Romantic Gifts

Gifts wrap

anniversary paper: DIY modern paper ornament

I love spiky starburst shapes, so I attempted a version of the traditional Polish porcupine ball. Here's how to make this cool 3D ornament—great for Christmas or decorating any time. I can imagine jumbo sized versions hanging at parties or weddings. They take awhile, though, so you'd better start making them five years before you plan to get married.

flower peeps!

Thanks for all of your healing thoughts yesterday. I'm truly fine and so is my finger. Having a day to just play and not even go near sharp tools was all I needed to get grounded. In fact, the play yesterday was extraordinary. A good reminder for the rest of the summer... let go of expectations and enjoy spontaneity with my children. I think my summer mantra should be "let go... and play". I used to be all about that, but having a shop has definitely put a little more pressure on me to work. So, as I'm a firm believer in "a reason for everything"... my little accident, and the dynamic day that followed, was a clear message to keep PLAY the priority for my favorite season. Yesterday began with a perfect weather and an unscheduled morning. It was a yes kind of morning...

Make a gift bow from a magazine page

In gift wrap emergencies when you've got the present but need some wrapping, here's an idea for turning a magazine page into a bow. There may be better ways to stick this thing together, but I used what I had on hand: staples and adhesive glue dots. Double stick tape should work, too.

flowers for birthday: Paper flower tutorial

I thought some of you would enjoy a quick tutorial on how to make those little paper flowers I used as part of my table setting a couple weeks ago. The credit for these go to Martha Stewart (I saw this idea nearly 10 years ago in her magazine, but haven't been able to find it on her website). So here I go..

Step 1: Draw a spiral on a 4x4" square sheet of paper


Step 2: Cut out spiral along lines you have drawn