A Painted Gift Pouch

Last week, I featured the many ways we can wrap gifts using fabric. 

Let me continue that theme today: 

This fabric bag was packaging for food. I just had to save it and turn it from blah to TADA! 

I'm adding a band of paint at the bottom of the bag. I marked the area (where the paint should end) with some masking tape. I also put some newspaper inside the bag to absorb excess paint, and another sheet of newspaper to protect my work surface. A few binder clips keep the bag from moving around.

I choose a pink paint that I applied with a paintbrush. I applied two coats, making sure to get into the sides and edges of the bag. 

Once dry, I painted the other side, too. 

Here's what the bag looks like with a new coat of paint...TADA!

The creases were tough to iron out, but I think they add a rustic charm. 

All I need to do is to add a gift inside, tie the built-in ribbon, and add a personalized gift tag. This gift is ready to be given away!

Here's an alternative look: add some wooden beads to the ends of the ribbon (knot the ends to keep the beads in place) for added color and decoration. 

That's how I turned a plain fabric bag from blah to TADA!

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Wise Words on Alphabet Bead Bracelets

Hello everyone!

I stumbled upon these greeting cards that came with a little gift:

"I Am So Grateful for You" made by Little Words Project 

"Happy Valentine's Day" spotted at HomeGoods 

These are bracelets with wise words that you can wear...TADA!

I really like this idea, an alternative to personalizing a bracelet with your name. Every time you wear the bracelet, the word is a reminder of a desired state of being: gratitude, love, peace, courage, grace, etc. A version of our higher selves.  

Of course, I had to make some myself:

Using alphabet beads, beads, and elastic string or stretchy cord that I found in my craft drawer, I spelled out "Bloom" and "Shine" on these bracelets...TADA!

Using a key ring, cord (rescued from a paper bag), and alphabet beads, I created this bag charm that spells "Love"...TADA!  

I found some scrapbook paper and paper that I decorated myself (using rubber stamps and paint). 

I attached my bag charm to the cardboard backing. I can write a message on the back side and put this inside an envelope when I'm ready to give it away. 

The message on the scrapbook paper and the word on the bracelet make perfect sense -- This moment: Bloom.  

Same for this one -- You glow differently when you're happy: Shine.

Accessories that are handmade with words that uplift. These can turn someone's day from blah to TADA!

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Holiday Pompoms

Hello guys! I'm glad you could stop by today.

Some years ago, I took this photo:

It's from an Anthropologie holiday display. I was attracted to it because of its simplicity -- just lights and handmade pompoms...TADA!

From a distance, the pompoms resemble Christmas balls. Up close, they look like flowers.

They can be made in different sizes and a variety of materials. Experiment with color combinations like red and green or non-traditional black and white.

In this pompom tutorial, it's easy to make pompoms out of yarn. 

It's also no effort to make pompoms out of cupcake liners as I've shown in this paper pompom tutorial.

These pompoms are made from white plastic bags...TADA!

You can also make big pompoms out of small store-bought pompoms like what I did with this bag charm...TADA!

 

Pompoms make cute additions to handmade gift tags like I did with these reindeer noses...TADA!

Then carry over the pompom theme to your gift wrapping:

Forego the gift wrap and use a pompom corsage to accentuate a gift...TADA!

Or embellish a gift bag or reusable bag with a pompom garland...TADA!

Just a few crafty tips if you want to do a little D.I.Y. this season. These pompoms will grace your holidays for years to come, turning your interiors and gifts from blah to TADA!

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A Round-up of Easy Crafts While We Are Social Distancing

How are your feeling? This Coronavirus has undoubtedly thrown the entire world a curve ball, leaving us vulnerable. We are encouraged to stay home to avoid getting or spreading the virus.

To keep you occupied and productive, I'd like to share a list of crafty ideas.

I've combed through my archives and chose the easy ones using materials that many of us already have at home. Do these crafts alone, with your kids, and even roommates. They help to distract from anxiety, keep the kids busy, and in the end, you'll have created a little piece of art to use or share.  

1. Paper Flowers

This is a Japanese Kusudama flower fashioned from pages of an old book, but you're welcome to use whatever paper you have available. The repetitive folding can be very relaxing and the flowers that you make can be used as decorations or tokens for your favorite gals for Mother's Day. You can find the instructions here.  

2. Pompoms

If you have some yarn handy, why not make a few pompoms? This tutorial makes use of empty ribbon spools but you can use cardboard or a fork. Use your pompom to embellish a beanie, create a bag charm, or use it to make your gifts pretty.

3. Ribbon Embroidery

If you have fabric (ex. cloth napkins, old t-shirt, etc.), needle, thread and ribbon, try your hand at ribbon embroidery. Frame it and display it, or use it to make greeting cards.

4. Stencil-decorated T-shirts

You might have some plain t-shirts in your closet. Give them new life with paint, a paintbrush, and stencils! Here is where you'll find the instructions. The same technique can be applied to bags, pouches, and folders. 

5. Tie Dye T-shirts

This project requires more specific materials like white t-shirts, rubber bands, gloves, a basin, and fabric dye or a tie dye kit. In case you have these on hand, you can make t-shirts for the family. You can find the tutorial here. 

6. Bookmarks

One of the things we can do while we're at home is to read. Get through that "To Be Read" pile or re-read your favorite books. And why not make a few bookmarks? These are made from recycled cardboard, stickers, washi tape, and string. 

7. Recycle Your Broken Crayons

Do you have broken crayons? Well, broken crayons can still color! If you melt them in the oven and use a mold, you can produce these colorful crayons in unique shapes.

8. Make Your Own Oven-Baked Clay

This is a simple recipe for Salt Dough. You can use it to form a jewelry dish, and many other things like jewelry, ornaments, and more ornaments.   

9. Make Your Own Jewelry

This was made from an old necklace. By painting the beads a new shade, I gave it a more modern look!

10. Make Your Own Gift Bags

This one uses a plain brown paper bag and markers. Hopefully, life gets back to normal soon and we can gather, go to parties again, and give presents inside these homemade gift bags. 

11. Sketch and Paint

Find inspiration at home or on-line. Use the materials in your drawer: pencils, markers, crayons, paint, a Sharpie, a notebook. Sketch something daily to calm you down. Use colors to express your frustrations. Draw the little things we take for granted but are now very grateful for.

12.  Pressed Flowers

Go to your garden or backyard and pick some flowers and leaves. Press them in between books and use them for greeting cards, gift tags, and pendants. 

13. Blackout Poetry

Try blackout poetry: take an old book or page from a magazine, find words or phrases that appeal to you and block out the rest of the text with a black marker. The words that remain reveals your poem. More samples here. 

14. Brush Calligraphy

With just pen and paper, you can master brush lettering and calligraphy. Practice your penmanship using a mantra like "This, too, shall pass" or "We will overcome". Write down a favorite song or prayer that helps you keep positive.

15. Put Together a Happiness Box

Fill a box with little treasures. They don't have to be expensive but they must have great value to you -- the ones tied with good memories, the ones that make you feel safe, make you feel giddy, make you feel confident. Fill it with more things in the years to come. Whenever you open the box, you'll feel a surge of happiness and hopefulness.

The quote, "Making time to make things is good for the soul" is from the book "Craftfulness (Mend Yourself By Making Things)". Let this period of community quarantine and social distancing become our permission to try something new, revisit old hobbies, or begin a project we've always wanted to start...this way, we can turn blah to TADA!

My Black Bag

Hi guys! I have this black canvas bag that's over-used and abused. It's light, matches my outfits, and is easy to travel with.

Maybe a little blah to TADA! is in order?

Some felt brooches.

A cluster of pins.

And even more buttons.

Or perhaps a pompom and tassel keychain?

And add a handmade bag charm. TADA!

Old Belt, New Life

I like to bring new life to old objects. I think eveyone, and everything, deserves a second chance.

Today, my willing subject is this belt:

It was an inexpensive find that I used many times as a cute accessory and to hold up troussers that were a little too big for me.

At some point, my default belt hole just got bigger and bigger, and broke beyond repair. Sigh.

Here's how I turned this blah into a TADA!:

I made it into a key chain! 

Let me show you how I did it.

I knotted some embroidery floss in the middle of my metal snap hook.

Then I cut a piece of my broken belt and placed it on the metal snap hook.

I used hot glue to stick both sides together. Notice that I sandwiched the embroidery floss in between the leather.

I used a binder clip to keep the leather in place while the glue dried. Then I strung on some wooden beads (these were rescued from an old necklace) onto the string.

I made a long tassel out of more embroidery floss.

Then added this at the end of the key chain, looping it through the end of the string, taking the end of the string all the way back through the beads, to where the last bead meets the leather. Then I made several tight knots and snipped off the remaining string.

Then take off the binder clip as the final step.

This key chain is also useful as a bag charm or a zipper pull. TADA!