Paper Sack & Doily Gift Wrap

I love wrapping with paper lunch sacks.  I love the look and it is fun because you can dress it up any way you want.  This is a gift I gave to my sister for her birthday (doily shirt inside).  All I did was fold down the top, add a doily, and punch a couple of holes.  I tied a bow with some jute twine and added "K" - a scrapbook embellishment I had.  It is amazing what a few simple things can do!

Hang Your Hat Here {Tutorial}

I saw this really great idea over at the Fiskars site.  It inspired me to make these "hat hangers:"

My husband's hats sit in a pile on the shelf in our closet.  I wanted him to have somewhere that was easier to get to them and an easier spot to put them away.  This worked perfectly and I had all of the supplies on hand - which makes it even better!

If you want to make some, all you will need is:

-Wire Hangers cut into 10" pieces (I made 3 out of 1 hanger)

- Cardboard

-Hot Glue

-Paper and/or other embellishments

 First, bend the hanger into a shape like in the above picture.  I bent the top part first, making a nail hole loop, and then the triangular bend. I folded them assembly-line style to try to get them all the same shape. (Pliers help a lot with this step!)

 Cut some circles out of cardboard.  I used a 7up box.  To make the circles, I traced around the inside of a sippy cup lid.  You just want something for your decoration to sit on.

 Hot glue the circle to the wire hanger here.  The triangle gives it more gluing area.

 Then, embellish!  I decided to make so cute little paper pom poms.

I also added some sparkly black brads to the top.  Before hot gluing, I cut the bottom pieces off with pliers.  I just love walking into my laundry room (that's where they are)!  They look so fun hanging on the wall!

I am linking up to these parties and to here.

Mini Scrapbook Album {Tutorial}

I guest posted this over at Live.Love.Craft a while ago and thought I would share it today, just in case you missed it.  Today I am going to show you how to make this fun little scrapbook album.  This one is perfect for a young girl.  You can use it for pictures and a journal.  It would also be a fun way to remember a birthday party!

You will need 12x12 cardstock, glue, scissors, ribbon, decorative paper and embellishments.  The neat thing about this book is that you can make it as little or big as you want!  Today's tutorial uses two sheets of cardstock.

The first thing you need to do is fold each sheet of cardstock in half.

Then, fold them in half again, the other way.

This is what they should look like.

Fold each sheet diagonally (ONLY 1 WAY!).

Open up the papers and put some glue onto one of the squares that doesn't have the diagonal line running through it.

Glue it down to the other sheet, onto another square without the diagonal line.  It looks like the above picture.  Let it dry for a bit.

Here comes the tricky part.  It really isn't hard, but I have found that some people have a difficult time with this step.

With one sheet, fold the diagonal line pieces into the center.  Then, flip over the album and do the same thing (so the folds are opposite).

This is what it looks like all folded up.  You will need to choose a side and direction for your front cover.  You will want one of the raw (unfolded) edges to be at the right side of the front cover.

Glue a piece of ribbon onto the right side of the front cover.  The length depends on how you want to close the book - either with a knot or with a bow.

In order to line up the ribbons, flip over the album with your first glued ribbon piece on bottom.  Draw a line of glue and set the ribbon down over the bottom piece.  Allow to dry.

I have found that it helps to smash the album in a phone book to keep it flat.  If you use liquid glue, it tends to curl, and this will prevent that.  The next step is to embellish!  I usually cut out a 5 1/2" square for the front and back of my album.  Then I pretty it up with other things.  (It is optional to add embellishments and paper inside also.)

Like I said before, I thought this would be perfect for a young girl, with the butterflies, pearls, and sparklies (I am aware that's not a real word, but I like it still).  I also love to doodle on most of my scrapbook creations.  I think it adds a lot of character, plus, it's so fun!

I have also made these for a girl's camp album, a bridal shower party, and as a gift for my sister.

Here are some details of the cover:

Doodling.  I have found that if you use more than 1 line around the border, it looks much better!  It doesn't matter if the doodling isn't perfect...it adds character!

 It is fun to add lots of different textures.  That's what makes it appealing!

Linking up to these parties!