Bottled Up Emotions

We're ending a week of Handmade Hellos with another idea using an old bottle. If yesterday, the message was INSIDE the bottle, today it's going to be OUTSIDE.

Who says writing letters involves paper?
If you're feeling extra generous, put a gift inside the bottle.
Let the gift hang loose by taping it to the cover.

Decorate the cap & get ready to give!

I hope I've inspired you to keep in touch with family & friends without the use of technology. It leaves you with an energized satisfaction and the person on the receiving end will always feel extra-special.

May you have a nice weekend!

Secret Message

An old bottle.

A magazine ready to be thrown away.

Tear a page from the magazine.
Use it as exotic notepaper.

Slip the letter into a non-traditional envelope.

Tada! Message in a bottle!

Hand it to a friend or ship it in a box (wrapped in bubble wrap).
Old fashioned instant messaging!
Whoopee!

Lost & Found

A ticket stub. A seashell. A penny. The daily horoscope. These are everyday items that can easily go from blah to Tada!.

I'm incorporating them into this greeting card I made -- it's all about Handmade Hellos in my blog this week.

When you open the card, you'll find these mini-envelopes.
You can make the envelopes or buy them ready-made at
the craft store (scrapbooking section).

Add a purpose to an old ticket stub to make it special.

Put some sentimental value to a vacation souvenir.

Discovered something a friend will like?
Read something that made you feel good?
Pass it on!

Picked up a penny on the sidewalk?
Share your wealth!

It takes very little to keep in touch & tell someone that you're thinking about him/her. If you can't find the words, let your little treasures do the talking.

Creative Crossword

We're putting the Tada! in letter writing this week and I'm giving a shout-out to all the crossword puzzle lovers out there. You know who you are: your heart beats faster as you skim the headlines, the op-eds, the comics...until you see the page with squares within a square. Then you scramble for a pen so you can fill those spaces with both mind boggling and lovely words.

But if you're not into crossword puzzles, this page of the newspaper is but a blah...

Here's how we can make it into a Tada!:

Turn it into stationery!

This is an envelope crafted from the crossword section & a sheet of paper.

Here's the greeting card made from a smaller crossword puzzle mounted on bright-colored construction paper.

To add to the fun, have the recipient fill in some boxes to spell out a message (ex. You are such a great & awesome buddy).

A few words + a personal touch = a happy friend.

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?