Category: ‘C’ for Crafts

Pretty Packages: DIY Laurel Leaf Gift Tags

Christmas presents go under the tree as soon as we can get around to wrapping them, so they become part of the decorations for a couple of weeks. I like to change things up each year with the wrapping and gift tags, and the kids help now that they’re old enough. I came up with these laurel leaf gift tags because they’re easy to make (important with kids, or when you’re going to make a lot of them and don’t want it to take forever), but they still look cute. Bonus: they lie flat, so they don’t get squished by the other presents.

Supplies

Kraft Paper Key Tags • Card Stock (in two shades of green) • Green Brush Marker • Metallic Marker • Glue Pen • 1/8″ Hole Punch • Green Satin Ribbon

Instructions

Start with kraft paper key tags as the base of your gift tags. Cut simple leaves out of card stock in two shades of green, then drew a leaf vein down the center of each with a green brush pen or marker. Line up two leaves with the top of each tag, punch a small hole, then use a to assemble. Metallic markers show up nicely against kraft paper and catch the light, and green satin ribbon on each present ties in with the tags’ laurel leaves.

More Ideas and Inspiration

Looking for some other ways to wrap things up this year? Visit the following blogs for more ideas, and check out the hashtag #prettypackage (and feel free to join in and share your own, too)!

Brooklyn Limestone • Copy Cat Chic • East Coast Creative • Eclectically Vintage • Hi Sugarplum! • Honey We’re Home • Life on Virginia Street • Migonis Home • Rambling Renovators • Tatertots and Jello • That’s My Letter • The House of Wood • Thistlewood Farms

December 1, 2015
Up to the Highest Heights

Sponsored by Kiwi Crate.

We do plenty of open-ended art projects around here. “Here are some watercolors; let’s paint!” Or “I brought home a big package of pipe cleaners. What should we make?” But the kids, Eleanor especially, really like having a project with step-by-step instructions to follow. I think they feel good about having made something themselves by following directions, so they love kits.

I was given the opportunity to test out Kiwi Crate, a monthly subscription service, and I let E choose which craft we should try. They have different themes each month, like gardening, dinosaurs, and space, and Eleanor picked Fun with Flight because she wanted to make kites. Once she knew I’d ordered it, she asked “is it here yet?” every day until it arrived.

Each kit comes with all of the materials you need to make two or three projects (depending on which theme you choose), along with Kiwi Crate’s explore! magazine. Their monthly subscriptions start at $16.95/month with free shipping, and they also sell supplies like pipe cleaners, felt, and pom-poms, or party favors like capes, wands, and wings.

After finishing up her first kite, she and August both made rockets that launch with a rubber band. Kiwi Crate offers a “no fight” option with extra materials, so E and A were each able to make a happy-face kite and a grumpy one, and two different rockets. The both got the bonus paper flyers that were included and their own copies of the explore! magazine, too.

Kiwi Crate is offering a discount for my readers right now. Join their Time Traveler Series with projects to fall back in time! The promotional code excludes sibling add-ons, but you can save 25% on your first month subscription with code LOVELY25.

So cute. I love a good craft project that comes to my door, with all the guess-work and supply-shopping taken care of. And the kids loved making everything!

August 26, 2014
DIY Colorblock Christmas Trees
Here’s a cute DIY project to add a little sparkle and shine to your holiday! These colorblock Christmas trees took a few hours to create, but if you simplified the palette (and skipped the glitter paint), you could finish them in about an hour. Here’s what you’ll need.

Supplies
- Kraft Paper Cones
- ScotchBlue Painter’s Tape
- Paint Brush
- Martha Stewart Crafts Paint
  Light Pink Trees: Pink Carnation (Satin), Rose Chrome (Metallic), Sugar Cube (Glitter)
  
  Dark Pink Trees: Peppermint Bark (Satin), Rose Copper (Metallic), Florentine Gold (Glitter)
  
  Green Trees: Artichoke (Satin), Citrine Gold (Metallic), Peridot (Glitter)
The smaller cones were to be glittered on one side, so I first painted the entire cone in a solid color. The larger cones were each going to be painted one one side with metallic paint (which I knew to have good coverage), so I started by taping them off and painting just half in a solid color. It’s easier to tape a cone vertically, though I’m sure these would look fantastic done horizontally if you’re up for the challenge.

Acrylic paint dries quickly. I found that by the time I was done painting the last of my six cones, the first would be ready for another coat (I did three on each). After the last coat had dried, I removed the old tape from the larger cones and retaped them to paint the other sides. The metallic paints I used looked good after just one coat, but I still did three — because I am weird and like to keep things even.

Adding the glitter… there went the whole ‘keeping things even’ idea. I lost count of how many coats of glitter paint I used! I knew they would take a while to build coverage, and I think I may have put 10-12 coats of paint on each cone. Early on in the process, I considered ditching the paint and just using glitter, but it was my hope that by using the glitter paint, each Christmas tree would be less likely to flake and leave a sparkly trail wherever she may go.

So far, so good. The glitter is staying put, and I love the two-tone effect.

I’m not sure if I’ve found the perfect place for these yet though. I like the effect of the mirror, doubling them and showing off both sides, but there’s already a lot going on in the hutch above, and with the stockings below. What do you think?

This post is a collaboration with ScotchBlue™ Painter’s Tape. To join the creative community, visit www.facebook.com/ScotchBlue.
December 18, 2012
Monogram Place Cards (Free Printable)

These holiday printables are brought to you by HP. Make other easy printable projects at HP’s Holiday HQ.

Last week, I shared my printable monogram Christmas gift tags with you. This week, I thought it would be fun to design and share matching place cards.

My sister-in-law always has a beautifully set table for special occasions and holidays. She includes place cards, even when it’s just close family coming over, so I’m taking a cue from her entertaining style here.

You might notice that I’ve swapped out the foxes in the dining room hutch for ornaments. I haven’t completely finished decorating for Christmas yet, but I’ll be sure to share more photos of the house when I’m done. The pink Christmas tree is up but not completely trimmed, as I was focusing on the dining room first.

(I do miss my little foxes though! I’ll be putting them back up after the holidays.)

If you’d like to, you can download the place cards and print them out for yourself too. Just cut them down to size (a paper cutter or a ruler and a razor will give you the cleanest lines), then fold each card in half. A bone folder will give you the cleanest result, but it’s not necessary.

(p.s. These will work as gift tags too — just cut them in half. They won’t have the “Merry and Bright” message, but that means you could use them year-round!)

December 3, 2012
Free Printable Monogram Christmas Gift Tags

These holiday printables are brought to you by HP. Make other easy printable projects at HP’s Holiday HQ.

I like to come up with a cohesive wrapping scheme each year for Christmas. That sounds fancier and more complicated than it is though; I just like for all of the presents to look nice together under our tree. This year’s wrapping paper will be in rich shades of brown, punctuated by minty green (because I think mint will look fantastic under our pink tree!).

I designed these gift tags to use for our presents, and you’re welcome to download and print them for your gifts as well. I’ve done monogram gift tags before, but those were hand-drawn and I wanted to do a new twist on them this year.

My years as a stationer have taught me a few tips about working with paper. If you have a paper cutter, you can cut the tags into three strips vertically to start. You could also use a ruler and an x-acto knife (or a box cutter, sharp razor, or rotary cutter). Then, keeping the tags in their strips, use an x-acto knife to cut slits along the tops and bottoms for ribbon to slide through. Doing so while they’re still in strips will make the paper a little easier to work with. Then use scissors to finish cutting out each tag. You could also use a hole punch at the top and bottom to thread thin ribbon through, or just punch a hole at the top to use these like more traditional gift tags.

And here’s another tip: When I have gifts for multiple people with the same initial (like August and Ashley), I write their name on the back of the present with a marker. I can usually remember which gift is which by the shape of the box, but it’s good to have the name on there too.

May your days be merry and bright!

November 26, 2012
How to Make DIY Monogrammed Trophies
Or mugs, dishes, or vases — anything ceramic or glass. But I went with trophies.

Supplies
- glass paint or all-purpose craft paint (I like Martha Stewart’s line)
- stencil brush or paint dauber
- adhesive vinyl stencil
- ceramic trophies (or whatever you’d like to paint)
I designed my stencil in Adobe Illustrator and then used my Silhouette cutting machine on vinyl. There are pre-made adhesive stencils in craft stores, and plenty of sellers on Etsy willing to make one for you. You can also cut one out of contact paper with an X-acto knife.

After you’ve affixed your stencil (as smooth as you can get it around the important detailed bits), you can dab the paint on thinly with a dauber. Peel the stencil off before the paint dries. If you have difficult to reach portions (like the inner triangle of my capital ‘A’, for example), you can use a pin to lift up a corner so you don’t ruin the paint by trying to do it with your fingers.

The glass paint that I used will cure in twenty-one days if air-drying, or it can be oven-baked at 350°F for 30 minutes, and it will be dishwasher-safe once cured. I tend to go light on my DIY instructions (you’re all smart cookies), but if you want a more detailed tutorial, I found this project by searching Pinterest.

The trophies are cute when empty, but I like them as vases and plant pots.
October 25, 2012