Origami Christmas Cards

As happens every year, the whole idea of holiday cards and the obligatory holiday photo of the kids provided me with an ample dose of agita.   Last week, I finally sat down to choose a photo of the kids, upload said photo, create the card online and order cards.  The photo card software did not like the format of the picture I chose.  Or the next three.  Argh.  After a few more tries and a few more sites, I decided to simply order reprints and mail regular cards.
I started looking online at greeting cards, didn't really like any I saw, and considered just making my own cards.  Did I have time for making holiday cards?  With 12 days left before the holiday?  And shopping, school projects, and baking to do?  How did I get myself in this predicament again?
Then I stumbled upon an origami site that had tutorials for several holiday-themed models.  They were so cute.  I decided that, maybe, I did have time to make Origami Holiday Cards.  I scratched holiday baking off the to-do list and, instead, spent an afternoon folding paper.  Crazy talk, I know.  However, the process turned out to be relaxing and fun.    The decision was kinder to my waistline, gave me a new skill, and resulted in some really cute cards.  Bye-bye agita.

Materials I used:

• Greeting Cards and Envelopes - I purchased a pack that included red/green cards and white envelopes.
• Origami Paper - I purchased 7" x 7" Origami paper in multiple colors. 
• Paper Punches - snowflake and star
• Bone Folder
• Adhesive 
• Online Origami Patterns

Materials needed for Origami Holiday Cards

Origami Paper:
When I hunted around for some spare paper with which to create the origami, I realized that my scrapbooking paper was a bit heavy, and colored on both sides.  I headed out to the craft store and bought a package of papers (with assorted solid colors).  Origami paper is relatively thin, holds a crease very well, and is typically white on one side.  It's sold in several standard sizes.  

Origami Folds:
Most origami is created using a combination of standard folds.  Take a look at this website for descriptions and demonstrations of each fold.  For some folds, I used a bone folder, a common card making and book binding tool, to keep the creases smooth.

Making My Origami Models:
I found a tutorial for folding tree models and got to work.  It's pretty basic (requires seven simple folds), but was so striking when completed.  I added the yellow star on top using a mini craft punch.

Origami Trees

When I ran out of green papers, I attempted the Santa origami model.  It took a few tries to get the folds exactly the right way.  I had only 10 sheets of the red, so I made 10 Santa models.  Each one is a bit different, but still recognizable. The white snowflake is his finishing touch.

Origami Santa

When the red and green papers were all gone, I searched the website for another origami design.  The bell model was pretty, and used yellow paper - perfect.  The folds on bell were a bit confusing towards the end.  Luckily, there is a great video associated with each model on the website.  I watched the video and was able to complete a couple of good bells before I moved on.

Origami Bell

Wanting a more straightforward design, I finished up with wrapped package models.  They turned out really cute with snowflakes as bows.  I used a variety of colors, which was good because I had several non-holiday-ish colors left.

Wrapped Packages

Finishing Cards:
After all the origami was completed, I began assembling the cards.  I adhered the models to the card fronts,  glued the photo to the inside and signed the card.  The back of each card is punched with a snowflake and  initialed.  The snowflake appears white because the back of the photo (inside the card) is white.

Back of card

I was able to make fifty cards in an afternoon for less than fifty cents a piece.  I picked up a new skill, created something handcrafted, and reduced some of that pesky holiday stress.  Hooray!

Cook Some, Freeze Some: Chicken Enchiladas

Cook Some, Freeze Some

Tonight I'm serving enchiladas - a favorite baked comfort food to which I applied my 'cook one, freeze one' method.  With the enchiladas, though, it's more of a 'cook some, freeze some' method.  I cooked a double batch of enchiladas a couple of weeks ago and froze some for later use.  Tonight is a night I need a quick dinner solution, so I am pulling some enchiladas out of the freezer for my husband and I.  The 'don't like spicy food' and 'refuse to eat meat' members of the family will enjoy an entree of cheese quesadillas.  We'll round out with a green vegetable and cuditee (the kids don't like salad either).

Cook Some/Freeze Some:
I use this method of meal preparation all the time.  Some call it investment cooking.  Others call it freezer cooking or make-ahead meals.  Whatever term you use, if you have the freezer space, it just makes sense to cook one and freeze one.  I often prepare double recipes of taco meat or sloppy joes to have on hand.  I do the same whenever I prepare pasta bake, chili and soups.

A word on Mexican Ingredients:
I am not Mexican, nor did I marry into a Mexican family.  I grew up in the Midwest, and did not even eat a  taco until age eight.  So, while I have traveled to Mexico, and have eaten fabulous authentic Mexican food on both sides of the border, I typically reach for flour tortillas over corn tortillas.  Much spirited debate exists over one should use corn or flour tortillas for enchiladas.  I use flour.  Feel free to use whatever you want.  I have the same sentiment with enchilada sauce.  Of course homemade chili gravy is better - especially a recipe passed down from generation to generation.  However, I do not usually have the time to make my own gravy and am perfectly happy using canned sauce from the grocery store.  Over the years, I have tried just about every red and green sauce on the market, from Mexican brands to store brands; organic to mass-produced.  While those produced by Mexican brands are my favorite, I use whichever sauce I have on hand.

Most Mexican restaurant menus feature at least 10+ varieties of enchiladas.  I make my enchiladas using rotisserie chicken flavored with fresh salsa, jalapenos, and (when I can get away with it) mushrooms or black beans/spinach.  The basic enchilada recipe lends itself to a variety of substitutions/combinations based on preference or dietary restrictions.  For a dairy-free diner, use soy- or rice cheese.  For gluten-free diets, use gluten-free tortillas and sauce.  Prefer beef, pork, seafood?  Want to sneak in more vegetables?  Care to control how much spice in dish?  You can do all this with a basic enchilada recipe of tortilla, protein, vegetable, cheese, sauce.

Keep reading to see how easy I cook some and  freeze some of my enchiladas:

Chicken Enchiladas:

Ingredients:

• Two pounds Shredded Chicken.  I  pick and shred the meat from one rotisserie chicken.
• One large can (20 oz) Enhilada sauce.
• One container (16 oz)  Salsa.  I use 16-oz container of my 'go-to' salsa.  Any fresh or jarred salsa works.
• One small can (4 oz) Chopped Jalapenos or Green Chiles.  I use jalapenos - we like heat.
• Two cups Shredded Cheese.  I use a Four-Cheese Mexican blend.  
• Twelve 8-inch Flour tortillas.  I used 8" flour tortillas from my 'go-to' brand.  
• Cooking Spray

General How To:

• Pick meat from a rotisserie chicken.  Shred the meat and remove any residual bones.  Place to the side.
  Note:  Grocery stores always have rotisserie chicken available.  It is a huge time saver.  

Rotisserie chicken picked and ready to go.

• In a large bowl combine the chicken, salsa, 1/2 cup of Enchilada Sauce, 1/2 cup cheese, and the jalapenos.
  Note:  Add, delete, substitute any ingredients at this point to craft your perfect enchilada.  

Mix all the ingredients to combine.

• Spray a cooking dish with non-stick spray.  Pour some (about 1/4 cup) enchilada sauce on bottom of pan.

Non-stick spray helps remove the enchiladas after baking.

• Spoon some filling (1/4 to 1/3 cup) onto each tortilla.
  Note:  If you want to be really authentic, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce before filling.  

This step can get messy - work over the bowl.

• Fold the tortilla into a tube shape and place seam-side down in baking dish.  Repeat with remaining tortillas.
  Note:  It's fine to crowd the enchiladas in the dish.

• Pour remaining sauce over the rolled enchiladas and top with cheese.

Ready for the oven.

Cook Some:

• Place baking dish in a 350-degree oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
  Result:  The enchiladas are cooked through and dinner is ready!  

Enchiladas cooked and ready to eat!

Freeze Some:
After dinner has been served, it's time to freeze some enchiladas for later.  Here's how I process the enchiladas for future meals:

• Place two enchiladas a sheet of foil and wrap tight.  Repeat with remaining enchiladas.

Freeze individual portions of enchiladas for later.

• Place the wrapped packs of enchiladas in a zipper freezer bag and label appropriately.

Ready for the freezer

• Place the bag in the freezer.
  Result:  You are done.  Pat yourself on the back for your foresight and ability to plan ahead.

When you are ready to use the enchiladas, simply remove them and defrost.  Then, heat them up in the oven - conventional, toaster or microwave - and serve.  So easy.  So good.  

And, the Picky Eaters?
I told you the kids usually don't like what we like, right?  Cheesy quesadillas take just a few minutes and can be customized to accomodate all dietary restrictions.  Everyone's happy!

Quesadillas made easy! 

How to Make a Padded Fabric Headboard

We upgraded my son's bed from a twin-sized to a queen-sized mattress set (re-purposed from the guest room) when we moved to Savannah six years ago.  I never bothered to replace the headboard or buy a bed frame at the time.  We were busy renovating an entire house, so our dollars were better spent elsewhere and, frankly, he was still too young to care one way or the other.

Padded Headboard for my son's room.

Once we moved back to Atlanta and completed painting his new room, I had a fresh slate with which to work.  It was time to address my son's bed situation.  I shopped brick-and-mortar stores, online, outlets, as well as garage- and estate sales looking for ideas.  I saw nothing that seemed the right direction.  The only input from my son was he wanted it to be LEGO or baseball.  Go figure.

My inspiration finally came from a metal magazine rack that a neighbor was selling at a garage sale - her son was moving on to college and she was clearing out his room.  I recognized the rack from a favorite retail store, loved the look and felt the it would go well in my son's room.  It even resembled LEGOS in a way.  I bought the rack, hung it up on his wall and decided to make a padded headboard and pillows that mimicked the look of the metal bins.  The headboard I opted to create was based on several padded headboards I admired online and consists of two rows of 12" x 12" padded squares - in colors matching the magazine rack.

Metal magazine rack inspired my son's new headboard.

Researching online, I read several different tutorials for making padded headboards.  Most required heavy backer boards made of plywood.  My carpenter (husband) was busy with other projects at the time so any hauling, cutting, or attaching plywood would have to wait a few weeks.  I wanted the headboard sooner than later so I decided to try alternative materials.

I used heavy-duty, single-wall corrugated cardboard and adhesive strips that claim to be damage-free.  The project required no power tools, cost very little money, could be completed within a few days and (best of all) would be easy enough to change/modify if my son's tastes changed.   Or, if I screwed things up.

I visited my local warehouse club to pick up corrugated cardboard  boxes for the project - for free!  If you look by the check-out, you'll see large bins of these boxes available for the taking.  Next, I stopped by a discount store and picked up a twin-sized foam mattress topper for under $10.00 (I happened to catch a sale) and the adhesive strips.  At the fabric store, I purchased fabric yardage in colors matching the magazine rack bins.  This project took about five total hours to complete and cost very little money.  It was absolutely worth it for a young boy's room.  

If you want to create a padded headboard like the one I made, keep reading:

How to Make a Padded Fabric Headboard:

Materials:

Materials used to create the padded headboard

• Single-walled corrugated cardboard 
• Foam Mattress Topper (Twin-sized topper was perfect for this project)
• Fabric to cover each square
• Cotton Batting
• Measuring tape, Ruler, Marking Pen, Scissors
• Duct tape
• Stapler or Staple gun
• Adhesive mounting strips

General How-To:

• Measure the wall surface to determine headboard dimensions.
  Note:  Queen-sized mattresses are 60" x 80".  I wanted two rows of squares, so the total dimensions are 24" x 60".  Each completed square is 12" x 12". 
• Measure 12" x 12" squares and cut corrugated cardboard to create backers.
  Note:  The cardboard cut like a breeze - I scored one side along my lines with scissors and then scored the other side to separate.
• Measure and cut foam mattress pad to create squares the exact size of the backer.
  Note:  I cut twelve 12" x12" squares and had a bit left over.
• Measure and cut cotton batting to create squares that are 2" larger on each side
  Note:  I cut each square of batting to be 14" x 14"

Cut cotton batting 14" x 14"

• Measure and cut fabric to create squares that are same size as the batting.

Cut fabric squares 14" x 14".

• Iron all the fabric squares to remove wrinkles.

• On a clear surface, place a square of fabric, followed by a square of batting.  Center a foam square on the fabric and top off with a cardboard backer.
  Note:  You could use adhesive spray to adhere the foam to the cardboard if desired.  I did not bother as the squares only measured 12" x 12".
• Fold fabric over side and pull taut.  Use staples to attach fabric to each side of the cardboard backer.  Reinforce and strengthen edges using duct tape.
  Note:  I used a regular office stapler because I knew I'd be reinforcing with duct tape.  Like I said earlier, this was very low-cost and low-tech.

Regular staples worked fine, though you can also use a staple gun.

The back of the fabric square is secured using staples and duct tape. 

• Repeat these steps for each of the squares.
  Result:  You have 12 upholstered squares.
• Install headboard:  Follow manufacturer's directions for using the adhesive mounting strips and adhere squares to the wall in desired pattern.
  Note:  I used four adhesive strips per square and lined them up using a level.
  Result:  The headboard is installed.
• Step back and enjoy!

Completed headboard

It's been three months since I've installed the headboard.  It's held up beautifully - nothing has fallen down, come apart, or ripped.  My son loves it - he actually spends more time in his room reading and playing now. The additional pillows along the mural wall make his bed feel like a day bed.  He now considers his room to be his hang-out, lounging space.  

The Pillows:

I bought enough fabric to make four 18" x18" pillow covers in the same colors as the headboard.  I used all the scraps and extra yardage to make an assortment of throw pillows.  These pillows, along with the silver duvet cover, really tie the room to my original inspiration piece - the magazine rack.  I'll explain how I made all the pillows and pillow covers in a different post.