blackboard painted jar labels

hello lovely readers!


happy 2013! hope you have had a wonderful break over the holiday season; whatever it may have entailed.


let's face it; resolutions; they ain't ever what we hope they'll be.. those first few days are great and then BAM everything seems a little harder to continue. but hey - maybe that's just me!... i therefore thought of a more realistic project to get the year going, which is to help organize all my bits and bobs. heck knows i do have a lot of bots and bobs laying about the house. i am a bit of a collector - my usual crafty mantra is "waste not; want not!" so in this case i'm collecting some of the jars we emptied over the christmas period and making them into muti-purposeful//re-usable storage containers (which look pretty fab if i do say so myself!)


first things first! what will you need?

i'm branching out a little from my usual crafty creations sourced from soley around the home - but it will be well worth it!

you will need //

//a couple of recycled [clean] jars with their lids
//sticky tape
//a permanent marker
//a paint brush (preferably and old one)
//chalkboard/black board paint (sourced from my local hardware for $10 for a 100ml pot - trust me - this stuff goes a long way! i've used enamel based paint as i'm using it on glass - however a water-based version is also available)
//a piece of chalk
//a cloth for wiping up mistakes



recommended with enamel-based paint 

//gloves and old painting clothes
//face mask
//turps/nail polish remover [for cleaning the brush and any booboos - only for enamel based paint]

note: i know this is old hat, but i'm chucking it in anyway! always paint somewhere well ventilated.

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step one // framin' it baby

i'm going for a crisp/clean looking label; some i'm using sticky tape as a border to create a straight lined rectangle (if you would like to create a more rustic look this step isn't necessary). using 4 lengths of sticky tape create a rectangle of your choosing - smooth down any bubbles or air gaps as the paint will get through. i've tried to make it as centred as possible for ease of reading.

i've traced a rough shape onto the sticky tape, as a guide, so i know where to paint.. that sticky tape can get lost on those clear jars..

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step two // paintin'!

get a small amount of paint on your brush and paint in a horizontal direction across the rectangle - this will make the final product look as even as possible. add more paint to get an even distribution..

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step three // let her dry

pop the finished jar in a well ventilated spot to dry - in this current heat mine are drying super fast - but you can allow half an hour if you want to be sure.

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step four // peelin'

after the paint has dried; slowly peel off the sticky tape and hey presto - reusable label central, population you.

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step five // chalk it up

as soon as your jars are dry, chalk away!

NIFTY TRICK: a neat little tip i picked up working in a cafe - use cola or any sugary soft drink to wipe the label clean - this dissolves ALL the chalk and leaves it looking like new again without any chalky white residue!

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the best thing about these jars is you can use them again and again for different things without the hassle of printing new labels! think spice racks people! OR as the current trend of using jars as drinking vessels - why not use them as the ultimate personalized drink?! perhaps as a gift from such an occasion?! the sky's the limit with these little babies.

happy crafting!

love g

xx

it's a wrap. [make your own wrapping paper] #2

right-o lovely readers! here is the tutorial for wrap design #2!
it's just as easy as the #1 tutorial only this time we'll be using an old wine cork. wine corks are fab for creating stamps - they are basically already in the right shape and all you really need to do is cut off the end, trace a shape and cut it out!

below is an image of what you'll be creating.

  

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what will you need?

materials

// string & ribbon

// scissors

// a stencil knife

// a pencil for tracing

// stamps

// a gift tag [optional]

// a cork [or eraser]

// kraft paper [or brown paper]

// an ink pad

other bits and bobs you can add for decorations

// a ruler

// sticky tape

step one // turning a cork into a stamp

to make your stamp - we'll be using the bobble end of the cork; this means we can use the other end to hold while stamping.

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step two // trace a shape onto the cork

trace a shape with a lead pencil onto the bobble end of the cork; i'm doing a triangle to create a sort-of-snow-like effect. the nature of the cork also makes the stamping effect look quite rustic. carefully cut off the rounded end to make the surface flat and then trace a shape of your choice. try and go for a shape with angles as it's much easier to cut than rounded shapes. again; carefully follow the traced lines cutting down about 5mm-10mm then by cutting on the side as you did to level of the rounded shape off the top, gently cut with the stencil knife until you get to edge of the triangle.

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step three // stamp away!

next is the fun part - stamping! do a couple of test stamps on a scrap piece of paper so you get the result you like. cut an appropriate sized piece of kraft paper to fit you present. using the ink pad - press the stamp on a couple of times to get the ink well dispersed across the shape.

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step four // wrap away!

to finish my present up i've used a piece of brown string tied over a red ribbon to give contrast to the colour used on the present - with a hand typed gift tag!

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step five // gift tag [optional]

here's another quick idea for a gift tag! i've cut out a piece of card with my pinking shears to create a zig-zagged effect matching the triangles. i've used my typewriter to type you a message but you can get the same effect using this free downloadable font off one of my favourite websites called DaFont - and just print one off your computer [i've linked it to the typewriter fonts page] - just download the file to an appropriate folder, then - open control panel, go into "fonts" and drag the text file out of downloaded zip file into the "fonts" file and it will automatically appear in all you programs!

happy crafting!

love g xx

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here's another quick and cheap idea! - using some vintage music sheets i picked up from the op shop for about 50 cents - i've covered a present to make a beautiful and distinct effect.

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i'd love you to share any of your fab ideas for stamps and christmas present wrapping!

it's a wrap. [make your own wrapping paper] #1

hello dear readers.

one thing i love to do at at any present wrapping occasion is customise my own wrapping paper and gift tags. it's super easy and loads of fun! i love coming up with new ways to put spins on last years efforts. here are a couple of ideas for you try, share or make.

using various recyclable and reusable materials found around the house; i'm going to make my own stamps, which will create the pattern we will use to design our own super fab wrapping paper.

i'm using the lid off an old eye-liner pen and a wine cork - however you can use almost anything you like depending on what shape you want to achieve.

below is a pic of the #1 wrapping design you'll be creating.

 

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but first things first. what will you need?

 

 

materials

// string & ribbon

// scissors

// a pencil for tracing

// stamps

// a gift tag [optional]

// an old pen lid [i'm using an old eye-liner pencil lid]

// kraft paper [or brown paper]

// an ink pad

other bits and bobs you can add for decorations

// a ruler

// a feather

 

 

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#1. style wrap // pen lid

to create this simple yet effective result i have used an eye-liner lid - however any lid of a similar shape will do.

 

 

step one // made to measure

 

start off by grabbing some kraft paper [or brown paper] and then measure the present you are going to wrap so you don't under allocate.

 

 

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step two // stamp away

 

grab your stamp implement - i'm using the lid off an old eye-liner pen. i'm using the 'flat side/the top' to create a 'rough' circle. you can use so many different things from around the home - such a toothpaste lids. this is a new spin on the old "potato stamp"!. i'm also using a red stamp pad instead of paint; mainly because it dries instantly, saving you time and mess associated with paint.

 

 

 

 

 

// stamp in whatever pattern you'd like; i'm going for a bit more of an even spotty page.

 

 

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step three // the final design

once you've finished you stamping; you're basically done! this took me about 2 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

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step four // wrap it up!

 

the final step is to wrap it! i've used brown string, a plain gift tag stamped with some of my alphabet stamps and a feather from the paddock and hey presto; you have a present wrapped in a super-duper quick and easy.

 

happy wrapping!

 

love g xx

 

stay tuned for my "it's a wrap #2" on how to use an old wine cork to design a custom stamp.

 

 

 

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a few of my favourite things

hello hunter gatherer makers!

hope you are all well.

i thought it would be great to share some of my favourite things i use when crafting. these objects are bits and pieces i use time and time again. 

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[lead pencil, a quality felt tip pen, cutting mat, metal ruler + stencil knife]

i know these objects are old hat, but they're super handy to have and come in useful for pretty much any crafty project so i thought i'd chuck 'em in anyway. a good quality cutting mat and stencil knife will make crafty times way easier and will decrease the chances of causing nasty accidents.


[kraft paper]

kraft/craft/brown - whatever your craft shop/stockist calls it; it's dead handy and a truly multipurpose item. i'm lucky enough to have it stocked at my university's 'uni books' shop and costs a measly 50 cents for an A1 sized piece! i use this for almost everything and it adds a certain somethin' somethin' compared to ordinary white paper.
i use it in present wrapping, label making, to sketch on.. the list is endless! another great thing about this paper is that is generally made of recycled paper - and itself is recyclable.


[paper luggage tag]

these little babies are super cheap and come in rows of four and cost around 25 cents [for a row] depending on what size. the are a quick and fantastic way to customize any present, gift bag or even making a personalized/seasonal garland! they are plain enough that you have as much artistic licence as you would like.
[note: i'm really excited to show you these tags made up in my upcoming christmas present wrapping ideas post - stay tuned peeps]


[brown string]

you can seriously never underestimate the use of a ball of string. brown string [or hessian string] you can pick up from your local supermarket for not that much. i use this [again] for present wrapping, hanging cards, garlands, necklaces.... so many uses.


[pinking shears]

i picked these old dress-maker's pinking shears up from a vintage store in melbourne for about $20. they are fab for cutting zig-zaged patterns into paper or material.

 

[stamps]

to be quite frank; i'm obsessed with stamps. lettered stamps, numbered stamps, stamps with animals, stamps with patterns, old stamps, new stamps... well; you get the jist! anyway; stamps! - they are a fab way of customising any gift or crafty project. there a few particular sets which i use quite a lot.

/// webster's pictorial stamps [you can find them here]
    these delightful flora and fauna stamps are probably my
    favourite and have been designed from the original webster's
    dictionary pictorials. eye candy to the max.

/// tea pot + cup and owl + tree [you can find them here]
    these bad boys were a fab find. they come in packs of different
    scenes so you can customize to your heart's desire. they are by
    yellow owl workshop.

/// letters and numbers
    i've got a couple of different letter and number packs which are
    great for variation. the larger of the two are by
    cavallini and co. the smaller pack was given to me as a gift so
    apologies i cannot forward you the brand, however i have seen
    them floating about in various niche gift shops!

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[typewriter]

i'm not kidding when i say this is my baby. i love this thing to bits and use it far to much considering it's almost giving in. i picked it up from my dear friend's vintage shop vinatge carousel. there's something about old objects that are still working isn't there? perhaps it's my nostalgic love for objects from a different time, but it's true when they coin the phrase; "they dont make 'em like they use to". i love that the way it almost carries it's own secret life story; it's almost humbling to think that this old thing had a life and use probably before i was born. i use my typewriter for anything and everything in-between. writing gift tags, wall art, badge paper, little notes.... it just makes everything more fun. i picked it up for about $30 which is pretty darn good considering some of the prices i've seen around the place for them! don't fret though! - i do see them often around opshops and vintage stores for not too much. happy tapping and typing!


what are your favourite things to use when crafting? i'd love to know!

happy crafting

g xx

paper flower present topper

hello all!

 

for the first project in hunter gatherer maker i thought it would be great to do something easy and something that is fun and cheap. as you may know; i focus on using items already in the house and try to reuse and recycle as much as i can so you can just whip up crafty projects with bits and bobs you already have.

 

so what better way to  do that than by learning how to make a paper flower present topper?!

 

this little baby is a fab idea for adding that little somethin' extra to chrissy presents; but also for birthday and wedding/engagement presents. they also make fab table decorations!

 

 

below is a snap of what you'll be making!

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[step one] what do i need?

> scissors
> brown twine or string
> a pencil for tracing
> kraft paper [or brown paper] [picked this up from my art shop for 
  about 50 cents for an a1 sheet!]
> a couple of pages from a newspaper, book or music book
> buttons
> a thick sewing needle or pin board pin

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[step two] tracing the template

i've whipped up a simple template with three different sizes of flowers you can create for different sized presents. i've used the "large A and large B" for my flower; however you can make them bigger or smaller when you print, just by changing the settings on your printer from a4 to a3.

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[step three] tracing the templates and cutting them out

pick a size that best suits your sized present and trace both matching sizes [i've used large A and large B] for my example i've cut out 4 x large A and 3 x large B. i've also chosen to use newspaper as my base material however feel free to use any other type of paper such as old christmas paper, sheet music or magazines!

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[step four] putting it all together

lay the templates on top of one another with the templates 'A' at the bottom and templates 'B' on the top. you can line them up so they match each other or arrange them in a mis-match fashion - whatever you think looks good! place the button [of your choice] on the centre and using the pin/needle poke through the button holes through all templates to the other side. this will enable you to work the hole with the pin to make it a wee bit wider to poke the string through. cut a sizable length of string so you can wrap it around the whole present. i've only threaded string through two holes of the button; but use all four if you'd like! pull the string through so it is of even lengths and tie a small knot on the bottom side to stop the templates from moving.

 

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[step five] bringing the flower to life

 

gently fold some of the petals from each template flowers[but not all] in a tee-pee shape to make it look 3D. this makes it sit more nicely on the present.

 

 

 

 

 

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[step six] attaching it to the present

 

lay the flower of the top of the present and tie the length of string around the underside of the present and bring across the top and tie back underneath for a crisp and clean finish. attaching a handmade gift tag also add a neat little component [i've cut a small amount of kraft paper; used my type writer to write a greeting and stamped a pine cone stamp on the bottom]

 

et voila! you have your paper flower present topper! i'd love to know how you went and if there's anything you need me to explain more - just send me an email.

 

happy crafting! xx

 

 

 

 

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here's another idea for the same paper flower... use as a neat little table decoration! simply place on a piece of kraft paper on a plate and tie some string in a bow around some cutlery!

 

 

 

 

 

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COMING SOON

hello friends!

the blog 'hunter gatherer maker' is coming soon.. it is super exciting for me as it is a project i've be keen on embarking on for a very long time..

but what is 'hunter gatherer maker'?

hunter gatherer maker is a blog for anyone and everyone.. it will be a place to teach, learn and share.

i will be posting "how to's" on simple, cheap craft ideas and recipes for people of all skill levels and of any age.

my main focus is using things you find in and about your house to create wonderful gifts or personal crafty projects. with an additional focus on reuse and recycling.

i hope you'll get just as excited as me over the coming weeks as the blog takes shape; especially as holiday season is fast approaching and fun, cheap and quick crafty/foodie projects are just the ticket.

take care.

g xx