Creating Plans : DIY & Crafts, Study Tips, Journaling and Productivity

Do you like making DIYs and origami? Are you a craft lover? Are you looking for good quality and affordable craft supplies in India? If yes, I am glad you've stumbled upon this article! I want to introduce you to an affordable online craft store I recently discovered - Craft Villa India.

(By the way, you can use my discount code CREATE20 to get a 20% off on all their products above a minimum order of Rs 300!😁)

Best quality affordable Indian craft supplies - Origami, vintage paper, EVA foam sheets, stickers and more

Disclaimer - Craft Villa kindly gifted me all the things mentioned in this blog post. This, however, is not a sponsored post and all the opinions mentioned are my own.

About Craft Villa India

Before we get into the haul, let me tell you a little bit about them.

Craft Villa India is an affordable Indian craft supplies online store. They are an entirely made in India brand and all their printed paper materials (like vintage paper, craft paper, origami paper) are eco-friendly, acid free, skin friendly and safe for kids.

They also share cute crafting ideas on their YouTube channel, Facebook and Instagram accounts, so do check them out there!

Vintage Paper

Vintage papers in 8 unique patterns by Craft Villa - great quality & best for crafts

Buy vintage paper - https://craftvilla.shop/shop/craft-villa-retro-a4-size-vintage-paper-pack-of-20-sheets/

I want to start by talking about my favourite item from this entire haul - vintage papers. If you are an old time reader, you would know that I love vintage paper and vintage journals, so much so that I made an entire vintage themed bullet journal spread. If you're thinking of doing the same, go for this vintage paper without hesitation.

The quality of this paper is impeccable, and the best part is that it is eco-friendly. This paper can be used for letter writing, calligraphy, journaling, scrapbooking; I could go on and on, there are so many ideas! Each pack comes with 20 A4-sized sheets; it contains 4 unique designs with 5 sheets per design.

Designer Craft Paper

Craft Villa India's designer craft papers are great for scrapbooking

Buy designer craft paper - https://craftvilla.shop/shop/spot-stripes/

These are patterned papers and Craft Villa has such unique prints! I got their 'Floral pack' and their 'Spots & stripes pack'. The designs have my heart; they are just so pretty! Each pack contains 20 A4-sized sheets (10 unique prints of 2 sheets each).

I am so excited to try out scrapbooking and journaling with these sheets. Reels and pictures of everything will be up on Instagram! 💫

Self Adhesive Glitter Sheets

Craft Villa India's self adhesive glitter EVA foam sheets are ideal for DIY crafts

Buy self adhesive glitter sheets - https://craftvilla.shop/shop/glitter-sheets-self-adhesive-multi-sheet-a4/

These are EVA foam sheets and are ideal for making DIY crafts and collages. Each pack contains 10 sheets, all in different colours. My favourite is the black one. Comment down below which is yours!

Check out this tutorial on how to make a DIY wall hanging room décor.

Designer Paper Pack Book

Craft Villa India's designer paper pack of 180 GSM, is useful for cards and decoupage art

Buy the Designer Paper Pack Book - https://craftvilla.shop/shop/craft-book-royal/

In this book, you get 32 sheets (comes in 16 unique designs of 2 sheets) of printed paper in beautiful patterns. I love the gold foil and floral prints the most - both shown in picture above!

The sheets are bound together in a book format and are easy to tear off, which makes it easy to organize this (no flying papers! 😁) The papers, which are in the size 12" x 12", are of the thickness 180 GSM. They are perfect for making cards and decoupage art.

Origami Papers

Craft Villa India has origami sheets in plenty of pretty and vibrant designs

Buy Origami Papers - https://craftvilla.shop/shop/craft-villa-pack-of-20-origami-printed-sheets-for-kids-10/

Perfect for your origami craving fingers, this is a pack of 20 sheets of origami paper of 80 GSM each. (80 GSM thickness is ideal for origami papers, since it makes folding easier.) The papers are sized at 6" x 6". They have plenty of other designs on their website to choose from.

Watch this tutorial on how to make a cute little origami paper fox!

Happy birthday banner

Pretty, neon-coloured happy birthday banners from Craft Villa to pep up your loved one's day!

Buy the Happy Birthday Banner - https://craftvilla.shop/shop/party-supplies-combo/

This banner comes as a set of 13 neon-coloured flags, 1 ribbon and 1 needle. It can be reused many times and is very easy to put together. I'm definitely going to be using this banner for my sister's birthday! 😁

EVA foam glitter stickers

EVA foam glitter stickers from Craft Villa India come in various shapes and colours

Buy EVA foam glitter stickers - https://craftvilla.shop/shop/new-card-combo-3/

These are self adhesive foam stickers, and they come in a variety of shapes, like stars, smileys and butterflies. You can get a combo of 5 sticker sheets here. I think the smaller ones, especially the alphabet stickers will look great in mini journaling spreads. I'm also planning to use them to make cards for my family.

Stickers

Craft Villa India's fun emoji and star stickers to brighten up your day

Their sticker packs also come in cute designs. I especially love their emoji stickers. I'm currently using these stickers to pep up my planner and make it more interesting. See my planner here.

If you are a parent, these stickers could be a great way to improve your child's learning and training, like by giving them a star sticker every time they do well.

Glitter Ice cream sticks (big)

Glitter ice cream sticks from Craft Villa India come in colours ranging from silver and gold to blue and green

There are such amazing ice cream stick crafts that can be made, like pen stands, phone stands, jewellery holders, etc. The possibilities are endless. Craft Villa has coloured glitter ice cream sticks, which make it even more fun to work with. They could make for cute borders in journals. They are also great for decorative purposes.

You can watch the entire reel of the unboxing here -

Given the quality of the products, I think you get value for money at Craft Villa India.

Whether you are a crafter, or you want to get your children into origami or crafts, as a creative hobby, you should definitely check out their collections.

They have many more items on their website such as magnetic sheets, neon papers, glitter borders and project sheets. It is an absolute haven for crafters. Check them out here.

Get 20% off on your Craft Villa India orders using the code CREATE20

Please do mention any queries you have in the comments section :)

Keep creating! Keep planning! 💞

Have you noticed how quickly you tend to forget what you have learnt? You might have paid attention in class, but by the time the exams approach, you feel like you have never heard of it before.

Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I've noticed this often happening to me. And that's when I found out about the Curve of Forgetting and Spaced Repetition.

How to make your brain remember better using Spaced Repetition (PDF included)

DISCLAIMER - This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we recommended. You can read my full disclosure here.

The Curve of Forgetting

The curve of forgetting shows how information is lost over time when there is no attempt to retain it. Usually, there is a decline of memory retention over time.

So basically, we tend to lose or forget the information we've learnt over a period of time, unless we take conscious action to retain the information.

Doing spaced revision at regular intervals can help beat the Curve of forgetting.

What is the Curve of Forgetting?

What is spaced repetition?

Like every hero, spaced repetition (our story's hero) also has an origin story. Spaced revision originated from the Leitner method, which was put forth by Sebastian Leitner.

The initial concept of spaced revision proposed that flash cards would be reviewed at increasing intervals.

Spaced repetition essentially means spacing out multiple revisions of a particular topic from the time you first heard it (maybe in class) till the exams.

Implementing spaced repetition helps to ensure that your memory is able to retain information gathered a long time ago.

What is spaced repetition?

What is the Leitner method?

The Leitner method is a flashcards system, wherein, you divide, for example, a whole chapter into questions which are written into flashcards.

These flashcards are placed in 3 boxes. During the first revision, you should go through the flashcards and try to recall the solution on your own.

If you remember the answer correctly, the flashcard gets "promoted" from box 1 to box 2. If you get it wrong, the flashcard remains in box 1.

Steps in Leitner method of flashcards

Similarly, at the next revision interval, when you go through the flashcards in box 2, the correct answers get "promoted" to box 3, while the wrong answers get "demoted" to box 1.

Any correct answers from box 1 get promoted to box 2.

Steps in Leitner method of flashcards

The flashcards in box 1, which are the incorrect answers will be revisited frequently, while the flashcards in box 3 need to be revised maybe only once more before the exams.

Summary of Leitner method

How to do Spaced Repetition?

Though spaced repetition is mostly done via the flashcards system, another good way to revise is through active recall.

Active recall simply means reading a question and forcing your brain to remember the answer. Flashcards are of course a method of active recall.

The method I use for spaced repetition is answering mock tests. I am a Chartered Accountancy student, and ICAI (our Institute) gives out 2 sets of mock test papers before each exam.

I either attempt that or I use the mock tests provided by a website called CA Test Series. They correct the answer sheets also, so I am not self-correcting my answers and I know exactly where I stand.

How to do Spaced repetition

Which are the best intervals to do spaced repetition?

The most optimal intervals (as per studies) are known to be 1 day, 7 days, 16 days and 35 days.

Chartered Accountancy students, however, tend to start studying at least 3 months before the exam. So the intervals I follow are -

the day on which I learnt
1 day after date 1
1 week from date 2
1 month from date 3
1 month from date 4

Every revision does not have to be in-depth, detailed studying. You only need to skim through the material quicky and check to see if you can remember most of the things.

Best intervals for doing spaced repetition

Best apps for doing Spaced Repetition

Though some would argue ANKI is the best for spaced repetition through flashcards, I would not recommend it because I don't follow flashcards system myself (I sometimes do make physical flashcards though!)

In terms of spaced repetition apps, I prefer the ones which remind me of when my next revision is due. My recommendations for this are -

ReminDO
Space
Review

Best apps for doing spaced repetition

Spaced Repetition Planner PRINTABLE

I did make a spaced repetition printable, which you can avail by clicking here. Of course, you can always make it yourself and it is not necessary to get this printable. I just wanted a cute version of the planner :)

This PDF can be printed out or used digitally.

Spaced Repetition printable

Don't forget to follow me on my Instagram, where I put up bite sized informative posts from time-to-time, and my YouTube channel, for study and stationery related content.

Please let me know if you have any queries in the comments below!

Keep creating! Keep planning! 💞

Welcome to third part of my next study tips series!

Are you in a state where you have to get something done but your mind keeps wandering every other minute? It happens with me all the time, so I thought I would share this one thing I do whenever I need to be super focused at the task on hand: Distraction Logs.

How can DISTRACTION LOGS help you Overcome Procrastination

DISCLAIMER - This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we recommended. You can read my full disclosure here.

By the way, do you know how to use FORMULA SHEETS to memorize your equations easily? Do you use MIND MAPS to make summary notes?

What are distraction logs?

Distraction logs are basically a log, or a record of all the thoughts you have during your study session.

They could be anything, whether just a paper or a distraction journal (I guess it can also be called a Brain Dump).

What is a Distraction Log

Why use distraction logs?

I have the attention span of a squirrel when I am studying or getting work done. I know I need to get the stuff done, but my mind likes to find other things to think about.

And it is not always about the things that are unproductive either. I think about the things which are actually important too. A new blog idea? Did I reply to that mail I got from office? Did I wish my friend on her birthday? Did I water the plants?

How does a Distraction Log help in productivity

When I think about such things, my first instinct is to go and do it. The problem is that I know I will probably forget these things after I'm done with my work.

So I think that it is better I do it because, after all, these are also essential things. They are essential to do, which is where a distraction log comes to help.

How does a Distraction Log help in productivity

How do we use distraction logs?

I have a stationery set which has square sheets which can be torn off, which I keep in my desk drawer. Whenever I feel like I have a distracting thought, I'll write it down in the notepad, as you can see in the picture below. Then, during my break, I will get it done.

In case it is a task that I have to do later on and not immediately (like a friend's birthday which is next week), I will pin it to my pin board which is right above my desk.

How to use Distraction Logs

I hope you were able to get some value addition from this article! :)

Don't forget to follow me on my Instagram, where I put up such bite sized informative posts from time-to-time, and my YouTube channel, for study and stationery related content.

Keep creating! Keep planning! 💞

I stumbled upon a DIY clay cat paw phone stand on Instagram and I wanted to recreate the same. I love making clay crafts and thought this clay DIY would be easy to make, even for a beginner.

So here I am sharing the process of making this DIY phone stand with y'all.

How to make a cute DIY clay CAT PAW phone stand (Kawaii style)

DISCLAIMER - This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we recommended! You can read my full disclosure here.

Materials needed to make a clay phone stand

Acrylic Paint and brushes
Exacto knife and self healing mat (Alternatively, you can use any blade and some newspaper to avoid dirtying your space)
Any circular object (I used this circle cookie cutter.)
Rolling pin or any cylindrical object
Sand paper (grit paper) (Optional)
Cup of water (to smooth surfaces while shaping the clay.)

The idea behind this DIY

The idea behind this DIY was that it should be multi functional; even though it serves as a phone stand, it should also look like a cute desk accessory when it is not in use.

The colour scheme I'm going for is white and pastel pink. You can change it up according to your preference.

This can also serve as a cute and thoughtful hand made gift for your friend; just remember that it needs to dry over night, so give it that much time.

How to make a CAT PAW phone stand from CLAY (with pictures)

1. Cut out a chunk of clay with the exacto knife.
(Remember to wrap the plastic covering tightly around the remaining clay and secure it with tape so that it doesn't dry out.)

Cut out a chunk of clay

2. Knead the clay to make it soft and flexible. You can use water to make it easier to knead.

Knead the clay

3. From this chunk, separate out 3/4th of the clay, to make a circle (which will serve as the base).

Make a circle with 3/4th of the clay to make the base

4. Flatten out the ball of clay with a rolling pin or any cylindrical object.

Flatten the clay with a rolling pin

5. Use a circular object, like this cookie cutter, to make a circle in the clay.

Use a circular object like a cookie cutter to make a circle in the clay

6. After imprinting the circle onto the clay, trim the excess edges with an exacto knife.

Trim the excess edges with an exacto knife

7. Smooth out the edges of the circle with water to give it a clean and crisp look.

Smooth the edges of the clay with water to give it a clean finish

Smooth the edges with water to give it a clean finish

8. With the remaining clay, make 3 tiny balls and a triangle.

Make 3 balls and a triangle with the remaining clay

9. This is what a rough draft of the phone stand looks like. The phone stand is the area between the 3 balls and the triangle.

Rough draft of clay cat paw phone stand

10. Leave the four objects to dry separately over night. When it has hardened, we can paint it in the colour of our choice.

Additional step

Some people choose to sand their clay objects after it has dried for a better finish. I didn't have sand paper (grit paper) with me, so I skipped this. It is recommended to sand down your clay objects starting from the lowest grit and work your way up.

I've chosen white acrylic paint for the circular base and pastel pink for the 3 balls and triangle.

Painting my clay objects with white and pastel pink

11. Leave the painted objects to dry for about an hour or so. Then, take your glue gun or Fevicol and glue down the objects to the circular base as shown in picture. Leave it for about 20 minutes for the glue to dry and then you're done!

Gluing down my cat paw objects to the base

Additional step

You can also glaze your clay objects with varnish, for a shinier and long lasting effect. I didn't have glaze with me, so I skipped this step. This décor varnish gloss from Itsy Bitsy works pretty well as a glaze for clay.

Read this blog post by Jessica to get a better idea on how to sand and glaze polymer clay.

TIP FOR AIR DRYING CLAY

Note that you should not leave them to dry directly in the sun, or else it will start developing cracks. Dry it out at room temperature and keep changing the angle in which the clay is every few hours, so that air will get to each side evenly.

What my DIY clay cat paw phone stand looks like

So this is what the end result looks like. The image I've shown on the left is what I used as an inspiration to make the phone stand.

What my DIY clay cat paw phone stand looks like

I hope you find this DIY useful and easy to make! If there is any other clay DIY you would like me to make, please let me know in the comments!

Also, do tag me on Instagram @creating.plans, if you've recreated this. I'd loved to see your version of it and share it on my stories.

Keep creating, keep planning! 💕

Study Tips

DIY Crafts

Bujo & Planners

About Craft Villa India

Vintage Paper

Designer Craft Paper

Self Adhesive Glitter Sheets

Designer Paper Pack Book

Origami Papers

Happy birthday banner

EVA foam glitter stickers

Stickers

Glitter Ice cream sticks (big)

The Curve of Forgetting

What is spaced repetition?

What is the Leitner method?

How to do Spaced Repetition?

Which are the best intervals to do spaced repetition?

Best apps for doing Spaced Repetition

Spaced Repetition Planner PRINTABLE

What are distraction logs?

Why use distraction logs?

How do we use distraction logs?

Materials needed to make a clay phone stand

The idea behind this DIY

How to make a CAT PAW phone stand from CLAY (with pictures)

Additional step

Additional step

TIP FOR AIR DRYING CLAY

What my DIY clay cat paw phone stand looks like

SPACED REVISION PLANNER

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