Bookpage & Grocery Bag Garland

After drooling over my West Elm catalog over the past several weeks, I've become inspired to make print-based holiday decorations like a mad fool.  This book page and grocery bag garland is the first among several projects that I've made using the same vintage, broken spine book. I love the fact that I've made some great-looking holiday decor with re-purposed and recycled materials and spent only a few dollars in the process.

To make this garland, I first adhered the book pages to the blank side of brown paper grocery bags.  Then, I cut the bags into strips just wide enough for the shape punches in order to maximize the punchable surface area.  Next, I punched a TON (not exaggerating here) of stars and scalloped circles (using these punches) and stitched them together using a simple straight stitch on my sewing machine.  (I know it may seem a little nerve racking to sew together small paper shapes, but it is seriously easy.  I just keep feeding the shapes under the foot and the machine does the rest!) 

Doesn't it look pretty on the tree?  I just love these neutral colors against the green of the Frasier Fir.  I'm almost finished making enough to cover the whole tree....just one more paper bag to go I think!

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