paper crafts

Paper Purse Party Favors to Make With Kids

These little paper purses are so cute and are perfect for kids to make. They can be used as party favors for a birthday party, or for kids to take into school for Valentine’s Day or any other special occasion. Kids will have lots of fun embellishing these purses and giving it a style all their own. So if you want kids at the party to make their own, you could prep the basic paper purse in advance and then let the kids decorate it.

Supplies Needed to Make Paper Purse

Scrapbook Paper
Ruler
Scoring tool (a toothpick works just fine)
Ribbon
Scissors
Embellishments or Stickers
Small Hole Punch

How to Make Paper Purse Party Favors

Amy Locurto sure does make these paper purses look so fun and easy to make. I hope you give it a try for your next party.

DIY Christmas Card Ideas to Make This Year

by Kristen 3 Comments

Making your own Christmas Cards is a great way to get in the Christmas spirit. Whether it’s a photo card that puts together a collage of your favorite family photos from throughout the year, or a homemade card with your own creative touches, a hand made Christmas card is a fun craft project for the whole family.

Christmas Card Ideas

There are a wide variety of Christmas cards that you can make. There are simple designs that are quick and inexpensive, and there are more elaborate designs that layer paper and accessories to create a magical keepsake for family and friends. One of the best things about a Christmas card is that you can make them with your kids. They may not have the attention span to help with them all, but I’m sure that there’s a step or two where they can lend a hand. Or, let the kids make a special card for their Grandparents or teacher.

Here’s a look at the types of Holiday Cards that you can make for Christmas this year.

This snowy mountain card by lindsay.dee.bunny (via Flickr CC 2.0) shows what you can do with a little paper. If you don’t have a die-cut machine to make the trees, you could cut some out by hand or use tissue paper to glue down your own trees. Or another idea would be to make a needle felted tree and glue that to the card. I love adding texture and depth to a card.

I love the creativity and ingenuity used to make this card. The Christmas tree is made from a bike chain that has been painted green and then shaped into a tree. What a brilliant idea shared by Richard Masoner via Flickr CC 2.0

Are you newlyweds celebrating your first Christmas together? Or maybe there’s a new baby in the house? This photo ornament card is a great way to show-off your news. All you have to do is make a photo ornament, take a picture of it and then add a greeting. You’ll enjoy working on every step of this project. Photo courtesy of njt1982 via Flickr CC 2.0

Kids love getting involved with Christmas and want to help whenever they can. Let them get involved with the family card, or let them make one for someone special. I’m sure that this adorable card would be loved by all. You can also make copies of your kids artwork and turn it into a card. I did this with one of my son’s drawings when he was too young to write. I made a card using a photo I took of the drawing. I then used Send Out Cards to make Thank You notes with his drawing on the front and my writing on the inside. A frame-able card that we still have on display! Photo via Brentwood Borough Council via Flickr CC 2.0

Here are a few more ideas. All of these cards were made with scrapbook paper, card stock and and lots of creativity.

Photo by starshaped via Flickr CC 2.0

Photo by amy.gizienski via Flickr CC 2.0

Photo courtesy of WordRidden via Flickr CC 2.0

Crafts to Make With Alcohol Ink

by Kristen Leave a Comment

Have you added alcohol inks to your craft drawer yet? One day I saw a video showing a craft made with these liquid inks and I knew that I had to give them a try. And of course I was instantly hooked. I love the versatility of alcohol inks. You can use them to create paintings, mosaics, jewelry and so much more. Here is one of my favorite ways ways to use these inks.

Alcohol Ink Floating Background

With this technique, all you have to do is mix cold water with alcohol ink. You can then dip any type of item into the water. It’s great for making colorful gift tags, colored wooden pieces and beads for jewelry.

Here are a few examples of gift tags made with this technique. When dry, the tags can be used for stamping and inking.

You can create any color combinations you want. Have fun playing around with the amount of ink that you place in the water. Decide what background color you’d like and then add a drop or two of a bold accent color. It’s also fun to play around with the type of paper that you use.

These beautiful designs show you the depth and variety you can achieve with alcohol ink. By varying the colors and amount of ink added to the water, you can really play around with the designs that you can achieve with this method.

You aren’t limited to simply using paper and cardstock with this method.

These beautiful ceramic beads were created with this technique. The beads were varnished with Decoart Triple Thick Glaze to give them the protective, high-gloss finish.

I hope that you have fun making your own designs using this fluid background technique. I can’t wait to make some new cards to use for the upcoming holiday season.

Handmade Gift Wrapping

by Kristen Leave a Comment

One way to turn a ho-hum gift into something special is to make your own wrapping paper. Taking the time to create your own wrapping paper shows the love and care you put into the gift. Plus, making your own gift wrapping helps you try out new craft techniques, use up left-over supplies, or recycle stuff from around the house.

DIY Gift Wrapping Paper

Handmade Gift Wrapping — Image courtesy of erika g via Flickr CC 2.0

I love this gift wrapping. You can create pretty flower and leaf motifs using a number of techniques. Here are a few ideas for how to make your own gift wrapping.

Stencil designs onto paper. You can even use brown paper bags from the grocery store for Eco-friendly gift wrap.
Decoupage pictures and words onto paper. You can create some really fun and creative wrapping paper with decoupage. Cut out some words or phrases from a newspaper or magazine to write what you want on the gift.
A fun craft idea for the kids is to make fruit and vegetable stamps. You can use apples, potatoes, or whatever item you’d like to cut out a design. Kids love using these homemade stamps to dip into paint and stamp away.
Cut out strips of paper and roll them up into tight circles. This technique, called quilling, lets you create fun designs with paper. Simply glue these paper curls onto large pieces of paper to create wrapping paper.

The beauty about making your own wrapping paper is that anything goes. Any style, any supply and any technique works. Just have fun with it and see where your imagination takes you.

Here are some inspiring gift wrapping ideas:

Fall Craft Idea for Kids

by Kristen Leave a Comment

With school starting next week for my kids and the temperature turning cooler, my mind automatically goes to fun, fall craft ideas for the kids. This tissue paper tree is an easy and fun project that is perfect for boys and girls of all ages.

How to Make a Tissue Paper Tree

This tissue paper tree lets kids use their creativity to mix colors and create their own tree showing off the beautiful colors of fall.

Supplies Needed:

Construction Paper (blue, green and brown)
Tissue paper or crepe paper
Scissors
Pencil
Glue
Paper punch with leaf pattern (optional)

Here is how to make this cute tree:

1. Use a blue piece of construction paper for the base.

2. Rip a piece of brown construction paper into strips to create the tree trunk and branches. For a more realistic looking tree, crumple the brown paper before gluing it to the blue paper.

3. Cut a strip of green construction paper for the grass at the bottom. You can use scissors to create fringed grass, or just use a plain strip if you prefer.

4. Cut tissue paper or crepe paper into squares.

5. Fill a small cup with white glue.

6. Using the eraser end of a pencil, wrap the tissue paper around the pencil to form the leaves.

7. Dip the pencil and tissue paper into the glue and then add the leaf anywhere on the tree. Be sure that you don’t use too much glue. A little dab will do ya!

8. Keep adding tissue paper leaves to the tree, varying the colors as you go.

9. Use a paper punch to cut-out and glue small leaves falling from the tree and in the grass.

That’s all there is to it. Kids can add as many tissue paper leaves as they’d like. You’ll be amazed at how much your kids will enjoy this project and how quietly they’ll sit and work on it.

You can also use elements of this craft idea to make a fall greeting card or scrapbook page. There’s no rule that says that craft ideas for kids can’t be enjoyed by all!

If you’d like to see a step-by-step tutorial, here’s a video from The Frugal Crafter.

Supplies Available on Amazon to Help Make a Tissue Paper Tree:

paper crafts

Alcohol Ink Floating Background

DIY Gift Wrapping Paper

Here are some inspiring gift wrapping ideas:

How to Make a Tissue Paper Tree

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