Hi everyone! Debi Adams here and I am relishing the upcoming holidays. Though I am not fond of all the long lines and busi-ness of the season, I definitely like the sights, sounds and colors of Christmas. Whether you celebrate this time of year or not, there are always opportunities for gift-giving so today I thought I would share some ideas on how to creatively wrap your packages using stencils. You can work up some special, coordinating sheets of paper or just use the scraps of left over castaways and extras from your stash.
So I have to admit that I have not used my gelli plate as much as I should have so I pulled it out for this particular post and started playing. (Thank you Carolyn Dube for the suggestive/inspirational instagrams :) ). I put watercolors down before I started with the gel plate. It's my favorite medium, and definitely my comfort zone. I chose three colors to begin with and then added another one or two to give it some depth.
When I started adding stencils, I didn’t think about my choices a lot. Just picked what I was in the mood for. I tried to make my designs work for Christmas and all-occasion so you could see the possibilities. I misted my paper with some of Dyan's Dylusions because I love the bright colors they bring to my pallet.
The mark-making really helped it all come together. I used a white marker but also added a few touches of gold with a thin gold marker to make it a little fancy.
Once I got the pieces designed the way I wanted them, I began making embellishments for my packages. I cut out, punched and strung a variety of doo-dahs. This particular package was decorated with cut-out hearts attached to string and wrapped around the gift. We all have scraps of this and that and they are perfect for package decor. Great way to get rid of those odds and ends that were too nice to just toss!
I also decided it might be fun to make mock-flocked ribbon so I used gesso on regular acetate ribbon and let it dry. Making the tag personalized was super simple. Ann Butler's Flourish Alphabet Upper Case stencil used as a monogram made it easy. (Pattern for the tag was from the Simple Geo Circles Stencil.) I finished the letter and the edge of the circle using a gold pen.
Creating a “wrap” for a box meant I only had to a portion of my hand-designed sheets. It also solved the problem of some types of paper being too thick (depending on the substrate you use)
to fold and tape down. The box stays nice because no tape touches it. It simply slides off! The Circles Layer Me Stencil by Carolyn Dube worked perfectly for a strip of paper ribbon! And adding a tag doesn't have to be complicated. I used this Starlight Mini Stencil to add a festive look and then added a separate piece for the name. It took only a few seconds using the stencil, blending tool and ink.
Sometimes a quick box can be worked up with small pieces of patterned paper. Perfect example is this box. You can make it as big or as small as you want based on the size of the substrate. (See pattern at end of this post. Make sure to use red tape when securing the sides. It needs to be strong enough to stay closed.)
I LOVE Pam Carriker’s Knitting stencil but hadn’t used it yet (imagine!), so I decided to create my own wrapping paper using bulletin board paper, a blending tool and ink. I turned the stencil in a different direction after every usage, making sections of patterns instead of trying to connect them into one straight line.
I also stenciled it directly onto one of those pillow boxes. It was a great fit. And the small knitting needles? A skewer and a bead. :) Maybe Pam will be impressed? Oh I wish I could sit long enough to knit like she does!
Sometimes adding a few tags finishes it off.
I love decorating all my packages. I honestly think of the person as I am wrapping it and wishing them great things. I hope I have given you some ideas on how to broaden the usage of stencils. There are a myriad of ways to use them. This one definitely gives a personal touch to any gift-giving occasion.
Thanks for stopping in. Can't wait to see what you create!
Debi Adams
Website: www.debi-adams.com
Insta: debi_adams
Facebook: Debi Adams
_______________________________________
Learn to make 10 cards as easy as the above projects. Check out my "The Art of Cardmaking" video by StencilGirl Studio found here.
Stencils Used:
Pattern for Box
When sealing the last area closed, twist the top part in the opposite direction from the bottom part. The side seam should be located on the side of the box then.
