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How-to: Oz the Great and Powerful Thaumatrope

June 3, 2013 6 Comments

How-to: Oz the Great and Powerful Thaumatrope at HandsOccupied.com Explore the magical Land of Oz with this simple & kid-friendly thaumatrope project. Umm, what is a thaumatrope, you say? It takes two separate images and combines them into one when you spin it between your fingers. Since this post is sponsored by Oz the Great and Powerful, I watched it looking for crafty inspiration. What inspired me most was the movie’s portrayal of turn of the 20th century carnival magic. The opening credits are completely black and white and feature paper stick puppets moving about a puppet stage (I’m pretty sure they were CGI’d, but I loved ’em anyway). In the movie, James Franco plays the titular character, and – no spoilers here, I promise – his face spends chunks of the movie projected in black and white onto a cloud of smoke. I knew I wanted to make something that captured the 20th century black and white, steampunky spirit of the movie. So that’s where the thaumatrope idea came from! PS: You can get your copy of the Oz the Great and Powerful DVD starting June 11.

Supplies

pencil
coaster or other round object
scissors
glue stick
hole punch
2 ft. string
a picture of James Franco from Oz the Great and Powerful printed in grayscale on cardstock
a simple doodle of a billow of smoke printed out on some cardstock

How-to: Oz the Great and Powerful Thaumatrope at HandsOccupied.com

The above image is for personal use only.

Directions

Find a picture of a simple doodle of a smoke cloud online and copy and paste it into a blank document, aligning it near the middle of the page. Print it on a sheet of cardstock that is blank on both sides (I’m all for recycling, but for this project, you’ll want a totally clean sheet of cardstock). Find a picture of James Franco in his Oz the Great and Powerful getup, and print it using a grayscale setting.

Cut out James Franco’s handsome face really closely, as shown, and set aside.

How-to: Oz the Great & Powerful Thaumatrope at HandsOccupied.com

Using a coaster or other round object, trace a circle around the cloud of smoke and cut it out. Play around with Mr. Franco’s face (ha!) until you decide where in the could of smoke you’d like his face to appear.

How-to: Oz the Great & Powerful Thaumatrope at HandsOccupied.com

This is the trickiest part of the project. You’re going to glue Mr. Franco’s face on the back, blank side of your cardstock circle, but upside down, as well as in the position at which you’d like him to appear. I used my circle-shaped object (my coaster) to help visually demonstrate where on the back side of the smoke circle he’ll need to be. Scroll down to the second image below to see what the back side of the thaumatrope looks like. 

How-to: Oz the Great & Powerful Thaumatrope at HandsOccupied.com

Punch two holes straight across from each other on your circle and attach a string to each side of the circle. Then use a glue stick, ideally one that is reposition-able since figuring out where to put the head is challenging, to adhere James Franco’s head to the back of the circle.

How-to: Oz the Great & Powerful Thaumatrope at HandsOccupied.com

Next comes the fun part – test out your thaumatrope to see how it works! If James’s head doesn’t quite line up in the right place when you’re spinning the thaumatrope, carefully remove and reposition him until you’re satisfied. Here’s a glimpse of my completed thaumatrope in action:


Check out Oz the Great and Powerful online at #DisneyOzMovie or:
Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. I wrote this post as part of a sponsored campaign with Disney and The Blueprint Social. The opinions in this post are my own.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Reviews & Sponsored, How-to Tagged With: crafts, diy, easy, kid-friendly, optical illusion, oz the great and powerful, thaumatrope

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad (she/her) is a craft book author & designer specializing in yarn crafts. Her work combines vintage and modern design elements, prioritizing color and graphic motifs. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Comments

  1. Carolina

    June 3, 2013 at 11:59 am

    What a fun idea, and a great craft for kids (with a little help).
    Did you know that if you “wind up” the thaumatrope by spinning it in a circle with each string in one hand, and then pull tightly on the strings, you can get it to spin really fast? It’ll then wind itself back up with the recoil, and you can do it over and over, kinda like a yo-yo.

    Reply
    • Heidi

      June 3, 2013 at 1:42 pm

      Awesome tip, Carolina! Thanks!

      Reply
  2. Heidi @ Mom's Crafty Space

    June 3, 2013 at 1:10 pm

    This is so cool! My boys would love this!

    Reply
  3. Vanessa

    June 3, 2013 at 1:19 pm

    What a creative idea!

    Reply
  4. Natalie @ A Turtle's Life for Me

    June 3, 2013 at 2:49 pm

    Such a unique idea! I love it!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Science Meets Crafts Program Kit: Thaumatropes | Library as Incubator Project says:
    December 19, 2013 at 7:00 am

    […] out my tutorial for how to make a thaumatrope, and whip up a couple of these for practice (and to have on hand as samples) before your program. […]

    Reply

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), and I’ve been helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010. I got my start here, as a blogger, and since then I’ve shared more than a few tutorials here and on YouTube as I’ve grown as a pattern designer. 🧶 

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Heidi Gustad 🧶 knitting & yarn crafts

handsoccupied

Knitting & yarn crafts designer 🧶
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POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern fits with no ease vs. 4” of positive ease. There’s a bit more length to the cotton (brighter color) sample, but both are cropped and feature shoulder seams designed to sit an inch back onto the shoulder instead of on top, giving it a little swing. Length is easily adjustable for folks looking for less of a crop. 
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Pattern: Bevelled Tank by @handsoccupied for @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn summer 2024. Available for free from Hobbii at the 🔗 in my profile.
Yarn pictured: @kelbournewoolens Skipper and Camper. 
Dress form is adjusted to a 36” chest and ~5’3”ish in height. 
Human has a 40” chest and is 5’5”.
Both skirts are vintage.
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #handsoccupied #intarsia #handmade #knitting #colorwork
Let’s talk about fit and ease! . During the Beve Let’s talk about fit and ease!
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During the Bevelled Tank design process for @pompommag, I knit 2 samples using 2 different @KelbourneWoolens yarns. One was in Skipper (100% cotton, second photo) and the other was in Camper (100% 2 ply wool). The Skipper sample was knit for a 36” bust, which measures in at 40” with 4” of positive ease. And I knit the Camper Sample for my 40” bust with a 44” finished measurement. (BTW, I’m 5’5” for folks that find that measurement helpful in visualizing fit.)
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Based on the size chart for the Bevelled Tank, that means I knit one size 3 sample and one size 4. As designed, I conveniently fit a size 4 as intended with 4” of positive ease. When I wear the 3, there is no ease at all because the garment and my body are both 40” in size. Comparing the 2 garments, you can see how the fiber content (cotton vs. wool) and fit (no ease vs. 4” of positive ease) makes a difference in the look and feel of the finished garment. 
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These samples are a great way to compare what ease looks like on different bodies. While I can fit both a size 3 and 4, the garment with no ease feels more like pajamas or a bralette when I wear it. On the other hand, when I wear the one with 4” of positive ease, I feel comfortable enough to wear it to work, even as a crop top. Plus, it leaves me with enough room to layer it with a nice button down if I’m not feeling the cropped look one day. 
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I’m curious - how would you style this tank? Would you modify it with a few stockinette rows for added length? I’m so curious now that this pattern is finally out in the world. :) 
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #bevelledtank #handsoccupied #knitting #intarisa #handmade #kelbournewoolens #croppedsweater #summerknits
After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m ba After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m back with a brand new pattern in 9 sizes, and it’s FREE as part of @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn’s summer design collection! (Link is in my bio.)
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In my December newsletter, I announced that I was soliciting test knitters for a pattern that had originally been selected for the summer ’24 issue of Pom Pom Quarterly magazine. However, the magazine ceased publication after its spring ’24 issue, leaving in-progress designs unpublished. (It happens.) As a result, I’d begun the long process of editing, testing, and photographing the pattern for independent release through the Hands Occupied pattern shop and Ravelry.
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Before I was done with that process, Pom Pom Quarterly’s former editors reached out with an exciting proposal for the pattern. Post-magazine, they’ve begun to partner with yarn companies to produce high quality pattern collections. They wanted to include designs from the would-be current issue of Pom Pom Quarterly in a new collection for Hobbii yarn, including my Bevelled Tank. I worked with the same technical editors I would have for the magazine on this one, and as you can see from the photos, Pom Pom’s team did an amazing job of styling the garment to the beautiful standards they’re known for.
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You can learn more about the pattern on my blog and get the free pattern from Hobbii yarn - links to both in my profile. I’ll post sizing info in the comments for quick reference too. 🧶
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #knitting #intarsia #sponsored #colorworkknitting 
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Photos: @dianascarrunz 
Model: @angel.jade_
Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vi Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vintage knitting pattern from 1938 called the Fernlace Pullover. A pattern so nice, I knit it twice.
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Yellow version 💛: knit with Despondent Dyes’ Vintage Vixen Sport after attending a @squidneyknits vintage knitting retreat in 2019 & learning *so much*. Paired with a self-drafted circle skirt pattern. 
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Blue version 💙: knit with @eweeweyarns Ewe So Sporty in Sky Blue. Paired with the 1940s Boardwalk Duet sewing pattern from @decades_of_style 
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Head to my stories for 🔗🔗 to the handmade wardrobe blog posts I wrote about each take on the Fernlace Pullover, working with a vintage pattern, where to find vintage patterns (including the one I used), & some thoughts on sizing. 
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Image descriptions available in alt text. 
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#handsoccupied #handmadewardrobe #fernlacepullover #vintageknitting #vintageknittingpatterns #knitting_inspiration
Frogging is a word in the knitting world that mean Frogging is a word in the knitting world that means to rip out your knitting. It’s called frogging because frogs say “ribbit,” and when you’re tearing out your knitting, you will “rip it” out, and that sounds like ribbit. No really. 🐸 Did you know this fun fact? 
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P.S. I did like this design concept, but to make the pattern more knitter friendly as well as more wearable, I am making some tweaks to the construction. Excited to share when it’s ready! 🥰🧶
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Yarn: @blueskyfibers Woolstok North in Morning Frost & Highland Fleece 
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#handsoccupied #knitting #frogging #blueskyfibers #knittersofinstagram #blueskymakers #knittingvocabulary #bsfmakers #knitdesign
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