Scatter Sunshine! Gift Baskets and Seed Packets

This month for my visiting teaching  sisters I am going to give them dressed up seed packets in celebration of the month of May. For my VTing sisters I decided to get forget-me-not flowers. While at the store though I also decided to bring joy into the lives of more people around me and I picked up an addition 9 seed packets of various flowers. To dress them up I made a cover for the packets. I wanted them to look bright, cheery, and simple.

Dressed Up Seed Packets 

paper (12x12 sheets fit 2)
scissors and/ paper cutter
glue
ruler
corner rounder punch

The seed packets I used are 3.25" x 4.5". To create the basic shape start with rectangle 6" x 7.25". From each side (left and right) draw a line 2" in. From the top and bottom draw a line 3/4" from the edge.

 Cut the rectangles drawn in the corners. Fold the right and left sides in and glue up the middle.

Round the corners and glue the top or bottom. Slip the seed packet inside.

 I glued a cute "Happy May" piece on each packet and left the top unglued. Deliver!

Easy Jelly Bean Cones:

No cellophane bags needed!

Sandwich baggie
jelly beans
ribbon

Fill one corner of the baggie. Gather and twist the baggie.

Securely tie the ribbon and cut off the seal at the top. Round off any edges that poke up.

(see finished result in basket below)

Smile Gift Baskets

Don't we all know someone going through a hard time? Well I have two close friends/family members that have especially been on my mind lately. One of them has had her SECOND back surgery in 6 months and the other has always lived close to her parents and they had to move :( I put together a few things today to give them and here they are:

A magazine
Candy (gourmet jelly beans, caramels, all reds starbursts, turtles, mnms, blow pops)
A book
Seed packets :)
An exotic smelling candle
nail polish and files

Jaime wrote me an email last night filled with lovely compliments. How cute is she? Have you done something to help someone smile today?

Gift Bag Toppers

Here is an easy alternative to putting colorful tissue paper in the tops of gift bags. I saw this on a PBS craft series called the Spotted Canary when I was visiting Jordan over spring break. You can check out some other topper ideas on their website. Their directions are a little sparse, so I will show you how I made mine.
I really like this idea because it closes the bag and because you can make even a plain, inexpensive bag look fancy!

First, you will need a gift bag, printed paper and cardstock, paper scraps, glue and embellishments such as stickers, chipboard letters, flowers, jewels, etc. I used a craft knife and ruler, but you can also just use scissors.  (I used the computer to print BABY on my paper.)

Cut the printed paper to the same width as the bag.

Fold the paper in the size you want you topper to be. (Just eyeball it!) Cut off the excess. I used a decorative blade to cut mine. Since the printed paper wasn't very heavy, I backed it up with a coordinating cardstock. I let the cardstock form a border.

Lay the folded paper on the bag, with the fold at the handles. Mark the location of the handles on your topper.

 

Using your craft knife or scissors, cut an opening (about 1/8 to 1/4" from the fold) between your two marks.

You now should have a slit that will slide right over the bag handles.

Now is the fun part! Make your topper beautiful with your embellishments and scraps. I used my edge punch to create a lacy border. Then I glued down a flower and added pearls in the center.

Here's what it looked like:

I made a gift tag that coordinated and added that, too. It was a hit at the shower for Brooke!

I did think you could take this one step further and use the topper as a card. You could write a message on the inside of the topper for a great keepsake.