FaveCrafts

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How to Decorate Glass Bottles With Fiskars Border Punches

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 This tutorial is brought to you by Jade Harrington aka Jaderbomb.

Be sure to check out her review for another Fiskars product, the ProCision Rotary Bypass Trimmer.

 

Howdy Jaderbugs! I am so excited to share this tutorial with you today. I will be showing you some of Fiskars’ amazing boarder punches which I already know will make you go “Ohhhh and Ahhh” over.

Let’s get started. The things you will need are:

1. Glass Bottles
2. Tape
3. Scrapbook paper
4. Fiskar’s Border Punches

I will be using the Lacy Doubles Interchangeable Border Punch Cartridge for this tutorial.

 
“Fiskars- Use this Interchangeable Border Punch Cartridge with our Interchangeable Border Punch Starter Set base (sold separately) to add a variety of decorative borders to paper craft projects. Simply snap the cartridge into the starter set base, punch your craft material and switch cartridges to add a new design to another edge or your next big project. The interchangeable cartridges stack conveniently to save space in your craft room and make taking them to crops easier than ever. Must be used with our Interchangeable Border Punch Starter Set base.”

When you are ready to start using your punch you will notice there is a picture of the design on the front of the cartridge. Look at my arrows because this is where you want to start your paper. It’s pretty easy once you do it one or two times. Make sure when press down that you do it one good time to ensure the blades go completely through the paper.

Look how gorgeous. I decided to do both sides to make it look really fancy. By the way, I just used different size strips of paper that I had for this project.

This is how it will look when you complete both sides. I love the accuracy of this product.

I simply wrapped my strips of laced paper around my bottles and secured them in the back with a piece of tape.

 

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. I know once you do one you will have a HUGE collection of interchangeable punches in your craft space. Be creative because you can do so much with these punches. Bye!

What Can You Make with Paper Scraps?

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If you do any kind of paper crafting (scrapbooking, card making, decoupaging, origami, etc…) you probably accumulate a ton of different shaped and sized paper scraps. If you’re like most of the world, these scraps and nothing more than garbage to you. But most crafters look at scraps as a creative challenge. So save your scraps (and save some cash while you’re at it) by using your paper scraps as materials for creating something fabulous.

I recently put together an article on 17 Scrap Paper Crafts & Paint Chips Crafts. I love the idea of crafting with paint chips–they’re free and they literally come in just about any color imaginable! I wouldn’t go so far as calling this a completely “green” recycling project, since no one accumulates that many paint chips when contemplating a color scheme (or do they?), but it’s still thrifty! Check out this mosaic you can make with paint chips:

We’ve also got a fun and thrifty wreath you can easily make from paint chips. The Paint Chip Valentine’s Wreath is made from red and pink paint chips, but you can customize it for any holiday or home decor style just by changing the color chips you use:

Paint Chip Valentine Wreath

I also really can’t get enough of these Colorful Paper Mobiles. I’m planning on using them as a decoration for my wedding. They’re the perfect way to add a pop of color without spending a lot of time or money. You can even reuse old magazine pages to get the same effect.

I found some other cool projects around the web for using up paper scraps. This paper scrap lamp is seriously awe-inspiring! If you click over to read the how-to, you’ll be amazed at the simplicity of it. Why didn’t I think of that??

Here’s an easy tutorial for making paper circle garlands, another cheap decor element for a party. All you need is a circle punch (or the patience to cut out all of those circles) and a sewing machine.

I also really loved this paper butterfly mobile, which also uses a paper punch (or a butterfly die cut, if you’ve got one). You can switch out the shape to personalize this mobile as well. I think it might be cute with hearts, or maybe the moon and stars? What do you think?

Which project was your favorite? Don’t forget to check out my article, 17 Scrap Paper Crafts & Paint Chip Crafts to see all of the cool ideas and projects to make with your paper scrap stash!

Martha Stewart Holidays Double Craft Punch Hot Chocolate Giveaway

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Some Martha Stewart Crafts™ punches are what we call double punches – meaning they not only punch out the shape, but they also punch or emboss additional detail in the interior of the shape. Because the punch is performing this additional function, it works a little differently.

We’re giving one away to a lucky winner!

Learn more and enter for a chance to win!

Contest ends April 29, 2011.

FaveCrafts 365 Let’s Get Punching!

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One of the coolest new techniques in paper punches is using corner and border punches to punch around the the outside edges of a piece of paper. There are specific dimensions needed to accomplish this, but it’s so easy and such an eye catching effect.  I’ve also used this technique to punch across the top, then down one side of my paper.  Check it out! There is a mini slide show at the end of the video showing the different ways to punch. Although these punches are often sold in sets, you can mix and match with a little care. I do recommend having a shape craft knife and cutting mat close by if you aren’t the most accurate of souls (that’s me!).

You can find many of these punches at CutRateCrafts.com! I love shopping at this online discount craft store and especially enjoy the great customer service.

FaveCrafts 365 Keep Those Paper Punches Sharp!

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We get a lot of questions from FaveCrafts.com fans about how to sharpen paper punches that have become dull over time. This video shares a very simple tip to get those punches punching again! I love the variety and versatility of paper punches, but a dull one can make it very frustrating especially for the wonderful details of paper punches. Using something you probably already have in your kitchen can make punching a breeze.

Martha Stewart Cupcake Craft Punch Giveaway

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This punch is well made and can be used to make cupcakes out of all your paper scraps! You’ll have a blast with all the endless possibilities of putting together cupcakes. The punch stamps out the top of the cupcake and the bottom so you can mix and match combos instead of having a single cupcake shape punched.

We’re giving one away to a lucky winner!

Learn more and enter for a chance to win!

Contest ends February 4, 2011.

Product Review and Giveaway: Fiskars Heart Punch and Clear Stamps

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CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER

Angela Mabray from Oklahoma

Here’s what Angela had to say: “I’m thrilled to be the winner of the Fiskars heart punch & stamps – I can’t wait to try them! Thanks for the giveaway… I *heart* FaveCrafts!”

Extra Large Squeeze Punch: My Funny Valentine
Clear Stamps: Punch Love
Fiskars

Product Review by Maria Nerius

fiskars1-squeezepunch fiskars2-heart-stamps

It is such a joy when you can match up stamped images with your paper punches. Fiskars has made a fabulous set with My Funny Valentine paper punch and Punch Love clear stamps! Clear stamps are placed on an acrylic block and so easy to use. Placement is a breeze with clear stamps (unlike rubberstamps on wood blocks). The heart images are fun and contemporary with 10 choices in the set plus five word stamps. The squeeze handle of this punch takes all the pressure off your hand and you have better control of the tool. The punched hearts are crisp and clear.  You can stamp images on all weights of paper and just line up the image with the punch and punch away! This set is a winner!

Testing Feedback

  • Heart motif is always in style and can be used for any season.
  • Punch is easy to handle and control with no hand fatigue.
  • Punch punches very easily. Just a gentle squeeze and you are done.
  • You don’t have to stand up to use this punch.
  • Clear stamp set had variety and word stamps to coordinate.
  • Clear stamps had solid images that were crisp and easy to see for placement.
  • Nice to have a coordinated punch and stamps giving more creativity to useage.
  • Fiskars is a recognizable name with quality associated with the brand.


WIN THE SQUEEZE HEART PUNCH AND CLEAR STAMPS!

We are giving away this heart punch and clear stamps for free. Just post a comment on this blog and you’ll automatically be entered to win. The deadline to enter is April 17, 2009 at 5 pm CST. We’ll send an email to the winner so please check to make sure your email is correct. You’ll get an extra entry for EACH of the following (if you comment and do all four things, you’ll be entered FOUR times):

  1. If you blog about this giveaway at your blog, we’ll give you an extra entry. Contact us with a link to the blog post.
  2. If you twitter about this giveaway, you’ll get an extra entry. Again, contact us with a link to the tweet.
  3. If you add a link to us on your blogroll or website, we’ll give you an extra entry. Again, contact us!


Craft Giveaway Summary

Prize: 1 Extra Large Squeeze Punch: My Funny Valentine and 1 Matching Clear Heart Stamps

Deadline: April 17, 2009 5pm CST

*U.S. and Canada residents only. Winners must claim prize within 14 days of being announced.*

Good luck!

**If you like this content, don’t forget to sign up for a FREE subscription to the Quick and Crafty newsletter. We cover everything from crochet to holiday craft to polymer clay jewelry. And, we’ll let you know about the next giveaway as soon as it’s live so you don’t miss a thing! Visit FaveCrafts.com to sign up.

Tool for the Clumsy

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Despite a short stint at the hippest drawing class in lower Manhattan hosted by a Columbia art professor/rock musician, I can really only manage stick figures. Really, I just never developed my upper-body coordination properly playing entirely too much soccer and trying to be a Tae Kwon Do ninja, or something. Or, perhaps I was just born clumsy. I can’t really blame falling down my boyfriend’s stairs the second week of dating on my sport’s history can I?

This personal fact of clumsiness is unfortunate but nonetheless manageable with the glories of crafting technology. The generosity of crafting bloggers who share templates, clipart and patterns never ceases to amaze me. When creating homemade cards or personalizing T-shirts, I can trace and branch out beyond “stick man” and “flower.” Recently, I’ve noticed another no-drawing-skills powerhouse that I have not yet explored: the paper punch.

Where have I been that I thought hole punches came in small sizes only? For example, Martha Stewart offers this giant butterfly punch and I am absolutely smitten, especially since the very clever Ali Edwards used said punch to create this:

Butterfly Punch Display by Ali Edwards

Butterfly Punch Display by Ali Edwards

That is gorgeous no? I’m pretty sure I can do that and I WILL be doing that soon. While I love that it does not take extreme drawing or cutting skills to create these little butterflies, the fact that the project recycles junk mail or old magazines is even better.

I’m just waiting for these giant punches to come out in completely unexpected shapes. I want to make one of little octopodes (what Oxford dictionary recommends for the plural of octopus, fun grammar fact!).

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