Sweet Paper Crafts: 25 Simple Projects to Brighten Your Life
By Mollie Greene and J. Aaron Greene
3/5
()
About this ebook
Mollie Greene
Mollie Greene founded the Royal Buffet Etsy shop, and her work has appeared on numerous websites, including Martha Stewart Weddings and Design*Sponge. She lives in Greenville, South Carolina.
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Reviews for Sweet Paper Crafts
12 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I saw the bird on this cover and smiled so I took home this book. The paper crafts in this book are delightful. The title really does say it all: crafts to brighten your life! I am going to try the star garland. The steps seem pretty easy and illustrated.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The step by step instructions & color photos look like the directions would be easy to follow, but unfortunately, only the bird project is something I would be interested in making. Would be good projects for kids, though.
Book preview
Sweet Paper Crafts - Mollie Greene
SWEET PAPER CRAFTS
25 Simple Projects to Brighten Your Life
MOLLIE GREENE
Photographs by J. Aaron Greene
Text copyright © 2013 by Mollie Greene.
Photographs copyright © 2013 by J. Aaron Greene.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.
ISBN 978-1-4521-2774-3
The Library of Congress has cataloged the previous edition as follows: Greene, Mollie.
Sweet paper crafts : 25 simple projects to brighten your life / by Mollie Greene ; photographs by J. Aaron Greene.
pages cm
ISBN 978-1-4521-1680-8 (pbk.)
1. Paper work. I. Title.
TT870.G73 2013
745.54–dc23
2012030763
Designed by Jennifer Tolo Pierce
Dritz Fray Check is a registered trademark of General Dispersions Inc. Etsy is a registered trademark of Etsy, Inc. Goo Gone is a registered trademark of Magic American Products, Inc. Mod Podge is a registered trademark of Enterprise Paint Manufacturing Corp. Scotch Wrinkle-free Glue Stick is a registered trademark of 3M Corp. X-ACTO knife is a registered trademark of Elmer’s Products, Inc. Yes! Paste is a registered trademark of Gane Brothers & Lane.
Chronicle Books LLC
680 Second Street
San Francisco, California 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com
CONTENTS
Introduction / / / 8
Materials, Tools, and Tips / / / 11
PROJECTS / / / 17
BLOOMING BROOCH
18
PERCHER BIRD
23
BUTTERFLY SHIMMER TAGS
29
TINY STAR GARLAND
33
SCRATCH BOOK
35
ALICE IN WONDERLAND MOBILE
38
WOODLAND PARTY PUPPETS
45
FLOWERING CHANDELIER
47
PRETTY PEOPLE CARD AND ENVELOPE
53
DOG TAGS
56
BUTTONS AND TWINE GIFT BAG
59
FLOWER FANCY WREATH
65
STRIPED DECOUPAGE PICTURE FRAME
69
PARTY POPPER
73
PRANCING REINDEER ORNAMENTS
77
PARTY-TIME PARTY HATS
80
STREAMER AND FLAG STRAWS
89
CELEBRATION CAKE BANNER
93
STAR CLUSTER GARLAND
96
PAPER SHIP PACKAGE TOPPER
101
SQUARES AND DIAMONDS MOBILE
106
BIRD-IN-FLIGHT PLACE SETTING
111
GENTLE RABBIT TAXIDERMY
115
GALLOPING CUPCAKE TOPPERS
120
LEAFY LEAF HEADBAND
123
Resources / / / 127
Index / / / 131
Acknowledgments / / / 135
For my little Dot
INTRODUCTION
With just minimal tools and supplies anyone can make unique paper finery. Creating simple gift tags and paper flowers, lengths of garlands, fluttering chandeliers, and mobiles that turn with a breeze–all from paper and other basic materials–is a satisfying way to work with your hands and fashion something lovely in the process.
I’ve collected paper scraps, unusual buttons, and bits of ribbon since I was a child, always inspired by the notion that something new could be crafted from a collection of old things. Turning my lifetime love of making things into my daily work was a natural progression. One day in 2008, on a whim, I began selling paper garlands and gift packaging in my Etsy store, Royal Buffet. To my surprise, the shop took off, and soon my nights and weekends were spent clipping paper butterflies for wreaths and measuring shiny thread for mobiles. Over time, more and more people asked about the process behind my creations. In this book, you’ll find the techniques that I’ve been able to perfect over the years. Making beautiful things with my hands has brought me a great deal of satisfaction and happiness, and I hope that the projects in this book bring the same to you.
In Sweet Paper Crafts you will learn the tools and techniques needed to craft stunning paper creations for all occasions. I love to work with found, recycled papers because of the variety of interesting images, textures, colors, and typography. Combining these elements makes each project exciting to work on and the results distinctive. You’ll see a variety of found papers used in the following pages, such as record jackets, book pages, crepe paper, and tissue paper. I also love working with glitter and ribbon. The twenty-five projects range from simple Butterfly Shimmer Tags, Prancing Reindeer Ornaments, and Galloping Cupcake Toppers to intricate mobiles, like the Alice in Wonderland Mobile, and papier-mâché sculptures like the Gentle Rabbit Taxidermy.
Whether you are a beginner or an expert crafter, I hope you will be inspired to create something beautiful out of the humblest pieces of paper. So clear off your desk, grab your scissors, and let’s make something together!
MATERIALS,
TOOLS, and TIPS
PAPER
Whether discovered at a thrift store book bin or acquired new from an art supply store, paper for crafty projects is easy to come by and inexpensive to collect. Here are some tips for sourcing paper and creating your own stash.
Books, Maps, Magazines, and Newspapers
I find that repurposed paper from old books, maps, and magazines is ideal for many paper projects. Recycling vintage books is economical and eco-friendly, and also makes each piece you create one of a kind. A treasure trove of interesting paper can be found at thrift shops and yard sales and possibly in your own basement or attic. Faded botanical prints, text in foreign languages, and tissue-paper-thin pages from old dictionaries are fun to work with and give finished pieces a vintage charm.
When considering used books, feel the pages individually and then in layers. If the paper