Ah, the 1980s. A simpler time, before the internet was born and all we had to worry about was the constant threat of nuclear war.
To get our minds off such troubles we turned to crafts to help us through. Anyone who grew up during the decade will remember making at least one of these ace things.
-
The joy of making pom-poms
The Orb made that classic hit, “Little Fluffy Clouds” in the 90s, but if they’d released it in the 80s they’d have called it “Little Fluffy Pompoms”. All you needed to make these was a circle of cardboard, lots of coloured wool and a pair of safety scissors! Hey presto, the best decorations on the cheap.
2. The paper fortune teller!
Oh, for a simpler time when all you had to do was make one of these to find out who you were going to marry, or how many kids you might have. Now we have to join sites like Tinder instead.
3. The Vinyl fruit bowl
Me: “Mum, I’ve just seen this dead dead brilliant thing on Why Don’t You? about making a fruit bowl from old records. Can I ‘av a go? Please please please…”
Mum: “OK, but don’t use anything really important of your Dads…”
*two days later*
Dad: “Doreen, have you seen my copy of Sargent Peppers anywhere?”
Me: *hides*
4. The Crisp Bag Keyring
This was a double whammy of awesome. You got to eat loads of crisps, and then do this amazing trick and turn them into keyrings to give to your friends and family. For the next 30 years. WE LIKE EATING CRISPS, WHAT OF IT?
5. Ace paper lanterns
A dead easy make that always looked really impressive. All you needed was different coloured paper and scissors and you could cut these to size in no time.
6. Friendship bracelets
If you could plait hair, you could make these – all you needed was a little wool and…some friends of course.
7. Balloon animals
Well, strictly speaking we didn’t make them, but our Dads might have done. But then we might have sneakily tried to afterwards and wondered why we couldn’t get it to work like he did. Boo!
8. Rosewater perfume
Who remembers going into the garden, deadheading all your Dad’s prized roses, ripping the petals off and cramming them into an empty bottle of R Whites lemonade? Then filling it up with water and hoping it would miraculously turn into perfume over night, but then being disappointed when it just rotted..?
