Even though I didn’t really plan anything awesome for the 4th of July, I pulled out a pack of glow sticks while we watched fireworks and it made me instantly popular with the kiddos.

It’s a good idea to always have a secret stash of glow sticks.

I’m breaking away from my baby and kiddo tutorials this week so you can get prepared for Mother’s Day. I don’t live close enough to my mom to celebrate Mother’s Day in person (sniff sniff) so I try to send something meaningful in the mail. This year, I designed a little flag book with pockets [...]]]>

I’m breaking away from my baby and kiddo tutorials this week so you can get prepared for Mother’s Day. I don’t live close enough to my mom to celebrate Mother’s Day in person (sniff sniff) so I try to send something meaningful in the mail. This year, I designed a little flag book with pockets that are just the right size for little notes, gift cards, photos, or anything else foldable. So you should have plenty of time to make it this week and ship it off to your mom – where ever she may be!

I’ve included a TON of photos to help make this as simple as possible. There is no sewing involved. And all the gluing can be substituted with tape if you want to skip dry times.

Leave a comment or email me if you have questions.

Here we go.

HOW TO MAKE A SMALL POCKET FLAG BOOK

SUPPLIES

+ 3 sheets of 9″ by 12″ paper (I used a double sided Amy Butler print)
+ 1 piece of paper for your covers that is at least 4″ by 9″ (I used a thick, rough handmade paper)
+ 1 piece of paper for the accordion that is at least 6″ by 14″ (I used a text weight paper, ie computer paper)
+ bone folder (optional)
+ glue and paintbrush
+ double sided tape

STEP 1: Make the pockets.

1. Start with one sheet of the 9″ by 12″ paper.

2. Fold in half (hamburger style) and crease with the bone folder. Unfold.

3. Choose which side of the paper you want to be the inside of the pockets. Lay this side face up. Take the bottom left corner and line it up with the center crease, making a triangle.

4. Take the top left corner and line it up with the center crease, making a triangle.

5. Fold paper in half (hot dog style). Unfold.

6. Fold the triangle half along the first center fold you made.

7. Fold in half along the crease you made in step 5.

8. Trim off the extra paper with an xacto knife or scissors. This is your pocket! It should be about 4″ square.

9. Make 2 more pockets following the same steps. (side note: you can make as many pockets as your little heart desires. The next steps of the tutorial would need to be adjusted for how ever many pockets you decide to make… email me if this is confusing and you need more pockets)

PART 2: Make the book block.

1. Start with your paper that is at least 6″ tall.

2. Measure 3/4″ from the edge and mark with the bone folder (I used my trusty 3/4″ guide made from binders’ board, but you can use a ruler and pencil for this). Crease. Continue folding accordion style the entire length of your paper. For 3 pockets, you need 14 sections (as shown here).

3. Spread glue (I used a paintbrush) in the second “valley” from the left.

4. Place one pocket in the glue with the edge lined up in the bottom of the valley (along the crease).

5. Now fold over the other side of the valley (already has glue on it) and press firmly. Now your first pocket is secure.

6. Skip one valley and put glue in the next one (can you see where the glue is?). Spread it around with a paintbrush.

7. Put in the second pocket the same way you did the first. This time, pay careful attention to the positioning – make sure you line up the top and bottom of the pocket with the first pocket. Fold over the other half of the valley (already has glue on it), just like you did with the first pocket.

8. Skip a valley and put glue in the next one (sound familiar?).

9. Put in the third pocket. Again, make sure it lines up perfectly with the other two pockets. Fold over the valley (already has glue on it) and press firmly.

10. Now, your book block should look like this. See how each pocket is glued into every other valley of the accordion fold? You will use the extra valleys on either side to secure the book block in the cover. That was the hardest part! You did it! Stick it under something heavy overnight (ie under a stack of books, a mattress, etc)

PART 3: Fitting the book block into the cover.

Here is what your book block looks like after you’ve pressed it overnight.

1. Trim off the top and bottom of the extra accordion folds so it’s flush with your pockets.

2. Lay the book block on your cover paper and use a ruler to mark the edge. (side note: I’m lazy when it comes to measuring. You could actually measure this out if you wanted. I prefer to use my book block and eyeball it.)

3. Tear or cut the paper.

4. Put double sided tape on the backside of the book block. NOT on the pocket. ONLY on the accordion (mine is white).

5. Carefully line up the book block on the right hand side of your cover paper. Press firmly so the tape sticks. The first pocket of the book block should be face up at this point.

6. Use your bone folder to mark the spine of the book block.

7. Lift up the book block and back cover so the spine rests on your desk. Mark along the book block edge again with your bone folder.

8. Fold the book all the way over so the back cover is now facing up.

9. Open the book back up. Put tape on the front accordion paper (again, mine is white). Fold back over the same way you did before and press firmly making sure the tape sticks to the cover.

This is what the cover and book block should look like. See how the tabs from the accordion folded paper are now attached to the cover paper? The pocket pages will turn easily.

10. Now it’s time to mark and trim your front cover. Lay the book block down and mark along the edge with your bone folder (or pencil).

11. Tear or cut the excess paper from the cover.

You did it! You made a book!

Part 4: Personalize and Package.

So what will you fill your pockets with? I had a few ideas:

+ old photos of the family (moms love those)
+ gift cards are just the right size
+ left over paint chips are great for writing notes on

There are so many options here so get creative and do something that will make your own mom smile.

I added a fabric flower (from this tutorial) and some twine to tie it all up. Pretty cute, I think!

Enjoy! Let me know how it goes!

I used this table setting at our Easter Brunch but it would work with any spring or garden party. The nest is made out of marshmallow and All Bran cereal.

A few weeks back, our friend invited me and the boys to make these darling chicken cupcakes. [...]]]> This might be a little late, but I’m sharing anyway.

I used this table setting at our Easter Brunch but it would work with any spring or garden party. The nest is made out of marshmallow and All Bran cereal.

A few weeks back, our friend invited me and the boys to make these darling chicken cupcakes. They were so much fun to make and the kiddos loved it (especially eating the Jelly Bellys off their birds). Great idea for kids or adults.

AND… here’s a sneak peek at tomorrow’s tutorial:

With Mother’s Day right around the corner I thought you could use this. It’s a card/book with pockets so you can write an extra special mother’s day love note to your mom.

See you tomorrow!

After reading this discussion over at Bloom last week, I realized how easy it is to let the true meaning of Easter get lost in bunnies and eggs and flowers. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love spring. I love a fresh start. But I also want [...]]]>

potted ranunculus on my back porch

After reading this discussion over at Bloom last week, I realized how easy it is to let the true meaning of Easter get lost in bunnies and eggs and flowers. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love spring. I love a fresh start. But I also want my children to understand the importance of Easter.

So I thought I’d share a few of the more meaningful Easter activities we do around here:

+ A couple of years ago, my mom made us a book all about the last week of Jesus’ life. It is a collection of paintings and scriptures that teach us what happened that week. So the Monday before Easter we read about what happened on that Monday and so on through Easter. I tried searching the web for something similar and had no luck. So maybe my mom will make one for everyone? Just kidding, mom.

+ My little kiddos really love this coloring activity. And this lesson.

+ This word scramble is an easy way to teach the order of events with little ones. (for the non-pdf version, click here)

+ We are going to try out this Easter Program this Sunday.

+ This is our family’s favorite Easter song. This one is favorite too. And this one. They are all favorite.

What do you do at Easter time?

I actually don’t know much about St. Patrick’s Day. But I do like rainbow cupcakes–even though I’m not sure food is supposed to be such bright colors…

There’s still time to enter the giveaway down below.

A few things I really should be doing: + making the beds for Katie and Will + cleaning the bathroom + [...]]]>

I actually don’t know much about St. Patrick’s Day. But I do like rainbow cupcakes–even though I’m not sure food is supposed to be such bright colors…

There’s still time to enter the giveaway down below.

A few things I really should be doing:
+ making the beds for Katie and Will
+ cleaning the bathroom
+ getting Kristina’s guest book ready for the book press
+ filling my shop with butterfly notebooks
+ ironing Chris’ shirts
+ taking a nap

I know I’m a little late on this post, but I’m still going to share! For Valentine’s Day this year, I kept it simple. I drew a few cheesy valentines on smallish pieces of paper (I think they were about 2.5″ by 4″) with my trusty Sharpie. Then I left my almost-four-year-old with his markers [...]]]>

I know I’m a little late on this post, but I’m still going to share! For Valentine’s Day this year, I kept it simple. I drew a few cheesy valentines on smallish pieces of paper (I think they were about 2.5″ by 4″) with my trusty Sharpie. Then I left my almost-four-year-old with his markers at the kitchen table and this is what he came up with! Notice how some of the names he wrote have the letters scattered all over the paper? He wanted it to be a game so the person would have to hunt for their name. How cute is that?! Oh, I love this kid.

So, Happy Valentine’s Day.

(better late then never…)

Here is my list of tutorials I want to give a try. You should try them too.

+ Paper Heart Garland at How About Orange + A valentine version of this fabric covered button found via Sew Mama Sew + Martha’s Blossoming Brooch + Really awesome brownie bags from Twig & Thistle + Pennant banner valentine style from the girls [...]]]>

Here is my list of tutorials I want to give a try. You should try them too.

+ Paper Heart Garland at How About Orange
+ A valentine version of this fabric covered button found via Sew Mama Sew
+ Martha’s Blossoming Brooch
+ Really awesome brownie bags from Twig & Thistle
+ Pennant banner valentine style from the girls over at Bloom
+ Valentines for the boys around here using these awesome old school images from Cathe Holden

As promised, the valentine gift card holders are in the shop and ready to ship to you! There are two designs for Valentine’s Day.

First up is the Valentine’s Day Stripe. I don’t know about you, but my family is a house full of boys and none of them get real exited about pink [...]]]>

As promised, the valentine gift card holders are in the shop and ready to ship to you! There are two designs for Valentine’s Day.

First up is the Valentine’s Day Stripe. I don’t know about you, but my family is a house full of boys and none of them get real exited about pink things. So I designed this one with the boys in mind. The inside is bright yellow. As usual, my sister, Jes, helped me write the inside of this one. Awesome, right? It’s bright, fun, happy and the perfect way to give a gift card or movie tickets or special coupon or a love note or something. I know you have a good idea.

Second is the Valentine’s Day Pink. The inside is putty brown card stock with a coordinating cross hatch pocket. I have limited quantities of each of these so snatch yours up before it’s too late.

Hooray for Tutorial Tuesday! Still January = still posting tutorials about letter writing.

When I was in elementary school, I did some kind of summer class at the library and that is where I learned how to write with invisible ink. Thankfully, I tested out my memory of how to do this and it worked. So [...]]]>

Hooray for Tutorial Tuesday! Still January = still posting tutorials about letter writing.

When I was in elementary school, I did some kind of summer class at the library and that is where I learned how to write with invisible ink. Thankfully, I tested out my memory of how to do this and it worked. So I can pass it on to you.

I did this with my almost-four-year-old yesterday afternoon and it was right up his alley. He drew monsters for a few his friends. I’m thinking all of my valentines will have invisible messages this year. Think of it: a hidden love letter!!

SUPPLIES:

+ paper (the lighter colored, the better. The red construction paper pictured here didn’t work as well as the light yellow. Test your paper before doing your whole project)
+ lemon juice
+ q-tips
+ something hot (candle, match, 150-watt lightbulb, iron)

1. Write your message. Dip the q-tip in the lemon juice and draw on the paper. You can draw or write a message or both.

2. Let it dry completely. The message will totally disappear. Cool, right?!

3. Heat it up. Using your hot source (I used a candle) heat the paper and the message will slowly start to appear.

So if you are using this to send to someone, stop after step #2 and mail it with directions for the recipient to heat it up. A cute little valentines idea would be to send it with some yummy smelling candle as the gift. I’m thinking I will make a bunch of magic hearts with messages on it and package it up with candles to send out.

How will you use your invisible ink?

One reason I love Valentine’s Day is for all the love letter writing. I think every holiday should include love letters. But then again, you know how much I love letters. So, in honor of our January Letter Writing Tutorial Month, here is a simple folded heart card I thought up yesterday afternoon. The possibilities [...]]]>

One reason I love Valentine’s Day is for all the love letter writing. I think every holiday should include love letters. But then again, you know how much I love letters. So, in honor of our January Letter Writing Tutorial Month, here is a simple folded heart card I thought up yesterday afternoon. The possibilities seem endless with this project – so take it as a template and then add your own touch. As with most of my projects, the papers and supplies can vary from what I use in the tutorial to meet your needs. I usually just use what I have in the studio…

Enjoy!

SUPPLIES

+ 1 piece solid color construction paper (I used 9″ by 12″)
+ card stock (I used brown kraft paper)
+ decorative paper (I used a 12″ square piece of scrapbooking paper)
+ double sided tape or glue
+ scissors
+ pencil
+ xacto knife and ruler
+ bone folder

HOW TO MAKE A FOLDED HEART CARD

PART ONE: The Inside

1. Fold the construction paper in half. Crease with bone folder.

2. Fold in half again. Crease with bone folder.

3. Open up the 2nd fold. Take the left top corner and line up the fold with the center crease from the 1st fold. Repeat on the right side. (Should look like a hat, sort of)

4. Open up the paper and refold to the hat shape, this time reversing the folds so they all go inside (this sounds more complicated than it is… follow the pics)

5. Fold in half again.

6. Use your ruler to measure out how big you want your card to be. Mine is 3.5″.

7. Draw a heart shape.

8. Cut through all the layers. When you open it up, there should be 4 hearts.

PART TWO: The Covers

9. Use your folded hearts to measure and cut 2 squares from your card stock to be the covers. If you want to use the card stock as is for the covers skip down to PART THREE. I wanted to cover mine in decorative paper.

10. Glue or tape (I used my trusty tape dispenser for this project so I wouldn’t have to wait for it to dry) each bit of card stock to the wrong side of the decorative paper. Trim around the edges leaving about 3/4″ around the card stock. Fold over and secure the edges to the card stock (this step is a simpler version of  step #3 in the accordion book tutorial)

11. Cut 2 squares from the decorative paper that are 1/4″ smaller than the covers. Tape these to the covers so all the card stock is hidden.

PART THREE: Insert the folded heart into the covers

12. Fold up the hearts and cover one side in double sided tape. Center it on one of the covers and press. Do the same to the other side. (NOTE: When I’m attaching the back cover, I put tape on the heart and then I line up the back cover with the front cover – that’s easier than moving the cover that already has the heart attached to it)

13. Write a love note in it and send it off!

I’ll post a few more pics tomorrow of ways you can personalize this. Leave a comment if you are confused or having trouble with this. You can also leave a comment if you think it is awesome and your life will never be the same. Haha. Just kidding.

And new for The Lightbulb Lab’s Tutorial Tuesday, I have created a very printer friendly PDF of this tutorial you can download (for free!) and save for easier folded heart card making. (I know, you love me)

Click the button to download the Folded Heart Card Tutorial PDF