Christmas Cards

There are many, many pins on Pinterest on how to use paper scraps, so this could be a compilation of different posts I've seen.  I chose to make my Christmas cards this last year using scraps. I used Christmas papers, plain white and a soft beige pre-made cards picked up at Michael's packaged with envelopes.  I chose to punch 1 inch squares two in patterned paper and two in a coordinating solid card stock and then arranged them in groupings of four both diagonally and horizontally on the card stock.  I punched snowflakes (using a Martha Stewart snowflake punch) out of a sparkly white paper to act as accents.  I assembled the grouping of four using pop dots to pop the squares off the card stock and also popped the snowflakes off of the grouping and added a jewel to the center of the snowflake.

After the squares and snowflakes were placed on the card stock I stamped two different holiday sentiments underneath the above arrangement and then added a different stamped sentiment on the inside of the cards.  Finally, I used a variety of narrow ribbon I had in my stash in colors that matched the scrapbook papers and tied it around the fold line of the cards.  This was a quick and easy little project and I was pleased with the end result.

Imagine, Create, and Enjoy. 

Christmas Wreath -- Cowboy's Colors

I have been trying to complete this wreath for some time...that is all I will confess to as it has been a project in the works and it has moved with us more than once in the last few years.  Anyway, I digress.  I decided this was the year to complete it.  I had a number of floral picks in blue and silver and had originally planned to make the theme a blue and silver looking theme.  It is appropriate that the daughter is a Cowboy's fan.  A long time, die-hard fan, just like her Dad and older brother.  I had the blue and silver theme decided so I finished picking up a few additions to finish off the wreath.

One thing I needed was the ribbon to give the wreath a finished look.  I found some silver, sparkly ribbon with beautiful snowflakes on it.  I wrapped the ribbon strategically around the wreath and placed the picks alternating them with silver-blue ornament balls.  Here is a close up of the ribbon I picked.

One more project complete!

Go on Imagine, Create and Enjoy!

Christmas Chalkboards

Once again, Pinterest is a wonderful source of ideas for so many things.  I nabbed an idea previously seen here.  Come to find out it was a pin from an Etsy site.  I took the basic idea and ran with it as my Christmas gifts for 2014.  I used a variety of stickers for the lettering on the plates, different kinds, textures, and sizes, but I wanted the finished look of the letters.  I bought a quart of chalkboard paint from Michael's and plate chargers from both Michael's and Hobby Lobby.  I asked those individuals I was gifting this item too what their favorite Christmas colors were and I purchased ribbon from the various craft stores to color match what their favorites were.  Some were into the blue and silver colors so I used a silver charger, for most of the remaining ones I used a red charger with a rope edge around the outside of the charger, and finally I picked up a few shaped like a hexagon with pretty script details on the edges of the plates.

I painted the inside of the inner circle with about 6 to 7 layers of chalkboard paint.  I found out it needed at least this many layers to create a chalkboard surface that would not be scratched clean through the paint if someone pressed to hard on the chalk.  I did not tape around the edges, which might have created a more perfect circle, but I decided the unevenness added to the uniqueness of each plate.  Some of the plates look a little more playful and those were intended for gifts to individuals with children.  The candy cane ribbon at the left is one of those examples.

For some more elegant ones, I used combinations of burgundy, green and gold like the ribbon in the upper right and others I used the beautiful elegant gold edged and printed ribbons as shown on the plate to the right.  That particular ribbon choice had beautiful gold angels on it.  With the shape of the charger it also had the added bonus of being a little easier to paint with the chalkboard paint.  Inside the inner section of the charger was a ridge denoting the bottom of the charger from the sides and it was easier to make a pretty, clean edge for the chalkboard paint.


Additionally, I used some ribbons that had a burlap look. The one shown below has some pretty snowflakes in red and sparkles.  Most all of the ribbons had some kind of glitter or sparkle to them. One of things I did after all of the layers of chalkboard paint were on the chargers, I seasoned them by rubbing a piece of chalk over the chalkboard section so they were a little easier to write on the first few times.  Since the letters were all stickers they were easy to affix.  They just need some weight on them initially to cement them on to the plate.  I affixed the ribbons with hot glue.  I had to hold the ribbons in place until the hot glue set.

With each gift of the chalkboard I included 2 pieces of chalk in tiny ziplock jewelry size bags and easels that I picked up from the dollar store.  I think they turned out really well and were well received as gifts by everyone who received them.

I'm thinking that I could make some that would work year round for all holidays!  The chargers would be in a more neutral color and then have ribbons that would attach with a velcro tab under each ribbon.  Maybe ribbons for Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays?  Hmmmmm...

Until the next time, Imagine, Create and Enjoy!

Recycled Baby Food Cups

I have frequently admired other crafter's ability to use recycled materials and the ingenuity they show in some of the projects they make.  While this little project is not extremely unique, it is a cute little use for those small plastic baby food containers.  They are the ones that have replaced the old-fashioned baby food jars we used when our children were small.  I had washed out a few from when my grandson was visiting and hung on to them for one of these type of projects.

I wanted to include some sweet treats in the Christmas packages I was mailing and these turned out to be the perfect size.  I also was able to use up some scraps of Christmas papers I had laying around.  Love it when I can upcycle and use up scraps from other projects.  I found enough matching scraps to create a band to go around the base of the container and the cut a smaller piece to go on the top of the lid.  I cut it to size and then rounded the corners to fit the lid perfectly.

I added the holiday M&M's to each and tucked them in with my other gifts and off they went. Another project checked off my list!

Once again, Imagine Create, Enjoy!!

Christmas Journal

I have a Christmas Journal that I either bought or received many years ago when my children were small.  The idea behind them...to write down your favorite family Christmas memories each year. Then you can look back each year and read the history of your family and see how things have progressed and changed. I wish I could say that I was one of those moms who religiously filled it out year after year; unfortunately, I never started the book.  I don't know why, the busyness of the holiday season, etc., etc., I really have no excuse! I thought though in my motherly wisdom that I might give one as a gift to my new daughter-in-law in hopes that as they start their new family, they will start writing in the journal each year to log how the years go by...the traditions they establish, the memories, the changes they go through, and that they are able to enjoy each year the journey back through the years to see where they've come from and look forward to where they are headed.  Maybe this year I'll start mine finally.

See you around!  Continue to Imagine, Create, and Enjoy!

Christmas Covered Clothes Pins

I have previously done this project and decided to do some more upcycling with standard clothes pins. My mom hung her wash on the clothesline in our back yard for her entire life.  It wasn't until she moved in with my sister that she started using a modern washer and dryer.  She still had the old-fashioned wringer washing machine and rinse tubs when she sold her home, so I grew with these clothes pins in the house. Granted as an adult I have always had the convenience of a washer and dryer, but I have continued to rely on these little gems for other household chores. Holding card stock I am embossing is one of my favorite uses.  Keeps my hands free from the direct heat generated by the embossing gun when I am adding an embossed look to my projects. They also save my fingers from hot glue burns when using the hot glue gun. In the kitchen we use these for chip clips for the bags of chips, crackers, and nuts.

I utilized scraps of Christmas papers left from some of my other holiday projects and decided to do up a few sets of these covered clothes pins.  I used round magnets you can pick up at any craft store and glued those to the back.  They are a nice little addition to your holiday decor in the kitchen on the refrigerator.  I had some leftover snow flake buttons and stickers from some other projects so added these as accents to the clothes pins.









To give them a finished look, I took white card stock and embossed it with a holiday words embossing folder, I added about a two (2) inch wide scrap of Christmas paper, folded it around the edges of the embossed white card stock and used this to anchor the clips on.  I then slid them into a clear 5 x 7 bag, took another piece of Christmas paper scraps and trimmed it down to use as a bag topper, folded it in half and stapled it to the the bag.  I added a seasonal dimensional sticker to finish it off.

These are a sweet little item to tuck in and complete any gift sets and can be made for any occasion and with any papers.  Imagine, Create, Enjoy!

One Sheet Flat Storage Gift Boxes

I was looking for an easy to make small gift box for my small mirror baubles.  It is that jewelry box size that used to be a standard item you could buy at the stores but when I went looking this last Christmas season, none were to be found.  I really didn't want to use the standard take out box size...which was a little too big for my items.  So, I went in search on You Tube and found a short little video here for a small gift box that uses one sheet of 12 x 12 scrapbook paper.  Perfect.  Once you learn the folds in the box it is easy to replicate and because of the versatility of paper these days you can make one for virtually any occasion.  It is also a good idea to use double sided 12 x 12 paper, that way it gives you a nice pattern on the inside of the box as well as the outside.


Here are a couple of the ones I did.







As the video explained, to keep the box closed you will create a belly band to go around the box.  I also like the alternative of wrapping it with a piece of ribbon or bakers twine with some other little tag or trinket tied on the top.  The feature I like best is that the box will fold flat for storage so you could make these up in advance to have on hand and pull them out when you need them.  They would also be a great gift idea...put a half dozen of these and some birthday cards or other greeting cards together for that special friend or co-worker.

See you next time!  Imagine, Create, Enjoy!

Hanging Mirror Baubles

I don't recall exactly where I saw or heard of this idea and I certainly can't find a pin on my Pinterest boards that is representative of it but likely I've seen it somewhere online.  I thought it was a cute idea so decided to make some for Christmas gifts. I bought small  mirror pieces that you can find at any craft store.  I chose small rounds, probably an inch in diameter.  I cut approximately 6 inch lengths of thin craft ribbon in holiday colors doubling them over to make a loop and hot glued them between two of the mirror rounds.

The idea for these little baubles is that you hang them between the branches of the Christmas tree and they reflect the sparkle of the Christmas lights and add more twinkle to your holiday decor. I packaged them in groups of six and they were a lovely little stocking stuffer and a little something to give to those individuals whom you want to remember in some small way at the holidays.


They were a quick, easy gift and one I would do again!  Great for your child's teacher, the mail deliverer, the paper boy or girl, babysitter, whomever.



 Keep on crafting!  Until next, Imagine, Create, Enjoy!

Shadow Jingle Boxes

I found the post for these Jingle boxes on Pinterest and when I clicked through it came from here.  I wanted to replicate the idea for Christmas gifts for family and friends.  I pretty much followed the picture as it appeared in the original post.  I made almost a dozen for various friends and family members.  They are a cute addition to Christmas decorations and can be specialized in color, background and the colors of the bells to coordinate with any decor.  When the original one was done the crafter utilized a smaller frame from IKEA.  Truth be told, I didn't really look at her directions until I started writing this.  I just took the picture and ran with it but on a larger scale. My frames were the 8x8 frames you can pick up at craft stores.  I picked these up at Joann's with a 70% off sale.  Around $4 to $5 I believe.  The original design just used a patterned piece of scrapbook paper and a pre-cut sentiment from Stampin Up!  I utilized my Cricut and ran the letters through my mini Xyron to apply adhesive to the back. I started with the same sentiment but after a couple decided I needed to change things up.  I used patterned paper with Christmas trees in the background and added snowflakes next to the words on this first one.  I also wanted to utilize the various colors of jingle bells available during the holidays, so opted for red and silver in the first box and some green gold and red in the second box.

Because the frames came in white, I left them that color.  My biggest challenge was finding ribbon the right width to go around the frame.  Well, there wasn't any.  I believe the frame is 1 1/4 inch wide, all of the ribbon I could find during the holidays was 1 1/2 inch wide, so I went with it.  It means there is a little bit of over hang around the edges but it looks good.  I also chose wire-edged ribbon as I wanted the bows to stand up and be able to be shaped and formed.

Once I got the first couple of boxes done I decided to go with some different sentiments, thus the boxes that follow.  I had some paper with sleighs on it so highlighted that image in the lower corner and tucked in some red, white and silver bells along with glittery red letters.

For this one the background paper is of candy canes and gingerbread men, sugarplums and all the associated words and images that go with that thought...thus the Visions of Sugarplums title for this box.  Once they were completed, I added a light spray of glitter to them to punch them up just a bit.  These pictures don't do them justice and it is difficult to see the bling...but it is there.

There are still a couple sitting in my closet to be delivered to some friends.  I hope they like them.

Until the next time, Imagine, Create, Enjoy!

Christmas Mini Clipboard

While in the Dollar Store over the weekend I was wandering around, after picking up what I'd gone in for, and happened upon these little 6" x 8" clipboards.  I thought it would make a really cute gift idea...didn't know what exactly but picked it up to give it a try.  Today I took a vacation day to extend the long weekend just to play and craft, and so decided to work on the clipboard.  I pulled out different paper pads, trying to figure out what I wanted to do with it.  Well with Christmas approaching, my mind is on what to do for Christmas gifts.  So...I marched over to my paper stash and grabbed my Christmas paper pads from last year and started leafing through them.  I found this cute paper in my DCWV Winter Wonder paper pad and got started.  I chose the patterned paper with the polar bear because I thought it was cute and appropriate for the person I'm thinking of gifting this to.  I cut it down to size for the front of the board and on the back side I used one of the other silver and white sparkly snowflake papers from the same package cut down to size.  After adhering the paper to the front and back, I took 1/8" wide blue ribbon edge with silver that I picked up last Christmas from Michael's and adhered it all the way around the edge of the board.  When I had picked up the Winter Wonder paper at Jo Ann's, I had also found a package of matching stickers and embellishments to go with the paper.  I pulled some of those from the package and added to the back of the board.  I also added some Jolee's snowflake embellishments with bling and added some additional blue bling I had in my stash. At the top of the board on the clamp, I added two pieces of silver ribbon on each side of clamp.  To finish it up I added a small pad of plain card stock stamped with Christmas words in the lower right corner.  On top of that I tied a small framed Christmas sentiment "May the magic of Christmas be yours this season."  I cut the frame using my Cuttlebug fancy tags die and threaded it with 1/8" white with silver edges ribbon and tied it around the clamp, centering it over the small notes. 

Since I had leftover paper from the front and back of the clipboard, I used the other side of the polar bear paper to create a small matching photo book.  It it is very simple, I had two good corners of the original paper left with snowflakes, so cut those down to a 5 3/4" x 4" front and back cover.  For the inside pages of the book I used some matte silver card stock which I cut down to 5 1/2" x 3 1/2" wide.  I didn't add embellishments to the pages as I didn't want to limit what the recipient could do with the book.  On the outside I added the Let It Snow sticker and a Jolee's snowflake with some bling.  I punched two holes in the left side of the book and used snowflake brads for the holes.  I then added a couple of rings through the brads and covered them with ribbon in blue and silver.  To make the book a little more sturdy, I used my EKSuccess corner punch to punch some corner reinforcements from the silver snowflake paper used on the back of the board.  I then used them on all of the corners, front and back, inside and outside.  Once pictures are added to the book I'm sure it will stand up nicely.

Finally, the finished product with the plain stamped card stock in the middle of the clipboard under the framed sentiment.  All in all, I'm satisfied with the finished product and will probably pick up a few more of these dollar gems to do up some more Christmas gifts.

Until next time, Imagine, Create, Enjoy!

Mini Covered Note Books

I have shared here before a smaller covered note book that I made as a gift for a co-worker as part of a matched set.  Well I picked up a stash of these mini notebooks at the dollar store and in my quest to use up my abundance of paper scraps, I spent some time on these little books this weekend.  These all have themed Christmas papers, leftover scraps from the larger organizer's I made last year before Christmas.  I thought these would be great little gifts.  They are the perfect size to fit in a purse or a pocket and the perfect size to jot notes or make grocery or shopping lists or keep your different lists of your craft supplies in.  I attached the patterned paper to the front and back of the books and added a small tag to the front of each book and labeled it notes.  I secured them to each booklet with a coordinating thin ribbon from my ribbon stash.  I've also added a little bling to each one as well.  I think I'll donate these to my friend at church for her fundraiser for stroke awareness.

Imagine, Create, Enjoy!

Gift Card Holders

Last fall sometime, I was surfing the net and found a cute little StampinUp! tutorial on some easy as pie gift card holders (I don't recall the blog or video offering, sorry).  I thought I'd give it a try since I had lots of scraps left over from my journal gift making marathon!  The paper scraps were mostly from Christmas pads but some of the patterns and colors were generic enough they could be used for general gift card holders.  I have altered the original design.  That demonstrator used solid card stock with patterned paper on the flap only; I used patterned paper mounted on card stock for the entire card holder.  The measurements are approximately 7-5/8” long by 4-3/4” wide and then scored at 1-3/8” and 4-1/2” to provide the cards folds.  They use a standard 4-3/8 x 5-3/4 inch envelope, sealed and cut in half, which provides you with two pockets.  These are glued together back to back and then glued to the card stock.  One half of the envelope holds the card you see below with your sentiment on one side and blank on the other side to personalize and the other half of the envelope holds the gift card.

On the outside you cut 3 pieces of solid card stock, patterned paper, and then your other solid card stock for stamping your sentiment or decorating as you see fit with stickers, etc.  In these samples they have Christmas holiday sentiments stamped on them.  I then glammed them up with some Stickles and some bling. Once completed, this block is adhered to the lower front of the front flap with pop dots to make it stand away from the background.  It functions as the piece that holds the flap in place once you have put the sentiment card and gift card in the envelope pockets.

The last card is more generic, although the papers, as noted above, were from a Christmas paper pad.  This one will be used for a thank you gift for someone.  These are handy little gift card holders and can be adapted for most any gift situation.  I showed them to a friend who made some for her BUNKO gifts when it was her turn to be hostess. 

Thanks for visiting today.  Imagine, Create, Enjoy.