Skip to main content

Soliciting Opinions

When I was looking for inspiration for the stockings I made, I saw these little bags and they kind of stuck with me.  With a little modification, I thought they would make good gift card "holders".  My daughter's school sells gift cards as a fundraiser.  Many of you are probably familiar with this sort of program.  If you aren't, I'm sorry, but I can't really explain it since I'm not sure I understand it myself.  Anyway, understanding the program isn't important. 

I was thinking that maybe I could make some of these and give them to the school for them to sell with the gift cards for the Christmas season.  I haven't run this idea by anyone at the school yet, but I thought I would make some samples so that they would know what I was talking about.



I was thinking that they were pretty cute.  Then I asked the Preacher what he thought.  His response went something like this:
"Honestly, I really don't like them.  I don't think they are cute at all.  Rickrack just doesn't seem very modern to me.  It looks like something someone's grandma made that you then pass over at a garage sale."
To which I thought, "Well.  How pastoral of you."  Just kidding.  I just had that thought now while typing.  :)  I was a little surprised, but I was grateful for his honest opinion.  I don't ask his opinion unless I really want it.



So then I looked at the little bags differently.  Maybe the felt and the rickrack together was all just a little too....crafty.  And I went back and looked at Martha's site and thought, "Yeah, mine definitely aren't as cute as hers."    Maybe this isn't a good idea at all.  But, I did like them before he said he didn't.  Now I'm not sure what I think.

I included a gift card in this one to show the scale.  When all the way in the bag, the card is completely covered.

If these were just for my personal use, I wouldn't really be concerned about it, but I don't want to spend any more time or money on something that isn't going to be successful.  And I really don't want to saddle the school with something unhelpful.  So, I'm asking for your honest opinions.  What do you think of these little bags?
Labels:

Comments

  1. BeritNovember 12, 2009 at 3:52 PM

    I think it's the white felt; I like rick-rack and felt's alright, but stark white felt just says "disposable" to me...probably because I use it as linen "protectors" on my q-snaps. I like the low-level relief effect of the woven or braided rick-rack, but not the poofy poinsettia so much.

    I think it would be a nice idea to add some sort of snap or button closure (if not too much extra trouble) so that it could be re-purposed after the gift is given (for example as a pocket tissue holder?)

    The problem for me if I received this is that I'd want to throw it away on the grounds that it's clutter (and can really only be used as an ornament or re-gifted)...but would feel really conflicted about making that call because it was handmade.

    ReplyDelete
  2. BeritNovember 12, 2009 at 3:54 PM

    I feel that I want to clarify that when I say that white felt is disposable, it's closer to what I mean that to me, white felt=bounty paper towels. They're good, and useful, and you can do stuff with them, but...they are disposable.

    ReplyDelete
  3. judyNovember 12, 2009 at 5:43 PM

    I think that they look like cute gift bags for gift cards. I would save them with the rest of my xmas gift bags for the following year to reuse. I think a gift card gift bag is a cute idea, many people give gift cards at xmas time. I can agree that they do not look "modern", but I think that they are cute and definitely serve their purpose! I think the price would be the make or break whether I bought it or not. I would want it to be somewhat comparable to a gift bag (a nice gift bag) in cost. Hope that helps! Remember, everyone likes different stuff!

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousNovember 12, 2009 at 7:20 PM

    I agree that they are something you would "re-gift." I like the large poinsetta. It's probably true that the felt is holding you back. What if you made them out of muslin - you could then tea stain them and make them look antiqued - the contrast with the modern "gift card" would be clever, and they would be more useable as an ornament as well. It might not hold the heavier ribbon as well, but you could do more delicate designs. - Joanne

    ReplyDelete
  5. MarshaNovember 12, 2009 at 8:20 PM

    I personally like them...they must be cool or Martha wouldn't have them on her site. However, I think the white felt is a little too stark and cheapens them a little. What about off-white or tan?

    ReplyDelete
  6. CatsngramsNovember 13, 2009 at 11:39 AM

    I really like them they are so cute. You are so talented. When you want an opinion on crafts never ask a man. But good job and I think your idea ofusing them for card holders is great.

    ReplyDelete
  7. JackieNovember 13, 2009 at 8:36 PM

    well, i think they are just too cute for words! and i know that at my school they would sell, not for alot but a nice price... and they are useful.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sherilyn -Dominee HuisvrouwNovember 14, 2009 at 5:38 PM

    I agree that the felt is what would make me say no to them, but I think they could even be used to put mini candy canes in on the tree... it's always about the candy! :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. amberNovember 16, 2009 at 2:39 PM

    Not a huge fan of the white felt. Love the ribbon handles though and I particularly like the candy cane design. Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousDecember 2, 2009 at 3:03 PM

    I personally think that this is a very cute idea and shows a lot of creativity. Some people appreciate handmade gifts and others just don't. If you originally liked them, then other crafty people will feel the same.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grocery Bags

More gifts! These are just like the still-all-too-ubiquitous plastic grocery bags, but they're fabric.  I followed this tutorial and you actually use a plastic bag as a pattern.  The instructions are very good and include a pocket so that the bag can be folded up and is easy to keep in a purse or a car's glove box. Mostly for the sake of the gift recipients, here's how to fold up the bag.... 1.  Lay the bag pocket side down and fold it length-wise using the edges of the pocket as a guide. 2.  Fold it in half, aligning the top of the handles with the bottom of the bag. 3.  Fold in half again and then reach into pocket with your hand and turn the whole thing (pocket included) inside out. Happy shopping!
3 comments
Read more

Shopping Bags

Most stores in our town charge you a nickel for a plastic bag when you check out. I love this practice and the way that it encourages people to bring their own cloth bags or reuse their plastic ones. My habit of bringing along bags to the grocery store is well established, but I used to find myself stuck at places like the drug store or farmer's market or other impromptu stops. Then I picked up a bag at an upscale kitchen goods store that rolls up quite compactly. Now I keep that in my purse, so I always have a bag with me. I like my bag so much that I wanted to replicate it for the art sale. The final result is a hybrid of the bag I purchased and these that I made last year. The bag is a little bigger than the average plastic grocery bag. The velcro tab is used to keep the bag rolled up, but also can close the top of the bag when it is full. Most of the bag is a single layer of cotton, but the handles are faced. There is a double row of top-stitching around both edges of
12 comments
Read more

The Burda Skirt Again

I'm not sure what prompted it, but awhile ago I decided that I needed a green skirt. The last time I was at Fabricland I saw this green wide-wale corduroy. I wasn't really looking for the skirt to be corduroy and the color was a little different than I was hoping for, but since I had my eyes peeled for awhile and hadn't seen anything better, I thought I'd try the corduroy. After looking for a suitable pattern, I settled on the Burda 2/2010 skirt that I've already used three times . Because of the weight and bulk of the corduroy, I didn't want to try to mess with too many details. I'll use another skirt pattern soon. Really, I will. One of the things I really like about this pattern is the pockets. This time I made the pocket facings and part of the pocket bag out of a cotton woven solid to reduce bulk. Since I'll be wearing this skirt with tights I added a lining. Adding the lining was really simple except that I cut the lining exactly the sam
14 comments
Read more