​Last Minute Gift Idea: Use Your Stash to Make a Stationery Kit

Hey hey! Can you believe we're halfway through December already? I sure can't! I've almost got my shopping all done, but every year I need some last minute gifts. So this year I decided to get ahead of the game and whip up some stationery kits ahead of time. I think this will be a great gift -- after all, who doesn't need to send a card now and then? Plus, you don't have to worry about food allergies or if it will fit. This set has a little twist though -- the recipient gets to add their own message!

I started out by stamping some plants from the Houseplants set by Life Love Paper the some cream notecards -- because houseplants work for all occasions!

I wanted them to be fun and playful, so I "inked" the pots with watercolors and then stamped them. I love how the results are unpredictable and add interest.

Next, I stamped the plants by inking them with Limelight and Emerald City Color Theory inks, lightly misting the image with water, and then stamping. This method keeps more of the detail than using watercolor as I did for the pots but still looks good together.

I added a stripe of gold gouache along the right side. I just think this just adds that extra little something!

I wanted the recipient to be able to add their own message, so I stamped some sentiments from the Hey Girl by Mama Elephant set and then cut them out. I just used scissors to cut them and I tried to make them a little uneven and wonky to go with the stamping. :)

Then I added strips of foam tape to the backs of the sentiments, leaving the backing paper there. I popped them all in a glassine envelope, and punched a circle from some scrap paper to close it up.

To put it all together, I made a bundle of envelopes and wrapped a strip of scrap paper around them -- classy, am I right? Then I did bundled up the cards and wrapped them in a matching strip of paper.

I put the cards, sentiments in their glassine envelope, and envelopes all in a planner pouch that I had. These planner pouches are so handy -- it will be like giving two gifts in one.

Here are some other ideas that you can add to the pouch:
- A pen
- Postage stamps
- A package of enamel dots
- Fun stickers, or you could punch some more circles from the same paper to use as seals for the backs of the envelopes
- Washi tape -- I have so many rolls, I know I'll never use them all! May as well share the love

And that was that! One more gift done. I plan on giving one of these to a non-stamping friend -- with the devious hope of getting her into stamping -- HA! I wanted to show her that cards don't have to be complicated to be fun. And that's what it's all about.

Thanks so much for joining me today! xo -- Lisa

Supplies: Stamp Set: Houseplants by Life Love Paper, Stamp Set: Hey Girl by Mama Elephant, pouch from a Planner kit, SC Patterned paper from my stash, Color Theory inks in Limelight and Emerald City, VersaFine onyx black ink, notecards and envelopes (Paper Source, 4-bar size), glassine baggie, watercolors, gold gouache, water mist bottle, foam tape