Martha Stewart Today’s Special: New Craft Punches Exclusive to HSN
Hi crafters!
The trees are budding, the grass is greening, and the ice on the Hudson has finally melted for good. Which means it’s time to break out some color, and roll out some warm-weather hospitality. Whether it’s a simple spring brunch or an outdoor celebration, I think you’ll find the projects below just the thing to add flair to your festivities.
And of course, don’t forget to tune in to our TS launch at midnight EST on Thursday, March 31, 2011. Martha will be live in the studio with us as we introduce some new craft punches that will only be available on HSN. Be sure to check your local listings for other times in your area.
Thanks, I can’t wait to show you more of our favorite craft ideas on the 31st!
Alex
Aster Deep Edge Punch
With just one punch, you can make several wonderful crafts such as umbrellas, a garland, or a 3D ball garland.
You will need:
Aster Deep Edge Punch
craft paper in your choice of colors
Martha Stewart craft glue
bone folder
toothpicks
large darning needle
baker’s twine
scissors
To create the star shapes, cut paper into 2 3/8 [fraction]-inch long strips. For easier alignment, hold the punch so you can see the cutting edge. Punch along one side of the strip, then punch out the other, slightly overlapping the edges. Don’t worry if your edges aren’t perfect; you can clean them up with scissors.
Cut several in different colors and string them together with baker’s twine for a colorful garland.
Make umbrellas by taking the individual stars and cutting a slit from edge to center. Overlap the edge so the points match up and glue together. Pierce the center with a toothpick and use a dab of glue to hold it in place.
String a needle with the baker’s twine and pierce through one corner edge through the middle of the ball. Now attach the two remaining shapes kitty corner along the bottom to create the eight-sided ball. Voila! (Warning: this last project might only be for those feeling very ambitious. To save time, you might want to wrangle a couple of friends to help you complete a strand.)
Fold the slit side up and over so you have a 3-sided pyramid.
Glue two together like bookends. Then attach the two pairs, so you have one side completed.
More Martha Stewart Crafts:
» Shop all of the current craft collection now
» Get crafty: Watch past shows with Martha Stewart at HSN
» Read more: Alex and the Martha Stewart Crafts’ blog
Martha’s punches are the BEST! I have at least 100 now and won’t even bother looking at other brands. I agree with some of the others that a MS craft magazine would be great, one that would highlight multiple uses for all these wonderful punches. Alex. your demos are great. I am so happy that the punch anywhere punches are now made to line up just like the punch around the page ones are. I even called the MS company once and suggested those markings and the woman was nasty about it!
Please, Please, Please make a MS craft magazine! I love MS quality and the Cards shown are very classy.
I have some MS punches and there are very nice. I have the bunny ears punch and would appreciate so much some crafting ideas for cardmaking. Thank you
Poor blog, seems like it is inactive, I was looking forward to it. Martha always has such good products and advice but certainly not seeing it here. Too bad!
Hi Alex and Martha,
Well I do have well over 100 of your punches and love them all. I began keeping a notebook of said punches as to not make a duplicate purchase…at first it was trying my memory what they looked like but that wasn’t working so no as soon as I remove a punch from it’s box I take my Sharpie marker and put the name of the punch on the back so I have a reference. So…my thought is….how about you having the name of the punch put on the back. This would be so great.
thanks!
Love the punches, too. I agree with the MS craft magazine. Could easily e a promotion with craft month.
Hi Alex, you are my dream man second only to my husband supports lots of MS crafts
Please print or emboss the names of the punches on them; this will keep sets together and I can avoid buying duplicates. You could print in elegant MS gold or just emboss.
Please design a tabletop or floor set of shelves to display the punches. the shelves could be tilted with a lip on the end to display the design on the top of the punches but the lip would keep them from sliding off.
What do you think??
I agree; please print or emboss the name of the punch so I can keep them together. Also this would keep me from buying duplicates b/c I throw the packaging away.
Right now I have a list on paper of what I have but that doesn’t help keep the sets together In true MS style the name could be elegantly .printed in gold or embossed on the punches
Alex, I missed the Halloween punch set from the Auto-Ship. My bank changed my credit card number and I forgot to change it with HSN. Will that set be available to the public at all? If so, any idea when? It was one of the ones I was desparate to get. :-(.
I have never done any type of paper crafts but I was so intrigued by the projects on craft day that I purchased almost every punch you had and many other items. My problem is that I need a project book to show me how to make the beautiful things done by Martha and Alex on HSN, such as boxes, cards, hanging decorations, etc. Is there such a thing available? If not, would you consider publishing one for newbies like me?
Alex,
I have several of Martha’s punch sets. I don’t have a lot of space to store them, like on a shelf, drawer, etc., so I store them in clear plastic boxes – the problem is, its hard to keep the collections together and sometimes it isn’t easy figuring out what corner punch goes with what side punches. Can you consider a way of labeling each piece of a set? By name or even a number would work.
Thanks!
I love your punches and have several of the Punch Around the Page (PAP)ones. I have yet to find an adequate paper size chart to end up with perfectly punched square/rectangle. The included instructions do not help. I have found a couple blogs, but their instructions are lacking too. Please provide a cutting guide for the various PAP (both small and large punch designs) that goes from the smallest up to near 12×12. Ex: cut 5.25 x 7.25 = finished 4 x 6. Please post the charts here. Thanks.
Hope a chart gets posted and also included in packages with punches.
looking for a great white ink pad to stamp on darker papers and cardstock. Have tried several. Might be good to put a kit together with the worlds greatest white ink pad and colors to blend with other brands. I know I could sure use some fantastic inks for my projects. so far a great white ink has eluded me.
Alex,
I watched HSN Craft Month Finale & have purchased several MS craft items. I now have all MS TS Punches, both circle cutters, the 12″ paper trimmer, the Knit and Weave Loom and many other Martha Stewart Craft items. I love them all!
I am eagerly waiting the instructions for the beautiful scarf
Martha made with her Knit and Weave Loom. The scarf was the incentive for making this purchase. Please post the promised instructions for the various items shown on air.
Mahalo!
Alex,
I watched HSN Craft Month Finale & have purchased several MS craft items. I now have all MS TS Punches, both circle cutters, the 12″ paper trimmer, the Knit and Weave Loom and many other Martha Stewart Craft items. I love them all!
I am eagerly waiting the instructions for the beautiful scarf
Martha made with her Knit and Weave Loom. The scarf was the incentive for making this purchase. Please post the promised instructions for the various items shown on air.
Mahalo!
Alex….I have some glittering glue…comes in a bottle with a brush attached. But it seems thick….Can I add some water to it to thin it out?
Thanks!
Alex-
I have a question, I’ve been watching you and Martha on HSN during National Craft Month, I was wondering if Martha has a paper craft book that dsplays all those beautiful craft ideas that appear during your appearances. I would love to make some of them.
Thank you
Pat
We need this book!
Hi Jayjay!
Yes I like to stir in a little water sometimes depending on the project. Be careful though too much water can warp your paper when drying.
Alex
Thanks, Alex…appreciate you taking the time to answer me.
~Jan
I love Martha Stewart punches! So easy to use and you can count
on them always working right. Punch around the page idea is just the greatest thing since chocolate! Wish I had more money, am on
S.S. so it doesn’t go far, but I wish I could have everyone of your punches–there is nothing out there that is their equal and they are all beautiful designs. Thankyou!
I have many of Martha’s punches and enjoy using them. I wonder if there is a tool to hold the alpha letters and what type of adhesive is best to use with them????
Hi Dottie1941!
Craft glue is best to use with the alphabet pieces. I personally put the letter on my finger, put a tiny dab of glue on the back, set in place, and adjust with a toothpick. There are so many uses for the alphabet punches. Remember to save your extra letters!
Alex
Gotta tell you – I LOVE the starburst design! Alex, it would be great if you could show us more things to do with it. On the show you made a couple frames, and what looked like a bookmark.
I watched the first two hours of the finale on HSN tonight. Wow! The TSV is awesome. Loved how Alex showed how to do the Garland. Also loved how it was explained about going around the corners and made references to the pamphlets about sizing. I bought the wonderful papers and scoring pad while in California and my brothers family and I all sat together and made wedding cards and birthday cards together. It really touched my brother a lot when he came in and saw that. It was special.
I wish Martha and Alex would come out with a quarterly craft magazine showing different things you can make using Martha Stewart Craft tools. This magazine could also showcase the new and future craft items to come.
Yes, yes, yes! I was just thinking the same thing! We need more inspiring magazines, and I think Alex, Martha, and the Design Team are some of the most inspiring designers I’ve seen a long time. Please, please, please consider putting out a crafts magazine for us! I’m so disappointed that there’s no more MS Crafts show, nor is there an MS Crafts magazine.
Love this idea! We are trying to bring you more ideas. I’ll have more in the next couple of weeks on this blog. So check back.
Alex
PLEASE Alex make this magazine happen. I would love just open to a page, lay the magazine on my crafting table and go craft crazy! LOL
Alex
You are the BEST! I watch HSN every time you are on. PLEASE publish a magazine with all your wonderful ideas. I have almost all the Martha Stewart punches.They truly are the best! Please keep up the GREAT work!!!
If you think about it Martha has a magazine for everything except crafting. Sure Martha Stewart Living has a few craft ideas but I would like a crafting magazine showcasing MS crafting tools. It could have contests where the readers could show what they have created with MS craft tools, give sways, store coupons and so much more. We need to let Martha and Alex know this is a Good Thing!
I can’t wait for this. I am a crafter and do many. But I donot have one of Marthas punches. You probably ask WHY NOT….. I have not been able to shop lately for new crafting stuff because of no $$ :o(