I thought I would share this because this has taken up most of my day today!

Pei-San Ng is an artist who likes to use matches! Her artwork is quite beautiful in the end.

I was first introduced to it by my boyfriend who shared this image on his Facebook page stating that he wanted one

I am slowly working on making one for him! I got the idea months ago when he shared it, but now I am finally starting the bare bones work.

Have any of you ever thought of uses matches or other every day items in your arts and crafts? less

Now you know, I am dying to watch it get ignited! That would be some amazing performance art, like dominoes, only better! Like sand paintings and mandalas that disappear in the wind! Actually, I see the artist DID ignite some! I have to say this appeals to the prepper in me because not only is it artwork, it functions as backup supplies in even of an emergency, lol! But watch out for the fire hazard! What really drew me in was this!! WOW, a dream for people like me, lol! Anyway, I digress...

I have some ideas that might speed you on your way to making a similar gift for your boyfriend...try making a mold with cardboard that will hold the matches upright in the shapes you want. Then all you need do is drop them in until they are all packed in the shape. Attach a "lid" to keep them there, invert your work surface (probably should use a piece of cardboard, should have said that earlier) and remove the work surface. Now you have all the matches inverted and upright in their shapes (think cigarettes in a box). You can re-arrange any to how you want while in this holder.

Now all you need to do is have your area pre-marked on your final background area for the piece. Apply the adhesive (pick one that dries clear!!!) to the background and the matches, following the adhesive directions and then taking your background and placing it onto the matches to correspond to where you want that shape. Now you invert the whole piece to upright (with it as you would look at it from the front), press down to make sure they firmly connect to the background (maybe even put a weight on it) and leave it until you have allowed the adhesive to set up. You can carefully pull the sheath of cardboard off a little and see it they wobble or not. And when dry, just remove it altogether. Anything that doesn't adhere can be individually placed on again with more adhesive.

OK, yes, I see the possibility that adhesive might make the cardboard sheath stick, too. You can easily work around this by carefully applying the glue so it doesn't get on the edges and then once they are touching the background, carefully lifting the sheath a bit so it doesn't touch the background. You could even put some toothpicks under the cardboard edges to prevent them from touching while it dries. You can also think of ways to put a barrier inside the cardboard form that prevents the matches from contacting the edge (say with toothpicks again or popscicle sticks, something the same width, even coins like pennies, lol). That would make keeping the glue off the form much easier.

I hope that made sense to you and will help take some of the tedium from making your own design one match at a time! Please, let me see what you come up with!!! I am sure I am not the only one who would enjoy seeing it as I know some other crafters on here. less