Origami Stars & Cards

Look at the stars. Look how they shine for you...#origami #stars #starrynight #coldplay #christmas #ornaments

One of my favorite times of the Holiday season is sending out Christmas cards. This year, I didn’t have time to make very many ornaments to put in them (I mailed 55 cards before Christmas), but I did a few origami stars and some wooden ornaments to put in cards I hand delivered.

My hand delivered cards to those who make my day better in all the hidden ways – the people that work behind the scenes in my office – the event planning team, the security staff, the mailroom clerks, the coffee bar staff, the cooks, and most of all, the cleaners. These folks are often forgotten by those that work here – even though they are the ones that get paid the least – and keep the place going everyday. Most were surprised at the little card/gift – and delighted to get it.

16 Christmas ornaments from wood and self adhesive paper

The best part is that they didn’t take very long to see the smiles and the returns when I gave them out on Friday. I returned to the office today – and what was sitting on my desk?

A little card – all set for me to make an ornament with for someone next year.

Random acts of kindness – they truly do make the world go around.

‘Tis the Season to Give

Happy Holidays!

I Just wanted to share a couple little bits of festive fun and photos from this side of the pond – that our team at work participated in.

a) The Giving Tree – This year’s eBay giving tree supported over 200 individuals from birth to adult to make sure they had at least one gift under the tree.

b) In addition, several of us donated food and canned goods to Serve the City. On Wednesday, We taped, packed, hand wrote & decorated cards for 50 Holiday Hampers going to the needy. eBay is gift matching and donating 500 Euro to buy turkey and hams and other goodies for the boxes.

Sometimes you have to #leadbyexample because #charitybeginsathome. 7am start to deliver 50 #carebox for #servethecity #ireland #weareebay Be the #kindness you want to see in the world. #volunteer

Serve the City Holiday Hampers Packing and Delivery 2015

After the dry goods packing on Wednesday, on Saturday, December 19, starting out at 7am, 4 volunteers from Serve the City and 2 from eBay arrived bright and early to finish filling the Hampers with perishables – apples, oranges, bananas, bread, milk, butter, etc.

50 Holiday Hampers volunteering with Serve the City 12.16.2015

Once each box was full to the max, we closed them up and loaded the cars. A quick picture (my list of 7 in hand) and Santa hat on head – and deliveries started.

Overall, 50 surprise hampers were delivered to those living in poverty in the Dublin Area between 9am and Noon. They were so heavy, that they took 2 people to carry the box – sometimes a block, sometimes up several flights of stairs. The Hampers were well received by all I visited – Several elderly homebound individuals (I’m so glad you came! I needed food today!), several that had fallen on hard times (How did you know?!?), and one of whom was a lady in a wheel chair with her autistic son (Thank goodness! I wondered what we were going to do for Christmas dinner!).

The response was overwhelming – and later, we got an email sent by phone from one of the recipients:

hi, I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone for their thoughtfulness and for giving their time to organise the hamper for me. When I opened the box the first thing I saw was bread, I need bread today. Everything will get used especially the ‘goodies ‘.

Included in the box was a personal card from eBay- will you please pass on my thanks to them also.

Happy Christmas to all your volunteers.

(person’s name removed). XXX

Just goes to show – Little by little, we can make a difference. For me – this was the highlight of the season.

Recycled Christmas Card Bunting – How to

Christmas just isn’t Christmas without holiday cards. I’ve always loved to get mail, and at the holidays, I find the beauty of Christmas cards from around the world make me smile in their color, sparkle, design, and different languages. Some are elegant, others sparkly, some are celebrating winter and snowflakes, while others show off all the traditions of the holidays. Every year, I carefully pick out or make my cards and try to get them out the first week of December. And then.. the waiting begins. I practically stand at the door every day (hurry up postman!) waiting for the colorful envelopes. After all, no other time of year does the mail from my friends and family come in droves – out weighing the bills. (Who likes bills?!?).

Once they arrive, I carefully open each one, basking in the joy of the card (it’s like a little gift in each one) and then put it on the mantle or tape it up to the walls in a lovely display. When Christmas is over, I save each card – and try to find unique creative things to do with them later. It’s a great way to Upcycle, be eco-friendly, and keep memories intact from year to year.

This year, I didn’t have much money for decorating my flat. I’d spent most of my savings on medical bills, and that meant that not only was I trying to do handmade items for Christmas (I had time – not money) for everyone, I had to find a unique way to decorate. This is what I came up with. A simple re-purposed series of Christmas cards that were a bit folksy, eco-friendly, and totally made me smile every time I saw them hanging across my mantle.

Here’s how I did it, so you can make your own Recycled Christmas Card Bunting.

Materials:

Old Christmas Cards

Round template – I used the top off of a Pringles Can

Oval Template – I used an old Scrapbooking shape

Scissors

Craft glue

Hole punch

Ribbon or String

Steps:

Step 1: Take your circle or template and move it around on the card until you find a place you’re happy with. Depending on the card, you may be able to get two circles or ovals per card.

Step 2: Trace around the template and then cut out the shape. Repeat for each of your cards. Try to get an even number of similar theme or similar looking cards. Don’t forget that you may be able to use the inside wording from the card or back of the card may have pictures too!

Step 3: For double sided cards, match similar cards together – eg. The two snowmen on the far left came from the same card and look nice front / back. Add glue to the reverse of one of the rounds, taking note of which way is “up”.

Step 4: Attach the round to the other selection, again, being careful that they are both in the correct direction when looked at on the front and back.

Step 5: Squeeze out excess glue, wipe it off, and then weight the round with a book for a while until the glue sets. Wait for the glue to dry.

Step 6: Once the glue is dry, punch 2 holes in the top of each card.

Step 7: Thread the ribbon through the card, making a center and trying to balance the size / shape / color on each side of the bunting.

Step 8: Hang up across your mantle, on your wall, or anywhere else where you want the display.

A few other things you can do with the same technique – just punch fewer holes –

Christmas Ornaments
Mobiles to hang from ceiling
Why not make a Rectangle from a card – and hang several different size rounds down from it like raindrops from a cloud
Add some mod-podge and make necklaces
Attach some flower wire and make centerpieces for the table

What else can you think of? Share your ideas and how this turned out for you – I’d love to see it!

Phoenix Rose's Blog

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Origami Stars & Cards

‘Tis the Season to Give

Recycled Christmas Card Bunting – How to