Cute Paper Bag Tutorial

Sorry I have been MIA for a while.  With everything our family went through last week - I have just been wanting to spend every second with my kiddo's.

I made my kids teacher appreciation gift last week - here is a quick tutorial on how to make the bags.  They really don't take long - and you can dress them up a lot of different ways.

First - get two pieces of paper.  I used 8.5 x 11.  Cut both at 8 inches square. (This makes a bag that is about 4 1/2 inches wide and 6 1/2 tall, you can make it as big or small as you want).

It will look like the below, an 8 inch square.

Then you scor your lines.   I messed up the first time - I had to re-cut my squares. You are going to scor both squares the exact same. First scor at 1/2 inch,

Then at 1 1/2 inch. 

Then at 2 1/2 inches. 

Rotate the paper once.  Then score at 1 1/2 

You will fold it like an accordion.  That little flap on top - that will hold your sides together. You want that to be folded up.

Then the one scor - that was done at 1 1/2, this is your bottom gusset. Fold that too.

Then you are going to cut and trim.  On the side that has three scor lines - you are going to cut out the 1/2 by 1 1/2 inch little piece. 

Then you will cut a little slit on the 2 1/2 inch scor line - up to the 1 1/2 inch scor line. 

I had a bunch of left over cuts from last Easter - so I just put together some things I had in a "cut" box. 

You have the option of  folding in the bottom flap to make it look a little more finished.

This is what the front side looks like before it gets assembled.  Decorate it before you finish your bag - it's a little easie r.

That little 1/2 inch piece, this is where you tape/glue goes. 

Then you line up the little flap up - with the other end.  Then you do it on the other side - to make your box. 

Then you fold down the bottom of the box. 

Then for the magic tape.  It's red tape - it's super tacky - and it will fold the bottom well.  If you use regular tape - the problem will be that it won't hold much weight. 

You peel back the red tape. 

Then it starts to look like a bag. 

One of my favorite tools - the crop-a-dile. 

I fold the bag - so the top corners matched - and punched a hole on each side.  This way they are even.  Then you put the eyelet  in the hole - you will need four.  This step is optional, I didn't do this for the teachers - because there was a whole lot of them - and I wanted it to be quick. It does make it look more finished though.

Then line up your crop-a-dile on the right settings and squeeze - and this sets your eyelet.  Do this on all 4 holes. 

And there you have it folks - a finished bag!  I just tied ribbon to finish it up.  Two equal pieces - small knots on each side.  Perfect for any holiday or occasion, just decorate as appropriate. 

The other nice thing is they hold cards perfectly - so if you wanted to make a bag full of cute cards to give as a gift - that would work too.  I did a quick tutorial on note cards here - they would fit perfectly inside.  A cute gift in probably under 15 minutes - and can most likely be done with materials you have on hand. 

Linking up to these parties:

Between Naps on the Porch , Skip To My Lou, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, C.R.A.F.T. , Dittle Dattle , Making The World Cuter , The Girl Creative  , Keeping it Simple , The Shabby Chic Cottage - Transformation Thursday , Somewhat Simple - Strut Your Stuff Thursday , House of Hepworths , Beyond The Picket Fence , Fireflies & Jellybeans , Tales from Bloggeritaville , Brambleberry Cottage , Gluesticks, Momnivore's dilemma, Paisley Passions, Yesterday on Tuesday, A glimps inside, Delightful Order

I Heart Faces - Wind Challenge

Over at I Heart Faces this week's challenge is Wind.

This is my middle daughter at our outdoor tea party.  I love this picture. It captures her innocence, mysteriousness, and just the raw emotion she has.

Check out all the other great photos over at I Heart Faces:

http://www.iheartfaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/I_Heart_Faces_Photography_125.jpg

Cookies with Royal Icing

Have you heard of Bake at 350?  I am loving Bridget's site.  Talk about talent!

So - I got her cookie recipe here.  And her Royal Icing recipe next (here).

I'll tell you - if I can do it - you can do it.  I have never been good at making sugar cookies - they are always so hard.  And icing - I just put on the store bought stuff.  But - this stuff!  WOW - the cookies so so so soft and yummy - and the icing - I think I didn't do that bad of a job decorating for the first time experimenting with this kind of icing.

I actually did the piping, flooding, ect. 

Here is my middle one loving the cookies. 

Here is my little man - really enjoying the cookie - it was everywhere!  All over his face, jacket, hands, you name it - I think he liked it!  They were so good - did I mention they were good! 

Be back soon

If you read my previous post - you know why I have been MIA.  But - today I got the blood test results for my daughter - and it looked like a nasty virus that  lead to sheer exhaustion, and she will be fine.

I am going through crafting withdrawls though.  I did give myself a test run at sugar cookies with Royal Icing, and flooding them and everything - they are seriously yummy - and look ok.  I'll try to post later.

Thanks for the positive thoughts for my daughter - they were much appreciated!

Appreciate today...tomorrow could be different

It’s amazing how fragile life is.  One minute everything is fine, the next it could change.

Yesterday was an ordinary day.  Started just like any other.  Took the kids to daycare, and I went to work.  Their daycare is on-site – so I went and took my oldest daughter to lunch with me.  She was feeling under the weather on Monday, so I wanted to make sure she was ok.  She was tired, and groggy, but she was happy to be with mommy.  She was also excited for nap time.  Gave her a kiss and left her at 12:30.

I was in my bosses office giving an update when one of our admins runs in and says to call the daycare right away.  I hear “We have been trying wake her, she is unresponsive, we called 911, an ambulance is on it’s way”.  I run to my office, grab my keys.  I kept saying to myself, oh my god she’s dead.  That was the longest 5 minutes of my life.

I see 2 cop cars, an ambulance, and people everywhere.  I walk into the school; one of the teachers is holding her.  She looks at me – her eyes are open.  I can breath.  They lay her in the gurney – and buckle her in, and tell me I can ride in the back with them. It all feels like a dream.  I sit down next to her, and she starts to come too, more and more.  She looks around and realizes where she is.  She get’s so scared.  The more I talk with the paramedics, the more aware she is.  Here eyes are wide with tears and fear. They took her vitals and all seemed fine.  After what seemed like forever, I signed off and took her home with me to take her to our own doctor.  Someone went and got my son, another got my other daughter, and they started putting everyone in the car.  It seems surreal, I remember it like I was watching it, not like I was there.

By the time we got home, she was fine.  She was playing games, asking questions, like nothing happened.

My wonderful parents dropped everything, brought dinner to our house and watched the two little ones so we could both go to the doctor. together. Told the doctor the chain of events.  Said it was probably the flu or a potential mild seizure, that was common among kids, but it was nothing to worry about.  Nothing to worry about…sure…I thought she was dead – but there is nothing to worry about.

Before bed – she watched a TV show as I snuggled and soaked up every waking second with her.  She looked at me with a straight face and said “My teachers thought I was dead”.  My husband and I look at her.  “Did you know they were trying to wake you”, “yes”.  She couldn’t explain why she didn’t move.  They told me she was limp – lifted her arm, it fell.  Tried to stand her up, legs went limp.

 

She slept in our bed.  I went up and snuggled with her.  I just listened to her talk, and for the first time, I started crying.  I thought…what happened if it went differently, and I would never hear that sweet voice again.  I just listened to her, she gave me a hug and told me I was the best mommy she could ever ask for.  Thinking that this could be gone, that her voice would never be heard again, that things could change, that you have no control, that you can only protect your child so much….

I rolled over, she snuggled right up to me and just rubbed my back and told me she loved me.  She is 4-years old.  The strength and realization she had over the event was amazing.  The fact that my 4-year old was comforting her mother just amazed me.

Thankfully everything worked out.  But – I wanted to write it out for a couple reasons.  I think the most important one is for me.  Because believe it or not, how I am feeling right now, I don’t want to soon forget.  Life is so fragile, and we take it for granted.  We are so quick to run here, run there, say I’ll do it tomorrow.  I don’t think we should be scared our whole life, and be run by fear.  But – sometimes we need a reminder to appreciate the things in life that are most important to us.  To open our eyes to what we have today. We need to realize that every minute we have with the ones we love is precious, and to not take that for granted.  Love with everything you have, don’t hold anything back.  Tell your kids or loved ones that you love them. Think twice before leaving someone angry.  No matter how angry you are, say you love them and give them a kiss, even if it is hard for you to do. Acknowledge that tomorrow may be different, so appreciate what you have today.

Spring Fever

This is my first time entering a photo over at Love that Shot.  I am excited to see all the great entries, and get involved more.

This is my little man. Sunday was the first day out in WNY where the weather was remotely warm. It was beautiful. So we let the kids have the hose - and have a good time. This is one of my favorites from that "photo shoot" and to me really embodies the coming of Spring.