Handmade Hellos

Isn't that a heart-warming title? It's not only the theme for this week's posts but the title of an actual book. Handmade Hellos is a collection of do-it-yourself greeting cards for life's exciting occasions. I have yet to grab a copy of this book but I certainly like the concept. In a world bombarded with texting, twittering and e-mailing, it's rare to receive a greeting card, let alone a handmade one. That's what makes it special.

Everyday this week I will attempt to to turn the fading art of letter writing from blah to Tada!

Today's inspiration comes from a spool of ribbon. After using up the ribbon, how can we re-purpose the spool? Why not make it into a letter?! I can see that quizzical look on your face. Here, let me explain:

We'll turn a piece of paper into a ribbon. Ruled notebook paper works well so we can easily cut along the lines .Then glue the ends together to form a long strip. To write the letter, you can either compose the letter on the computer first, then print it on notebook paper before cutting, or...

...Write the letter directly on the paper strip.

Roll the letter strip around the spool & secure both ends with tape.
Decorate the spool with stickers.

Make an envelope using a sheet of scrapbook paper.

Tuck in your letter and send it on its way!

Curious as to what I'll be making tomorrow?
You have to stop by to find out.
Happy Monday!

Easy Floral Arrangement

Hey, hey! It's Friday! Let me end the week with a final idea to turn an onion sack from blah to Tada!. It involves tapping into my inner Martha Stewart because today, we'll be arranging a bouquet of flowers.

This project works best with vases that have a wide opening.

Fill the vase with tepid water and sprinkle in some flower food.

Cut the onion sack about two times the size of the vase's opening.

Cover the mouth of the vase with the onion sack and secure with a rubber band.

Trim the edges and wrap a wide ribbon around it to conceal the rubber band
& the edges of the onion sack. This provides a clean look.

Trim the stems and remove the leaves of the flowers.

Insert the flowers in the holes of the onion sack.

Arrange the flowers to your liking -- use one kind of flower or a variety!

Add leaves around the arrangement to further cover the onion sack.

Tada! an easy floral arrangement without the use of a floral frog or foam.
Won't this be a perfect gift for Mom on Mother's Day?!

To all you Moms out there -- what would the world be without you?
You bring the Tada! to the everyday!
Happy Mother's Day!

Produce Sacks

Garlic isn't the only one sold in sacks. Even onions come in these strong & sturdy holders. Because their size is notches bigger than the garlic sack, here's how I turned them from blah to Tada!:

I snipped off the sealed tips and removed the labels. I closed one end using clear fisherman's twine/nylon thread (non-elastic) using an "insert & double knot" motion (you may use the sewing machine for this step). Just be sure that the end won't unravel and can carry several pounds of produce.

Tada! I made a pouch! I turned it inside-out and sewed on a ribbon so that I can close the open end.

Every time I go to the farmer's market or grocery store, I'll take this with me together with my reusable tote bag. I'll use it as a produce sack and stuff it with fruits & vegetables. That way, I'll be avoiding those clear plastic bags!

It's best to make several produce sacks that will allow you to segregate your purchases -- your farmer or grocer will be thankful since they have to weigh these, too!

How's that for a blah to Tada! idea?

Kitchen Loofah

Today, I'll show you another idea to transform an empty garlic sack
from blah to Tada!

Turn it into a loofah to clean root veggies like potatoes and yams. Tie at least two empty garlic sacks into a knot and use this to scrub the potato under running water.

Another easier option is to put the potato inside the sack and move the sack around under running water.

Both methods will exfoliate the potato of any soil and dirt...before you know it, they are ready to cook.

I can already see potato salad & baked sweet potato fries in my future.
See ya' all tomorrow!

Scrub, Rinse, Repeat

I'm giving a second life to this garlic sack.

I'll use it to dress up this brand new sponge.

I tie a knot at the end, pleased with the work I've done.

A simple sponge is now a scouring pad!
It will help me clean up greasy plates & crusty pans with so much ease.
That's what I call a blah to Tada!

See you again tomorrow!

Garlic Sacks

When I buy garlic they come in these tulle sacks that I don't seem to want to throw away. This week, I'll show you five ideas that take these garlic sacks from blah to Tada!.

Wrap the garlic sack around half of a lemon and secure with a piece of string or twisty-tie. Make several of these and serve with a seafood spread of fish, clams and lobster. The tulle netting makes squeezing out the juice easy while trapping the seeds and pulp!

Have a good week everyone!

More than just a Jar

I found this lovely vintage jar at a thrift store in Manhattan. I haven't used it yet. Maybe I'll start a collection of different sizes. Or maybe I can give it away.

I can fill it with my own personal blend of herbs & spices. I can already think of food-loving friends who will get a kick out of receiving this -- just in time for grilling season!

I can also fill it with colorful candy-coated chocolates to cheer up a buddy with the blues. Doesn't chocolate make everything better?

I've seen similar bottles in supermarkets & specialty food stores that contain sea salt, peppercorns or sprinkles. When the contents are used up, pour in little gifts (edible or not) and pass it on to someone you care about.

Gifts that don't cost much, those that are environmentally-responsible and gifts that are personal are often the ones remembered, appreciated and simply keep on giving.

Here's wishing you a healthy, happy Tada! weekend!

Inner Beauty

What do you do with envelopes after you've paid the bills? Before handing them a one-way ticket to Club Recycle or the sunny shores of Shredder-land, take a look inside.

Mom told us never to judge books by their covers, the same is true for envelopes! If you take a look inside, you'll see many of them have these graphic patterns on them.

Cut out the patterned portion...

...And with a paper punch, turn them into stationery!

Salvage the unprinted portion and turn them into tiny envelopes
with glue & scallop-edge scissors.

I created a set using several old envelopes.
I secured them together by recycling the postage part of the old envelope.
I think it makes a cute, old-fashioned-age-of-letter-writing touch!

Save the window and the punched-out bits...

...And turn them into confetti!

Give a friend a stationery set -- I bet she won't even know
they're made of old bill envelopes!

Have a great day!

A Handmade Gift

Yesterday, I showed you what I received from a swap hosted by Sarah...wonderful pink & green things from awesome crafter and my swap partner Becky! But here's one more thing that came in the package:

This is how Becky turned a blah into a Tada!

She makes sculptures from found objects like this old fork. As you can see, she magically aged the fork, bent the tines and decorated it with pretty baubles. I have to ask her what she named this piece. My nickname for it is "Royal Sun Flower"...can you see the crown on its head? I'm a proud owner of one of Becky's masterpieces! Isn't that cool? You can see more of her work here.

It's always special to give and receive a gift that's handmade. It's not about how much it costs but the time, effort and care put into making that perfect gift. So today, I'll show you how to make a present that's simple to create even for the craft-challenged.

Clothespins remind me of simpler times when washing machines were not yet in vogue, when clothes were hung out to dry and sunshine performed the role of natural fabric softener. Times have changed and it seems like we have very little need for these clothespins. Still readily available at supermarkets and dollar stores, many crafters are transforming these wooden babies into Tadas!

Inspired by photos I've seen in Blogland, here's how I turned a blah into a Tada!:

By attaching a strip of ribbon on one side using a glue gun, what was then a clothespin is now a fun paper clip!

Use it to organize cards, letters and notes.

Add some labels like "urgent", "file", "to do" for things like bills & lists.

Once you're done, throw some in a little jar and give it to a friend.
No occasion necessary..."just because" is just fine.

Pink & Green Goodies

Hello everyone! It's all about inexpensive, earth-friendly and personalized gifts this week at blah to Tada! and yesterday I told you about a swap I joined hosted by Gypsy Mermaid. Our theme was "pink & green" and look at what I got from my awesome swap partner Becky:

I excitedly opened the big box that came in the mail and a wide smile appeared on my face when I saw this cute bag! I love bags! They're so dependable for groceries, carrying books from the library and keeping extra stuff accumulated on a trip like souvenirs and gifts for family & friends. I always carry an extra bag in my purse. If MacGyver has a Swiss Army knife, I have an extra bag...it has saved my life countless times!

I feel so special because Becky made this bag. It's reversible, too, with stripes on one side and polka-dots on the other. How adorable is that? I've already baptized it as my official bag for summer...oh, the places we'll go!

There were more goodies inside the bag!

Like this lovely handkerchief which reminds me of afternoon tea parties and lace parasols. It's already a Tada! but I know what I can do with it to make it even more Tada!. But you'll have to wait for it in a future post!

I'm enjoying the scent of these pink votives. I already put them in clear glass votive holders, ready to be lit!

Don't you love the shade of pink on this gelato dish? I'm already dreaming up ice cream sundae concoctions as an excuse to use it. Vanilla Bean ice cream topped with strawberry slices (so sweet at this time of year) and a dollop of whipped cream in this compote spells P-A-R-T-Y!

Hershey's Kisses dressed in pink...can anything else be more romantic?
(I really like how chocolates dress appropriately for each season)

Any crafter will find use for scrapbook paper even if the craft of choice isn't scrapbooking!

How dainty are these pink & green beads, tulle, lace and vintage belt buckle! Trust me, even the clothes pins and pearl-head pins will be put to good use.

And finally, stationery and pens! I'm not sure if I told Becky that I enjoy the art of letter-writing but she was right on the money! They arrived at a time when my stationery supply is running low.

How wonderful are these gifts -- so personal from somebody I've never even met. Thanks again Becky! I must blame you for rubbing off the "swap bug" to a novice swapper like me!