I love finding fun ways to package little gifts and this is one I created for a party for my latest hostess in my Virtual Hostess Club. Everyone at the party made one of these and I thought it was such a fun project that I sent a kit out to all the members of the club, too.
If you’d like to join the next round of my club, I’d love to welcome you on board! The only commitment is that you spend a minimum of £15 per month for 10 months. You will be the hostess for one of those months, earning yourself at least £25 of free products… which could be more if you decide to hold a party on top to boost the total.
I have a pretty high level of returning members, but do have a few places going spare so please shout up if you’d like to join. There are other benefits, too, including free catalogues for the duration of the club, discounted admission to catalogue launch parties and, of course, a little gift like this each month to say thank you. Please send me an email if you’d like more information.
And now, how to make this fun little project?
- As I like to keep things simple, I started with a strip of cardstock cut from the width of A4, so it measures 21cm x 5cm. I scored at 9.5cm from each end and that gave me my basic structure.
- As you can see, I decorated the top using the Scalloped Tag Topper Punch. I know I’m late to the party but I really cannot recommend this punch highly enough – it’s so versatile and is certainly useful for so much more than tags!
- I stamped both front and back using the gorgeous Hardwood stamp. Scroll down for tips on using a large background stamp.
- The inside holds a tiny box of Smarties (from Lidl), which I’ve wrapped in a piece of Fresh Prints DSP from the paper stack. Again, keeping measuring to a minimum, this is cut from the width of a piece, so measures 11.5cm x 5.5cm. Wrap it around the Smarties but don’t glue to the Smarties box – you want to be able to slide them out.
- Now decorate the front as desired. I’ve used the Flower Shop bundle and the two samples here show flowers stamped in Real Red, and stamped in Black Stazon then coloured with ink pads and blender pen.
- Stick the Smarties inside the stamped outer. Line it up with the base. When the gift is opened, you should be able to slide the Smarties out without destroying your handiwork.
- Finally, tie it up with ribbon. You can do a simple knot, a bow or as I’ve done here, which is ruche the seam-binding. I did this by tying the knot first. Next I frayed the ends, then found a single strand in the centre (roughly!) and gently pushed the remaining ribbon towards the knot. Start by working nearest the knot and pushing the ribbon towards it. Then move along the ribbon and repeat until the whole strand is ruched. Finish by trimming in a V-shape; this seems best for preventing further fraying.
Using background stamps
These babies are BIG and, unless you have long fingers or big hands, you’re going to struggle to pick up a stamp and use it effectively. Here’s how I was shown (by my talented cousin Leslie)
- Lay the stamp on its back, rubber side up, on one side of a piece of scrap/grid paper
- Ink it all over by applying the ink pad to the stamp. (This is why our ink pads have those handy finger grips on the sides!)
- Lay the piece of card you wish to stamp onto the inked surface
- Lift up the empty half of scrap paper and lay it over the top of your cardstock on top of the stamp. Rub gently to ensure it’s all covered. OCD types may wish to use a brayer (I don’t).
- Gently lift up your cardstock and you should have perfect coverage.
TIP: If you wish to create a shabby chic effect, you can do the same but instead of rubbing evenly, just dab here and there, to create a deliberately uneven stamped image. Try it – it’s really effective.
TIP: If you prefer clear-mount stamps and don’t have the gigantic clear block, you can use a brand new (ie unused, not scratched or bent) Big Shot plate as your block instead. As you will be using the stamp on its back, it won’t matter that you can’t lift it with one hand.
Stampin᾿ Up! Supplies
