DIY Gift Bags

Gifts bags are expensive and sometimes you need one and just don't have time to go and buy one.  Well they are easy to make in a jiffy with items you probably already have on hand.

Here's what you will need:

Scrapbook paper (or any pretty paper you have)

glue stick

ribbon for handles

hole punch (or sharp pencil to make the hole for the handles)

Since Valentine's Day is around the corner, I decided to use some of my favorite Valentine's Day scrapbook paper.  I used a 12"x12" sheet and cut off four inches to make it 8"x12".

Then on the back side I drew out lines as in the photo above.  First I folded the top 1" down.  Then I folded all of the vertical solid lines and did an additional fold on the dotted lines.

After I glued it together in step four, I folded the bottom like I would wrap a gift and glued it as well.  Then I punched two holes on each side and added some left over pink ribbon.  

A heart embellishment for Valentine's Day and my gift bag was done!

In less than ten minutes I had a cute little gift bag.  If you want to make a bigger gift bag, you would just adjust all of the measurements up. 

I can't wait to hear what you think of my little gift bags.  

Don't forget to stop back tonight for my Winter Blues Wednesday party.

The party opens at 8pm EST.  Hope to see you then.

-Judy

Sharing with Savvy Southern Style

Valentine's Day Vignettes

I finally got around to decorating my home for Valentine's Day.  It's always been one of my favorite days of the year.  I used what I already had in the house and just mixed it up a bit.

Starting in the entryway...I used the LOVE blocks I made last year to create this vignette.

Here is a close-up.

Upstairs I created a crafty vignette with a LOVE banner, mailbox, pinwheels and the crochet edged heart I made last year.

The pinwheels are my favorite.

How about you...do you decorate for Valentine's Day?

-Judy

Valentine's Day Craft and Decorating Ideas

With Valentine's Day less than a month away, I thought it would be fun to share some craft and decorating ideas.  I'm looking forward to putting together some new Valentine's Day vignettes for this year, but until then, here are some crafty ideas from past years that I have created.  

These LOVE boxes and the boxes in the glass vase are quick and easy to make.  The boxes are so versatile and can be used for so many different things.

Click here for the tutorial.  

A pretty pink and white topiary sets the stage for any Valentine's vignette.  Click here for the tutorial. 

These cute pinwheels and crochet edged heart are also easy to make.  

Putting them all together makes for a LOVEly mantel. 

 You can click here for the tutorial.

How about you - have you started your Valentine's Day decorating?

Don't forget to stop back tonight for my Winter Blues Wednesday party.

The party opens at 8pm EST.  Hope to see you then.

-Judy

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day
celebrating with someone special you love.

What's the perfect cake to make for Valentine's Day?

Red velvet cake...of course.

Please stop by
Favorite Paint Colors
where my dining room is being featured today.

Don't forget to stop back tonight for my Winter Blues Wednesday. 

The party opens at 8pm EST.  Hope to see you then.

-Judy

Valentine's Day Mantle

This weekend I spent some time creating a very "crafty" Valentine's Day mantle.  

I love it's simplicity.

From it's LOVE banner...

to the "love nest" I created (my favorite part)...

to the pinwheels I made ...

 which sit in crystal candlestick holders...

to the vase with the flower topiary made from paper punched-out flowers...

to my special Valentine's Day mailbox...

this mantle is filled with LOVE.

Isn't that what it's all about?
I guess that's why Valentine's Day is one of my favorite days.

This mantle rounds out my Valentine's Day decor. 

Make sure you stop back tomorrow when I will share with you tutorials on everything I crafted.

Thank you so much for stopping by.
Can't wait to hear what you think of my mantle.
I always love and appreciate your comments.

-Judy

Sharing with Adventures in Dinner

Another Valentine's Vignette and Topiary Tutorial

I'm not done with my Valentine's Day decorating yet.  

This time I created a vignette on my upstairs hallway table.

I knew I wanted to create a topiary, but wasn't sure what I was going to use to make it.  Then I looked in my gift wrap drawer and was inspired.

I created the topiary using tissue paper I had in the house (previously used in fact).

Here's what you need to create your own topiary:

4 sheets of tissue paper (I used two light pink, one hot pink and one white)

styrofoam ball

straight pins

candlestick (or a little vase would work well too)

First I cut two inch wide strips of tissue paper.

Starting at one end I gathered the tissue paper and gathered it as I turned it in my fingers.

I kept gathering it and turning it.

You really can't mess this up...you just keep gathering it until it resembles a rose.

Depending on how tight you gather it will determine the fullness of the flower.

Then using a straight pin, I simply attached the flower from it's base  

(where I was holding it with my fingers) into the styrofoam ball.

I continued to do this until almost all of the styrofoam ball was covered with flowers.

Then I simply sat it on top of a crystal candlestick holder.  

Easy peasy!!  I promise.

So pretty, yet so simple.

As for the rest of the vignette, I looked around my home and gathered anything with hearts.  

All I did was cut the striped paper to fit the frame and then cut out the birds 

and the LOVE into a smaller square.   Then I just

placed it into the silver frame I already had.

I also had a crystal heart frame.  I cut a pink heart out of the left over scrapbook 

paper and placed it in the frame as a background.  Then I hung some heart

 jewelry I own over the frame.

To finish it off, I used left over fabric and laid it over the table as a tablecloth.  

It's amazing what you can find in your own home.  

Cost of this vignette - free.

There's still time to enter the giveaway for vinyl wall quotes. Click here to enter.

I can't wait to hear what you think of my Valentine's Day vignette.  

I always love and appreciate your comments.

-Judy

Participating in Tablescape Thursday