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Back To School DIY Notecards {Free Printables}

Gina — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 17:11:05 +0000

Summer is ending and the kids are heading back to school. And for most that means packing up their back packs, making their lunches, and preparing for the first few days of a new routine. Sometimes the beginning of a school year can be a bit stressful, and because our last Free Printable was so popular, we're at it again! We've designed these Back to School DIY Notecards, perfect for slipping on desks or in lunchboxes to share a smile with your child throughout the day. We know you'll be Back -to-Busy too, so we made sure this DIY project really IS as easy as one, two, three! We haven't forgotten your big kids either! We may not always show it, but us "big kids" (college kids too!) secretly love encouraging words from parents. No matter the age, a little note goes a long way, which is why we've included four templates: for your little girls and boys, and for your big girls and boys too!

Back to School DIY Notecards

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

Printed template pages, found here: 1. For little daughters // 2. For little sons // 3. For big daughters // 4. For big sons
Scissors OR X-Acto blade / metal cork-backed ruler / & cutting mat

STEP ONE // PRINTING

Download one of our four templates listed above and open it up in Adobe Reader (if you don't have Reader, you can download it here.) Once open, print the document on a heavyweight card stock of your choice. If you are unfamiliar with how to print a two-sided document, Adobe has created a useful guide for double-sided printing. Even if your printer only supports one-sided printing, you can still manually print two sides by printing and then reloading the paper upside down. Print as many sheets as you want. One sheet will make four cards.

STEP TWO // CUTTING

Using either scissors or an X-Acto knife or other craft knife, cut along all the dotted lines that are on the back side of the notecards. An X-Acto knife will give a more precise cut, however, if you decide to use an X-Acto please be sure to follow our safety tips below. X-Acto Safety Tips:

Always cut on a self healing cutting mat to protect your work surface. These can be purchased at craft stores like Joann's or Michaels, or any other art supply store.
Always use a metal ruler with a cork or foam backing. The ruler helps you achieve a straight cut and the cork backing prevents the ruler from slipping. Line up the ruler along the dotted line, and follow the edge of the ruler with your blade. Make sure your fingertips are not hanging over the edge of the ruler!
Make sure the X-Acto blade is fresh and sharp. Dull blades can slip or "jump" while cutting, which could cause injury. Plus, sharp blades give a cleaner cut!
Do not force the blade to cut through the paper entirely on the first pass. Some thicker card stocks may require you to cut two or three times along the same line.

STEP THREE // WRITE A NOTE!

It's really that easy! Just deliver the note to deliver a smile!

Did you give it a try?

We'd love to see your pics of your Back to School DIY notecards! Instagram or Tweet us at @cherishpaperie and share the smiles with us as well!

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DIY Mad Libs Calling Cards {Free Printables}

Gina — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 13:48:07 +0000

Imagine this scenario: you're out and about when you find yourself in need of sharing your number with someone you've just met. Maybe it's the woman who has a son in your child's kindergarten class, wanting to get your kids together for a play date. Maybe it's a potential employer who has asked if he can contact you for an interview. Or maybe it's the guy from the coffee shop who you're pretty sure could be your soul mate. If you are like me, you'll probably find yourself digging around for a scrap of paper to scribble down your number. But wouldn't it be better to have something on hand so that no matter the occasion or the reason for networking, you're prepared? That's where our DIY Mad Libs Calling Cards come in.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

Printed template pages found here
Scissors OR X-Acto blade/ metal cork-backed ruler / & cutting mat
A binding clip, rubber band, ribbon, or business card holder

STEP ONE // PRINTING

Download this pdf and open it up in Adobe Reader (if you don't have it, you can download it here.) Once open, print the document on a heavyweight card stock of your choice. If you are unfamiliar with how to print a two-sided document, Adobe has created a useful guide for double-sided printing. Even if your printer only supports one-sided printing, you can still manually print two sides by printing and then reloading the paper upside down. Print as many sheets as you want. One sheet will make nine cards.

STEP TWO // CUTTING

Using either scissors or an X-Acto knife or other craft knife, cut along all the dotted lines that are on the back side of the calling cards. An X-Acto knife will give a more precise cut, however, if you decide to use an X-Acto please be sure to follow our safety tips below. X-Acto Safety Tips:

Always cut on a self healing cutting mat to protect your work surface. These can be purchased at craft stores like Joann's or Michaels, or any other art supply store.
Always use a metal ruler with a cork or foam backing. The ruler helps you achieve a straight cut and the cork backing prevents the ruler from slipping. Line up the ruler along the dotted line, and follow the edge of the ruler with your blade. Make sure your fingertips are not hanging over the edge of the ruler!
Make sure the X-Acto blade is fresh and sharp. Dull blades can slip or "jump" while cutting, which could cause injury. Plus, sharp blades give a cleaner cut!
Do not force the blade to cut through the paper entirely on the first pass. Some thicker card stocks may require you to cut two or three times along the same line.

STEP THREE // BINDING

Once all the cards are cut, find a cute way to bind them all together. You can use a binder clip, a rubber band, tie a ribbon around them, or put them in a business card case. Now they're ready to take on the go, so no matter where you are or who you meet, you'll never miss another opportunity to say "hello".

STEP FOUR // NETWORK

When using the cards simply fill out your name, number or email, and job title or a description of yourself or where you met the other person. You can change it up depending on who you're swapping contact information with, which is a kind of flexibility that a standard business card doesn't offer. You can use the cards to obtain someone else's information as well. Oh, and if it turns out that the guy from the coffee shop actually IS your soulmate, let us know when you're ready to have your wedding stationery done. We'll be waiting for you! ;)

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Should I DIY?

Gina — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 21:38:24 +0000

Should I DIY? Nowadays, so many guys and gals decide they want to DIY everything. Broken sink? DIY. Paint a room? DIY. Wedding Stationery? Definitely cheaper to DIY...right? Many assume that choosing to DIY a project it it will save them some cash in the process. But before you run to Michaels and buy armfuls of paper, hole-punchers and scissors, make sure you know what you're getting into! In some cases, DIY may be a great option for your wedding stationery in decor. But in many cases you'll be wishing you asked yourself "Should I DIY?"

A few days ago we talked about What To DIY & What Not To. Use this flowchart to help you decide if DIY stationery is for you! Did you get the DIY stamp of approval? Check out our DIY tutorial videos. Maybe DIY isn't for you? That's ok! Read up on our FAQ's for more information on our custom design & assembly process!

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What To DIY For Weddings – And What Not To

Danielle — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:25:46 +0000

We have a lot of brides tell us after they've ordered their invitations and wedding stationery and assembled them themselves that they would have much rather paid a little extra to have us assemble their stationery for them. Not only was it time consuming, but many enlisted the help of family and friends who didn't quite have the same vision of perfection like our brides. With this information we thought we'd compile a list of what we thought were great for what to DIY for weddings and what we should leave to the professionals!

What To DIY For Weddings - And What Not To

What to DIY - Wedding Planning/Coordination What NOT to DIY - Day of Wedding Coordination

Why? Planning your big day can be a huge task but if you don't have the budget for a wedding planner I highly suggest investing in a day-of planner. This will not only save you and your family unnecessary stress, it'll also cost you a fraction of what a full wedding planner costs. Plus what bride doesn't want full control of all of the details up until the last minute. Then you can give complete control to your day-of planner so you can relish in the fabulousness that is your day!

What to DIY - Cake Topper What NOT to DIY - Cake

Why? While you might be the best baker in your family or circle of friends, baking your own cake is a huge undertaking. Stick to the simpler construction of some cute DIY cake toppers! You can keep the personalized touch and tie the cake in to the theme of your wedding. Better yet, opt for cupcakes if you're looking to cut corners on the budget!

What to DIY - Cupcake Stand(s) What NOT to DIY - Cupcakes

Why? Just like the cake, please know that having you or a family member/friend baking the day before or days before the big day will not save anyone time or money and will lead to more frustration! Show your creative flair by creating a one of a kind cupcake stand to wow the guests and make your cupcakes shine.

What to DIY - Seating Charts and Guest Books What NOT to DIY - Invitations and Wedding Stationery

Why? Printing, assembling, and addressing invitations and creating your own wedding stationery can sometimes end up costing you more than you expected. Specialty cardstock can be pricey as can envelopes and if you don't have the right printer or cutting tools you can be left with a pile of smudged, misshapen paper. By investing in a stationery designer and printer and having everything assembled you can reduce the stress and enjoy gorgeous invitations for everyone to cherish. Still want to DIY some stationery? Put your time and effort into an awesome seating chart! There are so many amazing ideas out there and you're sure to have more time creating a great work of art if you don't have to take care of all of the stationery. And there are so many wonderful alternatives for guest books out there. Most are easily re-created by a DIY bride to fit their wedding.

What to DIY - Dance Lessons What NOT to DIY - DJ & Emcee

While I cherished my dance lessons with my husband, there are so many other ways to learn out there that'll save you a bit of money. YouTube video tutorials, friends, and family can help you out with that first dance. But one thing I couldn't skimp on or turn to an iPod or laptop for would be a DJ. Not only can the emcee make or break your wedding reception, a live person is really needed to feel the crowd and get your guests moving!

What did you DIY for your wedding?

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Ideas for Handmade Paper Valentines

Danielle — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:52:07 +0000

February 14th is right around the corner and is the perfect way to use stationery to show those you love how much you care. With a few minutes of your time and some beautiful paper you can create something they will cherish forever. Some are more intricate than others, and some come with their own kits with all of the supplies you need!

Ideas for Handmade Paper Valentines

DIY Paper Rose Kit for Valentine’s Day

We've fallen in love with these amazing DIY Long Stemmed Red Paper Roses over at Ellinee. These gorgeous paper flowers come in a kit that you can order and assemble yourself! This project is collected in the Elli Kit box and delivered to your door for only $20+free shipping. But hurry! There are only 50 kits available for purchase and you don't want to miss out.

Valentine's Day Coupon Printable

Need a great gift for the man in your life? Why not print out a few Valentines Day Coupons and fill in what he really wants. Elegance & Enchantment have even left suggestions for what to gift to your sweetie. There are two coupons per sheet, so feel free to print as many as you need. If you are presenting multiple coupons as a set, you may want to tie it up with some ribbon or twine!

How To Make Valentines with PicMonkey

Looking to make your own valentines for the kids this year? Why not follow this simple tutorial from the Simmworks Family Blog on how to use PicMonkey to make your valentines printables. Or simply print out the adorable cutie valentine pictured above.

Added bonus is that PicMonkey is free to use! And if you want to upgrade to their royale features it's only $33 a year. Definitely a great bargain if you can't quite afford Photoshop or other editing software.

DIY Valentines Day Treat Bags

Want a cute valentine that doubles as a treat bag? Why not download this printable from Twig & Thistle and print your valentines day message right on a paper bag!

Instructions are included in the PDF and if you need bags, Twig & Thistle sells them in their Etsy shop.

How do you celebrate Valentine's Day?

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Alternatives to the Traditional Guest Book {Ideas and Inspiration}

Danielle — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 22:01:00 +0000

A few decades back a guest book at a wedding was simply a place where guests signed their names documenting their attendance. Nowadays guest books are a lot more clever and a great way to create a memento from your special day. Here are a few great ideas for different guest books to make your memories stand out. From simple DIY to more intricate ideas, we've got four great ways to make your guest book a keepsake to remember. Photo Booth Allow your guests to get creative and have fun with a photo booth. Guests take pictures of themselves with, or without, props and some photo booths even allow guests to write messages to the happy couple. Ask guests to include a copy of their pictures and a note in a photo book you leave on the side of the photo booth. For inspiration check out this real wedding over on Martha Stewart Weddings.

Source

Thumb Prints Leave an ink pad and a tree on a large piece of paper and have your guests fill in the leaves with their finger prints. Have them sign on or under their print to have a personalized guest book you can frame and display in your home. You can find pre-made thumb print trees on Etsy if you don't want to create one yourself.

Source

Photo Book Turn your engagement photos into a photo book by using one of the many photo processing sites such as Shutterfly, Costco.com, Mpix, etc. Or find a local photo development company to do it for you. Leave room on each page for guests to leave their sentiments. Or get creative and have guests give specific advice about certain things on every few pages. And if you are receiving professional engagements photos from a photographer make sure to ask them if they have any great sources for photo books. Odds are they already work with a company for weddings!

Source

Mini Envelope We first saw this book over on Emmaline Bride and had to go over and check it out for ourselves. Elegantly Bound has a custom envelope guest book where each guest takes a notecard out of an attached envelope and writes their greeting. They then put it back in the envelope and are done! At the end of your wedding day you can go and look in each envelope to see what everyone has said! How creative is that?

Source

Whatever you decide, your guest book should be an item that you are able to treasure forever!

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Heart Shaped Crayon Valentines {DIY Tutorial}

Danielle — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:00:00 +0000

I first saw the crayon heart valentines on the Family Fun website. I thought they looked adorable but didn't have a heart mold so I figured I'd just send the regular store-bought valentines instead since I had a few I purchased on clearance a few years back. Then we went to Target and I saw the heart molds in the dollar section of the store and I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Plus they were all over Pinterest!

So I went to the store, stocked up on a mold and crayons and headed home to do some experimenting. Before I started I did a little research to see what others were saying about the craft. I try not to just jump into a tutorial without reading about it from a few others first. That can lead to disaster (or just make it harder on me since others have found key tips/tricks on making it easier). Once I got the low-down I headed to the kitchen to soak, unwrap, break and bake! And here's what I did:

Materials Needed:

1 box crayons, unwrapped (or left over broken crayons laying around)
1-2 heart molds, choose your size
Construction Paper
Alphabet stamps OR printer
Adhesive dots

What to do:

Place your crayons in a heat proof dish & preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Heat up some water and pour warm water on crayons (note: do not use boiling water... crayons might melt).

Let crayons soak for 30 seconds (see what happens when your water's too hot?).

Unwrap crayons (any that didn't unwrap easily after soaking were set aside and not used).

Put crayons in a dish and let kids break them up into small, tiny pieces (or put them in a bag and hammer with a kitchen mallet or meat tenderizer until broken up).

Place heart molds on a rimmed baking sheet and fill with broken crayon pieces.

Place tray in oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until crayons are fully melted. Then carefully take out of oven and set aside to harden.

Once cooled completely pop crayons out of molds and smooth edges by rubbing against a piece of paper.

Now's the fun part! You can decide what you want to do with the crayons once you've baked them. I decided to use scrapbooking paper I already had in the house to create a postcard sized Valentine for my son. You can use this printable here for a square valentine with the writing already on the paper or this printable here for a circle valentine (you just have to add your child's name).

Or you can do what I did and use an alphabet stamp set to customize the sayings you put on each valentine. I simply adhered the crayon to a square piece of scrapbook paper with a glue dot and than layered that onto a larger postcard size piece of scrapbook paper. Then I stamped the sayings I wanted as well as my son's name to personalize it. You can also have your child decorate the postcard paper by drawing or coloring on it before you stamp out your sayings. You can find more sayings here (as well as more printables!).

The possiblilties and variations really are endless with this craft. And the kids have a great time helping you make them too. Much more personal then a store-bought valentine and twice as cute!

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Tree Cupcake Topper {101 Woonedeeen DIY Tutorial}

Danielle — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Now that we're in the full swing of the holiday season we thought we could share a few fun DIY tutorials and patterns that go great with the holiday season. This tutorial was originally on 101 Woonedeeen however the link that each blog gave to the original post lead us to a 404 error. So we finally found the link to the PDF template (below) and were able to try it out ourselves. And fair warning - it is in a different language.

Simply cut out the strips of paper from the template and weave them onto a skewer stick. Then use the skewer part of the stick to add them to the tops of your muffins, cupcakes or other fun treats!

To download the PDF template go here. Or use scraps of paper you have left over from your latest project to create your own design! Instead of an apple, top with a star for the perfect Christmas tree design.

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Kid-Friendly Stamped Cards {Maureen Cracknell Handmade DIY Tutorial}

Danielle — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:32:00 +0000

Source

When I stumbled upon the pictures for these adorable rose cards on Maureen Cracknell Handmade's blog I knew we had to try them out. They were beautiful and unique. Plus they used up the end of a vegetable that I might have just thrown away when I was done using it. This tutorial is simple, easy and almost not needed. Just look at the pictures to get an idea of what you're supposed to do.

You can also get creative! Try playing with colors or painting each celery stalk a different color to make a rainbow rose. Or add a rose garden onto canvas. I've also read that you can do this with lettuce as well. Maybe have a whole flower scape with different vegetable stamps.

What You'll Need:

Celery bunches
Paint
Glitter
Cardstock

Source

1. Cut the celery leaving only about 2 inches of in tact stalks.

2. Pour paint onto a small dish or paper plate.

3. Press the celery (cut side) into the paint and then stamp on paper.

4. Sprinkle with glitter while still wet.

5. Add a leaf or two if you'd like and personalize the card.

Source

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Bubble Mailers {27 Things DIY Tutorial}

Danielle — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:57:00 +0000

Any time we can use up left over paper and cardstock in a project that will be used frequently we get giddy and excited! So when we saw this tutorial over on the Shoplet.com blog (originally from 27 Things) for a bubble mailer we knew we wanted to share it. We are always shipping things and when it comes to packaging sometimes pretty isn't an option. Being able to use our paper scraps we can customize the look of our mailers to fit the needs of what we'll be mailing.

Source: 27 Things

The tutorial below is to make a 6x9 mailer but as she says in her original post, you can make the mailers to any size you prefer. We can't wait to get started! For more pictures as you move along check out 27 Things' awesome step-by-step pictures.

What You'll Need:

cardstock (one 7.5″ x 10.75″ sheet)
pretty paper (one 7.5″ x 10.75″ sheets)
rubber cement
bubble wrap (two 6″ x 9″ pieces)
art knife (X-Acto knif)
cutting mat
scissors
ruler
a scoring tool or an old ballpoint pen that is out of ink

Getting Started
Start by trimming everything to size. This includes your card stock, paper and bubble wrap.

The bubble wrap should be trimmed to the inside dimension of your mailer, in this case 6″ x 9″. The card stock will be cut to finished size of your mailer, including a 1″ flap, in this case 7.5″ x 10.75″. Your paper should be cut slightly larger than the finished mailer on the 3 sides that will be adhered to the card stock.

I like to allow for a decent seam around the edges and bottom of my mailers. A larger seams means that your mailer will be less likely to pop open when you fill it and/or during transport.

A note on rubber cement -
Rubber cement is great in that it can be used for 2 types of adhesion: temporary and permanent. The best result for mailers is achieved using a cured bond. This means you apply the rubber cement to both surfaces and allow it to dry before joining.

1. Have your bubble wrap ready to the side of your work area.

2. Lay your card stock and patterned paper side by side and face down on your work area.

3. Line up the bottom edges of your sheets.

4. Apply a 2″ border around all 4 edges of your patterned paper, starting at the bottom, then the sides, saving the top edge for last.

5. Place one piece of bubble wrap, bubble side down and smooth side up, onto the wet sheet. Be sure make the top edge of the bubble wrap line up flush with the top edge of the paper.

6. Using your patterned paper as a guide, apply a 2″ border of rubber cement along the bottom edge and sides of your card stock. You don’t want to apply any glue in the area that will later be used as your flap. Apply a line of rubber cement across the top edge of your GLUED AREA and place the 2nd sheet of bubble wrap flush with this line.

Time for a break.
Take a breather and let the rubber cement dry completely.

Joining
1. Begin by making 2 small angled cuts on the bottom edge of the patterned paper. Cut from 1/4″ from the corner of the paper over the the corner of the bubble wrap, stopping slightly shy of the bubble. Repeat on the opposite corner. This will prevent the paper from buckling along the bottom edge.

2. lay the card stock bubble up and then gently lay the paper bubble down on top of it.

3. without applying any pressure to the glued edges, carefully line up the four corners of the bubble wrap.

4. Holding the sheets in place with your palms, use both pointer fingers to press the center of one edge of the paper onto the card stock edge. Join the rest of the edge by pressing down both fingers and moving them away from each other toward the corners.

Be sure that you don’t accidentally press down the corners of the bottom flap. You can use your scissors as a temporary barrier until you get the hang of it.

5. Repeat on the opposite side.

6. Repeat the above step on the bottom edge. Be sure to start in the middle!

Finishing up
Your mailer is almost done! Time to trim, burnish, score and fold!

1. Your edges will likely be crooked or have card stock or paper hanging over the edge. Trim the sides and bottoms to obtain an even edge of paper and card stock.

2. Use a ruler and a scoring tool (or inkless pen) to score a line along the flap about 1/8″ away from the opening of the mailer. This will make a nice clean fold.

3. Cut off the corners of the flap.

4. Using the rounded end of your art knife or pen, carefully rub along the 3 seams of the envelope. Gently run your tool along the edge of the bubble wrap to ensure all the paper is joined.

Enjoy!
Guess what? Your mailer is ready for mailing! I used strong double-sided tape to seal my flaps, but they can also be taped closed from the outside. Time to get mailing!

Post Your Pictures
Feel to post pictures of mailers you have created or received in 27 Things' Secret Mailers Flickr Group!

A Note from 27 Things:
Of course, it is my pleasure to share the mysterious process involved in making my top secret mailers. In return, I ask that you do not reproduce my mailers for resale and that you enjoy using them for your business or personal mailing. Should you decide that my mailers are beyond the scope of your abilities but you'd still like to have some, they are available in small sets on Etsy. Happy crafting!

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