Recycled gift wrappings

This year is finally the year when I eschewed traditional wrapping paper in favor of using up all the odds and ends I've been hoarding. The random pieces of packing and kraft paper, leftover ribbons and other assorted bits. What's the point in saving things if I never use them?

The flowers were all made from those plastic mesh produce bags. For tags, I punched large circles out of card stock I already had. None of it was "Christmas," but I just used patterns and colors that coordinated.

I didn't have enough materials to cover our entire gift list, so I used remnants of normal wrapping paper from years past for the others. And that can be marked as an accomplishment too. Usually, I crack open new rolls each year because I don't like to repeat the prints. It's my weird wrapping quirk.

Also in the eco-friendly category are these reusable drawstring gift bags I made. It can be considered a small extra gift, or the recipient can wrap something else up and pass it along. I had grand plans to make a bunch of them in all sizes, but time got the best of me this year and I only made a couple small ones. Put it on the to-do list for 2013!

Baby shower: Handmade paper banners

I love love making paper banners for parties. They make a space look festive and although they are inexpensive and easy to make, they don't look cheap. I made two different banners for the baby shower I featured last week... here's how I made them!

Banner #1

I wanted this banner to be durable enough to re-use in the baby's nursery, so I made it with thick patterned card stock, sewing it to a length of grossgrain ribbon.

I cut 12" x 12" sheets of patterned scrapbook card stock into six equal 4" x 6" pieces. I used double-sided card stock so the banner would be pretty both from the front and the back. This also doubles the number of prints in the mix! (Just make sure you like both sides, if you're aiming for a two-sided banner.)

After all the pieces were cut, I took the length of ribbon, lined the top of the papers along the edge of the ribbon and sewed as straight as possible down the center of the ribbon. This is a lot like this other paper garland I made, but the cards are flat and not folded.

It's a good idea to leave a long (1-2 foot) leader of ribbon at each end so that you'll be able to tie the banner onto something. You can always cut it off if you don't need it, but it's good to have the flexibility.

Banner #2

Unlike banner #1 above, I didn't expect this one to be reused in any way, so I used a ton of scraps and supplemented with a few whole sheets of card stock. This is a great way to use up all those long skinny pieces. 

I combined many different shades of green (mostly yellowy greens), but I think they all look great together.

I cut a large amount of strips of all sizes, though I think the longest strips here were about 8.5" long. You could certainly do this with a uniform size, but having everything random and varied gives the banner a more interesting look. Plus you don't need to be worried about being precise at all.

After all the strips were cut, I put them through the sewing machine, one by one, sewing more or less down the centers, leaving a small gap in between each piece. The thread is strong enough to hold it together and because it's just a thin thread, the strips fall side to side and create a wonderful messy effect. I will warn you that I ended up having to hang this from a nail in the wall, rather than tacked up with tape. I guess it was just a little too heavy for tape.

This banner took about two hours to make from start to finish, but I made it way way too long. I probably could have made it half the length it was, so a shorter length would definitely take less time to complete.

Check out my Party Ideas section for more paper banners and other party decorations!

Mod Podged tile map coasters

Mod Podged tile coasters are easy to make, and because they're so heavy, they feel more expensive than they actually are. When I came across a beat-up (and surely outdated) road atlas in my stash, this idea came together for my sister-in-law Jill.

But these aren't just random pages from the atlas. My brother- and sister-in-law have lived all over the country, so I made four coasters showing the four places they've lived. I thought that was kind of sweet, if I do say so myself.

The tiles are just 3.5" bathroom/kitchen tiles you can get from the hardware store. These were 30-something cents a piece and had a tumbled/textured surface, but most any tiles should work fine.

You can Mod Podge just about any paper (or fabric!) on them: scrapbook paper, pages from an old calendar, photos. If you are using an ink jet print, just be sure to spray it with a water-resistant clear sealer first. You don't want the ink to run!

After Mod Podging onto the tiles (and when all is dry), you must spray with a water-resistant clear sealer again. The one I use is just the house brand from Hobby Lobby, but I'm sure there are others out there. Read the label! You don't want a sweaty drink to ruin your work!

See more Mod Podge tile coasters >>

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This is part of my 2011 Handmade Gift Challenge.

Upcycled baby food jar ornaments: 12 ideas to try

If you're a crafty hoarder like me, it's possible you have a few baby food jars stowed away (even if your "baby" isn't a baby anymore). They are just too cute to recycle! They beg to be used for something awesome. (If you don't have baby food jars, you might have other small glass jars from spices or condiments that would work too.)

You've probably seen those clear glass ball ornaments that you can fill with whatever. Well, consider these clear ornaments you don't have to buy. Plus, they have much wider mouths than the glass bulbs so you can fit all sorts of things inside.

I had a couple of different sizes of baby food jars plus a lone glass spice jar in my stash. To prep them, I soaked off the labels, removed any residual glue and cleaned and dried the glass really well, scrubbing off any printed-on numbers that might be on the outside.

Next, I painted the lids. Spray paint is probably the best option here for good coverage. I used a champagne/gold color, but you could use whatever you might have.

Then the hunt was on to find things to fill the jars. I scrounged the house and found lots of options. Here are some ideas!

Scraps of wrapping paper, scrapbook paper or bits of old Christmas cards

Ribbons, yarn or fabric scraps

Jingle bells or snippets of garlands

Mini ball ornaments (how meta)

Elements of nature (twigs, acorns, pine cones, etc.)

Craft supplies (beads, small wood cutouts, foam shapes)

Photos or other keepsakes (wedding invites, baby announcements like I made here)

When you're done filling, pop the lid back on and tie a ribbon or piece of string around the neck of the jar and you're done! Easy!

You can fill them with anything, but I urge you to poke around your house before buying fillers. Just make sure it's nothing too heavy; the glass jars are semi-heavy already (though no heavier than many store-bought ornaments) and you probably don't want to weigh them down too much if you're going to hang them on the tree.

It's inexplicable, but sometimes things just look cooler in jars. I loved a couple of them so much, they made it into my current mantel display. 

But the very best thing about this idea? Nothing is permanent! You can take everything apart when Christmas is over or if you're tired of it. Love that.

Record the ridiculous: Kid quote notebook

Elise is jabbering away so much these days. I just know she's on the verge of saying something ridiculous and I don't want to forget any of it. I've kind of stopped filling out her baby book. I'm not sure there's a place in there for crazy toddler speak anyway, so I wanted to dedicate a notebook to record all those "kids say the darndest things" moments.

 

I found a small 4" x 5" blank book in my stash. I'm not quite sure when I bought it or what it was for. It was so long ago, it can now be considered free. Just to dress it up a little, I took a paper bar coaster I had laying around, covered it with a cute piece of scrapbook paper and hot glued it to the front cover. (A thin piece of cardboard or chipboard would work just as well if a bar coaster is unavailable.) Then I added a vinyl letter sticker in the corner.

I stamped labels for her age and the date on every page as reminders to actually include that info in each entry.

I used a printer's kit I bought a long time ago at an office supply store. With a little patience, you can put together your own stamps with your name, address or any words for a special project.

Of course, you don't need to make a cutesy notebook to record your kid's silly sayings; any notebook will do. The most important part of it is writing things down before they're forgotten!

Upcycled "peek-a-boo" paint chip valentines

I had a few red/pink paint chips from painting this playroom nightstand, and I thought they would be great upcycled into valentines.

First, I took a heart cookie cutter and traced it with a pencil on the backside.

Then I took a razor blade and cut out the heart, leaving one of the straight sides connected to the outside frame to create the flap.

Next, I took a coordinating scrap of paper, spread glue on the back of the paper, adhered it to the backside of the heart and trimmed around the heart.

I took a photo of Elise and resized it to fit inside the heart opening and printed out a few copies.

Then I sandwiched the photo between the paint chip and a thin piece of scrap cardboard with a glue stick.

After the glue was dry, I gave Elise some red and pink crayons and heart stickers and let her decorate the backside of the valentines.

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Festive paper scrap garland

Little makes a room look more festive than a colorful garland, and festive is exactly the look I wanted for the playroom.

I wanted to use fabric, but I definitely have more paper scraps lying around than fabric scraps. Use what you got, right? (Small confession: I did buy a two new pieces of paper to fill in some color gaps.) Plus, I'm just more comfortable working with paper. Me and paper go way back.

I took some rough measurements for how long it needed to be by draping my ribbon around the room. I did this by myself, and probably would have been more precise if I had someone helping me, but it turned out to be more or less pretty accurate.

I took that measurement and calculated how many pieces of paper I would need based on the width of the paper (2.25 inches). I added in a quarter inch width (per piece of paper) to accomodate for the gap between the papers.

After I cut the approximately 100 2.25 x 7 inch pieces I needed, I laid them all out to find a nice randomization. Then I folded all the pieces in half.

I took some 3/8" grossgrain ribbon I had on hand (the same ribbon I used to measure). Then I folded the paper over the ribbon and ran a stitch down the length of the ribbon with a sewing machine, adding papers one by one. A little time-consuming, but easy.

I used these cute birdie hooks to tack up the ends and one of the points in the middle.

Honestly, I think this is what ties the whole playroom together. It makes me smile every time I walk in.

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Check out another paper garland I've made.

Click here to see the finished playroom!