This is going to be a great week- I can just feel it!
How can it not be- first day of Spring on Wednesday, which also happens to be my Hottie Hubby's birthday, and some fun planned this coming weekend with my awesome Mom and sisters. Not to mention the Silhouette giveaway going on! If you haven't entered, go HERE :) Plus we did some awesome Spring cleaning this weekend that gives way for some fun decorating with bright colors!
I was recently sent some fun Dear Lizzy 5th and Frolic line products from American Crafts to create with- what a great way to bring in the Spring! These colors and textures are so fun! And all of it is now at your local JoAnn's! It just barely came out- brand new and so inviting!
This 5th and Frolic line really does just scream FUN! I knew I wanted to use it for some Spring decorating. All of these papers and embellishments could make the seriously cutest scrapbook layouts, but that is no longer my forte for sure! :P I specifically wanted to make a garland- I really like crafting new ones for my mantle with each new season. I've been seeing so many triangle shapes in projects lately and wanted to use them as well.
Of all the great papers I was sent, it seemed that the textured ones were really the stars of the show- I used them and the solid cardstocks for the triangles in my garland and the patterned papers for embellishing. I love pinwheels- they just scream fun and warmth, don't ya think? :) So I knew I wanted to include them on the garland too.
I'll start with some details on how to cut the triangles for the garland base and then spell out how to make each pinwheel too :) I first cut 4" squares. I love working with the 4" measurement for paper crafts- makes it so there is no waste out of a 12x12. :)
Make a small mark at the 2", halfway, mark on one side of your square. Then place the square lopsided on your trimmer, with one corner and the 2" mark you just made along your cutting path- like this:
With that angles cut made, turn the square and do the same thing again with the other corner- like above. Wala, you have a perfect triangle out of your square! Then take your triangle and put them in a pattern upside down, right side up...
This is really all that makes it different from the usual pennant banner-
I thought it really took this project from usual to unique :)
One thing about these American Crafts products I thought was awesome and worth mentioning- the glitter is seriously mess free! See my fingertips even after rubbing against it? Usually glitter just inherently means a mess to deal with, but any of the glitter in this 5th and Frolic stuff totally doesn't rub or flake off- really clean to work with :)
Now for those fun pinwheels! I could make these things all spring and summer long
and still enjoy it I think! I saw them used recently instead of bouquets for a wedding party- so cute!
Start again with a 4" square. I also used 3" squares for the ones on my garland- both measurements meant no paper waste and I like the size variations :)
To mark the center of your square, place one edge of the square at the 2" mark on your paper trimmer (at the 1.5" mark if your squares are only 3"). Then, with the trimming blade down, find 2" (or 1.5") and mark inside the blade area- like above. If you trust your ability to eyeball the center, have at it- I just didn't!
Now that your center is marked, cut from each corner
not quite all the way to the mark, I'd say 2/3 in or so.
These pinwheels made for a fab way to use these great 5th and Frolic brads- so fun, eh?!
They are about to become our centers...
With slits cut in your square, you can now work in four separate sections. Take one side of each cut section and bend it in to your center mark. Be careful not to fold it down- keeping it rounded will give your pinwheel the dimension it needs!
With your pieces curled in a bit, take the tip of your scissors and poke a small hole in that corner and at your center mark- like above. :) Then take your brad and stab it through those holes you just made- like this below...
Indeed, this part gets a little bit tricky to hold it all together and not just crinkle the whole thing flat, but you really can do it and adjust it super easy once you get the brad through. With all the corners on your brad, stab it down through the center and close.
Now just adjust and admire- cute cute!
With all the triangles ready and pinwheels made for embellishing, I got to play around with the other fun American Crafts embellishments that are part of this Dear Lizzy 5th and Frolic line...
Feathers with awesome texture- that burlap looks super cool!
I thought they looked great hanging from the tip of a triangle.
These Flutterbys stitched banners are the coolest scrapbooking embellishments ever! Back in the day I would have been swooning over these on my layouts big time! So fun and easy to add to anything- you will LOVE them! If you grab nothing else at JoAnn's this week, grab these! I used just a small line of gluestick to add them and embellish a garland triangle...
Losing my light in these last few pictures, eh? :P
This project might have taken over our kitchen counter off and on for a couple of days...
Glitter isn't the usual in this boy's world I live in, so these next couple of products were super fun for me! I've always loved letter stickers! One thing I noticed about these American Crafts ones is how they are placed on the cards- see above how they are tipped up and down to fit as many as possible?! Love that you know you'll get a bunch instead of being stuck having to buy two packs just to finish a project. I added the simple phrases "Be Happy," "Spring," and "Laugh More" to a few triangles in my garland with these.
I also loved this glitter tape- this might be in strong contention with the Flutterbys for must have status... Would be rad for anyone that's keeping some kind of smashbook!
Glitter and tape in one= flat cool :)
Now with all that fun embellishing done for each triangle, hole punch the tops of your triangles (two for the upside down one and one for the others), then string ribbon or twine through!
One thing that is noteworthy when it comes to getting your triangles to hang correctly... I had to put a small piece of tape against the ribbon at the back of the triangles hanging from their top point. Otherwise, it hung sideways rather than lay flat...
And of course, there is washi tape in this house but no plain Scotch tape to be found! :P
See what I mean by taking over?? :) Might have taken over my camera too...
And now all that great bright color is taking over my mantle- I love how this turned out! The triangles, pinwheels, bright and neutral colors together, coordinating subtle patterns- so so cute!
Don't miss grabbing some part of this great new American Crafts Dear Lizzy 5th and Frolic collection in JoAnn's stores now! You can view the whole collection HERE. Also keep up better with American Crafts goodness on Facebook or Twitter .
Wishing everyone a great week!
