Using Quotes in Crafts – Creating Inexpensive, Handmade Gifts

Posted by Susan Caplan Aug 11, 2009

I don’t remember when I started collecting quotes. There was probably a book with quotations starting each chapter or illuminating the margins of the book. Regardless, I started jotting down quotes when they connected with who I was, who I wanted to be, and the life journey that I was on.

The quotes, for the most part, have lived in spiral-bound journals. I always think that I’ll type them us and categorize them. It’s a nice thought, but daunting with its time-consuming quality. However, over the past few years, I’ve starting using quotes more and more often in my gift giving. With a computer, some nice paper, and appropriate quotes, you can pull together several personalized gifts in an afternoon.

A few years ago, strapped for cash, but interested in giving small gifts to several people, I created a humorous quote book. I noticed in the numerous catalogs I’d receive that there were some really funny sayings on tee shirts, mugs, and wall plaques. I started typing them into my computer and then sorted them into categories, like aging, family, life, etc.

The most difficult part is formatting the book so the pages flow correctly when topics cover more than one page – particularly if you plan on folding a piece of paper in half and printing text on both sides. Set the typeface and spacing for the sayings as you want it to appear. Cut apart some scrap paper and fold up a miniature book. On each of the mini pages, jot down the topic for that page. When you take apart the book, you’ll see how pages two and seven of an eight-page book fall onto the same sheet of paper. Cut and paste the text so it falls onto the appropriate pages.

By printing the quotation book onto nicer paper and adding clip art, you can make a gift for a high school or college graduate, a couple celebrating an anniversary, or mom on Mother’s Day.

Select a theme for this gift – quotes on love for a wedding gift, quotations on family for an anniversary or a parent’s birthday. Type one hundred or so quotes, formatting them so they take up equal amounts of space on the page. Print the quotes onto cardstock and use a paper trimmer to cut them apart into identical size pieces of paper.

Place the stack of cards into a canning jar or apothecary jar. The gift recipient can pull out one of the cards each day for a bit of inspiration. You may want to create a label for the jar, titling this unique and personal item.

For a quick gift, make a magnet. Type a single quotation, decorated with a piece of clip art. Format the saying so it will fit within a purchased acrylic frame with a magnet on the back.

In a collage frame, fill some frames with photographs and other with appropriate quotes.

Quotations and funny sayings are great focal points for easy-to-make gifts – be it a book, a magnet, a collage accent, or a gift jar filled with sayings. Quotes add a thoughtful and personalized touch to gifts that teens and adults can make.