Hello everyone! I am so excited for today's post! :) I want to welcome all the readers coming over from See Kate Sew. Please stay a while and look around. :)
If you haven't ever been to Kate's blog go and check it out!!  She prints her own fabric, made the coolest clutch from a vintage book, and I am thrilled to be a part of her Ruffle Event! Check it out, for three whole weeks there will be guest posts, inspirations, and giveaways all about ruffles! :)

For my ruffle post I am showing you how to ruffle crepe paper streamers. I am using my ruffles to decorate origami boxes, but you can do anything you want with yours! The possibilities are endless!

 Lets start ruffling! :)

Materials :

• Crepe paper streamers
• sewing machine (or needle and thread)

1. The first thing you need to do is sew a straight stitch down the middle (or side depending on what kind of ruffle you want). If you want two layers sew through two streamers at the same time.
In making ruffles of any kind you Do NOT back stitch, the threads need to be loose and pull-able.
2. Next, tie a knot in the threads at one end.  This enables you to pull freely without the worry of pulling the thread completely out. (Something I did so many times it's not even funny, thus the creation of this step).

 3. Now pull one of the threads at the end that that has no knot. You can gather the ruffle loose or really full whatever you want! :)

4. Once you have the ruffle to the desired fullness, tie a knot at the other end (the end with no knot) and trim the excess threads. 

5. (optional)  If you want to you can sew on top of your ruffle after you have gathered it to keep it from sliding around on the thread. (I was impatient and ready to move on, so I opted out on this step for some of my ruffles).

You're done!

Now is the fun part where you get to figure out what to do with your ruffles! :)  I had been itching to make origami boxes again so I did. :) While at the thrift store a while back, I found a huge old ledger book full of ledger paper, I tried using it for origami and I am smitten!  It is just the right weight and looks so pretty all folded up! :) I used the ruffles to decorate the boxes and since ruffles are so textured you really don't need anything else on the package. 

  I was having so much fun so I did two color schemes; sherbet (above), and blues (below).

I was going crazy making ruffles so I sewed some to card-stock and made a matching card. I also made the envelope out of the ledger paper by tracing another envelope.

For this package I added a pretty blue ribbon on top of the white ruffle to give it an extra pop.  I also used ledger paper to make a simple ruffled card.

Thanks for stopping by! :)

 made by Delia Creates

 I have had a little hair braider for a while now, but only recently did I use it in crafting.  It is now one of my favorite craft tools! I have seen these come with four, three and two prongs. They are so easy to use. I found mine at the thrift store. I thought it would be fun to make a little tutorial for you.

 

-Materials-

 

1. Start by cutting the same length of yarn in each color.2. Tie all yarns into a knot at one end.
3. Use the safety pin to pin the knot to a heavy object. (I used my heavy purse that holds all my scrapbook paper).

4. Next attach the other end of each yarn to the braid maker. You do this by pushing up on the back of each prong to open the metal hook. Put the yarn in the hook, then let the hook spring back down to hold the yarn in place.

5. Now, pull the yarn taught and push up on the button toward the #1. Do this for a long time to make the rope be tight and really twisted when it is finished. 

 NOTE: For this part you want the yarns to spin individually, NOT TWIST TOGETHER. If the yarn is twisting together run your fingers along while you spin so they don't twist.

6. Keep the yarn taught, and now push the button down toward the #2.  Do this for as long as it takes to get the rope to look the way you want.  

Note: If the yarn is twisting too much at one end, gently pinch the rope while you spin and guide the tighter part up to the other end till it is evenly twisted.

7. Lastly, pinch the part of the rope that is closest to the braid machine, take the yarn out of the machine, and tie a knot.

TA DA! YOUR DONE!

Click the images to go my pin where it is already linked to the source.

 Isn't this adorable? I want to try and make something like this for my baby this summer.

  This is so romantic looking! I could maybe do something like this if there was a house with a shower and toilet close by.  A more realistic version would be to have this tent in our living-room.

Thanks for stopping by! :)