Smashing Your Stash

 Making the most of your stash May

Project 4

Ideas for Using up your 6 x 6 papers

We all buy papers and card when we see something we like, enthusiastically use a batch of papers when we first get them and then the remainder of the pad gets put into the stash. Over the years we enjoy new collections and old apex’s get left in the box. I will share 3 projects to really smash through those unused papers. Make for Happy Mail, for Charity or just to give to friends or family, but enjoy your stash with the added bonus you are not adding to it, and you are recycling your unused items.

So for this next collection of ideas to use up your own stash I have selected a mixture of projects. Cards with a difference, there are many ideas on Pinterest and YouTube to make cards using your 6 x 6 papers but the one I am going to show you is a little different as the envelope acts as an envelope but is also a wallet so you can add small gifts or a gift card. 

A gift bag. 

Small teabag holder for those tea lovers in your life.

Project 1

Gift card and envelope

Quick and simple project - this is an extended idea from Julie at Camelia Crafts. On YouTube. 

You will need:

4 6 x 6 papers (5 if you want to add some notelets)

1” Punch (if you do not have one draw around a cotton reel or 2p piece. 

GLue

Piece of thin ribbon

Score 2 pieces at 2.5” if you have a pattern check the score line runs across the pattern 

Fold the score lines. 

On one sheet cut a semicircle with a 1” punch 

TIP put the 2 pieces together so you can see the wallet forming and this will assist you to know where to glue and attach one piece to the other. You can also check the pattern way.

Add a thin line of glue down each side of the narrow back piece.

 Slip the right piece of paper (as shown in picture) into the left piece to line up with the score line.

Glue both sides of the front section with a narrow line of glue

Once the glue is dry you will have a wallet with a flap at the front and a pocket at the back 

See the top picture

Next take a third piece of paper - fold in half , cut 1” from the length and decorate the front either with an image from the same papers or with a complimentary embellishment. Do not make the embellishment too thick or the card Weill not slide easily into the wallet.

You now have a card and envelope/wallet

I have used an image from the same papers to decorate my cards and have used the other half of the paper to make 3 tags and then cut the last piece of paper in half and fold each half to make 2 notelets to add to the back of the envelope 

Lastly I have cornered the flap edges and added ribbon as a closure. 

This is a great way of using up your papers and giving an unusual birthday card. You could add a small bar of chocolate or a gift card in the back pocket or wrap up 3 o5 together and give to a busy friend for them to have at hand.

Project 2 

Gift Bag 

You will need:

4 pieces of heavy paper over 150gsm is best

Double sided tape

Score board

Ribbon

Piece 1 Front Score with paper pattern sideways on scoreboard at 5 1/4”

Piece 2 Back Score at 1”,1 3/4”, 5 1/4”

Piece 3 the two side panels, Cut sheet in half lengthways. With 6” side at top of scoreboard score at 1”, 1 3/4” Turn and score at 1//2” 1.5” to first score line and 2.5” 

Piece 4 Cut in half and score one sheet with 3”side at top of scoreboard at, 1/2” and 2.5” 

The other half can be put aside for another bag or use to make a tag.

Burnish all the score lines and cut off the bottom corner piece of the side panels

Mark the top fold of the front and back with a pencil mark 2” in from both sides and punch a hole to take the ribbon for the handles 

Lay the front and back pieces onto the base panel to sit just inside the score line and glue down

Glue the bottom of the side panels and glue to the sides of the base panel (as shown below)

Next add tape to both sides of both side panels 

Slip a piece of ribbon  My handles are 18” long) through the holes in the top of the bag, going from inside to out and using double sided tape fold the ribbon to the middle on the outside of the top panels and tape down to secure the ribbon. Take the top of tape off and add a full length piece of tape along the top edge of the bag over the ribbon and tape. 

Now, one side panel at a time lift the tape and add wet glue to the scored areas of the side panel, stand the bag up and glue the side panel to the inside of the front and back panel  

Repeat for the other side.

Next take the tape off the top of the bag and glue the area, fold over and glue down 

You now have a lovely bag that will fold flat for storage 

These are so useful and can also be made larger using your 12 x 12 stash. I will be showing these later in this series. 

The idea came from Sam Calcott and I have adjusted the sizes to use the 6 x6 papers. 

You can check out her gift bag tutorials on YouTube.

Project 3 

Simple Teabag holder

I make teabag wallets and Journals to hold 12 or so teabags for tea-lovers but these lovely little gift packs can be given as thank yous or happy mail.

These are so simple to make and require no special equipment

You will need:

1 sheet of 6 x 6 

Decoration and piece of ribbon

Mark your paper at 3” top and bottom

Fold in half top to bottom 

Open up and fold again 1/4” down from the top

Open up turn around and do the same at the other end

Fold in all four corners to the first score line 

Where you marked the centre of the paper punch a small hole on the mark either end to hold the ribbon
Fold up With the fold corners on the outside.

Three ribbon through the 2 holes and tie a bow 

Add a decoration to the front.

Your packet is ready to take the teabags

You can put one in front and back or you could add a single wrapped biscuit to the back 

These are great for using odd pages up as they do not need to match.

These. Projects will help you clear out the 6 x 6 papers in your stash. Have fun making them and giving them away.

Dee