[image description: three craft items sitting on a round red and green watermelon slice pillow: a cardboard spool of rainbow rattail cord, wrapped in plastic; a clear plastic bag with a yellow swing tag reading “value craft jewellery findings“ containing bright silver lobster clasps; and a clear plastic bag with a white swing tag reading “craft glass jars” containing eight small glass jars with white plastic hole-punched stoppers. Yellow price tags on all three items read “Arthur Daley’s Clearance Craft $2.00”.]
Craft Items - Arthur Daley’s Warehouse, $2 AUD each.
This one’s very much an FYI for my local Melbourne-and-close-to-Melbourne Victorian stimmers! If you’re into the DIY side of stim toys, I recommend checking out the craft section of Arthur Daley’s on Swanston Street in the CBD.
They stock bottles for scented vial necklaces, glues, glitter, jewellery findings, split rings, necklace cords, beads, pom poms and rattail cord. Most things are $2 or $2.50 AUD; it’d be easy to get the makings for scented vial necklaces, bead ring necklaces or roller bead lanyards here. I’ve never seen the thinner rattail cord available this cheap before, and the thinner stuff is a lot easier to work with for bead lanyards and Kandi pieces.
I also saw jars (glitter jars) and chenille dust mitts, and for folks less into DIY, they stocked the usual assortment of stress balls and spinners.
Here’s our DIY master posts if folks are after ideas for things to make:
I’ve spent the last three weeks working on my own version of @gothtistic-stims‘s Spiky Tangle, using a cheap eBay Tangle Jr as a base. This version uses something more readily available to me in Australia: dollar shop silicone sealant, the kind used to patch window seals and the edging around sinks/baths/showers.
I used the 50 gram Duramax tube shown above the Tangle, and it didn’t quite finish the whole Tangle--there’s quite a few gaps. However, I had to wipe away part of the Tangle in the process, so if you don’t make mistakes, I’d say that a 50 gram tube is enough to finish a Tangle Jr.
I found the Duramax silicone for $3 AUD, while the 30 gram tube shown below is available between $1.20-$2 AUD, depending on store.
This cheap silicone sealant isn’t durable enough to make fine spikes: they just break and scrape right off under handling, even when fully cured. I scraped the Tangle clean and tried larger, chunkier spikes like those above--so it’s more knobbly than a Tangle Hairy--and this version lasts under normal handling. I can break off a piece if I deliberately scrape at it, but not under normal use. I do like how the chunkier spikes feel so very different from a Tangle Hairy, so I think this is an interesting possible variation on the Spiky Tangle.
It will not hold up if you want to pull at or pluck off the silicone bits. If you mean to do this and replace the silicone every so often, I suppose it has utility as a picking/plucking/pulling stim, but the effort of modifying the Tangle, to me, means that I can’t recommend it for this purpose.
In theory, this is a simple DIY: press the silicone out of the tube until it forms a thick blob, pull the nozzle away, start another blob, repeat. Wait until the silicone dries (it cures fully in twenty-four hours, but I found that it needed four to five hours to set enough for gentle handling), turn the Tangle over and repeat. Easy, right?
Words can’t express how difficult this mod was for me--pressing even larger, well-spaced-out spikes of silicone means pressing hard on a metal tube to control the silicone, and I can only manage a few rows (maybe one row over five pieces) at a time, once a day--for three weeks. I do not recommend this for stimmers with chronic hand pain or any disability that impacts strength or movement, and if you’re like me and do it anyway, please expect this mod to be a week or three in the making. This hurt my hands. This hurt my hands a lot.
I don’t recommend that even the most physically-abled of stimmers do this all at once. Please, take very frequent breaks and space this out over a few days at least. It’s one of the most physically-demanding DIYs I’ve ever done, and I’m genuinely concerned that doing this without appropriate rest breaks and spacing will cause RSI-type injuries.
This said, if you’ve been wanting a cheap DIY Spiky Tangle, I think there’s some potential in silicone sealant, and it has the advantage of being a readily available product in most dollar shops.
Image description under read more cut:
[image description: a knock-off Tangle Jr made from nine white, four pink, four blue and one yellow macaroni-shaped pieces, sitting on a red watermelon slice pillow with two tubes of silicone sealant sitting above and below the Tangle. The Tangle is covered with rows of chunky, spiky partially-translucent silicone blobs, making another, rougher kind of DIY Spiky Tangle. The topmost tube of silicone is aqua and black by brand Duramax; the bottommost tube of silicone is blue and white, text reading simply “silicona / silicone / silikon”.]
hey! this isn't an urgent question or anything, and barely even like a request, but if you ever happen across some stretchy silicone string or something can you let me know? i bought some at michaels, i think it was "spikeez" brand or something, but the brand seems to have disappeared and i can't find any more stretchy string. i like it for making stretchy bracelets with pony beads, they're an amazing stim
I’m not entirely positive I’m correct, on account of neither product being available locally (so my knowledge is based on discussions from North American stimmers), but perhaps you mean the Silkies Stretch Magic Cords?
(Spikeez is the spiky silicone used for modifying jewellery, homewares and accessories, and is also available in a range of pre-made accessories/keychains/balls. I’m not aware of it also being a stretchy-type silicone cord, but if I’m wrong, please correct away.)
Here’s the Google search I used: Silkies Stretch Magic. All sites are based within the US. I got several listings for Amazon, Shipwreck Beads, Pepperell and Michaels, but the Michael’s listing does say they’re out of stock online. I am not familiar, other than knowing they were available at Michaels in the past, with any offline stockists.
I think the best resource for you in terms of variety, size, style and colour will be the Pepperell website: they have a range of Silkies in bracelet and necklace sizes, including single item and multi-pack options, with multiple colour and braided options. This page discusses their shipping options, which does include international shipping, but no mention of price.
Amazon has a couple of options, but nowhere near as broad as Pepperell. They’re also only available in the necklace size, so I’d purchase directly from the manufacturer if you’d prefer the bracelet size.
If folks know of or can recommend a similar product, please let us know, as these don’t seem that easy to find offline.
And please, @5xfaith–do share with us the pieces you make! They sound lovely!
[opening image description: two photos of the same lemon squishy, held in a light-brow hand with mint nail polish, against a light green background. The squishy is shaped like a 3D lemon with a kawaii-style face painted in black, white and pink: round back eyes, an open black mouth, round pink cheeks. The photo on the left shows the squishy at full size, with the text “scented” in capital letters pointing to it; the photo on the right shows the squishy pressed down with finger indents, with the text “slow rising” pointing to it. Emojis of a lemon and a light-skinned nose are shown in the top right corner.]
Scented DIY Squishy Tutorial - Chelsey DIY
This is a tutorial for a scented DIY squishy using a scented pigment ordered online and mixed into the fabric paint. Since this is unlikely to be a completely-natural fragrance, this may not be suitable for all stimmers. It is also described as being quite strong, although the website does suggest it doesn’t last forever.
This also looks like quite a complicated squishy to shape.
Components:
Memory foam
Fabric paint in yellow, white, pink, black
Scissors
Paint brushes and iceypole sticks
Scented pigment
Video has auto-generated closed captions. The sped-up scenes of cutting the squishy are very flickery.
[opening image description: two light-brown hands, one holding a hamburger-shaped sponge, the other holding the same sponge after it has been painted into a DIY squishy, against a light green background. The sponge is formed of two brown bun pieces sandwiching a green leaf piece, a red patty piece, two pieces of oozing-out cheese on the sides and a second green piece. White seeds have been painted on the top. The painted squishy is much the same, save that the colours are darker, the red patty has been painted a meat brown and a kawaii-style face in black and pink has been painted on the front.]
Video Tutorial: DIY Burger Squishy, Chelsey DIY
I’m posting this for our UK-based stimmers who are after an already-shaped sponge to transform into a DIY squishy, since I find it much easier to do!
I couldn’t find the hamburger on their website, but they do have a panda and a cloud-shaped sponge!
Components:
Shaped sponge
Fabric paint
Paintbrush, popsicle sticks
Containers for mixing and storing paint
Cup of water for cleaning
A plate or tray or covered tabletop for painting on
Video has auto-generated closed captions which are fairly correct. Moderate music plays in the background. Please note that the sped-up video of the painting is extremely flickery and may be a seizure or overload risk.
[image description: two photos, on a red watermelon slice pillow background, of bead rings and the metal-lined glass beads used to make them. First photo shows a white cardboard package with nine metal-lined beads threaded on a white ribbon attached to the package. Black text at the top of the cardboard reads “Lincraft” and “9 metal lined beads”. The beads are in shades of blues and greens, and include two opaque sea blue beads, two translucent aqua beads with faceted sides, two opalescent white beads, a translucent blue bead with whtie spots, and two narrow silver beads set with dark blue gems. Second photo shows two smaller bead rings made from two silver clip rings--threaded with a white, green and blue bead each--and a larger silver clip ring threaded with six different metal-lined beads--blue/white striped, pink/white, green, white-with-pink-flower, yellow-with-orange-flower and blue/white striped.]
Metal Lined Beads - Lincraft, $9 AUD.
I’m posting this more as an FYI for Aussies who can’t afford to buy bead rings from international vendors. Lincraft now sells the beads used to make them, in packages of nine for $9 AUD.
Lincraft also sells standard large split rings in a variety of sizes, prices starting from $2.50 AUD for one up to around $3-$5 AUD for a multipack. but I found it easier to use these clip rings I already had. The large (50mm) rings come from Daiso ($2.58 AUD for five) and the smaller (30mm) rings came from a local dollar shop ($2 AUD for ten). They don’t look as nice, but they’re easier for me to thread as they open up, and the hinge makes them easier for me to hold.
Depending on the size of the ring, you could make one large and one small from this lot, or three smaller ones. (I did the latter.) It’s not a cheap purchase, but because I already had the rings, it’s more affordable for me than buying online. Plus you can choose from a wide range of colour options!
I really like the translucent faceted beads; they feel very nice to spin.
I got this because I’m on their mailing list. The sale ends on June 5.
Mod note: I believe this is for Riot Art and Craft stores. Thank you so much for the submission, @krakensry!
Image description under read more cut:
[image description: a photo of packs of silicone beads sitting on a distressed wood surface. Black text in top left corner reads “urban crafter assorted silicone beads”and yellow text in top right corner reads “only $9.99 each”.
Below text are six packets of round beads, attached on a string to a white swing tag with the header text repeated. The first is deep turquoise, medium size, 8 beads shaped like faceted squarish gems. Second is pale turquoise, medium size, 8 beads shaped like faceted squarish gems. Third is matte medium peach, oval shaped with the longer size horizontal. Similar size to first and second packets, comprising 7 beads. Fourth is slightly shiny navy, oval shaped but looks a bit rounder on the top, 7 beads. Fifth is white, round, and slightly smaller, 9 beads. Sixth is the same pale turquoise as second, but this one is an oval, the same shape as the third, with 7 beads.]
[image description: a pink and yellow doughnut-shaped sponge sitting on a red watermelon slice pillow. The sponge has a yellow sponge base and a light pink sponge top, resembling a strawberry iced doughnut, with white, blue and red sprinkles painted on the top of the doughnut. A white woven cord is threaded through the top of the doughnut and knotted in the centre. A green and black cardboard swing tag is attached to the cord, with text reading “novelty sponge” and “$2 ea”.]
I couldn’t find an online listing for this, so you’ll need to check out your local store. But, if you like sponges for stimming or you want to make a lower-spoons DIY squishy with no cutting, these are ideal and affordable!
The sponge is quite light and soft. I don’t much like sponge textures when the sponge is dry, but this isn’t too bad to touch. The paint specks on top feel a little rough to me.
I plan to make this one into a squishy, as I’m always after unique shape sponges to save me the difficulty of cutting. I like that there’s already a cord strung through it, as it means I’ll have a DIY squishy ready to go for bag attachment--all I need do is apply puffy paint (and the time of painting and drying). For a DIY squishy base, I really can’t get easier than this.
