Category Archives: crafts & diy
St. Patrick’s Day DIYs
Date:
Mar 15, 2013
crafts & diy, roundups, seasonal
pictured above: Shamrock streamers by Studio DIY
Happy Friday! Who’s excited about St. Patrick’s Day on Sunday? We’ve rounded up a handful of fun DIYs in celebration of shamrocks.
Figure 1: Printable shamrocks by Lia Griffith / Figure 2: 3D paper shamrock wall art by How About Orange / Figure 3: Geometric shamrock garland by Design Improvised / Figure 4: Shamrock boutonnieres by Martha Stewart / Figure 5: Woven clover card by Penlopy Bulnick via Instructables / Figure 6: Shamrock pinwheel toppers by Lisa Storms for Basic Gray
Enjoy and don’t forget to don a bit of green to avoid being pinched! If green isn’t a part of your wardrobe, maybe you can slap a little bit of green paper (perhaps a shamrock boutonniere?) on your outfit on Sunday.
all photos via the sources mentioned above
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2013 Valentine’s Guide: DIYs
Date:
Feb 13, 2013
2013 Valentine's Guide, crafts & diy, roundups, seasonal
Figure 1: Tree heart installation by Oh Happy Day / Figure 2: Watercolor Valentine’s by A Pair of Pairs / Figure 3: Cupcake goodies by Martha Stewart / Figure 4: Origami Valentine’s cards by SAS Does / Figure 5: Heart jar by Stars and Sunshine / Figure 6: Valentine’s Day in a box by You Are My Fave / Figure 7: You rock, Valentine! by Wiley Valentine for Honest / Figure 8: Valentine’s tags by Lemon Squeezy / Figure 9: Paper topiary heart by The House That Lars Built / Figure 10: Glitter heart art by Ellinee / Figure 11: Watercolor Valentine set by Warm Hot Chocolate
We’re wrapping up our Valentine’s Guide with oodles of lovely Valentine’s DIYs, perfect for any of you looking for quick and easy last-minute ideas. We’re smitten with all of these ideas, especially the Valentine’s Day in a box by You Are My Fave that’s overflowing with charming party/gift ideas.
all photos via the sources mentioned above
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Date:
Feb 13, 2013
crafts & diy, gift wrap & packaging, seasonal
How come no one gives out Valentines anymore? A card from your husband, maybe one from your mom or sister… I think Valentine’s Day is too much about romantic love and not enough about caring in general. So, here’s a sweet DIY Valentine that includes a packet of treats — a token of affection suitable for everyone you adore.
What You’ll Need
- Cardstock
- Cellophane treat bag
- Cinnamon hearts or other candy
- X-Acto knife or scissors
- Ruler
- Bone folder
- Circle punch (optional)
- Stapler
- Embellishments / decorations (optional)
Instructions
1. Cut cardstock into a strip large enough to fold around the cellophane bag: It should be about ¼ to ½ inch wider than the bag; the length should be double, plus an extra ¼ to ½ inch. Before cutting, consider trimming the height of the bag to the desired size, including enough for folding the top closed.
2. Measure and, using the bone folder, score 1 inch from one end of the cardstock, then fold over. Bring the opposite end halfway over the 1-inch fold, aligning the edges, and fold. Use the bone folder for create sharp folds.
3. Make a window in the front of the card by punching a hole with the circle punch. (You can also use an X-Acto knife or scissors.)
4. Fill bag with cinnamon hearts (don’t overfill). Fold over the opening of the bag and staple it between the back and 1-inch fold-over. Keep the staples at least halfway away from the cut edge.
5. Decorate card as desired. I used washi tape to hide the staples, and stamped Happy Valentine’s on the front. Close the Valentine by sliding the longer end under the 1-inch fold-over — like a matchbook — then give to someone you admire.
— Corinna
all photos by Corinna vanGerwen for Discover Paper
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Date:
Feb 8, 2013
crafts & diy, gift wrap & packaging
When it comes to making your own wrapping paper, stamping is the obvious method of choice — it allows you to easily create a repeating pattern. But what if you could make the project even easier. How about no stamp at all?
With this DIY wrapping paper, you need only two things: plain paper and a few colored ink pads. I chose two blues and a white for a frosty ice cube look. The paper should be something matte/uncoated so the ink won’t smudge off (I used a Japanese Sumi-e roll).
And then you just stamp the ink pads directly onto the paper for a graphic pattern of coloured blocks. Here I created patterns of angled bricks on one sheet and a straight grid for the second gift, but a herringbone tile pattern would also look amazing.
What You’ll Need
- Paper
- Colored ink pads
Instructions
1. Protect your work surface and lay your paper out flat. Place your first ink pad facedown on the paper, then press down. Different ink pads will require different amounts of pressure to get nice ink coverage. Test out each ink pad on scrap paper to get a sense of what works best.
2. Align your second ink pad, using the edges of the container base to get it approximately straight. I went for a rough approximation to emphasize the handmade look; draw pencil lines as guides if you want a more exact pattern.
3. Repeat, using your different ink pads. Go for a random pattern, as I did, or be more systematic by alternating colours.
4. Let dry, then use to wrap all your winter gifts.
— Corinna
all photos by Corinna vanGerwen
Make it with Maps
Date:
Jan 17, 2013
crafts & diy, roundups
Figure 1: Vintage map clock by Morena Hockley for Crafts Unleashed / Figure 2: Map coasters by The Country Chic Cottage / Figure 3: Treat bags by Inkling Paper for Ruffled Blog / Figure 4: Travel tape by The Mayberry / Figure 5: Map-covered vases by Martha Stewart via Apartment Therapy / Figure 6: Map glasses by Donaville Herrick for Discover Paper / Figure 7: Upcycled drawer turned bookshelf with map backing by Olive Blogs via Buzz Feed
Happy Thursday, everyone! Are you itching to craft something today? If you have old maps lying around (I have a few in my car that are outdated) then you’re going to love those DIY map ideas above! Our favorite? The drawer-turned-bookshelf with map backing by Olive Blogs.
all photos via the sources mentioned above
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Date:
Dec 20, 2012
crafts & diy, gift wrap & packaging, seasonal
While one may get the urge to be crafty this time of year, reality is that Dec. 25 is quickly approaching and you might not have as much time as you’d like to hand-make all those gifts and meticulously wrap them. With that in mind, here’s one craft that you will have time for: DIY glitter gift tags. It takes less than 10 minutes to make dozens of these tags, which means it won’t take long for you to have enough for all your gifts.
What You’ll Need
- Adhesive glitter sheet (available at dollar stores and craft stores)
- Scrapbooking sheet (choose a light colour/pattern that writing will show on)
- Circle punch
- Hole punch
- String
Instructions
1. Remove the backing from the adhesive glitter sheet and stick to the back of the scrapbooking paper.
2. Use the circle punch to cut out the tags. I used a 1¼” punch because it’s what I have, but you could go a little larger. If you don’t have a circle punch, use scissors.
3. Punch a hole at the edge of each circle; I used a 1/16” hole punch. Thread string or ribbon through, tie a knot, and your tags are ready to use.
all photos by Corinna vanGerwen
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Date:
Nov 30, 2012
crafts & diy, guest posts, seasonal
Editor’s Note: Throughout November and December, we’ll be presenting guest blog posts from various bloggers, stationers, and artists. Today, Marisa Edghill of Omiyage is sharing a fun and festive holiday DIY with washi tape.
‘Tis the season where our mailboxes (hopefully) fill with holiday cheer.
Your holiday cards are chosen with care — perhaps you even found them in the Discover Paper Holiday Guide — or you might even have crafted each one. So why send them in a boring envelope?
Add some festive fun to the outside of your envelopes — it’s perfectly simple with washi tape.
With washi tape, you can tear or snip and stick (and reposition) to your heart’s content, though if more complicated images are desired, parchment paper will be your new best friend!
Simply draw the desired shape onto the parchment paper. It doesn’t have to be perfect – no one else is going to see it.
Flip the paper over – so the ink doesn’t transfer to your tape and so you can still see the cutting lines after the shape is covered. Cover with strips of washi tape. No need to be neat, but do make sure the strips overlap slightly.
Flip the paper back over and cut out the shape.
Carefully peel the shape off of the parchment paper and transfer to desired surface. Make sure to peel from the first strip you place up – otherwise the strips will come apart and that’s no fun at all!
You can create gift boxes, sweet villages or even ornaments out of tape – simple shapes work best. Don’t forget to add some tape goodness to the back of the envelopes too!
Happy crafting!
all photos by Marisa Edghill
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