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easter eggGarden Set

Garden Set

Where do you find creative inspiration? For years I have scouted garage sales, thrift stores, and flea markets, looking for treasures to use in my craft projects. I love the vintage look of old things. The best part of buying these items is that sometimes I find them at bargain prices. Recently, I also started saving recyclable, everyday items to use as materials in my craft projects. Papers, used containers, and old clothing are just some of the items that I have saved, and will reuse, turning them into thrifty craft supplies. In this column I am delighted to share my nifty and thrifty recycling and repurposing tips that can be incorporated into clever project ideas. Reusing materials not only adds another level of creativity and saves money, but also helps save our earth!

I am an avid coffee drinker, and for some time now, I have saved the sleeve that accompanies each cup I purchase. The sleeve is intended to protect your hand from the heat of the cup, and since each coffee shop has their own style of sleeve, it allows for a good variety of shapes to work with. After accumulating a stash of them, I decided upon a garden-themed gift set as my first project. More repurposing tips for disposable coffee cups and accessories include: reuse coffee cups as seed starters; save used cups for painting projects; use the top of the cup as a template when a circle shape is needed; cover sleeve with fabric and give as a personal reusable cup cuff for a friend; decoupage cup with paper and use as a pencil holder; decoupage empty garden seed packets to cover journal; create tags from coffee sleeves/paper and use as journal bookmarks.

easter eggMaterials

  • Recycled coffee sleeves
  • Paper Chase 6” x 8” Brown Paper Journal*
  • Old canning jar
  • K&Company: Roam Designer Paper Pad Words and Phrases Embossed Stickers
  • Creative Imaginations Sonnets Alphastamps, No. 9821
  • Stampendous! Perfectly Clear Stamps in Small Typewriter Alphabet
  • Beacon Adhesives Zip Dry Paper Adhesive
  • Fiskars Oval Shape Template
  • 1 yd. piece of 1⁄4”-wide brown stripe ribbon
  • 2 yds. blue ribbon
  • Black ink pad, decorative edge scissors, yellow scrapbook brad, paper scrap- book flower, sewing machine, brown sewing thread, ruler, regular scissors, two scrapbook eyelets, eyelet setting tool, 20-gauge floral stem wire, wire cutters, metal pail, metal primer, acrylic paints in blue and parchment, paintbrush.
*Available at most local booktores.

Instructions

Note: Pick paper combinations from Roam Designer Paper Pad as desired for all projects.
Journal
  1. Measure and cut paper to fit front and back of journal.
  2. Adhere cut papers to journal using the Zip Dry Adhesive.
  3. Cut one 41⁄2” x 6” and one 31⁄2” x 51⁄2” from paper pad using decorative edge scissors. Layer mats and machine-stitch a zigzag stitch together 1⁄4” from edge of smaller mat using the brown thread and the sewing machine. Adhere stitched mats to front of journal using the Zip Dry Adhesive.
  4. Cut off ends of coffee sleeve so the width measures approximately 5”. Trace cut sleeve onto wrong side of paper. Tack sleeve to paper using a dot of Adhesive. Cut on traced line using decorative edge scissors.
  5. Using the sewing machine and the brown sewing thread, machine-stitch around edge of paper/sleeve. Adhere machine-stitched sleeve to center of journal using the Zip Dry Adhesive.
  6. Trace two ovals from Oval Template onto coordinating papers. Cut larger Oval using the regular scissors and the smaller Oval using the decorative edge scissors. Layer Ovals and adhere to center of paper/coffee sleeve. Insert brad through center of paper flower and adhere on top of ovals.
  7. Apply Letter Stickers to front of journal above flower spelling “G-A-R-D-E-N.” Apply “Memories” Sticker below flower.
  8. Tie ribbon around journal, trimming ends as desired.
Vase Sleeve
  1. Trace entire coffee sleeve onto paper as done previously with journal. Using decorative edge scissors, cut out on traced line. Using the sewing machine and the brown thread, machine-stitch 1⁄4” in from edge around perimeter of paper/sleeve.
  2. Trace and cut different sizes of Ovals using the decorative edge scissors. Adhere Ovals onto center of sleeve using the Zip Dry Adhesive.
  3. Using black ink and the Clear Stamps, stamp the word “F-l-e-u-r” onto center of smallest Oval.
  4. Using eyelet setting tool, attach one eyelet at each end of coffee sleeve. Insert ribbons through eyelet holes. Wrap
    completed sleeve around vase and tie
    ribbons into a bow.
Plant Stakes

Note: Repeat these instructions to create the two stakes shown here or as many as desired.
  1. Cut coffee sleeve down to measure 3” wide. Trace sleeve onto paper twice. Adhere one paper onto coffee sleeve using the Zip Dry Adhesive. Trace and cut Oval using the decorative edge scissors as done previously with journal and vase sleeve.
  2. Using the sewing machine and the brown sewing thread, machine-stitch the Oval onto the paper/sleeve.
  3. Using the Clear Stamps and black ink pad, stamp the words “B-A-S-I-L” and “C-H-I-V-E-S” onto each of the center Ovals.
  4. Using the wire cutters, cut floral wire to desired length. Bend floral wire in half. Place bent floral wire between cut paper and sleeve/paper. Adhere both together using Zip Dry Adhesive.
  5. Paint metal pail with metal primer and allow to dry completely. Paint pail with parchment acrylic. Freehand dots of blue acrylic paints onto pail. Allow to dry.
  6. Insert plant into pail and use the stake to label it.
 
 
April 2008 coverThis project is one of many imaginative projects featured in the April 2008 issue of
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