Getting Creative with Christmas in July

I was looking through various websites the other day and noticed several that had sections for handmade paper projects so of course I had to go take a look.  As I went through them, I began to notice a familiar theme.  They were all projects where the handmade paper was just a sheet of flat paper.  None of them had any dimension to that special paper that was so lovingly created.  That lead me to do more searching and I found more and more places like this. 

Handmade paper is great for making cards from and using on scrapbook pages, but there's so much more that can be done with it.  My time on the internet was the inspiration for this Christmas in July project.  I used 3 sheets of paper that I had made previously to create this holiday table decoration.  It's perfect for those office party tables or the banquet tables at your favorite craft club meeting and it is really easy to make.

I started by creating the sheets of paper using one of the Papermill Kits following the basic instructions for making paper.  For the white sheet that I would be using for the snowflake, I added some of the Opal Sprinkles to give it a shiny affect.

 Once all of the paper was dry, I cut the blue sheet to measure 6 5/8" x 11" and scored it vertically at 2 5/8".  I turned the paper horizontally on my scoring board and scored it at 2 5/8", 5 1/4", 7 7/8" and 10 1/2".  I cut each of the score lines up to the 2 5/8" line that was first scored.  This created the flaps for the box.  For the 10 1/2" score line I cut and removed the bottom half to create a tab to adhere the box closed.  Next, I folded each of the score lines and then used a die and my die cut machine to create the windows.  Then, I folded and adhered the box together. 

I used the plain white sheet of paper I created to make the box lid.  I cut it to be a 4 1/4" square and scored each side at 3 1/2".  After that, I cut 2 of the score lines across from each other up to the next score line which created the tabs.  They had tape added to them and the lid was folded into place.

I used the paper that I had added the Sparkles to and one of my favorite snowflake dies to create 3 pieces for each snowflake.  I left one of each unscored and scored 2 of each of them in half.  I added glue to the centers and attached them to the unscored piece.  For the hanging one, I added a piece of twine in between the pieces and allowed it to dry and added a little glue to some of the points on the one that would become the topper and placed it on the lid. 

Now is the perfect time to start creating the holiday decorations you will need this season.  Remember that those gorgeous sheets of handmade paper can be used to make great three dimensional projects.  Handmade paper isn't going to lie down and take it anymore....make it stand up and enjoy it! 

Planning on starting your holiday projects soon?  Use the coupon code SAVE20 and save 20% off your entire order this month.  It's the perfect time to start your Christmas in July!

Join Me On My Blog to See More of My Work:
                       Peg's Crafting Corner