Think Crafts Blog – Craft Ideas and Projects – CreateForLess

By Scrapbook & Paper Crafts Contributor Kim, from the Blog “Paper Hugs”.

Do buttons with the shank on the back turn you off while paper crafting? I have wire cutters to cut them off, so that they will lie flat on my project (and I always wear glasses when I cut them.) But if they are metal, cutting them off is a no-go. So I decided to take advantage of this little speed bump (because the button is a VERY neat one!)

I embraced the dimension and added my metal button to the butterfly. I cut a small hole in the center of my die cut butterfly and pushed the button through the hole.

Then I pushed 2 decorative pins through the button hole.

I adhered the butterfly to my card with Therm O Web glue dots.

Decorative pins add such a cool touch to butterflies. I hope you give this a try, I’d love to see what you create!

By Scrapbook & Paper Crafts Contributor Kim, from the Blog “Paper Hugs”.

I love to look at each stamp image in a way that is not expected. It’s a challenge for me…and it makes creating more rewarding, I think anyways.

I started with a stamp set that was intended to create a scene with a tree…I took it a step further and made a pattern with the tree trunk. First, I saw it as a branch, so I turned it horizontally. I wanted a patterned panel, so I stamped and turned the tree stamp.

But what I chose to do is a really easy technique but one that you may not think of…making a flower from leaf stamps. A poinsettia to be exact…so here you go.

Start by stamping the leaf.

Re-ink the stamp…overlap the smallest leaf, continue around a circle.

You will end up with a flower that you can cut out to use as an accent, so don’t worry too much about imperfect edges (unless you are not cutting out the accent flowers). I folded each flower petal for added dimension.

Add a brad, pearls, jewels or button to the center. Chang the ink colors for different flowers. Use scissors to round the edges of the flowers. Use single leaves as well. Try this with punched leaves too. Just take a closer look at your stamps, you never know what you will see when you take the time to challenge yourself.

By Scrapbook & Paper Crafts Contributor Kim, from the Blog “Paper Hugs”.

Do you love experimenting with your stamps, how about your inks?  Have you ever tried the “rock and roll” technique before?  It’s an easy way to add interest to your stamps.

A stamped wreath in one color would have been just fine, but it’s even prettier with some darker green ink added to the outside edge, doncha think?

It’s best to choose inks that are close in color, monochromatic. Your inks will blend with eachother just a little, so be aware of that.  If you are afraid of messing up your inks, you can use blender pads or Q-tips to apply inks

Start with the lightest ink color.  Ink the entire stamp, but don’t press it onto paper…yet.

While your stamp is wet, tap the edge of the image with the second ink color (that is a shade darker than the base color) but wait…don’t press your stamp onto your paper, just yet.

Add a third ink color if you have one.  Just lightly tap the edges of the stamp image.  Keep the lightest color in the center of the image.  You are gently creating depth.

Naturally, I chose the image with the “rock and roll” sentiment on it.  You can use this technique for any image.  Imagine how beautiful flowers look with this fun technique?

By Scrapbook & Paper Crafts Contributor Kim, from the Blog “Paper Hugs”.

Bookmarks can be a special gift when they are hand-made.  Every time that person uses it, they will think of who made it especially for them.  They don’t need to be fancy, just something simple says a lot!  Of course you need to keep in mind that bulky is probably not a good idea, but there are ways to add dimension without actually adding thickness.

Did you know that you can dry emboss with thin templates?

Use a stylus to press on the negative space of a template onto the back of your paper.  I make sure to place my paper over a stack of magazines to give the paper a cushion.  Using Core’dinations cardstock helps because there is a lighter shade core that will help when it’s time to sand.

Once you have embossed the area you want covered, flip the paper over and lightly sand the surface.  This will help the pattern show.

Cut your paper down to represent a typical bookmark size and round the corners.  I added ribbon and a button to the top.

If you do not have a stylus, you can use a ball point pen.  You will probably want to cover the backside of your bookmark though.  Make sure to use sturdy paper so that your paper won’t rip or push through the front.

Include your bookmark with a book.  Customize bookmarks to coordinate with a gift.  Use products that would appeal to the person who you are making the bookmark for.  Consider these for anyone at any age.  They make great teacher and classroom gifts…and make great stocking stuffers too.

Have fun with the ribbon treatments.  Seriously, the possibilities are endless…have fun!

By Scrapbook & Paper Crafts Contributor Kim, from the Blog “Paper Hugs”.

Shaped cards are fun to make and ever more fun to receive.  It’s not as hard as you may think.  Step “outside the box”, literally.  

Start by cutting down the size card you would like to have as a base.  I usually choose the standard size of 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 so that it will fit inside a standard envelope.  Shaped cards can typically be left alone and not embellished, so they cost less to ship since there may be no bulk to consider.

This is an easy card that can be sent during the Halloween season.  

Once you have the perimeters, draw your shape or word in pencil.  This paper will be used as a template, so use a heavy weight cardstock.  Whats great is that you can use it as a template to again.

Once you are happy with your word, cut along the lines with sharp scissors.

Now that you have your template, trace it onto the back of your card base with pencil and cut along the lines once again.  If you prefer the inside of the card to be solid (and not have the holes that are needed for certain letters) then you can trace the word or shape onto the inside of the card front and not the back also.

Once you have your shaped card base cut, you can embellish.  I chose punched circles but googly-eyes would be a fun touch too!  I distressed the edges with the sharp side of my scissors.  If you don’t feel like you cut a smooth line, this is a great way to hide flaws.

You can use die cuts as a template too…look around to see what you can trace and make into a shaped card.  Keep in mind where the fold is and make sure to have a straight edge on that side if possible.  Always use scrap paper first before you commit to your project.

By Scrapbook & Paper Crafts Contributor Kim, from the Blog “Paper Hugs”.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I made this card in honor of Thinking Pink. Stitching can add such a subtle touch to a card.  Have you ever thought about framing in your sentiment to draw more attention to it?  The guides that are offered on my sewing machine are limited, so I found a way to stitch in the center of my card by creating a paper mask.

Start by blocking off the area where your sentiment will appear with a cut mask.  Add to the card base with repositionable tape so that the mask won’t tear the base paper.

Follow around the inside box with your sewing machine (or hand stitch).

Gently remove the mask to reveal a center frame, stitch along the outer edge of your card base to complete the look.

You can make the frame any size you like (use 2 or more frames if you like).  How about stitching around punched circles?  Create your own template and stitch around that.  You can stitch around die cuts too. 

Always look at the letters found within your sentiment for special touches. Replace letter “o’s” with buttons or brads.  Be playful with your sentiments and add interest where you can.

By Scrapbook & Paper Crafts Contributor Kim, from the Blog “Paper Hugs”.

I am a sucker for sparkly things, so you can imagine how much I LOVE glitter?  I think it adds such a pretty touch to everything.  Stamps are great as is…but adding some glitter makes them amazing to look at!  Of course it’s best when seen in person, so that might be an incentive to send off those glittered cards to loved ones.  Who can’t use a little sparkle in their day?

I chose a simple butterfly image to make a statement on my card.  Glitter was all that needed to make the image POP!

Gather some supplies and add glitter to those stamped images.  

Color a stamped image with a glue pen as if you were coloring the image with any pen.  The glue will be light blue to start but it will become clear when it’s dry.  Just sprinkle glitter over the image, tap off excess and you will reveal a gorgeous look!

Use multiple colors for added interest.  Just keep the layers separate so that the glitter doesn’t bleed into the others.  Make sure to allow the glitter to dry before mailing.

When designing my card, I chose to add some extra texture by tearing the bottom of my paper and adding a chunky bow.  In this case, less is definitly more.