Creative Gift Giving–Stationery Box

August 19, 2016

If you’ve been reading the blog for a while or follow me on Instagram, you know I love beautiful stationery. I’m a sucker for the boxed notecards at HomeGoods and I’ve been known to handcraft my own monogram notecards.

As a business owner and lifestyle blogger, I make it a practice to send cards and notes to all my design clients and to new friends that I meet through blogging. I also love to give beautiful stationery as gifts.

Today I’m sharing a fun and stylish gift idea that’s easy to pull together, Monogrammed Stationery Suite!

The first thing you’ll need to do to create this stationery set is to compile an assortment of notecards. The perfect stationery suite should include thank you cards, blank note cards, blank or decorative tags and maybe even some decorative or monogrammed stickers.

Here are the items I included in my set:

DIY Monogram Notecard // Personalized Notepad // Monogram Stickers // Personalized Thank You Cards // Gift Tags (similar)

DIY Monogram Notecards // Personalized Notepad // Monogram Stickers // Personalized Thank You Cards // Gift Tags (similar)

tip: You may also want to include a pretty pen in the stationery suite so the gift recipient has everything they need to send notes.

Next, head to the store and pick up a small acrylic drawer unit. I purchased this one from HomeGoods for less than $8 but I also love this one from the Container Store.

Once all the items are pulled together, arrange them in each drawer so all the cards and stickers can be seen.

To personalize the top of the box, use these embroidered iron-on letters and simply glue them onto the top of the box.

tip: the initials are white when you purchased them but you can easily use a Sharpie to change the color like I did. I used this same technique when I made my DIY monogram straw hat.

DIY Monogram Stationery Suite

If you’re looking for unique stationery products, here are a few of my favorite sources:

Notecards, Thank You, Blank Notes

Stickers

Zazzle (the best source and prices for monogrammed stickers)

Washi Tape

Cute Tape

A personalized stationery suite is a creative gift to give for any occasion. And it’s a great gift for men who usually don’t keep stationery items on hand.

With the Christmas gift giving season just a few months away, get a jump on your gift giving and make up a few of these boxes for the special people in your life.

Happy Gifting!

The Art of Holiday Gift Wrapping

November 29, 2015

Since I love to wrap gifts, I thought it would be fun to share my easy formula for creating stylishly wrapped gifts. Even though it’s a pretty simple formula involving paper, ribbon, tags and a fun accent, it’s what I do with these items that turns my wrapping into an art.

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Inspiration {plus links you’ll love}

June 6, 2015

Hello!

My typical weekend inspiration and links you’ll love post is a smorgasbord of stuff including design ideas, business tips, fashion inspiration and anything else that I think you’ll find interesting. This week’s post is no different so sit back, enjoy and be inspired!

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Have you ever spent time looking through all the amazing recipes on Pinterest. It’s kinda like walking through Costco on food sample Saturday–it can be dangerous. I recently came across this recipe and will definitely be making it in the coming days. It looks so yummy!

Miss Mustard Seed gives you all the ins and outs of decorating with bread boards.

This is one beautiful kitchen renovation!

I’m always interested in learning different ways to build my creative business and I found this article on Debi’s Design Diary funny and informative.

Can you tell which is the high-priced pillow and which is the diy? Jen at the Chronicles of Home knocked this pillow diy out of the park. It is beyond amazing and one of my all-time favorites!

If you want an easy way to personalize your business or social correspondence, you need to take advantage of this sale. I love my stamps and use them all the time.

In case you missed my spring bedroom refresh, you can read all about it here and learn how I created that gold stool in the top photo.

Thanksgiving Table Decor Inspired by Paper Source

October 24, 2014

The other day I popped into Paper Source to pick up some of the wood leaves they sell for a gift wrapping project. As I usually do when I go to Paper Source, I spent some time wandering around checking out all the cool stuff they have.

Most of you probably think of Paper Source as just a gift wrapping and packaging supply store but I’m here to tell you they have so many other cool items.

As I wandered around the store I kept coming across items I thought would work great as part of a Thanksgiving table setting. I was so inspired I decided to pull together an inspiration board showing you how I’d use gift wrap, gift items and crafting supplies to set a table.

Paper Source inspired Thanksgiving table setting:

I love using wrapping paper as a table runner and this Multi Stem Flower Wrapping Paper is the perfect color and pattern for a festive Thanksgiving table.

This Burlap Wreath Kit will make a pretty centerpiece and you’ll get to do a little crafting when you make it. Add a glass hurricane in the center to great a beautiful candle centerpiece.

I fell in love with these Wooden Fall Leaves when I saw them on-line and after seeing them in person I think they’d make great coasters for your fall table. Coat each leave with Mod Podge to seal the surface.

Every beautiful table needs pretty candle holders. The Peony and Rose Vanilla Candle in this chic gold chevron glass jar will add an elegant touch to your table.

Another great use for wrapping paper is to cut it into squares and use it as a place mat alternative. This Thick Cherry Wood Paper is ideal to use on the table and adds a rustic touch to the decor.

Taking a color cue from the paper runner, these Mint Patterned Napkins are the perfect color and pattern accent against the gold and brown elements on the table.

To make a simple napkin ring for your table just wrap one of these Thanksgiving Scallop Oval Stickers around each rolled napkins on the table.

So what do you think of this fun tablescape? Paper Source has a ton of great product so the next time you’re in the store take a look around and see what you can create.

this is not a sponsored post, just sharing products I love and how my crazy creative brain works

A Uniquely Crafted Gift

April 8, 2014

I love to give gifts and when I can give something that is unique and unexpected that makes gift giving even more fun for me.

This gift is going to my brother who recently moved from Kentucky to Washington DC and is without some key household items that can make life easier. One of those items is a sewing kit.

As a professional who is on the go constantly and doesn’t always have time to run to the cleaners or an alterations person, I thought it would be nice to make him a sewing kit for when he needs to mend a hem or sew on a button in a hurry.

And of course I had to do a little crafting to make his sewing kit uniquely his.

I painted the top of a wood box, purchased at Hobby Lobby, in a stripe pattern. I used different shades of grey and added white to keep the look masculine. The base of the box is solid grey.

Once painted I used the Mark Montano by Craffiti Direct Vintage Scissors stamps and created a label for the top of the box. The ABC stamp set was used to spell out the words.

When I was all done decorating the box I filled it with essential sewing supplies like pins, needles, thread, buttons and stitch witchery.

Easy as pie–I had a uniquely crafted sewing kit to give to my brother.

There are so many creative ways to use stamps when crafting so head over to the Craffiti Direct website and check out the full line of stamps.

To see all the Mark Montano stamp designs head here.

Happy Crafting!

Products Used (click on photo to buy):

Decorative scrapbook paper from Hobby Lobby

Sewing supplies from Wal-Mart

A Party: Inspired by GOLD

August 28, 2013

I love creating party themes and this time around I’m inspired by the color GOLD! What I love about a party theme based on color is there are so many items you can buy to create your look or if you’re the crafty type you can pull out a can of spray paint and the hot-glue gun and go the DIY route.

The ingredients:

Gold Paper Lanterns—Party City

DIY version: Spray paint white paper lanterns gold.

Gold Flatware—West Elm

DIY version: Buy some flatware at the thrift store and paint the handles gold. Here’s a how-to!

{tip: a coat of polyurethane will make the silverware suitable for hand washing}

Paramount Dinnerware—Z Gallerie

DIY version: Spray the underside of clear glass plates to get this look.

Gold Chevron Wrapping Paper— (used as a table runner)–Paper Source

DIY version: Cover dollar store white shipping paper with Gold Chevron Washi Tape.

Gold Stripe Stemware—Bed, Bath & Beyond

DIY version: Here’s an easy tutorial on painting stripes on glass. Dollar Store wine goblets of course!

Spike Napkin Ring—Z Gallerie

DIY version: Cut a small Styrofoam fall in half, insert toothpicks and spray the entire piece gold. Glue to elastic hair bands to create your napkin ring.

Gold Mirrored Tray—World Market

DIY version: Pick up a plastic tray from the thrift store and spray it gold!

Gold Leaf Gift Box—World Market

DIY version: Wrap a plain gift box from the Container Store in decorative gold and white wrapping paper. Paper Source has lots of paper options.