DIY Farm Party for Kids

I am so happy to share this sweet little farm party that I did for my little Ella's Pre-K class.  This ended up being such a fun one to prepare for and I enjoyed coming up with economical ways to make it cute without breaking the bank.  I knew I needed to get creative!

Snapshots of Our Little Picnic Party

I love rain and thunderstorms.  A whole lot.  So it is a big deal that I am a little mad at Cumulonimbus right now. 

Oh you may know him as Rain but I think our tight relationship gives me due cause to call him by his proper name. Like how everyone calls my oldest Cati but I usually call her Caitlyn or CATE when I am not happy. And Cumulonimbus caused quite a stir on Saturday as I finished decorating for the girl's birthday party and he decided to show up as soon as I was done.  

And he was SO not invited.

But thankfully, as I commenced my breathing in and out of a paper bag...he decided to not overstay his welcome in time for the party. YIPPEE!

And Y'all?  It was HOT. 

But oh so fun. :)

Here are only a few shots that I could get.  They are not very good so I fancied them up a bit to make them fun and hide the fact that there are only a few. I was attempting to be a good hostess and prevent my friends and family from melting. 

Oh and the above photo is the table where everyone could make a picnic basket and take it back to their blanket.  Fun, right?

We stuck to a simple menu:

Deli sandwiches from Publix

Homemade mac and cheese served in individual cups

Strawberry salad with candied walnuts in individual cups

Vegetable and Pita chips in small brown paper bags

Watermelon

 The striped wax paper gives these a totally cute, homey look.  Loved how they turned out!

I got here too late to snap a photo.  The kids literally swarmed me when I brought out the lemonade in mason jars.  This is what was left on a little end table that usually happily sits in my living room. 

I meant to make a drinks sign but you gotta just know when to quit.  The open drawers for the waters was a pretty nifty idea and I think I will do that again for some other entertaining endeavor I do.

Those of you have been reading here for the past 2 years know I do this every year and the recipe is super simple and somewhere on this blog but I will post it again so here you go...

You will need: 

8 Ice cream sandwiches and 1/2 gallon of ice cream (I used chocolate) and a spring form pan.

For real.  That is it. How stinkin simple is that? 

The tricky part is the prep and only because things melt fast.

1. Cut you ice cream sandwiches in fourths. First lengthwise and then across to make four pieces each. The way I did this is to clear out the freezer for the cake(s) and then set a plate inside the freezer.  I grabbed each sandwich one at a time and cut them and placed the cut pieces back onto the plate each time. 

2.  After they are all cut, begin lining them up around your spring from pan.  It depends on what kind of pan you have but I recommend you keep it unlocked when doing this.  Push each piece really close together, lock it and then put the spring form pan back in the freezer.

3. Thaw out your ice cream a bit on the counter to soften it up and then take out your spring form pan, and fill up the center with all the ice cream. I smoothed the top out and then froze it overnight.

4.  I chose to put the hot fudge on it early and then freeze it again but you can do this right before serving (or whatever topping you would like). I made homemade whipped cream using whipping cream, confectioners sugar and a splash of vanilla.  I eye ball everything.  And then topped it off with a cherry.

Release it from the spring from pan right before you top it and serve.

Enjoy!

At the last minute, I decided to do a photo booth.  I downloaded some fun mustache and glasses props and covered them with clear contact paper so they would last the whole party. I also made signs from some bubble labels I had already downloaded to feed my love of digital things. I put fun messages on the bubble labels, sized and printed them out and hot glued them to white cookie sticks. I found them at the Friendly Scrap and you can find the direct link for them here.
Here is a link to download the Colorful Lips & Mustache Set by The Paper Dolls Shop at Catch my Party.

I cannot find the link for the black glasses and mustache set because the download does not refer me back to a site.  But here are a couple of other great great ones I found for you...
Oh Happy Day and this one too!
Lil Blue Boo
Living Locurto

The kids looked so cute and had a blast with them! 

My lovely friend, Shelya, who is a professional photographer brought the background screen for me to use.  She is such a sweetie! And the cutie girl in the bottom center, who should seriously have been paid $100 for all her help at the party, took all the photos of the kids.  She did AMAZING!

And some shots of my girls I got at a restaurant.  This was the end of their party packed birthday weekend.  

Happy Birthday to my precious, sweet girls.

When I have more photos to show you...I will. 

But hopefully I will have new projects to share soon!

Favors and Decorations, and Pretty Things...Oh My!

I know. It probably makes no sense that I take a two week hiatus and then just launch into a post like nothing happened. 

I have to tell you I needed that break.  I know it sounds crazy but as my girls both had approaching birthdays I was suddenly hit with the finality of MOMENTS.  Call it a moment of clarity. That these precious moments can pass without you even noticing and there is no getting them back.  I would look into those sweet faces and realize that time is literally warp speeding by me.

So I jumped in and had the best time playing human choo choo train around the house, going swimming, watching the clouds change shape, sitting in a movie theater sharing popcorn and whispers, playing baby dolls, and lots and lots of snuggling. I don't plan on it ending. ♥

My Ella just had her 3rd birthday this past Friday. Which prompted this clarity I was referring to. I am still wrapping my mind around my youngest child being 3. No longer a baby. Lord willing, we will have more babies.  Whether biological or adopted...I have no idea. But we want more children.  And I have been hit with the fact that mine are just...GROWING. Like all the time. And I can't stop it.  But I sure can enjoy the ride.  

So.  That is what I have been up to.  Just enjoying my two girlies and loving my life. But in the meantime...I have also been hard at work preparing for this upcoming picnic party.  I don't have tutorials for you but I will share some photos of the things I have made.

Hope you enjoy them!

Tissue Paper Pom Poms

I plan on hanging them from our big tree in the front yard.

I  made a lot. :)

Fabric Ruffly Balls

These cuties are much smaller and I was also going to hang these from the trees.  

But I did not make a lot (a little bit more time consuming) so I may not use them.

But who knows...so I included them for you to get a peek!

Pretty Paper Garlands

Paper doilies and scalloped garland made from a 2 inch circle punch with each circle folded over ribbon.  

I used the paper that I used for the paper fans.

DIY Water Bottle Labels

These were fun. I customized these in power point from a template that I got from another blog awhile back and I can not remember where.  I actually only wanted it for the measurements. 

When I find it, I will put the link back here on the post. 

I am too cheap to buy the waterproof label paper so I just wrapped them in packing tape.  

I confess it looks a little ghetto on some of them but...whatever. 

$1 Picnic Baskets

I found these at the dollar tree and I plan on serving each FAMILY their picnic dinner in them and labeling them for a personal touch. I initially wanted to serve everyone their picnic in boxes wrapped in twine but my husband convinced me this would have been a stressful prepping situation.  

I really think the family baskets will be so cute! 

I confess I am itching to spray paint them but I am trying to restrain myself. :)

 Printable Labels from one of my favorite blogs...I will be introducing her to you VERY soon!

Juggling (Bean Bag) Balls Made from Balloons

I got this idea from Family Fun. They are made with two 9 inch balloons with the necks cut off and rice inside.  

Using a funnel, fill up one balloon with rice, snip the neck.  Then take another empty balloon, snip the neck off that one and stretch it over the filled one.  

A really quick project!

These favors will be juggling balls for the boys and I think I may add chalk for the girls for hopscotch sets.  I really wanted to make fabric bean bags for the girls but I made way too many juggling balls and  again...trying to find BALANCE.

And FINALLY...for your entertainment at my total expense...here is the cake Ella and I made for her actual birthday. 

I have said it before but...

Mistake 1: Using a cookie icing pen I happened to just find in the pantry.  Expiration date unknown.

Mistake 2: Putting lid on cake plate before icing set. Hence letters that look creepy instead of happy.

Mistake 3: Attempting to fix letters with toothpick to regain legibility and royally messing it up even more.

Mistake 4: Not remembering my 3 year old can not read.

That is about it on what I have been up to.  The party is this Saturday and I hope upon hope I have the time to photograph it for you.  And I am also PRAYING THIS TROPICAL STORM NAMED EMILY (love that name, not the storm) MOVES FAR, FAR, FAR, INTO THE OCEAN AND AWAY FROM FLORIDA so that I don't have to move fifty people into my lovingly quaint but small house. 

Or move them into my even smaller laundry room for shelter.  

Which fits like two people. (It is the only room without windows)

Eeeeek!

I will have family in town this week so you may not hear from me until next week some time.  

Until then my sweet friends...

Hugs to each of you!  I have truly missed you!

♥

Make Your Own Old Fashioned Games... Make Them Pretty too!

Well here we go.  

I am planning this birthday party that I initially intended to be easy with pizza and a jump house. But to my great delight, we decided to go another direction and we are doing this picnic party with some homemade, old fashioned yard games, picnic blankets, and a picnic dinner. And it will be GIRLY!  

HOORAY for girly!  

So get ready!  This next month will be pretty party focused and today I am going to share two projects I have done so far.  

The first one is this Ring Toss game. Isn't it sweet?

I started off with this old small crate, some small embroidery hoops, and a 6 pack of Diet Root Beer.

I wanted the bottles to use in the crate.  I could only fit 5 of them in there but I loved how it turned out.

I used the inner and outer rings of the embroidery hoops to make 6 rings and wrapped them with fabric from those pretty sheets I recently purchased. I just cut them into thin strips and wrapped them around and secured it with a dab of hot glue.

I hope the outer rings with the small screws won't be a safety issue so I figure the grown ups can use those and the kids can use the inner rings.

I wanted a girly but distressed look to the bottles so I painted them a very light green color (I know it looks white...sigh) called celery ice.  After it dried, I painted over it with a light pink color and then wiped it off in different places to reveal the light green underneath.

(I love my little Ella's bare feet jumping into the picture at the last minute ♥)

I painted the crate a really pale blue color (again, it looks white...another sigh) by using a dry brush of paint.  I just dipped the brush in paint and then dabbed off the excess and then with long sweeping strokes made it look distressed.  I prefer painting things this way so that I don't have to sand them later. 

Finally, I used alphabet stamps for the lettering and made them look faded.

Fabric Wrapped Hula Hoops

I love hula hoops!  I love their shiny and fun colors.  But I wanted something more feminine and sweet for one of the outdoor activities I have planned.  Plus, a couple of their hula hoops starting peeling and feeling prickly so I wanted to give them some new life.

 So enter in pretty sheets again! 

I just cut thin strips of fabric and started wrapping them and securing them with dabs of hot glue just like the embroidery hoops.

 Much prettier and they feel so soft!

And yes, they still work!  The girls seem to like them better and actually using them a lot more now.

I believe pretty fabric makes everything better. And prettier.  And happier.

Amen.

Linking to: 

Picnic Theme Birthday Party Invitation

Hey Friends!  

Have I got a fun little party invite to share!  As you all know by now...the girls have birthdays coming up and they share a party.  So this year I decided I wanted to do a PICNIC THEME.  I have been tossing this idea around for months now and I still don't have a clear picture of what the party will look like.  But what comes to mind are old fashioned games I can make myself (ring toss, kick the can, hopscotch, sack races, etc), ready made picnic meals, and pretty sheets as picnic blankets outside. I am aiming for something simple and sweet.

So the first thing on the to-do list?
INVITATIONS!
 I thought it would be fun to send an invitation that looked like a picnic lunch.  The envelope would be the paper bag and using food images printed and cut out on white card stock, I made each item in the lunch...a sandwich, apple, milk carton, and napkin...contain the information for the party.

Anatomy of the Picnic Theme Invitation

Napkin (cocktail size) with Handwritten Message of Party Theme
Milk Carton RSVP
Apple Date and Time Card
Sandwich Birthday Announcement

 I made a little funny. Tee hee.

 I decided to fold the bag without taping it.  I originally planned on making the paper bags into envelopes and mailing them but I decided to save a bunch of stamps and hand deliver them.

But you still can do that if you need to mail your invites...

1. Place everything inside a flat and VERTICAL bag with the bottom still folded and facing up.

2. Fold the bottom up once.

3. Take the top half and fold into a triangle or point.

4. Fold it down and secure it with double sided tape or a glue stick.

To fold it like I did...

Lay flat with the bottom of the bag facing up.

Slide your picnic food tags/cards into the bag, all the way to the bottom while the bag is still flat.

 With the bag lying horizontal...fold  about 2 inches of the top of the bag down.

Fold the left side over to the right.

Label bag and tie twine around to keep the bag folded closed.  I did it this way so that when they untie and open it...it will be an actual paper bag instead of torn by tape.

This is the back secured with the jute twine. Baker's twine would be adorable too.
I actually tried doing this where the folded part was tucked under the flap but it would not lay flat so this way worked best.

How fun would it be to open up this invitation?

If you would like to make your own, I have a download of the clip art for you. This is a great idea for any kind of party and even great lunch notes too for back to school!

 

Click here to download (4 per sheet)

 Click here to download (9 per sheet)

Click here to download (4 per sheet)



What do you think of my fun invites?
You will probably see a  lot more of my projects for this party over the next month...hope you don't mind!
Happy Monday and Hugs to Each of YOU!