Free Printables for Sticky Notes: Elephant Reminder Notes

I've been working on some new planner printables for my Etsy shop and wanted to create some coordinating free printables to share with you here.  I thought some sticky note printables would be fun and picked an elephant theme for my reminder notes - as elephants never forget!! (See below for the free download link!)

This free printable sheet is designed for use with 3x3 inch sticky notes, but you can also just print the sheet on normal copy paper (or coloured paper) and cut out the notes.  It's really easy to print onto sticky notes if you follow these steps and tips...

How to Print on Sticky Notes

You will need:

• a sheet of copy paper
• My free printable notes sheet (see below to download it!)
• 3x3 inch (76 x 76 mm) square sticky notes
  

First, print the sheet of notes onto a normal piece of copy paper.  Print the sheet at full size (don't select the option 'print to fit' in your printer's options).


Then take your sticky notes and carefully stick one down over each square on your copy paper print out.

Now print on this sheet of paper, with the sticky notes, again. Make sure you load your paper in exactly the same way round as you did before (if you don't the paper may get jammed).  Press print and this time the printer should print on your sticky notes!

You can repeat this and print out several notes, ready for when you need to use them!

The printable sheet I designed, with 6 different note designs on it, is Letter sized (8.5 x 11 inches) and can be printed on Letter or A4 sized paper. 

If you are printing on darker coloured sticky notes you may want to choose the darker version of the design. The light grey version works best on pastel coloured sticky notes.

<< Download your Free printable Elephant reminder notes here >>

** Please note: this free printable is for personal use only! You can print it as many times as you like for your own personal use, but you may not redistribute it in any form (digitally or printed) or modify it or claim it as your own.  If you would like to share these printable notes on your blog/ Pinterest etc. please include a link back to this page (not the download link). Thank you!
I have also designed another sheet of sticky note printables with other safari animals on - a lion, giraffe, rhino and zebra.  It is available exclusively to my email newsletter subscribers! If you would like to have access to this sheet just subscribe to my newsletter - you'll also get to hear about my new designs, receive exclusive offers and other free printables!

<< Subscribe to my newsletter here! >>

If you liked the free printables I created for this blog post, you may also like the new printable planner set I designed with an Elephant theme.  The full set includes 17 planner pages:

• 1x 2017 page with the year at the top and a box for each month
• 12x monthly pages, undated so you can use year after year
• 1x weekly planner page
• 1x daily planner page
• 1x To do / Shopping list page
• 1x Notes page

You can find this set in my Etsy shop here: Elephant Printable Planner Set

DIY Decorated Pegs and Binder Clips

After decorating my pencils, I thought I would continue with the pretty stationery theme and decorate some pegs and binder clips too!  I use these all the time - to hang things on the line above my desk, organise papers and keep hold of notes.

For this project I used the following materials:
wooden clothes pegs
binder clips
washi tape
small pieces of scrapbooking papers
Mod Podge (matte)
craft knife and ruler

A really quick way to decorate the wooden pegs is to use washi tape.  The tape is slightly wider than the pegs though and I found that it didn't stick so well down the sides of the pegs. You could either trim away the excess tape with a craft knife or use a little Mod Podge (or pva glue) to help it stick (which is what I did).

My favourite way to decorate wooden pegs though is with patterned scrapbooking paper as I think this gives a neater finish...
First measure the width of your peg and cut a strip of paper to size with a craft knife and ruler.
Next, measure and cut two pieces from your strip - for the top and bottom sections of the peg either side of the wire.
Glue these to your peg with Mod Podge and brush on a top coat of Mod Podge to seal.
Once this is dry you can repeat for the other side of the peg.

For the binder clips I just cut pieces of washi tape to cover the backs of the clips...


I hope that you enjoyed this project and have been inspired to decorate your own stationery!  I would love to see what you make - use #myhfcmakes when you share photos of your projects!

3 Techniques to Decorate Pencils

The start of September means it's back to school time again!  It's been a few years since I was last a student, but September still always feels like a time for fresh starts and new things.  My favourite part of going back to school after the long summer break was getting new stationery.  With this in mind, I've come up with some DIY projects for you to try - whether you're a student heading back to class, have children going back to school or, like me, just want an excuse for new stationery!  You can never have too much stationery - right?!
Today I'll show you 3 techniques for turning plain, boring pencils into something prettier.

[This post contains affiliate links - for more info click here.]

Materials used:
pencils
paint (tester paint pots, or acrylics)
washi tape
Mod Podge
tissue paper

I bought these plain wood pencils with erasers for a bargain price of 12 for £1 from The Works - I wasn't expecting too much for this price, but they're actually really nice and good to draw with too!
The paint pots are another bargain buy which I've had for years.  You only need a little paint for this project so try out what ever you have at home - acrylic paints should also work well, something which drys fairly quickly is best.


Technique number 1 for decorating the pencils is with paint - you could paint a solid colour, or patterns. For neat bands of colour (see yellow painted pencil below) I used washi tape to mask straight lines on the pencil.


I've combined 2 techniques on these pencils - once the paint dried I added some pretty washi tape.  On some pencils I wrapped a small piece around the pencil, which gives a narrow band of pattern. For a neat finish, make sure the edges of the tape line up!

Alternatively, you can stick the tape along the pencil lengthwise...
You'll need two pieces to wrap all the way around the pencil - use the first piece as a guide to cut the second exactly the same length.
I used a combination of Steampunk washi tape and gold paint on the pencil below.  You can also skip out the painting step and just use washi tape to completely cover the pencil (like I did for the spotty patterned pencil in the top image).


My third technique uses Mod Podge and tissue paper.  Cut a piece of tissue paper large enough to wrap around the pencil and slightly longer than the pencil.  I used a craft knife and ruler to cut a neat, straight edge on the paper.
Next, brush a thin coat of Mod Podge onto the paper and wrap around the pencil - start with one edge and smooth around the pencil.  I then brushed a coat of Mod Podge on top to seal the paper.
Once this is dry you can use a craft knife to carefully trim away the excess paper.


These are all really quick and simple ways to decorate pencils for your own pencil case, but you could also make some to give as favours at parties - they could even be coordinated to match the colours of your event!

If you try these projects for yourself I would love to see what you make - use #myhfcmakes when you share photos of your pencils!

Origami Box Tutorial

These origami boxes are fun to make and really useful too!  They're great for storing little bits and pieces from your crafty stash like washi tape, or for using as gift boxes. You can change the look of your boxes by using different coloured paper, patterned paper and by varying the size of paper.

I used some printable scrapbooking papers which I designed to make my boxes, from my Strawberries and Summer Garden sets of papers. (You can find these and more in my Etsy shop, hfcSupplies).
I printed the designs to fit on A4 white paper with a weight of 120gsm - paper this weight or slightly thinner works well for the origami boxes.

Before you start folding your box you will need to cut squares of your paper. The paper I used was 20.4 x 20.4cm (approx. 8 x 8 inches), this produced boxes which measured approx. 7.25 x 7.25 x 3.5 cm (approx. 2.85 x 2.85 x 1.4 inches).  If you want to make a box with a lid, cut one square slightly smaller than the other.

1. Start with your paper patterned side face down. Fold the square in half to form a rectangle.  Open out and repeat in the other direction.
2. Now fold your square in half diagonally, open out and repeat in the opposite direction then open out again.
3. Fold each point into the centre, then unfold to your square again.
4. Fold each point of the square to the point three-quarters across, as in the diagram below, then open out again.
5. Now fold each point one quarter across, then once again open out to the square.
6. Now fold 2 opposite points to the centre.
7. Push the sides up to start making the 3-dimensional box shape (see diagram below).
8. Finally tuck the remaining 2 corners inside the box. Your box should keep its shape on its own, but if you like you can use a little glue to secure the triangle points to the base of the box.

Now you are ready to fill your boxes!  What will you put in yours?  Share your makes with #myhfcmakes so we can all see what you have made!

PS. If you love crafty projects and would like some free printables, check out my blog challenge here! (You could even use the free printable paper to make some of these boxes!)

Learn how to make your own sketchbooks

I have been making my own little books and sketchbooks for years and there are so many different techniques to try.  Once you learn the basics you will find that you can use your creativity to make each book totally unique!  Back in January I shared a tutorial on how to make really simple matchbook notebooks and today I will show you how to make something a little more complicated, using a stitched technique - but once you get the hang of it you can use it to make your own sketchbooks, notebooks, journals and more!

You will need:
paper for the pages (I used 140gsm cartridge paper)
strong thread (I used Gutermann's extra strong polyester thread)
pencil
ruler
pin
needle
craft knife and cutting mat
greyboard
linen / cotton fabric (for the spine)
decorative paper (for the cover - I used wallpaper)
PVA glue

1. Start by cutting your paper for the pages.  Cut all pages to the same size.  My paper was approximately A3 in size - so the finished sketchbook will be A4.  But you can make books any size you like!

2. Split your paper into sections - I used 4 sheets per section, with 5 sections in total.  Fold each section in half.

3. Take 1 section, open it out and mark holes, for sewing along the centre fold using a pencil. Repeat this for all sections.  You need an even number of holes, spaced the same for each section - so measure carefully!  These are the measurements I used for my pencil marks: measure from one end and mark at 1 inch, 2 inches, 3.1 inches, 4.1 inches and 5.2 inches. Repeat, measuring from the other side - so there are 10 dots.

4. Use a sharp pin (or an awl if you have one) to make holes through all sheets in each section, through your pencil dots.

5. Tie a knot in your thread and start sewing from the outside of the section to the inside, through your first hole.

6. See image 6 for my numbered diagram of the holes - sew in this pattern: up hole 2, down hole 3, up hole 4, down hole 5, up hole 6, down hole 7, up hole 8, down hole 9 and up hole 10.

Tip! Remember to keep pulling your thread tight as you go along, for a neat finish.

7. Now start to join the second section to the first.  Go down hole 10 in the second section, up hole 9, down hole 9 of the first section, up hole 10, down hole 10 of the second section, up hole 9 then down hole 8 of the second section.

8. Continue up hole 7 in the second section, down hole 7 in the first section, up hole 8, down hole 8 in the second section, up hole 7 and down hole 6 in the second section. Continue in this pattern until the first two sections are joined together.

9. It should now look like picture 9.  It might sound complicated, but it's easier once you try it for yourself and see the pattern working.

10. Repeat the same stitching pattern to join section 3 to section 2 and so on, until all sections are joined together. Tie a knot in the thread to finish off.

11. The spine of your book should look like image no.11.  Make sure that any time you need to start or finish the thread, the knot is on the outside.

12. Now you're ready to make the cover.  Start by trimming the edge of your book so the pages are even.

13. Cut 2 pieces of greyboard, slightly larger than the size of your book.

14. Cover the greyboard in your decorative paper (I used some bargain wallpaper I bought for £1 ages ago).  Also trim a piece of fabric for the spine, slightly longer than the book and wider than the spine.  I used a scrap of cream fabric which I think is linen and works well for this.

15. Fold over the ends of the fabric, so it is now the same length as your book and the raw edges will be hidden inside.  Glue the fabric along one side at a time.  I don't glue the actual spine, but along the  edge of the page close to the spine.  Leave to dry.

16. Glue the covers to the front and back pages.  Tip! - Leave to dry under a heavy book or board.

Finally I decorated the front cover of my book with some pretty tape...

I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial and feel inspired to try making some books yourself.  If you share your makes on social media, use the hashtag #myhfcmakes - I would love to see them! (You can find me on Instagram and Facebook)

Happy Easter! Finger Print Chick Cards

If you are looking for activities to do with your children over the long Easter weekend, why not try making some finger print chick cards.  They are so simple, but great fun for kids (big and small!) to make.  I remember doing this when I was little and writing this blog post was a good excuse to pretend to be a child again and get messy!

All you will need is:

• some card or paper
• yellow paint (poster paint would be great, I used some acrylic)
• pen or pencil

Start by using your fingers to print little yellow blobs...

When the paint is dry, use a pen (or pencil) to draw on eyes, a beak, wings and feet to create your little chicks...

You can draw in other things like grass, flowers or a 'Happy Easter' message...


Happy Easter everyone, whatever you are doing I hope you have a lovely weekend!

'I think you're purr-fect' Valentine's Card

Only 2 more days until Valentine's Day, so I'm just in time to show you this Valentine's card project! It's made with my new 'I think you're purr-fect!' set of digital stamps and Watercolour hearts scrapbooking papers (see more about these below), both of which are available as Instant Download from Etsy. Printables are great for last minute projects because you can download and print them straight away, so if you've not got your Valentine a card yet you still have time to make one!

Materials used:

• Hearts patterned printable scrapbooking paper
• 'I think you're purr-fect!' digital stamps set
• Card blank (I used one which was approx. 10 x 15cm when folded)
• White paper / card stock
• Scissors / craft knife
• Round corner punch
• Double sided sticky tape / glue
• Double sided sticky foam pads
• Watercolour paints / coloured pencils

1.  Print the scrapbooking paper background and the cats digital stamp onto white paper or card.

To do this, I first set up a document the size of my card in my photo editing program (I use Photoplus).  I copied and pasted in the scrapbooking paper background.

I then copied and pasted in the 'I think you're purr-fect' text digital stamp (.png format with transparent background) as a new layer.  The stamp is larger than my card, so I reduced it in size and positioned it to where I wanted it to print on the background.

I then pasted the cat image stamp and also resized this to fit my card.

Next, I opened a new document the size of the paper I would be printing on (A4) and copied in the background with the text stamp as one image and the cats separately, so it looked like this... 

2.  Cut out the scrapbooking paper background and glue to your card blank.

3.  Cut out the cats image as a square, round the corners with a corner punch.

4.  Colour the cats image - I used watercolour pencils and paints.

5.  Attach the cats image to the front of your card with double-sided sticky foam pads.


About the papers used in this project...
I used the green and white hearts patterned paper from my 'Watercolour Hearts Blue & Green' set of scrapbooking papers and my 'I think you're purr-fect' set of digital stamps.  Both of these are available to buy from my Etsy shop - I also have more heart themed scrapbooking papers in other colours and other Valentine themed digital stamps.

DIY Matchbook Notebooks

These matchbook notebooks are so simple to make and useful in lots of ways.  I often find I get ideas for new designs and things to make when I'm about to go to sleep, so I'll be keeping one of these to jot down ideas by my bed.  Being small, they're also great for popping in your handbag as a mini sketchbook (or for shopping lists) - especially if you're like me and cram a lot in your bag - I don't travel light!  You could also make them as favours to give away at parties or weddings - so many possibilities!

Materials:

Thin card / thick paper for the cover (see below for the scrapbook paper I used)

Paper for the pages - anything you like - white, coloured, lined or squared!

Stapler

Scissors / craft knife and ruler

Bone folder

First cut all of your card and paper to size - I cut the card for the covers of my notebooks 23 x 8 cm and the pages 7.5 x 10.5 cm.  You can experiment with different sizes!

Take the cover piece of card and measure and score 9.6cm from one end and 2cm from the other.

The number of pages you can use will depend on the thickness of your paper and the size of your staples. I used 12 pages in mine. Place your pages in the centre section of the cover, fold over the small end and staple the pages in place.

The long end of the cover should be able to just tuck under the short end when closed.

To finish off, I also added some patterned paper tape to the covers of some of my notebooks...

A note about the papers used in this project...

For the covers of the notebooks I printed scrapbooking papers, which I have designed, onto 240gsm white card.  I used the rows of budgies design from my 'Budgies' set of papers, flower pattern from my 'Jessica' set, yellow spotty design from the 'Sunflowers' set and green chevron from the 'Summer Garden' set.  All of these, and more, are available to buy from my Etsy shop.