DIY Gift Bags

Does doing something 2 years in a row make it a tradition?

If so, then we continued our gift-bag making tradition at CraftHack this month.

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You can make your own gift bags out of regular old paper lunch sacks and craft supplies you already have. Here are some tips…

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Get your stuff together!

  • Lunch bags. If you have regular brown ones around, great! Otherwise, check out your color options – white, red, yellow, blue. I’ve seen a bunch at my local Target.
  • Scissors. Fancy-edge scissors, a small paper cutter, and/or a paper punch might also be useful if you have them.
  • Embellishments. Use what you’ve got – scrapbook paper, washi tape, old greeting cards, ribbon, glitter, stickers, that last little bit of wrapping paper on the roll, etc.

Customize!

Bag size. Take a bit off the top to break up the lunch baggy proportions. You can use your fancy scissors to create an interesting edge.

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Handles. 3 ways to handle handles:

1. Cut out a shape an inch or so from the top of the bag. Straight sided shapes – like a long inverted triangle – work best.

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2. Vertical handles. Use ribbon, two pieces of washi tape (sticky sides together), or scraps cut from the top of your paper bag to make a handle that goes over the top of the bag. You can staple it (use your embellishments to cover staples), or punch/cut holes to thread ribbon through and secure with tape or big knots.

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3. Horizontal handles. Some of the CraftHackers came up with this one. It works best using fabric ribbon. You cut rectangles into thee bag that are as tall as the ribbon is wide and weave it through, maybe with help from a friend.

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Decorate! Once you’ve sized your bag and made handles, get creative using supplies you have on hand. Cut shapes out of paper, add glitter, make a pattern from paper, create stripes from ribbon or washi tape, go a little crazy with stickers, have fun!

Check out my last-minute holiday guide for more gift, entertaining, and decorating ideas!

Mr. Cheeseface

My sister-in-law Liz added a lot of fabulous handmade touches to her sons’ monster-themed 2nd birthday party, including a whole pile of brightly-colored felt monsters she sewed for party favors.

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Meet Mr. Cheeseface, who Phillip christened before we were even out of the parking lot – inspired, I assume, by the smiling creature’s yellow color. Mr. Cheeseface has shown up in different places around our house, but he mostly likes to hang out in our car and accompany us on trips.

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Recently, a friend suggested I should pose him in our travel photos, Flat Stanley style. I liked the idea, but I also have this individualist streak that tends to make me feel I cannot just do what someone is already doing. I need my own twist. So instead of Mr. Cheeseface being front-and-center in our photos, I’ll make him part of the scene and let you guys find him.

He’ll start popping up in posts soon!

Don’t just stare at a blank screen – write something! Micropost inspiration at Stirrup Queens.

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Carving pumpkin into pie

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As a kid, I didn’t understand where pumpkin pie came from. My best guess was that it was somehow made from the goopy insides we scooped out while getting ready to carve jack-o’-lanterns. I thought of the outside as kind of a hard shell and was surprised to learn that (minus the peel) is actually the edible part. It seemed like magic, and I knew I had to try it one day.

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Fast forward to November a couple years ago when I finally gave it a try.

I started with the wrong kind of pumpkin. At least that’s what people kept telling me. This giant orange carving pumpkin came with our CSA box. Even though I knew it wasn’t a pie pumpkin, that’s what I had, and I wanted to make it work. A little internet research made me think it could be done, so I gave it a shot.

I scooped seeds, cut the squash into pieces, and baked it. Phillip helped me remove the peel.

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One of the downsides of a carving/non-pie pumpkin is they tend to be more watery. The fix is letting the baked pumpkin set for awhile and then pouring off the excess water. Easy enough. I did this a couple times, then immersion blended it into a puree.

pumpkin-pie-5 The taste seemed a little bland (another one of the potential side effects of carving pumpkins) until I added my homemade spice blend. All of the sudden it tasted like pumpkin pie.

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I had decided not to do the crust from scratch – another project for another time. I made 3 pies and later pumpkin bread. I froze the extra pumpkin puree in large freezer bags.

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The pies got rave reviews.

The process took way longer than I expected. Still, I enjoyed the magic of transforming a pumpkin into a pie. And watching the naysayers eat their words.

 

What You Can Learn about Costumes and Life from Cosplayers

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Cosplayers tend to pretty passionate about their craft. It makes sense. They’re big enough fans of a character to want to bring it to life through what they’re wearing. So it also makes sense that when I asked a few* Phoenix Comicon cosplayers for a costuming tip to share, they shared a lot more than that – tips for wearing costumes, meeting people, photo etiquette, and good advice that applies whether or not you do cosplay!

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1. Think practically.

Safety pins are very important! You never know when you’ll need them for your costume.” –Ryan DeFusco (The Indie Imaginarium)

Break in your shoes ahead of time.” Genevieve Eldred

Drink lots of water! It’s easy to get dehydrated.” –Ryan D.

When designing your costume, don’t just think about the look. Think about how you will move around in it – especially in a crowd.

I try not to take up space outside my immediate area. Wings and other things that stick out from your costume make it hard to get around at conferences.” –Genevieve

Also, think about how you’ll feel late in the day. Ryan D. recommends bringing a change of clothes in case your costume gets uncomfortable or some part of it isn’t working.

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2. Talk to people

Justice League Arizona member Ryan Holmes recommends joining a group, if you find one that interests you.

When you’re at a con…

Talk to people! If someone has taken the trouble to dress up as a character you like, say hi.” –Ryan H.

If you like someone’s cosplay, tell them! If you want to know how they made something, ask them! The community is in large part very friendly and more than happy to share their tips and techniques.” –Genevieve 

“If you’re shy, wearing a costume that covers the face can be really liberating.” –Ryan H. (DIY masks, anyone?)

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3. Keep learning

The cosplay community is another example of how the current wealth of online and offline resources for learning has helped makers flourish.

Learning new skills keeps the brain active, and the worst thing you could do is remain stagnant.” –Genevieve

The web is full of costume resources. Probably at least half the people into making things are also into talking about how they made them.” –Ryan H.

“Research, research, research. There are plenty of skills like sewing, jewelry making, and armor making that can be learned from cosplay blogs and tutorials. If you ever get lost on something, there’s probably a cosplayer who has done it and can help you through.” –Genevieve

“There are lots of panels on costuming from cheap and starting out to advanced prop building.” –Ryan H.

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4. Have fun

Don’t be scared that your costume won’t be ‘good enough.’ If it’s your first time costuming, what matters is that you have fun.” –Jill Rouleau (from our Phoenix Comicon newbies post)

If it’s not fun, there’s no point.” –Genevieve

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Bonus tip: Photos of cosplayers

(a.k.a. Don’t be creepy.)

“Be respectful and ask before taking someone’s picture.” –Jill 

Cosplay is not consent for photos (or harassment). If you want to take a photo of a child, also ask the adult they’re with for permission.

Don’t sneak up behind a cosplayer and try to get a photo without them noticing. People like to be able to put their best pose on, hide their con badge, look good.” –Ryan H.

They may want to cover up a small flaw in their costume or give you their best side.

“It’s also okay to ask people to pose or pose with you. Once, when I was in a Batman costume, one guy wanted a picture where it looked like I was scolding him. Much more memorable than ‘I’m standing next to Batman.'” –Ryan H.

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More to check out

Phoenix Comicon Fan Fest – Phoenix Comicon is introducing a second, smaller event! Fan Fest is focused on creators, artists, actors, costumers and exhibitors. It will be held December 12-14, 2014 (during cooler weather!) at the University of Phoenix Glendale Stadium.

Cosplayers recommend:

  • Justice League Arizona – Costuming for a cause. “We do charity appearances and don’t take money.”  –Ryan H.
  • “A few professional cosplayers write their own books with tutorials. Kamui Cosplay and Bill Doran from Punished Props have awesome ones.” –Genevieve
  • The RFP  Prop and costume information and community. “A good spot for those with lots of time and energy for their stuff.” –Ryan H.

*Yes, two of the cosplayers were named Ryan. While there are no official statistics on this, it is my belief that the majority of cosplayers are actually not named Ryan. If Ryans are overrepresented here, it is coincidental and not an attempt to exclude the non-Ryan community or promote some hidden pro-Ryan agenda

Photos of Genevieve taken by Eileen Kane.