Cute corner bookmarks

I’ve been mostly neglecting the Green Lifestyle posts, particularly the ‘Arts, crafts & recycling’ section as I like to post pictures of what I made. Luckily for me (and you) I still have my friend’s camera for the day and I found a super quick & easy tutorial to share.

I’ve stated it before and I’ll say it again: I’m always short of bookmarks. Last year I posted a tutorial on how to create some Classy handmade bookmarks with the paper napkin transfer method – which I still make semi-regularly as gifts, as well as for myself (only semi-regularly cause my fear of hot or sharp objects around my fingers doesn’t seem to pass)  

Here are the latest creations, all done in less than five minutes!

Cute corner bookmarks

Scrap cardstock: white, colored, patterned, etc. – It’s a good idea to work with two different colored cardstock 
Craft glue
Scissors and paper pinking shears
Craft accessories, decorations
Pens and markers

Cut two 2×2 inch squares from the colored cardstock. Cut the corner off of the white (different colored) cardstock, then cut one of the squares in half diagonally to create a triangle.

Spread a thin layer of glue on one side of the triangle and fit the white cardstock inside, trimming it with pinking shears to create a decorative pattern along the edge.

Add a thin layer of glue along the two shorter edges of the triangle and press onto the square – this creates a pocket for the corner of your book.

Allow the glue to dry and your bookmark is ready to slip onto the corner of your page!

Happy crafting and reading!

In a lilac phase ;)

My camera is broken, so I couldn’t take photos of my newest crafts for a tutorial this week either… However, as January is International Creativity Month I wanted to post something crafty too this month.

 

Right before I left for Sicily in November, I bought a little wooden jewelry box to safely take some jewelry with me (and not have to search for them in my suitcase for hours on end after arrival).

As I sat down to beautify it, for some reason, the lilac paint I had started kicking, screaming and demanding to be used. And so I did.

I painted the jewelry box in four shades of lilac then decorated it with decoupaged Lilacs, a few plaster heart shaped magnets, a Yin-Yang candle holder and the frame of a wall picture decorated with a napkin I bought from Hungary this summer.

I love them all!

The jewelry box and wall picture have been decorated with the decoupage technique, and the magnets, candle holders and picture frame are plaster castings. Click here to read both techniques described in this post.

Handmade Christmas Crafts – Quick tutorial list

I kind of outdid myself last year and posted tutorials for a week’s worth of Christmas crafts

So this year I’ll list them here for your guys to have all  in one place for easier access (since I’ll be using the same methods). And I’ll only post a couple of new ones depending on my available free time before the holidays.

• Winter and Christmas window decorations #1 & Winter and Christmas window decorations #2

• Advent wreath or table centerpiece

• Christmas flower decorations

• Christmas gift bags

• Christmas tree decorations from plaster

• Christmas present gift tags and greeting cards

• Last Christmas special: Candle holders and wall pictures

Happy Christmas crafting everyone

What I’ve been crafting lately

Okay, so not technically a tutorial this week, but life has this annoying habit of butting in whenever I’d have a few spare minutes and fills them up with work and some more work
But thank goodness it does, or restless as I can get, I’d be in trouble!

Here’s what I crafted while in Hungary. There was an event in the first weekend, Tradition Keeping Days (to translate literally), and among other great things, there were stands with craft projects, one coordinated by my friend’s sister, for kids.

But you know me, always up for learning something new, so I made pen/pencil holders for my mom, grandparents and fiancé (after I got the hang of it I remained and helped my friend out with the kids) and at a different stand, a bead bracelet for myself.

 

After, well actually ever since I came home, I’ve been swamped with plaster crafts orders, especially with these wedding favors.

 

But last week I had a bit of extra time on my hands and also made something pretty for myself. Decorated a wooden jewelry box I bought from Hungary and two folder holders (courtesy of a friend) using the decoupage technique.

Rustic Decorative Bottles

I know what you’re thinking “She’s been back for a week now, and only one post…” right? Well my only excuse is that the acts of this life’s stage aren’t as simple and relaxing as one might expect, it takes a lot of work to be able to perform well (not to mention perfectly)

With that said, I’m back!

Since I love blogging yet not always have all the time in the world to do so, I like to keep things short whenever it’s possible. And this craft project is perfect for this fine Tuesday night (my time).

Rustic Decorative Bottles

different bottles (of interesting design)
dry crops like: beans, corn, peas, etc.
seeds like: mustard, watermelon, pumpkin, sunflower, etc.
cork

Clean your bottles and let them dry well.

Fill them up with the seeds and crops of your choice to create different layers, being careful so the smaller ones don’t mix with the bigger ones.

You can really use your imagination as to the crops, seeds, etc. you use, and the finished bottles will look great in your kitchen, or anywhere else in your house, resulting in a lovely rustic feel.

Handmade Notebook Covers

Those would be the old school kind of notebooks with paper and stuff, not the modern one I’m currently using to type this post

While searching for something I found (not what I was originally searching for, but) my old journals, and thought to myself: how on earth did I forget about these covers I’ve made? Probably cause I stopped writing a diary back in 2000 or because they were (obviously) hidden well (no, Sweetheart, I won’t tell you where, hence hidden ).

But as I came across them I knew I had to write a short tutorial to share with you guys, it’s an amazing way to recycle an old pair of jeans, or just clear out the clutter from leftover sewing projects.

Hope you find them as pretty and as easy to make as I do

Handmade Notebook Covers

notebook
piece of denim (from an old pair of pants, jacket, etc.), or basically any kind of denser fabric you have laying around
scissors, glue, needle, thread
decoration of your choice: buttons, paper art, stickers, ribbons, seashells, dried flowers, napkin (using the decoupage technique for fabric), etc.

There are more elaborate methods too if you’re into sewing, but here’s the simplest possible way:

Measure your notebook all the way around from front to back while closed then cut your fabric to the measured size and leave at least 3-4 cm-es extra sideways.

Fold onto the material until it’s the right size then sew the seam at the top and bottom so you’ll be forming a pocket for the covers to be held in, and you’re basically done.

Now sew on a pocket or two, readily made that you took off a jacket/pants or make your own, add your decorations and place your new covers on your now prettily personalized notebook.

Have fun!

(and please share photos when yours is done!)

Classy handmade bookmarks

I always run out of bookmarks… Always.

I love them, have a lot of different ones, but especially given that I keep most of my books at my mom’s and take what I’m currently reading to my fiancé’s, the bookmarks tend to get forgotten in the books I don’t have with me.

So, after a bit of research on the internet, while expanding my knowledge on decoupaging, I ran across the loveliest way of making my own classy bookmarks, plus I can make all sort of decorative paper from patterned paper napkins with the following paper napkin transfer method.

This one’s for all you avid readers out there

 

Classy handmade bookmarks

scribble pad (or a few separate pages)
plastic wrap
patterned paper napkins
iron
extra decoration to your liking: ribbons, tassels, buttons, etc.

Use a scribble pad to place on it a cardboard (cardstock, etc.) cut to the size you want your bookmark to be. On that place a piece of leftover plastic wrap you use in the kitchen, make sure it overlaps the whole surface of the cardboard. 

Cut a piece of napkin that’s slightly bigger than the cardboard, peel it apart like you do for regular decoupaging, keeping only the patterned layer (the rest can be repurposed while cleaning). Lay it on the plastic wrap covered cardboard, turn a few pages of paper over them (depends on how thick the paper is, I used two pages), set your iron to medium (I used an old iron we don’t iron with anymore; be careful not to get plastic on the iron if it’s your everyday iron) and go over the pages where the cardboard is for about 20-30 seconds, applying a bit of pressure. If need be you can go over it again later.

Turn the pages, if the plastic wrap is stuck to them don’t worry it peels right off, get your cardboard off of it, trim around the edges to get rid of the excess napkin and plastic wrap, and you’re done!

You can now start decorating your new bookmark, cardstock, etc.

I cut the edges with special pattern scissors and decorated my new bookmarks with ribbons, old interesting buttons, handmade tassels, roses, etc. Let your imagination go wild!

Happy crafting and happy reading!