Tag Archives | blank craft shapes

Gift Packaging Idea

By Melony Bradley on September 12, 2013 in Paper Crafts

Are you looking for a creative gift packaging idea? A fantastic gift packaging idea can be very important because the recipient often judges the inside of the gift packaging but what he/she sees on the outside!

I love buttons. I love to create with them and I love to give a little of my excess stash away as gifts. I have used mason jars, baby food jars and other containers to give a gift of buttons. Searching for yet other ways for gift packaging ideas, I ran across this cute sliding drawer box from Sizzix. Used with their Little Sizzles Matboard, the die creates a sturdy little box to present a gift of buttons.

Materials for gift packaging idea:

Sizzix Sliding Candy Jar Gift Box

Sizzix BigShot Die Cutting Machine

Sizzix Little Sizzles Matboard

Sizzix Bigz Die Tattered Florals

Susiebee Studios Patterned Papers

DecoArt Americana Acrylics in Tuscan Red and Boysenberry Pink

Beacon Adhesives Fast Finish Decoupage and Premium Tacky Glue

Buttons Galore and More Assorted Buttons

To create this gift packaging idea, I used my Sizzix BigShot die cut machine to cut the box pieces from the matboard. There are visual instructions included with the die but the box was very easy to construct.

The matboard is great because it accepts paint very well. I painted this box using DecoArt’s Americana Acrylics in Tuscan Red.

I also cut patterned papers from SusieBee Studios to fit the sides and top of the box.

Patterned papers can be decoupaged using Fast Finish decoupage from Beacon Adhesives. I used a foam brush for this step. I chose to paint a blank craft shape from Buttons Galore and More in DecoArt’s Boysenberry Pink.

After I painted my blank craft shape, I sanded it to lightly distress and stamped buttons with Clearsnap’s Colorbox pigment ink.

I topped off my die cut button box with a die cut felt flower with a button sewn in the center.

Create these little cute button feet for your box by stacking buttons together starting with the largest on the bottom and working towards the top with the smaller buttons. Getting the button feet to be even can be tricky but well worth the effort!

Glue the button feet to the bottom corners of the box. Super cute gift packaging idea! Especially when filled with buttons.

Hope this inspires you to create your own creative gift packaging version of this die cut button box.

Live Life Creatively,

Dog Treat Jar

By Holly Gagnon on September 11, 2013 in Mixed Media

Your dog is an important part of your family so why not make a Dog Treat Jar? If you’re a dog lover, you’re gonna love the Buttons Galore Dog Gone It buttons.

Dog Treat Jar

Ya know anything looks great in displayed in a Mason Jar. Even plain ole’ Milk Bones.

To embellish the jar lid, I adhered a piece of patterned paper on the lid then used Ultra Thin Glue Dots to adhere various Buttons Galore Dog Gone It buttons.

Buttons Galore makel Blank Craft Shapes that are perfect to use if you want to customize a tag.

1. Choose a Blank Shape

2. Ink with color

3. Set the ink with a heat gun.

Taa Daa-There you have it, a cute Dog Treat Jar tag!

My dog has no interest in eating plain Milk Bones. She’s only interested in the gravy covered Milk Bones like the in the jar. When I was done taking the photos of this project, I came back in the room a few hours later and noticed my dog bone props were missing off the table. Hmmm…I wonder who might of snatched them??

Supplies Used for Dog Treat Jar:

Like Me on Facebook!

Christmas in July- Shadow Box Button Ornaments

By Melony Bradley on July 29, 2013 in Christmas

Christmas in July – let’s make some Shadow Box Button Ornaments!

To make Button Ornaments:

It seems like its never too early to be thinking about Christmas crafting. When I was asked to do a set of Christmas ornaments using Styrofoam and buttons from Buttons Galore and More, I asked if I could use foam core instead. Lately, I have become somewhat of an addict to manipulating the craft knife to cut various shapes. For these ornaments, I challenged myself to cut circular shapes rather than my usual safe square or rectangular shapes.

To make Button OrnamentsFirst I created cardstock circle templates in three different sizes. One for the back, one for the front and one to use to cut a circle in the center of the large circle. I used Elmers Foamboard for this project.

Now for the hard part. Use a very sharp craft knife with and a self healing cutting mat to cut the circles out. First, score lightly along the traced line, then pass the knife back through cutting almost to the other side. Use a third and/or fourth pass to cut the circle all through way through. This is referred to as the “three pass rule” and when used with patience, will result in perfect cuts. If you do end up with stray bits of foam core, use a sanding block or file to smooth the edges.

Trace a circle in the center of the cut circle and cut out with knife. Cut a slightly larger circle to enclose the back of the ornament to create a shadow box effect.

Trim the edges of the circle with scalloped edged scissors.

Paint the pieces of the foam board and cardboard with acrylic paint. I choose coordinating colors of DecoArt’s Americana Acrylics.

Spray the cardboard circle with a sealer and coat with glitter.

Next, assemble the ornament with a strong tacky glue.

For the green and yellow ornament, I formed a tree shape in the center of and used green and red buttons to decorate the edges.

Paint and stamp blank craft shapes with a holiday sentiment and attach it to the front of the foam core.

I hope I have inspired you to try your own Shadow Box Button Ornaments! Choose from an array of inspirational buttons from Buttons Galore and More to come up with your own themes and designs. Start now and you will have plenty of these budget friendly creations ready by the holidays for your tree and to give as gifts.

Live Life Creatively,

Melony