This free printable Valentine’s Day card was inspired by vintage piano sheet music that I found in a Brooklyn antique store. I bought the sheet music thinking they might make nice wedding save-the-dates or wedding cards someday.

I tucked the vintage sheet music away in my crazy crammed craft closet and just recently re-discovered it (funny how that works). And I’ve never been a particularly mushy Valentine’s Day person but the lyrics really hit a (ahem) note: “Just because you’re you, that’s why I love you. Just because you’re you, what more can I say?”

I scanned it in, retouched it, turned it into a red-backed card and added “For My Love” notes with red hearts on the front.

Perfect for printing out for your Valentine’s Day love.

WANNA MAKE IT? Free printable Valentine’s Day card template, step-by-step instructions and supply list –>

Supplies for making a Valentine’s Day card inspired by vintage sheet music:

• Kathy’s free printable Valentine’s Day card from vintage sheet music (PDF)
• White cardstock paper (it’s available in a range of colors)
• A6-sized red envelope
• Bone folder
• Paper trimmer or Xacto knife, metal ruler and self-healing mat
• Computer and printer

Please post a comment and let me know how this craft idea works for you. And share your own photos at the MerrimentDesign.com Facebook page, “I made it!” flickr photo gallery or tweet a picture to @merrimentdesign.

How to make a Valentine’s Day card from vintage sheet music:

Print out my free printable Valentine’s Day card from vintage sheet music (PDF) in color on white cardstock paper.

Line up your metal ruler on the guides on the printable card on top of a self-healing mat. Run your Xacto knife along the ruler to cut out. TIP: Just cut it out from the center rather than cutting the whole strip off so that you can still see the guides as you cut each side.

Now here’s how you get a really crisp edge on your card: Place the card face down on a self-healing mat. Place a metal ruler just to the left of the middle of the card and run a bone folder along the ruler to score the card.

Fold along the scoring – voila! A perfect fold.

Now lightly run your bone folder on the outside of your folded card to crisp the crease. Gush all you want inside and tuck into an A6-sized red envelope.

Did you make it? Please post a comment and let me know how this craft idea works for you. And share your own photos at the MerrimentDesign.com Facebook page, “I made it!” flickr photo gallery or tweet a picture to @merrimentdesign. Craft and pass it on!

COPYRIGHT NOTE: You’re more than welcome to use free pattern and how to step-by-step tutorial for your own personal use. Contact me for any commercial use – this includes etsy sellers.

This New Year’s Eve Party Hat free printable template is inspired by my clock-obsessed 2-year-old, Elise. It occurred to me while looking at our hallway clock with Elise that this year’s new year will turn into a 12 when the clock hits the 12.

So based on Elise’s pink monkey birthday party hat free printable template I designed these New Year’s Eve Party Hats in purple and blue featuring a 2012 countdown clock, stars, and “Happy New Year” in the Lavanderia font from the Lost Type Co-op (via howaboutorange).

This quick and easy free New Year’s Eve Party Hat is for you to cut out, make and enjoy at your own New Year’s Eve party. Have a very happy and festive 2012!

WANNA MAKE IT? Free pattern, step-by-step tutorial instructions and supply list for how to make my 2012 New Year’s Even Party Hats –>

Supplies for making a New Year’s Eve Party Hat:

• Kathy’s free printable New Year’s Eve Party Hat for 2012 (PDF)
• 8 1/2 x 11 cover weight cardstock paper in pure white
• Curly bow
• Good paper scissors
• White ribbon – satin or grosgrain
• VELCRO Perfect Presents seals, Scotch tape, or Stapler
• X-Acto knife and self-healing mat

For all free printable templates, you can either print it at home or send it online to FedEx Office.

Please post a comment and let me know how this craft idea works for you. And share your own photos at the MerrimentDesign.com Facebook page, “I made it!” flickr photo gallery or tweet a picture to @merrimentdesign.

How to make a New Year’s Eve Party Hat:

Print my free printable New Year’s Eve Party Hat template on white cardstock paper.

Cut out the New Year’s Eve party hat, carefully cutting the two white slits on the hat tab.

Using your X-Acto knife and self-healing mat carefully cut the New Year’s Party hat slit – I freehanded it but you could also use a ruler as your guide.

Take apart some curly ribbon bows – I had these left over from Elise’s birthday – or you can curl your own ribbon.

Grab a couple curly ribbons and fold in the middle.

Tie a knot in the middle of the curly ribbon.

Place the knot inside the New Year’s Eve party hat. Fold and curl the New Year’s Eve party hat, slipping the tab inside the slit.

The New Year’s Eve Party Hat will look like this when it’s together.

Cut two pieces of white ribbon about 12-16 inches long each. Tape them to the inside of the New Year’s Eve party hat using VELCRO Perfect Presents, tape, or a stapler. Party on!

COPYRIGHT NOTE: You’re more than welcome to use free printable and how t0 make step-by-step tutorial for your own personal use. Contact me for any commercial use – this includes etsy sellers.

Please post a comment and let me know how this craft idea works for you. And share your own photos at the MerrimentDesign.com Facebook page, “I made it!” flickr photo gallery or tweet a picture to @merrimentdesign. Craft and pass it on!

Here are some super easy fall napkin rings using recycled brown paper grocery bags that you can easily make the night before your Thanksgiving feast. And these Thanksgiving napkin rings double as place cards.

Elise and I went grocery shopping for Thanksgiving dinner and I totally forgot to bring our cloth bags. We walked out with about 8 big brown paper grocery bags and I instantly felt a little guilty about it. So I thought I’d recycled them by incorporating brown paper grocery bags into napkin rings for our Thanksgiving table decor (and if you don’t have a grocery bag you can always use Kraft paper, butcher block or brown paper).

To save time I re-used the free leaf shape template from Thanksgiving past. Remember these Thanksgiving placecards?

And another bonus? I used up some of the scrap paper that I’d saved from making Elise’s birthday party hats. Yeah, I kept the scraps from her birthday party. I have a serious pack rat problem. But when things like these napkin rings actually turn out cute I’m glad I kept all that stuff. Happy Thanksgiving!

WANNA MAKE IT? Free pattern, step-by-step tutorial instructions and supply list for making my Thanksgiving napkin rings using recycled brown paper grocery bags –>

Supplies:

• Free leaf template – from the retro place card project (PDF)
• Free printable name pattern in Microsoft PowerPoint (works 1″ craft punches) and free Goudy Bookletter 1911 font from The League of Moveable Type
• Brown paper grocery bag (or Kraft or butcher block paper)
• Ball point pen
• Round hole punch
• Assorted colored paper scraps or sheets (I used orange, metallic bronze, yellow and luxe cream)
• Self-healing mat, rotary cutter and clear plastic ruler
• Good paper scissors
• VELCRO Adhesive dots
• 1″ inch circle craft punch
• Craft adhesive

Please post a comment if you use this project and let me know how it works for you. And you can post your photos to our “I made it!” flickr photo group.

Cut open a brown paper grocery bag so it lays flat. Try to choose one with few wrinkles.

Cut brown paper bag napkin rings 7″ wide x 1.5″ tall using a self-healing mat, rotary cutter and clear plastic ruler.

Measure 1/2″ from the left side and cut a slit halfway through (so your slit will be half of the 1.5″ tall). Repeat on the right side, but make sure the slit is opposite like in the photo above.

Download the free printable name pattern and open PowerPoint. You’ll need to download and install the free Goudy Bookletter 1911 font from The League of Moveable Type  or change the font to one that you prefer. Use your 1″ circle craft hole punch to punch out names. You will need to do a little trimming to get the punch close enough to punch the inner rows.

Print my leaf template. Now here’s a neat trick. Just put the pattern on top of the yellow paper that you want to cut. Trace around it using a ball point pen. The ball point pen will press into the yellow paper

Here you can see the faint trace lines. Cool, yes?

And now you just cut! No worrying about seeing messy lines around your cut leaf.

Use your 1″ circle craft punch to make assorted circle colors. Glue three together with the name circle on top.

Slip the leaf between two circles. Let it dry.

Peel the backing off of a VELCRO Adhesive Dot and press onto the back of the orange circle. Peel the other side of the backing and press onto the brown paper bag napkin ring.

Wrap the napkin ring around the rolled fabric napkin. Hook the two sides together using the slits like so. Happy Thanksgiving!

COPYRIGHT NOTE: You’re more than welcome to use free pattern and how t0 step-by-step tutorial for your own personal use. Contact me for any commercial use – this includes etsy sellers.

Please post a comment if you use this project and let me know how it works for you. And you can post your photos to our “I made it!” flickr photo group. Craft and pass it on!

Thanksgiving is around the corner so I thought I’d round up some of my favorite Thanksgiving free craft project tutorials.

First: Some easy ways to dress up your turkey table this Thanksgiving with napkin rings and placecards:
- Thanksgiving felt leaf napkin rings free craft project tutorial
- Thanksgiving felt and paper leaf placecards free craft project tutorial
- Thanksgiving retro embossed label maker placecards free craft project tutorial
- Fabric and paper sewn placecards free craft project tutorial

And then some wreaths to decorate your door:
- Urban wreath for fall using Polaroid photographs free craft project tutorial
- Paper and fabric fall leaf wreath free craft project tutorial

I just love fall colors – I used them all over our wedding decorations too. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I made this teeny witch’s hat Halloween costume for Elise’s best friend and monkey Ooh-ah (her Angel Dear monkey blankie stuffed animal who you might remember from Elise’s Pink Monkey and Bananas 1st Birthday Party Idea and Free Printable Templates).

Now I was a bit under the gun doing this the night before so I decided to make the witch’s hat out of black card stock and orange ribbon. And the step-by-step photos are pretty dark. But when Elise saw her best friend the next morning dressed up for trick-or-treating she was a pretty happy monkey herself.

The free witch’s hat pattern is sized for an Angel Dear blankie friend so just increase the size on a copier to fit your child’s stuffed animal.

WANNA MAKE IT? Free pattern, step-by-step tutorial instructions and supply list for making my teeny witch’s hat Halloween costume for Angel Dear monkey blankie stuffed animal craft idea –>

Supplies:

• Free pattern for tiny witch’s hat Halloween costume – fits Angel Dear blankie friends, size up or down for your stuffed animal
• 1 piece black cardstock
• A bit of satin orange ribbon 1/4”W
• Velcro Adhesive Dots, Permanent (or Scotch Tape)

Please post a comment if you use this project and let me know how it works for you. And you can post your photos to our “I made it!” flickr photo group.

Print out the free witch’s hat pattern and cut out. I fiddled and came up with the free witch’s pattern by first molding the pointy part on monkey’s head and then adding a brim.

Trace your pattern onto black paper, making sure to also trace the interior cut and fold lines.

Fold all four triangles in. You’ll use the triangles to hold the brim to the pointy part of the witch’s hat.

Roll the pointy hat so that the points line up. Place three VELCRO Permanent Adhesive Dots on the inside rim. Peel, stick, and hold until firm. Alternatively, you can use tape or glue but I like how the VELCRO Permanent Adhesive Dots stick right away.

Now I forgot to take a photo of this step – it was a late night. Place the pointy piece on top of the folded triangles. Reach inside and use either the VELCRO Dots or tape to secure. Use either the VELCRO dots or tape to affix the orange ribbon to the inside of the witch’s hat. Tie the hat onto your stuffed animal friend.

COPYRIGHT NOTE: You’re more than welcome to use free pattern and how to step-by-step tutorial for your own personal use. Contact me for any commercial use – this includes etsy sellers.

Please post a comment if you use this project and let me know how it works for you. And you can post your photos to our “I made it!” flickr photo group. Craft and pass it on!

Fourth of July doubles as my husband Shane’s birthday so I tend to make a lot of 4th-of-July-ish crafts. Here are some of my favorite 4th of July decorations and treats:

• Fourth of July Felt and Button Star Napkin Rings: no sewing required! One of my all-time favorite projects.
• Sparkless sparklers for kids for the Fourth of July using chopsticks, ribbon and party garland: clever way to use old chopsticks for a fun kids craft
• Beeswax star candles – personalized for a Fourth of July birthday: super easy to make
• Fourth of July Star Sugar Cookies: this is a is a tasty sugar cookie recipe

And a couple of Martha Stewart 4th of July craft re-interpretations:

• Fourth of July Paper Napkin Rings – a usability makeover of Martha’s printable template
• Fourth of July Waterproof Drink Coasters – inspired by Martha’s Fourth of July parasols

Here’s to family togetherness, full grills, spectacular fireworks, cold beer and Fourth of July pride!

Please post a comment if you use this project – it makes me smile. And you can post your photos to our “I made it!” flickr photo group.

Here’s a woodsy pair of friends to adorn your holiday gifts. I made these free gift tags from vintage owl and deer Christmas tree ornaments that I found at a local antique store.

Last year I gave these ornaments to my friend Heather to add to her collection. I shot a couple photos on my wooden cabinet shelf before I wrapped them because they were just too too cute. First the wise, glass owl…

..and then the scruffy little blue-eyed deer with a little bell around his neck…

…and his cute backside…

I recently stumbled upon the photos again and thought they’d make super cute free printable gift tags.

I printed mine on full-sheet white sticker paper and wrote on them with a white paint pen but you could also use cardstock with a Sharpie, punch a hole and attach with ribbon. Please print and share, and enjoy your holidays!

WANNA MAKE IT? Free printable template, instructions and supply list for making my DIY printable free gift tags made from vintage Christmas owl and deer ornaments –>

Supplies:

• Kathy’s free printable gift tag template from vintage owl and deer Christmas ornaments (PDF – 922KB)
• 8 1/2″ x 11″ sheets of sticker paper (ink jet)or full-sheet white sticker label paper (laser) or White 11″ x 17″ cardstock paper
• Sharpie ultra-fine-point colored markers (if printing on cardstock)
• White paint pen (use paint pens if printing on sticker paper)
• Paper Trimmer OR X-Acto knife, self-healing mat and clear plastic ruler
• Double sided tape (optional)
• 1/8-inch round circle hole punch
• Computer
• Color printer (or use FedExOffice)

Please post a comment if you use this project so I can smile when I see that it’s being used. Craft and pass it on!

Download my free printable gift tag template of vintage owl and deer ornaments. Print on full-sheet white sticker label paper (I love this stuff) or cardstock either at home or you can take sticker paper to your local FedExOffice and they can print it for you.

Cut the labels apart using a paper cutter OR Xacto basic knife set (this is my kit and it’s great), ruler and self-healing cutting mat.

Use a white paint pen on sticker paper. On cardstock you can either use paint pens or Sharpies.

Peel back the sticker and stick to your gift, or punch a hole and attach with ribbon if you use cardstock.

COPYRIGHT NOTE: You’re more than welcome to use this free pattern and step-by-step tutorial instructions for personal use. Contact me for any commercial use – this includes etsy sellers.

Please post a comment if you use this project so I can smile when I see that it’s being used. Craft and pass it on!

As a crafter like me you are probably doing one or more of the following things right about now: (1) making handmade holiday gifts for friends and family, (2) looking to buy creative and budget-friendly gifts, or (3) making your own list to give to your family. Well, the MerrimentDesign.com Crafty Holiday Guide is here to help with all the above!

My take is to pick craft supplies that are fun, useful and versatile for making all kinds of crafts on MerrimentDesign and elsewhere. I’ve even included a selection under $10 for stocking stuffers or group gift exchanges.

So what’s tops on my Christmas list? This. I promise that I’ve been very good this year so I’m hoping Santa will pretty please bring it my way :)

Start shopping the Crafty Holiday Guide.

It’s well-documented that I’m a pack rat when it comes to items I think could have another life. When Elise transitioned from breast milk to formula, I was amazed at how we flew through cans of formula! True to form, I stashed some away in my craft closet.

I whipped up these no-flame Halloween luminaries from flameless battery-operated flickering votive candles

, empty baby formula cans, oatmeal containers or other cardboard cans, tissue paper, a Black Sharpie markers an Xacto knife in less than 30 minutes. You could also use oatmeal containers or other cardboard cans. Kids could help too for all steps other than cutting.

My nighttime photos aren’t the best quality but you get the idea. I put these in our entry way to greet today’s trick-or-treaters. Next year I think I’ll add more to go all the way down our front stairs. Boo!

WANNA MAKE IT? Free supply list and step-by-step instructions for creating my DIY Halloween luminaries from recycled baby formula cans –>

Supplies for making Halloween luminaries lights from recycled baby formula cans:

• Empty baby formula cans (I used Earth’s Best Organic Infant Formula), oatmeal containers or other cardboard cans
• Flameless battery-operated flickering votive candles that run on batteries but flicker like a real candle
• Xacto knife
• Orange tissue paper
• Green tissue paper
• Rotary fabric cutter, self-healing cutting mat and clear acrylic ruler
• Black Sharpie marker
• Double sided tape
• Rocks to weight down cans (optional for windy days)

Please post a comment if you use this project so I can smile when I see that it’s being used. Craft and pass it on!

Peel off the label from the empty baby formula can. There will be some adhesive remaining on the can back which you’ll actually use later. Turn the can so the adhesive is on the back.

Draw a pumpkin face using a sharpie pen.

Carefully cut out the face using an Xacto knife. I liked the look of the black highlight, so I cut inside the lines to keep that emphasis, but it’s up to you.

Cut a slice of tissue paper the same width as your can. Mine was 5″ wide.

Place one side of the orange tissue paper on top of the can’s leftover adhesive, or use double-sided tape.

Roll the paper taught around the can. Affix using double-sided tape, cutting off any extra.

Cut a piece of green tissue paper slightly larger than the lid. Roll the paper inside.

Cut off any extra. I didn’t even use tape here.

Now it should go without saying here that you can’t use a real candle but I’ll say it anyway. Put a flameless battery-powered votive candle inside. You can also put rocks or sand in the bottom if it’s a windy day. Repeat for a bevvy of silly and spooky Halloween luminaries!

COPYRIGHT NOTE: You’re more than welcome to use this free idea and step-by-step tutorial instructions for personal use. Contact me for any commercial use – this includes etsy sellers.

Please post a comment below if you use this project so I can smile when I see that it’s being used. Craft and pass it on!

My daughter Elise is my little ray of sunshine, without a doubt. So when it came to making my delightful baby her first proper Halloween costume, I came up with this cheery fleece and felt “Sunshine” Halloween baby costume with a colorful rainbow on the back.

This free Sunshine Halloween Costume Pattern is sized for babies about one year old like Elise, but you can size it up or down as you need to. I think it’s a great Halloween costume idea for both boys and girls.

I used a special stiffened Friendly Felt made from recycled post-consumer plastic bottles to make her hat’s “sunrays” naturally poke in the air. Cute, huh?

Last Halloween, Elise was a mere two weeks old so all we did was to put her in this Halloween-themed t-shirt from her Mammy Winegard:

This year I bet this bucket of sunshine is going to score loads of Halloween candy. But to me, I think that *Elise* is the treat!

WANNA MAKE IT? Free pattern, step-by-step tutorial and supply list for making my DIY Sunshine and Rainbow Halloween Costume for babies, toddlers and kids –>

Supplies:

• Kathy’s Sunshine Halloween Costume for babies, toddlers and kids free pattern template (PDF – 24MB and 12 letter-sized pages – contains sunshine hat pattern, rainbow and cloud pattern, dress pattern sized for a 1 year old)
• 1/2 yard of polar fleece fabric (or more if you’re making your own dress pattern)
• Felt squares: 1 red, 3 yellow, 1 gold, 1 orange, 1 green, 1 blue, 1 turquoise
• 1 yellow square of stiffened 9”x12” Friendly Felt – it’s stiff felt made from recycled post-consumer plastic bottles – you’ll use it to make the sunshine rays on her hat stick up into the air. Cool, eh? If yellow is out online then they will have it in the store
• 1/8 yard of yellow quilt-weight cotton fabric
• 2 buttons – I used some from Shane’s old suit but check out these cheesy-but-cute sun buttons
• Rotary fabric cutter, self-healing cutting mat and clear acrylic ruler
• 1 yard yellow grosgrain ribbon 7/8″
• Good fabric scissors
• Pins (I prefer glass head pins)
• Thread (I use my thread spool set)
• Sewing machine
• Pattern weights (optional)
• Good iron (like Rowenta)
• Ironing board
• Tissue paper (optional if you’re drawing your own rainbow)

Please post a comment if you use this project so I can smile when I see that it’s being used. Craft and pass it on!

Cut out the Halloween costume dress
Print and cut out my free sunshine Halloween pattern for babies and kids. I have fully embraced the rub-off process described in Project Runway finalist Daniel Vosovic’s fun book “Fashion Inside Out” and created this pattern by tracing around a dress that fits Elise well, adding length to the bottom, and adding 1/2″ on both sides for the side seams.

If your child is younger or older than one, you can shrink or enlarge the free pattern. Or you can just trace a dress that currently fits your child like I did.

Tape the pattern pieces together. Pin the pattern on your fleece or use pattern weights and cut.

Create your sun on the Halloween costume front
Print and cut out my free sun pattern. Cut 7 yellow triangles, 7 orange triangles and 7 gold triangles. Cut out one 8″ circle (I traced around a small plate).

Arrange the triangles how you wish, making sure they fit about 1/2″ under the circle. Pin when you like what you’re seeing.

Sew around the circle, leaving the ends of the ‘sunbeam’ triangles loose.

Create your rainbow on the Halloween costume back

Print and cut out my free rainbow pattern, pinning each piece onto the piece of felt. (After the fact, I was reading “What Makes A Rainbow” and realized that I put red on the bottom when red should be on the top. Curses! So you are welcome to flip them when you cut out your rainbow!)

I created this pattern by putting the back piece on my table and drawing a rainbow on a piece of tissue paper like so…

Layer the rainbow, slightly overlapping colors as you go up.

Make sure you like where the red piece is placed, then remove the rest. Sew close to the edges.

Continue by adding the orange, slightly overlapping on top of the red so that you won’t see any white between the colors.

Continue like this to sew down all your colors.

Place your cloud to cover up the end of the rainbow and pin. Sew close to the edge.

Attach Halloween costume  front and back
This is why I love fleece costumes: There are only two side seams to sew! Put the right sides together – rainbow touching sun. Sew your left and right sides together using 1/2″ seam. Turn right side out. All the other costume edges are left raw.

Place buttons on the outside of the back straps. Sew. These buttons are from one of Shane’s old suits. Groovy, eh?

Cut a buttonhole on the front strap. Start small! You can always make it bigger if you need to.

Make sunshine hat with felt rays
This free sunshine hat pattern is derived from the babies sunshine ruffled hat that I made for Elise this summer. Print out my slightly altered Halloween version and cut 4 hat pieces out of yellow felt for the outside, 4 hat pieces out of yellow fabric for the lining, plus 5 triangles from stiff felt made from recycled bottles that you can get at Joann’s – it sticks up like sunshine rays nicely on its own.

Follow my babies sunshine ruffled hat instructions to sew two felt hat pieces together. Repeat with the other two felt hat pieces. Iron seams open. Now you have two ‘hat halves’ – set one aside.

Place one ‘hat half’ right-side-up on your table. Pin the stiff felt triangle to the long curved top edge, slightly overlapping triangles. Sew.

Pin the second ‘hat-half’ on top, right sides together. Sew along the long curved top edge

Sew the lining by following my babies sunshine ruffled hat instructions. Turn the bottom edge under 1/4″ and iron.

Place the lining inside the felt hat, wrong sides together. Slip two pieces of grosgrain ribbon on the sides. Here’s a closer view:

Sew around your hat, making sure to catch the lining inside. Go back and forth a couple times over your ribbon straps so they stay secure. The inside will look like this:

Trick or treat!

COPYRIGHT NOTE: You’re more than welcome to use this free Sunshine Halloween pattern for babies, toddlers and kids and step-by-step tutorial instructions for personal use. Contact me for any commercial use – this includes etsy sellers.

Please post a comment below if you use this project so I can smile when I see that it’s being used. Craft and pass it on!