Wrapping Baked Goods

The Holiday season is coming up and that means making lots of baked goodies for my family and friends!  I hate wrapping cookies and other pastries in plain old plastic wrap.  Further, I refuse to spend money on expensive cookie tins, so here are a few cheap and easy ideas I've come up with to present these treats.

I just used a regular resealable sandwich bag, but I cut out some scrapbooking paper to size to fit inside the bag.  For Christmas, this would look really cute with some Holiday paper and a gingerbread man cookie!

Use the sandwich bag as a template to cut the scrapbooking paper.  

I took a regular envelope and printed out the word "cookie" on it (or print out the words on a label, etc).
I then glued on some scrap ribbon to dress it up.  All I need to do now is seal up cookies in the envelope and I'm done!

I cut scrapbooking paper in a square and used that as my base.
I then wrapped the whole thing in wax paper.  

I cut out one of the flowers from the scrapbook paper and taped it on top to close up the package.
I could also have used a cute sticker or a blank label and written a message on it.

Button / Badge Art

I have seen many examples of this craft on the web and thought this was a great way to display all those small button / badges that I seem to collect from different craft fairs and other events.

This is great way to display your buttons!

For this craft all you need is the following:

• cheap embroidery hoop (the one I used is 7 1/4 in diameter)
• cloth
• lots and lots of button / badges
• ribbon
• cardboard & glue or tape 

1.  Cut a piece of fabric in a square about 2-3 inches larger than the hoop and press the fabric in between the outer and inner hoops.  Stretch out the fabric to ensure that it is taut inside the hoop.

Here's your blank canvas!

2.  Now all you have to do is stick the buttons into the fabric in any formation you like - it's really that simple and easy!

In this version, I laid out the buttons like a clock.

In this version, I just randomly placed the buttons inside the hope.

In this version, I just used 9 buttons and placed them in a square formation.

3.  If you want to finish off the back of the hoop, cut a piece of cardboard to fit the back of the hoop.  Use the inner hoop as a template to make the cardboard circle (do this before you start placing the fabric and buttons).  Tuck the fabric inside the hoop and glue the cardboard directly to the back of the hoop.

Tuck the fabric in back.

Glue the cardboard onto the back of the hoop.

If you don't want to cover the back (maybe you want to switch out the fabric or reuse the hoop someday), just tuck the fabric inside and use tape to keep it in place.

I used painter's tape to hold everything together.

Just tie some ribbon to the top of the hoop and now you're ready to hang it.

Other suggestions:

• try different fabric
• theme your buttons / badges (i.e. - use all blue buttons or animal buttons)
• mix sewing buttons or other types of pins to your piece

Ribbon Heart Ornament

I have a lot of ribbon and am constantly figuring out ways to use them (other ways to use scrap ribbon).  This little craft is a great way to use some of those ribbon scrap and is quick and easy to do.

For this craft, all you need is the following:

• cardboard 
• scissors
• glue / glue stick
• ribbon scraps

1.   The first thing you need to do is draw a shape onto a piece of cardboard (you could use a recycled box or the card back of an old note book).  I printed out a heart on my computer and traced the shape on the cardboard. My heart is 5" across, but you can make yours a little smaller or larger; it all depends on the size of cardboard you have.

Trim the cardboard close to the shape, this will help when you glue down the ribbons.

2.  Now, all you have to do is cut small scraps of ribbon and glue them to the opposite side of the drawn shape.  Don't glue anything to the side with the shape, because you'll need that side to guide you when you cut it out.  

Glue the ribbon next to each other on one side of the cardboard

Do not glue anything on the side with the shape. 

3.  Once the glue has dried, cut out the shape - you're almost done!

4.  I thought the cutout needed a little something extra, so I sewed on a button to the top.  I also used this button to attach the ribbon, but you can also just hole punch the cutout to hang a ribbon.  

 Other ideas:

• You don't have to use a heart shape - cut out a circle, square, etc.
• Decorate the cutout with buttons, other little trinkets, etc.
• Cover the back of the shape with craft paper
• Glue the shape onto a card or place it in a frame

Cute Scrap Cards

Using just some fabric and paper scraps, I made these really easy and cute cards!

For this project you just need the following:

• blank cards / card stock / construction paper
• fabric or paper scraps
• buttons, ribbons or whatever you want to use to decorate your cards
• scissors
• glue

1. I bought these blank cards, but you could also just cut some card stock to the size of an envelope to create your own card. 
2. On my blank "canvas", I free hand drew a picture of a little girl.  I suggest practicing on another paper first, or drawing your picture in pencil, then drawing over it in pen.  In some versions, I drew out the whole picture, including the dress, and in other I tried drawing the picture without a dress.

In this drawing, I drew here whole dress.

In this version, I left out her dress.

3.  Now all you have to do is decorate your card.  I cut a scrap of cloth to make her dress, but you can also use paper, felt, etc. to make her dress.  You may need to keep trimming the cloth to fit just right.

Glue down the scrap of cloth to make her dress.

Really, the only thing that limits you on these cards are your imagination. I used ribbon scraps and buttons to decorate my cards.

Other ideas:  

• add a ribbon border around the card
• add a background to the card - draw the little girl on a separate piece of paper and cut her out and paste her onto the background
• change it up - draw a little boy, add a boy and girl together, etc.

Take Out Box House

Last month, I showed how to make a take out box diorama.  Well, since I still have a lot of these boxes left over I came up with a new craft project - a take out box house!

 

For this craft all you need is the following:

Empty take out box (I bought a whole bag of these at Smart & Final)

Craft paper (construction paper, card stock, etc.)

Scissors

Tape / Gluestick

Cut outs (stickers, magazines, etc.)

STEP 1 - carefully cut out a "small door" at the bottom of one side of the box as shown.

Once you've cut open a door, fold the door as shown.

STEP 2 - carefully cut out 2 small square "windows" above the door.

After you have cut the door and cut out the windows, the front of the box should look like this.

STEP 3 - Tape or glue images on the inside of the box so they peak outside the windows and door.  Once you're done, just close up the box.

View from inside the box

STEP 4 - To create the "roof", you will need to measure a piece of paper against the box you are using.  Basically, I folded a piece of paper on top of the box and cut it to a size that I thought looked good. 

You can color/draw details to the roof or glue cutouts to it.

Fold that paper in half and tape the paper to the wire attached to the box as shown.  This creates the perfect pitched roof.

Tape the "roof" to the wire handle

So, here you go, now have the basics of a house.  Add some cutouts to decorate the outside of the house or use markers to decorate it.  Just use your imagination on how you would like it to look.  Simple, easy and a great craft for kids!