Crafting Christmas Joy

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It's July, the sun is blazing, and beaches are beckoning. But here I am, surrounded by Christmas cheer?  While cleaning out my overflowing craft supplies, I stumbled upon a treasure trove – a box brimming with leftover Christmas paper scraps and a collection of vintage ephemera I'd been saving "for a special project." Inspiration struck, and I decided to bring a little Christmas cheer to this scorching summer day!

Today, I'm excited to show you how to bring Christmas joy into your crafting (even in July) with this quick and fun project: collage tags!

Feeling the need for a creative escape? Collage is my go-to! It's like therapy with glue and scissors - just cut, tear, paste, and let your creativity run wild. I've had a box of manilla tags on my shelf collecting dust and they were the perfect canvas for this project. Large tags always come in handy, adding a personalized touch to gifts or using as a journal embellishment. You can find some HERE.

In the craft supply world, no scrap is too small! I keep a bin of vintage ephemera scraps specifically for collage projects. These pieces include a mix of recipes sheet music, ledgers, paper, and pages salvaged from damaged books. The variety of fonts, patterns, and textures creates a beautifully eclectic base for any collage.

There's nothing better than a good estate sale, and discovering a bag of sticker stamps from 1936 hidden in a box of stationery felt like Christmas morning! When it comes to vintage ephemera, my first instinct is often to preserve them. However, recently I've embraced the idea of enjoying these treasures or giving them new life, rather than just tucking them away in boxes. They made perfect embellishments on these tags.

Simply collage and keep adding layers until you feel satisfied with the result. For most of my projects, I gravitate to Scotch Create glue sticks the most. These are larger than normal glue sticks and they last longer. You can find them HERE. I kept these tags simple with paper, vintage stamps, and stickers. However, let your creativity soar! Adding fabric, wax seals, dyes, and stitching can elevate these tags to a whole new level, bringing depth and texture to your projects. Let your imagination guide you and see how unique each tag can become with just a few extra touches.

So, there you have it! With a little creativity and upcycling magic, you can craft Christmas joy any time of year. Now, when the holiday season arrives, you'll have a collection of charming, handmade tags ready to adorn gifts or use in decor and journaling projects.

Happy Crafting,

Aunt Henri