What you can make with decorative file folders ...

Have you seen the pretty file folders everyone has been selling lately? I'll admit I never saw much sense in them until a few weeks ago. I mean, really, are you going to spend that much money and then hide them in a file drawer somewhere? Maybe I've missed the point. Perhaps these are supposed to be for those files you keep on your desk.

At any rate, Michaels was clearancing out their $1 section ($0.47 each), so I picked up a pack of the butterfly folders (4/pack) to try a few neat ideas I'd seen lately.

The first project is a shopping organizer. Some people go all out in decorating theirs, but my whole idea was to use a predecorated folder so I didn't have to gussy it up at all. So here is the inside:



I also picked up a magnetic list pad and sticky notes in the same butterfly theme (both $0.47/pack) so that I could make it all match inside. (I'm giving these sets to my Secret Sisters next month.) The idea is that you can hang the magnetic list pad on the fridge and then rip off your list as you're heading out the door and put it in this pocket. If I had it to do over, I'd make one of those coupon pockets into a pocket for receipts.

Here's what the outside looks like when it's all folded up and tied together:



It's a little bit odd-shaped since I had to modify the original directions to fit the list pad I had. But if you're interested in making one, I used the basic directions from this tutorial. (And while you're there, take a look around at her blog. I love her style!)

I still had two folders left and another project to try, so this next one is like a portfolio for one of those mini legal pads:



Here is the outside. It looks like it needs a little something, and I'm still thinking on it. :)

Here is the inside:



One of the things I liked the most about this project is that the legal pad can come out and be replaced when you're done with it. (It just slips into the pocket, and that's what holds it in.) I need to add a Velcro closure to this yet, but I ran out of Velcro, so I'm waiting until I get out to the store again to add it.

I followed the tutorial here, and it's one of the easiest and clearest tutorials I've ever tried. Look around her blog, too, because she has great ideas!!