Archive for the ‘Paper Crafts and Scrapbooking’ Category

Friends, I'm enjoying my new book so much that I had to share it with you here.

The Paper Garden: Mrs. Delany Begins Her Life's Work at 72, by Molly Peacock, is delightful. Mrs. Delany was born in 1700 and lived through a tumultuous age of English history. Her life is fascinating (trained for a position in the royal court, she was instead married off at age 17 to a man more than three times her age; later in life her social circle included Jonathan Swift and Handel) and her art is astounding – each chapter is accompanied by a full-page, full-colour reproduction of one of her cut-paper flowers. They're simply beautiful – but closer inspection reveals that there's nothing simple about them.

As an upper-class woman of the eighteenth century, Mary Delany's days would have been filled with the sort of "work" that we engage in as hobbies. Her needlework includes embroidery and designing clothes; she draws, paints and cuts paper; there are even shell crafts! I love reading about her life – so very, very different to mine – and knowing that if we sat down together over canvas and floss, we'd find common ground.

I haven't finished it yet, but if you like history, drama, art, crafts, romance, intrigue, poetry, memoir...you should pick it up. It's rare that I read something a bit at a time these days – I'm a binge-reader, now – but this one I intend to enjoy for as long as possible. (If you want to know more, here's a book reviewer's book review.)

I was super excited when I came across Pinhole Press's latest customizable product: a Big Book of Names and Faces (via A Cup of Joe). I have been meaning to make something similar for my son, Archie. He loves books, and one full of pictures of family and friends would be a fantastic way to help him learn all of their names, especially those people he doesn't see often. I was disappointed, though, by the price tag – there's no way that book isn't going to be ripped, drooled on, stepped on and thrown in the first five minutes it's in Archie's hands.

So I came up with my own less expensive version that I won't mind being nibbled on a bit or crammed under the fridge (oh, how toddlers can find the oddest places to put things!). The whole project took about an hour and cost less than $10.

I picked up a "brag book" size photo album, which had a fabric cover, and stencilled my title on. (I found these amazing reusable adhesive stencils at Michaels.... I cannot be trusted to go into that place without buying something I didn't know I needed.) This is the part that took the longest, because the paint kept soaking into the fabric and I had to apply four coats.

For the inside, I printed out each person's name in a large, easy to read font, with a colourful background, on white card stock. I then traced a 4- by 6-inch photo to ensure the name tags would fit into the book. And then it was just a matter of placing the pictures and tags inside.

I'm hoping Archie will enjoy his personalized book and that it will help him learn the names of his friends and family – and he will eventually stop referring to me as Bobo!

I'm so excited for tomorrow: I love Groundhog Day. (I've even met Shubenacadie Sam!) This holiday has everything – a bit of family history, a bit of folklore, cute animals...

Image, groundhog.org.

Actually, make that almost everything. Because unlike that other February holiday, Groundhog Day is drastically under-served in the greeting card department.

So today I set out to create a quick and easy Groundhog Day card. Using basic craft supplies, it's not hard at all to create this pop-up card.

You'll need construction paper, scissors, a pen and a glue stick. Halve the construction paper so the pieces are approx 6 x 8 inches, and fold the blue sheet and the white sheet in half.

Using a pencil and ruler and starting at the folded edge of the blue construction paper, draw three pairs of lines as shown. These will form the supports for the pop-up parts of the card. With the scissors, snip along the lines.

Open up the sheet of construction paper and poke the strips through (as shown above). It's a bit fiddly but not too difficult. Glue the white construction paper to the blue to form the outside of the card.

Next, it's time for a bit of drawing and cut-and-paste. I cut out a sun, a couple of shrubberies, and two groundhogs – one full size, and one that just shows from the shoulders up. (I did a quick image search online and there were lots of groundhog models to choose from!)

Glue the sun to the back of the card, and glue the groundhog and the shrubberies to the uprights. Use a black pencil crayon to draw a "hole" around the groundhog. Glue the groundhog head to the outside of the card. Write your message inside the card.

Ta-da! And you're done. Now you've got a card to give to your favourite person tomorrow. I hope that you have a very happy Groundhog Day!

Ask anyone who knows my love of office supplies, and they'll tell you about the best gift my husband ever gave me: the red Swingline stapler that Milton pines for in the movie Office Space. Talk about love.

So you can probably figure out that I love nothing more than getting Post-Its, pens and doodads from Staples in my Christmas stocking. Some highlights from the last couple of years:

Stripey paper clips

Funky erasers

Padded metallic binder clips

One thing I would love to get in my stocking this year? Some gorgeous DIY Pretty Pencils made from the tutorial at Omiyage.ca. They're just simple dollar-store pencils dressed up with Japanese washi paper and Mod Podge. Nothing could be simpler!

Photo, courtesy of Omiyage.ca

What crafty goodness are you hoping to find on Christmas morning?

I've resisted the urge to buy any Christmas-themed wrapping stuff, and am instead reusing all the paper bags I've collected over the past year. All they need is a bit of fancy dress.

I first made sure the bags were actually reusable (I threw out all the torn and wrinkled ones – and then looked for stray receipts hiding in the bottoms). To make the yellow and red ones above, I cut bits of ribbon and scrapbooking paper into shapes that would cover the store logos, then attached them with double-sided tape (an essential crafting tool!) or hot glue as necessary. I used a glitter glue pen to write on my own sentiments, and added some bits and bobs from my sewing stash for added festiveness.

For the one on the far right, I was inspired by these modern paper ornaments from Design Sponge. I cut six strips of scrapbooking paper (all the same length, but varying widths) and pinned them end to end using a paper fastener.

I spread the strips out into a flower design, attached the whole thing to the bag with hot glue, then used a foam snowflake to cover up the centre. If I had a longer paper fastener, I would have used more strips, even layering two different lengths.

Don't forget to cover the logo on the opposite side of the bag as well; it's not necessary to decorate both sides, so you could use circles of coloured scrapbooking paper or gift wrap. And, if you're really pressed for time, just put some glitter on it. (While you're at it,  jazz up your holiday manicure, too!)

Hi friends,

This time of year that makes me wish I possessed the skills to perfectly wrap presents and craft sweet, handmade cards. That must be why I've been spending so much time checking out these holiday paper crafts and downloadables. My current faves:

• Quick and easy paint chip ornaments from Say Yes to Hoboken – a good way to disguise your trip to the hardware store to buy Dad that socket set he's been asking for.
• Wintery paper dolls from Inside a Black Apple – she suggests using them as ornaments or gift tags, but I think a set of these in a tiny box would make an awesome stocking stuffer!
• Festive, flowery gift tags from The Long Thread – free PDFs for you to download and print out.
• When it comes to wrapping you can go for the glitter (from You Are My Fave) or try something a little more au naturel (I love the tiny wreath and the sunprints at 3191).
• DIY holiday crackers from Design Sponge – so you can fill yours with special surprises (and really, really bad jokes?)

What are your tips for cute, easy paper crafts for the holidays?

PS Don't forget to enter for a chance to win that tree!

Hi friends,

Just popping in today with a surprise giveaway. I recently received something fun in the mail, and I'm excited to have the chance to share it with one of you.

It's a decorate-it-yourself Christmas tree, the likes of which I'm betting you've never seen before. Check it out:

Yep. It's a recycled cardboard Christmas tree from Cascades that you and your kids can put together and decorate however you choose. For example, crazy crayoned swirls could be the order of the day.

Of course, if it were up to me, there'd be a LOT more glitter involved! The tree is just over 3 feet tall and about 2 feet wide – perfectly kid-sized. Imagine how much fun they could have colouring, painting, collaging and decorating this tree (maybe giving you a bit of free time to enjoy a sip of eggnog?)/

For your chance to win this tree, leave a comment on this post by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, December 20, 2011, telling me the most creative tree decoration you ever made. One comment per person, please; this contest is open to Canadians only. I'll randomly select and announce the winner on Wednesday, December 21.

Good luck!

Hi friends,

Sometimes a gift card is the perfect gift-giving solution, especially if you're pressed for time or short on ideas. After all, there aren't too many people in my life who wouldn't get some serious use out of a Tim Hortons gift card!

But if you're committed to giving a handmade gift, a gift card poses a problem. Yes, Uncle Tom is going to be over the moon about the 25 double-doubles he's holding in his hand, but there's nothing handmade at all about that little sliver of plastic.

Enter than handmade gift card box. Quick, easy, cute and a cinch to personalize – these are the perfect solution when you're looking to add a bit of pizzazz to a gift of plastic. Come to think of it, they'd also be good for small gifts of candy, cookies or money.

You'll need: card stock (I like holiday-themed scrapbooking paper), pencil, ruler, scissors, bone folder, glue and clothespins (optional). A template* comes in handy – I traced a cardholder that I received from Starbucks. Easy-peasy.

To make:

1. Trace your template onto the wrong side of your card stock or scrapbooking paper. I used a pencil and ruler to transfer the horizontal fold lines.

2. Use scissors (or an X-acto knife and ruler) to cut out the form. Then, using a ruler as a guide for the straight edges, score along the fold lines. If you don't have a bone folder, you could use the dull side of a butter knife, or even your thumbnail. Carefully cut a slit for the flap to tuck into.

3. Apply glue sparingly to the flap and the area of the join (applying glue to both sides makes it sturdier), and fold together.

4. Optional: Use clothespins to hold the flaps together while the glue dries.

5. When the glue is dry, fold the ends in on one side. Pop your present in, and then fold the ends in on the other side. Ta-da!

*If you'd rather download a template, you can find one right here – see Step 1.

Hi friends,

If you're looking for a fun Christmas craft that uses up scraps of cute scrapbooking paper, is easy enough that you can do it during your annual viewing of Love Actually, and ends up with a super cute finished ornament – this one's for you!

You'll need: scraps of scrapbooking paper or old Christmas cards; a 2" circle punch; a pencil, ruler and bone folder; glue; a hole punch and a length of ribbon, yarn or embroidery floss. (FYI: You might be able to find a set of die-cut circles ready to go at your local craft store. Look in the scrapbooking section!)

To make:

Using the circle punch, cut out a total of 20 circles – 5 each for the top and bottom, and 10 for the middle. (If you're using a kit, separate 20 circles from the sheet.)

With the pencil, put three marks on the back of each circle – if you were looking at a clock, you'd be putting a mark at the 12, the 4, and the 8. With the ruler and the bone folder, score three lines on each circle, connecting the 12 and the 4, the 4 and the 8, and the 8 and the 12. Fold along the scoring, right sides together.

Glue 10 of the circles together to form a ring. Alternate the direction of the circles so that the triangle is pointing up on every other circle (see above).

Glue 5 of the circles together to make a "flower" for top (as above) – each triangle should be pointing in the same direction. Repeat to make bottom. Here's the cast of characters now:

A bit more glue to attach top and bottom to the middle ring, and bingo-bango, you've got yourself an ornament! Punch a hole and pop a bit of ribbon through, and hang on your nearest tree.

Aw, so festive.

This craft is so easy – it'd be a good one to make if you're planning a holiday crafternoon. Great results with not much effort or coordination required means you could enjoy a festive glass or two of eggnog while crafting and no one would be the wiser. Win-win!

Hi friends,

I had so much fun on Breakfast Television the other day. Sadly, three minutes just isn't enough time to show off all the crafts I'd prepared, so today I thought I'd share one of the crafts I didn't have time to talk about. It's a quick 'n' easy Halloween bunting.

Step one: Gather your materials.

You need rolls of crepe paper streamers; scissors; a hole punch; and a pen or pencil.

Step two: Fold up the streamers.

Use a basic accordian fold to fold the streamers into layers. I made my folds about 1 inch wide for the white (for ghosts) and about 1.5 inches wide for the orange (pumpkins).

Step three: Do a bit of drawing.

I used a very fine felt-tip marker to sketch a ghost and a pumpkin onto the top layer of the streamer. Make sure that your design "falls off" the sides – you need part of the sides to stay connected so the bunting hangs in one piece.

Step four: Chop, chop!

With scissors, trim around your drawing. Use the hole punch to add faces.

Step five: Unfold and behold.

You can hang these as-is with a bit of tape, or consider layering the cut-outs on top of uncut streamers to really show off the shapes. Other shapes (bats, witches' hats) would look great in black.

Quick, easy and cheap: that's my kind of Halloween decoration. Have a great weekend!