I have quite a collection of clutches in my closet because as much as I love my handbags, sometimes a nice-looking, good-sized clutch is that way to go to complete an outfit.

Here is a simple tutorial on how to transform your plain clutch into a gorgeous petal & ruffled-inspired fashion accessory.

Materials:
1 clutch
Can of Metallic Gold Spray Paint
4 “Silk” Flowers

Directions:
Take apart the flowers and spray the petals, and a light coat on the clutch as well, in case it peeks out anywhere.

Then cut the petals apart.

Use a glue gun to glue the petals on the clutch, with the biggest petals on the bottom, in-between sized on the middle row, and smallest on top.

Then glue a strand of gray glass pearls on, and finish it with a little foam flower (or any other bauble you can find or like).

Turn your old, worn-out paperback books into brand new hardcover novels! What a great way to update your library instead of throwing away your favorite reads.

Materials:
- cardboard
- about 1/3 yard of cotton fabric
- glue stick
- tape
- one sheet of cardstock

What to do:
1. Lie your book on the cardboard and trace it. I used white cardboard because the fabric I used is pretty thin and I was afraid brown cardboard would show through. Add 1/4 inch to the height of the cover you traced, and subtract 1/4 inch from the width. Cut out 2 like this with a sharp craft knife. Also trace the spine. Add 1/4 inch to both the height and the width, and cut it out.

2. Cut a piece of fabric that is 17 inches wide and 11 inches high. Adhere the fabric to a piece of cardstock as shown in the photo (sort of folded in half like a book around the cardstock) with gluestick. Smooth it out really well making sure that it’s totally stuck to the front of the cardstock. Trim the right side edges of the fabric so they don’t hang over the edge of cardstock. Leave about an inch at the top of the cardstock for your printer to grab onto. Tape around the top and right side edge to help the cardstock slide more easily through your printer.

3. Create any book cover design you want on your computer. I used these gorgeous, downloadable labels from Poppytalk. Print directly onto your fabric-covered cardstock.

5. Carefully peel the fabric off the cardstock and align it on the cardboard. If you hold the whole thing up to the light, you can see through it to help you get the fabric lined up properly. Fold about a third of the fabric down and apply gluestick all over the cardboard. Smooth the fabric back up, and lift up the rest of the fabric, applying gluestick underneath, and then smooth it back down, too. Smooth out all the wrinkles.

4. Lay out your 3 pieces of cardboard with the spine in the center and 1/2 inch between each piece. Cut two strips of regular white printer paper and gluestick them as shown in the photo to hold the cardboard together.

6. Cut triangles into the fabric as shown (fig. c). Gluestick the top and bottom edges of the fabric to the cardboard, tucking the corners in as shown (fig. d). Gluestick the sides of the fabric to the cardboard.

7. Apply gluestick all over your paperback and stick it in the new hardback cover. Make sure the spine lines up and is pressed strongly against the new hardback spine (fig. h). Let the glue dry really well before reading your new book.

Everyone recognizes the gift wrap bow. It’s the same bow year after year, holiday after holiday. We’re changing it up by making that bow out of ribbon and making it truly the gifting bow year after year after year!

This project is a little more difficult if you don’t have good dexterity. In the photos a paper clip is shown to hold the ribbon in place between each step, but this is only for photographic purposes, this entire project has to be done while holding the ribbon in one hand and folding with other. This is why good quality satin ribbon works best, it fold nicely yet has enough texture to keep it from slipping in your hands. One slip of the fingers and your bow may unravel like a husband without gifts on Christmas Eve!

Materials:

1” wide unwired satin ribbon
Embroidery floss
Hand stitching needle

1. With the ribbon still attached to the spool make a loop in the end so the front of the ribbon is facing out.2. Take the ribbon that is still attached to the spool and fold around its self to make a point. 3. Now the ribbon should be coming out the side of the loop opposite your point. Make another point on that side.4. Repeat these points all the way around the center loop making points in between points and under points until your bow fills out.

5. Cut the ribbon underneath the finished bow and make a few tack stitches from the back, through all the folds in the ribbon and underneath the center loop.
6. Place self stick Velcro on the bottom of the bow, over top of the tack stitches. Place the Velcro’s companion piece on top of your wrapped gift so it can be used again and again with the addition of a new companion piece of Velcro.

Sometimes the simplest package can be the most stunning. With an old paper bag and some bakers twine you can pack a punch in the style department. This technique works wonders for a more “manly” packaging as well.

Bakers twine can be found anywhere but I bought my special Christmas collection twine, called Timeless Twine, from Bella Creationz on Etsy. As far as the paper bags go, you can find them anywhere but be weary of those you get from take out food, they often have hidden grease spots you won’t notice until you’re about to place your gift under the tree!

Materials:

Bakers twine
Paper Bag
Tape
Double stick tape (optional)
Colored cardstock for the tag
Hole punch

1. Deconstruct the paper bag at its natural seams so it will lay flat and wrap your gifts as you would with regular wrapping paper.

2. Place a piece of double stick tape between the gifts if you have two as I do, and place the smaller gift on top of the bigger gift to create a step pyramid look.

3. Place twine on top of the gifts and wrap around to the bottom. Twist the two pieces of twine around eachother and go back around the gifts back to the top.

4. Double knot the twine on the top and set the gifts aside.

5. Make a 2” x 3” rectangle on the piece of cardstock. Use a round object like a bottle of paint or something similar to trace around so the corners of the rectangle are rounded.
6. Cut the rounded cornered rectangle out and use a hole punch to punch a hole at one end to string the twine through.

7. Address the tag for the recipient. Don’t forget to put who it’s from!

8. Place one piece of twine through the hole in the tag and tie a single knot with both ends of the twine to secure the tag.
9. Tie a small bow in the twine, snip the ends, and you’re done!

Poinsettias are the generic Christmas flower. Bows are the generic gift wrap topper. How about we combine the two for an all together different approach to seasonal boredom?

My fabric poinsettias are so ridiculously easy, yet look so impressive, you just can’t lose. Attached to the tops of gifts with Velcro, just get some new Velcro for the gift and you, or your recipient, can use them again and again!

Don’t stop there either. The possibilities are endless once you have the hang of it: brooches, headbands, entire bouquets, you name it!

FABRIC POINSETTIA GIFT TOPPERS

Materials:

Colored fabric scraps (the best fabrics are linen, felt, cotton, something heavy enough to hold its shape but not so heavy it will be impossible to stitch through all the layers)
Thick hand sewing needle
Pliers to pull the needle through if the fabrics are too thick
Embroidery floss in matching color
Self stick Velcro
Funky buttons
Petals template

Instructions:
1. Cut 4 large petals out and 4 medium petals. Set aside, thread the needle, and knot the end of the thread.

2. Get one large petal and make a small fold in the bottom of the petal (the “bottom” of the petal is the fat end of the tear drop shape) and make a small tack stitch with the embroidery floss.

3. Make a fold in the bottom of a second large petal; place it over top of the first petal, but pointing in the opposite direction. Tack stitch the two petals together.

4. Now fill in the blanks with a third and fourth large petal, tack stitching each petal as you go.


5. Take one of the medium petals, put the small fold in the bottom, and place over top of the large petals making sure the end of the petal points between the ends of 2 large petals.

6. Fill in the blanks with 3 more petals pointing their ends between two large petals and tack stitching each petal as you go.
7. Stitch a button in the center of the flower covering up the bottoms of the petals and the tack stitches.
8. Tie the thread off on the back, snip the remaining thread, and place a piece of self stick Velcro over the stitches on the back. The companion piece of Velcro will be placed on top of the gift so all your hard work doesn’t get destroyed when fists are flying on Christmas morning!

]]> http://dujourmag.com/blog/50-days-of-holiday-giftwrap-3/feed/ 0 http://dujourmag.com/blog/50-days-of-holiday-giftwrap-2/ http://dujourmag.com/blog/50-days-of-holiday-giftwrap-2/#comments Tue, 21 Dec 2010 21:20:00 +0000 Letitia http://dujourmag.com/?p=3877 post by Dujour DIY Editor Lucy

The Japanese have used furoshiki cloths since possibly the 8th century as a way of transporting goods. With the advent of plastic shopping bags, however, the practice began to decline. That is, until people started to appreciate the reusability and environmental advantages of cloth, as opposed to plastic, wraps again.

This Christmas, you can wrap your gifts in an impressive fashion while still loving the environment, and giving your gift recipient a whole other gift! Their own handmade furoshiki cloth!

Although I find this process works best for smaller, square gifts, feel free to experiment and remind hourself that the Japanese have been known to make them as large as bed sheets!

Furoshiki Wrapping

Materials:

Piece of fabric large enough to accommodate gift size
Scissors
Thread
Embellishments (optional)

Instructions:

1. Measure the longest side of your gift and multiply it by two. Next, measure the height of your gift and multiply that by two. Add these two numbers together and then add 3”. This is the final size of your furoshiki. The gift I’m wrapping is 6” across and 1” tall, plus my added 3”, which in total gives me 17”.

2. Add two inches to the final size of your furoshiki. For instance, my cloth needs to be 17” square so I will draw a 19” x 19” square on my piece of fabric.

3. Before cutting out the square draw another square inside the original square but 1” smaller. Cut your fabric out on the line for the larger square.

This is the point where you would embellish your furoshiki if you wanted to. Stamp it, draw on it, whatever you feel like doing, but don’t attach anything like buttons because they will be caught in the tying process.

4. Do a nice tight zig zag stitch all the way around the wrap following the line for the inside square. Hold the fabric as tight as possible while stitching to prevent it from bunching up inside the zig zag stitch.

5. Carefully cut the excess fabric off the outside of the square being mindful not to cut the thread.

6. Give the furoshiki a press with a hot iron and that’s it!

Tying Your Furoshiki

1. Place the furoshiki on a table face down.

2. Place the gift in the center of the furoshiki at an angle.

3. Tie two opposite points together in a single knot on top of the gift.

4. Tie the other two opposite points in a single knot over the first knot.

5. Tie the two original points in a second knot.

6. Tie the last two points in their second knot over all the other previous knots.

7. Play with the points and knots until they come out looking even and like beautiful petals in the middle of your gift.

During the holidays our homes become masses of glitter, bows, and boxes. This holiday season why don’t you make your gifts stand out from the crowed and turn their outsides into something just as special as their insides.

Over the next five days leading up to Christmas, I’m going to show you different and easy ways to dress your holiday gifts to impress! From the Japanese art of Furoshiki, to making your own gift bows, I’ll guide you through simple steps that will put a little more handmade into your holidays.

But be careful!  You may find that instead of people wanting to tear into your gifts, they may be tempted to leave them as they are!

Fabric Gift Bags

I always find myself peeking under the trees of family and friends looking for something I might recognize. It may not have been theirs the year before, maybe it was in Grandmas possession, or maybe my sister-in-law, perhaps Great Aunt Marian called it hers last year. I just look beneath the tree, quietly, and when I spot one I just smile to myself and move on.

What am I looking for? Fabric gift bags! Once you start making these bags I’m telling you it will become a game year after year to see the bags pop up under other people’s trees! You can make them as simply as you like with solid colors or printed fabric, or as involved as you can set aside time for with stamping, silk screening, drawing, or painting. The point is, no matter how simple you make them, the recipient will love it and absolutely use it again and again. See it as another piece of their present!

Materials:

Medium weight fabric, you need it thin enough to close easily at the top but opaque enough that the recipient can’t see their gift
Scissors
Iron
Ribbon
Fabric ink (optional)
Cookie cutters (optional)
Fabric markers (optional)

Instructions:

1. Measure your gift’s width and add 3” to it. Measure the gifts height, double it, and add 6” to it. This is how big your fabric needs to be. If your gift is square or very wide measure the depth and width and add to your fabrics size. These gift bags work best with soft gifts, ornaments, or other wise unconventional sizes. If it’s a square, just wrap it. It’s easier.

2. Once the fabric is cut to size, decorate the bag as you see fit. I have decorated mine using a Christmas tree cookie cutter as a stamp and fabric markers to write the word “Merry” all over the fabric. Follow all manufacturers’ instructions for fabric inks, dyes, and paints as they almost all vary in drying time or heat setting. Once your decorations are complete, you can move on to the next step.

3. Fold the corners of the smaller ends of the rectangle in 1” on the back of the fabric and press with a hot, dry, iron.

4. Fold the length of the smaller ends of the rectangle down to meet the bottoms of the corners that were just pressed in, press flat, pin down, and top stitch across using a 1/2″ seam. Repeat on the other side.

5. Fold the rectangle in half, right sides together, so the tops (the ends you just folded and stitched) match up, and pin the sides.

6. Stitch down the sides using a 1/2″ seam allowance. Trim the seams up to a 1/4″ and then make a tight zig zag stitch down the sides to keep the edges from fraying.

7. Flip the bag right side out and press flat.

8. Cut two lengths of ribbon twice the width of the bag, plus 6”.

9. Pin a safety pin to one end of one strand of ribbon. Insert the safety pin into one of the openings at the top of the bag, and carefully shimmy the pin through the side of the bag and out the other end. Now insert the safety pin into the next side of the bag as well, shimmy it through, and come out in the hole next to where you started.

10. Attach the safety pin to the other length of ribbon and repeat step 9, except this time start the safety pin at the opposite side of the bag.

11. Tie the ribbons sticking out of one side together in a single knot right next to the opening when the bag is laying flat. Trim the excess and repeat on the other side.