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In an earlier post, I shared how I package my quilled ornaments in a little handmade gift box for craft shows.  I gave general information and some tips, but have been asked to provide detailed instructions on how they are made.  I created a tutorial in case you would like to know, too. 

Box Bottom

1.  Cut a 5” x 5” square from heavy scrapbook paper or card stock.

2.  Score the box 1” from each side (inside square of box will be 3” x 3”).  Fold sides up at score lines and flatten back down.

3.  Following the score line, cut 1” slits on two opposite sides of the square.

4.  To make a nicer box corner, cut a small notch in each corner.

5.  Fold up the box sides and glue the 1” tabs on the inside.  You could also use double-sided tape or a tape runner, but I found that the glue held the sides together better.

Box Lid

The construction of the box lid is the same as for the bottom, but you will want to adjust your measurements so that:  (1) the inside square is slightly larger than the bottom so the two box halves fit easily together, and (2) the sides of the lid are shorter than the sides of the bottom to make the box easier to open.

1.  Cut a 4-3/4” x 4-3/4” square from heavy scrapbook paper or card stock.

2.  Score the box 13/16” from each side (inside square of box will be 3-1/8” x 3-1/8”).  Fold sides up at score lines and flatten back down.

3.  Following the score line, cut 13/16” slits on two opposite sides of the square; notch corners.  Fold up the box sides and glue the tabs on the inside. 

Finishing

That’s all there is to it.  Just put your 3” x 3” square of batting into the bottom and you are good to go.  As I mentioned in the previous post, I open the box so that the quilling can be seen and place the whole thing it into a clear sleeve.

The easiest way to make the box a little more special is to use two different coordinating papers for the box lid and bottom (this is what I do). 

If you wanted a really fancy box, you could decorate the lid by:  cutting the box lid square using decorative scissors so that the top had a pretty decorative edge, embossing just the sides while they are still flat before gluing the tabs, gluing decorative ribbon around the sides, making the sides even shorter and gluing a pretty ruffled lace around the edges, adding decorative stitching, etc.  You are only limited by your imagination!

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Pomanders have been around for centuries.  Once used as a way to mask unpleasant odors, modern pomanders are a fun way to add a little extra scent to the air.  This fancy pomander is made from a plain paper mache heart ornament I found in my local craft store (on sale, of course).

Since the heart is hollow, the pomander is surprisingly easy to make:

1. Replace the hanging thread with your choice of ribbon (this step is optional, but it’s easier if you do it first).
2. Decoupage the outside of the heart with torn pieces of decorative paper (thinner papers work better than card stock weight papers).
3. Poke holes into the back of the heart using a sturdy paper piercing tool or awl.
4. Cut a door into the center of the front of the heart with a craft knife.
5. Insert your scent of choice (potpourri, perfumed cotton balls, purchased scent beads – you could even use a torn up car deodorizer).
6. Close the door and seal it up by covering it with additional decorative paper strips.
7. Decorate the front of the pomander with your choice of trims and quilling design.

To decorate mine, I ruffled a small doily (sew a circular running stitch about a half inch from the doily’s center and pull the thread tight) and glued it to the center of the heart.  I then glued on three rolled roses made from card stock, three sets of leaves made from strips of crimped quilling paper, and bits of red pearls left over from a Christmas project done long ago.

Inexpensive and oh, so pretty, these little pomanders would make lovely, and useful, Valentine’s Day gifts.

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I’m not much of a winter person, so by January my thoughts are turning to spring.  When I happened upon some pretty floral scrapbook paper, I used it to create this decidedly feminine card and gift card holder perfect for any occasion.

Michaels had their scrapbook paper on sale a few weeks ago and since I was already there, I just had to take a look.  I was happy to find a floral with a small pattern that I thought would work well with quilling.  My idea was to make a card using the paper and decorate it with a quilled version of the floral pattern. 

At least that was the plan, but after a few false starts I was beginning to wonder if this project would ever come together.  Then, I had one of those sleepless nights and tried again at 4:00am.  This time everything just came together. 

The flowers on the paper are simple 5-petal posies.  I wanted to maintain the look and feel of this style, but couldn’t resist jazzing the petals up a bit.  Instead of keeping the flower petals flat, I gave them dimension by rolling them as tight coils and then letting them uncoil just a little instead of all the way before gluing down the end and pinching them into teardrops.  This allowed me to take the end of my quilling tool and gently push out the center.  I then smeared glue on the back of the petals so that when dried, they would keep their new shape.  For even more dimension, I angled the petals a bit when gluing them together to form the completed flower.

Since the card would be handled, I glued two strips of quilling paper together for the vine so that it would be a little sturdier.

With the card done, I turned my attention to the gift card holder.  It is made using an empty toilet tissue roll!  I have no idea how I missed this recycling trend, but it was new to me.  I first saw it used in a project created by the very talented quiller, Sue Custer (Hi, Sue!).  She is on the Custom Quilling design team and used a toilet tissue roll to create a gift card pocket holder tag (you can see it here).  When I asked Sue about it, she directed me to an earlier project where she used the toilet rolls to make a cute mini album (you’ll find it here along with some directions). 

I had a hard time keeping the roll flat so I cut the tube and made mine into a fold-out card holder.  I decorated the tube inside and out with the same paper as the card then cut a strip the width of the holder and glued down just the ends to form a pocket for the gift card.  It is still curved, but I know that the gift card is secure and won’t fall out.

I closed the gift card holder by wrapping it with a piece of the same ribbon I used on the card and tied a matching bow.  The ribbon just slips off to open the card holder and both can be used again and again.  How’s that for recycling? 

To finish off the gift, I created a matching gift tag using a left over pricing tag as the base.  I covered one side with the floral paper and the other with the dotted paper.  I quilled one more flower using the cupped petals and added a quilled leaf.  I stamped a sweet sentiment on the dotted paper side and tied the tag onto the bow. 

Whew!  That was a long post, but I hope I have inspired you to make your own matching card and gift card holder set. 

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For those of you interested, the floral paper is called “Itsy Bitsy Ditsy” from Recollections (which I think is Michaels’ store brand) and the color is called Pistachio.  The pink polka dot paper is called “Pink with Rose Trim” and is also by Recollections.  It has a green and white stripe of roses down one side of the paper.  I was tickled to find that Quilled Creation’s moss green and pale pink papers were an almost identical color match.

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Puffy Velvet Fabric Markers by Marvy® Uchida are, as the name clearly indicates, made for fabrics.  However, paper crafters have discovered these markers and the product packaging now states that they are also “great for paper crafts.”  I was introduced to these markers through a very creative Yahoo! Group I belong to called the Scrapbook Lounge and have long wondered if the markers could be used with quilling.  Now that I have my blog I just had to buy some and try it — all in the name of research, you understand.  LOL!!!

Fig. 1

Like many markers on the market, when you first open one, you need to shake it and then press the tip down on some scrap paper so the color can fill the tip.  Once the color flows, you are good to go. 

Fig. 2

After letting it dry for 30 minutes per the instructions, I heated it with the heat gun and it puffed — a lot (Fig. 2).  While I didn’t like it enough to use it on my quilling, I found the effect very interesting and wanted to give it another try.  I quilled another rose bud and applied the fabric paint, but this time I immediately patted it with a paper towel to remove any excess paint. 

Fig. 3

When I applied the heat gun, it didn’t puff nearly as much (Fig. 3).  The instructions tell you not to rub it after the puff-up effect is achieved, but I just had to touch it and it does, indeed, feel very soft and velvety.  I thought that this rose was worthy of finishing and made it into a card, just like I did with the plain one.

Fig. 4

You’ll see in Fig. 4 that the top rose is plain for comparison.  The middle rose has the puffy paint on, but it just didn’t do anything.  Trying to be fair, I made another yellow rose and gave it go.  In trying to get the paint to puff, you can see that I held the heat gun on the rose too long and burned the paper.  Oops!  I really don’t know if the problem is with the puffy paint marker or the user.  

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