Birdy Easter Basket

Easter is, hands down, the best candy holiday.

But, if you have any chance of collecting jelly beans, Cadbury Creme Eggs or chocolate bunnies, you have to have a basket. Sure, you could buy one in the store … or you could use some of your crafting supplies to embellish a basket into a one-of-a-kind creation worthy of serving as a centerpiece on your dining room table.

I have had this particular basket for years. I think it once served as an Easter basket. When I got married, we added a little ribbon and used it to hold our tiny bottles of bubbles to hand out to guests. And, for the past several years, it has held things in my craft room. Since it holds so many memories, I thought it was time to make it a more prominent feature in the house.

Armed with a few die-cutting machines, papers from American Crafts (Peachy Keen), Craft Glue Dots®, Mini Glue Dots® and Micro Glue Dots® and a bag of paper scraps, I set to work. (Click on the photos to see a larger version). Here are the dies/companies I used: Fence, banner — Cheery Lynn Designs; large eggs — Papertrey Ink; nest and small eggs, sign, letters — QuicKutz; Easter Bunny — Cottage Cutz; house, cracked egg and birds — Cricut. I inked many of the cut outs with Distress Ink to add dimension.

I started by adhering ribbon to the outside of the basket. I used Craft Glue Dots® since they have such an amazing hold. I then tied a bit of leftover ribbon to the handles.

Next I adhered the letters to the banner and then added Liquid Pearls by Ranger. Once dry, I attached it to the basket.

I assembled the houses, adding brads for door knobs and making a chimney, and then used Craft Glue Dots® to attach it to the back of the basket and the fences to the rest of the basket. I tucked a few giant Easter eggs around the outside of the fence.

Then, I filled the basket with crumbled newspaper and then added Easter grass. I assembled the birds and then bent the bottoms so they would “sit” in the basket. They are only adhered on one side, but seem to stay in place.

Finally, I added the rest of the die cuts to finish the scene and then placed a few Easter eggs in the basket to finish it off.

I’m not sure if it was more fun to look at this one or make it!

This post was made while serving on the Glue Dots® design team.

It’s Christmas Time!

Christmas is my favorite time of the year.

I love the music, the ornaments, the lights, the food, and, of course, Santa. I can’t wait to put up my decorations each year and I hate to pack them back away.

So, when Glue Dots® asked me to create a bit of holiday decor, I jumped at the chance. I grabbed a gorgeous collection of paper from Graphic 45, dies by Cheery Lynn Designs, brand new Baubles by Tim Holtz Idea-ology and created this banner …

I had to hang it in order to photograph it and I am not taking it back down, so I can say this is the earliest I have ever had up holiday decorations!

It was really very simple to make …

SUPPLIES:

French Flair Stacker Nesting Dies by Cheery Lynn Designs

Christmas Past Deluxe Edition papers and tags by Graphic 45

Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Tea Dye

Crop-a-Dile and eyelets by We R Memory Keepers

Eyelets by Eyelet Outlet

Vintage Floral Parcel Dimensional Border Stickers by Jolee’s

Baubles and jump rings by Tim Holtz Idea-ology

Beads by Melissa Frances and Maya Road

Craft Glue Dots® (the Dot N Go dispenser is the easiest to work with) to adhere the papers together

Pop Up Glue Dots®

Decorative Edge (Stamp) Scissors by Fiskars

Gems by Hero Arts

Detail scissors

Ribbon and gold star (from my stash)

First, I cut out the papers using the die and inked the edges with Distress Ink.

Then, turning each one slightly, so they resemble ornaments, I put in eyelets at the bottom and each side.

Then, you are ready to decorate … each one is different, so I am putting up close-up photos of each section, so you can see what I did.

I am putting up close-up photos of each section of the banner, so you can see what I did. The camera tends to flatten the images, but I am sure you get the idea.

For the first one, I cut out Santa from the paper and adhered with Pop Up Glue Dots®.

For the next one, I layered a smaller sheet of paper, along with a tag and images I cut out of other papers. I used Pop Up Glue Dots to adhere the stamp and tag to provide added dimension. For the others, I used Craft Dots. I added ribbon and a bead to the tag for extra fun.

For the third, I layered several sheets of paper cut with the dies and then used Pop Up Glue Dots to adhere the angel, which I cut out from the paper. I added a flower, cut from the Jolee’s border to the side.

 

For the first one in this group, I used two of the Stacker dies, held together with a Removable Glue Dot in order to run them through my die cutting machine, to make a frame.  I then added another one inside. I cut out the angels from paper and used Pop Up Glue Dots to make them stand out. Finally, I added a gold star from another pack of Jolee’s stickers that I had lying around. (You could use another of the flowers from the Jolee’s border sticker, instead.)

For the next one, I cut out the design from paper and used Pop Up Glue Dots to adhere. I then added a flower and some of the border from the Jolee’s sticker.

The final one in this group is my favorite … I layered several frames to provide dimension and then placed in a design I cut from the paper. I cut out another piece of paper with decorative scissors and inked the edges. Then, to attach it, I used a combination of Pop Up Glue Dots and Mini Glue Dots. This allowed me to bend the paper and twist the paper … I think it provides movement, making it look like a flag blowing in the breeze.

The Stackers dies that I used to make the banner can also be embossed. The first one in this group shows the embossing detail the best. For this one, I layered a few die cut images. The tag, taken from the die cut sheet, is adhered with Pop Up Glue Dots and accented with gems. I then ran the floral border (another part of the Jolee’s sticker) across the banner, trimming the ends to fit perfectly.

The next one features a collage of angels cut from the Graphic 45 paper and adhered with Pop Up Glue Dots onto a layered die cut. For additional movement, you could mix up your Glue Dots, like I did in the last group.

Finally, the last one is a few layers cut with the Stackers dies, accented with a few “stamps” I cut out of the paper with decorative edge scissors. Again, I used the Pop Up Glue Dots on some of the images. Then, I topped it off with one of the flowers from the Jolee’s border.

Once they are all decorated, tie them together with ribbon. For the two ends, I tied on long strips of ribbon in a loop for hanging.

Then, add the Baubles, beads and other danglies to the bottoms with jump rings.

Oh, one more tip … I hate the white edge you end up with when you cut images from paper, so I used Distress Ink to cover it up. It gives your project a finished, professional look.

I hope this inspires you to create an incredible banner, too!