Crafting for Charity

One of Haute Papier's 2010 initiatives is to return to the wonderful world of crafting that we thoroughly enjoyed (read - had time for) prior to launching Haute Papier.  Many of our accomplishments with Haute Papier can be traced directly to growing up crafting and we figured getting back in the swing of things will only get the creative juices flowing in new ways! After chatting with a close friend about these new found goals, it didn't take her too long to introduce me to the idea of crafting for charity.  Each month, her crafting club donates their beautiful goods to Made 4 Aid (an organization dedicated to relief work in Darfur).  Next month's dontations, however, will be sent to Craft Hope for Haiti - an new Etsy shop benefiting Doctor's Without Borders in Haiti.  Crafters may make their donation directly through Craft Hope.  Non-crafters need not feel left out - simply pledge your support by purchasing from a ton of wonderfully hand-crafted items on the Etsy store!

Tie it Up!

We do A LOT of bow tying around here all year long, but especially during the holidays when items are drop shipped directly to the recipient.  To adorn your boxes with beautiful bows simply grab a couple of rolls of ribbon and follow the directions below from Better Homes & Gardens.

click here for the dior bow

click here for the florist bow

click here for the tiered bow

click here for the two-toned bow

click here for the classic bow

Wrap to your heart's content

At Haute Papier, we agonize over the perfect gift wrap.  Whether it's wrapping everything in the same paper with the same bows or personalized paper and embellishments for each recipient, we (and by we, I mean me, Sarah) think about it for months.  Is it better to have the overwhelming abundance of different colors and patterns under the tree or the symbiotic and classic look of kraft paper with green grosgrain bows?  What have I done this year, you're just going to have to wait and see, but until then here are a bunch of ideas for wrapping and embellishing to your hearts contest! 1. Linea Paper Garland (I know, I already shared this earlier this week, but I couldn't resist resharing) 2. Quilled Snowflake Ornament (isn't this the most beautiful package topper?!) 3. Don't Open Tags 4. Translucent Wrapping (the simple folding and refolding of tissue paper is so beautiful!) 5. Cut Flower Bow (this is really simple - just cut the loops of a premade bow and voila!) 6. Divine Twine 7. Kraft Paper Wrap (I love adorning packages with pieces of greens from the yard) 8. Sewing Patterns as Gift Wrap

Crafty Weekend Fun

For all the DC locals reading, I wanted to share the news that this weekend "Handmade Nation", Faythe Levine's much hyped short documentary on the resurgence of crafting and DIY in the US, will be playing at the Renwick Gallery on Saturday at 2pm.  The event is open to the public and from everything I've read, the film is a must see.  Sadly, I won't be able to make the free showing, but I'm happy the dvd released this month.  It can be purchased at buyolympia.com.  It's definitely going on my stocking stuffer wish list!

For more information on "Handmade Nation", check out Faythe Levine's blog.

A Plum, Lavender and Butter Affair!

As promised here's a "sweet" recap from the baby shower that Jackie and I hosted for Erin this past weekend.  All of the desserts were homemade - you can find the recipes on The District Domestic.  We'll be showing how to make the pomanders in a DIY next week - stay tuned :)