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Here at LWH we’re finding that one of the areas that lends itself best to DIY is the stationery side of things. Given all the cards, invites, and tags involved in a wedding, stationery is one of those areas where DIY brides can truly shine, and our recent travels have taken us amongst letter-press, Japanese paper, printable favour templates and much more. But when it comes to stationery, it’s hard to go past tactile items: those fun little stick-ons, cut-outs, and decorative doo-dads are a great way to make your invitations a keep-sake that will have pride of place on your guests’ fridge for years to come. And for fridge-adorning beauties, it’s hard to go past the fabulous designs of Belinda Moon from Moonmum, whose paper art is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. Today on Little Wed Hen Belinda shows us how to put together some gorgeous cards that will have your guests feeling chipper and vibrant about your upcoming nuptials.
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Sewing Paper tutorial by Belinda from Moonmum
Hi there! Paper and thread are a lovely combination and you can use this technique of sewing on paper in so many different ways for many different projects for your wedding. I thought I’d share with you all a few tips for sewing on paper, and then take you through really simple tutorial to get you started.
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Getting started
All you need is some paper and a sewing machine. A few things to think about before you begin:
-Paper blunts needles very quickly, so I always recommend changing the needle on your machine when you switch between sewing paper and fabric.
-When you are sewing on paper you are actually piercing the fibres in the paper. This can create a lot of dust. Surface dust can just be easily wiped away. Alternatively, you can use a small brush to get into the nooks and crannies.
-Use paper that is thicker than regular copy paper. A light card stock is best. If you want to use thin paper, try adhering it to a thicker stock beforehand.
-Don’t use paper that is too big. I find that paper smaller then A4 size is best, as any bigger and it gets awkward to work through the neck of the sewing machine. This makes it difficult for you to keep your sewing lines nice and smooth.
-You can use any type of stitch, but keep your stitches of a decent size and length. If the stitches are small and you’re making holes in the paper that are too close together, you’ll find that the end result is a perforation line and the two sides of the paper will separate.
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Tutorial: a card with bunting design
I’ve outlined below how to put together a very simple card with a bunting design on it. You’ll need:
-Thick card stock for the base in a plain colour, cut to half A4 size (21cm x 14.8cm).
-Patterned paper to cut into small triangles, the flags of the bunting. Try scrapbooking paper, wrapping paper or even recycle some old magazines like I have here.
-Sewing machine threaded with your choice of coloured thread
-Scissors
-Paper glue
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Method
First, cut out some small triangles from the patterned paper. I’ve used some old magazine covers that were a thick and glossy paper with beautiful pictures of flowers on them.
Take your blank card and, with pencil, lightly draw a couple of curved lines across your card as a guide for where the bunting will go. Evenly space triangles along the pencil lines and glue in place. Wait until the glue is dry and then simply sew two lines of straight stitch over the pencil lines.
If the pencil lines are still visible after sewing, just use an eraser to get rid of them. You can pull the loose threads through to the back of the card for a neat finish, or just trim them and leave them loose as I have here. Fold card in half and you’re done.
For a simple variation, write letters on each of the triangles with one of those non-smudgy-write-on-anything textas. I have made this one into a thank you card.
This simple design could be used for anything you like–perhaps invitations, thank you cards, place cards or little tags to use on your bonbonniere.
Have fun!
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More Moonmum?
The fabulously talented Belinda keeps a regular blog here, where you’ll be able to see what she’s up to, as well as read about all sorts of tips and tricks relating to the papercraft world. You can also stop by her Etsy shop here–don’t forget to say that we sent you!
