diy {Monogram Paper Bag Album}

Was mid-April through most of May cray-cray-crazy at your house?

Here too.

Like time-hungry schedules got notice that the school-year smorgasbord was about to be put away and had to cram in as many more bites into its mouth as possible. 

Hardly time to savor. Hardy time to chew.

But now we are settling in with a big plate of summer relaxation in front of us and I hope you are too.

***

Amidst the scramble of recent weeks arose the sudden need for several gifts. 

Graduations. Mother's Day. Teacher thank-yous.

These paper bag albums were my go-to this year.

They are fun, simple, and easy to personalize.

Supplies and tools:

• Brown paper bags (I used the lunch variety you can buy in packs of 100 for a buck something at Walmart and such places) - the number needed depends on how many pages you want in your album. These were made with 8 bags.
• Double sided 12X12 scrapbook paper (mine was Beach House by Colorbok)
• Children's handwriting paper
• White cardstock
• Ribbon or lace
• Adhesive 
• Scissors 
• Papercutter 
• Large scalloped circle punch
• Hole punch (mine is the Crop-A-Dile Big Bite - I adore that thing)

Fold over the top of each bag about an inch. No exact measuring needed. Eyeball it.

Stack the bags all facing the same direction like pages of a book with the folded over ends as the binding.

 

Punch two holes through the whole stack at either end of the folded over 'binding'.

Tie lace or ribbon through the holes.

Cut patterned paper to 12" X 4 3/4" pieces. One piece for both sides of each bag except the back one - it only needs one piece since the back side doesn't have paper added to it.

Fold a 4" flap over on each piece showcasing the flip side of the paper design. Adhere the flaps down.

Adhere paper to pages and cover.

Cut circles from handwriting paper.

Adhere a handwriting circle to each page and to the cover.

 Cut large letters from patterned paper. I made these by drawing each letter in reverse on the backside of the paper and then cutting it out - a stencil could be used instead if free-hand isn't your style.



Adhere a letter to the circle on the cover to create a monogram effect. Graduate's first name initial, teacher's last name initial, "M" for mom. Take it and run where you wanna go.

 Cut white cardstock into mats for 4x6 photos. 4 1/2" by 4 1/2" gives a quarter inch border around pictures. I wasn't adding pictures to these but leaving them blank for the recipient to add their own photos so I added labels to mats to indicate their purpose. 

For a very special gift you could add photos... sky is the limit on ideas there.

Adhere mats to pages.

All done!
Happy little handmade gifts.
My favorite.

***

Happy summer Sunday to you!
Love,
Raimie

Beautiful Mess Centerpiece

Surprise! I'm posting Monday's post today! My husband took our 3 year old on a trip for the weekend, our older two are playing with my younger sister and brother. And I'm excited about what I worked on today...
All good reasons to throw prior plans to the wind!

***

MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International just announced next year's theme will be, A Beautiful Mess. Tomorrow, I have the honor of being part of a training session for MOPS groups from our end of the state. We will be celebrating the successes of this year and brain-storming ideas for next year and I'm super thrilled to be in on it.

A Beautiful Mess.

I like that.
Life is certainly messy.
And most definitely beautiful.

My responsibilities for the session included putting together the decorations and centerpieces. As the creative activities coordinator I guess that falls under my roof and I couldn't be happier.

Not one to break too far from my retro-vintage chic (i.e. junk) pile, I fell back on my comfort collection...

Buckets, garlands, Ball jars, musty bottles with rusty lids.

"I got a bucket, got a bucketful of sunshine
I got a love and I know that it's all mine, oh, oh oh oh..."

 Ok, Natasha Bedingfield, moving on.

Throw in a wooden crate, newly (finally) budding branches, doilies, and burlap for the welcome table. I'm a happy girl.

These are the centerpieces for each table. Wellies, jars, moss, rocks, markers for jotting down momentary inspiration, Forsythia, raffia, more burlap and a shelf-liner "puddle".

And just so you know, I am pretty much infatuated with this chippy cupboard door. Barely-there aqua and white. Rusty, painted hinges and latch. Scrumptious.

A beautiful mess.
A motherhood centerpiece.

Because mothering is a lot about finding only one boot.
Little boys playing with sticks.
Scraps of paper.
Rock collections.
Leafy green stuff trodden on the carpet.
Chipped paint.
Dirt in the cracks.
Little girls calling Forsythia, "For-Cynthia".
Putting a bow in it to make it look combed.
Scotch tape.
Running for a bucket.
Recycled egg-crate crafts.
Crooked cut-out hearts.

Motherhood is about mud-puddles.
And singing while you stomp in them.


Love,
Raimie Lu