DIY Weaved Paper Envelopes

I made this project for my month of mail project, but I really want to make a sheet of just as a weaved paper. The paper I used for the example is pretty old, a little brittle and thin, but despite that still worked well for this. I also made a more colorful envelope with some card stock. It bunched up a bit after folding, because of the paper's bulk, but I really love how it turned out. It'd be so nice to recieve one of these in the weaved paper envelopes in the mail...

You'll need:

Two sheets of 8 x 10" paper

Exacto blade

Ruler

Pencil & eraser

Glue 

Printer paper

Small rectangular envelope (as a guide)

Scissors

Bone folder

Tape (optional)

1. Cut one sheet of paper into .5 inch strips (or vary it up, if you like). If your paper has an image on it, keep your strips in order. 

2. On the second paper mark a .5 inch border around the edge of the paper with pencil. 

3. Cut .5 inch strips into the paper, making sure not to go over the .5 inch border around the edge. 

4. Weave the loose strips one by one into the cut slits on the second paper. Alternate lacing the strips over then under and you weave each strip and alternate over, under when starting a new strip.

5. If your paper is thin (like the vintage papers I used) glue a sheet of printer paper to the back of the weaved paper. If your paper is a thicker card stock (like the blue & creme example) you don't need a backing paper.

6. Use a small rectangular envelope as a guide to trace and make a grid on the back of the weaved paper. 

7. Cut the envelope out and cut away the four corner parts of the envelope. Angle the edges of the fold tabs on the sides on the envelope a bit.

8. Score the lines of the envelope with a ruler and bone folder. Fold the edges and glue or tape the edges.

Just in case you need to see these images larger, here is steps 6 & 7

Hope you give this a try! Let me know how it goes, ok?!

Have a great weekend!!

Weekend Project

DIY String Sculpture

I've had this idea of floating letters for awhile now and really wanted to make them. I'd love to make a wall of these letters- how amazing would that be? But you don't have to stick to letters. A silhouette, simple illustration or abstract shape would work nicely too. Now I just want to spend the day making string things.

For my test I made a miniature PMA (Positive Mental Attitude, which I've blogged about before) and I quite like this little positive affirmation. Nix (who makes drop dead beautiful drawings!) of Fernbeds suggested framing it in a shadow box, so now I'm on the hunt for a tiny shadow box.

Here's what you'll need:
Thread or Yarn - I used embroidery floss
Tracing paper
Pencil, eraser & Sharpie
Freezer paper
Tape - I love painters tape.
Cardboard piece that's as large as your sculpture
Sewing pins
Craft brush
Fabric stiffener - I used Stiffy Fabric Stiffener (insert chuckles here)

1. Braid three threads together to form a thicker string. 
2. Create your pattern on tracing paper using pencil and then trace over with sharpie. 
3. Flip over the tracing paper so that it's in reverse and layer over a piece of freezer paper, matte side up. Retrace with sharpie. You only need this step if you are making text or a pattern that is not symmetrical.
4. Tape the freezer paper, glossy side up, to your cardboard piece. Your pattern should read normally, not in reverse. Pin your thread to the cardboard following your pattern.
5. Paint the stiffener on with a craft brush until the treads are fully saturated. Set aside to dry over night. 
6. Once it's dry remove the pins and scrap away the excess stiffener on the edges of the thread. 
7. Hang with sewing pins or mount in a shadow box.

Here's a corner of my studio, my reminder to keep the pma.

Hope you're enjoying your weekend. Did you make anything?!

Weekend Project

Make Mail! DIY Button & String Envelope

Making and receiving good mail – not bills, not ads, no junk, but a hand written letter – is such a pleasure. I've always been smitten with stationery and office supplies, especially if it's vintage. I don't think I'm the only one who gets excited to shop for sticky notes, new pens and gummed labels!

I wanted to send a nice package to my mother. I wanted her to know that I was thinking of her and make her feel special, so I put together this little fun, creative care package. I got a bunch of little things at one of my favorite NY haunts, Kinokuniya, a Japanese book store, and shipped them to CA in a handmade button & string envelope. You can make yours any size- just use any envelope size as a template. Or you can use one of these wooden templates or these envelope template Illustrator files. This is the kind of envelope I used (6 x 9"), and lots more free templates here.


You'll need:

Paper or card stock (I used a vintage file folder)

Old envelope (for template)

Pencil/sharpie

Scissors

Ruler

Bone folder

Glue

1" circular punch

Eyelet & eyelet tool set

Craft or regular hammer

Cutting board

11" string (I used unwaxed linen thread)

1. Carefully open all the seams of an envelope that you'd like to recreate. This is your template. Place it over your own paper and trace the outline with a pencil or sharpie, and then cut out the shape.
2. Use a ruler and bone folder to score and fold the flaps of the envelope. 
3. Glue the sides and bottom flaps together. Don't use too much glue. Place a scrap piece of paper into the envelope, so you don't accidentally glue the envelope shut. 
4. Punch or cut out your button shapes. They don't have to be circular! Use your eyelet kit and hammer to punch holes in the center of your button shapes over a cutting board. (The eyelet punch will be round, hollow and has a sharp edge.)
5. Mark the envelope flap in the center where the top button will be. Your template envelope may have this measured for you. Punch a guide hole here with the same eyelet punch. Tie string around an eyelet. 
6. Place one button part over the eyelet tied with string, then place the flap over the button piece. Use the eyelet setting tool and hammer against the straight end of the eyelet. Don't tap the hammer too hard or you'll smash the eyelet too much. 
7. Mark where the second button will be placed about 1 inch from the first button on the flap. Insert a small cutting board or hard surface into the envelope. Punch the eyelet hole. Insert eyelet, then the second button shape, and set the eyelet. 

My favorite part are the little, vintage details: the gummed label, the screen printed label on the file folder, and of course the button & string closure...

Make someone's day and make them a good mail day package!! Have you ever received a surprise package that made your day? One year for my birthday some friends made me a package full of vintage goodness, embroidery threads, and even a tea pot!

Weekend Project

DIY Red Cross iphone Cross Stitch Case 


One obsession of my boyfriend's that I fully support is his love the red cross symbol. So, for christmas I made him this phone case. I don't often cross stitch, but after seeing a the cases at Purl Soho I wanted to give it a try. The case kit comes with a needle, a few thread colors, and some pretty lame patterns (think teddy bears and sports cars). I wanted a more masculine color scheme and a pattern that he would like. My inspiration came from an old military trunk in our bed room.

This project will take more than a weekend probably. I made this over a week or so and just enjoyed zoning out stitching it. My boyfriend has been using the case and while it has matted the stitches down from being in his pocket all the time, and is a bit darker now, it still looks pretty good. I do wish the case was a little firmer though. I really enjoyed making this (especially designing the pattern!), so maybe I need to make one for me too.

You'll need:
My pattern, see below
Leese Cross stitch case (comes with needle or 24 Tapestry needle)
DMC embroidery thread (535 gray, 347 red, 3051 green)
Scissors
Thimble

1. To start each piece of thread, knot the end of an arms length of 3 ply thread.  Start with red thread and locate the center point on the case (the yellow square on the pattern). Starting from the center out, use the tent stitch, which is basically one diagonal half of a cross stitch, and start stitching the large cross. Starting at the center makes it easier to count stitches and follow the pattern.                                                                                                      
2. To end a length of thread tuck your needle under a few stitches on the back side of the case and then cut the excess thread close to the case.
3. Stitch the circle, then the top and bottom bands (gray areas on pattern). Make sure to leave space for the little red cross on the bottom band. 
4. Stitch the small red cross in a 2 ply cross stitch. It's raised, and makes a nice detail.
5. Fill in the rest of the canvas in with 3 ply tent stitches. 

Note: If you want to make traditional cross stitches use a 2 ply thread. I used a tent stitch because the weave of the plastic mesh felt too tight, and I struggled with cross stitches. I tried 3 ply cross stitches on the very bottom rows (see pic below). It felt too tight and looked messy to me. Less thread would help, so try 2 ply.  

Another note: Once you're stitching you'll notice that the pattern is missing a row of stitches along the outer edge. I scanned the grid from the packaged directions provided by Leese, but since the outer most part of the weave was not intended for stitching it's not on the gird. BUT, I found that I could stitch through this part. It's a bit harder to push the needle through, so try using a thimble.  I liked that the stitches now covered the entirety of the case without a bit of the weave showing on the outer edge.

So, you gonna try this or what? I wanna see if you do!

p.s I thought I was so clever with my "Weekend Projects" title, but I guess it's been awhile since I've been to Poppytalk, cause they have a recurring feature of the same name. I really like having a weekly DIY project to share, so then what do I call this recurring feature on my blog?! Halp!

Weekend Project

 Vintage wooden spool photo holders...

Got these spools on a whim at Brimfield. I just loved the color of the wood, the vintage labels, and I saw lots of potential in them. Their size is perfect for my collection of vintage photo booth pictures. My nerd girl heart is totally geeking out on these- tiny old pics in tiny old wooden spools!

For Renegade Brooklyn I sawed a line across birch stumps for item signage. Remembering that, brought me to this project, wooden spool photo holders. They don't have to be vintage, these vintage-like spools would work too, and you can stain the wood.

It's easy to make these, but using a hacksaw requires lots of patience and of course, be extra super careful! The hardest part for me was making smooth back and forth motions to cut the wood. The blade kept jumping around, which caused the paper labels to get a little messed up (bummed me out). So, take it real slow.


You'll need:
Wooden spools
Pencil
Ruler
Vice grip (optional, totally helpful!)
Hacksaw
Photographs

1. Mark the spools diagonally with a pencil and ruler.
2. Hold the spool in place, or even better use a vice grip if you have one (I didn't have this). Drag the saw along the pencil guide line in one direction until you make a distinct groove in the wood.
3. Saw slowly back and forth until the groove is about 1/4" deep.  Be careful, the blade can jump out of the groove and mark the spool or even cut you if you're not careful.
4. Slide your photo in. If the photo is falling forward, place some cardboard behind the picture to hold it in place.

Hope you try this out & if you do then, tell me, tell me, tell me! More make!

Happy Weekend...

Weekend project...

For the longest time I've wanted to make this and fiiiiinally, I did! We inherited an ugly potted plant from previous tenants and I've always hated the puke yellow color of the vase. I got the idea of covering the vase in vintage book papers that I've been collecting for awhile. Shout outs to Red Line Vintage for helping me hoard these papers, thank you!

So, to make this is really easy, a little messy, but so easy and fast. It's a perfect weekend project.....

You'll need:
Newspaper or wax paper to cover your work surface
Vase to cover
Foam brush
Paper
Mod Podge

1. Clean the surface of the vase, and cover your work surface. 
2. With a foam brush saturate the surface of the vase (only where the paper will be placed) & the back of the paper with Mod Podge.  It's good to saturate the surface of both the vase and paper to help smooth out bubbles. Smooth with your fingers - you'll get glue all over your fingers! 
3. Work in sections, so the Mod Podge doesn't dry out. You might have to work with the vase upside down to cover the bottom part of the vase. 
4. Wrap papers around indents- the more saturated the paper is the easier it'll be to smooth around edges. 
5. I left the papers at the top of the vase standing (not tucked around the rim of the vase) to dry. Cut them later, after it dries.  
6. Once the papers are on, smooth on another thick layer of Mod Podge to seal the papers. 
7. Let it dry for a few hours or overnight. Once the papers are fully dried, cut the paper around the edge of the vase with an exacto blade. 

Let me know if you try something like this. Of course it doesn't have to be a vase it could be anything really...

Yay, for more making!