More about fabric Christmas ornaments! Because I love them, I made a video now!

Hey everyone!

I loved so much my fabric Christmas ornaments that I decided to make a video to show you how easy it is to make them! The tutorial to make the ornaments reusing cereal boxes are available here. I also have complete instructions with lots of pictures showing how to make them in my FREE online course Joy of Cartonnage! Check it out!

Take a look at the video and have fun making the ornaments! Kids are totally welcome to help, they will love to make them! My daughter made some already!

If you have any question, comments or suggestions, I will love to hear from you!

Have fun with paper, fabric and glue!

Claudia

Making fabric Christmas ornaments reusing cereal boxes

Christmas is coming soon! It is time to decorate our homes for this important Holiday! How about making some unique fabric Christmas ornaments reusing cereal boxes this year? 

I have decided to make some for my home and enjoyed so much that I want to share with you how to make them! It is easy, simple materials, we can reuse cereal boxes, use some fabric scraps and with our creativity we can make beautiful ornaments! Let’s see how to make them?

You can get the basic here in this tutorial. Complete instructions with much more detailed information and a lot of pictures you can get in my FREE online course Joy of Cartonnage! Click here, sign up for Free and get this instruction and much more! 

MATERIALS:

Very simple materials. To make the ornaments you will need:

-  Empty cereal boxes (or other thin chipboard same  thickness  as cereal box)

- Scraps of fabric

- Ribbons / Embellishments  (optional)

- PVA glue (like Glue All from Elmer’s), cutting board, craft knife, rotary cutter, paint roller, paint brush, plastic spatula and/or bone folder, corner miter tool (optional), masking tape,  scissor, paper to cover the table.

MAKING THE SHAPES OUT OF CEREAL BOXES:

You will need two pieces of paper with the same shape for each ornament. To reuse cereal box, cut the front and back of the empty box and draw the shapes you want on it (picture 1). 

I made the circles with 2.5 in (6,5 cm)  diameter, but you can make it with the dimension you want. You can use a base of a circle mug, for example, to draw the shapes.

The diamond ones I made with 3 x 3 in (8 x 8 cm)  and  the frontal detail with 1.5 x 1.5 in (4 x 4 cm), or 2 x 2 in (5 x 5 cm). 

After drawing the shapes, use scissor or craft knife with metal ruler and cut the shapes (pictures 2 and 3). Attention: to have great finishing for your ornaments take your time and cut the shapes as perfect as you can. 

MAKING CIRCLE ORNAMENTS:

Cut the fabric about 1/2 in bigger than each shape. 

Apply glue over the unprinted side of the cereal box circle. Spread the glue very well, you have to have a thin layer covering all paper. Do not put too much glue. Then, glue this paper over the center of the back side of the fabric. Flip over and press over the fabric with your hands, making sure the fabric is well glued, without bubbles.  (pictures 4 and 5) 

Then, cut all around the circle with scissor, following the shape and leaving a border of fabric about ½ in (1 cm) (picture 6). After that, make small cuttings all around the fabric (picture 7). 

Now  apply glue on the border of the circle and fold the fabric pressing with your fingers to have all fabric glued all around the paper. Repeat for the other circle. (pictures 8, 9 and 10).

APPLYING EMBELLISHMENTS

Cut a piece of the embellishment you want to apply, 1.5 in (4 cm) bigger than the diameter of the circle. Put it over the front of your circle,  in the position you want (picture 11). Turn over carefully to avoid moving it. Then, apply glue over the back of the circle where you will glue the embellishment. Glue it and apply a piece of masking tape over to better fix it. Repeat to the other edge of the embellishment. (pictures 12 and 13)

Now  apply glue on the center of the circle where you will glue the ribbon to hang the ornament. Put a piece of ribbon with the size you want  and apply a piece of masking tape over it, as shown below. (pictures 14 and 15)

GETTING READY!

Apply glue all over the back of the covered circle that will be the back of your ornament (picture 16). Pay attention to not mark the front of this piece with glue. Then, put it over the back of the other circle with the embellishments. Press firmly with your hands to make sure it is in the right position (picture 17). Put some pieces of masking tape all around the ornament. Press again all over the masking tape (picture 18). This masking tape will be removed after 7 hours.  Let the ornament dry under something heavy, like a heavy book, for about 7 hours (picture 19). 

After 7 h take off the masking tape and your ornament is ready to go!   

MAKING DIAMOND ORNAMENTS

Cut the fabric about 1/2 in bigger than each shape.  

Apply glue over the unprinted side of the cereal box diamonds. Spread the glue very well, you have to have a thin layer covering all paper. Do not put too much glue. Then, glue this paper over the center of the back side of the fabric. Flip over and press over the fabric with your hands, making sure the fabric is well glued, without bubbles.  (pictures 4, 5 and 6) 

Before folding and gluing the fabric over the paper, we need to cut the fabric at all corners, to have a good finishing. To do that, you can use a corner miter tool that it is a very functional tool for that, OR, if you don’t have it, you can cut with scissor (pictures 7), but you have to have some fabric at the corner, do not cut straight with the paper. You can find the corner miter tool here. If you want to see better how to do this step, take a look at this video. 

Cut the fabric at the corners for the three pieces of paper (picture 8).

Apply glue to one of the edges of the paper (picture 9) and also apply glue on the fabric at both corners of this edge (picture 10).  Using a plastic spatula, fold the fabric over the paper and press down until be well glued (picture 11). Also press down on the fabric at both corners (picture 12).   Repeat this to the opposite edge, and then apply glue and fold the fabric over the other edges (picture 13). Make sure your corners are neat. If you need, make adjustments with your fingers (picture 14). Cover like that the three paper diamonds (picture 15).

APPLYING EMBELLISHMENTS

In this case, the embellishment will be another piece of covered paper, but you can use your creativity and add another thing, like we did for the circle.

Now,  apply glue all over the back of the small diamond (picture 16), taking care to not move this piece and mark the front of it with glue. Then, put it on the right position, press firmly with your hands (picture 17) and apply masking tape all over it. Press again after applying the masking tape (picture 18).  

If you want to apply a tassel,  apply glue on the center of the diamond where you will glue the tassel (picture 19).  Put the tassel there and apply a piece of masking tape over it (picture 20).

Now  apply glue on the center of the diamond where you will glue the ribbon to hang the ornament (picture 21). Put a piece of ribbon with the size you want  and apply a piece of masking tape over it (picture 22).

GETTING READY!

Apply glue all over the back of the covered diamond that will be the back of your ornament (picture 23). Pay attention to not mark the front of this piece with glue.  Then, put it over the back of the other diamond with the embellishments. Press firmly with your hands to make sure it is in the right position (picture 24). Put some pieces of masking tape all around the ornament. Press again all over the masking tape (picture 25). This masking tape will be removed after 7 hours.  Let the ornament dry under something heavy, like a heavy book (picture 27).    

After  7  h take off the masking tape and your ornament is ready to go! Enjoy!

That's it! I hope you can understand the process and enjoy making your ornaments! 

The complete instructions with more pictures, including instruction and template to make a star ornament you can get in my FREE online course Joy of Cartonnage! I hope to see you there!

If you have any question, you can comment below or contact me anytime! I will be very glad to answer you! If you want to share the pictures of your ornaments with me, I will love to see them!

If you like it, please share with your friends!

Have a great preparation for Christmas! 

Claudia

Have great finishing for your Cartonnage and bookbinding projects everytime!

Hello,

As a cartonnage teacher, I know how important is to have great finishing on our Cartonnage projects. If you have had a chance to take classes with me, you know how to have great corners, but, you may have forgot some details..... 

If you didn't take a class with me, then, it is kind of difficult for me to add all the tips on a written instruction. So, I decided to make a video showing in detail how to apply glue and have great and neat corners for all cartonnage projects! The tips are also great for bookbinding!

Watch the video now!

Any question, comments or suggestions? I will be very glad to hear from you! Feel free to contact me anytime: squio.claudia@gmail.com

I hope you enjoy this video! If you like it, please comment, share with your friends!

Thank you so much, enjoy the video!

Claudia

How about making a reusable fabric journal cover?

The first Cartonnage piece I have made using paper, fabric and glue was one reusable journal cover! At that time I fell in love for this amazing technique and couldn't stop anymore...... I love the way we can coordinate fabric, cut different sizes of paper and always have a new and unique piece!

My students love the journal cover, they are so proud of using them and also they have made some of them for gifts. 

That's why I decided to offer an ONLINE class for making a reusable journal cover. In this class you will learn everything to make your own fabric journal cover, using the dimensions I give and cutting your paper, or, buying a DIY kit with all paper needed to make the project. Also, I teach how to make a cover for any size of journal. More than this, you will learn:

- Materials and dimensions

- How to cut paper

- Important tips

- Making the outside of the cover

- Covering the outside with one fabric

- Making the inside of the cover

- Variation 1 - applying elastic to the cover

- Finishing the journal cover

- Final step: taking off the masking tape and other important tips to solve some problems

- Variation 2: covering the outside of the cover with two fabrics

- Variaton 3 - applying button to close the journal

- Variation 4 - reusing cereal boxes to make small journal covers

All these topics are videos (almost 2 h of videos!!) that you will be able to stop, return, pause, and make the project on your own pace! And plus, you will also have  instructions with pictures step by step that you can print it out, make notes and follow when making the project.

And I'm excited to share with you the journal covers an online student made recently, aren't they beautiful?

Take a look what she is talking about this online class:

Claudia does an excellent job of describing the process of Cartonnage. The videos are easy to follow and Claudia explains each step in great detail. You can rewind and fast forward to do the work at your own pace. Claudia will answer any of your questions that come up. Cartonnage does not require any specialized tools  but the toolkit makes things easier. The kits will save you time because all the paper is already cut out. But you can cut the paper out yourself too. Cartonnage is fun and not difficult to learn! I would recommend these videos for anyone interested in learning about Cartonnage. Betsy

You may be are thinking what is the difference between having a local class with me or taking an online class?

I would say, if you live near Indianapolis, then you can take my local classes (one or more), and start making some cartonnage classes there. But if you live far from here, then, the online class it is easier for you. Plus, even if you take local classes, or live nearby, when you are taking online classes you have a chance to start the project and make it at your own pace, you can stop, return, make it in parts..... and you will see all the details as you were right in front of me! And you will have the content available forever.... yes, once you buy a class, you will have unlimited access to it!

You may be are thinking that the online classes are expensive!

I would say that I am working hard to offer the best classes I can. I am asking for feedbacks of the students, and I am including any extra information I think is necessary to the complete understanding of the technique, my goal is to see beautiful covers made by all the students! 

If you have any question, anytime, you can always contact me and I will be very glad to help you finish your project!

I am working alone, so, I am a small business, and don't have a support of the big craft websites to do that, so, when you buy class for me, you are supporting a small business, a teacher, a family!

Plus, you will not see so much other Cartonnage online classes around.

You may be are thinking and what if I don't like the classes?

Don't worry, I dont' want you to be unhappy. If you are unsatisfied with your class, you have 30 days to have a full refund of your money!

If you have any question, please let me know! 

If you want to learn online how to make a reusable journal cover, I am offering a 10% discount OFF for you to start now. Go to:

REUSABLE JOURNAL COVER ONLINE CLASS

I hope to see you there! Any question, I will be very glad to answer you, please contact me!

Claudia

Have you tried Cartonnage?

Do you know what Cartonnage is about? Have you tried this craft?

I have been making Cartonnage for a while and I fell in love for this technique when I made my first project! Since there I am always excited to make a new piece, change fabric, design and get a unique handmade box or case!

As I am also a Cartonnage teacher, I made this video thinking about who wants to know what is cartonnage and also, thinking of my students, that can always take a look on how I cover a piece of paper with fabric.... the base for any Cartonnage project! 

So, take 4 minutes to look at this short video! 

I will be happy to hear from you!

Thanks, 

Claudia

Hello Cartonnage friends!

Learn cartonnage online

I am so happy to let you know that my Online Cartonnage school is now LIVE! 

I have been teaching cartonnage in a store in Noblesville, IN, since beginning of 2014 and my students are making awesome pieces, most of all, special gifts for someone!  And then I decided it is time to start teaching online, so, more people including the ones that are living far from me can start making pieces with this amazing craft!

I have learned Cartonnage online from a Brazilian teacher, and so, I know how important is learning online. Sometimes it is the only option we have, and that was my case.

With online courses, we can learn in the comfort of our houses, using  the time we have. We can stop and return the videos many times as we need. And more, we can take our time to make the projects and enjoy a lot!

As the school is starting, I have a few courses now, but I am planning to add more periodically. 

Right now, I am offering a FREE class with one ebook with basic information about the technique. Also, in this class I will add some simple projects using paper, fabric and glue, periodically. 

Another basic class teaching everything you need to know to get started in cartonnage with videos is already available! 

New classes to make a refilable journal cover and to make boxes are coming soon! They are already on a Pre-sale, so, if you want to get the best price for these classes, now it is the time!

I will be always working to offer great videos where you will be able to see every step in detail and make beautiful Cartonnage pieces, as my local students are making.

Don't forget to enroll for FREE in the course JOY OF CARTONNAGE. That's my gift for who wants to learn more about Cartonnage!  DON'T MISS THIS!! .... the first simple project is already there waiting for you....

So, why not take a look right now?

CLICK HERE TO GO TO CARTONNAGE SCHOOL

Contact me if you have any question, comments or suggestions! I will love to hear from you. You can comment below, or email me: squio.claudia@gmail.com. 

Thanks, and Happy Cartonnage time!

Claudia

Online Cartonnage classes are coming soon!!

                          I will start teaching Cartonnage online very soon....

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Let's start making some Cartonnage Christmas gifts!

We gonna start making Christmas gifts next month! New projects that will be great for home decoration or to make and give to someone special!!

The classes are at Always in Stitches, Noblesville, IN!

September 09 - Fabric covered cards and tray

INFORMATION AND  SIGN UP HERE

September 16 - Tissue box cover and Christmas sign

INFORMATION AND SIGN UP HERE

JOIN US!!

A dream come true!! My new Cartonnage studio !

When I started working on Cartonnage 3 years ago, I didn’t know how much I would love this technique…. The reality is that I am just addicted to that! Turning paper, fabric and glue into beautiful and functional pieces is what has turned my life so colorful and happy!

  

3 years ago I started working on my laundry room, and I had enough space there. Then, I started making more and more projects and also teaching this and then, the space was so little for me and I also moved for my guest room…. But, when my mother-in-law came to visit me last year, I had to go to somewhere else… then, my unfinished basement was the solution for that moment…and for the following year! Over there all my stuff were at the same place, but you know,  was cold, and weird….. but I made a lot of beautiful projects there, even in that situation…

This year we have decided to improve our home and finish our basement,  and….. make one bedroom as my new studio!!  I was so excited!! Many things to think about, to organize, planning the layout, what kind of furniture would fit in a 12 x 12 ft bedroom and make it a functional Cartonnage studio.  

During the construction I moved all my stuff again to the laundry and guest room….

We bought the furniture and my husband assembled them while the basement was not totally done. Last week  and over the weekend we put everything in place and this week I have started making some projects there…..and it is more than I was expecting…… wonderful….so functional…… I guess I will make many wonderful projects down there from now!!

Here I would like to share with you a little bit of this dream that come true!

 I hope you enjoy!

Welcome to my Cartonnage studio

After thinking, planning,  I decided to make my studio all of IKEA furniture.  I wanted to have all white furniture, and make some tables adapted for my work.  I had a layout already planned, so we went to the nearest IKEA and spent all day there looking, separating, picking up and bringing home all we need! It was a long day…..

When we went home, our basement was over construction, so, my husband started assembling the furniture in our family room……. What a mess!!

Finally our basement was almost done. Here are some pictures of the construction.

Construction finished was time to start putting all furniture in place, moving all my stuff from the laundry /guest room for the new Cartonnage studio! So so excited!!

Here is how it works out! I just can say….. I LOVE it so much!!!  

Many many thanks for my lovely husband Jederson for all his effort to help me make this Dream come TRUE!!

Also many thanks for all my students that have encouraged me to create more and more..... you gals are awesome!!

  

I will decorate a little bit more, but I have already added some "details" that I like to make the place even more comfy!!

Do you liked it? I hope so! Make what we love in a right place is more than happiness.... I am blessed! 

Now I am ready for the next step......  videos showing how to make some of my projects.... reusable journal covers, fabric covered boxes..... and more...... 

Would you like to know how to make Cartonnage projects?? Then, don't miss this!!! Follow me here, sign up for my newsletter, like my facebook page, follow me on Pinterest..... and you will not miss anything!! The first video will come in Fall.... tell your friends, help me spread the news:

Like my Facebook page 
Go to my website
Follow me on Pinterest
Sign up for my Newsletter on the top of my blog

See you soon!!

Best wishes,

Claudia

New and challenging cartonnage projects! A tool box and a purse!

Hello friends!

I have worked a lot to put so many pieces of paper and fabric together to make these beautiful projects! 

The first one is a Cartonnage tool box! A perfect way to keep your cartonnage tools (or other tools and stuffs) organized!

The other one is a purse! I still need to make some improvements on it, but I am so happy with the results so far!! 

We can use it to hold sewing stuffs, colored pencils, but for sure, we can use it for more purposes.... I am thinking on more possibilities to use it!

Great Cartonnage and bookbinding tool!

Do you want to have nice and neat corners in your Cartonnage or Bookbinding projects? Then, you need to check this cool tool>> corner miter tool! It is so helpful, practical and easy to use!  Look at the pictures below:

Just place the tool on the corner of your project and cut the fabric (or paper), with a rottary cutter:

Here is the result:

You will have the correct fabric spacing on the corner to fold over the chipboard and have a neat finishing on your corner: 

After folding  your fabric over the cardboard, take a look how your corner will looks like. Isn't easy and great??

Do you need more information about how to cover a piece of  cardboard with fabric? Look at more information  HERE

If you want to buy this cool tool, it is available on my Etsy store  HERE

New art with my new logo and denim collection!

Still working on my Denim collection, I decided to try a new art based on my new logo (the flower on it!) I have tried some options, like cross stitch, embroidery, but the one I most like is that one, using paper backed fabric on white fabric! I hope you like it!