Lighthearted Paper Craft Projects - Handmade Cards and a Toilet Paper Rose

After last week's lengthy post about an amazing quilled orchestra, I'll give your eyes a rest by simply sharing a couple of quick projects (compared to an entire band!) that I made recently. No less enjoyable to create, I must say... I had a nice, relaxing time working on each one.

First up is the Collaged Tree Card that Emily Dawe included in her new book, Paper Christmas. If you enjoy cutting and pasting the old school way, I'm pretty sure you'll like making it too. I tweaked it a bit by adding a star... you could substitute a little bird instead, as it doesn't necessarily have to be a Christmas card. Here is the step-by-step tutorial and tree template that includes a star template on the same sheet.

I was happy to have a chance to dip into the pretty specialty papers that Mulberry Paper and More sent to me some time ago... they made for quite the dramatic card as they shine so brightly in person. 

A young couple I know welcomed a baby boy in July and I wanted to quill a card rather than buy one. If I had to choose my favorite type of card to make, it would be a new baby design because babies are a license to quill something cute! This little guy has a nearly three year old brother, so I made one I hoped he would enjoy... a chick with silly googly eyes, because what child doesn't laugh out loud at those? The pattern is from the Klutz book, Twirled Paper... I often turn to it when looking for ideas for children.

Lastly, this isn't something I made personally, but it's too good not to share. My husband and I visited friends who live at the Jersey shore last weekend. Imagine my surprise when I stepped into their powder room and saw this! Turns out you can make a toilet paper rose in just 21 seconds.... it isn't exactly the same as our friends' version, but it's definitely a nice one.

If you missed the All Things Paper newsletter that I sent out last week, you can read it at the link. Sign up for future editions... you'll receive it via email about once every three weeks.