Make This Easy Last Minute Advent Calendar

Here is an easy last minute Advent Calendar that anyone can make. This project uses vintage book pages, but you can use pretty scrap book paper, as well.

It is so easy to create these pretty little advent envelopes.

How to Make a Paper Mache Starfish

I adore paper mache. When it comes to crafting, I would go so far as to say it's my first love. Since we've moved to more humid climes, however, I've found that my projects don't dry quickly (or at all) on their own.

I've learned to compensate by using the oven and putting drying racks over heat vents. Another way I compensate is by finding ways to keep my armature from getting too wet.

Star Tutorials You Must Try for Fourth Of July!

Are you ready for the Fourth of July?  It's always been one of my favorite holidays. In the sweet little Colorado town where we raised our kiddos, there was a kid's parade and an orchestra performance in a lovely old town park.  In the evening, families would grab their blankets and walk up the hill to the golf course for a great fireworks display. Here in Seattle, the best viewing is from a boat on Lake Union. Folks take their boats out early and anchor. They swim and cook on the grill during the day, then snuggle in for the fireworks at dusk.

If you've read my blog for long, you know I love stars!

Make a Chinese New Year Wreath!

We recently received an invitation to celebrate the Chinese New Year with some friends who moved here from China. I went to Chinatown to purchase some red envelopes for the children who will attend the party, but while I was there I was so inspired by all the pretty papers and colors in Chinatown!

We used to live in the neighborhood, but I had forgotten how much we enjoyed living there. Our Chinatown is also known as the International District, and represents a lovely mix of cultures. As I walked around, I was reminded of the night my husband and I ate green tea ice cream in our new apartment -- the only utensils we could find were lobster forks, so that is what we ate ice cream with. Now, on special occasions, we always eat ice cream with lobster forks.

I walked a bit  more and remembered how my son used to play Go and chess with some older gentlemen in the neighborhood at a local restaurant when he was between semesters.  They were so gracious to teach him, and somewhat amused that this young man with wild platinum hair, ivory skin, and pale blue eyes would want to sit and and play board games with them in the evenings.

I remembered watching a young boy learning to ride his bicycle in a communal courtyard, the same courtyard where local dance troupes would give seemingly impromptu performances. During festivals, there were parades, and the dragon teams were amazing to watch.

The Peking duck hanging in the windows of local shops brought back memories of  walking up to King Street on rainy evenings to get the BEST duck and barbecue. You really had to walk, no matter how rainy. The barbecue up there is so popular that there is nowhere to park, so you just zip up your rain jacket, pull your hood up, and climb the hill! It's totally worth getting soaked to the bone.

Walking around Chinatown, I realized I wanted to make something for myself for the Chinese New Year -- a reminder of those early days exploring our new city.

Along with the traditional red envelopes (these are filled with money and given to children for New Years), I found some lovely handmade paper, some patterned deli paper, and some washi paper (our local Chinatown tradition includes remnants of an old Japantown).

Using the papers I found, I made this festive Chinese New Year rosette wreath. I was inspired to make a rosette wreath by this project, found at Sowdering About  in Seattle.

To make your own wreath, you will need to make an assortment of rosettes in different colors and shapes and patterns. To make my rosettes, I altered the instructions from these folded paper stars.  Basically, I made as many pleats in the paper as I felt the rosette needed, then folded them in the center and stapled. For larger rosettes, I sometimes stapled two pleated papers together. Then I glued the petal edges together to form one round rosette.

Before gluing your rosettes together, you can cut petal shapes into them, or you can leave the edges straight.

I folded several of the red envelopes into rosettes for the wreath, as well.

For a wreath form, I cut four layers of poster board into "donut" shapes, using a plate and a saucer for templates. I glued the layers together for rigidity. Next, I stapled a hanger onto the back of the wreath form (I used a sandwich bag twist tie to form a hanger -- nothing fancy). The rosettes were attached with hot glue.

I tucked a couple of red envelopes into the wreath to add a celebratory touch, and because that's how this whole project started.

Do you celebrate Chinese New Year? I'm looking forward to our friend's party, and hope to learn more about this tradition.

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Awesome Ways to Re-Purpose Vintage Crates!

Do you have vintage crates in your home?  How do you use them? I have an old fruit crate I inherited from my mother-in-law -- she used it in her garden, but I'm thinking I'd like to use it to store extra blankets in the living room.

Here is a round-up of ideas for re-purposing vintage crates, as well as some craigslist crates I found this week.

How to Make a Folded Paper Star {The Easy Way}

We've had a last minute change of Christmas plans.  Eeeeek!  Instead of going out to our beach cottage for Christmas, we are staying in the city to accommodate family work schedules. I wasn't actually planning on putting up a tree in the city, and don't really have too many ornaments here -- only a few thrifted Shiny Bright ornaments.

I did, however, have quite a few sheets of origami paper picked up when we lived in China Town, so I grabbed glue and stapler and scissors and ribbon, and went to work making these sweet little six-pointed dimensional stars.

Make a Woven Star from Vintage Book Pages, Tutorial Part One

We've had a lot of interest in a tutorial for the woven star.  

Thank you all for your sweet comments about these!

This star is made from vintage book pages.  Traditionally, this type of ornament would be made from reed, or birch bark, or wood veneer, though some crafters like to use cardboard.  I think folded paper works really well -- it's more flexible than cardboard, but has enough body to hold it's shape well.