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Showing posts with label gift wrapping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gift wrapping. Show all posts

10.04.2022

let's make plate pumpkins!

pumpkins,tutorial,re-purposed,up-cycling,trash to treasure,fall,tropical style,boho style,beach style,woodsy style,crafting,,DIY,diy decorating,gift wrapping,palm leaf plate pumpkins,pumpkin decor, pumpkin decorating,diy pumpkins,eco-friendly crafts.
this project was hatched when i started to throw something away...
and then thought twice about it!

my 'thing' is to embrace the 'trash to treasure' approach
to life, decorating, crafting, etc -
using up stuff from the recycle bin and the waste basket,
stuff like junk mail and empty containers. and sometimes, even bonafide trash. 

why? because it's cheaper, it's easily accessible, it's good for the planet
AND it makes me stretch my creative muscles to use what i have.

that said, you don't HAVE to use 'trashed' plates for this project.
there are many possibilities and permutations - any kind of plate would work!
(check out the ones i made using ceramic plates the end of this post)

continue reading to see them all...

5.12.2022

what's your inspiration board style?

DIY,diy decorating,re-purposing,up-cycling,paper crafts,inspiration board,mood board,creative spaces,decorating,organizing,colorful home,color,gift wrapping,dollar store crafts,wall art,tutorial,winter decor,winter diy, winter home decor 
in the past few weeks,
i've shared some flowers that i've created with paper.
well, there's something else i've done with paper for many MANY years -
i make pinboards / bulletin boards / inspiration boards
and fill them with all kinds of paper detritus that i've collected
over several decades.

they serve as not only inspiration and a way to corral my 'vision',
but also as a decor element in my studio.

i recently re-read an
old Houzz.com article about inspiration boards - 
and how the way you create yours reveals
if you are a
left-brain creative or a right-brain creative!

Artists and Creatives know that we are right-brain people, for the most part.
but apparently, our left-brain compulsion for order can often over-ride
 the instincts that we associate with creativity (um... that it's messy!).
that was new info for me.
the houzz article has a LOT of visual inspo, too!

more on that in a bit...
first, see what reading that article inspired me to RE-do in my studio,
and learn how I make inspiration / bulletin boards using simple materials. 

continue reading for more...

4.28.2022

happy May Day flowers

spring,May Day,flowers,garden,garden art,garden style,paper crafts,re-purposed,up-cycling,DIY,diy decorating,decorating,tutorial,trash to treasure,dollar store crafts,on the porch,outdoors,crafting,crafting with kids,flower baskets,MayDay flower baskets,gift wrapping paper, flower gifts.
May Day is just a few days away,
and i'm ready to add some happy spring vibes with some small flower baskets.

first created back in 2013, i'm sharing them again this spring,
and i think you'll LOVE how easy my tutorial is.
and you might just laugh when you see what they are made of!

continue reading for my easy tutorial...

12.20.2021

sweater-wrapped gifts

holiday,winter,sweaters,gift wrapping,paper,DIY,diy decorating,Christmas,Christmas Decor,Christmas tree,boho style,color,color palettes,colorful home,Pantone color of the year,re-purposed,thrifted,gift wrap inspo,gift wrap with sweaters,sweater print gift wrap paper,gifts,Christmas gift wrap.
when i choose a theme, my mind runs rampant with ideas
to incorporate that theme in every possible part of my decor.
case in point: the presents shown above.

it's not enough for me to deck the halls and mantels and doors and tree
in my preferred colors and materials...
i have to make the gift wrap match, too! LOL

this year i found three different ways to incorporate sweaters into my gift wrapping,
to coordinate with my Sweet Sweater Season theme...

continue reading for more inspo & info!

4.02.2021

easy no-mess Easter basket grass

colorful home,Pantone color of the year,decorating,diy decorating,DIY,Easter,TOP TIPS,fast cheap and easy,dollar store crafts,gift wrapping,spring,simple solutions,re-purposing,thrifted,Easter baskets,Easter basket grass,yarn,use what you have decorating,Easter basket tips and tricks,Easter decorating,yellow,Illuminating Yellow,Pantone 2021,diy decorating tips.
while i have always loved creating holiday decor,
i do have my limits... Easter grass is one of them.

(my theory is it was created by the same people who invented Legos.
to drive parents - specifically the parent who does the cleaning - batty.)

since i hate the mess  of plastic grass strands wrapped around the vacuum bar!!,
i've found other materials to use in Easter baskets that reduce the mess and fuss.
yes, paper shred works - but it's still a mess.

i've found a way to get the same effect as grass
without the resulting mess and cleanup...
and you might be really surprised at how cheap and easy this solution is!

continue reading for my sly little trick (that has an added benefit!)...

12.16.2020

diy painted gift wrap ribbon

 art,art class,,Christmas,Christmas Decor Themes,holiday,color,colorful home,color palettes,DIY,diy decorating,gift wrapping,re-purposing,colorful gift wrapping,rainbow color palette,Christmas gift wrapping,gift wrap inspiration, bows,Dollar Tree ribbon,crafting, painting
faced with a creative challenge, i usually turn to paint as a solution.
unable to find THE ribbon i had envisioned in my mind, i made my own.
time consuming? yeah. but very inexpensive, and totally worth the effort.

and yes, you can do this, too - no advanced paint techniques needed.

continue reading to see how completely devoted to a theme i can be!

12.14.2020

merry & bright gift wrap

art,art class,paper crafts,Christmas,Christmas Decor Themes,holiday,color,colorful home,color palettes,DIY,diy decorating,gift wrapping,re-purposing,colorful gift wrapping,paint chips,paint chip crafts,upcycled paint chips,rainbow color palette,Christmas gift wrapping,gift wrap inspiration, bows.
half the fun of giving gifts at Christmas is wrapping them!
i've come up with some easy ways to make gift tags, bows, and even wrapping paper
that coordinate with my colorful 'merry and bright!' theme this year...

continue reading for some easy creative gift wrap ideas!

12.07.2020

diy paint chip trees

paper crafts,paper,crafting,dollar store crafts,Christmas,Christmas Decor,Christmas tree,color,colorful home,DIY,diy decorating,decorating,gift wrapping,re-purposing,up-cycling,winter,holiday,paper Christmas trees,mantel decor,Christmas trees on mantel,gift wrap crafts, paint chips,paint chip crafts,diy Christmas decor,Christmas mantel,holiday mantel,holiday decorating,holiday decor,colorful Christmas,Dollar Tree
my most popular idea shared here last Christmas was
my faux wood trees, made from wood-print scrapbook paper. 
i could never have anticipated the response to them (thank you!!!!)

since this year my theme is all about color and creativity and paint chips,
i created this new version as a fun and easy addition to the decor...

continue reading for details plus another version!

8.17.2020

scrap paper cacti wall art

handmade, paper crafts, gift wrap crafts, dollar store crafts, repurposed, upcycled, paper arts, wall art, boho style, faux succulents, faux cacti, decorating with succulents, boho room makeover, fall home decor, diy home decor, diy, diy decorating
this project was a really fun one... 
it's one of those 'paper, scissors, paste' crafts that always make me feel like i'm back in school.

simple materials and process combine to create a nifty piece of wall art
that ended up NOT on a wall at all... 

continue reading for the details and a quick 'how-to'!

7.23.2020

up-cycled magazine page floral art

art, art class, boho style, color, crafting, DIY, dollar store crafts, garden art, gift wrapping, magazines, paper, paper crafts, re-purposing, spring, summer, trash to treasure, up-cycling, journals, notebook covers, journal art, mixed media art
you know how people always say 'let me sleep on it'?
that creative solutions come to them in their dreams?
yeah.... not me. my muses come at night and KEEP me from sleeping.

at the end of the day, i climb into bed, 
nestled up with a cup of tea and a good book to read - or my phone to scroll thru.
my goal is to slow my brain down, stop the flow of thoughts and ideas, so i can fall asleep.
and every once in a while, it actually works.
most of the time, though, i see something online or read a description in a book,
and my brain starts imagining wild creations and designs.
so i haul myself out of my comfy nest of a bed, run across the hall,
go into my studio, and scribble a quick sketch or jot a note to capture the idea
before it vanishes into the ether. 

i was today years old when i finally got SMART!
i decided that i need to have a small notepad and pen on my bedside table instead.
  a quick bit of mixed media art fun resulted - and now i've got a solution i can sleep with.

continue reading to see what inspired the design!

7.09.2020

scrap paper posies

art, art class, boho style, color, color palettes, crafting, DIY, diy decorating, dollar store crafts, gift wrapping, paper, paper crafts, re-purposing, up-cycling, vintage paper, wall art, paper flowers, quarantine crafts
some days, we just need a break. right? 
a chance to rest, an opportunity to cut loose, a moment to relax.
not every project has to be a ground-breaking new invention. or a massive undertaking.
sometimes - especially during a worldwide shutdown -
we just need some mindless activity to distract ourselves from anxious thoughts.

so while i've completed some big projects over the past few months,
and the muses have been kind enough to lead me in the direction of new creations,
i've also given myself the gift of time to PLAY. as in: projects just for FUN.
not necessarily to blog about, because they aren't always AMAZING,
but to sit back for a time and play around - and see where it goes.
i'll look at something in my studio and think 'what if i.....' 
and then i'm off, trying something new.

no matter what i am making, i always have fun playing with paper, scissors, and glue.
(sometimes my creative life feels like kindergarten....)
my challenge to myself these past four months has been to ONLY use what i have here at home.
(yes, the vintage roll of crepe paper from a recent post broke that rule...
but i hadn't gone out specifically shopping for craft supplies.)
i've got a lot of stuff around here, so there are ample 'art supplies' at hand.
and rarely do i use things the way they were intended to be used.
i just see things.... differently.

take gift wrap paper, for instance.... sure, i wrap gifts with it. 
but it's basically an art supply, right? paper of any kind is an art supply. 
oh, how i love art supplies. always have. even when they aren't from an 'art store'.
even when it's technically trash...
these scrap paper posies turn trash into treasure,
and are a quick project, perfect for de-stressing on a hot summer day!

continue reading to see where the inspiration for these colorful blooms came from...

6.12.2020

tropical gift bag wall art

art, art class, boho style, color, crafting, DIY, diy decorating, dollar store crafts, gift wrapping, paper crafts, re-purposing, summer, tiki style, tropical style, up-cycling, wall art, tropical leaf wall art
along with the plethora of tikis i've been creating,
i've added some other tropical decor elements to our home for summer...
elements like this leafy wall art, made from a plastic gift / tote bag!

continue reading for the easiest art project ever...

5.18.2020

updating old school clipboards

color, color palettes, creative spaces, diy decorating, DIY, dollar store crafts, fast cheap and easy, gift wrapping, organizing, paper crafts, paper, simple solutions, spring, office organization, office decor, colorful decor, diy crafts, papercrafts
say 'clipboard' and everyone pictures part of a computer function.
in my office, it refers to the Old School style ACTUAL clipboards.

sure, i use digital photography, social media, web platforms, and digital files.
but in the course of blogging and designing spaces for retailers & show vendors,
i also use a lot of hand-drawn sketches, doodled/scribbled ideas, and notes.
a LOT of doodles and notes. and they pile up.

for years, i've used shallow wire baskets to corral the paper landslide. 
(another old school organization method) but it always looks messy.
 while cleaning, i spied several old wood clipboards that my Dad had used in his warehouse...
and an idea began percolating:
make these look good, and they'd sure come in handy for holding file folders.
and y'know, they really do! i use them every day now.

continue reading to see how fast this project was...

5.07.2020

painting books... again!

art, art class, color, crafting, DIY, garden, gift wrapping, books, painting, spring, trash to treasure, #MAYkeovers, painted flowers, flowers, gift giving, gift books, book covers
this post wasn't planned and i am not on a book-painting bender.
(just in case you are concerned about where my creativity is taking me these days!)
but when the muse strikes, i try to comply...

i'm sending this book to my little sister (it's ok, she doesn't read my blog ;) )
and while the content of the book is encouraging, uplifting, and faith-building,
i didn't like the look of the dust jacket cover. so i took it off.
the plain white cover and dark burgundy binding weren't pretty, either.
not the mood i was going for.

so i decided to send my sister flowers... painted flowers... painted ON the book! 

continue reading for more of this creative MAYkeover... 

4.23.2020

vintage door = inspiration board

art, art class, color, color palettes, creative spaces, creativity, decorating, DIY, diy decorating, fast cheap and easy, gift wrapping, inspiration, junk makeover, paper, paper crafts, re-purposing, spring, vintage, up-cycling, old doors, vintage doors, bulletin boards, inspiration boards
while i love Pinterest as much as the next girl, i prefer the old school method...
an actual 3-D 'bulletin board', inspiration board, mood board -
whatever you want to call it. and the bigger, the better!

years ago, i had an old door that i turned into an inspiration board
by filling the window area with a large piece of modular ceiling tile.
(you know the kind that drops into the T-bar in the dropped ceilings of every office building?)
 it worked great - but that material is messy as heck. it's like styrofoam.
  
so when i undertook the same project again recently, i needed a new material to use.
turns out, i had what i needed in the garage!

 continue reading to learn how to create a bulletin/inspiration board, 
using an old door or window frame - or even a new window frame, or picture frame.

4.09.2020

a sunny bunny Easter table

color, color palettes, decorating, DIY, diy decorating, Easter, entertaining, fast cheap and easy, flowers, gift wrapping, spring, Sweet Sweater Bunny Tails, tablescapes, Easter table decor, Easter decorating
 i dunno' what the weather is like where you live, but here, it's positively murky.
gray, rainy, COLD (relatively speaking - it's cold for us!), and dismal.
this whole isolation/quarantine/stay home order would be a LOT easier
if the sun would shine and the weather would warm up 
so we could spend time outside in our yard!

sometimes, we can't wait for the sunshine - or spring - to come to us. 
we have to go to it.
and since we can't go anywhere right now, we have to CREATE a sunny spring.

that's what i did for our Easter table - i created some sunshine!
i grabbed everything yellow i could find and put together a simple, easy, happy tablescape
that's made up of just 'everyday' stuff, coordinated by color.

my homebound friends, you can do this in just minutes with ANY color you have on hand!
don't let being stuck inside the house because of weather or quarantine stop your celebration.

continue reading to see more details that i hope will inspire you to 'get to spring'...

3.02.2020

paint chip shamrocks!

paper crafts, green decor, saint patricks day, march decor, spring decor, DIY, shamrocks, shamrock decor, diy decorating, home decor, paint chips, painting, party decor
it's finally MARCH!
so now i can divulge the second decor project that i came up with
after creating my 'painted paint chip' paper <<< click for tutorial
(this project was actually the REASON i came up with that alternative to using actual paint chips)

inspired by my own pink 'paint chip hearts' shared back in February, 

i tweaked that process to make shamrocks to decorate with, in honor of St. Patricks' Day - 
and it's SO easy, even your kids can do this!

continue reading for an easy-peasy spring decor craft that your little leprechauns will love...

2.28.2020

painted 'paint chip' wall art

spring, spring decorating, wall art, painting, paint chips, green, spring greens, art project, crafting, diy, diy decorating, diy home decor, tutorial
in a past post, i used pink paint chip cards to make decorative hearts.
i also talked about how it is decidedly NOT cool 
to grab handfuls of paint chip cards from your local hardware or paint store, 
and suggested a few ways to obtain said paint chip cards without being greedy.

today, i came up with another alternative - just paint your own 'paint chips'!

i grabbed some heavy white paper and some craft paints to try out my idea,
and it works so well that i immediately made some wall art out of it!

continue reading for an easy paint tutorial,
and in just a short time, you can have SHEETS of 'paint chips' to craft & decorate with!

2.15.2020

freshening up!

spring, home decor, diy decorating, color, green, repurposing, upcycling, simple decorating, organizing, office, entry, work spaces, inspiring spaces
as March approaches and spring arrives, 
i tend to gravitate toward greens and yellows as accent colors in my neutral home...
what's YOUR favorite color right now?

wait - what??? COLOR? ooooh, scary, right?
you can live with color without committing to long-term change!
add a few simple colorful accessories to your office or entry way
and your neutral rooms will SPRING to life! 

in this past post, i shared some of my office organization & decor ideas,
along with photos of my own studio spaces over the years.
i recently came across photos of another office space i had in the past,
that i spruced up with a shot of bright chartreuse green.

this seems like a good time to share those, with a seasonal change on the way.
giving our spaces a face lift as spring approaches is a great idea...

continue reading to see how offices and front entries can quickly look and feel 'spring fresh'!

2.12.2020

a quick Valentine's Day table to love

hearts, valentines, home decor, tablescape, red, sweet sweater snowmen, gift wrap wall art, diy, party, winter
the truth is, incorporating seasonal decor in my home
all started for the simple reason of making my four children smile.
i loved doing things each month that would delight them, and make them feel special...

every month of the year, there is a holiday - some are major, some are minor.
and if there wasn't one on the calendar, i'd make one up: "It's SUNSHINE day!"
on the 'big day' (whatever that was - including birthdays), 
the kitchen table would be decked out colorfully in the theme for the day.

a fun breakfast table and a special treat like cookies, stickers, or a tiny stuffie from the dollar store
started their day off in a happy mood and let them know that they were special to ME... 
worth the effort to make things fun just for them.
(what can i say? decorating is my love language!)

now, i'm not ashamed to say that we had very little money while raising our four kids.
so i didn't run to the store and grab a bunch of new decor each month...
i simply looked around the house and pulled together things we had that were the right color
(toys, books, crafts made by the kids, decor accessories, flowers, etc)
and made little decor elements out of scraps (sweaters!) and trash (paper!) to coordinate.
i literally 'shopped the house' to create a fun atmosphere for my kids.

today, i'm sharing how i did exactly that with what i have on hand right now!

 continue reading to see how to simply pull together a few items from your home
and instantly create a sweet table to enjoy on Valentine's Day...