Published on December 11th, 2009
Sometimes the simplest thing is the best.
Okay, the simplest thing is the best thing nearly always in my house, but even if you generally go the elaborate route, taking a break to do a few simple tasks–say, make some easy-peasy Christmas ornaments–can actually be really refreshing.
These Christmas ornaments, made from repurposed or recycled papers (like my Christmas cards), are extremely simple to make. You can freehand them or use cookie cutters, laminate them or simply sandwich cardboard in between, embellish them or leave them plain–whatever you want with whatever you have.
The key to giving these ornaments big impact is to choose papers that are extremely meaningful to you. Were there a couple of extra photos leftover when you had your Christmas pictures printed? Is your daughter’s report card cute but at the end of a reeeeeally long to-be-scrapbooked queue? Here’s what to do: Read the rest of this entry »
Published on December 11th, 2009
Save your money for gifts this year. Don’t spend a small fortune on fancy gift bags, boxes, wrapping paper, tags, and cards- make your own out of what you have.
Almost anything can be transformed in something holiday wrap worthy with a little effort- cardboard boxes, paper bags, and baskets. Even that stack of paint sample cards can be used for something crafty. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on December 10th, 2009
I found this fabulous tutorial on how to make a large gift bow out of any paper you have on hand: magazines, scrap paper, pretty scrapbook paper, even old junkmail or maps.
The tutorial is from the talented crafter Jessica Jones and if you don’t follow her blog you should: http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com
Here’s some more info about the bow making process. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on December 10th, 2009
Whether you are a hoarder of pretty papers or you take your art materials at random from the recycling bin, the holidays are an excellent time to use up the little bits and scraps of paper that tend to otherwise get lost or discarded.
At our house, our holidays are primarily handmade (except for Santa, of course–Santa’s been shopping the deals all year long), and I try not to buy any new materials when making my gifts and other projects, either.
AND I do almost all of my crafting with two little kids either actively helping, or at least in tow, so my stuff can’t be super-complicated or destroyed by the input of a five-year-old.
Hence the introduction of these fun little scrap paper cards, which are easy and satisfying AND just about free to make. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on December 9th, 2009
The weather is getting colder, and we have a handmade holiday on our minds! Handmade gifts have heart, are better for the environment, and, if you opt to buy, it supports independent artists!
To help get you in the handmade holiday spirit, we’ve been posting about recycled gifts and giftwrap you can make yourself and great handmade finds for sale!
So you’ve probably got your sights set on a Christmas tree, if you do that sort of thing, and you’re brainstorming some eco-friendly decorations ideas! Infused Goods has you covered with a super-detailed tutorial for making lovely cardboard ornaments! Here’s how:
Read the rest of this entry »
Published on December 1st, 2009
Reader Nicola Alesandrini gave us a heads up about a super cute, green craft project she just finished up.
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Published on November 29th, 2009
And no, I’m not talking “old-school” like when you were in school, I’m talking “old-school” like Ma Ingalls.
Paper dolls have always been an exercise in upcycling and creative re-use. You think Ma Ingalls bought special fancy paper to make dolls for Laura and Mary? Or cut their paper dolls out of a Dover paper doll book?
Hell, no she didn’t! Seriously, this is the same woman who had her kid carrying around a corn cob wrapped in a handkerchief as a doll.
My kids are pretty gullible, but I don’t think even I could pull that one off. However, after finishing reading Little House in the Big Woods together (one chapter a night, followed by one episode of Meerkat Manor on Netflix, followed by me sitting in the dark and goofing around on the Internet while streaming Bright Eyes on Pandora until I hear two sets of snores), the girls and I have been on a huuuuuge paper doll kick, and although they can sucker me into breaking out the scrapbook paper once in a while, we generally kick it old-school with the following SWEET recycled papers: Read the rest of this entry »
Published on November 28th, 2009
If you have some ugly old Christmas cards on hand, it’s an awesome fix to make them over with fabric scraps.
Even if you don’t have card one, however, you can still send out a full roster of holiday greetings to your loved ones.
With some plain cardstock or other papers of similar weight (think glossy magazine pages, or the covers of thick catalogues or phone books, etc.), you can use your same pretty fabric scraps to make a completely new card that’s completely you.
And if you have something else awesome for embellishment–vintage buttons, leftover sequins, extra beads–even better!
Here’s how: Read the rest of this entry »
Published on November 28th, 2009
I love the look of wine and wine bottles and when I saw one of these wine bottle lamps at a craft show I knew I wanted to make my own.
It took a little practice and a lot of help from my husband but we figured out how to make them just right. Then we ran out of lights and couldn’t find anymore. Hopefully this season we can. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on November 27th, 2009
My little girlies and I are participating in a handmade card swap with some other families through Kids Craft Weekly, and and I’ve been using the activity both to kick-start the Christmas card crafting for our own family and friends and to inspire my own paper crafting.
My goals are to incorporate recycled materials into all our work, and to come up with some card-making ideas that are engaging and enjoyable for the children, that utilize our creativity, and that look nice whether completed by a preschooler or an adult.
And I have to have a lot of ideas, because preschoolers won’t do more than a couple of copies of any one thing before they are done and DONE!
Yep, I’ve come up with a couple of misfires, but the collaged window card is a good go-to activity. It looks good with anything–labels from soup cans, pages torn from ratty old books, wrapping paper, scrapbook paper, newspaper–and it looks equally good whether it’s done by a five-year-old or a 33-year-old.
Well, okay…usually my five-year-old’s looks way better. Read the rest of this entry »
