Photo Mats

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Sharpie, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #StaplesSharpie

In the busyness and chaos of the holiday season, there are a handful of go-to items that I know I can always rely on to make my holiday decorating and wrapping simpler and more efficient.

At the head of the pack, no matter what task I’m undertaking, are Sharpie markers!

And when I wanted a simple, creative, and impactful way to add some fa la la fabulousness to my holiday décor, Sharpie markers came through for me…

First off, though, I got to shop for some new Sharpies at Staples! Staples is running a promotion where a 12 pk. of assorted Sharpies is only $6.

I also got a 4 pk. of assorted metallic Sharpies and a 4 pk. of gold Sharpies, for $3.49 and $3.59, respectively. These are great prices and I know I’ll put them to great use this holiday season (and well beyond)!

Want to make set of Sharpie-embellished photo mats for yourself? Here’s what you’ll need…

(See that Martha Stewart mat stack in the photo above? Good. Now ignore it. I was originally going to use them to fill my frames, but them found something I liked better at the last minute!)

First, remove the mats from your frames (I used square frames I found at Michaels), and decide on your designs and colors. I decided to do three different designs on my mats, but to use metallic gold for all three. I love the combination of white, black and gold this holiday season.

Not so confident about your hand-drawing skills? Me neither. To help myself along, I used a pencil to lightly sketch my design before going over it with the Sharpie.

My designs were simple, though, and came together quickly! Into two of the frames, I inserted holiday notecards I got from Etsy a few years back, and, in the middle frame, a picture of my two little ones.

I don’t mean to brag, but I really love how these turned out. When the holidays are over, I’ll just swap out the cards for something else.

So what are you waiting for?! Get yourself to Staples, pick up some Sharpies, and get crafting!!

I have lots of other ideas I want to try, and there’s so much Sharpie-craft inspiration out there to help me along. Let me know in the comments-what project would YOU like to tackle using Sharpie markers? Anyone interested in a Sharpie-craft link party to share our creations? Let me know!