Simple crafting ideas

Hi Design elf Katrina here to show you what I have been up to.

     As most of you will know Sarah - Jane took the Fruit Pixie to the Kendal's Big Gig at the weekend. I could not be there to help because I live down in the South West, so I offered to make some samples for her to take along instead.

     As it wasn't a dedicated craft fair the samples needed to be simple, quick and only using things everyone would have around the house ie glue and scissors.

    So here are the ideas I came up with -

The first thing was the bunting. I love bunting but it takes for ages to make the fabric bunting but with paper it is so quick and easy. The design is from Debbi Shaws new bunting book and looks great in paper as well as fabric. I added some buttons and strung them all onto bakers twine.

Sarah-Jane also took pack of tags so I came up with these ideas for using tags.

This was using handmade embellishments with the buttons and paper scraps.

This one is so simple but its something I do all the time. When ever I buy wrapping paper I like it to have a definite image on it, I can then cut that image out of the little scraps you get from wrapping the gift and then stick them to a blank tag to make a matching tag! Great at Christmas time! 

With this one I simply folded up the bottom part of the tag and decorated it with patterned paper, again it could be the same paper you used to wrap a small gift with, added a paper flower and button to make a gift card holder. 

Another product Sarah-Jane took were packs of ATC cards. Those of you who don't know what an ATC or Artist Trading Cards is, they are little cards 2.5 " x 3.5 " which are decorated and then traded or swapped with other collectors. 

So I made a couple of traditional style ATCs using scraps of paper, washi tape, button, a slide mount with image from the Tim Holtz papers and butchers twine. That little bit of tape just wouldn't stay down!!

This one is using lots of the wonderful special pieces of ephemera The Fruit Pixie has in the £1 shop. Cloakroom tickets, green shield stamps, transport tickets and tickets, cigar bands and buttons. The image is from the Tim Holtz.

This is a simple ATC just using a piece of the wax paper I had painted and stamped. I just added a piece of washi tape and a couple of buttons.

Not every wants to make ATCs but these little cards make great little notelets . I have also used them to give someone my email and address, all they need is a piece of washi tape and a button and they are good to go, plus they won't throw it away by mistake!!

There were also packs of book pages too, so I made some little envelopes - 

This square one using a stamp to decorate

These 2 smaller envelopes decorated with scraps of paper, stamps and buttons.

These envelopes would be great for money, tickets or gift cards or even as an envelope for your cards.

other fun ideas I came up with were - 

fun buttons hot glued to a colourful paperclips

Felt and button broaches

and last but not least, paper beads made into a pair of earrings! Notice an ATC card folded in half and used as the card, its the perfect size.

Well thanks for staying to the end, I do feel I have bombarded you with ideas but I hope they help to spark your creativity.

I have not gone into too much detail so if you have any questions then just ask the elf!! :)

Do have a look at the wondrous treats The Fruit Pixie has in the £1, you can find it here - 

http://www.thefruitpixie.co.uk/1-pound-shop-1-c.asp

Happy crafting!

            Love Katrina