
Garlands and paint chips. What would a DIYer, hostess, or crafter be without them? Today we celebrate the beauty of both, with help from a few special gadgets in our DIY tool kit. From hearts to fringe circles, here are 5 garlands perfect for for a Valentine’s Day celebration.
As you’ll see from the list below, we used our whole arsenal of craft punches, hole punchers, and the like. You can get away with just one, or can even just get handy with a pair of sharp scissors.
Tools:
– paper cutter
– heart hole punch
– 3 inch circle hole punch
– 1 inch circle hole punch
– square hole punch
– sewing machine
– Materials: paint chips!
1. Dimensional Diamonds
We’ll start with the squares. We found a jumbo square hole punch for this but you could easily use a paper cutter, Xacto knife or scissors to get the same results. Punch 40 square or so. Now, to the sewing machine. Take two squares and line them up on top of each other. Turn so that they’re in a diamond shape and start sewing.
When you’re done with your pile of squares, fold each sewn diamond and you’ll get a little more dimension!!
2. Hearts on a String
Create a ribbon or delicate garland of hearts with help from a sweet heart hole punch and your sewing machine. Simple punch, gather, and sew. We love how whimsical and pretty this string of hearts looks.
3. Punched Out Paper
After we punched out all those hearts, we realized we could make a charming garland out of the paint chip remnants. These would also work adorably as bookmark valentines! Cut down and sew, just like last week’s paper strip garland. So lovely. Or should we say… love-ly! :)
4. Fringe Circles
We used a 1 inch circle hole punch for this one. This is a great combo of the heart ribbon and paper strip look. Punch out a bunch of circles.
Sew them in groups of 8-12. Then sew the first circle in each group in a row to create a fringe look. Sort of reminds us of those beaded curtains we had in middle school :)
5. Layered Circles
And last, circles layered on top of one another to create a more modular look. Simply sew, overlay, and turn to create different angles while sewing.
Hang them all together for a gorgeous Valentine’s Day setting. Cupid would most definitely approve.
What paint chip projects have you created or added to your to-do list? Share projects with us in the comments below.
It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Want to feel motivated to take the next step for your business? Let Office Depot OfficeMax give you the confidence you need with a suite of business services & solutions to help you put your best foot forward. Make a good first impression with business cards & build the business pitch of your dreams with custom presentations. With Office Depot OfficeMax you'll find the tools to reach new customers with confidence.
Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.