Vintage Easter
As the weather warms up and chocolate bunnies appear in every store, I know for certain it’s nearly here: Easter.
The real question for me is: how can I add some hand crafted goodness to my Easter this year without going out and buying loads of themed products? As always, pastel colors, floral patterns, and bunny and butterfly motifs are all good options for spring and Easter. But this year, to be just a little bit different, I want to share some ideas that will help you infuse your modern-day Easter with some vintage charm.
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First up, here’s a gift tag that I created using a doily as a mask, some Girls’ Paperie stickers, and a stamped butterfly. One of my goals with this tag was to not use pink, as I planned to attach it to a gift for my favorite Army soldier. I love how the doily and vintage-inspired stickers worked together to create something that looks aged but is still clearly for Easter.
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Here’s how I got this look. First, I inked the tag base with a pale color and misted over it with Ranger perfect pearl mist. Then I used a Distress Stain and a paper doily to create the masked design. I repeated this technique on my tag until I got the desired look, allowing time for the doily to dry in between. (Or simply use a new daily for each layer, as the technique doesn’t work with a wet doily.)
Next, because I am feeling all fired up about gift giving, I’ve sewn a little gift bag.
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You can see I’ve used some of my scrapbooking goodies, which are simply stapled to the top edge, to add a tag (Elle’s Studio tag base with a Tim Holtz bunny sticker) and a flower (Studio Calico with a Girls Paperie button in middle). This customized my bag even more without adding any difficulty or additional sewing to the project. It’s set to be stuffed with Easter grass and chocolates and mailed off!
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Don’t fear the sewing! All you have to do is to fold a piece of fabric in half and then stitch (by hand or machine) up the sides to create a bag. Sewing the top down for a more finished edge, and stitching a piece of ribbon on to act as a holder is the only other thing you need to do. It’s very easy. If you have a machine, it will take 5 to 10 minutes to create a great little bag! This one is destined to be a young girl’s treat—and I know she’ll love it.
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For my third and final project today, I thought I’d share how I took some bright and funky pictures of my “tough chick” and used vintage-inspired supplies to create a simple and quick page. I love the contrast that the kraft background and soft accents bring to the bright photos and yellow letters.
What really makes me happy about using shabby-chic and vintage-style goodies on my Easter projects is that they add a charming, soft touch that is very appropriate for Easter. Before you spend money on themed products, look around your crafting stash and see if you can find some pretty products that will work instead.
I had a lot of fun with this retro challenge. It inspired me to look around for more craft projects that need a vintage touch! How about you?
Looking for a Challenge? Try Ella's fantastic challenge-based eBooks, Scrapbooking the Everyday, How to Scrapbook Your Personal Heritage, and Creative Ideas for Events & Holidays.