How cotton buds are made. Cotton buds: why they are banned in the world

One of the fertile materials for hand made work are cotton pads. They absorb paint well, the flowers made from them perfectly fold into bouquets that will adequately decorate any postcard.





Crafts from cotton pads made by the hands of kids are especially valuable. An elementary example is a caterpillar, a cheerful, positive character in cartoons and children's books. This is a common application using dyed different colors constituent elements.

From cosmetic cotton pads, you can create entire flower fields. In one such composition, both artistic and applied creativity are combined. In addition to cotton pads, you will need a minimum of materials: an A3 sheet, colored paper, glue and paints.

  • First, we draw the background (you can simply paint over the sheet with blue or blue paint, or you can depict additional elements on it - the sun, stars, etc.)
  • Glue the cotton pad as shown in Figure 2-4.
  • Cut out additional elements from paper (stems, leaves, grass).
  • It remains only to beautifully arrange our flowers on a piece of paper.

Another option for applied art is eclectic flowers made from cotton pads. In this case, you do not even need paper, just paints and glue are enough. The step-by-step process of creating such beauty is shown in Figure 2-5. Use a pipette to make the paint fall in neat droplets.

Crafts from cotton buds

If you have faded decorative flowers lying around at home, you can give them a second wind with the help of cotton buds. Such flowers made will look much more original than dull fabric inflorescences. We will need:

  • a set of cotton swabs;
  • gouache;
  • stems from old decorative flowers;
  • Super glue.

Take 10-15 cotton buds (the more there are, the more voluminous the inflorescence will turn out) and cut in half. Fold each halves with the cotton-wrap side up and fold into a flower shape. Thoroughly coat the place where the stem is attached to the inflorescence with glue and attach our flower to it. When the glue dries, you can paint our cotton swab crafts in any color by simply dipping them into the paint.


Another way to make flowers out of cotton buds is to use Styrofoam balls, which can be purchased at any craft supply store. The mechanism of operation is similar: cut cotton buds in half, stick them into a Styrofoam ball to make a flower like a dandelion, and dip the ends of the buds into the paint. Twisted wire can be used as stems.

By the same principle, you can make other crafts from cotton buds: hedgehogs, the same snowmen, etc.

flower composition

For an older child, a master class on making a flower arrangement will be interesting, for example, in the form of a bouquet in a basket or in the form of a topiary (this word is used today to call original small trees made by oneself). It is always fashionable to give such a gift to mom on March 8 or a birthday.


For manufacturing you will need:

  • cotton pads (the amount depends on the size of the composition);
  • needle;
  • beads;
  • packing box from cotton pads;
  • mounting foam;
  • glue;
  • a piece of green silk or lining fabric for leaves;
  • stapler.

We roll up the cotton pads, fix them in buds, as shown. We put aside ready-made flowers, we make leaves. They will be located around the perimeter of the vase and be a living pillow for delicate and fragile flowers. The leaf fabric folding sequence is shown below.

A jar of disks (you can use any other, for example, from under ear sticks) is filled with mounting foam, we give it the opportunity to dry. We level the surface of the foam with a knife - we make it flush with the edge of the can.


The jar itself can be painted in your favorite colors or decorated using decoupage.

We proceed to gluing flowers from cotton pads and leaves to the surface of the foam.

The work is ready. Flowers can be made in the form of callas. Then you do not need to fold the discs completely, but you can fasten them with staples and a stapler.

How to make a bouquet of roses - see the video.

DIY crafts from cotton pads can be timed to coincide with such favorite holidays as New Year, Christmas. Cute airy angels, smoothly descending on the threads of rain around the entire perimeter of the dressed room - just such an option. You can use them as toys for the Christmas tree, garlands or just additions to New Year's gifts.

The manufacturing steps are shown below. By following the basic rules of this simple master class, you can quickly and at minimal cost make the living room intriguing, and the atmosphere of the nursery - soft, romantic. Making angels begins with the design of the head and its smooth transition to the body - the dress.

At the end of the work, the head can be decorated with a wreath of yellow-gold braid, wire, or painted with paint.

New Year's wreath

How to make flowers from cotton pads, we have already figured out. Next in line is a chic souvenir, similar in manufacturing technique to a flower, but a little more complicated - a floral Christmas wreath. These are often hung on the entrance or interior doors, placed above the doorway or on the gate. True, such decoration is more domestic, because it will not withstand precipitation and fluctuations in air temperature.

Assembling a wreath is not difficult step by step, but this must be done carefully and slowly. The same disks bent into four sectors are used as blanks. The corner at the base is chipped off and attached to the main ring. You need to fasten the parts as close to each other as possible. This will create the effect of softness, fullness, artistic exoticism.

Regarding the mounting plane, it must be remembered that only the front half of the ring should be filled with artificial flowers. The back should be left flat and smooth, as it needs to be in contact with the wall or other surface on which the wreath will be located.

As soon as the wreath is ready, we proceed to the loop for fastening. Her appearance should not spoil the impression of the whole product. Therefore, a silk ribbon, folded into a loop and neatly attached with reverse side rings are ideal.


The general view of the finished product is shown in picture 26, it is very gentle, stylish and soft. Inside the wreath of blooming roses, an angel will place it in place. The similarity of the materials used for crafts will give the souvenir the character of a single composition.

Lamb

When studying with a younger child, you can invite him to dream up, imagine in the body of which animal or in which plant there are similar circles. Surely it will be:

  • panda;
  • owl;
  • a hen with a chicken after painting the wheels yellow;
  • monkey;
  • sunflower.

An interesting craft of a lamb or sheep. For those who are not lazy, it will not be difficult to make a whole herd by decorating them with colorful toy accessories. Step-by-step instruction next:


Prepare:

  • pieces of felt;
  • threads;
  • stapler;
  • cotton pads;
  • scissors;
  • glue;
  • twine.


If there is no colored felt, you can use a special dye for fabrics.

We start by folding the disc four times and fastening the resulting shape with staples. We sew each element obtained and tightly put them on a silk cord.

Finishing the work, we give the cord with strung disks the appearance of a ball. The first stage of work has been completed.



It's up to the small - easy design of the muzzle. For this, the same pieces of felt are used, cut out in the shape and size of the intended animal. Here you can play with colors and use the material of the most unexpected colors, so the result will be more fun.


If the idea was to make a lamb in stages, we supplement its head with horns made of wire, if a lamb, there is no need for them.


Having attached the horns to the head, for example, with plasticine, as well as embroidering the eyes and nose with threads or beads, we finish the work. The result is a masterfully made, handmade toy that will look original on a branch of a Christmas tree, for example.

The figure of a chicken from yellow discs will be obtained by gluing two circles (one slightly larger than the other), depicting the head and torso. The eyes are black beads, the beak is a red triangle.

Christmas card

A holiday card featuring a cheerful snowman is very easy to make! All you need is a sheet of colored paper (preferably blue), cotton pads, glue and felt-tip pens. Take the largest diameter discs, as they will have to be shortened.

  • Cut out the "body" of the snowman. We need only three discs, two of which need to be shortened to make the snowman look more natural.
  • Glue the discs to the paper (Figure 2).
  • We “revive” the snowman by drawing his face, pens, headdress, etc. It is more convenient to draw on cotton pads with felt-tip pens, although you can also use watercolors or gouache.

You can add zest to the craft with the help of additional details - nail polish, ribbons, etc. Let your child show their imagination. There is no doubt: the “Snowman” leaflet that the kid created is much more pleasant to receive than the most expensive New Year's cards.

Snowman from paper plates

We offer you a simple and interesting type of home decor for the New Year holidays. Materials - all the same cotton balls and paper picnic plates of different sizes. This decor can decorate the walls, front door, or make a separate panel.

  • Lay out a snowman from three paper plates, securing them with thin strips of adhesive tape (if you are making a composition in the form of a panel, you can use glue).
  • Glue cotton balls to the plates, giving the snowman volume.
  • From paper or other improvised materials, make eyes, a nose, and a headdress for the New Year's hero.

Cheerful little penguin

Another idea that even a toddler can implement. To simplify the work, we have prepared a template that you need to print on paper. However, you can use any other penguin drawing you like, or draw it yourself. The principle of making crafts is the same in any case.

We need:

  • printed template;
  • cosmetic cotton balls;
  • PVA glue;
  • scissors;
  • scraps of black and orange cardboard.

To get started, download and print the pattern template. Then cover the entire white area with glue and carefully place cotton balls on it, being careful not to go too far. Then cut out the eyes and beak of the penguin from cardboard and complete the creation of the craft.

Any New Year's characters are created in a similar way (snowman, Santa Claus, Snow Maiden). The main thing is to find a quality template.

Whether it's souvenirs made only from cotton pads, or crafts from cotton buds, they carry a charge of positive energy, develop thinking, and contribute to the development of the child's horizons. Let them be more. Let them unite the children and make them inner world wider, brighter, more fun.

Everyone wants to create something unusual, interesting, and doing it with their own hands. If you turn on your imagination, show ingenuity, then you can implement such ideas without much difficulty, moreover, using ordinary, improvised things that are found in every home. For example, children's crafts from cotton swabs always look original, attractive, and it is quite possible to make them on your own, for this it is enough to approach this issue comprehensively and responsibly.

Cotton buds cost a penny, they are always found in the house, with the right approach, you can turn them into something unusual, amazing, and for this you will need to show your exquisite taste.


Cotton bud sheep - beautiful and original

On the Internet, you can find photos of crafts from cotton buds, they all look spectacular and beautiful. If you want to make a sheep using cotton swabs, you will be able to do this with particular ease, preparing the necessary tools in advance. These include: glue, scissors, wooden clothespins, cardboard, felt-tip pens.


Having prepared all the tools, you can proceed directly to the creation of a sheep:

First of all, you need to carefully draw the body, head, after which you will need to cut off the tips from the cotton buds, which should be attached to the body of the future sheep. You can always see on the net how it looks in the photo, so as not to be mistaken.

As for the head, it should also be decorated with improvised wool, after which you can begin to attach it to the body, and the entire structure will need to be glued to two clothespins.


By performing such simple, simple manipulations, you can appreciate that the craft is ready. Agree that there really is nothing complicated about this, clothespins are also needed in order to be able to fix a postcard, or, for example, an original note.

Of course, you need to clearly understand that such crafts for children are made as easy as shelling pears, therefore, including imagination, showing ingenuity, taste, you can always realize such ideas in a matter of minutes.

Features of crafts from cotton buds

Crafts from cotton pads and sticks are presented on the net quite widely, so you can always choose for yourself exactly the option that turns out to be simple in terms of manufacturing, and the most attractive.


For example, if you are trying to make a voluminous sheep with your own hands, then again, you can use cotton swabs, but already an egg from a kinder surprise, as a result, the design turns out to be original and interesting, it looks rather unusual.

Flowers from cotton buds - bright and original

Perhaps one gets the feeling that such compositions do not look original and beautiful, but after seeing the photo, you can take your words back. To realize such an idea, you will need to take foam balls, paints, colored cotton swabs.

In the balls that will need to be decorated, and you need to insert cotton swabs. As already mentioned, they should differ in color base, this is due to the fact that the white base, as a rule, does not look so attractive, as a result, such a wonderful gift can please for a long time, in addition, you can always give it to a loved one as a keepsake.


Now you know that do-it-yourself cotton swab crafts can be done quickly, easily, without spending much effort and time. As for such crafts in their finished form, they look great, amazing, respectively, it will be impossible not to appreciate them in full.

When is the best time to create?

The winter period of time is the most optimal for making something unusual and interesting with your baby, and crafts from cotton buds are the best solution.


They are famous for the fact that they are really convenient to use for certain jobs. This includes winter crafts made from cotton buds, which look no less impressive, original and attractive.

Application - is a simple version of crafts where cotton buds are used, and even a child can create an interesting composition if parents begin to show interest in this, with early childhood. In order to obtain as a result not only a beautiful, but also a reliable application, it is advisable to use polymer glue, or PVA, for these purposes.

Photo of crafts from cotton buds

Vladislav Sergeevich Zaichenko, an otolaryngologist at SM-Clinic, tells Letidor how to properly clean your ears and why ear sticks are completely inappropriate for this.

What's happening

With the start of sales of cosmetic cotton swabs in our country in the early 90s, otolaryngologists everywhere noted an increase in the incidence of otitis externa, primarily of fungal origin, and an increase in the number of patients with sulfur plugs.

In fact, the main purpose of these sticks is to correct makeup, that is, they have nothing to do with the ears.

Most people use cosmetic sticks to remove wax from their ears, to "clean" them. However, in reality, not only do they not achieve any better result compared to daily washing of their ears, but they also create conditions for the development of many diseases in themselves.

Why ear sticks are dangerous

Using cosmetic cotton swabs to “clean” the external auditory canals, the patient not only removes sulfur from the areas adjacent to the eardrum to a large extent, but also “hammers” it there, independently creating sulfuric plugs for himself.

Ear wax secreted by the glandular cells of the skin of the external auditory canal performs a protective function. It has antimicrobial and antifungal action and is a natural mechanism for removing dust and foreign bodies. That is, sulfur is needed and it is impossible to clean the ears to a shine.

The skin of the external auditory canal is extremely thin and delicate, and the use of even such a seemingly delicate tool as cotton swabs leads to the formation of scratches and abrasions on the skin.

As a result, the patient independently creates the prerequisites for infection, practically opens the door wide before it, and first of all (including due to the widespread and uncontrolled use of antibiotics) we are talking about fungi.

It should also be noted that in the external ear canal, especially in its deep sections, even under normal conditions, conditions are extremely favorable for the development of fungi and microbes: it is warm, dark and humid there.

Thus, “lovers of cleanliness” very often develop otitis externa, both fungal (otherwise, otomycosis) and microbial, and sulfur plugs form. And for those who are especially diligent, an injury to the eardrum can also happen.

How to properly clean

It is not for nothing that ENT doctors have a joke: nature has created us for a reason in such a way that you can put a finger in your nose, but not in your ear. As you know, in every joke there is only a fraction of a joke.

Many people who care about the aesthetic side of the issue will probably angrily object: they say, how is it that everyone now walks with dirty ears ?!

Of course not.

Their doubts will be dispelled by the fact that, due to anatomical structure, visual inspection, especially at a distance (and rarely, except for an ENT doctor, looks very carefully into your ears), only the outer sections of the external auditory canal are available, which can be perfectly washed with the tip of the little finger during a normal shower.

Thus, the best care for the ears is daily washing.

People who are educated sulfur plugs, you can use special products in the form of drops (sold in regular pharmacies), which dilute earwax and increase the likelihood of its discharge during washing. But it is almost impossible to remove an already formed plug with the help of such drops (as well as other products that are sold for these purposes). And in case of unpleasant symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor.

It would seem that what's new can be in the habit of using cotton buds? Most people, armed with a cotton swab daily, gently clean the auricle and ear canal. But, many years of scientific research has shown that it is not worth doing this at all! And in general, you should not use cotton swabs. Inquisitive contemporaries and tireless scientific researchers, following the example of grandfather Honore de Balzac, believe that “the key to any science is a question mark” and that is why they tirelessly question long-term dogmas and traditions. Thanks to such an inquisitive mind, they successfully proved that plastic cotton swabs are far from the best invention of mankind.

Cotton swabs - are harmful to the ears

It was uncleaned ears and the presence of sulfur in the ear canal that used to explain such situations as hearing loss, unpleasant odor, and some others. Children and schoolchildren even liked to say the phrase “you need to clean your ears!” to an unheard interlocutor, as soon as someone said: “what-what?”.

And during the existence Soviet Union, in the absence of cotton ear buds in the production, caring mothers completely managed with improvised means. Having wound ordinary cotton wool around a match, they cleaned the ears of their offspring and household members with the same zeal. So why is the long-standing tradition of cleaning your ears by sticking a very dangerous object in your ear subjected to harsh criticism? There were several reasons for this.

Why you shouldn't clean your ears with cotton swabs

  • as experts from the American Academy of Otolaryngology (American Academy of Otolaryngology) proved, penetrating a cotton swab into the ear, we take out only a small part of the sulfur. The main mass, we independently push even deeper into the ear, thereby contributing to the formation of sulfur plugs.
  • “Poking”, scrolling and pushing a cotton swab into the ear, we ourselves, without suspecting it, regularly disturb eardrum, hitting her.
  • wielding a cotton swab in the area of ​​the finest tissues and organs, we run the risk of significantly impairing hearing, causing disruption of the auditory organs.
  • as scientists have proven, earwax produced by the body is actually extremely useful. In principle, it is extremely difficult to argue with this, because human body doesn't really do anything for nothing.
  • earwax regularly formed by the body significantly reduces the risk of injury to the hearing organs by foreign objects.
  • insects such as bees, mosquitoes, midges and even flies, every now and then trying to bite a person and crawl into the most unexpected place, will not be able to penetrate into the depths of the ear, since it is sulfur that protects this organ.
  • in a modern person, so prone to various fungal diseases, the risk of getting a fungus in the ear canal is significantly reduced. According to Seth Schwartz, an expert from the Academy of Otolaryngology, it is sulfur that guards this situation, because it copes with such threats perfectly.
  • itching, dry skin in the auricle, inflammation of the ear tissues - all this will not happen to you, because earwax acts as a natural ear canal moisturizer.
  • the more often we clean our ears, the more sulfur will be. workings too a large number earwax is called wax hypersecretion. The main cause of hypersecretion is irritation of the skin of the ear canal. And the main reason for such irritation is hearing aids and cotton swabs.

After such stunning discoveries of scientists, a natural question arises: how then to remove wax from the ears? There is only one answer - no way! It doesn't need to be removed. If you are in doubt about how clean your ears are, or whether there are wax plugs in the ear canal, or if you are worried about strange sensations in your ears, the only right decision is to seek the advice of a specialist doctor. For daily hygiene and wiping the outside auricle, it is quite enough to wipe the skin with a cotton swab or even just a finger. At least, this is exactly what the Russian specialist, otolaryngologist Vladimir Zaitsev, advises doing.

Plastic cotton buds are bad for the environment

For those who are not convinced by the list of reasons why cotton swabs are extremely dangerous for cleaning ears, here is another argument. Each of us knows that cotton swabs are made of plastic. So it is plastic that is the main threat to environment the whole planet! And this problem, having acquired global proportions, became the main topic at the meeting of the European Commission in Brussels, which took place just a couple of months ago. It was in May of this year that European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans published a list of plastic products banned from now on, including cotton swabs. In his opinion, the ban on these products should help "together solve the problem of plastic debris in the oceans." Plastic products make up more than 80% of the garbage. It is thanks to the listed scientific facts that ear sticks are already banned in a number of countries or are on the verge of a ban. Among these are France, Britain, Italy and Scotland, the Czech Republic.

Perhaps, such scientific discoveries will seem strange to someone, and someone will even say that they cleaned and used for many years and nothing! But as an argument, we can recall the phrase that the greatest British writer William Somerset Maugham once uttered a long time ago. Thinking about the usefulness of discoveries, he asked: “What can be more useful than learning to live in the best way for yourself?”

How do you use cotton swabs in everyday life besides cleaning your ears? By the way, do you know that you can’t insert them into the ear canal? With their help, only the outer part of the ear is cleaned. Plus, cotton swabs can be used anywhere from makeup to cleaning and even arts and crafts.

● Jewelry cleaning

Do you want to clean your jewelry and jewelry? The tips of the cotton buds are soft and gentle enough to treat your jewelry and make it look brand new and shiny. Soak in the cleaning solution, rub gently with your fingers, and clean with a Q-tip.

● Draw patterns

Use cotton swabs to create any pattern. If you want to paint a polka dot pattern on a cup, a card, or even a manicure, start by choosing a paint color. Using cotton swabs instead of a brush, you can create tiny dot patterns on any surface.

● Gadget cleaning

Your keyboard, your phone, the surfaces you touch every day are magnets for dirt. If you can't remember when you last cleaned your gadgets, immediately take the time to wipe them down with Q-tips. They are designed to clean delicate areas of the skin, making them ideal for cleaning expensive devices.

● Light a candle

Tall candles burn for a long time, but they eventually run out. If you do not have a special long lighter or long matches, you can use a Q-tip to light the already hard-to-reach wick of an almost burnt out candle. Wet the tip of the wand in alcohol, light it and bring it to the candle wick. There should be a cup of water nearby so you can extinguish the wand quickly.

● Car interior cleaning

You can use cotton swabs and cleaning liquid to clean areas that are often overlooked, such as cup holders, steering wheel stitching, and seat creases.

● Hide scuffs on shoes

A few scratches can upset you to such an extent that you no longer want to wear this good and high-quality one. However, most unsightly scratches can be rubbed off. Simply dip the tip of a cotton swab into shoe polish (alcohol, detergent) and gently rub the damaged area. It won't take long, and your boots will be smooth, shiny, and ready for your next outing again.

● Repair a jammed zipper

How many clothes were sent to the landfill because of a stuck zipper! If this is exactly what happened to your favorite jacket, see what a Q-tip can do. Using it, gently apply a drop of petroleum jelly, soap or oil to the problem area and gently move the zipper slider to release it.

● Put them in your travel makeup bag

The cosmetic procedures that you do every morning become much more difficult when you are away from home. Free up some space in your travel makeup bag with this mini beauty kit. Instead of packing your eyeshadow palette, apply the eyeshadow to the ends of cotton swabs and store them in a bag. Once you reach your destination, simply take out the sticks and run them over your eyelids. This trick also works with lip gloss and.