Martenitsas You Can Try at Home. Mark the Beginning of Spring The Romanian Way

The 1st of March is drawing near and it’s a very special day in Romania. The beginning of spring is celebrated in a lovely manner by offering small jewelry tied with a red and white string (martisor – Martenitsa). The jewelry is pinned like a brooch or only the string is tied around the wrist and worn all throughout March. Similar customs marking the beginning of spring are encountered in Moldova Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania and Greece. Martenitsas can be a nice DIY project, if you want to offer something special on this day. Here are some Martenitsas you can try at home to mark the beginning of spring the Romanian way.

Martenitsas You Can Try at Home. Paper

To create these Martenitsas using quilling technique you need: coloured cardboard for the base, quilling stripes, quilling needle, paper puncher to round off the edges and glue.

Spin the stripe on the quilling needle and glue the edge. You can use the rounds as they are or pinch one or both ends to give them the shape you need.  Glue them to the cardboard to form flowers, small animals or whatever you feel inspired to make.

For this model, use 3 very thin branches with leaf buds and 5 purple circles. Tie the branches with the string, glue them to the cardboard and press them a bit. Then glue the circles.

Martenitsas You Can Try at Home. Beads

For this simple flower design, you need beads and wire. Each of the petals is made using the same technique. Thread 9 beads, bend the wire where you have the 5th bead and twist the edges twice at its base. Proceed with the other petals. Then make a small circle for the string. You can round off the petals using a pencil.

Martenitsas You Can Try at Home. Fimo

Fimo modelled martenitsas are very trendy. You can find the paste in a wide range of colours and it’s easy to model. Once you have the figurines you want, you bake them to make them resistant.

Here is how to make a flower in 2 colors.

You need:

• fimo clay in 2 colours,
• roller
• cutter
• hairpin
• a perfume bottle shutter or som other small round object to model the petals

Choose the colours, roll the paste and form 5 circles for the petals and another circle, of a different colour, for the center of the flower.

Form the flower and press the middle circle a bit with the cutter. Use the hairpin to slash the center of petal and make a nice pattern in the middle of the flower too.

Bake the fimo flower and attach a pin to its back to make a brooch. And, of course, attach the traditional string to it as well.

You can create various smaller flower models, like these which make nice earrings.

You can also apply a layer of varnish on your fimo figurines.

Martenitsas You Can Try at Home. Dough

Similarly, you can model dough into small figurines that you can bake and paint over.

You need:

• 1 cup table salt
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 cups flour

Mix the water and salt to dissolve, then pour the flour and batter well. Model it as you wish. You can make flowers, ladybugs, mushrooms, hearts, animals etc. If you want a bigger figurine, you should place a small ball of aluminium foil in the middle to make sure the dough bakes properly.

Bake them for about 3 hours, letting a bit of air enter the oven’s door . When they cool down, you can paint them with acrylics.

Martenitsas You Can Try at Home. Shells

It’s simpler than you may think to make Martenitsas from seashells, glued to small pieces cardboard to take the shape of flowers or animals.

You can colour them with nail polish, which will look good and last.

You can also glue the seashells between them, adding beads or other small pieces to design figurines like this one.

Credits: laurafrunza.com, ilovehandmade.ro, ananaghi.ro, adrianapopovici.com, viatadupabebe.ro, douafetecucuiete.wordpress.com, dpnori.blogspot.ro