Even though the technique is called “paper piecing”, the awesome thing is that you are not limited to only using paper! You can add buttons, brads, pearls, bling, ribbon, and a thousand other types of embellishments to your paper pieced image. It doesn’t have to just stop with the paper. You just need to start thinking creatively. Look at your image and think “what can I add to this that will give it the extra something?”

I love how Janneke made her embellishments out of felt instead of paper on her “Letter to Santa” layout. And how cute is that bow on the reindeer’s tail? I just love that touch. Kat added cotton to her santa hats on her “Christmas Means Crazy Hats” layout. Just that simple addition of cotton gave it a more unique, fun look. And Jolanda made her embellishments on her “Where the Gingerbread Man Party” layout look like they were covered with icing! What can you add to your embellishment today? Have a little fun

Letter to Santa by Janneke Smit

Supplies: Paper: Pink Paislee, Cardstock: Canson, Rub-Ons: American Crafts, Brads: Pink Paislee, Doodlebug Design, Junkitz, Ribbon: SEI, String: Making Memories, Marker: Color Workshop (P&M Products), Software: Adobe Photoshop CS4, Other: felt, thread. Tools: Decorative Scissors: Provo Craft, Other: sewing machine.

Design Notes: Instead of paper I used felt to make my own embellishments. I scanned my daughter's letter, resized and rearranged the printing and printed this out on cardstock. I made an envelope to hold the original Letter To Santa and some extra journaling. The envelope is also a photo mat. I turned the photos into B/W and used two different photo filters to change the tone and match the paper colors

Journaling: Four Crismis Santa - I wont a - Pike Buny LPS - mary matagaskar - and a cip for a neklis game - and a Intend DS.

Christmas Means Crazy Hats by Kat Poole

Supplies: Paper: KI Memories, Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper, Chipboard: American Crafts, Alphabet Stickers: Pink Paislee, Bling: Heidi Swapp, Paint: Polymark. Tools: Border Punches: Martha Stewart Crafts.

Design Notes: The bathroom man and woman were so much fun to make, especially their hats. I added some texture by adding a bit of cotton ball to both of the Santa hats.

Where the Gingerbread Man Party by Jolanda Simons

Supplies: Paper: KI Memories, Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper, KI Memories, Letter Stickers: Cosmo Cricket, Ribbon: Webster’s Pages, Brads: Bazzill Basics Paper, Pens: Viva Decor, Floss: Bazzill Basics Paper.

Design Notes: Add perlen pen to your pieces to make it look like icing.

Journaling: none, I always put a paper on the back of my layouts with the story. (The pics are made in “de Efteling” a sort of Disneyland in our country, we went there last winter and the gingerbread where having a party over there…)