How to make a Fancy Paper Bag!

Hi everyone! It's Tuesday and we are here with another tutorial, this time a fancy gift bag! Gift bags are a great alternative to gift wrapping, especially if your gift does not come with a box or it’s an odd shaped gift. They are also great for small soft toys and other difficult to wrap gifts!

 You can make this bag from Card stock, Handmade paper or Mulberry paper.  Due to their flexibility and unique look, Handmade papers or Mulberry papers are better choices.

Supplies Required:

1. A sheet of Cardstock / Handmade Paper/ Mulberry Paper
2. Eyelets
3. Ribbon / Cord / Twine
4. Mulberry Flowers
5. Chipboard Flourishes

Tools Required:

1. Scoring Tool
2. Craft Glue
3. Eyelet Setting Tool
4. Hammer
5. Scissors

Method:

Cut your Card stock to measure approximately 30cm x 42cm. 

 30cm x 42cm is the approximately the size of A3 paper. However, you can use different dimensions if you want. For this project a rectangular paper will work well, preferably with an approximate ratio of 1.5 (Length should be roughly 1.5 times the width). A4, A3 sizes will also work well. The height of the bag will be about 2-3 inches less than the width.

Score the paper ½” from the edge on the left side. Measure the length from the score line to the other edge and mark the centre (as shown in the figure). Make a score line at this centre. You can lightly draw a line with pencil if it makes it easier for you. (This side will form the inside of the bag).

Fold the card stock on the middle score line and punch two holes using an eyelet tool or the hole punch on the top and bottom layer. The eyelets should be more than 1.5” away from the side edges.

Flip the card stock over and fix the eyelets by inserting them through the hole from the outside and hammering them with help of an eyelet setting tool and hammer.  After the eyelets are fixed flip the paper back.

Apply glue on the 0.5” edge which you folded in the first step. Fold the sheet over and stick it onto the folded flap as shown in the image above. Let the glue dry before the next step.

Make score lines 1 inch from both the side edges of the bag. Flip over and repeat the same on the other side. These score lines will form the side pleat of the bag. Also make a score line 2 inches from the bottom edge. Flip over and do the same on the other side.

Snip the score lines up to the bottom score line as shown in the figure.  Flip the bag over and do the same on the other side. Push the centre crease in on both the sides as shown in the figure.

Now we will close the base of the bag. We do not need the cutting mat anymore.

Glue and close the bottom flaps as shown.

Thread a coordinating ribbon through the eyelets and tie the both ends together on the inside. Repeat the same with the other pair of eyelets. Take care to ensure that the tied ribbons are same length. Your bag is ready and it’s time to embellish it.

Glue the chipboard flourishes to the bag and then glue the beautiful mulberry flowers.

Note: Scoring is very important when working with paper folding. This is how you get a neat, professional looking finish.

Please let us know what you think of this tutorial in the comments below and send us pictures if you try it.

Happy crafting!

Link for Supplies:
Mulberry Papers

http://www.itsybitsy.in/store/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=0&keyword=mulberry+paper
Handmade Papers

http://www.itsybitsy.in/store/handmade-papers
Card Stock

http://www.itsybitsy.in/store/papers/paper-boards

Mulberry Roses

http://www.itsybitsy.in/store/paper-flowers/mulberry-roses
Chipboard Flourishes

http://www.itsybitsy.in/store/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=0&keyword=chipboard+flourish
Satin Ribbons

http://www.itsybitsy.in/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=5500_5506
Craft Glues

http://www.itsybitsy.in/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2200_2202
Eyelets

http://www.itsybitsy.in/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2600_2605
Eyelet Tool

http://www.itsybitsy.in/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2600_2604
Scoring Tool

http://www.itsybitsy.in/store/art-supplies/accessories/brushes/gallery-series-brush-set-oil-bmhs0023-3pcs-pbic-mm
Cutting Mat

http://www.itsybitsy.in/store/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=0&keyword=cutting+mat

Birthday Party Invites for a Music and Cow Loving Toddler

My daughter turns two next month and being the crafter that I am, I just had to make the birthday party invitations. I had just one unwritten rule in my head. The party should make sense to Kyra. She is just a toddler and I didn't want to do something over the top that she wouldn't understand. So I thought about what she likes. Kyra loves music - she loves to sing and dance. She also for some strange reason loves cows. Anywhere she goes she looks for cows and if she catches a glimpse of one, she just squeals with joy! So her party had to have music and cows. Put them together and you have a 'Moo'sic Party!!

This is the front facade of the card. I used a 4" by 6" white card and overlaid some black and white pattern paper on it. Then I embossed a piece of white card with an Itsy Bitsy Spots Embossing folder and this became my third layer. I ran a bright pink ribbon across the centre of the card and placed 2 scallop ovals coupled with straight ovals for the sentiment which was printed on my printer. 

And this is the inside of the card. Being a kids party, I thought a pop up element would be adorable and how about those super cute cow stickers from Itsy Bitsy. I just can't get enough of them. I am also extremely partial to picket fences so when I saw the new Couture Creations Picket Fence die at Itsy Bitsy, I grabbed it for this project. Isn't it just stellar! Here are some closeups of the pop up and a side view of the mechanism. 

Finally it was time for the envelope. I found these awesome pink envelopes at Itsy Bitsy that perfectly matched the punch paper I used for the inside. I added this winning picket fence design as a border on the bottom and 2 more cows finished it up!

Voila! My card is ready! Isn't it fun and cute! I was so pleased with the result and little Kyra loved it too! Now the only issue is making 20 more of them!! Whew!

What do you think of my 'Moo'sical Card. Leave a comment and let me know. Always LOVE hearing from you!! Till then Happy Crafting folks

Supplies Used

Money Envelopes - Great for Making a Boring Gift Extra Special

I always feel a little guilty when I gift someone money because it seems like the easy way out - rather than take the trouble to find a really thoughtful gift, I end up giving cash. Well now I found a way to feel better about it - with handmade money envelopes. I mean you can seriously go nuts with them and then suddenly presenting money will actually be a welcome prospect!

My first envelope is a dramatic black one. I found that Itsy Bitsy has launched this new line of masculine coloured flowers aptly titled 'Gentleman'. And I decided to take that colour scheme forward with a whole lot of greys and blacks. What do you think? Does it say drama?

For my second envelope, I kept it simple and just went crazy with the flap. I used Itsy Bitsy's heart lattice punch to create that border for the flap and edged it off with a line of purple pearls. The end result was this fun frilly envelope. Totally love how it turned out!

For my third envelope, I went all soft and summery - after all we are in the middle of a sunny Indian summer right. I used the Cuttlebug Vintage die to cut little panels in the envelope and then trimmed that off with some pretty Itsy Bitsy flowers and pearls. Buttons were perfect for the centre, what do you think?

Have you tried making your own money envelopes? We would love to see. Leave a comment and we'll pop by!

Supplies Used

There's Still Time To Play in our Color Logo Challenge so here's some Fresh Inspiration

The Itsy Bitsy Color challenge ends tomorrow at midnight so there is still a little over 24 hours remaining to create something using our logo colours and submit it for the challenge. We have seen some truly gorgeous creations so far so competition is stiff, but don't let that stop you from creating your masterpiece. And to inspire you along the way, I have made a TriFold Card in the gorgeous hues of greens, blues and neutrals with a coordinating box envelope.

The picture above shows the card when it's closed. A trifold card has a number of panels to decorate so there was plenty of space to add the colours. I started with some bottle green card stock and after I scored, cut and folded it into the tri-fold shape, I then began decorating. 

For half the panels I embossed some blue punch paper, and then created a lattice design over it using some Itsy Bitsy glitter strips. For the other set of panels, I used a gorgeous pattern paper from the Fresh Floral Stack and cut it using a Rotary Cutter to get that wave edge. Here's a close up of the details.

      

 For the front side, I used some gorgeous blooms from the Itsy Bitsy Gardenia series to cover the panel. The leaves protrude from the card so much so that it doesn't quite look like a standard Tri Fold Card, don't you think! 

Then I made a box envelope for this card. I had seen Kavitha create this really nice box for a card which had a see through panel, so that you can see the card through the panel. I thought that was a wonderful idea so I decided to give it a go. I used a scallop rectangle die to cut out a window in the envelope. Then I glued a Transparency/ OHP sheet on the inside and voila - my see-through panel was done! Here's a look at the envelope when the card is inside. 

Isn't it awesome that you can see that gorgeous bloom. You can barely make out the plastic cover but it's there, protecting the card from bursting out. As you can see I've gone berserk with the new range of adhesive pearls at Itsy Bitsy - they're so affordable and available in so many colours, I just can't resist them!

That sums it up for me. If you haven't yet attempted our color scheme, you still have time to give it a shot! We love to see your creations so head over to your craft corner and get crafting!!!

Supplies Used:

Crafting with the DCVW Card and Envelope Sets

Die Cuts with a View is an American scrapbooking and card making brand and they come up with the most gorgeous pattern papers to add beauty and style to all our projects. But did you know they also have card and envelope sets to make gorgeous projects with a readymade base? I recently got my hands on 2 such sets - one from the DCVW Linen pack and the other from the Mariposa Pack. Here's a look at the cards I made, before and after. 

This card is from the Mariposa pack and it's all about butterflies. So to embellish the card, I decided to use my foam punch with a black glitter foam sheet to make some miniature butterflies. I added 2 tiny crystals in the center for a touch of glam and a rich dark ribbon knot at the top. I embellished the envelope as well with the same butterflies and voila my card was done!

Next I got to work on the card from the Linen stack. It had a very neutral design so I figured a splash of pink would do some good.  I got out my eyelet punch and punched a row of eyelets at the bottom. I lined up 2 rows of crystals above the eyelet row and finished off with a bright pink bow at the top. I used this adorable pink elephant sticker as a final touch and my card was ready. For the envelope I punched 3 eyelets on the envelope flap to continue the theme and on the reverse side I placed the crystals.  Here's another look at the card and all its elements.

I have filmed the making of both these cards so that you can see first hand how the foam punch works, how to punch eyelets, how to use the glue gun and how to use glue dots. You can watch it here:

Supplies Used: Click on the caption beneath each thumbnail photo for the product page at our online store website.

Pink Grosgrain Ribbon

Grosgrain Ribbon 

Aluminium Eyelets

Eyelet Punch

Glue Dots

Glue Gun

Yellow Crystal

Butterfly Foam Punch

Pink Crystal

Elephant Mini Embellishment

Linen Card & Envelope

Mariposa Card & Envelope

DCVW Baby Papers

If you're working on a baby scrapbook, invitation card set or any kind of new baby project, the beautiful range of papers from DCVW Baby is a great choice. And when you shop with ItsyBitsy, you don't have to pick up the entire pack, just the papers you like which are all at half price. Here's a baby card and envelope set I made using these wonderful designs.

Aren't the lovely pink shades and patterns so very pretty and girly? I just love them. And it's not all pink. There are some lovely muted greens and strawberry reds too, all perfectly designed to coincide and complement each other. 

For the card, I started out with a white base card and added the first overlay of striped pink pattern paper. I also included some awesome ItsyBitsy glitter photo corners for this layer. Then I added four little panels of a complementary green pattern paper sized to contain four glitter alphas, one of my favorite ItsyBitsy embellishments. I finished off the card with a bow and some buttons.

Another great feature of pattern papers is that they are just the right thickness for envelopes. I used a solid pink for my envelope and just added a strip of the green pattern paper with a couple of buttons to tie the whole set together. 

Have you used the DCVW baby girl papers for any project? We'd love to hear about. Leave a comment and tell all!