Using Last Years Christmas Cards

    Every Christmas I get a pile of greetings cards from my thoughtful and loving friends and family. For many years I've tried to save them, but they collect so quickly and I always ended up having to put them in the recycling bin. It just seemed so wasteful.
    A few years ago, I got the greatest idea from my Grandmother. Instead of purchasing Gift Tags from the store, she would use the greeting cards from the year before to tag her gifts. Isn't that just the smartest idea ever? Not only are you saving money, but your reusing a product that close friends and family members took the time and care to send you.
    You can make these as simple or as fancy as you want. I kept it on the simpler side today to show you how it can be done without a bunch of scrapbooking supplies.
   
Homemade Gift Tags:

Materials:

Old Christmas Cards
Label stencil
Scissors
Hole Punch
Assorted Stamps
Assorted Ink Colors
Ribbon, optional

Directions:
1) Trace a label stencil onto the unused portion of the greeting card.

2) Cut along the line you have created.

3) Using a stamp, decorate the label to your liking.

Ink

Stamp

Color

5) Add embellishment, such as ribbon.

Add ribbon

Curl ribbon

 

Crafts from the Kitchen

    Last year I got the greatest idea from a girlfriend of mine (If you're reading this you know who you are). She made a batch of Gingerbread Cookies and turned them into Christmas Tree decorations. I thought it was the cutest thing.
    So this year I decided to do the same and share the idea with all of you...

Gingerbread Christmas Tree Ornaments:

Materials:
1 batch of Gingerbread Cookies
1 batch of Confectioners Frosting
Approximately 6 feet of twine
medium sized Ziploc Bags
Assorted icing tips and couplers
Assorted food colors
1 - straw
scissors

Directions:
1) Bake a batch of Gingerbread Cookies. While making the Gingerbread Cookies, be sure to add a hole for the twine using a straw.

2) Slice a corner off the bottom of a ziploc bag. Fit with icing tip and coupler.

You will need as many Ziploc Bags,
as you want colors of icing.

3) Fill the ziploc bag with colored icing.

4) Begin decorating.
5) Let the frosting dry for a few hours and then add the twine.

* I made these cute Gingerbread men for the pine Garland in my Kitchen...

...and these Christmas Tree's, for my Christmas Tree.

*Alternately you could use these for Gift Tags. Just pipe names on the cookies, and add them to the gift.

Reversible Placemats

    I'm one of those people who needs  prefers to have a special place setting for every occasion or type of cuisine that I might be preparing (I can be a bit of a stickler for detail). Now, I could just hunt down and buy the table cloths, place mats and matching napkins but I much prefer to create them myself. This way I am getting exactly what I want instead of whatever the store happens to have in stock. This is something I am sure I get from my darling Grandmother.
    I guess I should start by saying that my Grandmother recently passed away. She was a magnificent woman who made a living as a professional seamstress, crafter, quilter etc...you name it, and she could do it. After her passing, the ladies of the family (myself included), were organizing and sorting through her belongings, more specifically her Craft Room. I came across an unfinished set of place mats. I'm not sure who she had in mind when she began making them, but I thought it would be nice to finish them for her. I love you Grandma.

Making your own Place mats:

6 reversible place mats

Materials:

• 2 contrasting pieces of material of standard width (45") and about 60" long. (I always buy extra for things like napkins and such)
• A piece of batting, the same size as the material (45" x 60")
• thread to match the fabric (Guterman thread is my personal favourite)
• sewing machine
• straight pins
• scissors
• cutting mat
• rotary cutter
• a long ruler with a thick edge
• seam ripper

Materials

Directions:
(1) Iron the fabric free of creases and wrinkles.
(2) From each piece of material, cut 6 place mat sized pieces. Using a cutting mat, rotary cutter and thick edged ruler, measure the material and cut accordingly. Each piece should be 14 1/2" x 20".

12 contrasting pieces of material cut to
14 1/2" x 20"

(3) Lay a piece of the pre-cut material on top of the batting and repeat step 2 by cutting the batting to size.

You can cut down on time by cutting two pieces at once.
Fold the material and batting so it is overlaps,
and cut. Ensure you start from the edge of the material.
This will prevent any material wastage.

(3) Once you have all the material cut to size, create an assembly line.

(4) Begin layering the material. The batting must be on the bottom, if you are using a solid color, place that in the middle, and the patterned piece on top. (Please Note: If the patterned piece of material is one sided you must turn it upside down as seen below.)

Bottom- Batting,
Middle- Solid,
                            Top- patterned (turned upside down)



(5) Begin fastening the material together using the straight pins.

Place the straight pins perpendicular to
the fabric.

(6) Next it's time to break out the sewing machine. Place the place mat under the foot of the sewing machine. While sewing, guide the edge of the place mat under the foot, and ensure the seams stays
even with the edge of the foot. This will guarantee a straight seem the whole way around the place mat.
(Please Note:  Do not sew the entire way around. You must leave an unsewn gap of about 6" to turn the place mat right side in.)

 

(7) Trim the edges with a rotary cutter.

(8) Turn the place mat right side in.

(9) Iron the edges smooth.

(10) Straighten, and fold under the material in the unsewn space. Pin it together with straight pins.

Place the pins perpendicular to the material.



(11) Begin hand stitching the opening close. You will find it easier if you begin sewing from right to left. Remove the pins as you sew. (Sewing from left to right, will cause the thread to tangle around the straight pins.)

While hand stitching, stay as close to the
edge as possible.

(12) Begin creating the edging around the place mats using your sewing machine. Place them one by one, under the foot of the sewing machine so the edge of the placemats are aligned with the edge of the foot. Sew the entire way around each of them.

(13) Once finished, create another seam in the middle, parallel to the first seam.

(14) And there you have it. Six reversible placemats.