Fun Mail For A Kid

What little kid doesn't love getting mail? Here's something fun to send to a kid you know. Grab all your paper punches (or scissors!) and cut out a bunch of shapes from construction paper, scraps or even pretty junk mail or magazine ads. Put it all in a card and envelope with instruction that the punch-outs and stickers can be used to make a collage. This may seem like a mundane idea, but the reason I'm sharing it is because of what occurred at our house on Monday. While making an envelope of punch-outs for a friend's little boy, I gave my constant-activity-needing, bored-by-stuff-in-five-minutes, almost-three-year-old toddler some of the punch-outs and a non-toxic glue stick to make her own collages. No exaggeration, it kept her busy for nearly an hour. It was like a miracle.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Stash Week Day 4: Paper

Oh how I love paper. Any kind of paper. Scrapbook paper, origami paper, handmade paper, cardstock, you name it. I keep most of it in a drawer in the built-in island I mentioned yesterday. My favorite scrapbook paper has come from Michael's or Hobby Lobby, but I also have some Martha Stewart Crafts paper from Wal-Mart that I love. I get pads instead of individual sheets because I just can't see paying $.60 or more for a sheet, even when they are marked down. And I have to completely avoid scrapbooking stores for the same reason. I also keep cardstock in this drawer. I have lots of white cardstock that I use to print out all the wonderful free downloads from the internet, but I have some other colors too that I use for cards, etc.

This drawer has card-making stuff, as well as stationery. The stationery sets, including those awesome Marimekko notecards, were received as gifts. A wonderful gift if you ask me. There is also a stack of blank cards and envelopes purchased from Target (store brand) for 75 percent off. The quality of the paper is excellent, and you can just slap a printed out photo on the front and have an instant card. Awesome for keeping up with grandparents. There are also some blank cards from the Target dollar spot before I imposed a moratorium on visiting that particular aisle. Way in the back is a box of blank little notecards and envelopes I got from Kate's Paperie in NYC. All you have to do is punch a design in the corner or at the top of one of these babies (or stick on a sticker or stamp something on the card) and you have an instant cute notecard. I've seen similar sets at Target from time to time.


Here is our all-in-one color printer, which we also use for work. The magazine files on the right have regular printer paper, white cardstock and Avery label sheets for printing address labels.

Last but not least, in this out of the way drawer I keep scrap cardboard, such as the backs off of scrapbook paper pads, inserts from kids' toys, cut up cereal boxes, etc. You can cut or punch it and use it like chipboard (instead of having to buy chipboard). I also use it to make templates for fabric appliques. Then you can use them over and over again without having to make a new pattern everytime.

Come back tomorrow for some more stash! Off to watch the premiere of Project Runway -- woo!

I Really Like Gluing Paper To Stuff

Here is another IKEA wooden box transformation. This time it's the Mackis Paper Organizer, available in-store only. I store my stickers in it. Here's the "before" photo:
I removed the label holders from the front of the drawers; sanded it; painted it with my favorite green Folk Art paint by Plaid; and then decoupaged some Martha Stewart scrapbook paper (from Michael's) to the drawers with Mod Podge. I coated the covered drawer fronts with two coats of Lustre Mod Podge and then coated the entire thing with Ceramcoat clear varnish. I made the little drawer pulls with some ric-rack. Thanks for looking and for all your sweet comments on my last IKEA chest. They make my day!

Make A Fun Decoupaged Address Card Box

Here is another easy and fun decoupage project -- and this one will help you get organized: an address card box.

Here is what it looks like inside:


At some point, I stopped using an address book and converted to printing information onto recipe cards. I found this plain wooden recipe box at Target and decoupaged it to match my office fabrics. By way of background, I am in the process of organizing/redecorating my home office with Anna Griffin's Alix fabric and matching scrapbook paper.

I started off by sanding the box and priming it with white craft paint. I wanted the finished box to look slightly shabby, so I didn't completely cover it in paint. Then I measured each section of the box and cut the paper pieces to decoupage onto the box.

Apply Mod Podge to the box, section by section, and smooth the paper pieces on top.

For me, decoupagagin paper to wood works a lot better with lighter-weight paper, but here I used cardstock-weight scrapbook paper. You have to really make sure it is pressed down nice and flat.

I covered this box with three layers of Mod Podge and a top layer of Ceramcoat clear varnish.

For inside the box, I made dividers by tracing the dividers that came with the box onto some "chipboard" (not real chipboard, although you could buy that, but the back off of scrapbook paper pads) and cutting them out with a craft knife.

Then I applied Mod Podge to the chipboard divider and laid it glue-side down onto a piece of scrapbook paper. Using the craft knife, I cut away the excess paper. Again, press and smooth until you are sure the paper is flat and secured to the chipboard divider. Next, I used little stickers on the tabs for "abc" and so on.

Then I covered the front (papered) side of the divider in a coat of Mod Podge. Once everything was dry, I inserted the dividers into the box and added my index cards with address/phone/email/birthday information.

DIY: Transform An IKEA Mini-Chest

Here's the finished project! I love the way this turned out. I was winging it, so I didn't take pictures for a proper tutorial, but here is the how to. Gather these supplies:

IKEA Fira nine-drawer cabinet

Mod Podge (I used matte finish)

Craft paint (one small bottle should be enough)

Water-based clear varnish (I used CeramCoat)

Some fancy paper

Covered button blanks and covering kit

Some little fabric scraps for the drawer pulls

Little wooden cubes for mounting the drawer pulls

1. Start with the Fira mini-chest. It comes unassembled, so lightly sand all the pieces and then put it together with wood glue. This works better than trying to use the little nails that come with it. BEFORE you assemble, be sure to trace one of the drawer fronts (indicated by the black arrow) onto a piece of heavy cardstock or cardboard to make a template for your drawer front covers.

2. Gather your other supplies. I used nine different patterns of Heather Bailey Freshcut and Pop Garden scrapbook paper, and scraps from three coordinating Freshcut fabrics for the drawer pulls. Heavier, textured cardstock or paper works better than flimsier scrapbook paper. But both will work.

You'll also need Mod Podge. I used matte, but you could also use the lustre finish if you prefer. I used Gorilla Glue to attach the drawer pulls, but you could use whatever adhesive you choose. I painted the chest with FolkArt craft glue by Plaid in "Baby Pink," and I sealed everything with a top coat of Delta Ceramcoat Matter Interior Varnish (it's water-based and not noxious). I got all of my supplies at Michael's (but any craft store should have them).

3. Paint the exterior of the chest (interior, too, if you want . . . I did!) and the sides of each drawer. I used three coats of craft paint, followed by one coat of Mod Podge and one coat of varnish. Be sure to let every coat dry thoroughly before applying the next. I also lightly sanded between the painting and Mod Podge stages.

4. Using your drawer front template, trace nine drawer fronts on your paper and cut them out. Don't worry if they aren't perfect. Spread a thin coat of Mod Podge on the drawer front and lay your paper cutout on top, smoothing out any wrinkles or bubbles, as indicated by No. 1 below. The thinner paper is more susceptible to bubbling I found. Anyway, once the paper has dried, you can set the drawer, paper side down, on a self healing cutting mat and use an exacto knife to cut away any paper that overhangs. After the paper is secured to the drawer front, you can begin applying coat after coat of Mod Podge over the paper until you get the look you're after. I used six coats of Mod Podge, followed by a coat of varnish. After the first couple coats of Mod Podge, I sanded all around the edges of the drawer front to remove any last vestiges of overhanging paper and give it a slightly shabby look.

5. To make the drawer pulls (shown as No. 2 above), get nine cover button blanks and remove the little metal shanks from the back with small pliers. I used size 45 (1 1/8 in.) Dritz buttons, which you can get at JoAnn or other sewing stores, as well as online and from lots of Etsy sellers. Cover buttons with coordinating fabric. There are tons of tutorials on the internet showing how to do this, but really it's super easy (and fun and addicting but that's another story). Attach a small piece of wood to the back of the button with Gorilla Glue. I used these little cubes I found at Michael's in the unfinished wood section. Let dry completely. Attach buttons to drawer fronts with Gorilla Glue or other adhesive and let dry completely.

6. Once everything is dry, you can put the drawers in and start using your fancy new chest. This is one of those projects that end up looking like something that cost $100 at a shabby chic type store, but actually cost around $25-$30 to make. It's time consuming, but something you can work on for a bit, go do something else, and come back. I hope you enjoy this tutorial.

Oy Michaels

Really, I do not need any more craft supplies. At all. But then I went into Michael's to check out the clearance section (Martha Stewart Christmas stuff for 70 percent off - woo) and somehow migrated over to the scrapbooking section. Where I found the Colorbok "Friendly Forest" line. Maybe they will become a blog sponsor and send me the entire collection. I can dream, right? Also available online.

Free Holiday Downloads

The lovely Jasmine at A Print A Day has posted a free download of holiday papers on her blog. She also added a few Photoshop brushes, yours for the taking. Click the link to her blog to get the downloads. I couldn't figure out how to do it from here. Isn't she just the best?! PS -- While you are there, be sure to check out all her past "Weekend Downloads." Love them!

Flea Market Fabulous

As you may know, Denyse Schmidt is my favorite fabric designer and I hoard her fabrics. I've never used more than a scrap at a time (and two of those I got from Anne in our scrap swap) because I want to save the rest for the "perfect" project. Anyway, I was somehow unaware that Denyse Schmidt has a line of paper products as well. I am actually glad her website does not have online ordering capability because I wanted to snap up one of everything.

And if you must know, I recently bought some more Denyse fabric. Sue me -- I can't help myself.

Finn Fanatic

If you think of socialized medicine and twenty-four hours of darkness when you think of Finland, you have been missing out on the wonders of Marimekko (with which I am obsessed but cannot afford). The best U.S. site for Marimekko fabrics, papers, housewares and more, Always Modern, is having a big sale on just about everything through July 15, 2008. My favorite item is probably this set of 14 postcards, each in a different color of the famous Unikko pattern. I'd mount them on a white matte, put it in a black frame and place it in a fun, sunny room.