Make your own gift tags using left over wrapping paper

As I said in my previous post, gift tags are expensive! Well here is my very quick tutorial on how to make your own using left over bits of your very own wrapping paper.

Materials:
Scraps of wrapping paper
Card (plain white is best but feel free to use a cereal box etc)
Glue - spray mount glue works best, but PVA/Modge Podge will suffice
Scissors
Hole Punch
String/ribbon/yarn etc

Take your piece of card and put your left over wrapping paper over the top. If you are using one piece of paper to cover the whole piece of card then perfect, if not then just lay the scraps down onto the card as neatly as possible to cover as much of the card as possible. For information I have used some of the free papers from one of the Christmas issues of Mollie Makes. They make perfect paper for this little project.

Glue the paper to the card using glue.

Once it has dried using your scissors cut out some nice tag shaped labels out of the card. You can think about using the pattern on the paper to make shapes if you fancy.

Using the hole punch make a hole in one end of the tag and thread through your ribbon.

Ta Da! Gift tags without the extra price tag!

Enjoy, and never feel like you need to be ripped off to have matching gift tags ever again!

Completed Norman

I actually knitted a whole jumper!

That might not sound too amazing to a lot of you, but I have actually never started and finished a jumper knitting project yet (and there are a lot on the half done pile!) so I am feeling very proud of myself right now.

Not too proud though, I started this jumper 9 months before my nephews 2nd birthday as part of his birthday gift. He is now 2 years and 11 months and I completed it this week! Oops! Safe to say its not going to fit him now, but at least I know I will have a little boy who will grow into it. I will just need to find a new knitting project for my nephew.

The pattern is from 'Just Baby' by Rowan and is called Norton, I'm not 100% sure I didn't pick this pattern because the child is so cute! I loved the colours though so knitted it in the exact same wool as the pattern. Its very boyish but still not dull and too babyish.

The pattern was really easy to follow and not actually too arduous to knit, I just put it down and didn't pick it back up again. I have got half a mind to knit it in a smaller size and some different colours now, but I think I should give some other baby patterns a go. I do like a baby knit though, they come together really quickly and I really think I have picked up a bit of the knitting bug now.

I really like the button panel on the front of this jumper. It was probably the most awkward part to knit up but it gives a nice little detail to the front and will make taking it on and off the little man really easy. 

Keep your eyes peeled for what will come next....

Do you have any really good baby knitting patterns you like to know? I would love to hear your recommendations.

DIY Bow Ring

I have seen these little things popping up all over the internet of late. I am going to give you a quick tutorial on how to knit your very own version for some instant DIY gratification.

Firstly, Happy Easter (4 days off work WooHa!) I hope you have some exciting plans and can enjoy as much chocolate as you can forcibly cram in. Now that we have the pleasantries out the way lets get on with how to make this utterly cute little accessory.

If any of you have looked at my pinterest you might have noticed I have a bit of an obsession with bows at the moment. I first saw these knitted numbers when one of project craft made some smaller than this to attach to some knitting, but I have since seen lots of these all over the internet, not surprising really given that you need only the very basic of knitting know-how to make it up.

You will need: 

• A scrap of wool, preferably DK but anything will be fine as long as its not too thick

• Small knitting needles. I used 2.75mm for mine. You could use anything up to 3.5mm but you will need to be wary this will make the bow bigger than mine was

• Ring Blank

• Glue Gun 

This bow is knit in garter stitch (where each row is a knit stitch). If you are not sure of knitting, or its bin a while, there are lots of tutorials, books, you tube videos etc out there to help you out. I personally love you tube for a knitting conundrum but there are also some basic techniques here on Martha Stewart 

Instructions:

To start off cast on 20 stitches.
Row 1: Knit 20
Row 2: Knit 20
Repeat until you have done 12 rows of knit stitch
Cast off.

Next you need to join the bow together. Fold both ends in towards the centre and using a needle sew the two ends together to form a circle. To make the bow shape hold the front and back flat together with the join seam in the centre back. Using your loose ends wrap the wool around and around the centre to hide the join until you have a bow shape and are happy with the amount of wool in the centre. Cut off your loose end making sure that the end is to the back of the bow.

Finally, using your glue gun, put a tiny blob of glue under the loose end to tack it down. Then put a nice big blob on the top side of the ring black and stick that bad boy on there squashing it down so its nice and secure.

Viola.. you now have the cutest little accessory ever! Top Tip: make sure to take it off before you go to use the ladies, you don't want it getting all soggy when you wash your hands!

I am so going to be making many many many of these...*runs off to ebay to buy more ring blanks. Enjoy your weekend everybody xx