Sweet Post It Note Flowers Tute

Here are the simple book page ornaments we've made for our little tabletop trees. 

 I call them Post It Note Flowers because they work up beautifully using a 3" x 3" square of paper,

 so in a leap of naming logic there ya go. 

 They are really origami kusadama flowers and they've been around forever.

 I'll give you a link to an origami website at the end of this post in case my instructions lead you hopelessly astray. ; 0 )

                     Start with a post it note or any size of paper as long as it is perfectly square. 

                 IF YOU USE post it notes, you will start with the gummy side at the bottom right

                                        and gently separate the layers if they become stuck.

Fold bottom to top, then sides in to form a diamond, then fold each side out from the middle.
Unfold each side "wing" so it looks like a kite, then fold the top of these side kites inwards so now you will have a middle kite shape with matching side triangles. Fold each triangle once inwards.
                                  Roll into a cone and hot glue the two folded sides in the middle. 

                   You need at least five to form a flower shape, tho I have seen them with more. 

               Hot glue all the cones together and don't worry if you have a little gap in the center, 

                                     even real flowers have a little opening in their middle.

We've made ours out of vintage dictionary pages to go along with our simple white Christmas theme.

And the Live, Laugh, Love ornaments?

 Simply book pages cut into small rectangles then Mod Podged onto Christmas balls.

 I hand wrote the words on each ball with a Pigma pen, then sealed them all with clear acrylic. 

 You could also use a Cricut or Silhouette for the words,

 or print them and cut them out to match the book pages and Mod Podge them on. 

 Simple, pretty and inexpensive. We like!

Here is a link to a real origami website with great instructions and lots of samples for these pretty flowers...

http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/origami_kusadama_flowers

Use Your Imagination, Not $$$$ To Decorate for Fall

I am just as dazzled as the next gal by all the beautiful bling and glittery decor in the stores this time of year. I want to buy it all! BUT, reality and our budget intrude and I have to pull back. Way back. What do I do when I want beautiful decor without spending any ducats? I use my imagination and what I have on hand.

I start out with some twiggy branches from our yard. Florist foam anchors them in a painted black planter and then I start adding....stuff.

 Fake leaves and pumpkins from my stash plus different containers and candlesticks got me going. Then I made the pumpkins from fabric scraps, string and stuffing with cinnamon sticks for stems. Easy and FREE.

Here's the same display area fixed up, on the cheap, for Halloween.

I used crepe paper for the fluttery bats and the rosettes on the wreath. The Halloween balls are recycled Christmas balls and mod podged tissue paper. Black spray paint made the plastic ferns appropriately Octoberish. I gathered together some other spooky elements plus my very own silver button blingy decor ball and it all came together nicely for no money.

I hot glued the leaves to the black branches and also used them on a twig wreath that had seen better days. I added some book page leaves for contrast and then painted a banner for the middle of the wreath saying, "Thankful." Painting the muslin with country white paint gave it enough body to curve and hold it's shape when I glued it in place. Simple, easy and again, free! A colorful spray of silk leaves is in the white vase now instead of the black ferns.

I've found that with a good pair of craft scissors you can cut 8 layers of paper at a time, so very quickly you can have LOTS of maple and oak leaves cut from book pages for your autumn decor. They are very versatile, I use them alot every year.

With just a bit of tweaking and more glossy black spray paint, the three candle holders got a face lift. The old candles were up cycled with jute twine, hot glue and little black bows. How beautiful! I love the way this display came together. It was fun to do and didn't cost me anything. I call that a win win!

 I'll be posting to the parties in my sidebar since they are so much fun. Come check them out, the creativity out in blogland is amazing.

Add Book Page Leaves To Your Fall Garlands

Here is an easy project that turns out great, and you can probably do it with stuff you have on hand. I use old book pages for loads of things but this is one of my favorites. I add leaf cutouts from old books to Dollar Store garlands and really kick up their style factor.

Using a leaf pattern traced from a real life, a fake leaf or online, simply trace the shape onto a printed page of an old book. With good, sharp scissors you can cut through about six pages at a time. Here you see one size leaf we cut to add to the garland.

And here's a smaller size. Please excuse the painty, gluey crafting hands! Use a glue stick on one leaf, add a length of florist or craft wire, then put another leaf on top. You can make as many as you like, it's easy peasy and they look so cool. I believe Pottery Barn had some similar leaves a few years back for a very pretty price.

Just use the wire to twist the leaves into the garland. Here is one garland we made last year. I love the way the book page leaves "cool down" the vibrant colors of the garland. You can add as many as you wish and the wires let you "fluff" them any way you want for a fuller look.

Here they are with another more muted garland. This was for the long stair banister in my daughter's country style house. I love the way they look!

Here is a garland of oak leaves hung on a muslin curtain. Such a complement to the colorful leaves and the creamy colored muslin.

And here is one, paired with my primitive star garland, that I've looped around my entry way mirror. I really like the way the book page leaves look with all the vibrant hues!

And here's a shot of a garland used in a Thanksgiving tablescape. Add a few book paged balls and some glass ware and you have a stylish and colorful centerpiece.

I've used book pages for years for so many projects that now it is my go to look when I style my house and studio. With the holidays coming on like a freight train it's time to style up some neat decor again.

I'll be linking to the parties in my sidebar. Come visit and join the fun!