Cartwheels In My Mind: 25 Days of Christmas :: Guest Artist Tutorial

Hello! This is Patty of Tinted Mint and I am super excited to share easy holiday DIY ideas with you. Tinted Mint my online shop featuring fabulous Japanese masking tape (washi tape), hand-selected Japanese paper goods, and my own line of handmade wares.

Random fact: I will travel for food. :)

Recently I picked up laser cutting and find it a fun way to experiment with new products. One of my new handmade goods for the holidays are sets of laser-cut snowflakes in different prints. I designed these to be versatile embellishments that can be layered. I am all about customization. As a Product Designer, I love thinking in terms of components, easy ways for the consumer to put together elements themselves for a unique product.

Since winter holidays are here, I would like to show some very simple ways to add a touch of your warmth and heart into gift presentation. First, let's see how we can use the laser-cut snowflakes.

SNOWFLAKE HOLIDAY CARD

This is so simple that the images are self-explanatory. However, you can make this card as fancy as you like by lining the inside with colored paper or blowing a bit of glitter onto the surface.

SNOWFLAKE GIFT BOX

It's okay, you don't have to cover each gift with wrapping paper. If you have the gift in a nice box already, all you need is a bit of extra embellishment.

THE IMPERFECT

Here is an untraditional approach to gift wrapping. Let's work with papers we already have, even though it may not be the perfect size for our product. Here's an example of using leftover scrap piece of wrapping paper. To start, it may look like a bad idea, but the end result is lovely. Spontaneity in this case is good.

FUNCTIONAL GIFT WRAP

Not often would we think to intentionally expose the gift itself. But in this example, it makes perfect sense. The gift: 2 note pads and 2 metal book markers. This is a great way to use the book markers as embellishments.

Some people think I'm crafty, but really I am not. I am the type that finds it difficult to follow recipes exactly, always skipping an ingredient or two or looking for some short cut. I love DIY and making things myself. I hope I inspired you to do some easy DIY also!

My laser-cut snowflakes and metal bookmarks will launch online next Monday 11/29. Stay tuned for awesome Thanksgiving deals this weekend at www.thetintedmint.com.

-Patty