DIY Gift Card Holder

DIY Gift Card Holder/Ornament

Tutorial and BOGO Offer

We decided to bring our blog to you along with a special Black Friday BOGO offer! First, a fun tutorial the way we present them on the blog; and next, an unbeatable offer exclusively from Modesty Matters!

Sometimes finding the perfect gift for that special someone can be difficult. One thing that never gets old or goes out of style is gift cards. I know what you’re thinking….boring. Right? Not when you add some of your personalized handiwork to the presentation. You can make a very simple, yet touching (because you took the time to make it yourself with them in mind – scroll down to the bottom to see other great options) gift card holder that can double as an ornament or be re-used by the recipient to present a similar gift to another person. These are great for Christmas, Chanukah, birthdays, a thank you, a teacher appreciation gift, rewards – pretty much any occasion that calls for a gift. The options are limitless. Choose colors appropriate for the celebration, or the recipient’s favorite color.

www.ModestyMatters.net

Materials:

• 1-8½ X 11″ piece of felt for the main color
• 1-8½ X 11″ piece of felt for the accent color
• Embroidery Floss
• Embroidery Hand Sewing Needle
• 6-8 inches of ⅜” Grosgrain ribbon
• Liquid Seam Sealant or a Lighter
• Sharp Scissors
• Pins

Instructions:

Cut two 3″ X 4″ rectangles from the main color.

Cut ½” wide strip the length of the piece of felt (using the longer side) from the accent color.

Place the strip vertically centered on one of the rectangles. Align the top edge of your rectangle with the top edge of the accent strip. Pin this piece in place. Trim off the excess.

Thread your embroidery needle with about 18 inches of all 6 strands of embroidery floss. (Embroidery floss is actually 6 strands of thread twisted together to make a thicker piece.) Knot off the end. Coming in from the under side, tack the middle of this vertical strip in place with a single stitch. Leave this as is – without knotting off the single stitch – while you place the left-over piece of felt from before.

www.ModestyMatters.net

Carefully make a knot with the left-over piece of felt. (Avoid pulling or tugging too hard on the felt as it may separate.) Place this knotted piece in the center horizontally and pin it in place (optional). I simply eyeballed the area that would be covered by this strip.

Back to the embroidery needle and thread: Creating a French Knot

Choose a random place to come up from the under side. Once you’ve pulled the thread through, hold the thread with your free hand, and use the needle to pull the floss, near the felt, towards you. Wrap the needle three times with the floss.

www.ModestyMatters.net

Now take the needle and insert it into the felt immediately next to the place where it came out of the felt. Use your free hand to keep the wrapped thread touching the felt as you pull the needle back through.

www.ModestyMatters.net

Pull the needle and the length of thread all of the way through while holding the wrapped thread. Gently pull until taught.

This is basically what your knot should look like from the top side.

www.ModestyMatters.net

Now, choose a few other random places to repeat this process until you are happy with the decoration you have created.

www.ModestyMatters.net

Now, we’re ready to secure the front piece that we’ve pinned and decorated to the back piece. Layer the two rectangles and re-insert the pins through all layers.

Back to the embroidery needle and thread: Creating a Blanket Stitch

The blanket stitch is often used to bind the edge of a piece of fabric that will not unravel, in a decorative fashion.

This time, separate the strands of embroidery floss so that you are only using two strands for this set of stitches. Knot off the end, and then insert the needle from the back side of the front rectangle about ¼ inch from the edge.

www.ModestyMatters.net

Pull the thread through to the knot and then insert the needle ¼ inch away vertically through both layers of felt.

www.ModestyMatters.net

Do not pull this all the way through. Leave a small loop. Take the needle and come up from the back side through that open loop and tighten.

www.ModestyMatters.net

Then, repeat this process all of the way around the piece.

Inserting the Grosgrain Ribbon: Before you reach the corner, seal the ends of your ribbon with either a quick pass of a lighter (which melts the fibers together) or with liquid seam sealant. Pin the ribbon between the layers, and incorporate it into your blanket stitch as just another layer to pierce with the needle.

www.ModestyMatters.net

REMEMBER TO ONLY STITCH THE DECORATIVE LAYER (not through both layers) ALONG THE TOP.  (We need that opening in order to insert the gift card.)

Knot it off at the end, and try to conceal this knot between the layers.

You did it! Good work!

You CAN Sew!

www.ModestyMatters.net

Would you like more gift-giving ideas?

CHECK OUT OUR BOGO OFFER BELOW!

---

Please visit us online for our Black Friday BOGO on

You CAN Sew: Gifts for Him 

and

You CAN Sew: Gifts for Her!  

SAVE $24.95!

Keep them both for yourself and make your gifts this year, or give the gift of skill by sharing one of your copies with a friend or loved one. Just add one of these two titles to your cart and we’ll automatically send you the other title for FREE! (This offer is valid NOW through November 25, 2011)

Do you ever struggle with what to get that special someone, or how to wrap it? Are you unsure of how to show them that you care without spending a small fortune? The solution is here! “You CAN Sew: Gifts for Him” and “You CAN Sew: Gifts for Her” offers many simple, do-able suggestions for handmade gifts from the heart. All you need is a sewing machine, thread, scissors, and some fabric, one or both of these reusable DVD sets, and you are on your way! These step-by-step DVD sets alone are also great gifts for loved ones who enjoy working with their hands.

“You CAN Sew: Gifts for Him” includes the following titles:

• The Grill Apron
• The Grill Mitt
• A Handsome Gift Bag
• A Handy Nail Apron
• Leisure Pants (with a pocket)

“You CAN Sew: Gifts for Her” includes the following titles:

• The Decorative Pillowcase
• Drawer Sachet
• Flattering Kitchen Apron
• Drawstring Satchel
• Gusseted Gift Bag with French Seams

When you really care about someone, you want them to feel loved. Showing them by using your skills to create something, with just them in mind, is a great place to begin. Just knowing that they were worth your time and energy is sure to please even the pickiest of folks! Get ready for the heartfelt, ear-to-ear grins you’ll be getting because You CAN Sew!

Warmly,

Jen & Dee

Start taking advantage of this special offer now!

Thank you for supporting Small Business Success!

---

We’ve joined the following hops to share our ideas this week: (Please visit one, or all, of these great sites for countless free project ideas and inspiration! If you are visiting from one of these great sites, thank you for coming!Your comments are truly appreciated.)

MONDAY:

TUESDAY:

WEDNESDAY:

THURSDAY:

FRIDAY:

SATURDAY:
 

Visit us online for other great projects and products!

www.ModestyMatters.net