Paper Bags

Happy Monday Everybody! I'm pretty sure your days are getting busier as Christmas approaches and I want to say thank you for still finding the time to visit my blog!

This paper bag from Starbucks is a real Tada!

It talks to you, in fact it orders you around --
in a good way of course!
I love the lines "So reuse it. Reincarnate it. Re-imagine it."
The future of this bag rests in your hands!

Don't reuse it once. Reuse it again and again!

It was this bag that inspired me to do a week's theme
of "paper bags".

Here are some plain paper bags that were used
to wrap my purchases from recent craft fairs.

I whipped out my funky stamp and ink pad to
decorate the otherwise blah paper bag.

Tada! It's now a gift bag!

Simply slip in a gift, add a tag & ribbon
and you've got an instant package!

And another piece of good news: this bag, ribbon
and gift tag can be used again & again!

WISHmas Tree

This week on blah to Tada!, I crafted some greeting cards and gift tags using materials from past Christmases. Today, I'll do the same but instead of just one blah, I've got three to make one exciting Tada!

The first blah are these Christmas cards I accumulated through the years. After they holidays, I store them in a plastic box, never to be seen again...that's the blah of this blah.

These cards were lovingly sent with very meaningful wishes inside. I thought, "Why not keep these good wishes until future Christmases or pass them on to others?".

Then I was watching the Martha Stewart Show where they demonstrated how to make Christmas trees out of magazines:

It was a craft that was right up my alley -- hey, it's totally blah to Tada! You'll find the instructions here.

Here's my second blah...an old catalog just lying around the house.

I began folding...

...and folding.

Until I made my own Christmas tree!

I needed to jazz it up in my own personal way.

So I got a third blah -- a foil take-out container.

After cleaning it up, I made these
circles (I traced a coin with a pencil).

I glued the circles on the tree (with some hearts), added the greeting from the Christmas card and topped it with a foil star.

Tada! A WISH-mas tree I can display for years to come or give as a gift to a nice family on my list.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Gift Wrap to Gift Tag

Today's project makes use of the little sheets of gift wrap left over from wrapping presents. You can also keep this in mind for all the paper on Christmas morning, when the gifts have been opened.

Instead of throwing these away...

...turn them into something useful!

All you need are a pair of scissors, cardboard & glue.

Pick a character from the gift wrap, glue it on the cardboard and allow it to dry. Then cut around the cardboard.

Tada! Instant gift tags!

These cut-out Santas were attached to folded index cards decorated with scrap paper. A white pompom on Santa's hat and a punched corner looped with silver thread are the finishing touches.

Frosty the Snowman's look was jazzed up, too -- a polka dot ribbon "scarf", a felt nose and felt buttons make him a jolly, happy soul!

Simply write a message at the back of this tag and add to a gift. No need to get store-bought gift tags!

TADA! Tags

Happy Wednesday Everyone! Look at all these tags -- they came with the gifts I got last Christmas:

I thought they were too cute to throw away.

I want to re-use them but there are some
written wishes at the back.

So I glued each one on card stock, scalloped some of the edges with
special scissors and added some string.

See? The back of the tags are blank,
ready for me to write my holiday greetings!

I've got adorable gift tags...

... to embellish the presents I'm giving away.

And I saved a little bit of cash that way!
Don't you love a blah to Tada! idea?

Two In One Special

I'm in full Christmas card writing mode! My desk has everything I need -- colored pens, greeting cards, envelopes ready to be addressed as Christmas carols play in the background. This year, I'm giving out a mix of cards -- the boxed variety and some that I made myself. After all, what's Christmas at my house without some blah to Tada!?

I was inspired by this pretty-patterned tissue paper that was used as a liner for one of the gifts I received last year. It reminded me a lot of origami paper and that got me thinking, "Why not make some origami?"

I cut the paper into squares (6 inches by 6 inches).

Then I folded each square into a Christmas tree!
You can get the instructions here.

I sewed on a piece of thread at the tippy-top and made the origami tree a cover for a Christmas card (held loosely by clear tape).

Inside the card are a personalized greeting plus instructions to detach the tree and turn it into an ornament! How's that for a two-in-one special?

Please stop by again tomorrow!

A Card to Wish You Good Cheer

Hi and thanks for visiting me today! I hope you had a terrific weekend...I sure did with some craft fairs and my first holiday party.

You may be thinking of greeting cards and some of you may even be ready to send yours out. Here's a greeting card idea I did a couple of months back. Remember the handmade hello? I received a lot of comments from that project, I thought I'd make a new twist for this season.

We'll need an empty ribbon spool & an old paper bag.
(Left-over from gift wrapping & take-out dinners)

We'll also need scissors, glue, colorful paper and
a decorative puncher.

Type up a letter to a dear friend and print it out.

Another version is a list of wishes for the coming year.

Using a pair of scissors, cut out what you've printed, making sure it's the size of the ribbon that was once on the spool. This will be the new "ribbon".

Attach the edges together with glue.

Decorate the empty ribbon spool with paper in a fun design.

Add your friend's name (ex. Dear Rachelle) and
a little intro (This Christmas I wish you...).

Then add the "ribbon" that you made. Glue the inner end to the empty spool, wind the "ribbon" around and attach a small sticker or piece of tape at the outer end to keep it from raveling.

Make an envelope from the brown paper bag.

Make it pretty!

Sign the greeting card, address the envelope and
mail it to your favorite friends.

A blah to Tada! idea that's unique & thoughtful!

Cardboard Cut-Outs

How quickly another week has passed! The giant Christmas tree in New York City's Rockefeller Center has been lit and the holiday spirit is in the air. Decking our homes with the colors of the season need not be expensive. With simple materials and a little bit of elbow grease, we can make our very own ornaments!

Here's a cardboard box that's a blah...but observe how we can turn it into a Tada!

Take out your cookie cutters and trace the shape on the cardboard using a pencil.

You can opt to make freehand drawings if you have the skill.

Cut around the shape and punch a hole on top. You can begin decorating at this point...enlist the kids to help you! Let them color with markers, add stickers, buttons & sequins.

But hey, if you have the glue & glitter, now's the time to use them!

Apply the glue in sections & sprinkle on the glitter until you've covered the whole ornament. Finish with a bow that works as a hanging device, too.

And because I already had the cardboard & ribbon on hand, I only paid for the glitter (about $3.00 for a 2 oz. bottle, which looked untouched after the project). Woohoo! Don't you just love crafts like this?

Have a happy TADA! weekend!