I go through the same mini-crisis after every birthday and holiday... what do I do with the cards people sent me? Granted, it's a slightly easier decision if it's just a signature on an unattractive card — to the recycling bin it goes. It seems like there aren't that many that are like that, though. Some have handwritten notes from friends or family members. Some have gorgeous images, or paper I know I could make something out of.

Those are the cards that are trouble. Those are the ones that I have piles and piles of in closets and drawers.

Just in case I'm not the only one who tends to hoard cards, I thought I'd share a few tips for using these cards in a good, constructive way. Whether it's Christmas cards, Valentine's Day cards, or note cards, hopefully one of these ideas will help you "upcycle" your old cards into something even better.

1. Make Bottle Cap Ornaments or Jewelry

Some of the smaller focal elements on cards work great for making bottle cap ornaments. Background patterns often work well for understated jewelry or the background of a collage piece. Start by using a 1" hole punch or circle template to cut out the image you like best. To create an ornament, use decoupage glue to adhere the image to the bottle cap, then poke a hole for your hanger. For jewelry, see my post on making easy bottle cap jewelry.

2. Make Garland or Window Dangles

While you've got your circle punch handy, try Sister Diane's Craft Stylish project:
How to Recycle Old Holiday Cards into Garland. This would also be cute with pink and white ribbons and some recycled Valentine's Day cards.

3. Decorate a Gift Bag

Use one large image from the card — or even the whole card — to spruce up a plain gift bag. Add stickers, a ribbon handle and some coordinating tissue paper for an extra-nice touch.

4. Make an Advent Calendar

Along the same lines, you can use large images to create pockets for a recycle bin advent calendar like Kristy's at craftastica. I love that every part of the calendar is recycled, including using the big "sale" numbers from ad circulars for the dates. Very cool!

5. Make a Tree Topper

While you're ambitiously preparing for next Christmas (didn't I hear you promise not to wait til the last minute again?), check out Jenny Harada's DIY Holiday Card star. She even includes the patterns, so there's no guess work!

6. Make Gift Tags

Stephanie at Garden Therapy has a good post on recycling cards into gift tags, using just a tag punch (or pair of scissors) and a hole punch. You may even be able to snatch up some clearance-rack "To/From" stamps this time of year for even easier gift tag creation (I found mine for $1.50 yesterday at Wal-Mart). Of course, this doesn't apply to just Christmas cards — think gift tags for birthdays, weddings, etc. Any writing on the back of your gift tag can be covered by gluing a piece of paper over it.

7. Make New Cards from Old

Cut out a decorative element from the card you want to recycle. Now use it in a completely different way in your own design. Background patterns can be recycled into great contrasting borders. The more parts of the old card you use, the more bonus points you get!

Course, none of this helps with the problem of wanting to save handwritten messages from someone. One option is to scan it in. Then you can use it as wallpaper on your desktop, or in a folder of images you look at frequently to cheer you up — which is probably better than putting it in a shoebox you'll never open again anyway.

Of course, if you just can't bear to cut the card apart, you can always use this tip from John Kinde:

"Save the holiday cards you receive this year and "recycle" them next year. Just cross out the sender's signature, sign your name, and mail it back to the person who gave it to you. You'll start a humorous tradition."

Which started me thinking... if you create something really different and crafty and clever from a card someone sent you, could you give the resulting thing back to that person? Or is that too weird...? What do you think?

And of course, I'd also love to hear your favorite way to recycle greeting cards!

Update 1/1/09: Email subscriber Janet sent this tip along for making boxes from recycled cards:

I make these small boxes.They don’t hold much but they are cute. Find a focal point and use that for the center of your box. You can get folding instructions anywhere on the net.

These box-folding instructions and template looked easy to follow. Thanks for the tip, Janet!

I also came across this Recycled Card Ornament idea after I posted. Make these themed ornaments using recycled gift cards or even old photos. Lots of cute ideas for crafty re-use!

Posted in: Paper Crafts | Comments (3)

I love the vintage button wreaths I've been seeing on Flickr. But what if you don't have enough vintage buttons in coordinating colors? Or perhaps you're like me and you're unwilling to commit the buttons you do have...?

Polymer clay to the rescue!

I used mold putty and polymer clay to put together this monochromatic button wreath. Of course, there are unlimited possibilities — using different colors of buttons, different shape bases, etc. And hey, if you've got almost enough real buttons to make a wreath, you could just use these steps to fill in the holes with some color-coordinated polymer clay buttons. Here are the basics to get you started.

Materials

• Amazing Mold Putty
• buttons for molding
• polymer clay in your choice of colors
• either liquid polymer clay OR a hot glue gun
• clay blade or needle tool

Instructions

Make button molds. Use Amazing Mold Putty and whatever buttons you have on hand to make button molds. Try to include several different sizes of buttons, since even the smallest buttons are great for filling in the gaps in your wreath. For instructions on making and using button molds, check out these links:
• How to Make Your Own Molds with Amazing Mold Putty
• Video: How to Make Button Molds & Buttons

Make buttons. Once the molds are set, press conditioned polymer clay into the molds to make your buttons. A few tips:
• The number of buttons you'll need varies based on the button size and the size of your wreath base. To give you a general idea, though, I used 26 buttons on my large (4") wreath and 12 buttons on my small (2") wreath. It's a good idea to make a few more buttons than you think you'll need.
• While it's fun to have the different shapes, textures and sizes of different buttons, you can just use the same one or two button molds for the whole wreath. Try using different colors of clay with one button mold for a simple, coordinated look.
• If you're going for a monochromatic look, start by mixing up a color of clay you like. Make some of the buttons from that color, but then vary the shade by adding some white or black clay. I made 3-4 shades of green for my wreath this way, and I think it gives it a little more interest.
I went ahead and baked my polymer clay buttons, so they'd be more firm and button-like during the wreath construction. You could do it either way though.

Make a wreath base. I rolled out my clay to a medium thickness on my pasta machine. I put that sheet on my baking tile, since it would be difficult to move without distorting later. I then used 2 paper circle templates to cut out my wreath: a 4" template for the outer circle, and a 3" template for the inner circle. Of course, you can make your base any size or shape. I've seen some gorgeous heart-shaped button wreaths that would be great for Valentine's Day.

Assemble the wreath. This is the fun part! Add your buttons to the wreath base. Start with larger buttons first, then fill in the spaces with smaller buttons. Move 'em around til they look good to you, then stick 'em down. There are a couple of options for gluing everything together:
• I left my wreath base from the previous step un-baked, then put down a layer of TLS to act as a glue between the base and the buttons. Remember that TLS only acts as a glue between baked and unbaked clay (not baked to baked). So when I needed to stack buttons, I first added a thin sheet of unbaked clay and used TLS to "glue" it to the previous layer.
• Another option would be to bake everything (base and buttons), then use hot glue for assembly. This might be a faster option, depending on how many times you have to stop and bandage your burned fingers. (Or maybe that's just me!)

Add your finishing touches. If you still have part of your clay that's un-baked, bake it now. I used Future on a few of my buttons to give extra shine here and there — I liked how that gave it more variety. Finally, add a nice coordinating ribbon and hang your wreath!

If you make a polymer clay button wreath, I'd love to see it. Be sure to leave a link in the comments. In the meantime, check out these awesome button wreaths for inspiration:

• Rachael Herbert of Sweet Nothings posted a tutorial for her very cute Mini Button Wreath Ornament.
• From Flickr, check out button wreaths by little birds (monochrome red), Lin Moon (monochrome white), craftapalooza (red & white), and mikamika (retro brown & pink).
• And for more Flickr inspiration, check out these photo pools:
  • Flickr: Button: Wreaths, Trees, Balls and Flowers
  • Flickr: The Button Wreaths Galore Pool

Posted in: Polymer Clay , Project Instructions

Still hoping to make your own Christmas cards? This gingerbread Christmas card is simple to make, but it will be a welcome addition to any friend's mantle. The trick is to spruce up a basic gingerbread outline stamp — or any other outline stamp — by making your own matching background stamp from foam.

Materials

• Stamp: Clear Stamps Christmas set by Paper Studio
• Ink Pads: Distress Ink (Brushed Corduroy), StazOn solvent ink (Jet Black)
• Paper: Christmas Gingham (The Paper Studio), Spring Green card stock (Double Mates), white card stock
• Adhesives: Pop Dots, Terrifically Tacky Tape, removable double-stick tape
• Tools: Fray Check, scissors, bone folder, solvent ink stamp cleaner
• Fun Foam
• Ribbon

Instructions:

Make Your Own Shadow Stamp. The gingerbread man in this stamp set is just an outline. To add a little interest — and to make it look more like a decorated gingerbread cookie — you'll use a sheet of Fun Foam to create a background or "shadow" stamp. Ink the stamp, using a solvent ink like StazOn for best results. The ink color is unimportant, since this isn't part of the finished card. Then stamp the image on the foam.

Cut out Foam Image. Be sure to leave a small margin around the outside lines. This will make the background stamp a bit larger than the gingerbread stamp itself.

Ink Foam Background Stamp. First, use a piece of removable double-sided tape to attach the foam to an acrylic block, wooden mount, or other stamping surface. Then apply the ink, making sure the entire foam stamp is covered. Don't worry about getting an even covering of ink for this project — a little variation adds to the gingerbread effect. I used Distress Inks, but most dye or pigment inks would work. You could even use a thin layer of acrylic paint.

Stamp the Background Gingerbread Image. Press the foam stamp down evenly on white card stock to get a complete impression. If you're having trouble, use a mousepad or stack of paper underneath the card stock to give extra cushioning. You might try stamping several background images in a row (without re-inking between impressions). Sometimes less-saturated images work better.

Finish Stamping Gingerbread Man. Use a different color ink to stamp the gingerbread outline stamp on top of the gingerbread background. Don't worry about lining up the outline stamp perfectly with the background stamp. Images that are a little offset look great. Then cut out the gingerbread man, making sure to cut out around the outside of the background stamp, not the outside of the outline stamp.

Stamp the Greeting. I used Christmas Gingham paper and trimmed it to 4" tall x 5.25" wide, then positioned the greeting in the lower right-hand corner.

Assemble Card. Cut a piece of green card stock to 8.5" by 5.5", then use a bone folder to fold it in half. The resulting card should be 4.25" tall by 5.5" wide. Use your favorite tape, glue, or other adhesive to attach the gingham paper to the card stock base. Add a coordinated ribbon, cutting the ribbon to approximately 6.5" long. Use Fray Check on the ends to prevent it from fraying. Cut a strip of Terrifically Tacky Tape (or other double-sided tape) as long as the ribbon, and carefully lay it across the card (using a ruler if necessary to keep it straight). The tape should wrap around both edges of the card's front. Once the tape is in place, carefully attach the ribbon to the tape, doing one small section at a time to ensure the ribbon remains straight.

Attach Gingerbread Man. For extra dimension, use Pop Dots behind the gingerbread man.

Variation: Of course, if you want to go all out for a few special cards, you can modify this idea to make a polymer clay gingerbread man card. Follow these basics of rubber stamping on polymer clay. You won't need to make a separate background stamp — just use a brown clay and leave a margin when you cut out the gingerbread man. And be sure to use a strong clay (such as Fimo or Premo) or a blend containing Ultralight Sculpey if you're sending it through the mail.

Posted in: Paper Crafts , Project Instructions

Shiny metallic and glasslike finishes all have their place. But sometimes you want an older, more weathered look. I recently experimented with using the Rust Antiquing Set by Sophisticated Finishes on polymer clay, and I wanted to share my experiences.

About the Rust Antiquing Set

The Rust Antiquing Set doesn't just create the illusion of a rusted finish — it actually creates a metallic, rusted top layer on whatever surface you paint it on. The set comes with two bottles. The Iron Metallic Surfacer paint includes real metallic bits. You paint this on first to create a rust-able surface. Then you use the Rust Antiquing Solution to rust those metallic bits.

How To Use It

Paint the Iron Metallic Surfacer. Be sure to shake this bottle well before you start. You need all those metal bits to be mixed into the paint. I also found it helpful to run my paintbrush against the inside wall of the bottle, where the gritty stuff seemed to be more plentiful. Remember, as you paint, that you don't want it smooth. You want a sandy, gritty texture. (This was a little hard for me to get used to!)
Wait. The package instruction say, "Allow the [iron metallic surfacer] coat to fully dry overnight before applying the Antiquing Solution." To me, that meant at least overnight. And so I let it sit there til whenever I got around to the next step. Their website clarifies, though, that it's best to do the next step 8-10 hours afterwards. Waiting more or less time can cause the finish not to rust.
Paint the Rust Antiquing Solution. The rust antiquing solution is a clear, glaze-like liquid. Use a light touch so you don't drown the surface (the instructions say "several light coats will product better results than one heavy coat" and I found this to be true).
Wait. Paint. Repeat. Be prepared to do several coats of the rust antiquing solution. Since they want you to apply coats 24 hours apart, this can be a little time consuming. In fact, by the time I got to my third coat, my hubby asked whether I might have had faster results by just allowing the stuff to rust naturally!

Potential Problems

The first time I used the rust antiquing set, I used it on metal, and it worked perfectly. I was really excited! But metal's metal. It doesn't need all that much convincing to rust. After I tried it on polymer clay, I realized there are quite a few variables that go into getting "good" results. Not only that, but this is a product (not unlike alcohol inks) where you'll be happier if you're able to let go of the results. You're probably not going to get two items to rust exactly the same. Still, here are some tips to improve your chances of getting a nice rusted finish:

• Experiment. Temperature, humidity, and amount of paint are just a few of the variables that affect how it turns out. Experiment with these to see how you get the best results. And check the Sophisticated Finishes FAQ section for more variables and suggestions on avoiding common problems.
• No rust? Start again. If it doesn't rust at all the first time around, you can start the process over again. Just paint another round of both the iron surfacer and the antiquing solution right on top of your failed coat.

My Results with Polymer Clay

I wondered if certain brands of clay would rust better than others, so I made two tiles each from five brands of clay (Premo, UL Sculpey, Fimo Soft, Kato, & Studio by Sculpey). I coated one tile of each brand with just one coat of the iron surfacer, and the other tile with two coats. I expected UL Sculpey to behave the best, since it's specifically designed to be paintable. But really, all of the clays behaved just about the same.

I personally had slightly better luck on the tiles where I just used one coat. For one thing, the one-coat version seemed to rust prettier — but that likely had more to do with the variables mentioned above (primarily temperature and humidity) than with the number of coats. But I also wanted to leave rusted bits in the stamped grooves, then sand off the upper layer. (You can compare the sanded one-coat and two-coat versions here.) When I added the second coat, it completely covered too much of the stamped image, preventing the impressed areas from reacting with the rust solution. Of course, this all depends on your project — if you're not using stamped images or if you want more complete coverage, more coats may be better.

Overall Impressions

I have mixed feelings about the rust set. It's definitely a trial and error product: you need to understand some of the variables and figure out how to make it work for you. And even then, you won't be happy with it if you're expecting complete control over the outcome. It's a lot like the normal rusting process in that way — you don't have a lot of say in where something rusts, what color that rust is, etc. Finally, it's kind of a slow process. It may take several days to get the results you want.

Still, the fact that the rust set works on so many surfaces ("wood, plaster, glass, ceramic, canvas, cardboard, plastic, and metal," according to the packaging) makes it a handy tool, especially for mixed media artists. And it can be kind of fun figuring out how to get good results, and allowing for happy accidents when the results aren't necessarily what you expected. For those reasons, it gets a "thumbs up" in my book. In fact, I've added their similar Patina Green Antiquing Set to my Christmas list (that's a hint, in case any family members are reading this!)

Have you tried any Sophisticated Finishes antiquing products? If so, what do you think? I'd love to hear about your experiences, or any tricks you've figured out for getting good results...

Posted in: Reviews , Supplies & Tools | Comments (13)