Sometimes I get so goofy with the titles of these posts I feel all embarrassed for myself. This is NOT one of those times. Ok so maybe it is just a wee little bit.
The Mad Tatter
I have a few things to share today. We'll start with the whole mad tatter reference. My sister was here last week for a visit and decided that she wanted to learn tatting. In case you don't know what tatting is you can learn all about it HERE.
Her and my mom went to half price books, they found a couple books on tatting and within 24 hours she was a tatting fool. You can see some of her very first work below.
...I have now given her the new cuddly nick name of... The Mad Tatter.
I stink at anything involving yarn or string (other than crochet and even that I am not all that terrific at). Heck I still have two scarves on my knitting needles that I cannot finish because I have NO IDEA how to cast off! Since my sister - The Mad Tatter - is over there showing us up by making lace....
...I will now show you much easier crafts that don't make your brain hurt.
Teabag Holder for Gifts-n-Stuff Template
A few months ago I saw a really cool project over on Spoonfull of Sugar (you can see their elegant take on this project HERE). It was for little tea bag holders that were so precious they made my brain turn pink! I was completely smitten and stashed it away in my notebook of ideas I need to try someday. So that day is today!
Once I had the template worked out I decided to create a download and print freebie so you can make them too! It's at the bottom of this post in the usual spot.
First... print the template on heavy card stock paper and cut it out.
Crease along the lines that say "fold here"...
There are 3 different ways you can close these up.
You can use this nifty notch and die cutting toll thingy from Basic Grey (you can get one HERE).
It comes with a zillion ideas and 3 different die cutters that you can use with the handle.
It makes doing closures on little tidy packages like this a breeze!
Once you have the notch cut it will look something like this.
You run a line of glue in the areas I have colored pink.
Fold the right flap over and glue it down just on the inside of that crease.
It will make a little pocket that looks something like that pic up there.
If you go with the die cut notch when you close the little pocket it will look something like this.
BUT if you don't want to mess with a notch die cut tool... you can try something easier...
VELCRO!
Yep... you can get some of that sticky sided Velcro and cut it into small squares.
You just stick the squares on either side and viola... you have a closed tea bag holder...
My thinking with using Velcro was that you might just make this little tea bag holder so stinkin' cute that the person who receives it will carry their tea bags around in it...
(yeah I know no one carries tea bags around but in my fantasy world filled with handmade things they do)!!!
So if you don't want to mess with die cut tools and Velcro tabs...
You can use glue dots (or Zots - those are what I use).
The receiver will have to rip the package open thus destroying your crazy CUTE packaging.
That's just not something that makes my heart feel special.
I like the idea of them keeping it forever.
Cause you know...
...it's too precious to throw away.
Right?
So see... there is some tea.
You can get two in there but it's a little snug. If you want to make it to hold more than one tea bag you can make the template longer and give yourself more of a pocket.
I mean who really only carries around one tea bag at a time.
Actually... who really carries tea bags around?
hmmmmm
Raise your hand if you carry tea bags around!!
Anyone?
Helloooooo?
Dog Chops to the rescue!
She had to work at it but she got her hands up!
Ok so moving on...
My favorite way to seal them up tight is the Velcro method. It's pretty snazzy and fast and like I said... folks will now have a cute tea bag carrying case for ever and ever. Ahem!
I decided to share a one way you can decorate the holders. Quick and easy stuff. Trust Lolly!
First get some chipboard hearts.
I used these HERE.
Trace around them onto paper and cut the shapes out...
Ink the edges of the chipboard hearts before you glue the paper to them...
Let them dry.
Let me rephrase that...
Really really really really let them dry...
...or you will end up with ink ALL over the table, the dogs, your hands, your nose... the list goes on.
Once they are so dry you could feed a cactus with them...
Just glue the paper to them.
Assemble nicely on the tea bag holder you just cut out, folded, scalloped, stamped AND inked...
...and poof... in as easy as 15 minutes you have a tea bag holder (kidding... it only takes like 13 minutes... I was rounding up).
You can ALSO use the tried and true patented smooshy stack method to make some nice butterflies or hearts for the fronts!
You can read all about the smooshy stack super top secret assembly at this post HERE.
Since I shared a pic of DogChops I have to share my craft table too...
(it's actually pretty clean all things considered).
OH!!! ...I need to share the teeny tiniest of pictures of my first Scrapy Land Design Team project!
That's all I can show until it's officially revealed!
I worked on this sucker for about 20 hours! I officially started on it Friday night at a crop I went to at my favorite store on the whole entire planet (Anthologies) and finished it up late on Saturday evening (more like Sunday morning really). It was really and truly a labor of love! I cannot wait to share it with you guys!
So that's all I gots for today!
You can download the template for the tea bag holders below.
I hope everyone is staying warm (it was 17 for the low over the weekend here - that's just plain ole cold)!
I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead (and I will see what I can do about your calendar requests). The two projects I did this past weekend left no time for more mini calendars!
P.S. xoxoxoxoxoxo (could you tell that was a Valentines craft???). Did the excessive amount of hearts give it away???
