Category: Paper

I have a file drawer jammed full with assorted greeting cards…that have arrived over the last year FREE from assorted charities and organizations. I have enough to send a birthday card, a get-well card, a thinking-of-you card, a thank you card and a card with a pretty picture where I can write my own message…to everyone I know for the rest of my life! And they keep coming! I can hardly wait for the influx of Christmas Cards to arrive.

I was ready to pitch them all until I went to a meeting of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Fire Company last week. One of our members mentioned she was almost out of Get-Well cards that she sends to our members and others as needed. Another woman said she uses cards to make placemats. My goodness! I have cards!! So, I came home and cleaned out the drawer.

Mixed in with all the free cards are the ones I have purchased over the years. I try to pick up ones with photographs made by local artists and they are blank inside. I find these at almost every craft show I go to. Some are good to cheer people up; others are low key for folks that are sad. I put these cards back in the drawer.

Next, I looked up making placemats using greeting cards and found one tutorial that used circles cut from the cards. They were mounted on card stock and laminated with clear Contact paper. So, I headed to WalMart.

I found the card stock in office supplies but couldn’t figure out where to find the sticky clear Contact paper. Office supplies? Nope. Craft supplies? Nope. I finally asked someone. It is with the home furnishing stuff…with the kitchen drainers, etc. Who knew Contact came in all different colors and patterns to use as drawer and shelf liners. Boy am I out of touch!

While I was sorting out cards, I picked out nine Birthday cards that had pictures of flowers. I used a circle template and drew around the flowers I wanted to use.

I cut out the circles and played with the arrangement. One card had a nice rectangular image, so I made that the center.

I used two 8 1/2″ x 11″ sheets of card stock and taped them together (on the back) as my base.

Once I liked the arrangement, I used glue stick to keep them from shifting while I used the Contact paper.

I did the back first. Then I flipped it over and attempted to do the front. No small challenge to get it started. Somehow, it seemed to work in spite of my technique with just a few wrinkles. I trimmed around the edge and I now have a pretty placemat.

I was feeling pretty smug about my success and decided to try another one using pictures from a Greyhound calendar. (Just so you know…being SMUG is dangerous!!)

I ended up having enough pictures to make two placemats, with the larger pictures as my center focus. However, getting the Contact paper to go on smoothly was a real PAIN! It was determined to wrinkle and stick everywhere I didn’t want it to! From a distance, not too bad. Up close they were a wrinkled mess. I think the calendar paper was not as sturdy as the cards so they refused to stay flat. Anyway, I did it. Not sure if I’ll make any more, but I can say I tried!

So, if you are getting free cards in the mail and don’t use them, look for folks who do use them…or try making a placemat! If you have any tips about using clear Contact I could use them!! Enjoy!

Please comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net.

Now that you’ve learned to make a gift bag out of a calendar picture (the post from March 3), you are ready to make a paper gift box!

Start with a square of paper. You can use card stock, heavy construction paper, origami paper or a calendar picture. I had several packs of card stock that I bought several years ago. Recently, I picked up a few 6″ and 7″ square packs of origami paper. The heavier card stock works well for larger boxes. Origami paper and calendar pictures work better the smaller you go.

Step 1: Choose 2 pieces of paper and the size box you want to make. One sheet of paper will make the top of the box. The other will make the bottom of the box and fit inside the top.

Step 2: Cut the top paper into a square. Cut the bottom paper 1/8″ smaller than the top. (If your top paper is 8 1/2″ square, the bottom paper should be 8 3/8″ square.)

Step 3: To make the top of the box, on the back of the square draw lines with a pencil and ruler from corner, forming an “X”.

Step 4: Fold one corner to the center point of the X and crease.

Step 5: Fold the edge of your previous fold so it meets the center pencil line and crease.

Step 6: Unfold your folds. You are left with a set of horizontal creases.

Step 7: Repeat Steps 4-6 for the remaining three corners. When completed you will have a series of creases that form a grid.

Step 8: You will make four cuts with scissors. Pick two opposing corners. Create a tab that is two blocks and two blocks high (not including the “point”) by making one cut on either side of your center line. Repeat the same cuts on the opposing corner.

Step 9: Fold the opposing corners that have not been cut to the center point of your “X”.

Step 10: Fold them in half again, creating the first two “sides” of your box.

Step 11: Fold the ends of the sides inward, forming the base of the remaining two sides.

Step 12: Fold the tabs created in Step 8 over the side bases created in Step 11. The point of the Step 8 tabs will meet at the center of the “X”. Place a small piece of clear tape to secure the points.

You have now completed your box lid!

To make the bottom of the box, just repeat all the above steps, except your beginning square should measure 8 3/8″ square (or 1/8″ smaller than the top).

Now, the hard part…what to do with all the boxes you make?

The largest box below is made with heavy card stock. It is large enough, and sturdy enough, to hold a special gift for someone.

The smallest one, made with an origami paper cut to a 4″ square, is quite delicate and will squash easily. I think I will put a string on it and hang it on my Christmas tree!

As always, have fun! Leave a comment or send me an email at marykisner@comcast.net.

Sometimes I need a small gift bag in a hurry…I’m visiting a friend and want to take a few magnets, a single lip salve or a bar of soap. I have stopped trying to keep a stash of small gift bags from the store on hand. Even with a huge pile on hand, I could never find just the right color/pattern/picture appropriate for that person. Now I reach for my folder of pretty calendar pages and make one that’s just right!

For several years I have received over a dozen new calendars every December. I saved them because I just couldn’t throw all those pretty pictures away. Last year I finally took the pile and (carefully) ripped out all the pictures I really liked and disposed of the rest of the calendar. That reduced the pile to a folder of pictures about 1″ deep.

I needed a small bag yesterday, and since I’m looking forward to Spring, I chose a page of beautiful flowers.

The larger bag above is made with an 8 1/2″ by 10 1/2″ calendar page. The smaller bag above is made with a 7″ by 7″ calendar page.

You will need: scissors, a ruler, clear tape, a hole punch and a piece of ribbon (about 20″ long).

Below is a diagram of how the bag is made. The first three steps show the first fold on the left side, but I fold mine to the center. Your choice!

Here is the calendar page I chose today:

First, I turned the page over and trimmed the torn edge.

Next, I folded the top edge (where there is usually a hole to hang the calendar) and added a small piece of tape in the center to keep it folded.

Now, fold both sides to the center, with a little overlap, and place a small piece of tape at the top. Fold it to the inside of the bag.

Then add tape the rest of the way down the seam and fold extra to the inside.

Now fold the bottom corners to the center and crease.

Open up the corners and tuck the folds inside each corner. Open the bottom vertically.

Fold each point to the center (with a little overlap) and tape.

Next punch two holes for the ribbon tie.

Add a piece of ribbon to close the bag.

This size bag was just perfect for one bar of my Aloe Vera soap!

If I’m in the mood to make more than one bag, I store them flat in the filing cabinet without ribbon.

So, save all those extra calendars and make small gift bags yourself! Enjoy!

If you’d like to chat about this post, leave a comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net.