Felt Gift Toppers

The holidays are here and as much as I think of thoughtful presents to give away, I also contemplate gift packaging. I'd like them to be pretty and ecologically responsible. I usually go for paper (gift wrap, bags and cards) with reusable elements.

I saw this gift embellishment at a shop. It's a gift topper made to look like holly (made of felt) and berries (made of jingle bells) with a card and an elastic belly band to fit any kind of gift box. It's adorable! 

Instead of buying it, I'm making my own. Why buy, when I can D.I.Y.?

Since I didn't have elastic on hand, I'm using these wooden clothespins.

I used felt remnants to make the berries and holly leaves, and attached everything on the clothespin using a hot glue gun. They're similar to these gift clips I made a few weeks ago.

Clip it on a gift as a festive accent.

Use it to hold a card in place instead of tape.

It's an alternative to ribbon and it can be used over and over again...TADA!

Little touches that turn packages from blah to TADA!

A LOVE-ly Birch Ornament

Hello! If you've been following my blog, you know that I fancy making my own Christmas ornaments. I've made some here, here, and here. 

A few years back, I came across these Scandinavian-inspired wooden tree decorations:

I love the simplicity and color-blocking, I decided to make something like it myself!

I used this piece of unfinished birch wood as my base. 

I traced around a cookie cutter to make a perfect heart.

Some strips of washi tape or painter's tape to segment the heart. 

Then I added different colors of paint in each segment:

 Peel off the tape.

Add a border detail to define the shape.

Another handmade ornament that I can add to my tree this year...TADA!

Have an awesome week!

Crafts for a Cause

Hello there! I hope you had a meaningful and restorative Thanksgiving break. 

Maybe you've also started to usher in the holidays with decorations and gift shopping. Why not consider supporting small businesses to keep them afloat? Like the shops on ETSY. They have these thoughtful TV ads that are all about making connections amidst social distancing, personalization, and inclusivity, and I think that's TADA! 

Today, I am happy to share a passion project.

 

I'm calling it "Crafts for a Cause." 

Crafting has always been a hobby for me and this time I want to use it to bring joy to strangers. Who knows, I might be able to cheer someone up especially during these times. Here'a a short video introducing "Crafts for a Cause":

For my first project, I picked up some rocks:

I cleaned them...

And with paint, I turned them from blah to TADA!

It's an easy activity for little kids or art-challenged grown-ups.

I decorated each rock with uplifting words and images. 

And I left them around my neighborhood like the park, the playground, the ball field, and on the path by the river. I hope that they will be like Easter eggs, a surprise for people while they are taking a walk or exercising. 

I made a video of the entire process. Here, take a look:

Those who find the painted rocks are welcome to take them home or leave them for others to find. If I am able to make them smile, that will make me very satisfied.

A few days after I left the rocks in the park, someone posted this on our community Facebook Group:

I don't know her (and I'm not sure if I should reply or remain anonymous) but this really turned my day from blah to TADA! 

In the coming months, I'll share more of my "Crafts for a Cause."

Stay safe and take care!

Thankful and Grateful

Let's all pause today and think about all we are thankful for, especially with all the curve balls that came this year.

One thing I am always grateful for are your visits to my little blog -- that you are out there reading my words and being supportive of my work. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

I wish you a memorable day with family and friends whether you are gathering in little groups or on-line. Look at each of them and be truly thankful!

A Scrapbooker's Gratitude Page

Do you keep a gratitude journal? Counting one's blessings is a habit that's enriching and wise. It helps you take stock of all the good things you already have.

May I suggest a way to keep track of your "thanks" less blah and more TADA!? 

Use paper tags!

You can buy ready made gift tags or you can make your own with cardstock/scrapbook paper, scissors or craft punchers, glue, and ribbon or yarn.  

Assign one tag for each day of the week.

Every day, write down what you are most grateful for.

Attach these tags to printed cardstock.

Write a title or jot down the dates when these blessings happened.

Instantly, you have a page that you can add to your scrapbook. At the end of the year it's easy to look back on everything that makes your life rich. TADA!

Gift Envelopes Made from a Paper Bag

Hello everyone! I admit to being a bit of a hoarder. I keep things because I know I'll be able to use them in the future for both practical and crafting purposes.

Take this paper bag for example. I can reuse it to carry stuff around. And in the past, I've used paper bags to make this, this, this, this, this and this.

I like these circular patterns a lot!

The graphic elements really call one's attention.

I cut them into smaller pieces.

And trimmed around the circle.

I matched two circles together and added some glue on the lower half of the paper.

Then I attached the two pieces together! Here's the front.

And here's the back.

I can put little gifts inside like cookies or chocolates and seal it with some twine.

I stamped on a note to drum up excitement.

And added it to the package.

I can use it as a party favor for the coming holidays...TADA!

I hope this encourages you to reuse your paper bags into something thoughtful and instantly transform blah to TADA!

Ink-tober and Handmade Gift Tags

Hello guys! I hope anxiety from COVID or the recent elections have not gotten the best of you. Sometimes I have to tune them out and I make art.

Last month, I took part in INK-tober, a worldwide challenge where each participant makes something with ink every day in October. It can be a sketch, a cartoon, a doodle.

I chose to practice my brush lettering.

I used prompts from Maurelle that she posted on Instagram. It's a list of lovely autumn flowers.

The repetition was very meditative.

Helenium

Iberis

Cosmos

And it was educational because I am now able to identify the flowers in my neighborhood.

I was so inspired, I also made a watercolor rendition of each flower. 

But wait, there's more!

I assembled these elements (together with card stock and upcycled envelopes) to create these handmade gift tags...TADA!

I documented my process with a video, if you'd like to see:

I've been trying to learn new skills during this pandemic and video tutorials is one of them. But boy! It's hours and hours of work! I thought I'd try it out because it's another way to tell stories and share ideas. As always, thank you for your support and encouragement!

And what about the news this weekend?! Whatever your politics may be, let's give it up for Kamala Harris for being the first woman and first woman of color (and she's a daughter of immigrants) to hold the office of Vice President of the United States! Here's to possibility, diversity, hope, and healing for the country.

Stay hopeful, stay safe, stay creative!