Make Bookmarks using Gift Wrap

My books are all dog-eared because I never have a bookmark when I need one. Not anymore...I just made 4 great bookmarks using scraps of gift wrap and left over ribbons and beads. This is a super easy craft (great for kids) that makes a great stocking stuffer or gift for your book club members.

Materials

Earth Love'n Gift Wrap - Hip Design, Flower Girl, Classic Stripes, Brilliant Floral
Hole Punch
Laminator (I used Kinkos)
Optional Materials: Ribbons, Hemp String, Beads, Tassles, Shells, etc.

Instructions

1. Cut out an 8 x 4.5 inch piece of gift wrap. Use the dotted lines on the back for the paper for reference. The lines are 1 inch apart.

2. Hold the paper vertically and fold the paper in thirds so that the bookmark is 1.5 x 8 inches.

3. I decided to laminate the bookmarks so that it will hold up longer, but if you don't want to use plastic, just glue the bookmark together, punch a hole at the top, and continue with the decorations.

4. I used one 8.5 x 11 inch lamination sheet for the 4 bookmarks. Use the slicer at Kinkos to cut the bookmarks apart. Make sure you leave some plastic around each bookmark so that the it remains sealed.

5. Punch a hole at the top of the bookmark.

6. You can use whatever materials you have on hand to create the decorations. I used pink ribbon for the Classic Stripes and Flower Girl bookmarks. For the Hip Design, I used some Hemp string, beads and a shell with a hole in it. For the Brilliant Floral bookmark, I strung some glass beads from an old beading kit and attached a black tassel to the end.

Have fun and create lots of bookmarks! Please send me pictures of your bookmarks and I will be happy to post some of your ideas.

Make a Southwestern Paper Pot with Gift Wrap

Don't throw away your gift wrap when you can turn it into this cool looking paper pot instead! I have seen many bowls made of magazines on the internet, in craft stores, and in craft books, so this project is not an original idea. But I thought I would give it a try using my gift wrap, and see what happens. I used Earth Love'n Paper's Rhombus Retro design to give the pot a woven, southwestern look.


Materials

Rhombus Retro Gift Wrap - roll or flat pack

Mod Podge (craft glue)

Foam Brush or Paint Brush

Glue Gun

Glue Sticks

Instructions

1. Cut long strips of gift wrap using the dotted lines on the back of the gift wrap as a guide (cut along very other dotted line). The width of the strips should be 2 inches.

2. Fold each strip in half, lengthwise along the dotted line so that the colored paper is on the outside. Fold the strip again lengthwise so that each strip is 1/2 inch wide.

3. After you have folded about 10 to 15 strips, begin coiling one strip tightly around. This will become the bottom of the pot. Use the glue gun to put glue along the center of the coil. Add a second strip where the first strip ends. Insert the second strip into the end of the first strip and glue it down.

After I got the hang of gluing and coiling, my younger daughter squeezed the glue and I rolled the coil. She loved helping out, and is very pleased with the final result. Make sure you face each strip in the same direction so that the folded edge is always the same direction. The bottom of the pot takes awhile...so don't get discouraged.

4. Once the bottom of the pot reaches the desired size, it's time to work on the sides. If you are going to use the pot for a specific plant, you may want to measure the plant prior to moving on. My base is about 4" in diameter. The folded side of the paper is on the bottom of the pot. Begin making more strips (steps 1 & 2) and wrapping them (with the folded side down) around the pot about 1/8" up from the strip below it. Put glue along the top half of the strip below the one you are placing on the pot.

5. Continue adding strips until the desired height is reached. My pot is approximately 5.5" high. To finish off the top, I placed one strip along the top of the pot so that the fold sits along the rim. I glued one half of the strip on the outside of the pot and the other half on the inside.

6. Cover the outside and inside of the pot with Mod Podge. Don't forget to Mod Podge the bottom too. This will give it some more strength and a little shine.

FYI...this is probably obvious, but the pot is not water proof, so don't water your plant in it. Have fun!

Craft with Gift Wrap for Mother’s Day… Make a Decoupage Plate

Well...Mother's Day is coming up, and I've been toying with the idea of posting some craft ideas using my gift wrap. Now seems like as good a time as ever. I'm not a flowery kind of girl, but my favorite gift wrap design is the Brilliant Floral. It's so pretty, I thought of framing it and putting it on the wall. But instead of framing it, I decided to decoupage it on a glass plate.

Give mom some home baked cookies or muffins on this plate or use them for a special Mother's Day brunch. Here we go...

Materials

Clear glass plates (I bought them at Walmart for $1.50 each)
Brilliant Floral Gift Wrap (Earth Love'n Paper Products- use roll, not flat pack)
Mod Podge
Foam Brush for Paint Brush
Razor or Scissors
Gold Acrylic Paint (Optional)

Instructions

1. First you need to flatten the gift wrap. Unroll 1 piece of gift wrap and reroll it in the opposite direction so that the back side of the gift wrap is showing. Put a rubber band around the paper.

2. Remove tags from plates and wash with soap and water.

3. Unlike most paper decoupage projects, you are going to use 1 piece of paper for the project. Lay the plate on the section of gift wrap you want to use and cut around the plate leaving approximately 1" of paper around the plate.

4. To make the gluing process easier, you may want to put the plate upside down on a coffee can or other stable container.

5. Apply a coat of Mod Podge to the back of the plate. It doesn't need to be thick. Then stick the colored side of the paper on the back of the plate. Smooth the paper down. The gift wrap will crease around the curved outer rim of the plate. This will not detract from the final look. Take about 5 minutes to smooth the paper around the plate. Let dry for about 10 minutes and then use a razor or scissors to cut off the excess paper.

6. Apply a coat of Mod Podge to the back side of the plate. Allow to dry for about 15 minutes. Reapply about 4-5 coats of Mod Podge allowing it to dry each time.

7. Optional - To finish off the back of the plate, apply 1 or 2 coats or gold acrylic paint. Finish with 1 coat of Mod Podge.

Please Note: Do not wash plates in dishwasher...handwash carefully. Enjoy!