stationery – Hunt & Gather Home

So glad to have you back for Design Crush project No. 2. Today we’ll put those cute and clever greeting cards to use. Here’s the Rifle Paper Co. card that inspired this project for updating the art in my master bedroom.

A clipboard is a cute and easy way to display cards, but I bought this card with another idea in mind.

Here’s the artwork above the bed that needed a little tweaking.

It took me the longest time to decide what to hang over the bed. The wall needed something extra due to the ceiling height, but a large piece of artwork would compete with the bed frame. So, I dusted off some old frames, popped in some scrapbook paper, and painted our initials. That was three years ago.

However, something about the “A” had been bothering me for awhile, and when I recently found the Happily Ever After card, I knew it would be the perfect piece to make a subtle yet satisfying change.

Once you have your framed paper ready, it’s easy to create

DESIGN CRUSH DIY: GREETING CARD ART

STEP ONE: GATHER SUPPLIES

Framed paper / Greeting Card (envelope optional) / Double-sided tape / Scissors / Photo Corners / Scotch Removable Foam Squares

STEP TWO: LAYOUT YOUR CARD

This was an important step in my case. Since I was trying to hide the “A” I realized I needed to use the envelope as well as the card. Laying out the envelope and card before applying adhesive ensures that you get the placement perfect.

STEP THREE: TAPE CARD TOGETHER

I chose not to cut the cover off of my card before framing. Instead I cut several pieces of double-sided tape, placed them on the inside of the open card, gently closed the card and pressed it together to ensure that the card would stay closed when hanging on the wall.

STEP FOUR: ATTACH ENVELOPE

Place the taped card aside and cut several more strips of double-sided tape to adhere to the back (flap-side) of your envelope. Then gently press the envelope to the scrapbook paper to secure in place.

STEP FIVE: ADD PHOTO CORNERS

Slip one photo corner on each of the four corner of the card.

STEP SIX: ATTACH FOAM SQUARES

Four adhesive foam squares should be enough to securely attach the greeting card to the envelope/framed paper. I made sure to place the foam squares over the back of the photo corners to ensure that they stayed in place.

STEP SEVEN: ATTACH CARD

Flip your card over and double-check the placement before gently pressing the card in place on top of the envelope/framed paper. The foam squares will bring some dimension to the piece. You can achieve less dimension by putting the entire piece behind glass or by using photo splits or double sided tape instead of foam squares.

STEP EIGHT: HANG AND ENJOY

I’m pleased with how this simple project turned out. Not only does the card pick up the colors of the scrapbook paper perfectly, but the hand-written font and sweet little message are gentle reminders that, even amidst the struggles of life, I can choose to love and live happily ever after.

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Next in this DIY series, I’ll show you an easy and fool proof way (I promise) to create beautiful, hand-painted lettering.

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Design Crush DIY: Framed Paper

January 14, 2014January 14, 2014 Hunt and Gather Home

Welcome back to the blog! I hope the previous post got you thinking about stationery in a different way. Today, I’m looking forward to showing you one of my favorite (and one of the easiest) ways to get your favorite paper goods out of your desk drawer and onto the walls of your home.

But first, here are the three Rifle Paper Co. products that I own:

Wildflower Wrapping Sheet / Happily Ever After card / 2013 Cities Calendar

I splurged on the Cities Calendar last year because I loved all of the prints and knew that I would reuse them long after the calendar itself was outdated. More recently I found the Happily Ever After card at Anthropologie and fell in love with the color scheme and the font. It sparked an idea for my bedroom, the results of which you’ll see later on this week. And finally, I fell for the wildflower floral print on a recent trip to visit my sister-in-law. Again, it was the colors that got me. In particular, the faint blue-green flower that perfectly matches my kitchen walls. I knew just the spot to hang a framed section of this beautiful print.

Here’s an upclose view of the floral print. This is a singular sheet of wrapping paper that I got for about $5, which is expensive for one sheet of wrapping paper, but completely affordable for a framed print. I love that the flowers are thick and chunky with visible brush strokes. A little Matisse-ish if you ask me.

Follow along as we work with this lovely little print today in

DESIGN CRUSH DIY: FRAMED PAPER

STEP ONE: Gather Your Tools

Paper / Scissors / Frame / Pencil

I’m using a wrapping sheet, but scrapbook paper also works well and is very affordable. Any paper with a design or pattern that inspires you is perfect. I’m using a frame I already owned, but of course you could purchase a new frame or find one at a flea market, yard sale, or wherever suits your fancy.

STEP TWO: FIND YOUR PATTERN PLACEMENT

Open your frame, remove the glass and other inserts, and move it around on your paper to find out what section you want to frame. My paper has a repeating pattern with no clear direction, which made it easy to place. Other patterns may take a bit more time to find the correct placement. This will also give you a good idea how much of the pattern will be hidden behind the frame.

STEP THREE: TRACE THE GLASS

Place the glass insert over the section of paper you’ve decided to frame and trace the edges with a pencil.

STEP FOUR: CUT

Take one last look at the section you’ve outlined to make sure it’s what you want, then grab those scissors and cut out along the lines you just traced. I always try to waste as little paper as possible when tracing and cutting so that I can save as much paper as possible for future projects.

STEP FIVE: PLACE IN FRAME

Place your cut out paper behind the glass in the frame and secure. Now it’s ready to hang on your wall.

Unless…you hang it on your wall and decide it needs a little lagniappe. Then you scrounge around in your craft closet for those two plates you purchased last fall and decide this is the perfect opportunity to add them to the mix.

In that case, you’ll need these handy plate hangers. I purchased two at Hobby Lobby.

STEP SIX: ATTACH PLATE HANGERS

For plates that are larger than the disc, simply follow the instructions on the disc: Wet back of disc, let stand for 5-7 minutes, then press to adhere to back of plate. However, if the disc is slightly larger than the plate back, you may want to first give it a trim.

Once trimmed to fit your place, follow the instructions on the disc (described above) to securely attach the disc to the plate.

STEP SEVEN: WAIT FOR THE DISCS TO DRY OVERNIGHT

I know this is can be torture for some of us, but I promise you can do it! This will ensure that your plates don’t fall off the wall and break due to poor adhesion to the disc.

STEP EIGHT: HANG

The most fun part! I chose to hang my framed paper and two plates next to my kitchen door. It brings a little personality to my everyday comings-and-goings and livens up this little space. What do you think? Do you have any favorite paper designs that are worth framing?

Up Next: Design Crush DIY: Cards as Artwork

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Design Crush: Rifle Paper Co.

January 8, 2014January 8, 2014 Hunt and Gather Home

Confession: I’m kind of a stationery nerd. I love pretty paper, cute notecards with handwritten sentiments, creative calendars, and fun little prints. Recently, as I was online searching for the perfect planner for 2014 (i phone calendars just don’t do it for me), I decided to check out the website of Rifle Paper Co. For the past several years, I’ve been drooling over the bits and pieces of their whimsical stationery line and art prints. I think it is the combination of their hand-painted designs and hand-lettering that speaks to me. Last year I bought their “Cities” calendar as inspiration art for my office. Did I mention I also have a crush on cities, especially maps of cities? But, that’s another story…

Source // Rifle Paper Co.

Turns out, Rifle Paper Co. is a husband and wife team that began as a small business only four years ago and is now a world-wide brand that can be found at Anthropologie, Land of Nod, Paper Source, and countless other stationery and gift boutiques nationwide. Talk about inspiration! Now, I’m not only enchanted with their artwork, but also with their story.

Here are a few of my favorite things:

/ The World is Your Oyster Print /

/ Merci Card /

/ Pram Card /

/ Vintage Blossoms Notecard Set /

/ Custom Illustrated Notes & Calling Cards /

I can’t even describe how much I love these! Click the link above to see all the different illustrations. ADORABLE.

/ Comb and Bobby Pin Prints /

/ Ant Print /

So what does stationery have to do with decorating your home? A lot, I believe. Over the next few days I’ll show you the handful of Rifle Paper Co. products that I’ve gathered over the past few years and how I’ve used them in unconventional ways in to easily add a bit of whimsy and nostalgia to my walls. I hope you’ll join me!

And in case you’re wondering, Rifle Paper Co. does not make a planner. If they did, I’m sure it would be fabulous. They do, however, recommend this one, which I decided to splurge on and have been happily jotting in for a few days now.

Here’s to the handwritten – or hand painted – word!

Tag: stationery

Design Crush DIY: Greeting Card Art

Design Crush DIY: Framed Paper

Design Crush: Rifle Paper Co.