Handmade Stationery and Envelopes

It's already April!

Did you know that April is "National Card and Letter Writing Month?"

I do love cards and letters. I love receiving them and I love sending them. This time-honored practice is my excuse to shop for stationery and also to make my own.

Similar to a previous post, I'm making my own stationery. To start, I made a template by tracing an existing envelope onto cardboard.

I'll use the template to make as many envelopes as I need.

I used gift wrap remnants for this one. Simply trace and cut.

Fold the three sides and glue the edges together.

Here's what the envelope looks like...TADA!

Add a card in a complimentary color -- just card stock cut to size.

Write a message and tuck it into the envelope.

Fold the flap and seal with glue. Now, it's ready to be sent or given away...TADA!

Here is another version:

Using the same method as above, I made another envelope but I assigned the printed part to be on the inside.

I'm using these cardboard cutouts (a few with hand-stamped prints) to decorate it. 

Glue them in place and add some stickers.

It's like a little scrapbook page. Write a short note on the blank spaces or you can even enclose a letter if you have much more to say.

Fold it up and seal with a sticker. Your friend will be pleasantly surprised with what's inside...TADA!

Using old stationery as a template to make new stationery...that's "blah to TADA!"

I hope we can all keep the art of snail mail alive and if you don't want to miss any of these crafty recycling projects, please subscribe here. 

How To Keep Embroidery Floss Organized

Hello friends!

One of my favorite crafts is embroidery and here are some of the things I've made with it:

I gave new life to an old pair of shoes...TADA!

I added color to a plain sleep mask...TADA!

I even joined the #stitchthisinyourstyle challenge on Instagram. A prompt was provided each month and participants embroidered their interpretation. The prompt for this piece is "drink" and of course I chose celebratory champagne...TADA! 

With all the embroidery that I do, you'd think I had a smart way to organize my embroidery floss. But all these years I just stuffed them inside this pouch. Even the loose threads and shabby remnants tangled with the new ones. So blah.

The amount of embroidery floss grew as I made new purchases. I got this entire bag at the thrift store for only $5.00! 

These ones I got for $1.99 each at Daiso (a Japanese dollar store). The cute colors made my knees weak.

I finally got my act together and bought this floss organizer at the craft store. I've seen many crafters use this and I might as well try it out.

It came with about 50 plastic bobbins on which to wind the embroidery floss on.

As an alternative, I would upcycle these bread tags instead of throwing them away.

Another option is to use the plastic bobbin as a template and trace it on sturdy cardboard.

Then cut them to size. I needed more of these bobbins to accommodate all my embroidery floss.

I transferred the embroidery floss to the bobbins. Winding the floss on the bobbin sure is meditative.

Then I grouped them by color...TADA!

I added other embroidery essentials such as scissors, a seam ripper (to undo stitches), needles, and a threader.

Here is my embroidery floss kit all neat and tidy. Now I can tell instantly if I'm running low on a particular color or if there's still a specific color that I need to add to the collection.

I feel so much satisfaction after completing this task. My embroidery floss has gone from "blah to TADA!" and I can't wait to start a new embroidery project.

If you enjoy my "blah to TADA!" ideas, you may subscribe here to get them in your inbox every week.

An Extra Special Pin Cushion

What's up guys?

This time of year seems to encourage a bit of spring cleaning. Last week, I organized my sewing corner with a D.I.Y spool holder and today, let's continue the sewing theme.

In a previous post, I gave you a peek at my sewing kit. It's very spacious. I can keep fabric, embroidery hoops, and also store current sewing projects.  

My issue with this sewing kit is the loose items that just roll around the box, like these spools of thread that I use for hand sewing.

But I turned "blah" to "TADA!":

I made this handy dandy pin cushion that has a built-in thread holder. There's a little pocket for each spool...TADA!

Would you like to know how I made it?

I started with some fabric.

I cut two squares, each measuring 6 inches by 6 inches with a 1/2-inch border all around. 

Then I cut two strips, the top one measuring 6 inches by 2 inches with a 1/2-inch border all around; and the bottom one measuring 6 inches by 3 inches with a 1/2-inch border all around. 

On the sewing machine, I sewed the edges of the cloth strips to keep them from fraying. Then I attached one strip on each side of the square fabrics to make the pockets. 

I flipped the fabric, right sides facing each other, and sewed the two squares together, leaving a two inch opening on one side.

I turned the fabric inside out, the edges now sewn together...TADA!

I stuffed the inside with fiber fill and closed the opening by sewing. 

This is one side of the pin cushion with the pockets for thread.

Just add the spools. I made the pockets a little tight to keep the spools from slipping off.  But you can make them larger and add more pockets to accommodate your collection.

This is the other side of the pin cushion.

There's enough room for other sewing supplies like a tape measure, seam ripper, scissors, and buttons. 

Before we forget, this is a pin cushion.

Add some needles on the other side, too.

A custom-made pin cushion is a crafty solution where I turned "blah" to "TADA!"

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Do-it-Yourself Spool Rack

Good day everyone!

I have a little sewing corner in my home office. It's just a desk with a sewing machine. That's what my space allows me for now and I'm making the most of it. But I thought it would be nice to have a rack to organize my thread and keep them within arm's reach.

It would be a dream come true to have a whole wall dedicated to sewing paraphernalia. But since I have space limitations and my crafting focus is not just sewing, maybe something like this is a better fit:

Dandelions and Lace

A spool rack! I've been on the lookout for something similar. I saw one at a thrift store a few years ago selling for $8 and I really regret not buying it. But why buy when we can D.I.Y.?

I stashed away this piece of wood for future crafting needs. Well, the future has arrived!

One side is made of wood and the back side is made of cork.

I painted both sides in several coats of black acrylic paint.

This is what it looks like after drying overnight.

I attached some picture-hanging hooks at the back.

And I selected some small nails from our tool box.

On the front side, I marked with a white pencil where the nails should go.

I hammered in the nails and erased the pencil lines with a dab of water.

Then I took out my spools of thread...

And hung each one on a nail.

Since I had more thread than slots on the rack, I chose the colors that I use most often.

The bottom nails hold bobbins, a pin cushion, and a pair of scissors -- all that I need for my sewing machine projects.

Here's my sewing nook and my spool rack made from wood, paint, nails, and lots of wrist action. I used simple materials that I turned from "blah to TADA!"

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