Weekly Wrap #56 : Simple Modern Boxes

The Weekly Wrap

Martha Stewart Tub Tea Craft

I spotted this idea in Martha Stewart’s endlessly inspiring archive of craft projects, and though the actual project on the site is for the tub teas (mmm … I bet that they smell good), I gravitated toward the packaging. It’s incredible how a simple chipwood craft box can create such a sophisticated, modern packaging look. Dress the boxes up with lovely labels, wrap a silk ribbon around the side of the lid, and you’re good to go!

These boxes would also look gorgeous tied with a colorful silk ribbon bow, and they’d be the perfect containers for small cookies, caramels, or other foodie gifts, too. I’ve spotted similar boxes at my local craft stores, and you can purchase them in sets, as well.

image from Martha Stewart

Weekly Wrap #48 : Vintage Game Embellishments

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Vintage Game Gift Wrap Craft Idea

I love the idea of using vintage game boards and pieces as gift wrap embellishments! This super cool gift wrap idea was featured by Country Living and created by Nany Laboz, who suggests looking for incomplete vintage games at garage sales and flea markets, where you can often find them for just a few dollars. I’m imagining all of the neato things that can be done with this concept, and I’m actually getting a lot of design ideas from this, too.

If you’re not comfortable with using the original vintage items (I know that it would be hard for me to part with awesome vintage game stuff), you could scan them and print them onto aged-looking paper to create reasonable facsimiles. For findings that look like they might be part of a vintage game, I’d recommend looking in the scrapbooking aisle at the craft store. Over the past year or so, a number of companies have started making embellishments that are vintage-inspired, and while they’re not the real deal, some of them are pretty cool.

image from Country Living

Weekly Wrap #44 : Free Printable Owl Favor / Treat Box Templates

Free Printable Owl Favor Box Templates

These guys are, dare I say it, a hoot! Yep, I went there. With Halloween coming up soon, I think that they would make super fun packaging for Halloween party favors and treats for small groups of trick or treaters, and you can change up the colors to make owls that are dark and menacing or chocolate-y brown and somewhat less menacing.

The template includes everything that you’ll need to create the owl boxes, and I have a couple of tips that you can use to speed up the process if you need to make the boxes and are pressed for time.

Snow Owl Favor Box

Quick Tips

  • The three pieces for the eyes are uniform sizes (2″, 1.5″, and 1″), and if you happen to have them on hand you can use circle or scallop circle paper punches in these sizes to quickly create the eyes.
  • If you don’t have time to cut the ruffled feather accents for the front of the boxes, then you can cut  3″ wide x 1.25″ tall strips of paper and use paper edging scissors (I have Fiskars Clouds and Scallop, both of which work great in this project) to cut ruffles along the bottom of the strips of paper.

Supplies Needed

printable owl favor/treat box template (335Kb PDF)

cardstock in multiple colors

a printer

glue dots and double-sided tape

a stylus for scoring the paper (optional)

a ruler (optional)

a small cutting mat (optional)

a bone folder (optional)

Instructions

1. Print the template onto cardstock and cut out all of the pieces. Note: the template is split into three pages, and the third page contains the pieces that will typically be printed on a contrasting colored paper, so you can print the first two pages on one color and the third page onto another color.

2. For easy folding, score the box along the dotted lines using a stylus, a ruler, and a small cutting mat. Use a bone folder to create crisp folds along the scored lines.

3. Assemble the main box according to the instructions found in the template. Assemble the owl’s eyes with glue dots or double-sided tape, using the diagram in the template file as your guide.

4. Attach the eyes to the horn template using glue dots or double-sided tape. If you’re making a snow owl (see the orly? guy above), then you won’t need the outer eye template or the horn template, and you can attach the eyes directly under the front flap of the box. If you’re making an owl with horns, attach to the front flap after the eyes have been attached to the horn piece.

5. Attach the feather ruffle pieces using glue dots or double-sided tape. Start at the bottom of the box (attach the first ruffle flush with the bottom of the box) and space them evenly as you go up. Owls with horns will only need three ruffles, while the snow owl will need four.

6. Fill with treats or a small gift and seal the box shut using glue dots, double-sided tape, or even a small piece of velcro.

photos by Kristen Magee

Papernstitch Paper Goodies

Papernstitch is such a great place to find handmade paper goodies from independent artists and designers, and I thought I’d have a look around a share a few of my favorites from their curated selection of art prints, notebooks, invites, etc. Well, a few turned into a dozen because I kept finding new things that I wanted to share. So, without further ado, here are twelve of my favorites from the current selection. Have a look around the Papernstitch site, too, and you’ll easily find a dozen more, I’m sure!

Papernstitch Paper Goods

Above, clockwise from top left:

* Streamer party invitations (left) and handmade party kits (right) by Carrie Strine

* Tooth fairy kits by Paper + Twine

* Laugh art print (8×10) by Monkey Mind Design

* Strawberry shaped favor boxes by Imeon Design

* Happy Day mini art print (5×5) by Mint Parcel

Papernstitch Paper Goods

* Rick and Ilsa matchbook notepads made with repurposed security envelopes as pages by One Fine Dae

* Forever Love – Mr. and Mrs. Fox art print by Yee Von

* Your “Official” Change of Address announcement postcards by Jack & Ella

* XOX Collection wedding invitations and RSVPs by Orchard & Brown

* Ace of Love art print (8.5×11) by Mamau

* Monogram calling cards by Bella Card Company

images from their respective owners

Weekly Wrap #38 : Knot & Bow

Weekly Wrap

Knot & Bow Gift Wrapping Shop

There’s a new shop called Knot & Bow on the virtual block, and I’m delighting over all of the gift packaging bits and bobs to be found there. Erin Ozer, owner of Knot & Bow, loves gift wrapping and pretty packaging, especially brown paper packages (a woman after my own heart), and these loves serve as the inspiration for the shop.

Browsing around, you’ll find kraft paper seals and heart stickers, glassine bags, seam binding ribbon, twine, and more, including the Classics Gifting Kit, which features a wonderful array of items from the shop. Erin’s working on adding new kits, too, so be on the lookout for those soon!

images from Knot & Bow