pretty pleats for paper

I had the stomach flu for most of the week, then towards the end of the week, I had 2 events to get ready for.  One being my husbands family Christmas and the other, a coffee fellowship time at church this morning.  Whew! 

Today, I finally worked on my December Daily. 

I got out my sewing machine and decided to make pleats for paper! 

Here’s how:

• Cut a scrap of paper that is the appropriate size for your layout (paper project).  Then cut a piece of ribbon quite a bit longer….I didn’t measure it, but I would guess almost double the length. 

• Next I applied adhesive to the back of the ribbon (or it can be applied to the paper).

• Begin your ribbon with a little excess hanging off of the edge so that you can tuck it around the back.  Now you can start to create pleats along your paper.  Pleats can be as close or as far apart as you want. 

• Once you have reached the end of your paper, wrap the end of your ribbon around to the back and secure.  You are ready to sew! 

• Paying attention to the direction that your pleats fold, sew in the same direction.  You can use whatever type of stitching that you want.  I used a zig-zag stitch. 
• Here are 2 examples of the pleats that I made. 

• To finish, you can simply trim off the excess paper along the bottom, (or leave it) and attach to your project!  I also added a santa flair pin to this set of pleats. 

It’s as simple as that! 

That completes my December Daily: Day 4.