How to Make Reusable Chalkboard Gift Tags

This tutorial was originally published on Crafting a Green World in 2016.

Make reusable, DIY chalkboard gift tags for all of your holiday gift wrapping adventures!  

Okay, I DID find just one more cardboard record album cover craft to make with my scraps--reusable DIY chalkboard gift tags! These reusable DIY chalkboard gift tags came together in just minutes, from the scraps leftover from making my latest batch of album cover bookmarks. I'll be pretty excited to have them already in hand when the gift-giving season really starts rolling, and since they have a chalkboard side, we can use them over and over again.  

You will need: 

  cardboard. The base of these gift tags is an interesting piece of cardboard, upcycled from anything that you like. Record album covers are great, of course, but so is the cardboard packaging from your favorite foods, or perhaps even old calendar pages. 

  chalkboard tape. The reason why this project is so quick and easy is that a few months ago, I found a roll of chalkboard tape on sale, and I bought it even though I didn't have a project in mind for it (my husband haaaaaates when I do this, by the way, but look at that tape now, Matt. LOOK AT THAT TAPE NOW!!!). 

You could experiment with chalkboard paint instead, but my intuition says that it will warp your cardboard if you're not super careful. 

  chalk markers. Chalk markers will enable you to write messages on the gift tags that won't rub off. When you're finished, wipe it off with a damp cloth and it's ready to go again! 

  scissors or gift tag hole punch. I have a gift tag punch that I use for lighter materials, but it won't cut through record album cardboard. Anyway, it's cuter to freehand around fun images.  

To make these tags, simply cut out a rough outline of your graphic on your cardboard, then back it with the chalkboard tape. 

Having done that, you can cut out the exact outline that you want, cutting through both cardboard and tape at the same time for perfectly clean edges. 

 Punch a smaller hole for hanging at the top of your gift tag, then write your chalk message on the back.

   My only worry, now, is that the older of my two kids will wash off all of her sister's tags and write her own name in, instead. Fortunately, she's also my kid with messy handwriting, so I *should* be able to tell...

I Bought My Kid a Sticker Maker

 

I wasn't sure that this sticker maker was actually going to be a hit. Syd didn't touch it for the entire summer after I bought it for her birthday, and I'm the one who actually ended up getting it out early this autumn and messing around with it trying to figure it out.

But if there is one gold standard about parenting, it is this: if you want your kids to get interested in something, ignore them and get yourself interested in that thing. Whether it's dried apricots, The Lord of the Rings, or your latest awesome art supply, if you're into something and act like you don't know they're around, kids show up and try stuff out just to get into your business. 

On an unrelated note, ahem, I have also been woken up by the children from every single nap I have ever tried to take since they've been born. I swear that a kid can need nothing from me, can flat-out reject my company, and as soon as I close my bedroom door, lie down, get comfy, and doze off, I hear, "Mom?" And it's always something stupid, like where are the scissors or are we supposed to be saving the French bread for dinner or can we go to the bookstore this weekend.

Literally TODAY I lay down on my bed for like five minutes to TikTok as my reward for mostly-ish picking up the house, fell asleep, and fourteen seconds later Syd was all, "Mom?"

To be fair, she was calling for me to see if I was ready to drive her to ballet, but still! 

So when I got out the sticker maker stuff for the first time one day, set it all up at the kitchen table, figured out how to load and use the cartridges, and started cutting out some comic book pages that I thought might make excellent stickers--

--Syd found me and immediately figured out all the sticker stuff and off she went, making her own art into stickers:

Because you can't arrive at a dog's birthday party empty-handed!

Here are the sticker maker supplies that Syd now uses every week:

• Xyron Creative Station Lite
• Xyron Magnet/Laminate Roll
• Xyron Laminate/Adhesive Roll

She uses the supplies entirely to make stickers from her own art, and she prefers the simple adhesive roll, rather than the roll that both adds adhesive to the back AND laminates the front, because she likes to continue to add to and embellish her art even after it's made into stickers.

I don't make art, and so I've made stickers from comics, vintage books, and clip art, digital images, and the kids' scanned artwork all printed on plain copy paper. I also prefer the look of the unlaminated stickers, although I suspect that my comic stickers aren't particularly archivally sound.

Syd was mildly horrified to see that I'd essentially made fanart of another one of her projects.

I'd be curious to price out about how much each square inch of sticker costs, but I'm too lazy to do that right now. It feels cheap enough, though, that I wouldn't be sad letting the kids make stickers when their friends come over or bringing it out at a Girl Scout meeting. 

I'm also very eager to try scanning, printing, and then making into stickers the fussy cut graphics that I like to decoupage onto wood blocks. I'd lose some eco-friendliness and the coolness of using the actual comic, but I could use graphics from comics that I'm not willing to cut up and a sticker might be more reliable and less messy than a piece of vintage low-grade paper and glue.

Christmas cardmaking will be VERY fun, too.

And I can't wait to see what Syd makes next, too!

P.S. I can't let you go without mentioning that I'm also super into DIY stickers that I make using repositionable glue. These were awesome especially when the kids were little and sticking stickers everywhere, because they peel right off any surface--and stick right down again somewhere else!

Make a Folder from a Cardboard Record Album Cover

This tutorial was originally published on Crafting a Green World in 2016.

You're going to have the coolest school supplies on the planet when you make yourself an upcycled folder from a cardboard record album cover.  

Cardboard record album covers are perfect for this project--they're a little sturdier than your regular dime a dozen cardstock folders (which is a good thing!), but still light and easy to carry, and their prominent graphics both recall the look of your favorite themed folders and are unique to your own old-school interests. 

Seriously, where else on the planet am I going to find a Simon and Garfunkel folder for myself? 

 Tip: To find cardboard record album covers to upcycle, check out yard sales and thrift stores. People barely know how to properly store records anymore, which means that a lot of the ones that you can pick up on the cheap have been mistreated and are now completely unplayable. Unplayable records are records ripe for upcycling! 

How to Make a Folder from an Album Cover

You will need: 

  cardboard record album cover. You'll need one entire record album cover, as well as one additional piece of cardboard of the same dimensions. Two record sets will provide the necessary cardboard, or you can utilize part of another record album cover. 

  x-acto knife and self-healing cutting mat. While cutting the cardboard to make one of these folders, I sliced a gigantic piece of flesh almost completely off of my index finger. I then proceeded to half pass out in the middle of the floor, bleeding profusely, while my two children hovered over me, horrified, and repeatedly asked me what to do.  It's important to make memories with your children, Friends! 

  duct tape. Duct tape isn't an eco-friendly craft supply, but it IS the best supply for the job here. You're also not going to be using a ton of it, and the folders that you make are sturdy enough that they should last for a super long time, so I'm comfortable with it. If you're not, play around with perhaps stitching or lacing up your folders, and then tell me all about it in the Comments below!  

1. Measure and cut your cardboard record album cover. For this folder, you will be using both the front and back of one cardboard record album cover, keeping them attached on the left side to form the folder's natural fold. The height of the record album cover, 12", is perfect for a folder. 

To get the correct length, 9.5", cut the excess 2.5" away from the right side of the cover. Watch your fingers!!! 

 Slit open the top and bottom of the record album cover, leaving the left side attached. 

  2. Measure and cut the upcycled folder pockets. From a second piece of cardboard, measure and cut two rectangles with the dimensions "9.25 x 5". Notice that the length of the cardboard is slightly less than that of each folder half--this will decrease bulk at the fold. 

The height of each pocket is up to your discretion, although 4"-5" looks proportionate and will do a good job holding your papers. 

  3. Tape the hinge of the upcycled folder. Measure out a piece of duct tape that's a little longer than the height of the folder, then cut it in half lengthwise--you'll have the easiest time if you use duct tape scissors (I own this pair). Use one of the halves to cover and strengthen the folder's hinge.  

After you've folded the duct tape to cover both sides of the hinge, trim off the excess at each end. 

  4. Place and tape the pockets. Turn the folder over and place the cardboard pockets on each side, lined up with both the bottom and outside edges. Use the second half of duct tape to cover the inside hinge, catching both cardboard pockets.  

Overlap or trim off any excess tape at each end. 

  5. Tape all the other edges. You can now cover the perimeter of the folder with duct tape, again measuring out the correct length for a side and cutting it into two lengthwise.  

Fold each piece of tape under to cover both the outside and inside edges of the folder, and don't forget to make sure that the tape catches the edges of the cardboard pockets, too. Trim excess tape after you've taped each side.  

These folders really are SUPER sturdy, and will stand up well to being tossed into a backpack and used all year. And next school year, you can use them again!

Make a Cardboard Record Album Cover and Duct Tape Bookmark

 This tutorial was originally published on Crafting a Green World in 2016.

If you need something a lot sturdier than plain paper, but you still want to craft with some upcycled materials, then this cardboard record album cover and duct tape bookmark is for you! 

 The vintage cardboard record album cover, taken from a damaged record, makes an awesome front for your bookmark, while the duct tape strengthens the entire thing and covers up the back of the bookmark, concealing any stains or rips or other flaws. 

 Got a favorite record album cover that you've been wanting to upcycle? Here's how to make a cardboard and duct tape bookmark for yourself! 

 You will need: 

  vintage cardboard record album cover. Take this from a record that's no longer playable, and do something else awesome with the record! 

  duct tape. It's not an eco-friendly crafting supply, but when used in moderation, it's SUPER fun! Check out the time that the kids and I made duct tape wallets!

  hole punch. You can use any size, although I think one that's just slightly wider than the diameter of your yarn looks better than one that's really wide. 

  yarn or embroidery floss. Choose a color that matches your bookmark.  

1. Cut out your bookmark. Using a favorite bookmark as a template, trace a bookmark outline onto a scrap of cardboard record album cover (these are the scraps leftover from my upcycled record album cover folder project), then cut it out. 

  2. Back with duct tape. I LOVE our duct tape in novelty colors, and I have a pretty great time matching cute duct tape colors to stuff. For the most eco-friendly project, make the bookmark no wider than your roll of duct tape.  

3. Cut the duct tape away from the bookmark. If you have duct tape scissors, this will be MUCH easier to do. 

  4. Add the tassel. Punch a hole at the top center of the bookmark, then cut off a length of yarn or embroidery floss that's about double the length of the bookmark. Thread it through the hole and tie a square knot.  

This cardboard and duct tape bookmark would make a pretty cool present when presented along with a brand-new book, and an especially cool present if you can manage to make it from someone's favorite album.

Syd and I Built our Own Polygons

 

Y'all might remember that I'm seriously into finding obscure education manuals and how-to books in my local university's library system.

Some of what I find isn't amazing, but sometimes what I find is super cool!

This book gave me and Syd a fun afternoon problem-solving, building her math skills, and challenging my apparently very poor spatial reasoning abilities:

The one supply that you absolutely have to have to build your own polygons according to these instructions is a long length of narrow paper--like, a LONG length. The book calls for gummed mailing tape, whatever that is, but Syd and I used a roll of adding machine paper. I think any kind of narrow paper roll would work.

Build Your Own Polyhedra starts by teaching you how to fold your tape to make an endless row of regular, equilateral triangles. You use these as a guide to make further creases and folds, twists and turns that form all kinds of regular polygons--you can explore to find them yourself, or follow the book's instructions to create them.

I had a ridiculously difficult time with both options, to be honest. When I tried to explore on my own, I just kept making the same straight line over and over again, and when I tried to follow the book's diagram to make a regular hexagon, I just... couldn't. It made NO sense to me! I'm used to being the smartest girl in the room so, not gonna lie--it kind of freaked me out!

And then Syd looked for about five seconds at a drawing of the finished folded hexagon--not the instructions, mind you, but just a drawing of the finished product!--and quick as a blink, she promptly folded herself an absolutely perfect regular hexagon:

She kindly then walked me through the process, although she kept saying, "Okay, now just repeat that over and over," and I'd be all, "Repeat it... how, exactly?", and she'd patiently walk me through the exact same step one more time. And then another time. And then another, and another, until I thankfully had my own perfect hexagon.

I don't know if we'll go on to create more sophisticated polygons, or even move onto the titular polyhedra, because Syd, as well as having some serious visual-spatial abilities, also has the attention span of a Jack Russell Terrier at an agility competition and so she's already said she's bored with the book and wants to do something different.

Whatever weird thing we do next, I'm sure I'll put it on my Craft Knife Facebook page, so come find me there!

How to Make a Brown Paper Bag Journal

This tutorial was originally published on Crafting a Green World in 2016.

A brown paper bag journal is quick, easy, and makes a great writing and drawing surface! Grab a bag from the recycling bin and follow the easy instructions. 

 If you need a quick and easy notebook, the answer is no farther than the local grocery store on the day that you forget your cloth bags--this brown paper bag journal project is quick, easy, and makes a great writing and drawing surface! 

 This brown paper bag journal is good and sturdy, so you can take it out on hikes or throw it in your backpack for when inspiration strikes. It's about as unpretentious as they come, though, so you don't have to worry about messing up your "nice" journals (which I hope you don't--that's what they're there for!). The brown paper takes a variety of media surprisingly well, and my family has found them to be especially great for themed notebooks and journals for specific projects--my kids made the ones in these photos to use as current event journals for the coming week. 

 Here's what you need to make a brown paper bag journal for yourself!

Brown Paper Bag Journal

two brown paper bags. This will make a medium-sized notebook of sixteen pages, although you can easily add a lot more pages if you use more bags. You may also have to use more bags if you don't want to include any of the store's graphics in your journal, but we just decoupage over it. 

  cutting tools. In our case, that's a metal ruler, a rotary cutting tool, and a self-healing cutting mat. Be SUPER careful when you make your cuts! 

  four clothespins. Or clamps, or paperclips. 

  embroidery thread and needle. This is about the perfect weight for the binding of these books--thread would be too thin, and twine too thick. 

 1. Cut and trim your brown paper bags. You'll be using the front and back of each brown paper bag for this project--recycle or upcycle the sides and bottom. Cut out the front and back of each bag, then stack the sheets--we use four--and trim them to a uniform size. 

  2. Punch holes down the center of the sheets. With the sheets still stacked, find the exact center, lengthwise, and mark the line with your metal ruler. You will now need to poke holes down the center of your pages, using even spacing. Use your needle or an awl to make the holes. VERY IMPORTANT: You MUST have an odd number of holes! Hint: If the width of the pages is an even number (ours are around 16"), you can poke holes every inch and have an odd number. 

 3. Sew the spine. Use clothespins to clamp the pages together at top and bottom, just on each side of your column of holes. 

Thread a length of embroidery floss that's longer than double the width of your pages, and knot the end. Sew in one hole and out the next all the way up the pages,  and then all the way back down. 

 If you poked an odd number of holes like I told you to, you'll find that sewing back down will overlap the opposite sides of where you sewed up, making an unbroken line of stitching on both sides of the pages. 

 4. Knot the thread. When you get back to your starting point, knot the embroidery floss, then trim it and fold the book in half at the stitching. 

 This brown paper bag journal is a super simple DIY for the artist or writer in your family, especially if you embellish the front and back cover yourself. Kids can also make these in school or club meetings, and you can even ask parents to bring in the bags for the project--you know everyone forgets their cloth grocery bags every now and then!

Easy Handmade Gift: Matted Photo in a Thrifted Frame

This tutorial was originally published on Crafting a Green World in 2016.

 Need a gift that's easy to make but still personal? A matted photo that you make yourself can be just the thing! 

You use a photo or artwork that lets your recipients know that you're thinking only of them, and yet the actual matting and framing of the photo takes less than an hour and costs less than five bucks. 

 Key to this project is the thrifted frame. If you've never gone thrifting for frames, I highly recommend it! Many people, when they get tired of what's inside the frame, just donate the entire piece, frame and all. Our local Goodwill stores have monthly 50%-off storewide sales, and whenever I go to them, I always look through their frames and take home the ones that I like. I generally repaint them for use in my own house, but this gold one that I pulled out of my stash (with the price tag on the back: $1.50!), even though I'd have painted it navy or slate for myself, will actually go perfectly well as-is in the recipient's home. That's one fewer step for me! 

 If you do want to refinish your frame, check out my round-up of the best methods. Scroll down to the paint and fabric tute to see how I refinish my frames 99% of the time. 

 The next thing that you need is a lovely paper to cover the thrifted frame's existing mat board. You're not making a piece that has to look perfect in a thousand years, so I don't worry overly much about the acidity of the papers that I use. This is a gift for your grandma or your girlfriend, not the Queen of England. 

In my own house, I have frames covered in dictionary pages, comic book pages, and wallpaper samples, but for this particular frame, I'm using handmade paper from a little book that has a looooong story, full of drama, from my wedding. So much drama that some of the pages ended up getting torn out. Ask me about it in the Comments and I'll tell you. Buy us a pitcher of margaritas, and I'll tell you some even worse stories of my wedding drama! 

 I decoupaged the handmade paper to the mat board, tearing the paper into strips and overlapping the edges into straight lines to make the piece look somewhat orderly. The handmade paper is neutral-toned, as well, so it doesn't distract from the photo. 

To attach the paper to the mat board, I just used double-sided tape. Now, tape is something that you DO want to be picky about, because a lot of tape is horrible and will begin to discolor your work within months, so it's best to have handy some kind of tape that says it's "document-friendly." 

 If you've got that document-friendly tape, you can also use it to attach the photo to the decoupaged mat board, but if you're worried, just use photo corners. 

That was such a beautiful road trip!

 Honestly, the biggest pain in the butt when using a thrifted frame is cleaning that glass! These frames have sat in someone's house for decades, sometimes, and I don't know what all they have on them, but it can be gross. I use straight vinegar in a spray bottle, scrubbed off with crumpled-up newspaper (this is also how I clean windows and mirrors), repeated until whatever gunk is all over the glass finally comes off. 

 The last thing that you have to do is simply re-assemble the frame, making sure that you have the hanger on the back correct. 

Wrap it up, add a pretty bow, and wait for the squeals of happiness when your thoughtful gift is opened!

Scrapbook Paper Stationery Sets

This tutorial was originally posted on Crafting a Green World in 2016. 

 Whether you need a quick and easy handmade gift or you would rather not hit up the store just so you can send some thank-you notes, you'll find that it is super simple to make your own personalized, handmade stationery, entirely from your favorite scrapbook paper. 

 You will need: 

  scrapbook paper. I'm using 8.5"x11" scrapbook paper for the stationery in these photos, and I had very little waste left over. You can also, of course, use typing paper of the same size (perhaps with children's artwork on one side?), or even wrapping paper or thin cardboard food packaging, but keep in mind that your paper needs to be sturdy enough to be mailed, and if you choose something very thick, you'll need to account for that in your measuring. 

  measuring and cutting tools. I'm using a self-healing cutting mat, clear plastic ruler, and the same rotary craft knife that I almost cut off a chunk of my left forefinger with. 

  glue stick. It's basic, but really is the best supply for this job. 

 1. Make custom envelopes. If you have a size in mind for your notepaper, you can make custom envelopes that will fit the notepaper perfectly. Otherwise, there are loads of good envelope templates online. The envelopes that I'm making from my 8.5"x11" scrapbook paper are 4"x6", not including the flap. 

  2. Cut down a second piece of scrapbook paper to fit the envelopes. The matching notepaper should be twice the height of your envelope, and approximately 1/4" less in width. For my own pieces of notepaper, I cut 1/2" off of the width of my scrapbook paper, and then cut the remaining piece in half, giving me two pieces of notepaper that are 5.5"x8". 

 3. Fold each piece of notepaper in half. You can stack them together and insert them into your envelope, or make a second envelope to accommodate the second piece of notepaper. 

 To address your envelopes, put a white mailing label on the front of each envelope and write on that. Alternately, fold your envelopes so that the scrapbook paper is on the inside and the white side is facing out. If you buy a book of scrapbook paper, you'll find that it includes both similar patterns in different colorways and different patterns in the same colorway; either option would make a lovely, large set of handmade stationery to give as a gift.

How to Upcycle a Coloring Book Page into a Bookmark

This tutorial was originally published on Crafting a Green World in 2017.

Need another idea for how to upcycle a coloring book page? Here's how to turn it into a sturdy bookmark, the easy way! 

 My kids and I love coloring books, as I'm sure you can tell from all of the tutorials that I post on ways to upcycle coloring book pages. Well, here's one more for you! 

 This coloring book page bookmark looks especially nice when made from one of those adult coloring book pages with lots of patterns, or when fussy cut to pick out an extra-cute detail from a larger coloring book page. It's also a good way to upcycle a coloring book page that the artist has abandoned partway through--you know they NEVER go back to finish those old pages. 

 If you use a page that's colored by a kid, these also make great little handmade gifts to family and friends. When going through the latest stack of finished coloring pages, for instance, I found a couple of springtime pages that will look great made into bookmarks and tucked into Easter cards for the grandparents. Want to try it out for yourself? Read on! 

 You will need: 

  coloring page. You can use anything that you want for this, although remember that coloring books made from cheap paper are NOT acid-free. They're fine for short-term use in a book, but you wouldn't want to put one of those bookmarks in a book and then forget about it for twenty years. 

Many adult coloring books advertise that they use acid-free paper, however, and because I have two kids, we have a family rule that if you want to color something from a "nice" coloring book, you have to photocopy it first. This increases the playability of the coloring book, makes for a more satisfying coloring experience, as the kids usually choose to copy their page onto cardstock so that they can use permanent markers or our artist-quality colored pencils, and generally means that the finished product will be acid-free. 

  backing material. Again, you've got a lot of choice in this. You want a sturdy back to your bookmark, because wishy-washy bendy bookmarks SUCK, and also because your coloring book page probably has another drawing on the back or bleed-through from the front. My favorite backing material is adhesive card stock, although you'll see that I use duct tape for a couple of the bookmarks below. Other options include any sort of card-weight paper and your own adhesive. 

  hole punch and embroidery floss or yarn. This adds the perfect last detail to your bookmark. Feel free to also add beads! 

 1. Back and fussy cut the bookmark. I like to apply my backing paper first, even though it does make the placement less accurate.

Applying the backing first, though, makes the bookmark easier to trim without getting adhesive onto your scissors. 

Cut the bookmark to shape and then add the backing and THEN trim, however, if fussy cutting the absolutely perfect bookmark is your highest priority. 

  2. Hole punch and add yarn or embroidery floss. I like to use double the length of my bookmark in embroidery floss. I knot it at the bookmark, then knot each of the threads near the end to prevent unraveling. You can use several pieces of embroidery floss at one time, if you want. It makes the bookmark look even nicer!

Turn a Coloring Book Page into a Postcard

This tutorial was originally published on Crafting a Green World in 2017. 

 Drowning in cute, completed coloring book pages? Here's a fun way to give those pages another life while spreading some joy around. All you need to transform your coloring book pages into fun postcards are: 

  completed coloring book pages. As I've probably mentioned before, we photocopy all of our coloring book pages onto cardstock before we color them, but I've also made a postcard out of a vintage Archie comic book page, at the bottom of the pic, so that you can see how this method will work even with thin, cheap paper. 

  cardboard/thick card stock and adhesive. Adhesive-backed cardstock makes this job even quicker and easier, but almost all of it that you'll find has a texture that means you'll have to write your postcards using ballpoint pen. If you want to use your own cardstock or cardboard, choose a thin, even adhesive for this. I have an emergency can of spray mount (which is not eco-friendly) that I try to whip out only when it's absolutely necessary, but you can use regular glue, if you apply it lightly then press the postcard between pieces of waxed paper with a weight on top. 

 The only thing that you need to do to turn your coloring book pages into postcards is apply an adhesive backing (I do this first, making sure to cover a larger dimension than I'll want, so that I don't have to painstakingly match two perfectly-sized pieces afterwards), then fussy cut your postcard to the correct dimensions. There's even a little wiggle room in postcard dimensions, so you can be sure to capture the perfect part of your graphic. 

 If my kids are going to be using the postcard, I'll flip the finished postcard over and then, with a ruler and a pen, draw the line separating the address from the message, and the lines for the address. Sometimes I'll even ink in a little square for the stamp. If I don't do this, the kids will be sure to run over the space for the address, and it sucks. 

 These quick-and-easy little postcards are especially nice for sending to loved ones who will appreciate your beautiful artwork--I like to build up a stash,  then let my kids use them for thank-you notes and quick messages to grandparents.