Brown Paper Packages Tied up with String

All this week, you'll see how many things I

can do with a brown paper bag:

Okay, let's limit the the "things"

to holiday gift wrap. In the past

two days, I made a few envelopes.

Today, this blah...

...becomes this TADA!

I cut out the most festive word on the bag,

attached it to cardboard

{from an empty cereal box},

punched a hole &

threaded some string.

TADA! Easy, breezy gift tag!

And how else to mark this season

but through celebration!

Wishful Packages

I found a few paper bags from my stash of blahs:

This one's from Trader Joe's and in the attempt of

reusing, reducing and recycling, I'm transforming

the bag into small packages instead of buying

gift wrapper & gift bags for the holidays.

What was once blah...

...is now TADA!

All I did was cut the bag into smaller rectangles,

fold these into envelopes and glued

three edges together.

I left the top open to tuck in the gift.

Then, I'll seal it with tape, a note & a ribbon.

I'm quite sure that whoever receives

it will appreciate that I'm having

a truly green Christmas!

Paper Bags Turned Into Gift Wrap

Happy Monday! In 2009, I created this post where I challenged myself to recycle a paper bag from Whole Foods.

Well, I'm at it again! Why waste a paper bag when you know someone slaved away over the graphic design, the approval, the printing and the delivery to each and every store? {So much work all for a bag!}

This week, let me show you how we

can break down these bags from

Whole Foods & Trader Joe's.

blah: a paper bag

{got to love the pops of color}

Select a section of the bag that's

attention-grabbing.

Cut, fold, assemble & paste, and

this is what happens:

TADA!: An envelope with a handle!

I would use it to wrap a gift card to a restaurant

or a small present for a food-loving friend.

More tomorrow!

Crafting a Blanket

How are you my dears?

Do you recognize this Peanuts character popularized by Charles Schulz? He's Linus and he's known for carrying a security blanket. See how much comfort he's getting by snuggling his blanket and sucking his thumb? So cute.

Linus is the inspiration for Project Linus, an organization that provides "security through blankets", where handmade blankets are distributed to seriously ill and traumatized children, ages ranging from zero to 18.

Maybe you'd like to make a blanket for a child?

All blanket styles are welcome: quilts, tied comforters, fleece blankets, crocheted or knitted afghans or receiving blankets in child-friendly colors. As long as they are new, handmade, washable and come from smoke-free environments.

For more information, you can check the Project Linus website, join or start a chapter in your area and spread a little love through blankets.

I hope you found my list of crafting for a cause helpful. If you know of other groups with the same mission, I'd love to hear about it. Meanwhile, I wish you a restful weekend!

Stitch and Craft

There are different reasons why we craft. Whether we do it as a hobby or as a business, we find joy while making something with our hands and a have a sense of fulfillment when we finish. Some of us craft to help others just like Craft Hope. It's a group of crafters headed by Jade Sims who make handmade gifts for those who need them.

The most recent project the group completed

was turning blah pairs of socks...

...into TADA! sock monkeys!

{photo c/o Craft Hope}

These sock monkeys will go to children who lost their homes in the Texas wildfires. Their past projects include dresses made out of pillowcases sent to an orphanage in Mexico, dolls made for orphans in Nicaragua and baby blankets for newborns in India.

I thought this concept was mind blowing... a humble craft that brings hope across the world! If you browse their pictures, you'll see how many kind crafters enthusiastically take part.

They've completed their projects for 2011 but I think we should be involved next year! If you're interested, keep checking the Craft Hope website or Facebook page, look under "Current Projects", leave a comment and start crafting...because I know that the dolls that we sewed, the hats we crocheted and the quilts that we assembled will change a child's life.

Crafting a Card

One of the things I like to make are greeting cards. They are fun to do and even more fun to give away. Here are some I've made in the past year from blah materials:

made from scraps of felt

created from old magazine pages

handmade using salt dough and old make-up

If you also fancy making greeting cards, may I encourage you to make some for a few seniors? I came across the organization called DOROT at a the Winter's Eve event in New York City last year. A table was set up at the shops at Columbus Circle and everyone was encouraged to decorate a card. I was very pleased to make one, if only to cheer up an elderly brother/sister. I later found out that DOROT encourages volunteerism and they have a greeting card program throughout they year. If you are interested, you'll find the guidelines here. If you can't find the time this holiday season, maybe you can make some next year {birthday cards will be gladly accepted}. Once you've made the card/s, you can mail them with a volunteer return form {download it from here} to:

DOROT

Attn: Card Making Project

171 West 85th Street

New York, NY 10024

Just imagine the smiles that will result from the cards you make!

Crafting a Cake

Hi there everyone!

What was your favorite birthday memory as a child? I always remember birthday cakes, making a wish and blowing candles. It made me feel special when family and friends surrounded me at the table and sang me "Happy Birthday to you." I love birthday cakes, no matter how old the birthday celebrator is.

That's one of the reasons I learned how to bake cakes. I even took a cake decorating class last year.

Here's the first cake I ever decorated. I need a little more practice. It's a good skill to have and a homemade cake is always TADA!, don't you think?

And since we're focusing on crafting for a cause this week, let me tell you about Sweet Blessings. It's a non-profit organization that hopes to provide a happy birthday for children aged 5 to 14 living in poverty or going through life-threatening illnesses. The kind folks behind Sweet Blessings do this by making birthday cakes for these kids. Here's a sample:

They're not the grocery store-bought cakes as you can see. They're fun, colorful, multi-tiered and made of fondant! A cake that will surely make a child's birthday extra, extra special. And you know what? These cakes are made, decorated and delivered by volunteers! Hooray for that!

Now if only I lived in the area {they're based in Lexington, Kentucky}, I would gladly help out. Maybe this can serve as an inspiration for you to do something similar in the city that you live in -- at a hospital, an orphanage or school. But if you're generous, you can make a donation to Sweet Blessings, too.

May you have a wonderful day!