posts in category Heidi Swapp at Michaels

1.05.2016

a darling little gift box...with Marquee Love!

Hey hey everyone!

I'm so excited to share this project with you today! My dear friend, Kim Jeffress inspired this little box and I'm so grateful for her creative genius...

Are you looking for a fun, unique gift for a loved one? Something that can be used long after a holiday or celebration? Well then, this little Heidi Swapp Marquee Love Heart gift box is just what you've been looking for...

Heidi's brand new collection of Marquee Love shapes and accessories have just been released and they wonderful! The new patterns and colors definitely scream spring...

Creating this little box is really not hard...but it is a bit time consuming.

You'll need the following: (all materials - except maybe the chocolates - can be found at Michaels Stores)

*A Marquee Love Heart

*Marquee Love Tape, both 2" and 1" sizes

*Marquee Love Patterned Paper

*Marquee Love Paper Flowers

*Marquee Love Faceted Bulb Caps

*Heidi Swapp Color Shine

*White cardstock

*Pencil

*Scissors

*Glue

*Makeup wedges

To create your box lid:

1. Start by tracing your shape onto a piece of white cardstock...twice. You will use one of these tracings now and one later.

2. Cut JUST ONE of your traced shapes out - staying just a smidge (maybe 1/8") outside your trace line. This will ensure that the lid will fit over your marquee shape.

3. Adhere your white cardstock heart to the back of a piece of patterned paper and cut around your shape. You know have a 2 layer heart that will act as the top of your lid.

See how the soon-to-be-lid stretches slightly over the marquee shape?

Now we're going to add the sides of the lid...

4. Cut several strips of white cardstock (length doesn't really matter) to 1.5" wide. My shape used 2 strips that were 12" x 1.5".

5. Using your 1" glitter tape, tape the long side of your strip, being careful to keep your edges straight.

6. Use a bone folder or stylus to score a line down the edge of your tape where it meets the cardstock. This will allow you to fold your cardstock more easily. Fold the cardstock away from the tape.

7. Starting at the bottom point of your heart, glue (I used plain old white glue) the cardstock to the underside of your lid, making sure to keep your taped edge flush against the top of the lid. This process takes a bit of time, but as you start working it will get easier.

8. In order for your tape to wrap around your lid correctly, you will need to little slits into the cardstock edge. This will allow them to bend easily. I cut the slits as I went, but you may find it easier to cut them first - before you start gluing.

9. Continue cutting, bending & gluing around your entire shape, making sure your glittered edge is right up against your lid edge, until you come to the end of your shape. I then cut a little "v" out of white cardstock to attach to the inside bottom point of my heart to keep the lid sides together.

10. Now here's where you will use your other traced heart. Cut this heart out just slightly inside your tracing, and adhere it to the inside of your lid. This will cover up your glued areas and will give the lid a more finished look.

And guess what?! Your lid is finished! Looks good, huh?

Moving on...

11. Decorate your marquee shape with the decorative tape - 2" tape on the outside edges, 1" tape on the inside edges. If you've never decorated a Marquee Love shape before here is a quick run-through...

12. Add your paper flowers. These little paper flowers are specially designed to fit into Marquee Love shapes and come ready with a hole in the middle. Simply place them over the bulb cap hole in the shape and push in your bulb cap. Easy peasy.

To add color to the tips of your paper flowers, spray the edge of a makeup wedge with Color Shine and rub over your flower edges.

13. String your lights according to the included instructions, add batteries and you are done with your shape!

14. To turn your shape into a box, trace the inside heart onto white cardstock and cut outside the edges of your tracing (just like we did in Step 2). Add a line of white glue to the edge of your inside heart and add your cardstock. Allow to dry. You may also choose to make this piece more sturdy by using cardboard or coverstock instead of cardstock for this little heart. I like to use cardstock because it is easier to remove after the candy is all gone...

15. Add your candy (or whatever!) and your lid and you are finished! Isn't that little box just so darling?!

What a fun gift for your honey, or kids' teachers or friends! Or maybe just for you...

SUPPLIES; Heidi Swapp Marquee Love Heart, HS Marquee Love Rose Gold Glitter Tape 2", HS Marquee Love Rose Gold Glitter Tape 1", HS Marquee Love Wood Grain Tape 2", HS Marquee Love Wood Grain Tape 1", HS Marquee Love Mint Faceted Bulb Caps, HS Marquee Love Paper Flowers, HS Marquee Love Spring Paper Pad, HS Color Shine - Mint, white cardstock, makeup sponge, chocolate candy (yum)

*All Heidi Swapp products can be found at Michaels Stores*

12.07.2015

have yourself a Merry Little Christmas...photobooth!

It's less than 3 weeks away!

Christmas is less than 3 weeks away!

Are you ready?

I am not.

I still have a bunch of shopping and decorating to do...and I still have to pull together our Christmas cards...but things are falling into place, thank goodness.

One of the things I'm trying to do this season, amidst everything else, is trying to take more photographs. Now is the perfect time to get out those "big" cameras and snap a few for the album. But taking the same photos over and over...everyone side by side smiling at the camera...can get pretty stale.

So we're spicing things up a bit over here. I've set up a little impromptu photo booth, complete with the new Heidi Swapp Instax Photo Props (available at Michaels stores with the rest of Heidi's Instax products), and we're getting in the spirit with some fun photos!

These little props are so fun and so dang easy to put together...and Heidi's thought of everything you could possibly want to cheer up those holiday photos!

The sheets of props come just like this...all you need to do is pop them out of their sheets and attach them to the included sticks with the adhesive dots (also included).

Super easy.

Some of the props come with glittered accents that you can add...

And there are a number of little embellishments you can add as well! So so cute!

I recently painted a wall in our kitchen with chalkboard paint...and this makes the perfect backdrop for our silly holiday photos...I just stashed the props in a little metal bucket and placed them in the corner. Now they're easily accessible for anyone who feels the need to take a few pics! Plus they look pretty cute sitting there...

The kids had a great time posing for a few shots for me...

This one is my favorite...

I'm pretty excited to have the kids' friends over for a hot chocolate party and some photobooth craziness! And who knows? Maybe these little gems will find their way onto our Christmas cards this year...

SUPPLIES; Heidi Swapp Instax Photo Props - Christmas