I found a whole box of red serviettes in the Christmas decorations box so decided to try and use lots up.
So far, I have wrapped a few items with an outer wrap of snowflake acetate I have a large roll of.
I also made up a set of Father Christmas holders which will be gifted too.
Now need ideas for the last 40 red serviettes!
I found a pack of brass stencils during a tidy up and decided to mount them on cards rather than put them in the donation pile.
My ‘use it or lose it’ campaign has reduced the boxes of bits a little and reduced the amount I spend on my crafting hobby but at this rate I am going to need decades to declutter significantly!
Just clear some bits from my desk I thought but it turned into a long session to produce just one card…
The card base was cut to fit a donated envelope. The green backing paper scrap was just about big enough for the die cut frame and square.
The green stems are heat embossed, the ribbon bow donated but needed the (donated) jewels to cover a mark. The buttons (from my jar) needed some thread tying through them then a die cut vellum flower to back them.
So nothing purchased and yes the desk was cleared…
These sweet little napkin rings were quick makes from felt scraps.
The strap is about 7cm long and the central round is about 3 cm diameter.
I fixed mine with Velcro dots but they can be stitched closed or have button holes.
Some had simple die cut shapes stitched on with invisible thread. Some had sequins and some more complicated stitching with embroidery thread. to harmonise them as a set, I straight stitched a circle around each design in a contrast colour.
Some had felt circles backing the thread work so they don’t unravel too quickly but they are delicate and definitely won’t survive red wine spills or washing.
A clear out of surplus hand towels too good to dispose of led to today’s make. Sets of make up remover pads to pair with my diy cleanser.
Sandwich the towel (bindings cut off) between sheets of cotton and pin. Then draw circles using a jar of glass as template. I use a Frixion heat removable pen.
Zig zag around the circles. It doesn’t matter if you go off piste a bit.
Then cut around the lines with pinking shears. Voila.
Going to use before I buy any more. Stage one, make some tags from the bag of bits. Also used the double sided adhesive sheets to make attaching the sentiments a bit easier.
No need to buy protective pouches. If you have access to a laminator you will just need two laminating pouches to make your own, custom sized pouch,
Cut one pouch, ie both sheets, to the size of pouch you want. In my case this was a tad bigger than my folded letter (which was weirdly folded when posted out).
Separate the trimmed sheets and flip them so the inside faces out.
Place the trimmed sheets neatly inside the other pouch. Position them centrally as you will trace excess plastic off later. (With smaller projects you will get skilled at reducing wastage).
Laminate the pouch as you would usually. When it emerges, trim around the inner pocket leaving a narrow margin. Cut one short end off to access the inside of your pouch.
I used a hole punch to create a tab but this isn’t necessary. Some people re-laminate the finished pouched to seal the cut edges but I don’t find this necessary.
A roll of white paper, neglected stamps and ink. You could also diy wrapping paper by stencilling, splattering, writing or adding stickers. No need to buy and much more personal.
I assembled the stamps on the biggest acrylic block I own ( not that big but am in a no buy mode) and rotated them irregularly.
I think monochrome looks classier and will also use blue washi tape to secure. A coordinating gift tag to finish!
Inspired by a sizzix promotion, I upcycled a plain jar into a rustic summer vase.
Assorted die cuts were glued on the clean jar with mod podge. I then used an old tester pot of emulsion paint to cover the jar. A light touch of metallic finish – gold finger by daler rowney – and a sealing coat of mod podge made it a useable vase.
What I learnt: (1) Three coats of paint were needed for an opaque finish. (2) Impatient as ever, I used a heat gun to dry the paint which lifted a couple of the die cuts a little. Actually a happy accident as it added to the rustic effect. (3) less is more with the metallic finish and you can’t take it away if you put too much on.
janecrafts 