Fall Card

This card is easy to make. I found this cute fall paper at Michaels in a fall pack. The nice thing about buying paper in packets is that you get pieces with different patterns that coordinate in color.

Fist I took five pieces of paper and tour them into strips. 

* To help tear your paper wet the area where you are tearing, then tear it.

 I layered my stripes onto the card base and glued them on. Then I trimmed the edges.

Next I embosed this stamp of a tree, and inked the edges of the paper.

 To add some embellishments to my card I used ribbon and a button.

No shoes please

I got this idea from another craft blog on how to tell guests not to wear shoes in the home. And because I have a baby in the house she is constantly picking up and eating anything on the ground. So this is what you will need to make this darling Bare feet only picture frame.

1 wood frame ( I bought mine from Michaels for $1)

wood Acrylic paint (use a paint that will match with your paper)

1 12x12 piece of scrapbook paper (the thicker the paper the less it will bubble)

Mod podge

A picture of your family or kids with bare feet!

First measure the frame onto the paper. Then cut out your paper, I made mine a little smaller then what I measured so I could have a painted edge.

 Paint the frame, it isn't important to paint the part of the frame that the paper will cover.

 Then I mod podged the paper onto the frame. I learned that if you glue the paper to the frame first, then let it dry before you mod podge over it, it made less bubbles when it dried. I also smooth out the bumps the best I can with the back of a butter knife. I used the paint to dust the edges of the scrapbook paper using a stencil brush.

 My sweet brother in law took the picture of all of our feet! I think it turned out pretty cute. I hang this on my door with a wreath around it, that way when people come they know to take off their shoes, without me having to ask!

Happy Birthday

I needed to make a couple of cards that I could send to nephews.  Lacking any ideas, I ran to Roberts and found this cute airplane paper.  I used a blue card base and cut a airplane to glue on.  I printed up the Happy Birthday banner on the computer.  I used a plain green for a stripe with some thin green string that I had on hand. It turned out cute.  I was also thinking some white clouds instead of the stripe would also look good.  The nice thing is that the airplane paper I bought was covered with planes so I can get several cards out of 1 piece of paper.  Change it up to use what you have on hand and have fun!

Thanksgiving napkin rings

I decided to make Thanksgiving napkin rings.  After searching all over for rings I could use and not finding any, my husband came up with a good idea for using PVC pipe that you can buy at Lowe's or Home Depot.  Its super cheap and you get a long piece of pipe.

 I cut the pipe into pieces that fit my orange ribbon so the whole pipe would be covered.  I used 2 different ribbons, 2 leaves in slightly different sizes and colors, a pine cone, a hot glue gun and Mod Podge.  I had some tiny pine cones I got at my in-laws, that I picked up off the ground that were just the right size. 

I bought the ribbons on sale and layered them together to get the look I wanted.

I spread a thin layer of Mod Podge on the pipe and attached my orange ribbon and then my brown ribbon on the top.

After I let the ribbon dry I hot glued on everything else.  I cut some more ribbon and twisted the ends together with a twisty tie cut in half.  I glued that on, followed by both leaves. Then I covered the ends of the leaves and the twisty tie with the pine cone. 

That's it.  It was really easy.  I spent about $8 and made 20 napkin rings.  Not to bad.  Using a centerpiece that has pine cones and leaves in it, the napkin rings should look really pretty for Thanksgiving.  I think I might go back and add some berries for some more color.  That is the beauty of these rings.  You can glue on whatever you want and make them whatever size you need.  Happy creating!

Any Occasion Card

This cute card can be used for any occasion.  Here's what you'll need:

3 Plain colors

Corresponding Print

Thread

Ribbon

Brad

Eyelet

I sanded the edges of the blue square to give it kind of a worn out look, and I have a flower cut out that I used to do a red and a yellow flower of each size, but you could just cut out two sizes of flowers and put them together with the brad.  I stamped "hello hello" on the red tag, but you could put happy birthday, thank you, or whatever you want!

Corresponding Cards

I always have pieces of random paper laying around from making one thing out of it, so I try to come up with ways to use it for more than one card so that my paper stack doesn't get out of control. :)

Here's what you'll need for these two cards:

                                                    2 corresponding prints

                                                    1 sheet of plain corresponding color

                                                    white/cream paper

                                                    tan/white for card base (8 1/2 x11 sheet cut in half)

                                                    ribbon

                                                    two brads

Here are the dimensions for this card:

Tan base: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" folded in half 

Large pink square: 5 5/16" x 3 5/8"

Large cream square: 5 1/16" x 3 3/8"

Small brown & pink squares: 1 1/2" x 1 1/2"

Pink rectangle: 4 3/8" x 1 1/2" (cut off corners)

Cream rectangle: 3 3/8" x 1 1/8" (cut off two corners)

Stamp or print a phrase on the cream rectangle and push the brad through the end of the pink rectangle and then glue it all together a layer at a time.

This card was super easy.  Here's the dimensions for the paper:

Tan base: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" folded in half 

Brown striped: 5 1/2 " x 3"

Pink print: 5 1/2" x 1 1/2"

Pink rectangle: 2" x 3 5/8"

Cream rectangle: 1 5/8" x 3 1/4"

Cut the ribbon long enough to wrap it around the paper so that you don't see any fraying edges. It's easiest to use a small hole punch to punch a hole through the ribbon for the brad to go through, or use scissors to cut a small slit.  Then, line up the bottom of the ribbon with the bottom of the brown paper and use two glue dots to secure the ends of the ribbon to the back of the brown paper.  Glue the pink paper to the tan base and then glue the brown paper with the ribbon on to the tan (which will overlap the top of the pink).  I stamped a flower on the cream, but you could use a sticker or print off some clip art.  Have fun!

 

Halloween Trick or Treat Bags

So we as sisters definitely got some of our craftiness from our mom, who made these cute Trick or Treat bags for all of our kids this year, and in less than an hour you can make one too!

This is what you’ll need: 1/2 yard of a Halloween print fabric

                                     1/2 yard fabric for lining

                                     1/8 yard Halloween print fabric for top edge

                                     2 feet (2/3 yard) 1 inch nylon strap for handles

                                     Thread

  (This amount of fabric will make two bags, so if you want them to be different from each other, buy 2 different Halloween prints and alternate using use one for the lining and the other for the bag. You will need 4 feet of nylon strap for 2 bags)

First cut your fabric to these sizes: Bag – 15 ½ by 22 inches

                                                       Lining – 15 ½ by 22 inches

                                                       Top edge – 2 ¼ by 22 inches

                                                        Straps – 12 inches each

Now to put it together!!!!

Step 1 - Top decorative edge: This strip is going to go over the top two inches of the bag itself to reinforce the top.  Measure 2 inches down from the top of the bag material and pin the top edge strip there with the right sides together.  Sew ¼ inch from top edge of strip. (In this picture, the strip is the candy corn print)

Then turn strip up and sew along the top edge to secure it.  (If it doesn’t quite reach the top, don’t worry! Just sew ¼ inch from the edge of strip. When you sew your top seam, just make it wide enough to cover your stitching.)

Step 2- Sew bag : Fold bag material so it measures 11 by 15 ½ inches. Sew down the side, sewing ½ inch seam (unless you have words printed down the selvage side – then make the seam wide enough that the words will be inside the bag). Turn at the bottom of the bag and sew along the bottom edge. Backstitch each end as you sew.

 

Step 3- Bottom of bag: This is easier than it looks! Stick your hand inside the bag and open up the bottom of the bag. Find a corner and match up bottom seam with side of bag making sure it is pulled tight with no fabric bunched up on the back. Measure 2 inches across as in picture. Sew and backstitch. Repeat on other corner.

Step 4 – Handles: Turn bag right side out and lay so top is flat. Measure over 2 ½ inches from sides. Pin straps (with one on each side of bag) placing them at the 2 ½ inch mark, with about 4 inches between edge of straps. Zig zag edges of straps to prevent fraying. Trim thread.

 

  Step 5 – Lining of bag: Sew as you did the bag in steps 2 and 3 above – EXCEPT

in the side seam leave about 4 inches not sewn about ½ way down the lining.

Step 6 – Put bag together: This sounds tricky but is really easy! Leave lining turned with the print inside. Put the bag inside the lining with right sides together and matching up the side seam. Pin the tops together. Now sew the two pieces together – when you get to a handle, backstitch across the handle so you sew across the top of it 3 times to make them stronger. When you have sewn the tops all the way together back stitch. Now put your hand through the opening you left in the side seam of the lining and pull the bag out! 

Step 7 – Sew lining opening closed:  On the inside of the lining sew the opening closed with a really narrow seam. Then stuff lining inside bag.

 

Step 8 – Finish top of bag: Working on the outside of the bag top stitch around the top of bag making sure lining is pulled down inside so it won’t show from the front of bag. This will keep the lining down inside and make the top of the bag stronger too!

                      NOW HAVE SOME FUN TRICK OR TREATING!!!