This Week: SPRING CHICKENS

Happy Spring! These gift tags are mounted on thin plywood for a nice substantial feel. You could use card stock if you're making a bunch. Or use the art as a label, and glue it straight on a box.

Get the artwork in the "artwork downloads" column to the right. Print it out on 4" x 6" photo paper and make sure the print size is 100%. You might need to save the file and print using a photo application.

And please, if you use my artwork, send me a picture of what you made, so I can pin it to my pinterest board.

FIG. 1 Supplies: I suggest you buy a coping saw and some fine blades. It is an inexpensive tool, and I'll be using it for future projects. 1/8" plywood a little bigger than the printout. Get it in the model making section of an art store, and make sure it is plywood, not balsa or veneer which will crack to easily. Drill, 100 grit sandpaper, tacky glue, glue brush, printout, scissors, bakers twine.

FIG. 2 Cut out the card, then trace around it on the plywood.

FIG. 3 Cut out the rectangle. Don't worry about rounding the corners.

FIG. 4 Round the corners with the sandpaper. And smooth out the edges.

FIG. 5 Glue the back of the card and brush it out evenly, starting at the center.

FIG. 6 Stick the card to the wood. Drill two holes in the top. If you want you can take the burr off the hole with a craft knife.

FIG. 7 Insert the thread, and tie the tag to your gift.

FIG. 8 Cut out the round seals. Put a dot of glue on the back of one. Stick it near the end of the twine, and sandwich another seal on top. Trim the ends of the twine to 1/2" and fringe.

This Week: JACKALOPE NEST

Here's a variation on an Easter basket, with three little Jackalope eggs. 

Get the artwork in the "artwork downloads" column to the right. Print it out on 4" x 6" photo paper and make sure the print size is 100%. You might need to save the file and print using a photo application.

And please, if you use my artwork, send me a picture of what you made, so I can pin it to my pinterest board.

Fig. 1 Supplies: Poster board about twice the size of the printout. I used gold. It should be thicker than  card stock but thinner than mat board. There is a lot of cutting this week. 2 pieces of non-stick baking parchment the size of the printout. You could also use an empty sticker sheet. Small chocolate Easter eggs, craft knife, double-stick tape, four paper clips, and pretty paper scraps for nesting material.

FIG. 2 Cover the back of the printout with double-stick tape. Stick the printout to the baking parchment.

FIG. 3 Cut around the images. MAKE SURE TO LEAVE LITTLE TABS CONNECTING THE ANTLERS. Remove the parchment backing and stick one jackalope and the antlers to the poster board. Cover the back of the poster board with double-stick tape and apply the second piece of poster board to the back. So, sandwiched together you have: Cut-out jackalope, tape, shiny-side up poster board, tape, shiny-side down poster board.

FIG. 4 Cut through all the layers leaving a 1/8" border around everything except the tabs below the antlers.

FIG. 5 Remove the backing from the remaining jackalope and position it on the back of the cut-out stack. Open up the 4 paperclips to make an l-shaped stand, and insert them in between the feet.

FIG. 6 Open the edge of the foil egg and tear a slit in it.

FIG. 7 Separate the layers of the antler, fold them open, and cover both sides with double-stick tape.

FIG. 8 re-wrap the foil around the egg.

FIG. 9 cut thin strips of paper to make a nice fluffy nest.

The finished jackalope family. If you want less cutting you can also buy antlers here and make a bunch of jackalope eggs.

This week: LUCKY COINS

When designing your pot of gold coins, think like a leprachaun and get a little silly. What to do with them? Hand them out for good luck, wear them as a brooch, play some poker, hang them from strings like an ornament, act like a stylist and make a nice arrangement with them, or just give them to some kids and they'll show you what to do.

Get the artwork in the "artwork downloads" column to the right. Print it out on 4" x 6" photo paper and make sure the print size is 100%. You might need to save the file and print using a photo application.

And please, if you use my artwork, send me a picture of what you made, so I can pin it to my pinterest board.

FIG. 1 Supplies: 3 poker chips for each coin. I've used the cheap ones here, but the pro. grade ones give a nice heavy weight to the coins. Two printouts if you want the same charm on the heads and tails of the coin. Tacky glue, scissors, and ruler. Continuing my obsession with crepe paper from Castle In The Air, I used gold, and light and dark green.

FIG. 2 Cut crepe paper into 1" x 4" strips with the grain running across the 1" side. Glue three poker chips in a stack. Then run a bead of glue around the edge and attach the crepe paper. Trim, allowing for a tiny overlap at the end.

FIG. 3 Glue and fold down the edges.

FIG. 4 Cut a 1/2" x 3" strip of a contrasting color crepe paper . Glue a ring on the face of the chip and stretch the outside edge of the paper as you press it down. If you get any glue on your fingers clean it off right away. It's not worth trying to do this with sticky fingers.

FIG. 4 Trim the overlap at the end and flatten it down.

FIG. 5 Cut out the charm and glue it in the middle.

Get fancy with combinations and try different color edges,or green grass trim. I suppose you could decorate some chocolate coins this way too. What else would a leprachaun want?

This Week: EASTER EGG TROPHIES

Here's a way to add some height to Easter baskets or centrpieces. I used metalic crepe paper from Castle In The Air, that fades from copper to silver.

Get the artwork in the "artwork downloads" column to the right. Print it out on 4" x 6" photo paper and make sure the print size is 100%. You might need to save the file and print using a photo application.

And please, if you use my artwork, send me a picture of what you made, so I can pin it to my pinterest board.

FIG. 1 Supplies: Wire cutters for cutting the coffee stirrers, scissors, tacky glue, craft knife, and ruler. Metallic or other thick crepe paper, strips of green crepe paper. Two printouts.

FIG. 2 Cut around the artwork and glue a coffee stirer to the back. Trim the stirrer flush with the bottom.

FIG. 3 Cut three rectangles of metalic crepe paper 5" wide with the grain running top to bottom. The stripe trophy will be 3 5/8" high, the dot trophy will be 2 5/8" high. The argyle trophy will be 3 1/4 high. Cut green crepe paper into 1/2" x 5" strips, with the grain running along the 5" length. Cut notches for grass. Glue grass on the bottom of the crepe paper. Let it dry. Roll into a tube and glue. Let it dry.

FIG. 4 Glue the trophies to the front and back of the tubes. Don't put glue on the tops of the handles. Let them dry. Stretch and twist each blade of grass to give it character.

FIG. 5 Squeeze and bend a curve in the artwork.

Starting to think about Spring! These napkin rings would be pretty for weddings, parties, or picnics. I used gorgeously thick double-sided crepe paper from Castle In The Air, but I also like the idea of using old book pages with regular crepe paper, or tissue.

Get the artwork in the "artwork downloads" column to the right. Print it out on 4" x 6" photo paper and make sure the print size is 100%. You might need to save the file and print using a photo application.

And please, if you use my artwork, send me a picture of what you made, so I can pin it to my pinterest board.

FIG. 1 Supplies: Six strips of card stock 1" x 6"long,six strips of crepe paper 2" x 8" long, six strips of crepe paper in 1 1/2" x 8" long, printout, 1/2" masking tape or washi tape, ruler, scissors, glue stick, and tacky glue.

FIG. 2 Cut around the artwork.

Fig. 3 Apply gluestick liberally to a piece of cardstock. Scrunch the wide crepe paper as you stick it down.

FIG. 4 Apply glue down the center and repeat with the narrow crepe paper. Stretch out the edges of the crepe paper to make ruffles

FIG. 5 Stick a piece of masking tape down the center, leaving 3/4" extending off one end.

FIG. 6 Close up the ring overlapping by 1/2 inch. Tape it down on the outside as well as the inside. If you used masking tape, you will probably have to use tacky glue to stick the photo paper to the tape. In the photo below it looks a little like the photo paper was stitched on. That's just part of the artwork, but wouldn't it be fun to stich all the layers together?