Homemade Embellishments

So, the Counterfeit Kit Challenge has inspired me to make some of my own embellishments. The CKC blog has posted several tutorials. First up, I tried making the watermelons. They were really easy since I used my Cricut to cut out all the circles. The seeds on the watermelon "flower" were made using the bird punch from Stampin' Up (they are the leaves from the branch). I used the Cricut once again to cut letters from printed cardstock. The Cricut is a great tool for making embellishments! I didn't even come close to utilizing it to its potential!

Next, I tried making my own Baker's Twine from crochet thread and markers. I had a really difficult time getting the color even. While this would work, my perfectionism will have me ordering the real stuff once I use up what I've made.

I also had mixed results making my own washi tape. I think it was more of a trial and error to find out what works on different types of tape. The paper tape was my favorite. It took color better and dried faster. The masking tape was more difficult to color and took longer to dry. It was a good project to work on while I was watching TV. Since neither of these are acid free, I'll only be using this on cards and altered items.

So, I think that fabric buttons may be my new addiction. I used a gift card to buy a few supplies. I decided to buy some white patterned fabric. I tested dying the fabric and was happy to discover that the pattern became more pronounced! I used spray mists (from Maya Road and Tattered Angels). I also used ink pads to color the fabric after I had dampened it. I'm excited that the few scraps of fabric that I purchased will be able to work on a variety of projects since I can use supplies I already have to dye it the desired color!

It definitely saves money to make my own embellishments, which leave me money for more paper! So, that definitely makes me happy!