so, inspired by the images of “brown paper packages tied up with string” – i announced to my husband that that would be the theme of our holiday decorating. we already have a spindly folk art-type tree and many handmade ornaments. i purchased some kraft paper at target, found some baker’s twine, and got to planning.
because i didn’t want the decorations to be “too” traditional – i thought the best place to start would be yards & yards of the pennant garlands that have been hot for awhile. hanging from door ways, wrapped around the tree, strung from picture frame to picture frame.
first, i gathered my supplies – as i mentioned, kraft paper and baker’s twine – glue stick, scalloped scissors (any shape would work!), regular scissors, and a harry connick jr christmas cd.
to put it simply, harry connick jr is a necessary supply in any holiday crafting project.
then, i cut strips of my kraft paper about 3-4 inches wide. i totally eye-balled this. i suggest you do the same.
keeping in line with my precise measurements, i folder the kraft paper in half several times length-wise. i then cut it up into little folded flags. nota bene, i’ve done this several times now and cut it differently each time – it doesn’t really matter how you do it as long as you end up with little folded flags approximately 1″x1″.
i then unwound a length of twine and covered one side of the flag with my glue stick. two actual tips here: i really like the glue sticks that start off blue & turn clear. they’re heavy duty and they prevent that annoying problem of thinking you glued an area that you clearly did not… second tip, put glue into the fold of your paper to keep the string in place.
after you have all your little square flags glued on to your twine, you’ll want to cut each into triangles – or, even easier, just trim along the bottom – with your patterned scissors. sure, you could do this with regular scissors but the little scallops are so sweet!
if you make one of these… would you pretty please add it to the scoutie girl flickr pool?? i’m sure your pics will be ever so much better than mine and i would love to see how you improve on the idea!
p.s. there’s great tutorial over on creature comforts today – written by rikkianne from chakra pennywhistle – about creating your brown paper packages with thrifted sewing patterns! genius!
oh – and bonnie, from going home to roost – was inspired by this morning’s post and posted more great images of brown paper (among other things!) packages tied up with string.
finally – don’t forget to enter the maizie designs earring giveaway and there’s only a day left in the perideau designs holiday stationery giveaway, too!
so. cute.
Super fun! Now…make about 10 more strands and hang them at Hello Bluebird? Pretty please?…;)
So House on the Prairie! Love kraft paper and twine
Now are those the good fabric shears I gave you last year…arrgh! 
Love these! WooHoo!
Brown paper packages… tied up with string… these are a few of my favorite things!!
Harry Connick Jr.’s Christmas album is one of my favorite things, too! That and Frank Sinatra singing Christmas songs!
So adorable. I love your wreath in the first picture as well…I might have to make myself one of each!
I love Harry Connick Jr, too. May I also recommend Christmas with Dino (as in Dean Martin)?
brown paper packages tied up with strings
these are a few of my favorite things
so wonderfully simple and flexible open to embellishment for little ones or further glitzing for those who must sparkle!
So good to know Im not the only one who know Harry is the only singer talented enough to sing the greatest =)
Your new design looks fantastic!
~Hugs
[...] check out this ridiculously simple little tutorial I posted over at scoutie girl. i’m decorating on the theme “brown paper packages tied [...]
this is adorable, but i’m laughing at your mom’s comment about the scissors! sounds just like my mom growing up, when she’d catch me cutting paper with her scissors that had the fingernail polish on them (to denote “mom’s-very-special-do-not-touch-or-the-world-will-implode-scissors”) you go girl!
Very cute! Where did you get the baker’s twine? online or somewhere local?
I like the kraft paper you chose because of the lines on it. If you don’t mind plain kraft, you could buy a roll of gummed kraft paper tape for packaging. Then you just need to cut it to length as it’s already a strip… and it’s pre-gummed.
I could see punching out a shape, like a heart or snowflake, from the middle of each pennant once they dry.
Cute project!
[...] you maigh., wrote about her christmas tree decorations this year. she used the idea from my “brown paper packages” garland with a twist – book pages instead of kraft paper! [...]