How To Wrap a Gift Basket

With Easter approaching, I thought it would be timely to share how to wrap a gift basket. With this technique your basket will look just as good as the professional ones in the store. Simple directions below.

Supplies:
Basket - I recommend getting one at the thrift store. They're just as good as anything you would buy at the store and usually cost less than a dollar.
Magazine or catalog
Scissors
Tape
Cellophane

Fill your basket 2/3 full with crumpled magazine paper (step 2). Cover all of the crumpled paper with one piece of paper (step3). Cover with shredded paper or Easter grass (step 4).

Arrange the gifts starting at the back with the taller pieces and work your way to the front with the shorter pieces. This makes the gifts look more appealing and helps hold the smaller items in place. If you need support to stand an item up, use decorative cardboard to place in the back of the basket. In the past I've used cardboard from boxes covered in wrapping paper.

Place the basket in the center of the cellophane and pull the cellophane up so it's folded in half. Refer to picture.

Fold the right side behind the basket (refer to picture). Secure with tape. Fold the left side and secure with tape. Sometimes there's excess cellophane that needs to be cut back to make it more workable. Bunch up the top of the cellophane over the basket toward the back and secure with a rubber band. Make sure the cellophane in the front of the basket doesn't bunch up at all. Sometimes it takes a little finessing to get it perfect. Tie a ribbon over the rubber band. Done.

This is what the back of the basket will look like.

Book Review: Origami Card Craft

Origami Card Craft: 30 Clever Cards and Envelopes to Fold
By Karen Elaine Thomas

I recently received the book "Origami Card Craft" from Random House, Inc. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book. I like how Karen took different origami techniques and made them applicable to card making. For example, one of the projects shows you how to make a "love knot" and also demonstrates how to use it in a card (picture below). I also appreciate that the crafts do not require a lot of supplies, mainly just paper is required. Projects are simple enough to make for even the beginner. As for finished product, the cards are very sophisticated, elegant and rich looking.

Love Knot Card - I already have ideas for this. I'm thinking of using the "love knot" to wrap up a wedding favor.

Secret Slipcase - I think this card would be suiting for a man. I realize that sounds silly. But is it just me or is it hard to find masculine looking cards?

Sewing Tutorial: Felt candy dish

I've seen larger versions of these fabric dishes and decided to give it a try on a smaller scale. This box measures about 5 inches in length. You could make these in any size, really. This might make a nice alternative to the traditional Easter basket. Simple directions below.

Supplies:
Felt - I got the polka dot felt at Daiso.
Scissors
Embroidery thread
sewing needle

Cut out a felt square(7 by 7), any size will work. With the print size up mark the center of each side with a fabric pen or by ironing a crease. I folded the square in half both ways and ironed the fold.

Pinch the fabric together where you marked one of the sides. Using a whip stitch, sew up the side one inch in length. If you started with a larger square you might want to vary the length to two inches. It just depends on how deep you want the dish to be.

Here's what it should look like once one side is sewn.

Here's a close up of the above picture. Now sew the other three sides the exact same way.

Your felt dish should now look something like this. Enjoy!

Of course, I had to buy some candy props for the pictures.
Purely for aesthetics ;-)

Craft Project: Flower Hair Clips

Sometimes I come across such great tutorials that I just have to share. My recent find was a tutorial on how to make these organza flowers on the blog, Reese Dixon. I think it's just perfect to go with all those frilly Easter dresses. I made this hair clip by just hot gluing the flower directly to the clip. Perhaps I'll make a headband or pin as well. So many possibilities, so little time.

Easter Craft: Egg Holder

I knew one day all those scraps of gift wrap and toilet paper rolls I hoarded would come in handy. And now here they are combined to create a festive looking egg holder. Simple directions below.

Supplies:
toilet paper roll
glue stick
fabric glue
ribbon
decorative paper
green paper
exacto knife
scissors


Cover a toilet paper roll with any paper of your choice. Let dry. I used a glue stick to adhere it to the TP roll. I find the paper stays flat and smooth using the glue stick.


Cut the roll into four sections using an sharp exacto knife and scissors. You should now have four pieces that look like the picture above.

Glue a piece of green paper in the inside of the tube. Match up the seam of the green paper with the seam of the decorative paper.

Cut the green paper to resemble grass. Glue a ribbon around the roll where the decorative paper and green paper meet. Done.

How to Make a Faux Four Leaf Clover

I can remember as a child spending recess fervently searching for four leaf clovers. I never did find one. Now as an adult I can skip the search and just make one. And maybe impress my kindergartner along the way.

Get about 5 clovers in similar size and color. Pick off all the leaves. Find four leaves that are the most asymmetrical and similar in color/size. On a piece of clear contact paper place the leaves in the shape of a four leaf clover (there will be some overlapping). Place a second piece of clear contact paper on top of the clover to seal it. Trim the piece into desired shape (I cut a circle). Now you have a fun little lucky charm for St. Patrick's Day.

*Because the picture is a close up, you can see the gap in the center. Looking at it in person, you can't see it. Honestly, the four leaf clover looks better in person.

*If you don't have contact paper, clear packaging tape would probably work just as well.

How to Get Your Chucks Looking Good as New

Okay, these are not Chucks, they're Ed Hardy (you caught me). But I still run into the same problem all Chuck owners run into, how to get the tops clean? At least for me, water and soap just doesn't do the trick. I've even tried cleaning them in the washing machine but I find that thrashes the shoes. So from trial and error, I've discovered that "Mr. Clean Magic Erasers" will get the tops sparkling white.

*I'm told there's a Japanese version of the Mr. Clean Magic Erasers sold at Daiso. Apparently it comes in a giant block and you can cut it up into smaller sponges. This would probably be a cheaper alternative to the Mr. Clean Erasers.

Before

After

Knitting Pattern: Owl Softie

I discovered the knitting pattern for this owl from the blog, "Sew I DO" by Novita. It's a wonderful sewing blog and definitely worth checking out. The actual owl pattern is by Lucinda Guy and is called Snoozing Ned. It's a very simple knitting pattern and knits up pretty quick. The most time consuming part is cutting and sewing all the pieces together. I liked how Novita changed up the look of the owl by using a print fabric with buttons and so I decided to do the same. I'm really happy with the way he came out. In fact, I'm already contemplating making a girl version.

Glass Party !

Glass bowl my five year old son made.

Last January I got the chance to attend a glass party at a friend's house. Never heard of a glass party before? Neither had I. At the party Trish Culbert (a local glass artist) brought her glass supplies and showed us (adults and kids) how to make bowls, plates, and sun catchers. We first decided what we wanted to make. Then we glued pieces of colored glass to a clear glass base. After we made our composition, Trish took the pieces to her studio for the fusing and slumping process. A couple weeks later we got back the finished product.




Trish Culbert is a glass designer based in the Bay Area, CA.
If you would like to find out more about Trish and her work, click here.

Glass Table Set-up

My three year old making a sun catcher.

Finished Sun Catcher

1 - Colored glass glued to the glass base
2 - Finished product
3 - The bottom of the bowl, it's bumpy from the colored glass.

This is the bowl I made. It's supposed to look like fish swimming in water.

Music Video: Craft Talk by Leslie Hall

Just disovered this video via Craft and had to share.

Happy Monday

Book Review: Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing

Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing
By Kathy Cano-Murillo

I just received "Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing" from Random House, Inc. I really like how Kathy has her own unique style that's reflected in the book. It's vibrant, creative, and fun. And at the same time anyone can customize the projects to their own taste, it's very versatile. Besides the projects, she shares about sewing basics, fabrics, fabric techniques, and even making appliques. The tag line at the bottom of the book reads "for the everyday crafter". I couldn't agree more.

Below are a couple projects that caught my eye!

Fabric Postcards

Pocket Bag - I will not give away how this is made but I will say it's very clever!

Vintage Crafts: Cross-Stitch Bingo

Woman's Day - Beautiful Holiday Handmades 1978
*click on image for a larger view

After my last post on vintage craft magazines, I did a little research on copyright. As I suspected, I can't share the patterns from the magazines. However, I've decided to share some of the pictures periodically for inspiration.

The cross-stitch bingo project above would be easy to recreate even without the directions. What I liked about this project is it reminded me of something I would see in a Japanese Craft book. And check out that little mushroom, very "zakka life"!

Eye Candy: Tape with Colorful Print

I was out at Daiso the other day shopping for colored masking tape. I didn't find the tape I was looking for but I did find something even better, tape with print! I'm actually not sure what kind of tape it is. It almost reminds me of contact paper. It only costs $1.50 a roll (cheap thrill). I plan on using it for packaging gifts and such.

* there's now an online Daiso store!