You may be done with candy making until next Christmas (or maybe you’re vowing never to do it again), but it may just be the perfect creative venture for Valentine’s Day. There are quite a few basic caramel recipes out there, but let me share you mine along with some tips learned from A LOT of personal mistakes. For the past three Christmases I have undergone a caramel-making frenzy, and I’m confident in saying I have made every feasible mistake. It can be frustrating to read caramel recipes that make it sound so easy. Let me ease the minds of any of you who have never made caramels, or who have tried and failed, by saying, “You’re not an idiot: it is hard!” Or rather, it’s easy to make a mistake. The trick is to know what the possible mistakes are so you can avoid them. In this post I’m including an attached recipe document because it’s way too wordy for the blog! I hope this helps rather than confuses you. Download the recipe here.
I've shown a packaging idea here using a tag from my print-it-yourself The Paper Nut Valentine's as well as some fun bits of paper and die-cut accents from the Promise Me collection.
Thanks for perusing my posts this week! As a thank you I'm offering a 10% off any purchase from my shop. Enter "10PERCENT" at checkout.
Thank you so much, Jeanie! Those caramels look delicious. We love how you used the sheer die-cut accents with the bead to make a little gift tag bobble. Really, all of your ideas were fabulous!
Readers, would you like to get your hands on some of those sheer die-cut accents and pretty pink Promise Me papers? All you need to do to enter the giveaway is leave a comment on this post. Tell us what you would create with the products if you won. The giveaway will end Sunday and we will announce the winner Monday.
I’m sure you’ve seen a lot of these banners flapping around lately. They're trendy for good reason: They are easy to make, use up those piles of what-am-I-going-to-make-with-this-cute-fabric scraps, and add a fun flare to your décor. They are particularly popular in children’s rooms. Both of my daughters needed something fun to hang above their beds, but I am highly opposed to hanging anything heavy like a picture frame or shelf (and, with 9-foot ceilings, blank walls are not an option). These flags are also perfect because you can match them with the fabric from a bedding set.
The look of my younger girl’s room revolves around a quilt her grandma made for her (from the famed Heather Ross Mendocino line). I still had scraps of the beloved fabric and this was the perfect way to accent the quilt elsewhere in the room. My older daughter’s bed sports Target’s owl bedding set. The sheets of this set came it a matching bag. When the seems were opened up on this little bag and the fabric laid flat, it was plenty to cut out a triangle for one of the squares. I mixed this with some coordinating fabrics and, voila!
This project is pretty self-explanatory, but here are some tidbits of info on how I made mine. Make a pattern for the triangles with a piece of paper, allowing extra width on the sides (but no the top) for the seam allowance. Sew right sides together (I used a cheap natural-colored quilters cotton on the back since it won’t be visible). Trim the tip close to the seam so when you turn it right side out you get a nice sharp point. Use your scissors to poke the flag tip to a nice point. Iron the now right-side-out flags flat. Now, use a full package of double-wide bias tape to string the flags together. Start with the middle flag and match it in the center of the bias tape (find this by folding the whole length of the bias tape in half). Lay the bias tape open and line the top of the flag up with the center seam of the bias tape. Pin all the back sides of the flags in place to the back side of the bias tape. Sew just the back sides, then fold it shut and stitch all the layers together. I like to use a wider stitch at the point to make wobbles in my sewing less obvious. You can add pretty ribbons or whatever you like to finish off the ends and hang it where you please. Enjoy!
This is my favorite gift to give at baby showers. So easy. I also have a passion for ribbon and this is a great excuse for buying lots of different kinds (or using up bits you have saved).
How to: Pick two coordinating fabrics for the front and back (make sure they are cut exactly the same size). Soft "minky" fabrics are my favorite, but only use them on one side (it slinks around and is difficult to sew on). Use something stiffer like cordurouy or flannel on the other. I also like to use polka dot prints because it makes topstitching the quilting lines easier.
Step 1) Lay one side flat with the right side facing up. Lay ribbons around the sides until they are evenly spaced. Fold the ribbons in half, lining up their two raw bottom edges with the edge of the fabric so that the loops are facing IN. Pin in place
Step 2) Stitch down the ribbons using a regular straight stitch (as opposed to a basting stitch; you want the reinforced stitching to keep the ribbons secure for future abuse from children).
Step 3) Cut a piece of quilt batting so it is one inch shorter on all sides than the fabric. Baste it to the WRONG side of the second piece of fabric (the one without the ribbons) so that it won’t scootch around when you turn it right side out.
Step 4) Stitch right sides of fabric together. Be extra careful that the ribbons are laying flat inside. Leave a gap large enough for your hand to reach through.
Step 5) Turn the blankie right side out. Smooth the batting so it’s flat. Stitch the end closed, turning the seam in so it aligns with the rest.
Step 6) Decide how many top stitch lines you want to make. You can use a row of polka dots or other patterns to follow or mark a line with pins or chalk. Topstitch to make the blanket quilted. Now remove the basting stitches you added to hold the batting in place. You’re all done!
This is a great project for a lot of purposes: 1) Your favorite tee has finally gotten a hole in it, but you just can’t bear to part ways (not to mention it’s now super-soft). 2) You have an odd scrap of fabric or unfinished square of quilt (ahem: one you finally realized you’re never going to finish) 3) You're wondering, "What on earth am I going to get for my sister for her birthday?!"
These little pillows are so easy, inexpensive, and versatile (even a guy would love pillow made from an old tee...just don't chop up his fave without telling him). Plus they're a welcome addition to your own décor (unlike many homemade items that end up taking up more space than they are worth).
What you’ll need:
1) Two equal-size pieces of fabric (front and back), any size (or shape)
2) pillow fill
3) thread (for a machine or embroidery thread)
4) trim (optional)
A sewing machine is also optional! My sister made my daughter this adorable pillow with an old favorite tee by whip-stitching it together with a scrap of home décor fabric.
I made this fun-shaped pillow for my sister for Christmas using a piece of one of my favorite fabrics (from Heather Ross’s now very hard to find Far Far Away line). This fabric was expensive and I didn’t want to waste a bit of it, so making a little pillow was a perfect solution. This fabric was quite thin and delicate, a problem I solved by first sewing the front panel to a swatch of white fleece. The next step: sew right-sides of the front and back panels together leaving an opening on the bottom big enough for your hand. Turn it inside out and stuff it silly with fluff. Fold the edges of the open seem closed, following the hem of the rest of the pillow, then stitch it closed. You may have to do this by hand because fitting the now plump pillow under the sewing machine is no longer an option. For this reason, make the open end the bottom so it’s won’t show as often.
Please welcome our guest blogger for the week, Jeanie Nelson. She is a business owner and an all around creative gal. She has a bunch of great ideas to share this week so be sure to check back each day. There will be a giveaway Friday too! Here she is...
I am a designer and mother living in Spokane Valley. In 2008 I launched my own art and stationery line, The Paper Nut (visit my website, etsy page, or blog). As a professional graphic designer, I’ve worked for a number of designer firms and have a BFA in graphic design from Brigham Young University. I also interned at Kate Spade (my original intent was eventually pursue fashion…but I fell in love with graphics instead). I left 9-5 work at firms so I could become an at-home mom, which was a great excuse to switch over to the kind of design I prefer. My work is a spin off of mid-century art and design, with a lot of influence from textiles, folk art, and the work of my contemporaries.
My business has grown slowly (I haven’t spent a penny on advertising). I’ve spent a lot of energy wishing I had more time to spend on The Paper Nut (I’m a committed full-time mom of two little girls). However, I now recognize this slow-paced beginning as an enlightening foundation for my career, setting a course that is far more meaningful than it would have been.
Right now I’m focused on giclée art prints, but I’m working on putting out more greeting cards, expanding my wholesale clientele, and doing commissioned work for larger companies (wrapping paper, packaging design, etc). While I never want to go back to working for a traditional design firm, I still love creating and branding collateral for private clients.
For today’s post, I thought it might be fun to answer a question I often hear in relation to my art: What is giclée?
The word “Giclée” was created in the early 1990’s to describe fine art digital prints made on ink-jet printers. It’s a wonderful new medium for many artists who want to make exact replicas of their work with no set-up charges (you can print 1 or 100 and the cost per piece is the same). I love the inkjet process because I can print on thick, texture art paper and achieve eye-popping color saturation akin to the neon poster paints of silkscreening. This medium, along with the wonderful world of Etsy, has made it possible for The Paper Nut to even exist. I have had virtually no money to invest, but I am able to roll my business along like a little snowball and let it build off its own momentum. Above are a few of my current giclée pieces.
