Repurposed Mini Boxes

My son has been ordering car parts left and right .

A recent order contained these two small boxes.

As I was going to crush them to recycle, 

I had the thought to recover them with 

wrapping paper to use a containers for

Christmas gifts for the nephews.
Sure, it would have been easier just to wrap
the boxes as a small gift box,
but I have a tendency to make more work
for myself. I try to create something that
I hope is a bit more special to the recipient.

I opened up the boxes, laid them out on the gift wrap,

traced them, cut out the paper then glued it to the boxes.

Die cut felt deer were added to the tops. 

They were then filled with candy - and cash!

Thanks for looking =) 

Paint Brush/Can Fun Money Gift Tutorial

So I told a fib, I did make a few more things this month that I hadn't planned on originally ;)

This little pail was clear plastic 

except for the top and bottom.

It contained 30 plain gift tags and twine.

I bought it for $3 at the Dollar Spot in Target a year or so ago.

I covered it with papers from Stampin' Up!

and added some embellishments. 

This ribbon and brad tab on the lid was meant to help

open the lid. Good idea, but it didn't work as
well as I had hoped. The lid is too snug. 

Now here is the really fun surprise hidden 

among the chocolates that fill the can:

a "paper engineered" paint brush with

real money for the bristles !!!! 

 I like how it turned out for the most part,

even though it is misshapen ;)

I hand drew and cut out with scissors the paintbrush.

I made a 1 1/8" wide x 11" long strip for the sides.

I cut slits along both 11" sides to help fit it around

the paint brush shape. 

I also scored the entire length of both long edges;

the snips were just up to the score line.

A strip of metallic silver was embellished with

dry embossing using a stylus and scoring board.

It was wrapped around the finished paintbrush

and adhered into place. 

The tightly rolled bills were inserted into a straw that I cut

into 1" long pieces. They are attached with heavy duty tape.

The money will not be damaged and can be

easily slid out of the straws. 

I hope my Mom likes this silly little gift !

It is meant to be money for her to put towards

having her kitchen repainted,

thus the paint can / paint brush theme ! 

Check out some more fun money gift ideas

 I've shared here. 

Thanks for looking and 

MERRY CHRISTMAS !

Grad Card Money Holder

Outside

Inside

envelope

I used various retired Stampin' Up! stamp sets, inks, card stocks and dies

to create this money (check!) holder card.

I also used a clear alphabet set for the name and year. 

I outlined portions of the word "grad" with a coordinating marker
 and added a few highlights with a white gel pen .

The sparkly yellow ink on the "G" is from a set of markers my Mom found

for me at Office Depot. It is attached to a strip of card stock that
wraps around the card  with a dimensional / pop dot.

Dimensions you ask ? I didn't write them down, sorry !
I laid a blank check on a piece of card stock then
made marks where I wanted it to fold.
Trimmed, scored and punched a half circle
in the center of the pocket portion.
The two side edges of the pocket portion are adhered with glue.

Thanks for looking =)

I'm entering my card in the following challenges:
Love To Scrap Challenge Blog #78 - Anything Goes
Through The Craft Room Door Anything Goes May 17-23

Money Bouquet

Bouquet of roses made from real paper money !

A cousin of mine was diagnosed with brain cancer,

so monetary donations were accepted to help her family out.

 Remembering the money bouquet I made for her own

 daughter's bridal shower a few years ago,

an Aunt asked I make one for this particular cousin.

I wrapped a mason jar with a scrap of purple 

shimmery fabric from my years old stash.

A rubber band was used to hold the fabric in place

around the neck of the jar.

I then tied yellow grosgrain ribbon around it.

Not only did this dress up the vase, it hid the rubber band.

The tag was made with inks and stamps from Stampin' Up!

Yellow tissue paper was used as filler between the roses.

Roses made from dollar bills tutorial HERE.

I'm entering my rose bouquet made from real money

in the following challenges. Take a moment to look at

all of the fabulous design team projects and entries!

Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

pdelinkyparty.blogspt.com - Anything Goes

Crafting By Designs - Anything Goes

Thanks for looking ! 

 *  EDITED TO ADD BASIC STEP BY STEP PHOTOS  *

Easiest way to make the stems:

pull apart a cheap set of flowers.

You'll need crisp bills, floral wire and floral tape.

Wrapped wire isn't necessary, it's just what 

I hand on hand and used for this bouquet.

Choose a container and insert foam

in the base to hold the flowers, filler items.

I hot glued mine in place.

Making the petals.

Four or five petals per rose plus a center piece.

Stack the petals, alternating placement

and wrapping with wire between each addition.

Use a sharp tool to poke a hole in the plastic calyx

if there isn't enough room to run the wires between

the stem and the hole in the base of the calyx.

Wrap the ends of the wire onto the stem with

the floral tape.

I chose to use tissue paper as filler

on this particular bouquet.

I used old picks from my stash.

Fancy Cash Envelope Gift

Wow, was it late and the light not the best in the craft dungeon

when I started this project: I didn't realize the decorative paper was pink !

I made the envelope and band, then when I was going to attach the

poinsettia flower (leftover from my photo frame card project last year)

I realized it was pink !  I decided to go ahead and finish it off,

finding a pink card stock in my stash that coordinated well enough

to heat emboss and cut out the MOM letters on. 

The project details:

Decorative paper is from an old Die Cuts With A View

Christmas paper stack, 12"x 12'.

Pink, black and silver card stocks from Stampin' Up!

Lightweight red, green and yellow card stocks, unsure of manufacturer.

Stamp set and scallop edge paper punch, Stampin' Up!

Poinsettia die, cricut.com

Gray grosgrain ribbon, Walmart.

I found logos (and had to make some) to local restaurants

that my Mom likes to eat out at with her friends. 

I sized them onto regular printer paper, printed them out

then attached $10 bills to each one (with an extra $20 in back). 

The idea is for her to use them when she goes out to lunch !

Of course she can use them on whatever she'd like. 

I printed and cut the pieces of paper first, 

then used the dimensions to determine how big to 

make the envelope from a single sheet of 12"x 12"paper. 

Really quite easy to do, no pattern necessary. 

I'll be giving this to her tonight at our bittersweet get together:

our first Christmas without my Dad.

I almost forgot to share another one I made:

Thanks for looking and

Merry Christmas  ! 

Gift Card Holder Candy Box Santa Suit

A little something for my nephews - 

boxed candy with Santa Suit gift card holders

attached to the front !

I wrapped the candy boxes with lightweight red paper

(the type that is used in printers).

I used the same paper to make the "cards"

with scraps of card stock for trim.

I started with an approximately 3 1/8" wide by 11" long

piece of paper. Each end was folded in about 2 5/8".

If you make these, be sure to measure your box of candy

to decide what size the card/money holder will need to be.

I paper punched each long side of a scrap of white card stock

that was 1 1/4" wide and long enough to trim to fit

the gift card holder front. 

The white scallops create the trim on Santa's coat.

The belt and buckle can be made several ways.

A premade ribbon slide and ribbon would be easiest.

If you have two square paper punches or dies that are

"nesting" in size , punch one then punch the other

around it to create a square frame and glue it over the belt.

I don't have two small squares to do this, so I used an Xacto

to cut two slits into a square of silver card stock then slid

a strip of black card stock through it. 

The top portion tucks under the belt to stay closed. 

I glued along the side edges of the red bottom portion

to create a pocket to hold money or a gift card.

I then adhered the belt/buckle with half of it sticking above 

the edge of the red so there would be a flap to tuck the top under.

I'm entering my Santa Suit candy box cover gift card holder into the
Anything Goes Christmas Challenge at Crafty Hazelnut

as well as Anything Goes Christmas Linky Party at Scrapbook Blessings Club.

and Anything Goes Christmas at Holly Jolly Challenges.


Thanks for looking and Happy Holidays !

Paper Photo Frame Wedding Gift - tutorial

Surprise !

Not only is this a photo frame,

it is a gift card/cash holder "card"!

The challenge this month at 
Anything But A Card is
Out and About - celebrate nature, your favorite place, 
World Environment Day June 5th, the seasonal colors at your place,
 having fun outdoors.
Use these ideas to create a project to share with us
at Anything But A Card.
To be eligible for a Top Pick,
please do not enter your project in more
than three other challenges. 



June weddings abound here,
many of them are held outdoors.
Flowers are also in full bloom.
I made a photo frame, with a twist,
 for a wedding gift.



I made this from scratch, no pattern
or instructions to follow.
I'll try to give you the basics here if 
you'd like to make your own.
The finished size is a 5 x 7 frame
that holds a 3 x 5 photo . 






Start with a 12" x 12" piece of card stock.
Cut one piece 5 x 10
and another 5 x 7.


You will want to score on the 5 x 10 piece at
1/2",   7 1/2 ",   8 1/2",   9 1/2".

This shows the folds.

Each end folds toward you, the front.
Fold the 8 1/2" score the same.
Flip it over then fold the 7 1/2 and 9 1/2 up.
This should make a sort of "zig zag"'fold , mountains and valleys.
This creates the base of the frame.
The two 1/2" scored ends will be glued to the back
of the 5 x 7 piece to create the back of the frame.
Look at the side view photo above for reference. 

Supplies I used to make the flowers,
nearly all were from Stampin' Up!:
Spiral flower die , small flower punch (I don't remember the exact name),
Taken With Teal and Pumpkin Pie card stocks,
Midnight Muse and Tangerine Tango inks,
sponge, bone folder to curl petals,
stylus to smoosh the center of the small flower to indent it,
quilling tool (not from Stampin' Up!) to tightly roll
strips of Daffodil delight card stock for the centers of the orange flowers

Pieces to decorate the front.

I think the designer paper name from Stampin' Up!

is Sycamore Street ? Not sure though.......

The colors are very near what they chose

to use for the wedding. 

Completed "bouquet".
Old Olive card stock and Always Artichoke ink
were used to create the leaves.
They were cut with the two step bird punch from Stampin' Up!
and a die from Sizzix.
I sponged Midnight Muse ink onto the larger rose.
 The smaller rose (just used a portion of the die cut flower)
was left as is.

 Back of "photo corner" bouquet.

It was created from a scrap leftover when I die cut

the Top Note die thinking I was going to use

it as a mat for the photo, then decided against it . 

I cut a portion of the scrap piece out (why there is that

fancy cut edge on it), made it into a triangle,

scored and folded in 1/4" along the edges,

attached double stick tape to the two edges.

You want to only put adhesive on the two straight edges

so that you can slip a mat and photo into

the corner , under the flower bouquet. 

Think of it as a large photo corner mount. 

Making the back pocket with

two sizes of oval dies.

Be sure to use the larger die on the top piece,

smaller die on the bottom mat (if you are using two)

so that the oval mat opening is smaller,

creating a colored mat for the larger oval opening

on the top printed piece. 

I just eyeballed them up (after making a center mark)

 then held them in place with some tape while die cutting. 

Luckily it worked well !

 Attach three sides of the pocket with double stick tape

to the back of the frame. Be sure to leave the top open,

unglued if you wish to make it a pocket to insert a

removable tag.

That's the "twist" to my project :

I inserted the gift of heart shaped origami folded money 

for the bride and groom

in this pocket along with a handwritten note of well wishes,

 so it is a gift - and card - in one !

Experimenting with a tag topper punch (Stampin' Up!).
I shoved an entire piece of card stock, wider than the 2" opening
that it is designed for, in to see if it would cut . It worked well
enough. I then trimmed away the side pieces and used a
corner rounder punch on the corners.
I glued on a piece of organdy ribbon at the top.

Lastly I origami folded two bills into hearts
and attached them to the extra large tag/card
that I slid into the pocket.

Thanks for looking =)
Be sure to check the Anything But A Card
challenge blog each week this month for additional
various projects from the creative team as well as
projects submitted by other crafters.
Go create and enter one, too -
you have until June 28th.