The sky's the limit with rainbow-themed crafts

A rainbow is a powerful symbol of hope, good fortune and the beauty after a storm. And when you catch a glimpse of one in the distance, have you ever wished you could bottle it up and take it home? Well, now you can.

Rainbow-themed crafts can brighten up any room and make the perfect party decorations, ideal for making with a group of friends beforehand. Don't just take our word for it though, take it from someone who loves all things bright and colourful – Helen Cooke, the UK-based crafter and jeweller behind @CraftyCooke.

"I love colour. I've always been quite a bubbly person so I dress for my personality," says Helen. "I love seeing what you can do with colour and going against the rules. Especially with crafting, where you can experiment with different colours and see how you can change the personality of an item based on how you put colours together."

To get started you will need a Canon PIXMA printer and the Canon Creative Park website or app. Here, Helen explains how she used a Canon PIXMA TS5340a printer, Creative Park and crafting tools to bring a rainbow-coloured windmill and hot air balloon to magical life.

You will need:

• Canon Creative Park app (or website)
• Canon PIXMA printer, such as the Canon PIXMA TS5340a
• Canon Matte Photo Paper
• Metal ruler (for scoring)
• Pair of scissors
• Craft knife
• Glue stick
• Cutting mat

Canon Creative Park is incredibly easy to use. You can either download the app on your iOS or Android device, or you can browse the extensive range of free templates on the website. There are various rainbow designs available, such as a pop-up card and origami . Helen chose a rainbow windmill and hot air balloon . Each template comes with its own set of printable instructions, and it also specifies approximate assembly time and level of difficulty as well as the best paper type .

Helen appreciated how accessible the website was. "The instructions were good and the website was really straightforward to use," she says. "It's nice to have the downloaded templates all in one place."

After choosing your template, you can print it straight from your smartphone, as long as you have a compatible Canon PIXMA printer. Helen used the Canon PIXMA TS5340a to print out her designs. "It was really easy to connect via Wi-Fi," she enthuses. "The printing quality is lovely."

Helen used Canon Matte Photo Paper and she noted that the quality was perfect for papercrafting. "The colours were beautiful and it was the right thickness," she explains. "Not too flimsy, not too card-like: just spot on."

Helen used a craft knife to cut her templates. "The hot air balloon is quite intricate, so it's best to use a craft knife," she says. "A pair of scissors is more suited to the windmill."

It is important to score your templates before you start folding. "You need to score your paper with a metal ruler, otherwise you'll find your designs too difficult to fold, especially when using thicker paper," she explains. "It's all about creating those neat folds. I wouldn't recommend skipping that step."

After scoring your paper, use a glue stick to put your template together. The hot air balloon is a complex design with lots of small parts so it takes a lot of patience to build, but part of the fun of papercrafting is forgetting everything else and focusing on the project.

"For me, crafting is a mindfulness activity," says Helen. "Some people find it in books or sports, but crafting is it for me. I have no choice but to switch off because I need to focus. It's just you in that moment.

"I love watching something come together," she continues. "You start with all these little bits and you're bringing it all together to create an emotion, or something that people can connect with, or that you enjoy."

When it comes to displaying your rainbow crafts the only limit is your imagination. Helen suspended the hot air balloon using a wire, and hung it in her son's bedroom. "It's a joyous little piece and adds a pop of colour to any room," she says.

And rainbow crafts aren't limited to single use. "You can put them anywhere you like, and you can play with them as well; the windmill actually spins!" adds Helen.

"Colour doesn't have to be only for children," she continues. "Just because you're older doesn't mean you have to tone it down. Colours can affect your mood, so adding some to your environment can make you feel happier."

If you're looking for inspiration, follow us on Pinterest, and don't forget to share your creations on social media using the #MadeWithPIXMA hashtag.