Free Ideas: It's a good thing!

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Reported by: Lexi Daly

Christmas is a time for crafters to really shine, the perfect opportunity to showcase hip new projects and to use all that stuff we hoard--I mean, collect. As I was walking around Michael's looking for a fun Christmas kit or product to review, the Martha Stewart Crafts idea cards caught my attention and got me thinking. Did I really need to buy something new when I have a studio full of stuff? Could I follow the directions on these free cards and use up some of my stash? So I grabbed a handful and off I went!

First, let me describe the "cards." They are brochure weight, about the size of a half sheet of paper, with beautiful photos on the front and instructions on the back. They also have holes punched on them, probably to fit a binder sold with the collection, but I did not explore that. If I keep collecting them, I may have to! New ones show up with each seasonal restock and they include a shopping list of exactly what you need to complete the project, all of which can be found right there next to them on the Martha Stewart Crafts aisle. The list is great for those of you just starting out or if you want the project to look exactly like the photos. But, as I mentioned before, my goal was to see if I could create these projects with product I already owned. I should mention here that the first aisle I shop at Michael's these days is the Martha aisle, so I own quite a few Martha products, which you will see in some of my projects! But I made sure to use a variety, too. I think I was pretty successful in meeting my goal, but I'll let you be the judge...

photo frame ornaments

I did not have the metallic framed labels these ornaments were based on, so I used punches to create my own. I can't wait to make more to fill a tinsel tree we put up every year. These would also be great for photo gift tags or embellishments on a bottle of wine that can be placed on the tree after the wine is opened.

ribbon bookmarks

These were so much fun and the easiest of all the projects. I did have all of the Martha supplies for this project-- MS ribbon and the starburst circle punch, but really, any ribbon and punch is perfect, as you can also see. Most of these ribbons and all of the little pieces were scraps left on my desk. Talk about big bang for *no* buck! These will definitely be added to any books I give this year. Of course, the orange and green one with the "L" is a gift for me--and I can't wait to use it!

weaving ribbon

I loved the photo on this idea card. Again, this is all about ribbon, which I have a lot of! And my finished gift is beautiful and unique. I'm glad to have seen the idea and played with it, but it wouldn't work with the high number of gifts I wrap. Even so, it will show up on a few special gifts here and there!

paper poinsettias

I do not own the leaf stamp used to create these pretty poinsettias, so I went on a short search for a different leaf stamp. I probably have a better one buried somewhere in my stamp shelves, but my Kitchen Sink Stamps caught my eye, so I thought I'd try a modern poinsettia using a couple of "pretty petals." It's not as perfect a poinsettia as the ones in the picture, but it still makes a pretty embellishment!

sewn candy dishes

This card includes a template that you can photocopy and enlarge, but in the spirit of my article, I opted to attempt the directions with a square scallop punch. After looking at the diagram and photos, it seemed that this would work and that the scallops would make the hole placement and sewing easy. And it did. I think the actual template creates a cuter box, but this worked too. And if you have nestabilities dies, you could create slightly bigger sizes.

So, what do you think? I, for one, am thrilled. The directions were easy to follow and my projects look very similar to the pictures. And I didn't buy anything extra to create them! Next time you're in Michael's pick up a few of Martha's idea cards and use up of some of your own collection of supplies. Do it soon and you could end up with some pretty cool gifts to give for Christmas. It's a good thing. And it's free!