Hi Crafters
Today I have another gift bag from recycled paper. This time using pages from a book
After I have finished with the book I like nothing better than to use them for my craft projects. Check out all the lovely ideas on Pinterest and get inspired to recycle.
This is a simple gift bag made from a large page, it makes a bag 12cm H by 8cm W
with the gusset it is just the right size for a pack of sweets or small gift.
You can then stamp the pages to reflect the season and use.
These would be great for Halloween candy
Want a larger bag then put 2 pages together
I wanted these for Christmas and wanted to use the BOho Stamp as I love it. It may have been better with a smaller print but the fun of crafting for yourself is anything goes.
The easiest video on YouTube to follow if you need to know how to make the bag is from a lady who goes by the name of 'Priyanka knowledge bank', but there are many videos on making paper bags. However if you get the principle from this video you can see it is made with wrapping paper and you can make larger bags with this.
If you want to use recycled materials such as book pages your bag will be restricted in size to the materials available, but of course you will be helping the environment and crafting so it is all good.
As you can see I have used a variety of strings and ribbon for the handles but again I am using scraps and recycling oddments so I am pleased that the projects can use up bits from my ribbon bag.
Another plus with these bags is they fold flat for storage
You will need:
book pages from a book you have finished with (the bigger the better)
Glue stick
Hole punch ( I used my Crop A Dile, but any single hole punch would work as well)
scraps of ribbon or string at least 20cm long
Stamp and stamp pad - I used the Boho stamp by Inloveartstamp and Ranger Adirondack Earthtones ink Oregano, Eggplant and Terra Cotta.
Happy Crafting
Dee
Hi Crafters
Today I am talking about making paper tassels.
This is a great way of decorating your projects and using up your stash of paper pieces and oddments of beads and embellishments.
This is not my own design I found several tutorials on YouTube and the one I worked from was Quick and Easy tassels from Nina Ribena, mainly as I was trying it out and quick and easy sounded the best way forward.
Having looked at other tutorials they are all made in the same basic way with slight adjustments to the way the decoration is added. If you are a beader this part will pose no problem for you but if like me you have done little or no beading you will need to follow the process for the beads to be added during the making of the tassel.
The great thing about making these is they use up your scraps of paper, and if you have them filed in an orderly manner then you need to go to your stash of papers that are 8.5" by about 3-3.5". It also todies up your odd beads and decorations
You do not neeed exact measurements, but make the paper tidy and mark/score the paper about 1-2 cm from the top, depending on your width of paper.
Cut narrow strips along the length of the paper cutting up to the scored line.
Cut out the last inch or so so you have a little piece at the top ready to start rolling up.
Place your cord or wire horizontally over the top line at the end you have cut the bottom away, and roll the paper as tight as you can around the wire glueing ever inch as you go. Place a peg over the rolled tassel to hold it while the glue sets.
Add your beads to the top over the wire and bend the wire around to form a loop, I recommend you follow the video for this as I used cord for mine as I had no wire handy.
You can now decorate the top folded part of the tassel.
I have made one or two thread tassels before but these are my first paper tasssels, and I am very pleased with the results. Like all new crafts there are areas to be improved, but I would happily use any of the tassels made so far to decorate my journals or memory books I make.
So why not check out the tutorials and have a go yourself. If you like what you see here please click on the follow button at the top of the page, comment and share your makes, I would love to see your version of any of the makes on my blog.
Dee
