Nov 27 2011
Packaging Quilling Ornaments for Sale or Gifts
I have participated in many craft shows over the years and have found one that I really like sponsored by the South Cobb Arts Alliance. Unlike traditional 1-2 day shows where you set up your booth and then personally sell your merchandise each day, this 11-day show is set up like a Christmas house. You bring your items for the initial set up, work two 3-hour shifts, pick up your unsold items, and they mail you a check for the items that you did sell. It is wonderful!
The only down side is that you are not there to watch over your items. That is where creative packaging can be a big help. Along with my “captured ornament” series, this year I am offering three different quilled ornaments for sale. And while I know that paper ornaments are quite sturdy, I really didn’t want to put them out without some type of protection. I would hope that adults would treat them with proper care, but the tables are low enough that little ones might be tempted to reach for them.
To solve this problem, I created a simple gift box for each ornament and then placed it inside a plastic sleeve (like those used for cards). Packaged with the box open, potential buyers can see exactly what the ornament looks like.
I make the gift boxes from heavy scrapbook paper or card stock. I like using a nice printed paper for the top and a solid color for the bottom. I purchase the paper during the year when I find it on sale, that way the boxes cost next to nothing. My boxes are roughly 3-in x 3-in square, but you will want to make yours sized to fit your ornaments. Just be sure to make the lid a little bit larger so it will fit over the bottom (trust me — I speak from frustrated experience). I also make the lid height a little bit shorter than the bottom height so that the box is easier for the recipient to open. There are several good scoring tools on the market (I use the Martha Stewart one, but Score-Pal is very popular, too) that make creating these boxes a snap. For those who would like detailed instructions for making these boxes, I have posted a step-by-step tutorial.
For an added touch, I cut a piece of white quilt batting to fit inside the box. I purchased an inexpensive roll of batting at my local JoAnn store (using a coupon, of course!). I’ve probably made five dozen boxes and still have plenty of batting left for next year. This gives the gift box the feel of an expensive jewelry gift box. I did find, however, that my white snowflake did not show up well on the white batting, so I cut a piece of pale silver tissue to sit on top of the batting underneath the snowflake.
Since my ornaments are for sale, I include my custom hang tag which contains basic quilling information. This tucks away neatly underneath the batting.
Even if you don’t participate in craft shows, you might want to give this idea a try. Think of how delighted your friends and family will be to receive your quilled ornaments inside their own little gift box.
Even though it is scorching outside, I’m busy working on inventory for a big Christmas show I participate in each year. With this in mind, I decided to quill some metallic cross ornaments to add to my offerings. I remembered some metallic papers I purchased from Quilled Creations and thought they would be perfect (Metallics Sparkling Quilling Paper, Silver & Antique Gold).
The biggest thing I learned is that while the papers themselves are metallic and look great from the side, the edges are quite dull. As you can see, this cross quilled from Antique Gold look like is it made from a plain brown paper (Figure 1), but the sides of the cross are nice and glitzy (Figure 2).
To solve this problem, I used a gold metallic pen (I used one made by Krylon) and colored the edges (Figure 3). What an amazing difference! Now I have a stunning gold quilled cross ornament to sell at the show.
Here is a delightful card that uses an empty ribbon spool as the card base. A message strip is attached to the core, wound around the spool, and secured with a piece of ribbon tied into a bow. The lucky recipient then unties the bow to unroll the greetings. I guarantee that this card will be a keeper! Since I wanted larger flowers, I used strips of scrapbook paper cut to various widths and hand fringed them.
This quilled bookmark is a good project for children because it is quick and easy to do. And since the quilling is glued onto a wooden base, it becomes very durable, even for little ones who may not be as gentle with the paper coils as adults would be.
For each bookmark, you will need: a small wooden shape, paint or scrapbook paper, a jump ring, assorted beads, cording, glue, and quilling paper of your choice.
One of the things that I love most about writing this blog is meeting all of the wonderful quillers out there. Over the years, the popularity of this art may ebb and flow, but I have no fear of quilling ever becoming a lost art. There are just too many of us … and we enjoy sharing our art with each other and the next generation. Woo-hoo!
Speaking of sharing, I recently heard from a very clever quiller named Gina who created two very unique lockets. They are just awesome and I am so pleased to be able to share her art with you. Gina does what so many of you do – she takes designs and techniques of others and then changes them up to make them truly her own. But I’ll let her tell you …
Gina also made a locket for a friend of hers who was expecting a little girl. She made a tiny baby foot in pink for one side of the locket and left the other side empty for a photo of the new baby. Is it any wonder that her friend just loved the unique gift?
