Making a Fun Shred Bow



Do you like to wrap gifts?

 My deep dark secret: I don't.



But this year, I have time and have come up with something fun!

I made all these bows at one sitting and then just tied them on.

I bought nothing. I had everything on hand.



They look cute on everything!
You can change the elements to fit your mood or occasion.
You can have them made up and on hand when you need them.



Before I show you how to do this, a wrapping tip that might make your wrapping chores go a little faster!

First, save your pretty tissue...it may be inexpensive to some people, but if you buy really nice tissue, it is NOT cheap!
As soon as Christmas is over...take each piece and run a hot iron over it. (If it's the heavy waxed tissue, be careful..it may stick, so test first.) But for regular tissue, the iron is your best friend. Turn off "steam".
The pic above is the "before".

This shows how nicely the paper turns out after a few swipes of the iron.
Now, fold the Christmas tissue, put it away to be used next year.
Note: If it's torn, I just toss it.
I am NOT cheap, but I cut costs where I can.

If you will look at the first pic above, you will see a cute little bow that I came up with for my packages.
I was determined not to buy a single wrapping element this year. My "wrapping" box has become
out of control. I have so much paper, ribbon, etc. I decided to wrap everything with only things I had.
Above are the only things you need to make tons of tie on bows.
Curly ribbon (green and red on the spools); paper shred (you need red and white...I only show red);
sparkly red shred (or some other color).
Also note the single silver strand of ribbon. Most important strand of the bunch!
HOW TO's:
1. Cut a piece of ribbon about 12 or 13 inches long that is a different color from all the rest of the elements
 (mine was silver).
This will become the tie for the bow and the way you tie the bow to the package.
*If you use all the same color for this piece, it is too hard to find the "tie on" piece when you are ready to add the bow!
2. Pull some of the long sparkly shred from the package and loop it back and forth until it's a fat little bunch.
Lay it on top of the silver tie piece.
 Make sure it is going the opposite way from the silver.
3. Pull out some paper shreds and pull them so they are longer and no longer bunched up.
Lay them on top of the sparkly red.
4. Make a looped bow using the curly red and green ribbon.
Holding the center of  the looped  red and green bow, carefully lay it on top and then tie the whole thing together with the silver ribbon.

Use the silver ribbon to tie the bow onto the package.

There's tons you could do with this idea.

Add balloons, flowers or other fun elements for birthdays, etc.

Happy Friday!

From Dinged Up to Blinged Up: Decorating ReHab

I'd like to introduce you to my new friends! Below is Miss Beat Up from Trees 'N Trends fame. She just moved here from Hattiesburg. When she arrived she was in quite a state.

Her frame was a terrible mess and she had been tossed about so often that her "skin" was just peeling slap off! I found her quivering in a cardboard box. Immediately my heart went out to her.

So I paid her ransom of $5 (in her better days, she was $100) and she came home with me. On Saturday (during all that bowl mania) Miss Angie's Spa officially opened and we went to work on Miss Beat Up. First I repainted almost the whole picture, added leaves, added some touches at the bottom, used Distressing Ink, revitalized the frame, Mod Podged in a crosshatch direction and let her dry. I'm telling you, she was in heaven! I can't wait for you to see the results below!!


Now she sits right there looking over my shoulder as I do my blog posts! Since my favorite season of the year is autumn, I think it's a fitting location!

Moving along, please, meet and greet Miss Dinged Up also from Hattiesburg.

She was in such a state that I didn't know if Miss Angie was up to the challenge. Her body was some type wood and she was very heavy. (I felt for her immediately.)

To say she had some "rough edges" that needed sanding would have been charitable.

"How could she have let herself go like this?" I pondered. Such a waste! (We all know the drill, a little pecan pie here, a little too much eggnog at the office party and poof....) Well, I pulled out all the stops here and rolled up the sleeves of my flannel shirt and got to work. If I must say so myself, she is now quite the looker! Ta Da...Miss Dinged Up no more...meet Miss Blinged Up.


No more rough around the edges!

Beautiful tissue paper, Distressing Ink (wish they had that for humans), shading and shadowing here and there, Mod Podge (nectar of the gods) and there you have her! Ready for a new situation in life.

I was planning on turning one of these pictures into something Pottery Barnish, but I just couldn't do it...they both needed me and I rose to the occasion. However, there's one more fellow that was bought at the same time as the girls. He had wine bottles painted all over the place...HE is the candidate for the PBish creation. The Wino took a little longer. He had to be completely re-habbed. I took my inspiration from an old Pottery Barn catalog (see inspiration below).

This neat gem was 42x42 inches and a mere $339! But I loved the look...would look so Pb'ish in my office. So I began...

My er, wooden canvas, was 22x22 inches square. I used Gesso first to erase all tell-tell signs of wine bottle art. Then I covered the whole thing with khaki tissue paper. Using an old Creative Memories circle cutter, I cut out 36 black paper circles. And had the Cricut cutter doing overtime cutting out the letters and numbers. I divided the whole canvas into 36 squares and added a 1 " brown border. Then I Mod Podged everything, shadowed, Distressed and Mod Podged some more. Seven and a half hours later, he emerged a new man...see below and prepare to be bedazzled!

My new BFF's have all taken a pledge to NEVER return to their former lives...they like it here with me and I must say, I like them very much, too!
Check out the Blog Party buttons on the right! The buttons are linked to Polish the Stars, Metamorphosis Monday & ThriftyDecorChick!

Tissue Paper Bonanza & The Christmas Mouse

Will you indulge me for a minute or two? I must "brag" about my family.... I know when I post this it will forever change your mind about me but it's just a chance I have to take. Today we fed the family, exchanged presents and had a really good time this afternoon during our Annual Family Christmas.

(Now comes the terrible part.) When everyone leaves (if the celebration is at my home) I sneak out to the garbage can and retrieve the "wrapping paper bag". Ok, I know this is just "too horrible" for some of you, but let me explain. Those of you who regularly read my blog know I have a thing for tissue paper. It has a hold on me that I cannot explain...and knowing that the bag is in the garbage just makes me nauseous. Today while digging through the trash, I struck gold...because my family is a connoisseur of tissue paper. There, I bragged. But this year they outdid themselves. Every year I don't see how they can do better and they never disappoint when it comes to their selection of tissue! (I am truly sorry if you don't have this gene in your family gene pool...it's just something you will have to try and live with.)

The only problem with them as opposed to me is that I can't part with the paper...they can. So they are careful with it and gently toss it into the bag...they know what I'll be doing as soon as the house is back in order...I will be at my ironing board ironing every piece! Yes, Virginia, you CAN iron tissue paper at Christmas and every other time of the year.

Just set your iron on hot (no steam, please) and iron away. I have all kinds of tissue...vintage, holidays, hot colors, muted baby shades, every color of the rainbow...they all laugh at me at school....however.....when somebody needs tissue for an impromptu gift...where do they always come? To yours truly.

Today I am the proud owner of probably 40 0r 50 new sheets of tissue...lime green with silver sparkles, polka dot, shiny red damask, Vintage Santa, silver...on and on. I posted a smattering of my new stash and hope you are as impressed as I am! Queen of the Tissue Paper Realm, I am!

Other fun little items for your perusal are "The Christmas Mouse" cookies I made for Granddaughter Gracie's school Christmas Party. If you look closely, the head is a Hershey's Hug. The body is a stemmed maraschino cherry dipped in white chocolate . It has two sliced almonds inserted between the head and body while they are still moist and I added red gel eyes and nose. The entire mouse sits on a white chocolate dipped Oreo. (Of course, you can buy the already dipped Oreos to make your job a little easier...I've also done these in regular chocolate.)


















One last thing is this color combination I came upon while "dumpster diving" in my garage and thought you might like it to...the moss green ribbon with the lime green paper really appealed to me! Hope you like it, too!