It's in the bag: deck the halls with multi-functional paper purses

Expression, Nov-Dec, 2004 by Judy Ross

Panic setting in? Too many gifts left to buy and not enough time. Tis the season to get your creative juices flowing and spend an evening designing and decorating multi-functional bags for the holidays. Why not dress up that naked holiday table with these paper purses as place settings? How about adding a little femininity to that tired tree? Or perhaps you want to tuck a little treat inside and give as a gift.

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In an ideal world, you would stamp and decorate all these purses starting in September and finishing way before the holiday season--but in our world. "Last Minute Annie" is a very good friend. Let us be the catalyst in your creative journey of holiday place settings, decorations, or tiny gifts.

INSTRUCTIONS

To begin, trace the provided pattern onto white 80lb card stock. Score the broken lines. Fold so the broken lines will be the inside of the purse. Fold and unfold. Now it's time to decorate the inside--here, you have several options. You can paint the inside (where the broken lines are) a specific color or line with decorative paper (see inside of Decorative Paper purse on the next page).

After you complete the inside and fold the bag, now decorate the outside. Again you have several options. One easy option is to adhere embossed paper, ribbon, beaded trim, buttons, glitter and other ephemera.

To decorate the Jingle Rein-dog purse, stamp purse with Inkadinkado's HO HO HO directly onto purse and then stamp Stamps Happen Dog Deer (Rein-dog image) onto separate paper. Cut out and color. Varnish with Mod-Podge to add strength. Then string small bells with 22-gauge wire and glue to Rein-dog.

To create the names on Buttons and Ribbons and Lighting the Way, use a clear press-on alphabet. Put gold leafing onto a small piece of sticker paper. Place letters on and cut out and adhere to purse.

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For Lighting the Way purse, mix equal parts of a quick-set molding compound, and press a Christmas light into this. Let it set up--a couple minutes at most. This will become your mold for the clay. Press Lumina Clay into mold. This is an air-dried clay that dries to resemble bake-able polymer clays. Let air dry--less than 24 hours. Paint with Primary Elements and highlight with Rub 'N Buff.

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To make the clasp for Clay Closure, cut a circle from chipboard and cover with copper tape. Roll out some Black Hearty Clay and stamp with American Art Stamp Close Up Sun. Make sure stamp has a release agent--pigment ink, olive oil, corn starch, etc. Let air dry Paint with Primary Elements. Add copper wire, beads and glitter.

Make sure you complete the backs of the purses. Remember if you use these bags as table settings, the guests that are sitting across the table will be looking at the backside of the purses so it's important you make the backside as creative as the front! To complete, add tassels, jute, fibers, ribbon and chain for the handles.

RELATED ARTICLE: MATERIALS

PROVIDED PATTERN

CARD STOCK -- WHITE (80LB)

DECORATIVE PAPER

EMBOSSED PAPER

WHITE GLUE

BEACON[TM] FABRI-TAC[R] ADHESIVE

STYLUS

RULER

SCISSORS

LUMINA[R] CLAY

PRESS-ON LETTERS

BROWN KRAFT PAPER

ALLEY GOOP MOLDING PUTTY

MARKERS

ACRYLIC PAINT

SPONGE

PAPER PLATE

MEMORIES[TM] INK -- BLACK

TSUKINEKO[R] ENCORE[R] INK -- GOLD

RUB 'N BUFF[R] -- GOLD

LUMINARTE'S PRIMARY ELEMENTS[TM]

AMY'S MAGIC[TM] LEAF -- GOLD

MOD-PODGE[R] -- MATTE

CHIP BOARD

COPPER TAPE

HEARTY[R] CLAY -- BLACK

PAPER PALETTE[TM]

FOAM BRUSH

NAPKIN

METALLIC RUB-ONS

JEWELRY FINDINGS

FRIENDLY PLASTIC[R]

STAMPS -- HOLIDAY BACKGROUND (UPTOWN RUBBER STAMPS); DOG DEER (STAMPS HAPPEN); HO HO HO (INKADINKADO); CLOSE UP SUN (AMERICAN ART STAMPS)

MISCELLANEOUS -- RIBBON, FIBERS, JUTE, GOLD BALL CHAIN, TASSELS, BEADED FRINGE/TRIM, BELLS, WIRE, DECORATIVE BUTTONS, GLITTER, SMALL CHRISTMAS LIGHT, ETC.