Introduction: Cookie Recipe and a Seven Day (Washable) Recipe Holder

About: I am married with two children. Spring, summer, and fall are my very favorite times of the year. I enjoy working in the yard, sewing, cooking, quilting, gardening, and creating. I do this to keep my sanity.

 I wanted to create something unusual with  no wrapping paper, cheap bows, name tags, or stickers to wrap the cookies in.I wanted an easy cookie recipe that anyone could make with no-fail results. They needed to be crispy on the outside, softish on the inside and not too sweet.  They absolutely needed to be cut out cookies. I have never had much success with that type,  so if I can make them anyone can.  This recipe card holder easily fits inside your purse and is handy when buying groceries.  I do not want to tell you all the unique values about the recipe card design,  because there are too many little details that would make this page boring.  My husband thought it was such a great idea that  he made a gift list,  which is out of character for him. I always go the extra mile to make food an exciting experience. I invite you to come and see what surprises are in the next few steps. Lets get started.

Step 1: Supplies

  • 1 Piece 14X36 cotton fabric print
  • 1 Piece 14 X 36 iron in inter-facing 
  • Small contrasting scrap cotton fabric for the recipe card holder tab
  • Matching thread
  • 2 Pieces matching ribbon 8 inches long
  • 2 Matching buttons and a couple of tiny buttons
  • A tiny craft clothes pen
  • Glue/and glue gun
  • Craft glue or tape
  • 1 Small pair of Velcro dots not shown
  • Colored marker

Enclosures: 
  • 1 Pen
  • 1 Small tablet as shown in pictures
  • 3 Homemade butter cookies (do not frost. )
  • 2 (4 x 6) card-stock or index cards for recipe and name card.
  • 2 5 X 7 Clear non yellowing contact paper to cover the index cards.

Step 2: Tools

  • Seam ripper
  • Scissors 
  • Pinking scissors optional 
  • Ruler
  • Sewing machine or you may hand sew it 
  • Needle
  • Iron
  • Ironing board
  • Pins

Step 3: Terms

Terms:
  • The recipe card holder is the booklet itself.
  • The tab is the blue flap that keeps the index cards from falling out of the top.
  • The top of the booklet is the top hem line.
  • The bottom of the booklet is the pocket hem.
  • The sides are the left and right sides of the booklet.
  • The folds in-between are the pages.
  • The pockets store the recipe cards.
  • The name card of course is the finished book-marker. 
  • The ribbons are the ties that close the card holder.
  • The fan folding is the method of folding the pages to form card holder pages.
  • Notice that there are 2 folds facing you.  
  • The folds look the same if looking from the back end.  

Step 4: Recipe Card

  • Write or print the recipe on the index card.
  • I used a Christmas post card to add a boarder and glued the index card to it.
  • Cover the recipe card with the clear contact paper.
Recipe:
Butter Cookies:
  • 1 Cup unsalted butter room temperature 
  • 2 Cups sugar
  • 4 Beaten eggs room temperature
  • 3 teaspoons pure vanilla
  • 3 Cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
Method:

Cream butter and sugar until creamy.
Add eggs and vanilla.
Mix all the dry ingredients, flour, powder, and salt and incorporate well.
Add this to the butter mixture.
Chill 1-2 hours.
Pr-heat oven to 350F.
Cover cookie sheet with wax paper.
Cut cookies 1 inch thick or roll out between 2 pieces of wax paper.
Cut the cookies out with decorative cookie cutters. 
Bake 8-10 minutes just until the edges begin to lightly brown.
Remove from oven.
Let cool 5-10 minutes.
Place on a platter to completely cool.
Store in an air tight container.

The recipe cards will be made in such a way that they may be wiped with a damp cloth. 

Credits: 

I am crediting Elodia Rigante's Italian Immigrant Cooking (cookbook ) for this recipe.  ( I did alter her cookie recipe because she used shortening and I never buy it. I used all butter instead.  I also added a little to the directions for great results. I use this cookbook for all my special occasions because it has never failed me.  This was the first time I made these cookies and again they were a huge success.  I bought my cookbook from her granddaughter many years ago.  Sadly she has passed away , but she left behind a wonderful cherished gift of memories for her family and her cookbook has created lasting memories for my family.  Every year around this time my son always complements me about the  "Thanksgiving dinner" that  I made for him when he came home from college.  He loves lasagna and this recipe was the best he had ever eaten.  It brings me so much joy to know that her cookbook created a lasting memory that will comfort him when I am gone.  

Step 5: Name Tag

For the name tag:
  • I folded the index card in half and pinked the edges.
  • Wrote the name on the card using a matching color ( marker pen.)
  • Covered it in contact paper.
  • Cut a hole for the ribbon.
  • Threaded the ribbon through the hole as shown.
  • Glued small buttons on the tiny clothes pin.
I did not think of it when I took the pictures of the name tag but the pictures do not show the name tag covered in contact paper.  I thought by doing this . . .  it would last much longer.  I made sure to add the materials needed for that to the supplies list.  
The name tag will be used as a book marker sometime after the package is opened.

Step 6: Fabric Preparations

  • It is important to wash, dry, and iron  all the fabric ( except the inter-facing) to avoid shrinkage after it is sewn and to ensure best results.  

Step 7: Cutting the Fabric

  • Cut the printed fabric 14 X 36.
  • Cut the inter-facing 14 X 36.
Cut a tab from the contrasting fabric.  I cut mine a tad bit narrow.  6 X 3 inches wide.  By the time I turned down the edges and sewn it to the recipe holder,  I realized I could not make a button hole.  Cut the contrasting fabric larger than you need.  

Step 8: The Card Holder Tab

  • Press the contrasting fabric ( for the tab) lengthwise in half.
  • Open it up and press one of the long edges toward the center fold line.
  • Fold the other long edge toward the center fold line and press well.
  • Fold the short ends under 1/4 inch.
  • Fold the tab lengthwise one last time in half and press.
  • I hand sewed the seam and ends, but it can be sewn on the machine to form a nice finished edge.
  • Set this aside while we work on the next step.

Step 9: Inter-facing

  • Place the bumpy side of the inter-facing to the wrong side of the print fabric (or recipe card holder main fabric color).
  • Turn the layers over carefully so you are pressing the inter-facing from the right side of the fabric and not the inter-facing side.
  • This will prevent  your iron from getting sticky.
  • Press according to the directions on the inter-facing packaging sheet.

Step 10: Hem

  • Turn down a 1/4 inch hem on both long edges of the card holder fabric.
  • Press well.
  • Repeat this step again on the long ends.
  • Next turn down 1/4 inch on both of the short ends.
  • Press well.

Step 11: Sew Bottom Hem

  • If you are sewing a fabric with a one way design, Make sure it will work,  because you will be turning up the bottom to make a hem and will be folding it towards the top  forming a pocket.  
  • It may turn the fabric print upside down which will not look right.
  • If you just have a plain fabric or an all over design it does not matter which long edge (1 edge) you press/ sew to form the hem.
  • Sew the bottom hem along the hem line as shown.
  • Trim threads and press well.


Step 12: Sewing the Top Hem Line

  • Turn the bottom up 3 1/2 inches.
  • Press well.
  • Turn the top down about 2 and 3/4 inches and tuck it slightly under the hem of the bottom of the fabric as shown.  
  • Press well.
  • Insert the index card into the pocket and make sure it will fall below the top of the very edge of the card holder.
  • Pin in the top hem if the index card looks good.
  • Now we are going to sew the top hem.
  • You will open the bottom pocket out so you do not accidentally sew it when you are stitching the top hem. 
  • Sew all the way across the top hem 1/4 inch.
  • Remove from the machine and press well. 

Please note: We just sewed the top of the card holder and in the next step we will fold the card holder and form the individual pockets. 

Step 13: Folding the Card Holder

  • This part is going to be difficult to explain. Basically we are fan-folding the pages back and forth.  There will be folds or valleys in the card holder.  Every other side will have a fold along the inside edge.  I hope I explained that well enough. Each page measures about 4 and 1/4 inches, except for the front and back pages which measures 4 and 3/4 inches.  The reason they are wider is because of the bulk of the inside pages.  You may need to fold it a few times to get the front and back pages to look even with the other pages. Press the pages to get a nice hard crease.The back flap folds toward the front flap and the front flap will fold over the back flap.
    When you open the card holder,  the back page flips out towards the right.
Please note: If anyone has any suggestions on how to re-word this part please do leave a comment.  

Step 14: The Sides

  • Place one of the ribbon strips on the left side of the card holder with the page opening from the left. 
  • Center it on the card holder placing it between the layers of fabric as shown in the picture.  
  • You just need to stick one end of the ribbon into the sides of the front page enough to sew it securely. 
  • Machine stitch each of both of the sides (front and back)of the card holder. 
  • Remove from the machine.
  • Trim the threads.
  • Press well. 
You should have 1 small ribbon left to sew on the right side of the card holder.  
We will do that in the next step.

Step 15: Pockets

  • Now we are sewing the pocket seams or valleys,  so the index cards will stay neatly in place. 
  • There are a total for 5 pocket seams.  
  • Follow the pictures and sew all the pocket seams as shown.
  • Remove from the sewing machine.
  • Trim all loose threads.
  • Press well.


Step 16: Button and Tab

This is the last step to making the card holder:
  • Sew the buttons on the tab ends.
  •  Estimate where you want the tab to go.  
  • I folded the tab in half.
  • Then slightly opened the tab and placed the tab over the center of the card holder.
  • One side of the tab is on the front of the card holder and the other side of the tab is on the back of the card holder. 
  • Hand stitch the tab to the back of the card holder as shown.
  • I estimated where to stick the Velcro to close the card holder and placed a pin to mark it.
  • Stuck the Velcro to the tab.
  • Stuck the other part of the Velcro dot to the card holder.
Please note:
You may make a button hole instead of using the Velcro.  Remember I made the tab too narrow to do this so I had to improvise. 
The tab offers extra security so the recipe cards do not fall out of the top of the card holder.

Step 17: Sunshiine's Final Thoughts

The snowman is one of my bloopers when trying make a fabulous cookie for the contest .  I am not an artist as you can tell,  so I find other ways to accommodate the artistic flair in my Instructables. I do occasionally try my hand at art,  thinking I might grasp it someday. . . . This is a gift for my friend. The wrapping is the gift.

I use a lot of fabric in my Instructables because my family and friends know how  I love to sew and have given me boxes and boxes of beautiful fabric for 40 years. I have a lot that belonged to my mom,  a serious crafter. I am trying to downsize all the boxes! 

I have just showed you how to make a seven day meal planner, Grocery list planner, hand washable recipe card holder, hand washable recipe cards, coupon holder, as well as how to put a smile on someones face when they receive a gift like this. No mess or trash and something sweet to eat.  This is my original design that I created just last night. I could hardly sleep because I knew it would be the perfect answer to everything I wanted to accomplish.

Thank you for stopping by and please do come again soon.  I have more of these type of Instructables,  that I am currently working on.  Instructables always makes me think harder!  I am excited about some of these new projects and am anxious to share them with you.  

Have an incredible day!
Sunshiine 


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