Stationary folder tutorial

You may know that I enjoy giving homemade gifts. I do for several reasons, It is fun to make something for someone else to enjoy, I get to express my creativity while showing others that I care, it is frugal and it is green~ A homemade gift comes with no packaging and usually I recycle something in the making of it.

This week a friend was having a birthday and so we invited her over for lunch. I also wanted to have a small gift for her and so I decided on a stationary set. For a graduation gift I received a homemade cloth folder with stationary in it and I still use it, I thought it would be fun to make something of that nature. I am going to attempt to do my first tutorial of how I made it in case anybody else would like to make one as well.

Above is the finished product when the ribbon is tied and it is ready to be stowed away for later letter writing. Now for how to make it:

1. Cut two pieces of cardboard (I used an old cereal box) 7" x 10".

2. Then because I wanted the Hebrews 3:13 ("But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today", so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.") on the front, because I think it is a great motivational reason for writing letters, I put the verse which I had printed on the computer on the front piece of cardboard and covered it with clear contact paper. This step could be skipped.

3. Cut 2 pieces of fabric 9" x 20". place the cardboard on the wrong side of the fabric about 1 inch from the end and centered in the middle, so that on 3 sides you have an inch on each side and the other side there is several inches hanging off. Then using hot glue (or some other fabric glue) glue the 1" sides down on the cardboard as shown above.

4. Then fold the excess fabric up so that it makes a sort of pocket on the right side. As shown above.

5. flip it over to the other side and it looks like this. Now use your hot glue and glue down all the fabric around the cardboard.

6. Then it will look like this. (above)
7. The right side looks like this with a pocket for putting stuff in. Now do the same thing with the other piece of cardboard and cloth.
8. Cut another piece of fabric 12" x 18". If you are having a verse (or anything that you want to put in the frame) cut an opening just big enough for that.
9. Then place both of your cloth covered cardboard pieces side by side with the fabric sides down. Lay the new fabric on top and tuck the edges under and glue it in place (you could hem it or iron it first for a neater look). Glue also around the verse window but don't worry about turning the edges under. Another idea: I think it would have been nice if I would have put a little batting under the fabric but I didn't think of it until too late.
10. Cut a ribbon several inches longer that the folder and hot glue in places so that it can tie at the side of the front. Also glue ribbon around the verse to frame it and cover up the rough edges of the fabric.
Now it is ready to be filled! I made some stationary and note cards using stamps, verses printed on the computer and card stock, envelopes and note pad paper. We also included a few stamps and a pen. To go along with our stationary set Mara picked some zinnias from our garden and we put them in a little jar and I tied a bow around them.
Here is Irindee the birthday girl!

We had fun getting ready for her birthday and I think she enjoyed it too.