EYE GLASS CASE

Supplies:
One basic pot holder
Embroidery thread
Hand sewing needle
Embellishments – contrasting fabric, no sew adhesive, paint, buttons, etc (all optional)

Start with a basic potholder like the one above. You don’t need one with a pocket.

Embellish. I made some fabric appliques to add to the potholder. I just used a no sew adhesive to add the fabric houses. You could also do freezer paper stencils or embroider a monogram on the top. This is where you can really tailor the project to your own style.

Fold potholder in half and match up edges. Sew both sides together with a running stitch (refer to yellow lines). I used embroidery floss to sew up the case because the fabric is so thick. Knot ends, trim, and you’re done.

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PAPER BOWS

Supplies:

Square piece of card stock
One brad
Hole punch
Scissors

With right side of paper facing down cut paper where you see dotted lines. Cut off bottom section (refer to right picture).

Bend top flap down revealing right side of paper. Punch holes as marked by the five black dots. Fold bottom left corner up and add a brad. Click on images for a larger view.

Attach top left corner to the brad. Attach bottom right flap to the brad.

Attach top right flap to brad. Place brad through the center hole. Close brad in the back. Cut out bottom of bow (refer to dots). Done!

Once your bows are made you can adjust the shape by trimming the bows if you wish.

These cute little bows would make the perfect bunting for a party. Make them small for tiny embellishments or large to decorate with. There are lots of possibilities.

HEART KNOT

It is said that Mizuhiki connects the hearts of the giver to the receiver. With Valentine’s Day approaching I thought this would make a lovely gift/keepsake. Mizuhiki knots are also great to use for cards, wrapping gifts, embellishments, or even a valentine swap. Directions Below.Supplies
Mizuhiki Cord ( I recommend looking on line for it)
Scissors

Directions

Take 5 or 7 Mizuhiki Cords and twist them together. Then make a loop like the picture above.

With one four inch cord tie a knot at the top of your loop to secure it, then trim. Refer to picture.

Bend the left side down to the bottom of loop and hold down with your finger.

Now bend the right loop down to form the heart.

With a four inch mizuhiki cord tie the loop with the other two sides you were holding in place. Trim the cord you tied the knot with. Trim the bottom of heart as well. Done.

GIFT WRAPPING

 The knot on the box is called an abalone knot. It’s also referred to as awabi musubi, the Josephine knot, or a good luck knot. This is one of the easier mizuhiki knots to make.

Supplies:
mizuhiki cord – I purchased the cord in SF Japan town. You can also find it online.
scissors
hot glue gun

First make the abalone shell knot. I used five cords to make the knot. I recommend starting with three cords then weaving the last two cords into the knot. Make sure to keep your cords flat when making the knot. You don’t want the cords to be twisted. Set the knot aside for later.

Using three mizuhiki cords, wrap the gift just like you would using ribbon and knot on top.

Take one of the tales of the knot and make a loop. Tuck the end of it into the center knot and pull through part of the way.

Space the cords of the loop to look like the picture above. Trim the tails of the cord.

Take the abalone knot and hot glue it to the top of the gold cord. You can also use wire to adhere it to the top as well.

FALL DECORATIONS

Below you’ll find directions and four templates to make the kirigami leaves.

Supplies:
6″ x 6″ origami paper – you can use any size paper, you’ll just have to adjust the templates accordingly
Scissors
Pencil

Fold 6″ x 6″ paper according to directions above.

Right click, copy, save and print out templates. You might need to scale the templates to fit your folded paper.

Trace leaves on the folded triangle (refer to step 5 above).

Cut out. Carefully unfold. Done.

EASTER BASKET

Here’s a nice alternative to the traditional Easter basket, a furoshiki folded into a basket. Wondering what a furoshiki is? A furoshiki is a traditional Japanese cloth used for wrapping and transporting items. . You just need a square piece of fabric.

Supplies:
Furoshiki or any piece of square fabric. Silk scarves work great for this project. You could also use bandannas, fabric napkins, or embroidered handkerchiefs.

One shallow bowl – any size/kind you want. The larger the bowl, the larger the piece of fabric you will need.

Click on directions for a larger view.

NEWS PAPER ROSES and TISSUE FLOWERS

Easy directions to make the newspaper roses below.Supplies:
Acrylic paint
Newspaper
Scissors
floral tape
green floral wire

1. I first made the paper roses the same way I make tissue flowers. See lower part of this page.

2. Tape the newspaper rose to the floral wire. Wrap the bottom of the rose with the floral tape to cover up the tape and any seams.

3. Paint roses with acrylic paint. I chose to leave some of the newspaper showing. If you want all the newspaper painted, paint the newspaper before you make the flower.

EASY WAY TO MAKE TISSUE FLOWERS

Supplies
tissue paper – any color
scissors
tape or florist tape

Cut two layers of tissue paper into a circle. My circle is about 8 inches in diameter but any size should do.

With both layers together, fold in half.

Fold tissue over (refer to picture) and pinch at the bottom.

Still holding the flower at the bottom, separate the layers at the top of the flower (refer to picture).

Begin to roll the flower in the same direction you made the first fold. Make sure to keep the fold loose.

Once it’s rolled into the flower shape, fold back the outer layer to resemble a flower. To get the shape you want, it might take a little finessing. Just remember it’s an organic shape so you really can’t go wrong.

Tape the bottom of the flower so it does not unravel. Done.