Pretty in Pink Butterfly Mobile

Close To My Heartbaby, bashful, Blossom, butterfly, Decor, girl, mobile, nursery, Papercrafting, Pixie, Pretty in Pink, Raspberry 8 Comments

We’re thinking PINK all month long at Close To My Heart with our Pretty in Pink special, featuring a select group of pink and gold items at 25% off as well as three exclusive product bundles at 30% off! These bundles include the Bashful—Color of the Year bundle (which you can also get FREE by signing up as a Consultant or hosting a qualifying party this month!) and two bundles with supplies to make this beautiful butterfly mobile:
We’ve taken the guesswork out of this project by putting together step-by-step instructions and even providing a Cricut Design Space™ project file for you to cut your butterflies and flowers. That means, all you have to do to replicate this gorgeous décor piece is assemble it!

For a full set of instructions to make this mobile, click here. Follow along with Monica in the video below to see how it all comes together!

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January 16, 2018Create, Learn

Workspace Wonder™ Organization

Close To My Heartcarousel, Crafting Space, crafts, DIY, ink pads, marker stack, markers, organisation, organise, organization, organize, paper, Papercrafting, stacks, stamp pads, storage, tools, tray, work space, Workspace Wonder™ 3 Comments

January is a great time to start fresh, clean things out, and work on new goals. As you’ve been thinking about New Year’s resolutions, did anything on your list include adding more organization into your life? Maybe your closet or your pantry need some love, but don’t forget about your crafting space, too! Clear the clutter and make your space work for you with Workspace Wonder™, our customizable organization storage solution.

Workspace Wonder™ Organization #ctmh #closetomyheart #workspacewonder #work #space #wonder #organization #organisation #system #storage #solution #stacking #declutter #papercrafting #paper #craft #crafting #diy #cardmaking #scrapbooking

The individual components of the Workspace Wonder line stack on top of each other in a variety of combinations, so you can mix and match the pieces to create a storage solution that’s perfectly tailored to your crafting style and space. And if your needs change, you can easily rearrange the pieces again to get the right fit for you. There are so many possibilities for stacking and storing—you’ll want to discover them all!

Workspace Wonder™ Organization #ctmh #closetomyheart #workspacewonder #work #space #wonder #organization #organisation #system #storage #solution #stacking #declutter #papertray #paper #tray #largetray #stamppad #stamp #pad #inkpad #marker #tool #cubby #stack #smalltray

(small tray, stamp pad stack, marker stack, tool cubby, large tray, paper tray)

Making sure everything has a place is so important. When things are put away and organized, it lets your mind relax, allowing your mental and physical space to be creative. Just having a room that is organized can help you be more creative while crafting (and who doesn’t want that!).

Tools, ribbon, ink pads, markers, and embellishments can all have the perfect home with the Workspace Wonder system. Do you have stacks of 12″ x 12″ cardstock that need to be put away? Stacked Workspace Wonder paper trays will help with exactly that. Top them off with a large tray and a marker stack or tool cubby for additional organization space.

Workspace Wonder™ Organization #ctmh #closetomyheart #workspacewonder #work #space #wonder #organization #organisation #system #storage #solution #stacking #declutter #carousel #ribbon #stack #paper #crafting #craft #papercrafting #diy #scrapbooking #cardmaking (medium tray, ribbon organizer, medium stack, paper tray)

Keeping your craft room organized can also be a huge time-saver, making your time more efficient. What happens when you can’t find that one ink pad or marker you need to finish a project? You spend time frantically searching your craft room, and sometimes even the rest of your house. Keeping supplies like ink pads organized with Workspace Wonder is easy! You can use stamp pad stacks on the carousel base and top. One swivel, and you have exactly what you need, no frustrating search required.

Workspace Wonder™ Organization #ctmh #closetomyheart #workspacewonder #work #space #wonder #organization #organisation #system #storage #solution #stacking #declutter #carousel #paper #crafting #papercrafting #craft #diy #scrapbooking #cardmaking

Workspace Wonder™ Organization #ctmh #closetomyheart #workspacewonder #work #space #wonder #organization #organisation #system #storage #solution #stacking #declutter #carousel #paper #craft #crafting #papercrafting #diy #cardmaking #scrapbooking (carousel base & top, stamp pad stack (8))

Staying organized can be a challenge, especially when it comes to scrapbooking, cardmaking, and papercrafting, but it helps you be more productive and more creative. Organized space saves time when working on projects and reduces stress. Embrace the joy of an organized crafting space this year by using Workspace Wonder to keep all of your creative supplies in the perfect place.

Let us know how you use Workspace Wonder to craft your workspace in the comments below!

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January 2, 2018Celebrate, Create

Love Letters Giveaway!

Close To My Heartcampaign, Foil, free, giveaway, january, letter, Love Letters, monogram, national papercrafting month, Papercrafting, Rose Gold 275 Comments

As we welcome a new year, we are also celebrating National Papercrafting Month! And, to help you celebrate with us, we created a beautiful letter kit for you to assemble, customize, and display using your own personal flair. What’s more, WE ARE GIVING AWAY THREE OF THESE LOVE LETTERS KITS in the next 72 hours!

All you have to do to enter into the drawing is subscribe to our blog, if you aren’t already, and leave a comment below letting us know how you would display your Love Letter(s). It’s that easy! Three lucky winners will be chosen by 11:00 a.m. (MST) Friday, January 5^th, and will be notified by email to choose their letter.

Now, let us tell you a little more about these Love Letters!
Each kit comes with one sturdy chipboard letter base, one paper and rose gold overlay piece, die-cut banners and floral embellishments, and rose gold foil alphabet stickers to create the word or name of your choice.

As you assemble these letters, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

1. The first thing is that you don’t have to use all of the pieces included in the letter kit. Depending on how you plan to use the letter, you might opt out of the banner or some of the flowers and succulents. The number of die-cuts you want to use will depend on the shape of your letter and the length of the word you’ve chosen. Remember, sometimes less is more.

2. If you are using the banner for a word or a name, add the alphabet stickers to the banner before attaching it to the letter. It’s also easier if you begin your word in the middle and work your way out. This way, you can make sure your word is centered and you have enough room for all of your letters prior to attaching any additional embellishments.

3. As you assemble the flowers, consider using your finger, a pencil, or any soft round edge to help shape some of the petals. (Not all of your flowers have to have curved petals). Also, when arranging them on your letter, do so before attaching them. Try arranging your flowers in triangles of color. If you’re not quite sure how to do that, look at the instructions insert including in your kit. There, you will find a completed example for each letter and the ampersand. (It’s okay to copy. We won’t tell!)

4. For those of you who want to take this project up a notch, there’s always some wiggle room. Look how we used a handful of additional products (not included in the kit) to quickly and easily embellish the flowers. The petals edges were given a pop of color with a sponge and some ink. We added sparkles and pearls to the flowers’ centers, and used the brand-new Bashful shimmer brush for a touch of extra shine on the green succulent petals.

These Love Letters are so versatile. Put them in frame, a wreath, or hang them on their own. Create words, names, or initials. They work in your living room, a bedroom, a nursery—really anywhere!

We hope you are as excited about National Papercrafting Month as we are. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a comment below telling us how you would use your Love Letter for a chance to win one letter of your choice FREE!!

For even MORE CHANCES TO WIN, visit us on Instagram and Facebook where we are giving even more of these away! (What?!) Make sure to follow us for details on how to enter these separate drawings!!

Can’t wait to hear from you!

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December 19, 2017Celebrate, Create

Kid Friendly Garland

Close To My Heartchildren, christmas, DIY, easy, garland, Holidays, kids, papercraft, Papercrafting, quick 3 Comments

We know what you’re thinking, with less than a week away from Christmas there’s no way we can convince you to start any more paper projects until well into January. But, we sure want to try! 😀

Children love making things with their hands. Creativity is an innate part of childhood. And, you love creating and making things, too—so why not share this passion and create something fun and festive together to add to your celebrations.

We came up with an idea to help you use up some of your paper stash while making valuable memories with the adorable little ones in your life.

A simple paper chain like this is a cinch to put together, making it the perfect project for this busiest of seasons. It’s also a great project for involving younger crafters, and keeping those tiny hands busy! Use whatever fun patterns and colors you or your co-crafters like, and display the finished product as a garland.

Make your garland any size and length you like, to fit your style and space. For ours, we made each link from 2″ x 9″ strips of paper. At first we used only an adhesive runner to keep the pieces together but as we started working with the thicker glitter papers, we realized that those pieces would need something extra if they were going to be links in our chain. So, we glued them first then added mini staples to make sure they stayed in place.

Mini staples, while securing the elements of your project, make for fun accents, too. We ended up adding extra staples to pieces that didn’t need them simply for the look.

The best part about crafting with children is not the project you are working on, but the moments you share with each other. That togetherness is especially wonderful during this time of year. Share your passion for creativity with the little hands in your life and turn that time into memories worth preserving.

Recipe:

Paper Chain Garland
X7224B Cats & Bats Paper Packet, X7225B Beary Christmas Paper Packet, X7226B Silver & Gold Paper Packet, Z3350 Whimsy Fundamental Paper Packet, Z3352 Enchantment Fundamental Paper Packet, Z3241 Red Glitter Paper, Z3238 Gold Glitter Paper, X5978 Glacier Cardstock, 1386 Black Cardstock, Z3372 Adhesive Runner, Z2027 Mini Stapler

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November 28, 2017Create

O Christmas Tree

Close To My Heartchristmas, ornaments, papercraft, Papercrafting 10 Comments

O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree, how lovely are your…paper ornament decorated branches!

That’s right! We went there—decorated a full sized Christmas tree with beautiful ornaments made of paper!

Every year, the South Towne Exposition Center in Sandy, Utah hosts The Festival of Trees, where hundreds of uniquely decorated trees, wreaths, and ginger bread houses are donated and put on display after having been sold during a closed auction. The best part is that every cent raised goes towards “A Gift of Love” to benefit children at Primary Children’s Hospital.

With some help from our Consultants, Close To My Heart decorated a tree with some pretty stunning handmade paper ornaments and donated it to this generous event.

We want to publicly thank all of those who participated in making this gorgeous tree a reality and encourage all of you out there to continue making beautiful, inspiring things!

And since we are now in full holiday crafting mode, we’ve also assembled a handful of mini 18″ trees festooned with papercrafted ornaments for even more inspiration! These trees are the perfect size to display anywhere in your home, at work, or even to give as a gift.

For starters, let any doubts that you may have about making your own paper ornaments disappear. These little ornaments in particular are especially easy to replicate. With a little help from Cricut^® shapes and ready-made complements, you can have one of these trees done in no time!

Round ornaments are a must-have classic. We cut several circles using our Cricut^®(some 1″, some 1¼”) to make the ones you see here. The 3-D circles are four of these circles (all of the same size) folded down the middle then glued to each other. Before gluing the last piece, completing the sphere, add a loop of twine or ribbon to later hang it from the tree. The hearts, snowflakes, reindeer, even the “MERRY CHRISTMAS” garland, are all Cricut^®shapes (see the recipe at the end of this post for details).

Above, we ink embossed some circles with a dainty heart and sewed a bunch of other circles together to create a colorful garland.

Here’s another take on using Cricut^®shapes to decorate your tree:

One of the great things about all of these Cricut^® shapes is that you can make them any size you want—even large enough to decorate a full sized tree if you’d like!

This next tree uses both Cricut^® shapes and die-cuts:

Sometimes you just have to think outside the box, or kit. Do you recognize these gold glitter bows? They came from our Cut Above^® Merry Everything Tag Kit. And the red glitter ornaments? We used some of the Thin Cuts from the Christmas Paper Doll bundle!

Our Complements also make for some great (and easy!) mini ornaments!

The topper, “Merry Christmas,” and red glitter poinsettia shapes all came from our Silver & Gold and Beary Christmas Complements. Easy peasy!

Once again, we thank everyone that participated in creating our beautiful tree that was donated to the Festival of Trees—we hope all of our local readers will be able to attend—and we wish you the merriest of crafting as you create your holiday magic!

RECIPES

3D Circles Mini Tree
X7225B Beary Christmas Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5975 Cranberry Cardstock, Z3237 White Glitter Paper, X7225C Beary Christmas Complements, Z3216 White Twine, Z3364 Basics Ribbon Pack, Z3389 Cricut^® You Are Here Collection, Z3285 Cricut^® Flower Market Collection, 18″ Tree

Cricut^® Shapes:
You Are Here
¾” Icon-5 <f> (p. 24, M27629F7)
¾” <font> “MERRYCHRISTMAS”

Flower Market
1″, 1¼” Flower-2 <7> (p. 7, MD38983)
1″ Shift + Title <Bracket> (p. 9, MD400B4)
1″ Shift + Icon <A> (p. 21, MD43349)
¾” Background <c> (p. 33, MD70813)

Circles Garland Mini Tree
D1748 My Acrylix^® Oh Snap! Stamp Set, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5941 Bashful Cardstock, X5966 Pansy Cardstock, X5967 Pacifica Cardstock, X5984 Pixie Cardstock, X5978 Glacier Cardstock, X5979 Juniper Cardstock, X5970 Willow Cardstock, X5960 Fern Cardstock, X5971 Lemon Cardstock, X5983 Sorbet Cardstock, X5963 Poppy Cardstock, X5965 Ruby Cardstock, Z3237 White Glitter Paper, Z4014 White & Gold Twine, Z2068 Range™ White Super Fine Embossing Powder, Z555 Craft Heater, Z3285 Cricut^® Flower Market Collection, Sewing Machine, 18″ Tree

Cricut^® Shapes:
Flower Market
¾” Flower-2 <7> (p. 7, #MD389A5)
1¼” Shift + Icon <M> (p. 37, #MD71842)
2″ Shift + Icon <M> (p. 37, #MD71842)

Deer Mini Tree
1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z3238 Gold Glitter Paper, Z3239 Silver Glitter Paper, Z3216 White Twine, Z3167 Cricut^®Artistry Collection, Z3285 Cricut^® Flower Market Collection

Cricut^® Shapes:
Artistry
1½”<Thksgvng> (p. 45, #M58A32F)

Flower Market
¾”, 2″ Shift + Background <A> (p. 21, MD43349)
2″ Flower-1 <g> (p. 25, MD43349)

Gold Glitter Bows Mini Tree
Z4053 Christmas Paper Doll Stamp + Thin Cuts, X5951 Espresso Cardstock, X5950 Toffee Cardstock, X5959 New England Ivy Cardstock, Z3241 Red Glitter Paper, Z3329 Thin Cuts—Basic Stars, Z4048 Cut Above Tag Kit—Merry Everything, Z3285 Cricut^® Flower Market Collection, Gold Thread, 18″ Tree

Cricut^® Shapes:
1¼”, 1½” Flower-1 <g> (p. 25, MD67851)
1¼” Flower-1 <Holly> (p. 48, MD7AA86)
1¼” Shift + Flower-1 <Holly> (p. 48, MD7AA86)
1¼” Flower-2 <Holly> (p. 48, MD7AA86)
¾”, 1″ Icon <Ponsetta> (p. 49, MD7AF93)
¾”, 1″ Shift + Icon <Ponsetta> (p. 49, MD7AF93)
1″, 1½” Shift + Container <Ponsetta> (p. 49, MD7AF75)

Merry Christmas Tree
X7225B Beary Christmas Paper Packet, X7226B Silver & Gold Paper Packet, X7225C Beary Christmas Complements, Z3216 White Twine, Z3169 Cricut^® Artbooking Collection

Cricut Shapes:
Artbooking
1″ Icon <o> (p. 56, M3D45C)
1″ Shift + Icon <O> (p. 56, M3D45C)

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November 16, 2017Celebrate, Create

5 Quick Ways to Dress Up Your Thanksgiving Table!

Close To My HeartDecor, grateful, inspiration, napkin band, napkin ring, paper pumpkin, Papercrafting, placesetting, pumpkin, table, thanksgiving, utensil band 1 Comment

When preparing for Thanksgiving, it seems that one of the most often overlooked aspects of the dinner is the actual place setting. You think of the food—how to prepare it, how to get it all to cook on time, how to keep it all warm. You think of the pies—if it’s the day of the big event and you don’t have a pie, then you’re already too late. Then there’s the guest list—do you admit you’re actually related to all of those crazy people and have them over to your house? ☺

Who has the time to think of a place setting? We do! And we want to share with you how quickly you can put together a few pieces using our Basics Fundamental paper collection that will leave your guests feeling like you’ve been planning this for weeks!

The very first thing that will go on your table (after a tablecloth, if that’s your thing) is a placemat.

Make a 12″ x 16″ placemat by sewing a 4½” x 12″ piece of coordinating paper to one of our 12″ x 12″ paper sheets. Use the extra ½” to overlap in the back for attaching.

Let your guests know where to sit with a personalized name place pumpkin!

This little gourd is easier to make than it looks. First, cut 12 kidney shaped pieces of the same size from the paper of your choice. We created our own template and cut each piece by hand, each measuring approximately 3″ x 4½” (there are also plenty of Cricut^® shapes that will fit the bill). Then, score each piece down the middle and start gluing them together, aligning the round edges and leaving the scored part exposed, creating a “book” of sorts.

Dressing a Table #ctmh #closetomyheart #holiday #thanksgiving #dinner #diy #paper #pumpkin #stacking

Dressing a Table #ctmh #closetomyheart #holiday #thanksgiving #dinner #diy #paper #pumpkin

(These two images are from a different project illustrating the same technique.)

Once all of your pieces are stacked and glued to each other, attach a small straw or dowel to the “binding” and wrap the pumpkin around it, gluing the top and bottom of your stack together, creating the pumpkin shape. Add some embellishments to the top, including your guest’s name, and you’re done!

Next, you will need a napkin band.

Wrap some Kraft paper around your napkin and utensils to see how big of a piece you will need for your setting. For ours, we used a 2″ x 9″ piece that overlapped about 2″ in the back for easy securing with glue dots. We added a zip strip around the middle before attaching a 2½” circle with a thoughtful stamped sentiment for the guest. (Earn some extra brownie points here by making each sentiment unique to the person reading it!). At this point you can either leave your band as is, for that “minimalist” look, or add some embellishments.

Complete your guest’s dining experience with a few final touches.

Dressing a Table #ctmh #closetomyheart #holiday #thanksgiving #dinner #diy #vellum #leaf

Dressing a Table #ctmh #closetomyheart #holiday #thanksgiving #dinner #diy #silverfoil #silver #foil #leaf #embossing

Dressing a Table #ctmh #closetomyheart #holiday #thanksgiving #dinner #diy #patternedpaper #paper #leaf

Using our trusty Cricut^® You Are Here Collection, we cut up a bunch of these 3½” leaves from silver foil, vellum, and patterned paper. Before cutting the foil, we embossed it with our leaves embossing folder to add some textured details. And to add a touch of color to our vellum leaves, we simple used a waterbrush with some watercolor paints. Before you’re ready to scatter these leaves, curl them slightly by wrapping them around your finger or another rounded edge.

Lastly, make a card!

Make a card for your guests and write a message inside thanking them for coming to your home. Or, use this card as an opportunity for everyone at the table to consider what they are grateful for and have them write it down inside.

There you have it! Five quick ways to dress up your Thanksgiving table!

The holidays can be stressful when trying to make everything look and taste just right. We hope you take a few of these ideas and make them your own, taking some of that stress away and allowing you to enjoy the reason for the season a little bit more.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Recipes

12″ x 16″ Placemat
X7223B Falling for You Paper Packet, Sewing Machine

Name Place Pumpkin
Z4041 Falling for You Cardmaking Stamp + Thin Cuts, X7223B Falling for You Paper Packet, X7223C Falling for You Complements, Z4029 Bronze Sequins, Z3363 Enchantment Ribbon Pack, Z1979 Marvy^® Uchida™ LePen™ Journaling Pen, Pumpkin Template, Straw

Napkin Band
B1570 My Acrylix^® Your Thoughts Here Stamp Set, X7223B Falling for You Paper Packet, Z1375 Kraft Paper, Z2831 Charcoal Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, X7223C Falling for You Complements, Z4029 Bronze Sequins, Z3363 Enchantment Ribbon Pack, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape

Leaves
X7223B Falling for You Paper Packet, Z3366 Silver Foil Paper, Z3367 Vellum Paper, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z3224 Waterbrush-Small Round, Z4031 Leaves Embossing Folder, Z3389 Cricut^® You Are Here Collection

Cricut^® Shape:
You Are Here
3½” Icon-4 <a> (p. 21, #M27629BD)

4¼” x 4¼” “Grateful Heart” Card
B1569 My Acrylix^® A Grateful Heart Stamp Set, X5946 Linen Cardstock, X5953 Charcoal Cardstock, Z2831 Charcoal Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4029 Bronze Sequins, 3505 Watercolor Pencils, Z3224 Waterbrush—Small Round, Z2468 ShinHan™ Touch Twin™ Warm Grey 7 Marker, Z2467 ShinHan™ Touch Twin™ Warm Grey 4, Z2459 ShinHan™ Touch Twin™ Pastel Green Marker, Z2452 ShinHan™ Touch Twin™ Golden Yellow Marker, Z2457 ShinHan™ Touch Twin™ Marigold Marker, Z2451 ShinHan™ Touch Twin™ Clay Marker, Z2455 ShinHan™ Touch Twin™ Light Orange Marker

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October 19, 2017Create

Large-scale Inspiration in Small Spaces

Close To My HeartCreate, cricut, Decor, design, home office, inspiration, Large-scale, Papercrafting 10 Comments

One of the perks of having Convention in Salt Lake City this year was the tour of our home office. Those who got to visit our place kept telling us how inspiring it must be to work in such a gorgeous and innovative environment. Well folks, the truth is, it is! If you tuned in to our Facebook Live yesterday, you got an up-close look at the space where Close To My Heart artists create all of the memory keeping and papercrafting artwork you love. It’s a craft room dream come true. We want to show you how to take some of the ideas we used to create this atmosphere back to your own crafting nook so you, too, can be inspired!

The first step in this process is to find what actually inspires you. Look for something great that someone else has made and make it your own. Once you’ve chosen something you like, take a moment to really consider it. What is it at its core? As you think about it, is there anything that clues you into how it was made?

Take a peak into the Close To My Heart foyer. One of the first things visitors see when they walk into our building is this impressive mobile. Created from hundreds of paper hearts in various sizes and shades of pink, this is a breathtaking paper creation.

Because most of us don’t have fifty-foot ceilings to fit such a large décor piece, use this mobile as a starting point. Simplify the project. You can make a small version of this mobile or a banner of hearts that fits any space, including above a desk. The idea is the same—create a decorative piece with different shades of paper hearts, but with smaller and fewer pieces.

Let’s take a look inside our art studio.

These two images show a small sampling of the papercrafting pieces and inspirational quotes our artists have designed to foster an atmosphere of creativity.

Here is that same quote found on the wall of our art studio. With a small frame and a handful of small paper flowers, you can showcase something that makes you feel creative while using little space.

You might not have a large space for working on your favorite projects, but you can use what’s around you to beautify your creative space in small ways. Large-scale sayings, banners, and other papercrating décor can be simplified to fit anywhere. You can see how all the parts and pieces came together to fill this desk space with elements of the papercrafting you saw in a much larger scale at the home office.

Have you used large-scale inspiration to put together a crafting space that stimulates your creativity? Tell us about it in the comments below.

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December 18, 2015Celebrate, Create

4 Last-Minute Christmas Gift Ideas

Close To My Heartbase & bling, christmas, display tray, easy, gifts, jewelry, keychain, kit, Papercrafting, quick, shadow box, spa 3 Comments

You’ve accomplished a lot in the past few weeks. You’ve cooked, cleaned, decorated, shopped, wrapped, and brought smiles to a lot of faces! With such a long “to-do” list, it’s no wonder that you still need a few more Christmas gifts for some loved ones.

Well, we’ve got you covered! These four gifts are adorable and easy to make at the last minute. Check them out!

1. Quick N’ Easy Shadow Box

Spice up your friend or family member’s wall with a beautiful shadow box! Creating a unique page to place inside can be as simple as choosing a Cricut® shape you like, and cutting it at a size that fills the entire page. Adding a mini banner inside also adds a fun touch.

2. Base & Bling Necklace or Key Chain

With Base & Bling, you can create personalized jewelry in a jiffy! We also recently showed how these can be put to great use as Christmas tree ornaments. But did you ever think of using the Base & Bling to create key chains? Personalize it with a family photo to make a fashionable accessory for important gals or guys in your life! You can even add cute charms like these to add some extra sweetness.

3. Mini Spa Kit

Everyone loves a little pampering, especially after the holidays. Decorate a My Creations™ pint-sized container, and then fill it with some spa essentials. For a special touch, add some White Pines confetti and this cute penguin tag!

4. Family Display Tray

Everyone loves home décor that celebrates family, so get a Designed Décor hinged display tray, and fill it with their family photos. Create your own decorative cards, or use our Picture My Life™ cards for an even quicker finished product. We especially love the personalized monogram here made with leftover embellishments. It’s beautiful!

Wanting to create some of these yourself? Go for it! With the recipes below, your creativity, and a little Christmas spirit, you’ll be giving the cutest gifts of the season!

Be sure to tell us which one is your favorite in the comments below!

Recipes

Life Is Sweet Shadow Box
B1484 My Acrylix^® Jennifer’s Hand, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5769 Thistle Cardstock, X5777 Fern Cardstock, X5770 Glacier Cardstock, X5775 Sapphire Cardstock, Z1829 Black & Grey Glitter Paper, Z2648 Sapphire Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, Z2016 Designed Décor Colonial White Shadow Box, Z3102 Fundamental Assortment Glacier, Z3039 Glacier Extra Thick Twine, Z1752 Sparkles Clear Assortment, Z1263 Bitty Sparkles, Z2068 Ranger™ White Super Fine Embossing Powder, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z555 Craft Heater, Z3167 Cricut^® Artistry Collection

Cricut^® Shapes:
Artistry
10″ Background <Mother> (cut 2, p. 39)

Base & Bling Keychain
Z3174 Base & Bling Lovely Blooms Style Sheet, Z3151 Base & Bling Square Pendant—Faux Silver, Z3153 Base & Bling Circle Pendant—Faux Silver, Z1967 Base & Bling Square Glass Covers, Z1966 Base & Bling Circle Glass Covers, Z3133 Base & Bling Bow Charm—Faux Silver, Z3143 Base & Bling Teal Bead Charm—Faux Silver, Z3161 Base & Bling Rhinestones—Faux Silver, Z679 Liquid Glass, Z1903 Base & Bling Adhesive Dots, Key Ring

Base & Bling Necklace
Z3173 Base & Bling Affirmations Style Sheet, Z3159 Base & Bling Chain—Faux Gold, Z3152 Base & Bling Square Pendant—Faux Gold, Z1967 Base & Bling Square Glass Covers, Z3109 Base & Bling Heart Charm—Faux Gold, Z3140 Base & Bling Black Bead Charm—Faux Gold, Z3162 Base & Bling Rhinestones—Faux Gold, Z679 Liquid Glass

Spa Pint-Sized Container
D1666 My Acrylix^® Believe In Christmas, C1627 My Acrylix^® Reindeer Bells, B1483 My Acrylix^® Season’s Greetings, X7200B White Pines Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2650 Fern Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2652 Poppy Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2123 Goldrush Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, 44751 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3137 My Creations™ Pint-Sized Container, X7200C White Pines Complements, Z3104 Fundamental Assortment—Black, Z3093 Fern Thick Twine, Z1809 Black Shimmer Trim, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z3188 Paintbrush Set

Family Display Tray
B1482 My Acrylix^® My Story, Z3180 Picture My Life™ Going Places Scrapbooking Program, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5762 Lagoon Cardstock, Z2195 Lagoon Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2649 Peacock Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2641 Glacier Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z1838 5″ x 7″ Hinged Display Tray, Z2013 Sequins Silver Assortment, Z3122 Enamel & Glitter Duos Blue Dots, Z1853 Aqua Dots, Z1752 Sparkles Clear Assortment, Z2010 White Enamel Stars, Z3089 Grey Enamel Gems, Z726 Sponge Daubers, Z1979 Marvy^® Uchida^® LePen™ Journaling Pen

All these products are available through one of our Independent Consultants. To find a Consultant near you, visit closetomyheart.com and click on “Find a Consultant” in the top right corner of the page.

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October 6, 2014Celebrate, Create

Annual Inspirations Witch Hats Tutorial

Close To My HeartClose To My Heart, Halloween Decoration, Papercrafting, Witches Hat 10 Comments

We all love home decor that screams creativity! Several of you have seen the adorable hats on page 38 of Annual Inspirations and have asked for instructions on how to recreate them. Below you’ll find step-by-step directions you can use with the Annual Inspirations recipes already provided to give your home a little more spook this season.

Happy crafting!

October 31 Hat

Cricut^® Shapes:
Artiste
Spike Flowers: 3½” and 4½” Shift+Accent 2 (p. 54)
Round Flowers: 3½” and 2¾” Accent 2 (cut several, p. 54)
Cupcake Liners: 2½” and 2″ Accent 4 (cut 4 of each, p. 77)
Circle: 11″ Card (p. 48)
Vines: 1″, 1½”, and 1¾” Shift+3D Object (cut several, p. 54)
Spiderweb: 4½” Accent 4 (p. 76)
Banners: 1¼” and 2″ Accent 2 (cut several, p. 35)

To find a list of the other materials required, please refer to the Annual Inspirations recipes.

1. Attach two sheets of 12″ x 12″ B&T paper on top of two sheets of 12″ x 12″ cardstock. This double-sheet thickness is needed for extra stability in the cone of the hat. 2. Using tape, attach the two sheets of layered 12″ x 12″ papers together to form a 24″ length. Ensure that edges are precisely aligned. 3. Starting from one corner, roll the paper into a cone, adjusting to form your desired shape. Use a strong adhesive to hold it in place. Hats will measure differently according to how tight you roll your cone. 4. Cut the 11″ circle to form the base of the hat. 5. Center the cone on the base and trace the bottom of cone onto circle shape. Trace another circle within the first, about a 1/2″ smaller than the original. 6. Trim out innermost center circle, then use scissors to cut ½” slits approximately 1″ apart around the entire outer circle to create tabs. Fold tabs upward. 7. Staple, or adhere with a strong adhesive, the tabs into the cone, starting from where you would like the front of your hat to be.

1. Cut out spiderweb cupcake liners and trim off the tabs. 2. Attach four of the 2 ½” spiderweb liners underneath the base of circle so that the edges of the webs extend beyond the rim of the hat. 3. Attach the 2″ spiderweb liners along the top of the hat’s brim against the inner edges, near the cone.

1. Select where you would like the front of your hat to be and adhere the 2″ banner to it. 2. Adhere 1 ¼” banners overlapping the larger banner around the bottom of the cone. 3. Cut several ½” strips of B&T paper, pleat them, and attach them end to end on the bottom of the cone. 4. Cut out flowers, spiderweb, and vines from the Cricut^® Artiste cartridge. 5. Use an embossing tool to mold the leaves of the branch shapes. Ink the edges with Slate ink using the sponge dauber. 6. Ink the edges of the flowers in Thistle and Sunset using the sponge dauber. Using your quilling tool, roll the flowers, adhere them closed, and add Sparkles to the center of each as desired. 7. Attach the spiderweb to the side of the cone and layer the floral arrangement on top of it. 8. Back the “Spooky” metal shape from your Scaredy Cat Complements with Thistle cardstock and add it to the floral arrangement.
1. Cut a 2″ x 12″ strip of Thistle cardstock. Cut a 1″ notch every ¼”. 2. Using your quilling tool, roll the strip until the solid edge is small enough to fit into the hole at the top of the cone. Adhere it so it cannot unroll. Make sure the roll is small enough to fit into the top of the cone. If needed, trim the tip of the hat to allow more space for the topper. 3. Fit the curled hat topper into the hole at the top of the hat and secure with adhesive. 4. Using your quilling tool, roll the ¼” strips downward into tight curls. 5. Cut the ribbon into 3″ pieces, loop them, and adhere them individually to the top of the hat, arranging them in layers. 6. Add stars from the Scaredy Cat Assortment.

Embellishment
Embellish your hat with the Scaredy Cat Assortment, sequins from the Mini-Medley Accents black collection, Slate diagonal striped ribbon, or other accents of your choice.
Variations
You can create a variety of decorative hats using the cone and base shapes shown above. Check out these clever variations:

Spiderweb-Topped Hat

Cricut^® Shapes:
Artiste
Circle: 7½” Card (p. 48)
Sunburst: 9″ Accent 3 (p. 35)
Yo-Yo: 1¼” Shift+Card (p. 55)
Decorative Circle: 2″ and 3 ¼” Accent 4 (p. 35)
Spike Flowers: 1¾” and 2″ Shift+Accent 2 (p. 54)

Artbooking
Corner Spiderwebs: 3½” RDS Shift+Overlay (cut 2, p. 70)

To find a list of the other materials required, please refer to the Annual Inspirations recipes.

1. This hat’s base is made from a sunburst shape from the Cricut^® Artiste cartridge. 2. The spiderweb topper is made from two webs cut from the Cricut^® Artbooking cartridge. Adhere their edges together and trim hat as necessary. 3. The spider image is from the Scaredy Cat Complements. 4. The focal point of this hat is made from a stamped image from the Halloween Greetings stamp set. 5. The pleated strip of B&T at the base of the cone was stitched before being adhered to the cone.

Batty Hat

Cricut^® Shapes:
Artiste
Yo-Yo: 1½” Shift+Card (p. 50)
Decorative Circle: 4″ Accent 4 (p. 35)
Circle: 9½” Card (p. 48)
Cupcake Liners: 2″ Accent 4 (cut 4, p. 77)
Spike Flowers: 1¾” and 3″ Shift+Accent 2 (p. 54)
Round Flowers: 3¼” and 3½” Accent 2 (p. 54)

To find a list of the other materials required, please refer to the Annual Inspirations recipes.

1. The streamers dangling from this hat are made from a variety of Scaredy Cat B&T papers that have been folded accordion-style and attached at the top. 2. This hat’s focal point is an image cut from a sheet of Scaredy Cat B&T. The bat images are Scaredy Cat Complements. 3. There you have it. I hope you enjoy your haunting home decor additions!

We would love to see how your hats turn out! Feel free to share a photo in the comments or on the Close To My Heart Facebook page.

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Make It from Your Heart

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Annual Inspirations Witch Hats Tutorial

October 31 Hat

Spiderweb-Topped Hat

Batty Hat

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October 31 Hat

Spiderweb-Topped Hat

Batty Hat

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