Book Page Dresses

One of my very favorite ornaments for the tree are little origami dresses.

Made with discarded book pages and a few vintage trims, they are so simple.

I love adding little crepe paper wings that I stitch by hand.

I carry these in my Etsy shop Artistic Endeavors 101.

They look sweet  on the Christmas tree.

They make a fun package gift tag.

My plan is to get some more of these made soon.

I will show them to you when I do...

Thanks for stopping by...

Linking up with these great blogs...

Coffee Filter Wreaths

I love materials that are unusual or unexpected.

A very versatile and affordable craft material is coffee filters.

They are fabulous and fun.

I love them for wreaths...

The finished product is very lightweight which makes them great for hanging.

Today I just wanted to share a few of my coffee filter wreaths. 

Many of them I use RIT dye to color.

You can see my RIT Studio here.

This sweet pink oval wreath is a great accent.

You can find the complete instructions here.

                                    

Those basic directions can be used to create a variety of wreaths and projects.

This heart wreath uses the same directions but I cut the base shape from a large cardboard box.

 I used 14 flowers and really pushed them together to get a very dense look.

These make a great Valentine's day accent.

They would also be perfect for a wedding...

When I cut the base shape from cardboard, I wrapped it with scrap fabric strips that I also dyed.

If I hang it on a door or window, the back looks almost as nice as the front...

The great thing about the coffee filters is the variety of colors you can achieve with the RIT dye.

The next wreath color was achieved with a weaker Fuchsia dye bath that I added coffee to.

LOVE IT!!!

The following wreaths were done by coffee dyeing the filters.

You could also just use the unbleached filters.

It would be less work but I like the look of the dyed one.

This round wreath uses the flower method again.

This heart wreath does not.

I took each filter and folded into fourths and then twisted the point like I described here in my Rose Banner Tutorial.

I usually do a huge stack of them while watching tv.

I just toss them into a pop-up laundry basket that I can take to the garage/studio when I am ready.

The base for this wreath was cut from a piece of newspaper and then traced on a cardboard box.

You could use foam core too.

I just started at the top in one corner and glued them on, adding as I went. 

The little twisted point of the coffee filter gets stuck in the glue so your fingers don't get burned.

The wreath below is a favorite. 

I like the rectangular shape.

I donated this one to a local cause for a fundraiser.

I will have to make another one to keep.

Last, but not least, are a couple book pages wreaths that I used the coffee filter flowers for the center.

These are all over Pinterest...with good reason.

They are fabulous.

I am careful what kinds of books I use for the petals...

Only damaged and discarded books.

Very often, Reader's Digest books. 

Seems like no one wants those and they end up thrown away.

I can't let that happen!

So I rescue them from the trash and "to be recycled" bins...

They are simple to make.

Remove book pages.

Twist each into a cone and secure with clear tape.

Then staple about 1 inch from the tip.

I also do this while watching tv.

I fill that collapsible laundry hamper and then I go out and make as many wreaths as that many pages will complete.

At first I used a round shape for the base but I learned to just use a piece of rectangular foam core.

For the large size, I use a quarter sheet.

I sketch rounded corners on the foam core and use that for the base as I am gluing them on.

MUCH easier than measuring, cutting, etc...

This smaller one uses a 1/8th sheet of foam core.

And then I just finish it off with a coffee filter flower.

What common material do you use in unusual ways?

Thanks for stopping by...

Linking up with these blogs...

Books Transformed to Pumpkins, Apples, Cats and Snowmen...

My first fall show is coming up in a few weeks.

My booth has been an eclectic mix for the past 18 years.

Primitive holiday accents, wool candle mats and runners, reinvented purses, handmade cards, scarves fashioned from t-shirts, fabric, fleece and yarn, banners, and lots and lots of quirky jewelry.

 Last year I made some book pumpkins.

I also made a few other shapes but they had been stored flat for a year so I wanted to fan the pages out.

You can see them all  lined up on my old toolbox bench here.

I love the cat and have never seen one other than this one I made.

He still needs a pretty little bow for his neck and a witchy tag.

Maybe he needs a witchy little hat too...

My snowmen are some of my favorites.  

This little guy needs a homespun scarf and a felt hat.

The pumpkins I draw freehand so each one is different.

Some get a black bath for the page edges.

Some get an orange dip.

He has his bow but needs a spooky tag.

The apples are my favorites.

The perfect fall accent or teacher's gift.

There are several great things about these book shapes.

Each uses the pages from a discarded or damaged book.

I use the covers for other projects.

They store flat until the next year.

Just pinch the pages so they are flat and keep in your holiday box.

There is a trick for the best way to plump out the pages....

Several squirts of a water bottle on the pages and then some time to dry in the sun. 

 Repeat as necessary....

I have one of these in the Etsy shop and may be adding more this fall.

We will be linking up with these great blogs.