Monday Makery - Rolling Pin Printing

Ok, so we know where our Christmas tree will go, we've got the decorations down from the attic, all 5 boxes of it! We've started on our shopping lists and with the girls now counting down the sleeps til' Christmas -  49 by the way - the countdown has officially begun!

Every year we try to make all our gifts a little more personal, creating something for everyone and making our very own festive pieces. It's so much fun to get creative making decorations, treats and homemade gifts. It seems to make this time of year even more festive and symbolises the getting ready. The children certainly prefer spending afternoons baking and painting to traipsing around busy shops and in this way many of our makeries have become accidental traditions in that Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without them in our house.

Last year we got busy baking a gingerbread family,  felt baubles, salt dough garlands and decorations, a Jar of 'create me cookies',  easy sew felt decorations, scrabble magnet stocking fillers, and a whole host of paper craft decorations,  We were so busy we forgot to show our little trick for making your very own wrapping paper.

So, here we go. The first of the fun and creative Christmas Makeries with Rolling Pin Printing.

Here's what you'll need:

• a roll of paper - this one here is hard to beat for price. If there's ever anyone I know heading there we always get them to grab some rolls for us! 
• scissors
• card / lace / foam shapes / mouse mat / rubber bands ..... whatever you have to hand
• pencil
• rolling pin
• sticky tape
• paint / ink
• glue - 'quick mount' is great for this.

Here's how:

1. Take a piece of paper wrap it around the rolling pin and tape it securely with sticky tape.
2. Now, create your printing shapes.... if using card, cut out simple shapes (cookie cutters make great stencils for little hands) and adhere them to the covered rolling pin. For lace; cut strips of lace that match the circumference of your rolling pin and adhere in a neat line. Thick felt or foam shapes are great especially if you can find some already cut to the pattern you'd like, if you can't find foam shapes try cutting up an old mouse mat into the shapes you like and stick those on. Pipe cleaners turned into simple shapes work brilliantly, bubble wrap is great for some fun spots and even the simple elastic band can be used over the rolling pin to create stripes along the paper. Its fun to try lots of different materials and see what works best. If you have very young children why not use some toy cars or tractors 'driven' across the paint and onto the paper..... remember it doesn't have to be about the polished finish but rather the fun, the memories made, the messy hands, and the sense of pride of having it done it themselves! 
3. Once the glue has dried and your pattern in securely in place take a flat baking tray or turn one upside down to use the flat side for your ink or paint.
4. Put a splodge of paint onto your tray and even it our using a paintbrush. Roll the rolling pin over the paint back and forth until the shapes are evenly covered with colour, and then lining up against the bottom of a large sheet of paper roll on your print.

Hang large sheets of decorated paper up to dry and once dry roll them up into ready to use rolls of wrapping paper. You can even make matching tags for labeling gifts too.

The girls have loved doing this so much they are busy designing paper to match either the gift inside or the person to whom the gifts are for. I love their enthusiasm and its completely contagious... that i'm now cutting up felt into snowflakes ready for the next batch!

Its a wrap everyone ...... (sorry just couldn't resist!)

Happy Making xx

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This is part of our weekly Monday Makery where we bring you a recipe to bake or a craft to create. Visit our Monday Makery when you're in need of inspiration for something to do on a rainy day or to use as interception of the words 'I'm bored', or just because being creative with your children is something you all love to do. Our other popular blogposts include 'The story behind our collections', 'Tell us its Tuesday' , An A-Z of Sisters Guild, The Art of Living posts bring you all the things we are passionate about and the things we discover in our lives as mamas, and our 'Once upon a week' gives you a glimpse into life behind the scenes at Sisters Guild. 

www.sistersguild.co.uk

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