It's Sew Saturday...

...and what makes today different than all the other Sew Saturdays? Well, today I'm not sewing on fabric. ...I'm making a little switch-a-roo to paper.   "PAPER"? - You say? Yes, paper.  Why?  Because ordinary is boring, so I decided to whip up - or rather stitch up some invitation sleeves for our neighborhood party. ...And I thought I'd share the easy four-step instructions for this very inexpensive project.  Let's get started!

Supplies needed: You will need thread, scissors, textured scissors (optional), paper bag, and a lighter.

Step 1: Cut out a piece of paper double the length of your invitation allow a little extra space on the sides to allow room for invitation and for seam allowance.

Step 2: Stitch the sides closed.  I did a standard straight stitch, but you can do any stitch.  Don't be shy - get as crazy as your creative little heart desires!

Step 3: Cut off the top.  I started off using these textured scissors to give it a rough-torn look, however in the next step you will find that it's really not necessary.  I decided to keep this step in the mix in case you don't feel comfortable doing #4.

Step 4: Warning this is a stinky step! Grab your lighter and singe the top-opening section of the invitation sleeve.  Blow out the flame quickly, it only needs a second to singe down.   Be-careful.  If you don't feel 100% safe doing this, grab a spray bottle - for the unlikely event that you need to spray out the fire.  If you don't use texturing scissors, the flame will have the same effect on the paper.

Here is a close up of what step 4's effect does to your paper.

The finished product.

The aftermath - paper shavings and ashes.

Click on above images to enlarge.