Saturday, June 04, 2011

Something Special Saturday: Seed Pocket



Seed Pocket

We haven't been doing step-by-step instructions for our projects this year, but today is something special! I would like to share a little seed pocket project I had posted on my personal blog a while ago. It is a very quick project to do and it can be used for all sorts of things! Put a small gift inside of it and it becomes a unique package, or make it with festive holiday papers and hang it in your tree as an ornament. Use it to save your heirloom seeds (which was the original use of the pocket), or put a lock of your baby's hair in it as a special way to save it. Whatever you decide to do with it, I think you will find the seed pocket a fun quick project to make.

To make this pocket you will need two pieces of double-sided patterned paper of your choice; one 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", and a 3" square. You will also need about 10" of ribbon, and a hole punch. You might also like to have a floss threader handy (these are normally used to thread dental floss through dental work or braces.)

  • With the rectangle of paper in landscape orientation, score at 4 1/4".
    It doesn't really matter which side is up.



  • Fold on the score line, strongly reinforcing the crease with a bone folder or scor-tool.



  • On the fold edge, fold the corners in to the center line, as shown.


    Reinforce the creases with a bone folder or scor-tool.

  • Open the paper.
    Decide which side of the paper you want on the outside.
    Re-crease the fold lines so that the diagonals are mountain folds and the horizontal fold is a valley fold, as shown in the photo.


    (NOTE: I changed my mind and decided to have the more bold paper be the outside AFTER I took this photo... I simply reversed the folds.
    This project is VERY forgiving.)

  • Fold on the creases, letting the center crease collapse inward.
    (Note: This is known in Origami as a balloon or waterbomb base fold.)



  • Fold the top layer of the sides of the base in to the center line, as shown in the photo.



  • Turn over and repeat.



  • Reverse the 4 folds you have just made so that the flaps fold toward the inside of the pocket.


    Set aside.

  • Score the 3" square at 1 1/2".



  • Fold on the score line, and place over the top of the seed pocket.
    Punch two holes through both the topper and the seed pocket as shown.



  • This step is not required, but it does make threading the ribbon much easier!
    Get a floss threader (meant for threading dental floss through braces and other dental work.)



    Thread the floss threader through the holes, and then thread the ribbon through the loop of the threader.


    Pull the end of the threader to get the ribbon to go through the holes.
    (NOTE: If you chose to skip the floss threader, thread the ribbon through the holes however you can.)

  • Tie a bow in the ribbon to seal the package closed.




I hope you have enjoyed the project and will give it a try!

Smiles,
Kathy

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