PROJECT No.1:
Holiday Place Card or Gift Tag

This project is a great way to use up all those little bits and pieces of trims and ribbons, loose buttons, pretty paper scraps and other baubles and beads. The two ideas outlined below are just to get you started. Once, you get rolling, you’ll come up with dozens of clever combinations.

What you need:
Sewing machine
Scissors or rotary cutter and mat
Pinking shears or rotary cutter with pinking blade
Hand sewing needle
Straight pins
Felt squares
Ribbon bits and pieces
Random small buttons
Thread to coordinate/contrast
Marker pens
Fabric glue
Hole punch (optional)
Heavyweight paper
Note: we used plain paper, but you could also recycle your greeting cards - just be sure you have a blank area to write in or a light background to write over

How you do it – Two layer option:

1. Straight cut a felt rectangle 3” x 5”.

2. Straight cut a paper rectangle 2” x 3 7/8”. Write the place card name or tag to/from on the paper now.

3. Center paper rectangle on felt rectangle. Lightly tack in place with fabric glue.
   

4. With sewing machine, stitch around all four sides of paper rectangle with a zig zag or other decorative stitch.
   

5. Select a ¼” ribbon apx. 19” - 20” long.

6. Leave about a 3” tail, then run the ribbon around the entire edge of the felt square, like a frame. Leave a matching 3” tail on the other end. Pin in place. You’ll need to fold the ribbon back on itself at a diagonal to turn each corner.

7. With your machine, stitch the ribbon in place, using a long straight stitch (basting stitch).
   

8. Tie the ribbon tails into a bow and hand stitch a button in the bow’s center.

9. To make place card into a gift tag, punch a hole in the corner opposite the bow and tie a length of ribbon through the hole.
   

How you do it – Three layer option:

1. Use pinking shears or a rotary cutter with a pinking blade to cut a felt rectangle 3” x 5”.

2. Straight cut a coordinating felt rectangle 2½” x 4½”.

3. Straight cut a paper rectangle 2” x 3 7/8”. Write the place card name or tag to/from on the paper now.

4. Center paper rectangle on the 2½” x 4½” felt rectangle. Lightly tack in place with fabric glue

5. With sewing machine, stitch around all four sides of paper rectangle with a zig zag or other decorative stitch.

6. Center 2½” x 4½” felt/paper rectangle on the 3” x 5” felt rectangle. Lightly tack with fabric glue.

7. With your machine, stitch the layers together, using a long straight stitch (basting stitch).

8. Cut out two holly leaf shapes. Arrange in one corner and hand stitch in place. Then, hand stitch three tiny red “berry” buttons at base of holly leaves. You could use black thread or a thin black marker to create "viens" in your holly).

9. To make into a gift tag, punch a hole in the corner opposite the holly and tie a length of ribbon through the hole.