Shaker-style Gift Boxes

For summertime gifts.

... or a big headstart on Christmas crafting.

These Shaker-Style mini gift boxes are right any time of year. So, I've styled them two ways: all-occasion floral decoration or Christmassy/Wintertime. 

The boxes are quick and easy to make - there's a tutorial later on in this post.

Here are your free downloads:
Shaker-StyleBasketFlowers.pdf 
Shaker-StyleChristmasBasketA.pdf
Shaker-StyleChristmasBasketB.pdf
Shaker-StyleChristmasBasketA.svg
Shaker-StyleChristmasBasketB.svg

For the flower baskets, I've just given you a .pdf. The shapes are easy enough to cut out by hand. Use a craft knife held against a ruler for the handles. Cut inside the outlines.

Of course, once you have downloaded the Shaker Box files, you can enlarge the pattern templates to make bigger boxes.

Shaker Box Mini-Tut:

1. Cut out the pattern pieces and score the folds. Use a fine embossing tool held against a metal straightedge. On the basket lid, score fold lines down the centre of the lid and across each tab. On the base, score across the base of all the tabs. On the side pieces, score the base of the tab. Remember to pierce the brad holes, if necessary.

2. Next, glue the side piece tabs onto either side of the base. The little tabs belong inside. Make sure that the decorated sides face outwards.

3. Thread a brad through the holes on the first side in the following order: both handles, right side of box, left side of box, lid tab, box base tab. On the inside of the box, spread open the brad wings, like so:

4. Next, repeat the operation for the remaining side. It is a little bit tricky getting inside the box to spread the wings on the second brad, but not in a ship-in-a-bottle league! You can (carefully) use scissor-tips to spread the brad wings if you need an assist reaching the brad inside the box interior. Here's a pic of the job, done:

Note: no need to glue the little tabs on the inside of the box. They are pretty secure as they are.

5. Separate the handles and spread them apart. Lastly, add craft thread ties to the holes on the lid and the base. Tie into bows.

These boxes make sweet party favours. 

Lacy Loopy Flowers

I had a couple of card blanks left over from the previous project, so I thought I'd do another idea using the same backgrounds. These Lacy Loopy Flowers can be layered and interlooped. Mix 'em/match 'em. Go wild.

I'll tell you why I did this project today: the Lacy Loopy Flowers remind me a bit of snowflakes. And that makes me think cooler - even though the temperature is sky high!

Here are the downloads:
LacyLoopyFlowers.svg

Have fun. Go loopy.

Mirror Magic: Papercraft Shisha Embroidery Tutorial

Boat-shaped gift bags adorned with mock shisha embroidery.

The boat-shaped bag base.

Two sizes. They are supposed to look like straw beach bags. Retro!

Infinite combos of borders and "mirrors".

Use the mirrors and borders for card-crafting.

Add a message tag to complete the card.

Festive fiesta colours - an alternative to the girly stuff.

I've always loved Indian mirror embroidery - shisha work. Today's project provides you with freebies to make unlimited numbers of mock-embroidered designs with borders and mirror motifs.

In real shisha embroidery, a mirror tile is caught in a net of stitches, then buttonhole stitch is worked around the edges to secure the mirror to the fabric. Additional stitched embellishment may be added. For the papercraft version, you simply pop a paper mirror disc under the prongs of the surround (or glue the mirror onto the decorative base).

For the mirrors, you can use metallic cardstock or paper. I have used both Frosted Silver Canford Card and Centura pearlescent paper.

The designs are kind of fiddly so this is a digi-cut project. If you don't have a digital cutter, you can approximate the look by cutting the mirror discs with a circle punch and the surrounds and trims with decorative edging scissors or border punches as appropriate. I have supplied a .pdf of the gift bags because they can easily be crafted by hand. The .pdfs of the mirrors and trims are for reference - so you can design your own handcrafted versions if you don't have a digital cutting machine.

Here are your free downloads for the mirrors, trims, gift bags and card blank, and greetings tags:
Mirrors.svg 
Trims.svg 
Boat-ShapedGiftBag.svg 
CardBlankSelect.svg 
GreetingsTagsMedallions.svg
Boat-ShapedGiftBagSelect.pdf 
Trims.pdf 
Mirrors.pdf 
GreetingsTagsMedallions.pdf 

Now for the tut:

There are three styles of mirrors: for Style A (Basic Shisha), you simply pop a paper mirror disc under the prongs of the base surround. Use a small mirror disc. Style B (Faux Embroidered Surround) uses a slightly larger mirror disc which is glued onto a pinked circular base. The fancy surround is glued on top. In Style C, a mock blanket stitch effect is created by gluing a notched surround onto a contrasting backing circle. Clever use of negative space (tah dah). A small mirror disc is inserted under the prongs of the notched circle before gluing to the base. (Spot the deliberate mistake - the pic above shows a larger disc. Oops.)

Style A:

1) Apply a sparing dab of tacky glue onto the base shape.

2) Insert the mirror disc under the prongs. Easy!

Style B:

 1) The mirror disc for this style is slightly larger.

2) Apply tacky glue sparingly around the inside of the decorative ring.

 3) Glue the ring, centred, over the mirror disc.

Style C:

 1) This style consisted of a notched topper and a circular base.

2) The mirror disc has been inserted into the topper in the usual way. The topper is then glued onto the contrast-coloured base, centred. Result: a mock blanket-stitched border around the mirror disc.

Boat-Shaped Gift Bag

1) Pattern pieces cut out and prepped. Lightly score the folds with an embossing tool. Mark the strap placement. Fluff the fringe on the straps.

2) I've used double-side tape for a speedy demo - you can use tacky glue in the indicated areas. (Glue as you go, not all at once.)

3) Fix on the straps. Prime each strap before you attach it - run it between your fingers to shape the strap into a curve.

4) Slide the tab of the base under the centre bag front.

5) Attach the tabs, bending the bag front to fit. It's a perfect fit. Repeat for the bag back.

6) Finally, tuck in the side flaps and fix them in place, aligning carefully.

Note: decorate the bag front prior to assembly. You can place border trims under the straps - it looks fine.

That's it for the papercraft shisha tutorial. You can used the mirrors and trims for zillions of different projects. Enjoy!

Here's one last beauty shot:

... lastly: thanks to patient Leah, who did the photo-shoot despite feeling exceedingly meh with a sore throat!

"Hair Accessory" Paper Clips

These paper "paper clips" are inspired by hair accessories.

Holes are punched in the paper, and the clip fastens the layers together.

These are notecards. Here, the "clips" are decorative, not functional.

To fasten the notecard, stick on a Dodz above the paper strip. You'll be able to open and close the notecard without tearing it!

Smaller size of clips used to fasten paper "dogear-style".

More dogears!

To fasten the clip, you pass the strip through the holes in the decoration (and the paper).

Dogear fastening: punch holes as shown.

Dogear: the border is printed on the top right of the flip side of the paper.

The placement guide helps to position the holes.

Ribbon metrage gift presentation idea.

These pretty "paper paperclips" are inspired by hair accessories - the clasp-and-rod type used to fasten ponytails. To secure multiple sheets of paper, just punch holes in the paper placing them to correspond with the holes in the ornamental clasp. Weave the fastener stick under and up through all layers. Voilà! The paper is fastened.

Here are downloadable digi-cut files for the "Hairclips":
Hairclips.svg 

I've given you an.svg for the hairclips and the hole placement guide (size them as desired), and studio files for two sizes of hairclips plus the papers to go with them. The larger clips fit the shaped pages/notecards. The smaller clips fit the dogear pages.

To make the clips, use a substantial weight of paper - like American Crafts cardstock. The paper must be flexible so you can weave the fastener strip through the paper layers.

These paper paperclips can come in very handy. Run out of paperclips? Just digi-cut some. Don't you just love being a maker?!

Thanks to Leah for taking the pics.