Holidays by Hand: Papercraft Gifts
Posted on: November 10, 2008
This week’s Holidays by Hand host is Rachel at smallnotebook.org. Visit her blog for more fun papercrafting ideas!
I have a lot of scrapbook paper around. In the spirit of frugality, simplicity, and re-purposing, I decided that I would try to use some of it to make holiday gifts this year.
My idea was to make monogrammed notecards. I gave it a go this weekend and I think they’re turning out pretty well.
These “prototype” cards were very simple to make. I decided to use size A2 envelopes (4.375″ x 5.75″) , so the flat size of the cards is either 4″x11″ or 8″x5.5″ (depending on orientation) and the folded size is 4″x5.5″. I used my 1-1/2″ circle die cutter (a glorified hole punch) to punch a circle in the front of the note, and then I stamped the inside back with a single letter in a complementary color. I also experimented with stamping a monogram on card stock, cutting it out with my die cutter, and then adhering it to the front of the card. (That’s the card with the yellow paper with red flowers and a “J” on the front).
It’s a little tricky to get the monogram in just the right place, especially if you’re not an experienced stamper, (and I’m not) but clear acrylic stamps make this a lot easier. Of course you can use any number of die cut shapes and sizes, as well as styles and sizes of letter stamps. I’m also planning to make one set of notes for Vintage Girl’s birthgrandma using a dragonfly stamp and iridescent ink on solid color cards.
For the monogrammed notes, my plan is to make sets of 6-8 notes in different designs, each with a matching envelope, tied together with ribbon. I think they’ll make very nice gifts, and it feels good to use craft supplies I already have to create something new. Plus I’m having a great time getting back to the craft table – too much blogging means very little crafting these days!
Holidays by Hand is a six-week festival featuring handmade holiday gifts. If you’d like to join in, the contact information for each blogger host is here.
3 Responses to "Holidays by Hand: Papercraft Gifts"
November 11, 2008 at 2:41 pm
That’s very crafty Ann, it’s a great idea and they look wonderful. Is there a perfume that’s made for tissue paper? Because you could even make them smell good 🙂
One Bag Nation 
November 11, 2008 at 7:31 am
Wow, I think your cards look great! They inspire me…I am actually working on my own note card creations this morning, what a coincidence! I love your designs. For now I’m using nature photos, but I like the idea of using designs too.