Archive for the ‘Paper’ Category

Crafty Reuse: Your Guide to Junk Mail Crafts + Art


Rather than toss all those catalogs and offers into the recycle bin, you may as well take advantage of the free craft supplies!

Despite our best efforts to stop marketers from sending us junk mail, the stuff still seems to find its way into our mailbox. We use some of it for things like grocery lists and keeping score when playing Scrabble, but what to do with the rest? Here are some project ideas and junk mail art inspiration.
Read the rest of this entry »

Eco Packaging Handmade For You: Tags


One of the simplest ways to embellish your products is to add a beautiful hang tag. You can have professionally printed hang tags made with your logo, but they always seem so sterile and lifeless. Instead consider buying handmade creative hang tags for a unique addition to each product. They also make a great place to jot a quick thank you. Read the rest of this entry »

Recycle Grocery Bags Into Eco Packaging

Brown Paper shipping EnvelopeI have used brown paper bags in the past to rewrap boxes for shipping, but I never thought of making shipping envelopes from brown bags.  This genius packaging idea reuses plastic grocery bags for waterproofing and brown paper bags to make the outer envelope.  My favorite part is the stitching to close it up.  No glue or tape necessary! Read the rest of this entry »

Tutorial: Inside Out Notecards – Part 2

Inside Out NotecardsI am still looking for ways to transform my stash of plain boring notecards. I showed you how to use fabric scraps and stamps to “recover” the card and how to make inside out notecards with craft punches in Part 1 of this series. Now I want to show you how to make inside out notecards using your own cut out design instead of craft punches. Read the rest of this entry »

Reuse Sewing Pattern Tissue Paper

Tissue Paper FlowersSewing pattern tissue has a great graphic quality.  If you have some vintage or used sewing patterns laying around, consider reusing them for art, home decor, jewelry, or anything else you can decoupage.  Here are a bunch of inspiring ideas for reusing sewing pattern tissue paper. Read the rest of this entry »

Dozi Paper Packs and Workbooks

Dozi Paper PackI just stumbled across this great little Etsy shop called Dozi.  Shop owner, Wendy Chung, makes cards, calendars, paper packs, and workbooks featuring her original modern and simple designs.  Dozi is Chinese for “bean”, and symbolizes Wendy’s love for the small and simple. Read the rest of this entry »

Paper n Stitch Spotlights Indie Designers, Artists and New Makers of Handmade Goods

Paper N Stitch is an amazing online exhibition space created specifically to promote talented artists, designers, makers selling handmade goods, and indie boutiques. The exhibition space is currently curated monthly and showcases the best of the best in handmade highlights on an international level.

The Paper n Stitch Blog is a constant source of inspiration too. Shown above is the Studio Fuller shop from their recent reviews, and below are their picks from Blue Thimble’s hand screen prints and textile art.

Read the rest of this entry »

Recycled Kraft Paper for Scrapbooking

Shitake Scrapbook PaperParsley Scrapbook PaperIt is no secret that scrapbooking uses up gobs of paper.  Crafting a green scrapbook is definitely an uphill battle.  We’ve shown you recycled papers, handmade embellishments, even how to use leftover paint chips, and now I give you recycled kraft scrapbook paper.

Striped Scrapbook PaperPumpkin Scrapbook PaperJillibean Soup offers cute, unique, eco-friendly scrapbook papers printed on 100% recycled Kraft paper.  Printing their debut line on kraft paper was so important that they custom-manufactured folio size kraft paper that is acid-free and lignin free.  I personally love the look of the brown kraft paper in the background. Read the rest of this entry »

Green Stack: Recycled Scrapbook Paper by DCWV

Green Stack Scrapbook PaperDie Cuts With A View (DCWV) has just released the Green Stack collection made from 70% post-consumer recycled paper that is also acid-free and lignin-free.  The debut Green Stack paper pad features 24 woodland designs complete with squirrels, owls, and a little faux bois.  The collection also includes a matching Green Stack Chipboard Set with 105 shapes and letters made from 70% post-consumer recycled paper.

The DCWV website has a great idea gallery with sample pages from each collection, like the Guess Who sample page shown here which features the Green Stack collection. Check out the other awesome Green Stack sample pages after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

Crafty Business Cards from Baltimore Center for Design

Here’s another great example of good design, craftiness and a nod to the environment, all in a small card.

The Baltimore Center for Design has a utilitarian goal, one that will bring together the city’s designers for the purpose of discussion, and to provide community members a valuable resource. As an up and comer, the Center for Design is all volunteer run, with little to no budget. Though this is a challenge it has not stopped them from moving foward with all the things that a resource like this needs, all with an environmental bent.

Their business cards are made from the extra runs that a print shop uses to get their press set. These test sheets usually end up as waste, but not in this instance. Working with their local printer they were able to source these test prints for free!

To personalize the cards, the Center for Design used label paper and printed up their url and attached the labels to the cards. The result is a simple and easy way to make buisness cards.

Read the rest of this entry »