How To: Fancy Favors with Recycled Studio Bits

It's no secret I take great care in the presentation of packages I deliver from Contrary orders. What most folks don't realize is just how simple it can be to take fancy packaging to another level with studio supplies you may have overlooked. It's not only one way to help make the most of materials, but a solid means of owning your brand and wowing your customer every time.

I make most of my shipping supplies by hand using recycled menus from a french restaurant. It's so simple to find fancy paper all over the place that would have otherwise gone straight to the landfill, not to mention many places are happy to have the extras taken off their hands. Lately, I've been sewing up these decorative little paper garlands with the menu scraps I have on hand to use as favors included in select shipments.

Love them too? Here's how to make a set of your own:

Materials:

• Scissors
• Craft shape punch (optional)
• Paper or fabric scraps
• Thread
• Sewing Machine
• Typewriter or Pen (optional)
• Cellophane bag or wax paper (optional)
  

Step 1: Cut or punch desired shapes for your garland out of your scrap paper or fabric. Quantity of shapes is up to you in order to create desired garland length. Use additional scrap paper to create a label insert for the garland's final package. Below, I used a typewriter with the text: a little garland made just for you...

Step 2: Once desired shapes are cut, sew them one by one using a sewing machine. Make sure you have a little extra thread at the start for final garland to hang freely. Continue to hold down the pedal after shape has passed through the needle to create space between each shape. Once all shapes have been sewn, make sure again you allow extra thread at finish for slack on the garland.

Step 3: Finish your garland favor by bundling it flat in a cellophane bag or folded wax paper. Include your
label and voila!

I hope you'll enjoy getting creative with the free resources around your studio in order to add a little punch to your packages.

For those of you that love these little paper banners but don't want to make one, I'll send a free version to the mailboxes of the first three commenters on this post. Be sure to include your email address so I can contact you for shipping info.

Now Tweeting

So I broke down and finally set up a twitter account. You can find me here, but no promises I'll be able to update frequently! Whew, talk about the pressures of social networking. Twitter describes itself as "a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: "What are you doing?" After creating an account, people can choose to follow other people's Twitter posts, viewing posts online or via a mobile phone. Twitter is about quick glimpses into you or your brand, as you have 140 characters to type or include interesting links for your Twitter followers to read and respond to. Here's what Etsy has to say about Twitter and how you can use it to your advantage if you so wish!

One might think a website, a blog, and a facebook would be enough for a girl...yet here I find myself at the mercy of twitter. It's all the buzz you know...or should I say tweet?

Twitter, here goes...

Business cards in a pinch

I had an event I needed to attend this weekend where my fork bracelets were on display and was completely out of my favorite moo cards that I use for my business cards. Since moo is located in the UK, I just scooped up a few different papers I've had laying around including menus I had from a french brasserie I used to work at. Then I cranked up my trusty old typewriter, shaped scissors and sewing machine. Finally, I just sewed all the components together with a simple stitch. Couldn't be simpler.

Each one is unique and I have a special spot in my heart for the ones where I actually messed up the typing.

Sometimes happy accidents can turn out better than one imagines. I have admit I like the look of these much better than my moo cards, but they are pretty labor intensive. It took me about 45 minutes to whip up 20 of them so they aren't really a cost effective tool for me at this time. But hey, what a great result when I was in a bind!

Here we are at the event, twas a fun evening for all.