Posts Tagged ‘Christmas’

2012 Christmas Candy Box

December 5th, 2012
10 Comments

It’s that time of year. I can’t believe this is the 6th one I’ve done!

2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2013

I was hoping to start on the design much earlier than yesterday, but alas life happens and things inevitably get pushed into the month of December.  I’m pretty excited about this box. This year’s design can be cut out quickly and printed black and white – perfect for saving time and a little bit of cash (buy yourself some mean chocolates with those savings, perhaps?).

I sort of stumbled upon the idea for the constellation motif and I feel like it perfectly conveys a tone of the real meaning of Christmas, without claiming that specifically. The printable includes a Happy Holidays tag that could be used to decorate the box, as a tag or not used at all for year-round gift-giving.

You can also print this on any kind of paper. I cut down some ikea wrapping paper and used that! I love the natural feel it gives. I would’ve used paper grocery bags, but I didn’t have any on hand. I would recommend you print on a medium weight text stock so you can bend and pinch the paper with ease (28-80lb text stock – your local print shop will know what I mean).

Decorate your boxes with glitter ribbon, fancy brads, markers, paints, crayons or anything. This would be great for a family activity for neighbor gifts.

I do hope you get around to making a few of these this Christmas season! Read more for the download and step by step instructions for assembly.

(more…)

Thrifty & Chic: Christmas Details

December 21st, 2011
0 Comment

It’s been some time since I’ve done a Thrifty & Chic feature, no? As you know, I’m not a big Christmas (or any holiday) decorator. Next year will be so different, I tell myself. I’m going to go all out.

Like I’ve mentioned before, It’s so hard to invest in Christmas decorations when you don’t know where you’ll be in the next year or you have little room for storage. Despite that, I found this adorable Martha Stewart table cloth at the thrift store a couple years ago for something like $2. I like that it’s not your typical red & green decor and it seems to go with the other two Christmas decorations we own, too.

Also, I just had to mention that I planted the above succulent arrangement a few months ago & never got around to posting about it. I had the base on hand for some time & got all of the succulents from Ikea. I LOVE IKEA. My mom would be so proud that this thing has survived not only four months, but four months & a move. Chris boxed up all of our plants a week before our actual move and a few of our plants haven’t quite recovered.

How are the holidays done around your house? Have you scored any vintage/thrifted Christmas details for your home? Share links in the comments! I’d love to see!

2011 Christmas Candy Box Freebie

December 15th, 2011
19 Comments

I am so excited to share with you this year’s candy box!! This is the FIFTH year I’ve done the candy box download, which basically means it’s a real tradition now. I love traditions.

I’ve been thinking about what to do for this box since sometime in September, but haven’t nailed any design/style ideas until a couple weeks ago. I recently bought Folding Techniques for Designers a book all about taking paper into 3 dimensions. I’m loving it & learning a TON from it. Between that book & tribal pattern inspiration, I give to you this year’s box:

I’m not sure what it is entirely, but it definitely has a very scandinavian feel. This box is a BREEZE to cut out & fold (I say this about a million times in the video, it’s embarrassing) you’ll be able to make one for every one of your neighbors. This box measures about 2″x4″x2″. If you’d like it bigger, take it to your local printer & have them blow it up on 11×17 paper. If you can, print them on an inkjet printer, you’ll get better folds this way. Also, you’ll want to print on a mid-weight paper. Thick card stock is a bit much, unless you’re going for a bigger box.

I’ve yet to make caramels this year, but I’m sure I’ll get around to it. If not, I might just do a stack of chocolate-dipped cookies in here. It’s really the perfect size for macarons. I also plan on using Pugly Pixel’s glitter tape tutorial for sealing the box.

Enjoy! Click the button below to download & be sure to watch the video tutorial explaining how to fold it up! For previous year’s boxes click on the links below:

2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013

This tutorial/freebie is free for personal use and should not be distributed/republished without my consent. Altering the file NOT ALLOWED. If you would like to use this printable for commercial purposes, please email me. Thanks!

Handmade Hourglass Ornaments

November 30th, 2011
5 Comments

Today, I’m over at CraftSnob sharing a quick handmade ornament tutorial made with supplies you likely already have on hand.

I guess you could consider me a major scrooge since I don’t really decorate for the holidays. Or any holiday. In the past couple of years (including this one) we’ve moved just before the holidays so I haven’t really had much time to prep for them. Also, I hate buying Christmas decorations. We’ve always been really low on storage space (until now – we have nearly 1300 sq feet of storage space in our new place!), so if it doesn’t fit in a tupperware box, I’m not going to buy/make it.

My mom was always a huge decorator for the holidays & I have such fond memories helping my mom decorate the Christmas tree. It’s definitely something that I want to get into at some point, but perhaps not now. Definitely not until we’re settled in a place for more than a year. So with that said, if I do get around to putting up decorations for the holidays, they’re usually low impact decorations: they don’t cost a whole lot & they don’t take up a whole lot of space. The Hourglass Ornament tutorial over on CraftSnob falls under both of those categories.

Click here to see the full tutorial at CraftSnob.

Gifts for Guys – iPhone Case 3.0

November 30th, 2011
11 Comments

It’s been really tough getting back into the blogging swing of things. Like, really hard. All I want to do once I put Penelope down for a nap, is nap! I practically get anxiety attacks when I go down to my studio, it’s that unorganized.

Even thoughts of quitting blogging have crossed my mind. *gasp*

I know I’d shrivel up & die if I did that.

This is a great gift (especially if you know that the giftee is getting a new phone or iPod touch!) for Christmas regardless of age. I’ve included an additional pattern piece to make the phone double as a wallet. When gifting, stick an iTunes gift card in there for added awesomeness.

This was originally posted over at Kojo Designs for Gifts for Guys series, but I’m moving it over here.
This tutorial can easily be adapted to be used with industrial felt or vinyl. If you’d like to go a cheaper/also eco-friendly route, head on over to an upholstery shop & ask for leather scraps. Oftentimes they’ll have scraps large enough for this kind of project. They can’t do anything with those scraps & usually discard them. Let’s get started!!

• S U P P L I E S •
  • leather/felt
  • scissors
  • pattern
  • thread + needle
  • clear tape
  • awl
  • hammer

Print the attached pattern & cut out. Tape generously to the wrong side of the leather.

Punch while patterns are taped using the hammer and an awl. You’ll want to be sure to do this over a scrap of wood.

Should look like this on the right side of the leather.

Once holes are punched, cut out pattern pieces from the leather and match up. I flipped the leather inside out for the pocket for variation.

Thread your needle with thick thread (I used waxed linen thread). Sew between the two layers on the first hole and leave a 2-3 inch tail.

Sew in and out through each hole all the way around. Double back.

Once you get back to the start point, tie a square knot between the layers of leather. Trim ends and tuck between the leather.

With scissors or a rotary cutter & ruler, trim down edges to desired width. I like mine at about a quarter of an inch.

Give to a manly guy!

Click the download button below to download the printer-friendly version of this tutorial & the pattern pieces. 

This tutorial/freebie is free for personal use and should not be distributed/republished without my consent. Altering the file NOT ALLOWED. If you would like to use this tutorial for commercial purposes, please email me. Thanks!

It’s super easy & I’ll bet you’ll have one finished within the hour!

You’ll be surprised that this case fits a myriad of electronics. It works for the iPhone 3G – 4s. It works on the touch & would be surprisingly compatible with a few other smart phones. It’s one of those simple patterns that could be easily adjusted for you!

mobile site