Ruffled Cards

I can find a way to add a ruffle to just about anything.  Currently, I am loving these ruffled cards.  I originally sent them out as part of my gift for the Craftaholics Anonymous Handmade Gift Exchange this summer (which I only sent over a month late....what is wrong with me people?)

They are super simple to make.  All you need is a stack of precut cards (I bought a box of 200 from target about a year ago for 10$...they even came with envelopes) and scraps of fabric.

Cut a 2 inch strip of fabric that is double the length of your card.  Ruffle it on your machine with a ruffling foot (if you are lucky enough to have one) or the old fashioned way (like me) using your longest stitch length and highest tension.  Pull the bobbin thread to finish gathering to the exact length of the card.  Pin the fabric to your card at the desired location and then sew the fabric to the card directly on top of the gathering stitch you already made.  I used contrasting thread for the purple card and love how it turned out.  There are tons of variations you could do with this.  I think some ruffled flowers would be cute (strips sewn in circles), or multiple rows?  Options are endless.

To hide the ugly stitching on the back, I sewed another card to the back of the first.  Be sure to switch your machine back to it's normal setting or you will not have pretty stitching.

Done!  you can easily whip up a stack of these in under 10 minutes.  Not kidding.  So easy and so cute.  They would make great neighbor gifts this holiday season, or a great addition to your handmade gift....there's another exchange coming up next week I believe!

Here are some other cards I've made with felt.  They usually turn out pretty well too, but I still love the ruffles the most.