Let's make paper Posie Pouches!

Did you do May Day baskets when you were growing up? We'd decorate a container or basket ... fill it with flowers ... and leave it on the doorknob of a neighbor. Well here's an updated version using paper  ... and it's fast so you still have time to make one before the end of the day. For my pouches, I used Pebbles Garden Party line ... it has six seed packets on a sheet that I cut apart and another sheet of tags that I used. I cut matching paper for the back of the pouch. If you're using some other paper just cut it 4" x 6".

The pouches were hand stitched together but before I began, I did a little bit of pen work. I doodled around the various flower elements on the papers ... each was a little different. I also used Stickles Diamond Glitter to bling the flowers and the elements on the tags.

To make it easier to stitch the papers together, I made holes in the cardstock. I put the front and back together and held them at the top with a piece of washi tape. You need a surface to punch into so I used some foam but an old mousepad would work. Grab a T-pin or a large needle. Lay a ruler about 1/4" from the edges and punch holes every 1/4" with the T-pin ... do the two sides and the bottom.

Use three strands of floss on a tapestry needle to stitch in and out of the holes. Start at the top and stitch down one side ... across the bottom ... up the other side ... knot off when you're done. I ran a little bit of glue over the knots on the back so that they wouldn't pull through. Punch a hole at each corner at the top and string through 12" of sheer ribbon. Knots are on the front of the pouch. Angle the ends when you're done tying the knots.

Use a punch or die cutter to cut a butterfly for each pouch. Fold a crease in the middle of the butterfly by bringing both wings together and then opening it back up. Cut a scrap 1/4" x 1" for the body and round the ends. Glue over the crease with tacky glue. Use Stickles Diamond glitter to bling the wings and body. When the glitter is dry, attach it to the front of the pouch with a dimensional foam dot.

Use a corner rounder to round the corners of the tags.

Ink the edges of the tag and pouch with Chestnut Roan Chalk ink. Poke a hole in one corner of the tag and attach it to the ribbon with some left over floss. Push a small amount of stuffing inside the pouch to poof it out ... crumpled paper would work, too. Fill it with baby's breath or some other flowers. Hang on a door knob and enjoy!

 

 

We're having so much fun with paper at the Cottage!

Our monthly Card Tricks classes just keep getting better! I have to say ... it's very fun having paper in the store ... it really expands the creative horizons!! I'm beginning to think of our projects in wool, fabric and paper ... all at once. So many ideas!

I love to stitch paper together and most of the time I use my sewing machine ... but sometimes its just fun to pull out the floss and stitch a little bit slower. I have some pretty full-sized verses from My Mind's Eye that I'm eager to embellish with thread and trinkets. They are just shouting out for that extra touch and texture. And as soon as I saw the die cut for the heart with the cross stitch holes from Avery Elle ... I just knew I had to make one with my inital! I've never really gotten into creating scrapbook pages but the idea of building things with paper has always struck my imagination. I think I have the best of both at my fingertips now ... paper and fabric!