Papercraft Haven and More

     One thing that can help this season is make your own tags instead of spending a bunch of money on little "to and from" tags!  Using scraps of paper left over from other projects will save you a lot of money in the long run.  Find stickers or die cuts left over from other projects, and add them any cardstock or patterned paper you have to make your tags.  Look at how many tags you would have to make and try to spread making them over a few weeks, instead of just jumping right in and getting them done.                 Swaps are another fun way to get different styles of tags, made from different people.  Not only are you going to get different ideas, but you also get different types of styles when you participate in a swap.  The tags you give can then be used on a framed page, or a layout project or put away for use on something specific.   Directions: Step one:  create the base of t...

       With Christmas here in less than 6 months - this month will be spent sharing with you card ideas, a few layout ideas, ways you can give gifts, as well as gift ideas you can give to your friends and family.  Times are hard right now for everyone, spending the time making a one of a kind gift for someone not only helps the pocket book, but also helps when you have a lot of things you can use already - just stashed away!  Plus when you make a present for someone, it is truly a gift from the heart made specifically for that person!        Through out this month I will be giving you reminder posts - to start to look at what you need to purchase, parties you need to plan for, baking you need to do, or even gifts you need to make.  That way - you are not caught at the beginning of December having to figure out what you need or want to make, but not having enough time to do it all!  I am sure some of you already do a bit of thi...

Halloween  Halloween, it is totally not my favorite time of the year, but yet this is one of my favorite layouts of my kids....taken 19 years ago!  The layout was made from a kit I bought a long time ago, but I also added a few things to it such as the brads and Halloween sign at the bottom left side.  This spread uses 5 photos, plus with the space the tags fill up, you could use a couple of other photos if you want to!   The kit had the orange paper plus the tags.  I added the photos, the ribbon for the tags, along with the brads and Halloween sign.   Since I was running short on paper, I trimmed the inside of the black paper to use it for matting my photos.  This way, you couldn't tell by the front of the layout, and I saved money by using the paper I did have, instead of running out and buying more.  Basic supplies to complete the layout: 2 sheets black cardstock 2 sheets orange patterned paper 4 tags 2 brads or eyelets in...

Tags are another fun thing you can make to include on your gifts, or add to the "can" that you have made in matching colors and embellishments.  Tags are not hard to create with a basic template, or check around for premade tags that you can add paper and embellishments to in order to create your own "look".   Start to look at the gifts you need to buy, instead of buying the little "from/to" tags!  Create them out of leftover wrapping paper for either the background or the embellishment.  Cut out a shape from the paper and matt it on cardstock to create a one of a kind look, made especially for THAT person!  Tags are fun to make, look at the scraps you have, this is what I made mine out of...using up little pieces and leftovers, in the colors that are prominent for Christmas time.  I also found blues and greens, which I totally loved using!   This is just a quick and easy project you can make, creating 6 or so at a time when you hav...