Simple & Stylish

 Welcome to the third installment of Paper & Paste!

Remember how easy it was to whip up the paste recipe 

(scroll back two Wednesdays) 

and spread it over the stencil and onto your paper?

 After removing the stencil and letting the paste dry,

you were promised limitless potential for using 

your newly decorated papers.

Without further delay:

 Here's a look at what variegated thread 

in the sewing machine can do for a solid paint color. 

More on this technique to follow, especially

since the back might even be prettier than the front!

Destined to become a special note card or book cover, 

more experimental sewing is needed (darn my luck) 

so stay tuned to see how it turns out.

 Here's the same stencil with red paste on tracing paper.

A little bit of ribbon and a tag, and you've got a simple, 

inexpensive, personal way to polish up a brown paper package.

This says assembly line for holiday gift wrapping, doesn't it?! 

Remember last Wednesday's post showing how to make 

your own stencils? Think snowman, ornament, 

star, tree...or you could get fancy and cut a snowflake, 

reindeer or pine boughs from stencil plastic sold at 

quilt stores or online. Don't be intimidated though, because 

even the simplest design would look festive and fun! 

The same stencil and red paste on thick cotton paper

makes for a sturdy gift tag. You could get several tags 

from one piece of paper.

Take a fine point pen and draw "stitches" around all of

the shapes. If you're cutting your tag from a larger piece 

of paper, choose a spot to cut your tag that allows 

room for writing To & From. Once the tag is cut out, 

punch a small hole at the top, thread a narrow ribbon through 

and fasten onto your package.

Next Wednesday, I'll share ways to add sparkle and texture 

to your paper & paste papers! You wouldn't want to miss out 

on something shiny, would you?