day) dots that are likely visible.
Send/take the files to a printer shop, make sure the colours are displayed correctly on their calibrated monitors (use the same colour profile - ask an employee) and you're about done.
We can't give legal advise here, but doing something like this for personal use is generally considered legal, as far as I know.


Is pigment necessary to obtain white milk paint?

Yes, pigment is necessary. The milk solution creates the binder for the pigment, which is basically the mechanism to deliver the pigment to the support/surface, but it is then intended to mostly evaporate during the drying phase, leaving the pigment behind. What you're seeing now is, basically, an almost transparent darkening of the wood surface which is the remnants of the binder material.

You should be able to find dry pigment online. You're looking for, in this case, titanium white which is PW6 and it's generally available. I'm not going to give free advertising, but if you Google "titanium white dry pigment" then you'll find sources very quickly. :)


What kind of mask effectively protects from spray or turpentine/solvents chemicals?

Disclaimer

  I've tried to make sure what's in this answer is accurate. However, when doing any work that can affect your own safety, always carry out your own risk assessment and consult a professional about what protective equipment you need. This is not professional advice.

You're looking at three major types of respiratory protection (well, 4 if you really go down the serious end). They're illustrated nicely by this page.

Dust masks
These are basically large-particulate filters. They're good at filtering out dust, sawdust and chippings, but you should never use these for chemical work - the filter just won't catch them.
Fine-filter half-masks
These vary much more. They're essentially the modern-day equivalent of a gas attack-mask. If you're buying one of these, talk to the store personnel about what protection it offers - some are large-particulate filter-based, others are fine-filter-based and will filter out smaller stuff, even down to chemicals.
Powered respirators
These actively filter what's in the air to remove harmful substances. Again, the quality varies, as does the battery life.

And finally, for if you're doing really dangerous work (such as work with airborne toxins) or you're paranoid about breathing chemicals, you can get a full oxygen system such as that used by firefighters or divers. That has the advantage that if the mask is intact, you get ~100% filtering; it has the disadvantage of being clumsy, heavy, and difficult to fit correctly.

Whatever equipment you get, make sure you get it from a competent reputable supplier, such as 3M.

And finally, when doing work with chemicals, you need to look for eye protection too - many of the chemicals that can damage your respiratory system can also damage your eyes.


Help needed to transfer bird base to stretched bird base variant in John Szinger's origami fox model

Simply, take the bird base by the two flaps which are not folded, and pull them apart as far as you can without tearing the paper. The triangular part at the top of the bird base will flatten and stretch into a square. When you fold the model back flat, you will end up with the shape from step 8.


How to glue together this stone-like material?

The porosity of the material as it appears in the photo would have one aiming for an adhesive with some viscosity. You could have a solid and clean bond with a gel-type super glue. I've recently repaired a similarly irregular break of a less porous substance with Loctite brand gel. It does not seep too deeply into the material, but enough to get a "grip." Any brand of similar gel super glues would work.

Alternatively, a reasonably thick epoxy would accomplish a good bond. Having a break of this nature where the opposing surfaces mate nearly exactly allows for greater surface area, meaning better bond.

I reference the epoxy and gel super glues because I've had good luck in the last few days with both types.

Another option is the "goop" type product line, but it's too thick, in my opinion and might not bond into the porous surface as well. Somewhat unsightly at the edges, too.

The super glue option will give less obvious joins, and the epoxy falls in the middle.


More details regarding your objective would be useful, but one can expect certain commonalities irrespective of your final goal.

First off, unless you are inclined to excessive labor, expect to not-paint the area of plastic between the contact areas. More on this later in the dissertation.

The easiest way of masking out the contacts is just that, masking tape. Consider to use some of the new-tech tape which uses a liquid-absorbing powder to increase the tenacity of the tape edge to repel paint. One brand name is Frog-Tape™ although I expect others are available. You could align the cards in a simply-made jig and run a strip of tape over many at one time.

The above suggestion is valid if your intention is to paint the cards in a single color or a multi-color scheme of reasonable simplicity.

As with many painting tasks, masking is key. If your project is simple shapes of various colors, creating a mask for each color, with spacing to match a jig holding the cards, you would be able to apply the paint in sequence, alternating masks and spraying.

Consider the following: your image is the common yin-yang symbol, two colors and a neutral background.

Mask the contacts as noted above, which would also secure them in the jig, and apply the neutral background color. It is critical that this base color be allowed to dry thoroughly, to prevent peel-up from the following steps.

Your masks would have to be created from an adhesive material for best results. Vinyl sign material comes to mind, although you may get away with wide masking tape cut on a hobby cutter. Using transfer tape, the mask is applied to the jig containing the cards, leaving opening for the desired color. The masking is removed when the paint has become tacky, but before fully cured, to prevent peeling at the edges.

Repeat with the second mask and the third color.

The tricky part for multi-color designs is registration, also known as alignment. You would want the jig to contain clearly visible points to match up with mask one and mask two.

Silk screening uses similar concepts for multi-color, although the contact masking would be simpler. The screen has openings for the ink to be applied and is solid in locations of no ink. Photo-sensitive screens allow for accurate and easily created masks for simple artwork such as the symbol. The construction of the silk screening platform usually includes registration/alignment if done properly.

The area between the contacts could be painted using the silk screen method and even possibly using the vinyl cutting mask method, but requires very careful attention to registration as well as mask creation. Considering how small those areas are makes it a better idea to leave them in the original state.

The precision you engage in creating the jig will make the rest of the task all the easier. One could consider a 3D printed jig or perhaps laser cut acrylic. Laser cut plywood may be practical, but the organic nature of wood makes it susceptible to humidity and temperature changes. If you have access to a CNC resource, aluminum or acrylic becomes practical for making accurate jigs.


What material can I use to dye paper to look older?

tl;dr: tea!

Yup, that's right, good ole' Lipton (or whatever other type of black tea you happen to have on hand). Diluted coffee can also work, but will smell like, well, coffee-stained paper.

Note that this shouldn't be used on inkjet printouts, as inkjet ink isn't waterproof. So I would suggest printing out the master map (in black and white) and heading out to your local office supply store to make copies.

After applying the tea, you can hang up the maps to dry. The paper will get crinkly, but that's actually a good thing for this application. If they get too crinkly, apply a cool iron (barely above its lowest setting) to smooth them back out.

As a final step, go out to your garage (or a similar well-ventilated but sheltered spot) and use a candle or a lighter to burn away the edges of the maps. Keep a bucket of water handy, just in case. Don't go overboard - just do the corners and a little bit of a few edges. After blowing out the flames, break off most of the black stuff, leaving only a browned, ragged edge.

Note that the results will not be archival: tea is acidic. But for a prop for a birthday party, that shouldn't be an issue.


What range of wall color options would be generally considered aesthetically viable for a room with colored light bulbs?

Disclaimer, I don't own such a bulb. This is straight color theory and design.

LED bulbs such as your smart bulb use additive color. They operate by combining Red/Green/Blue light at varying intensities to create the 16 million combinations given in the specs.

Your wall paint works with subtractive color or pigments. They work by absorbing some R/G/B light and reflecting the rest. So your blue wall actually absorbs mostly red and green, reflecting  blue back to your eye.

This means that when your LED is adding colors that more heavily rely on red and green (yellows and oranges), they won't look as appealing on your blue wall. This is because little if any blue is emitted, so little if any blue is reflected. On top of this, the wall still reflects some red and green as usual, and mixing it altogether leads to unattractive browns and greys. You can test this by changing your bulb to pure green and shining it on a red object, such as an apple, with no other light. The apple will likely look unattractive and greyish.

Change your wall to any other color, and the same thing will happen, except you've just adjusted which portion of the color wheel is affected. Darker walls will be more adversely affected because dark walls, by nature, already reflect less or absorb more of the light coming at them.

So, if your goal is to have your walls look pleasant under any of the 16 million color possibilities, assuming they're all pleasant, then lighter neutral shades or white are your best bet. This is because they will reflect back the most even light. The goal is to not have the pigment of the wall muddy the color by unevenly absorbing and reflecting the light shone on it.

However, 16 million colors is quite a color palette to try and coordinate a room around, and walls are not the only points of color. Furniture, decor and other accents may also play a factor in your decision. If you'd like to use a certain color palette in your decorating, then you may want to consider limiting your use of the LED's spectrum.

If that's the case, you could venture into some wall colors that take advantage of the spectrum you do use. For instance, if you decide to eliminate yellow from the LIFX, then there's a wider variety of blue wall hues that'd look pleasant under the remaining lights.


Can an oil painting be finished with wax to create a matte finish?

Pure beeswax is compatible with oil paint and you can use it as a top coat or "varnish" on oil paints to provide a matte finish.

There are also cold wax mediums and varnishes that you can use with oil paints. They are a mixture of solvent like mineral spirits or turps, pure beeswax, and resins, the same materials you use to make mediums and varnishes for oil painting with the addition of beeswax. These you can work cold mixed with oils, dry pigments, or as a top coat to get a matte finish. In my experience they work fine but do not have the same depth as encaustics. They will take longer to set but will be easier to work with and provide a stronger finish than pure wax.

The curious may want to look at encaustic painting which is painting with pigmented beeswax and gives a distinctive appearance of depth and translucency which using a wax varnish approximates.


Which spray adhesive should I use to temporarily glue a laminated piece of paper to plastic?

There is such a thing as Post-it Note adhesive sticks, which allow you to "make any paper sheet into a Post-it note".

In my experience it works well, but doesn't come off absolutely cleanly. That said, what little residue there is wipes off easily with a cloth.

https://www.amazon.com/Removable-Restickable-Stick-49oz-Repositionable/dp/B001GXFB4K


Handmade ceramic plate cracking after putting hot food on it

It is the glaze and the lack of annealing the piece. In lampworking, glass  needs to be annealed to decrease any stress in the glass so it will not crack.  Ceramics that are glazed are glass covering the ceramics, so it also  needs to be annealed, with a slow cooling of the piece when fired.
It would also help if you find out the COE of the glaze if you can so you can hold the temperature of the kiln at the best temperature to reduce the stress of the glaze.
I personally do not know what that would  be.  Possibly, just slowing down the firing process; reducing the temperature very slowly to say twice what  you did before.


Smooth ends of steel wire after cutting it?

Your objective is much easier than you might expect. I frequently use a small belt sander or my Dremel rotary tool to round sharp edges of cylindrical items such as nails or stiff wire.

Rather than using a grinding stone on your Dremel, consider to use a sanding drum. The grit will be more coarse on the drum and remove metal faster. Unless you require extremely smooth finish, the drum will make for shorter work.

Regardless of the tool selected, you'll want to secure the Dremel to a solid workspace/workbench to provide for best control. I've done the process with a Dremel rotary tool in one hand and the workpiece in the other, with mixed results.

Once secured and powered up, you can use both hands to position the wire to the drum/stone and brace one hand for graduated movement. You won't want to push the wire into the tool from an inadvertent muscle twitch or a slight balance waver. If you can perform the task while sitting, all the better.

You mention "properly smoothing" which means you will likely aim to the grinding stone side of things. The amount of material to be removed is small enough to make this practical.

Once you've attained the desired shape, your Dremel tool may also have a buffing wheel of sorts. It's likely to be a white fabric looking disk with a mandrel or a center hole for a thread-in mandrel. Using this tool in the same manner as described above, after applying jeweler's rouge, will provide for a polished finish. When performing the final polishing, use caution to avoid creating so much heat as to burn your fingers.

Spin the wire if possible as you press it against the wheel. The wire will accumulate abrasive powder as well as some of the fabric from the wheel, requiring periodic wiping to better examine the surface.


Will I have problems with wire baked in oven baked clay?

Polymer clay doesn't shrink like real clay, so you don't have to worry about cracks/breaking of the clay while being heated.
Most types of metal melt at temperatures way higher than polymer baking temperature, so you don't have to worry about that either. I've made Fimo things with a core of aluminium foil, and no problems at all.


How can I fix or prevent getting holes in my jeans near the crotch?

It's likely caused by the friction of your inner thighs rubbing together causing the material to wear in that spot quicker (especially because there are a few seams right there).

This can also be exacerbated by wearing pants that are too tight so that it's relatively tight around the upper leg or ones you shrunk by washing in hot water and running them in a dryer. If you're going to dry them you should wash them in cold water and dry them on low to minimize shrinkage. I have shrunk great jeans before and had to get rid of them because I made them too small. Finding a different pant cut may alleviate this, however, this will probably happen to any jean if you wear and wash them too much so if you can have more pairs of jeans and wash them a bit less they'll probably last a little longer, but it's pretty much always going to happen eventually.

You could fix them by sewing a jean patch on (cut up a different pair of jeans or buy a patch from the store) but you have to remember you're going to add more seams and a patch of jean that's either a different color or older/newer jean material and it probably is not going to last all that long.


Why is my dyed plaster losing its color?

The dye you have linked to is known as Blue 1, or Brilliant Blue FCF, and is, unlike my comments under the question, a synthetic dye. It is a dye that can be consumed by humans. It is not defined as a redox dye (indicator), so should not react to changes in pH, but it is derived from Methylene blue which does change colour from blue to clear in it's reduced form.

I cannot provide a definitive answer on why the dye appears to have broken down but the probable causes are a reaction to the plaster, air, sunlight, or a combination. Nor can I suggest how to stop the colour change once it has started.

What I can suggest is to use dyes purposely manufactured for use with gypsum, limestone, or portland cement plasters. There are quite a few colours available, such as blue, and can be easily obtained from building supply stores and websites. The link I provided is for the UK, but I'm certain that they are available world wide.


Best material to make cardboard more durable

For your objective, spill-resistant and ding resistant, you're dealing with two parameters that could be combined. As noted in Bill Horvath's answer, the weight will be a factor.
Cardboard for concrete forms is pretty durable and somewhat moisture resistant "out of the box", and could take mild abuse without modification.
Virtually any paint will protect the material from moisture once cured. The biggest enemy of cardboard is water and other liquids. Paint will be lightweight, the lightest option, and likely the least expensive route. Even rattle-can paint can accomplish water protection and allow for artistic expression as well.
One step up from paint, providing protection and a minimal amount of ding suppression, would be a coating of water-resistant glue. I used "water-resistant", but some products explicitly state waterproof. One such product is Titebond III Ultimate Wood Glue, which uses those terms on the website. One would brush on several coats, allowing the previous coat to become tacky to avoid drips, runs, and spatters. Once fully cured, the glue becomes a force-distribution surface, spreading out any impacts. If the glue becomes damaged, it's an easy repair.
Other surface finishes which provide for water-repelling features would work, of course. Some finishes may not work for impact protection, while others (epoxy-based products) may be overkill.
Beyond this level, one will most certainly be adding weight. It's not absurd (but pretty close) to consider that a single layer of fiberglass with polyester resin could make a substantially strong cat hoop, but the weight comes into play again.
Polyester resin or epoxy resin of a thin consistency will provide waterproofing and not all that much weight while giving the durability you require. Additionally, using such a coating on the outside will improve the durability of the bearing contact areas. If applied on the inside surface, adding grit prior to curing gives the felines more confidence and less cartoon-cat skittering.


How can I make a faux gold finish less garish?

I assume the look you're hoping for is a little like this, a dirty gold:

source, actually a 3d render

If you're not planning on rebending the stand a lot, I'd suggest taking some acrylic paint (maybe some raw umber and black or similar dark and muddy colour), mix it with a little chalk or plaster (gypsum) to make it more dirty and matte (but make sure it doesn't dry out too quickly - you can add a little water while you mix), take a piece of cloth, dip it into the mixture, and rub it unto the lamp.
This way, all crevices will take the paint, and all larger smooth surfaces will be wiped clean again by the cloth.

As a side note: I don't really see the 'gold' in the lamp, only a very subtle, almost green hue. Is it the lighting, the colour profile, or is it really that faint?

Depending on how clear the 'gold' is on the lamp, you can first coat it with some acrylic gold paint, using either spray paint, or acrylic, after you've sanded it with very fine sandpaper.

Regular acrylic gold paint is usually too cool or too warm,  and too shiny (or, rather, glittery). There are more professional paints available, but you can of course also create your own mixture (white, yellow, and if you're so inclined, maybe warm it up with a very little bit of red).

In both cases, parts of the coating might come off afterwards (especially with acrylics), but this could actually increase the faux antique look.


What's the finest readily-available way to write on paper?

The smallest pen I have personally found is a 0.03 mm size pen; while it does leave a very small line, the tip is quite fragile and tends to break more often than my larger pens (including the 0.05, the next size up). It requires a delicate touch; while you would probably be fine with it, I wouldn't recommend handing it to kids, who haven't always developed the motor skills to be gentle with the pen.
The 0.03 size is also fairly uncommon; typically, the smallest pen tips you'll find will be either 0.05 or 0.1. You can see a comparison of the line sizes in this sample image from JetPens, found in their product listings for Copic Multiliners, one of the brands that does carry this size of pen; Marvy and Deleter also sell a pen in this size. The image below is an actual sample of the pens, on an undisclosed lettering paper, to show comparative line weight and bleed between sizes.


You might consider Kraft-Tex® Paper.  Many people are using it for bookbinding.  It is also used for making wallets, purses, even luggage.  It is ultra-durable (virtually rip-proof), can be sewn like fabric, and embellished in many ways including printing.  Here is the description written by the manufacturer, C&T Publishing:

Wait until you get your hands on this rugged paper that looks, feels, and wears like leather, but sews, cuts, and washes like fabric. Kraft-Tex® is supple, yet strong enough to use for projects that get tough wear. Use it to bring an exciting new texture to your craft-sewing projects, mixed-media arts, home decor, and bookmaking. Durable fiber-based texture softens and crinkles with handling and washing.
Original unwashed Kraft-Tex® is available in Black, Chocolate, Natural, Stone and White by the bolt or by the roll. (It is now available in several more colors.) So many ways to play with Kraft-Tex®: sew it, stamp it, paint it, fold it, draw or inkjet-print on it. White is a wonderful canvas for painting, rubber stamping, drawing, and stitching. Black makes metallic ink or thread, gel pens, and powdered pigments pop! Kraft-Tex® does not require interfacing.

I have purchased some and can’t wait to see what it is like to work with!


The double-sided ones are often called "grommets".  Good search terms are "fabric grommets" or "fabric grommet tool".  Amazon has a huge selection, including different sizes and colors.
The grommets consist of two pieces.  One is like a shaped washer that goes on the back. The other piece is similar to the eyelets you're using, but it, and the installation tool, are designed to stretch and flare the eyelet tube instead of splitting it into a "star".  Once it's installed, it looks fine on both sides.


Looking to affix medals in a display case

A very simple solution is to use small nails. Your medals slide off the pins because their needles taper off at the end, creating a tiny slope for the medal to slide down.

If you use nails instead (heads facing the front), the heads form a tiny barrier that keeps the medal in place. There's a surprisingly wide variety of nails available. For this purpose you should choose ones with a distinct, but not too broad head and - if available - black nails.

You might have to add a thin wooden board to the backside of your showcase to give the nails enough material to dig into. If you want to paint the nails in the same color as the felt, do so after hammering them in.


How can I seal cross-stitched keychains?

If you are willing to experiment on my behalf my suggestion would be to use 2 part epoxy resin. It is self leveling, and dries hard, clear, and smooth (if done well).

Most people use resin for larger projects so instead of buying large containers of the stuff for small projects like this you might be able to get away with the smaller ones that you would find in dollar stores and hobby shops. The are advertised as a repairing glue. Small container with 2 tubes that keep the resin and hardener separate. A single plunger extrudes both at the same time. You would have to glue down the stitch to the frame separately in case it tried to escape as it dried (Most recommend 24-48 hours)

If you do try this make sure you mix the compound before you apply it to the final product i.e don't dispense right into the frame using the plunger.

The only potential issues I see here is from the height of the recess in the keychain:

  There's a little bit of a lip around the edge of the keychain, but the cross stitch ends up sitting higher than this lip.

This might not be an issue. If done well and if the height difference is not too large, the resin can raise over a little without going over the edge. (This is called surface tension. It is what liquids do when you fill a cup too high).

You could consider replacing the construction paper with something else like paint or marker. The paper likely does a better job of covering the back of the cross stitch, though. You might fare better with a lightweight card stock.

Not sure if this applies to the think Mod Podge as it is setting but you could try to remove bubbles with a little non-direct heat like that from a hair dryer or heat gun used at a distance. Another simple trick that would be easier is to exhale (Not blow) over. These work for removing bubble for curing resin. Would not be surprised if they apply here as well.


My guess is that it's badger hair - the grey-white gradations are typical for these kinds of brushes:

They are quite common, and many manufacturers produce them, including Da Vinci, Isabey, Royal & Langnickel, and Raphael.

  Unlike other hair, pure badger hair is thickest at the tips, giving
  these brushes a bushy appearance. They're excellent for glazing
  techniques, and popular with decorative and faux finish painters
  because of their blending ability.  source

  Badger brushes are [..] more springy than bristle, and they have a
  softer touch. They cost more but seem to last forever (I have some
  which are twelve years and counting). source


What material to use for the spine in the binding of a paperback book?

I have used both of these when I bound my hardcover books. I am unsure if either of these are what you have pictured though

Bookbinding cloth

Also known as book cloth or Japanese book cloth. These are paper backed materials, which make it good for applying adhesives, and usually are made special designs. I have use this for just the spine for flair and to make the material last longer (used for more books).

Cheese cloth

This is easier to come by, since it is not exclusively a craft item , and works relatively well. These come in a variety of grades and the finer ones would be preferred for this task.

Both of these should fit your criteria


There is... do a search for "stapleless staplers."

Pretty sure they work by interleaving little tabs of each sheet or side of the fold through the other sheet/side.


Knitted material that doesn't develop little furry balls (pilling)

Pilling occurs when shorter fibers work their way out of a yarn and gather on the surface of the fabric. Generally, pilling occurs due to a given fiber's length/strength, the spin/ply rate of the yarn, and the surface abrasion the garment is subjected to.

As to the hat you're posting about, all layers and lining are composed of synthetic fibers. As such, they are extruded and artificially cut to lengths for processing; longer lengths are generally chosen, though this is not always the case. The yarn itself is also quite finely spun, so any given fiber will span multiple wraps over its length, helping secure it in place.

Also, synthetics tend to be fairly strong for their weight, especially olefin and nylon, and will resist breaking. When other fibers break, the resulting pieces of the broken fiber are then short enough to easily work their way out of the yarn.

As a hat, abrasion is probably pretty low. I do have a knitted hat that I occasionally wear under my bike helmet, and the added friction has caused the hat to pill considerably, when normally hats don't do that as much.

It's probably also worth noting that this hat has multiple layers. As such, abrasion to the inner surface of the hat will have little impact on the outer surface, and vice versa.


Yes, that concern is very valid, and it has always been a problem in any school art room I've ever been to (even though we used only water paints in school).
You should never wash big amounts of paint down the drain. The safer method is to simply let it dry and dispose of the remains in the household waste. Bigger amounts should be left to dry in a disposable container or plastic bag. Smaller amounts can be transferred to some old newspaper, paper towels, or similar disposable surface.
Brushes and mixing palettes should be wiped clean with a paper towel and then rinsed in fresh water. After you finished rinsing, continue letting the water flow for another minute to wash all the residue down your pipes. This is also useful for rinsing the pipes of old soap or fat residues (for example, after washing very oily dishes).
One solution I personally use: My mixing palette is a common glazed saucer. I let the paint that I no longer need dry on the saucer and then soak the whole saucer in water the next day. The acrylic paint won't dissolve in the water, but it will release from the glazed surface, and I can easily peel the paint remains from the saucer and dispose of them in the waste.


It's a seam ripper. You use it to pick up and cut stitches in a seam that you want to "unsew".

To use it properly, poke the longer end under the stitch, then push it through so the U part cuts it. Repeat every few stitches, then use either your fingers or the tool to pull out the threads.

To use it the quick & dirty way, pull apart the layers of fabric until you can see the stitching on the inside, position the U part of the tool at the bottom of them, and push up between the layers of fabric to cut the stitches. You'll need to hold the fabric taut while you do this, and there's a danger of cutting the fabric instead of the stitches (hence the "proper" but tedious instructions).


Your question indictes that you want to make laces that will be viewed from both sides and so need them to both be smooth. The normal leather making process produces two types of leather both of which can be further processed to be smooth on both sides .. you choose based on your need for quality .. I would recommend you go for Grain leather than has been ironed to smooth the inside surface.


Why do pencils offer larger color variety than watercolor?

The answer is quite simple really: you can mix watercolours (and paints in general), whereas you can't easily mix coloured pencils.

For example: If I have two different blues - a light and a dark - and I want a blue that's halfway in between, with watercolours I can just take roughly equal quantities of each, mix them together and use that.

With pencils, I would have to apply both, and try and get the shading just right so that you end up with a medium blue rather than an uneven mess. Because this is more difficult, people prefer to have a wider range of colours, and so because there's a market for it, manufacturers sell this wider range.


What does it mean to "push your values"?

If there isn't enough separation in the levels of the values used in rendering an image then the image can look washed out or the shapes poorly defined.

Someone saying, you need to "push the values", means they think you need to add more separation in the value levels you used to define your shapes and areas in the image as a way to help build greater depth, contrast and image intensity.

Here's a quick example

In the image on the left I limited myself to use values only from the middle range of the value scale (N4 to N7). The image looks hazy as though looking through a fog. I squeezed my values into too tight of a range for the scene.

For the image on the right I expanded the range and pulled from a broader overall range of the value scale. I pushed areas that were originally at N4 to now be at N1. At the other end where I had used N7 i pushed those areas to N10.

In both images N5 was used to render the table top. I used this value as my anchor point. Squeezing and pushing around it.

The result is the image on the right looks more intense and seems to be clearer than the image on the left.


How do I fix upper thread tension being too high?

Are you using the correct needle point and size for the fabric?

Ball points for knits
Straight points for woven fabric

Sometimes the needle just needs to be changed.

The other problem could be the thread holder, are you using a spool or cone? How is it attached or docked to your machine or the table?

If it is a spool that is loaded sideways, the thread might be getting caught in the spool's edges and you just need the slide on piece (spool cap) that holds the spool in place. This may also help on a vertical holder.

If you are using a cone, check to see if the thread is not releasing, sometimes it can get caught up underneath. You may want to get a spool holder and mount it to your table near the back of the machine.


How do I cut a popsicle stick lengthwise?

Your question is limited by not having an indication of the resources available to you. One of the better tools would be a scroll saw, often called a jig saw. The tabletop versions are well suited to light duty cuts such as popsicle sticks.

Another suitable tool, somewhat unwieldy, is the rotary hobby tool, often called a dremel tool, from the brand name frequently associated with this type of item. There are various bits available for this device, but it would be challenging to handle safely for such small pieces.

Only recently, there appears on the 'net a number of videos showing people using either a rotary tool such as the dremel, or a hand drill and even a right-angle disc grinder. The latter is seriously overpowered for this application, but the key feature is that the cutting "bit" is a circle of paper.

Multiple circles of the same diameter are cut, glued together using ordinary adhesive and attached to the rotary device. The faster the speed one can manage, the better the results. Even wood as thick as 25 mm (1 inch) is shown being cut with a paper disc!

I used The YouTube, searched for "cutting with paper" and found a number of returns. One of them shows the rotary tool at the very start. I did not view the entire video, having seen others representative of this method.

Cutting with paper

EDIT: An additional method of attacking the sticks would be to use a box knife or similar sharp instrument. Place a solid straight edge on the stick and score repeatedly along the edge. Use as much force as necessary to cut into the surface, but not so much as to crack the stick along grain lines.

If you can ensure exact positioning, consider to score one side then the other before attempting to split the stick in two. It may be necessary to alternate sides when scoring in order to slice completely through the stick.


How to Clean Mod Podge off Plastic Crafts Table

Mod Podge is a lot easier to clean off before it dries.  The version you linked to for fabric is designed to hold up to washing.  The instructions say it will stand up to hand washing, but user comments discuss it holding up to numerous cycles of machine washing.  So it sounds like removal could be a challenge, and you might need to try different methods.
The fact that the surface is plastic works in your favor.  Plastic furniture is typically made of polypropylene, which could make it easier.  It's hard to get a good bond on polypropylene, plus it will tolerate some of the solvents you could try.  It's soft, though, so you'll need to be careful not to cut or scratch it.
Here are some things to try:

Most water-based materials form a poor bond even if they stick.  They can often be peeled off.  Try getting under the edge of the Mod Podge with a razor blade, being care not to cut or scratch the plastic.  If you can get the edge up, you may be able to peel it off, or it might come up easily if you scrape it.  Remove as much as possible this way.

Regular Mod Podge can be resoftened.  I'm not sure about the fabric version, but it's worth a try.  Given that it's designed to hold up to washing, expect this to take awhile.  Saturate an old towel or thick rag with very hot soapy water and cover the Mod Podge with it.  Regular Mod Podge can take over an hour to resoften, so it could need to sit for a long time.  As the cloth cools or dries out, saturate it again with hot soapy water.
If the Mod Podge rehydrates, it will become cloudy or milky and softer.  You can try scrubbing it off with a sponge (an abrasive pad will scratch up the plastic), or try peeling it up as in the first bullet.  If the Mod Podge is thick and seems to be affected only on the surface, scrub off as much as you can and repeat the process.

If soapy water doesn't seem to have any effect per the previous bullet, try the same process using household ammonia diluted to the strongest strength recommended on the bottle for cleaning.

There are a few common chemicals that will soften, release, break down, or dissolve dried regular Mod Podge.

Alcohol: pour it on the Mod Podge or wet a sponge, paper towel, or rag with it.  Give it a minute of contact with the Mod Podge, then scrub.
Petroleum jelly (Vaseline): smear it on the Mod Podge and let it sit for a few hours.  Then scrub it off.
Adhesive remover like "Goo Gone": follow the product instructions.  This may leave an oily residue, so clean the area with alcohol when you're done.
Citrus solvent/cleaner (Limonene): use similar to alcohol.
Nail polish remover (usually ethyl acetate): use similar to alcohol, but it evaporates too fast to let it sit on the Mod Podge; just start scrubbing.  If you have a lot of area to clean, do it in a ventilated area.
Acetone: this is available in the paint section of hardware stores.  It is flammable and the vapors aren't good for you.  Use it in a well ventilated area with no sources of open flame.  Use similar to nail polish remover.

A few of these chemicals (acetone, limonene, probably ethyl acetate, maybe Goo Gone), will temporarily affect polypropylene (it may swell a little and the odor may linger), but that will disappear in a few days.  Also, if you use acetone, nail polish remover, limonene, or Goo Gone, use nitrile or polyethylene gloves to minimize skin contact.  Brief contact won't hurt you, but a lot of prolonged contact can be harmful to your skin.


What tool is available for protecting the box cutter and the surface of the table while using box cutter?

Cutting mats are avilable in a wide range of sizes.  I have A4 and A5, but even A1 (59.4 x 84.1 cm or 23.3 x 33.1 inches) aren't expensive at around £/$/€20. They provide a reasonably non-slip surface (Link is to a UK shop, just happens to have a range on one page).

If you want even bigger, a layer or two of vinyl flooring can work in the short term, but you will get through that with a craft knife eventually, so its best mounted on scrapwood.

Another large, cheap option is hardboard (masonite), but it will blunt the blade faster than a proper cutting mat.  MDF is worse still, but either of these can be useful if you have a few very long cuts to make.


What method is used to achieve this look?

I think a chainsaw was used to get this look. The grooves seem deeper in the middle, suggesting a curved shape. The middle parts could then easily have been chipped away by chisel or hammer, or even broken away by hand.

Lots of wood art is created this way, and these grooves usually serve as a starting point for getting the rough form out of a block of wood. Obviously, it's quite beautiful on its own, as well, exposing and emphasizing the natural texture and shapes of wood.