String of Love: Simple Valentine's Decor by Kim Hyer

Every year February sneaks up and kisses me. I am unsuspecting...

I seem to always come back to this easy 1 hour project.

What you'll need:

A sewing machine
Heart shapes ( I use CM punches)
a old magazine
pink & red card stock

Here we go.....

Punch a few dozen shapes from a magazine. Do not worry about content or color. 

Just punch. Make a few from card stock for your exteriors and 

centers.

Take your pieces and stack them. Card stock on the front, back and center. You should have magazine pages (2 or 3) in between.

Line them up with the needle at the top point of the heart.

Stitch. I leave a machine top width between each heart. It is an easy measurement of about 6 inches.

I put 10 sets on a sting. I keep stitching between hearts because I like the twisted thread look.

  

Now fold the exterior pieces together against the thread.

One by one keep folding the magazine pages together. I do not fold the center card stock.

It will be a heart ball when you're done.

  

Do all ten pieces.

 

Then hang.

Now you have a festive little string of love.

I have used different shapes and sizes of this same approach for parties and other holidays.

Enjoy!

Kim 

Where to find me:

A Paper Addict

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Make your String of Love then come over and post your pictures!!

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Hand Carved Stamps Outside the Box by Ursula Smith

Sometimes when you think outside the box, it is literal. In my case I decided this year to forego wrapping presents. I really hate it- in fact my family jokes that I can do anything crafty- except wrap. I am like the guy in that funny Christmas song from years ago yelling as he is "Stringing Up the Lights", except I am cursing out wrapping paper.

While I was playing around with carving stamps the other day, I was looking for some paper to test them on, when I spied a white box. I grabbed it and started stamping away. I loved the look of it, so I grabbed a clean, folded box top from a new package of gift boxes and had a pleasant stamping session  using my new hand carved stamps and acrylic paint.

Here is the result...

The stamps I used weren't really Christmas stamps at all, but in keeping with the "thinking outside the box" theme, I think they work just fine!

Here is a quick companion post for recycling gift bags.

I will have more stamp carving posts and holiday ideas on my own blog- Ursula-Smith.com/blog - in upcoming weeks. Happy Holidays!!

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