DIY Confetti Tape

Let's talk about the happiness of confetti for a moment, shall we?  Now I know not everyone is a fan of that invitation that you rip open over that rug you just vacuumed 8 minutes prior and out comes this microscopic sized confetti with some heavy duty static cling thrown in there for good measure.

"Shot Through The Heart" Rice Krispie Treats

As Valentine's Day approaches I have been having some fun with little craft ideas specifically centered around my kiddos.  My hubby and I definitely love the romantic thing but having little ones, we make Love Day a family affair. So these little treats are sure to delight any kid who receives them.

DIY Tissue Paper Wall Flowers

Hey friends!  So as promised I thought I would share some of the fun stuff I made for Cati's party. Here are the fun wallflowers which was pretty simple. I did this the way you would a fabric flower.

Here we go...

Pinwheel on a Stick

Hello there!

I wanted to peek in with a quick and easy tutorial to make easy pinwheel picks.  Yesterday I made these and the cupcakes because we celebrated Cati's birthday at school today.  Her birthday is not until the end of the summer but they celebrate all the summer birthdays during the last few weeks of school.

Which is rather confusing for Cati. :) She keeps asking, "Am I six now?" 

But hey...she got some yummy cupcakes out of it.

I honestly think these are more versatile then just popping them into a cupcake.  Embellish a package or bag, a garland or wreath, or pop a big one into a goody bag. 

Sorry that I forgot to remove all those hot glue strings before styling these cuties.  :)

It just proves us bloggers are real people with real lives. And some of us...maybe, kinda, might be...legally blind and failed to catch this until photo editing.  So there.  You now know I am legally blind even behind a lens.

I love the colors and patterns of this paper so much. :)

Here are some quick and easy steps to make these lovelies...
(sorry...they don't spin)  :)

Cut two 3x3 inch squares from 2 pieces of paper.  Double sided paper would be easier!

Using double sided tape, tape wrong sides of paper squares together to create a two sided square.

Fold one corner to the opposite corner on both sides creating a crease shaped like an "X."  Cut on the folds until you almost get to the middle leaving about 1/2 inch.

 Fold the left point down with the point towards the middle.  If you start with the left like I did, pull the left side of the other three triangles too.  Secure them with hot glue in the center.

Embellish the middle with a button or bead and hot glue a lollipop stick or skewer to the back.

That's it!

Happy Day Sweet Friends!

Coffee Filter Flowers and Video Tutorial

Hello sweet friends!

It has been inexcusably long since I have posted.  I know.  But I do have legitimate reasoning.

The kiddos got sick.

The kiddos got ME sick.

Been preparing for an upcoming gala next weekend.

I have had 101 appointments and hence...no access to blog land. 

We actually have been going through a lot of personal stuff with our oldest daughter.  I promise, nothing alarming or worrisome.  But she has been having behavioral problems and struggling in school.  So I have been determined to get to the bottom of it and I think we are on our way to a solution.  It has taken all my time and energy which I have no doubt all of you are amazingly understanding about.

But GOOD NEWS...I am going to be sharing all the elements of this DIY Tablescape I have been working on.  I think you will like some of the ideas I have come up with. The gala theme this year is "A Knight in the Garden." Garden?  Flowers?  I am so in.

Do you remember last year's table?  Here are some photos to jog your memory...

1. family nest centerpiece

2. twig and paper leaf place cards

3. napkin ring wraps

4. bird house with bird magnet favors

5. diy fabric square chargers

So here we go with the first part of  Gala Tablescape 2012...

My idea was to have a bunch of flowers...I mean A LOT...all over my table.  I was going to make a runner, inspired by this, but my table is round so I figured I could just arrange a bunch in the center with some candle light. I realized coffee filters could be my solution.

I think I am the last person to get on the coffee filter flower train.  I have always admired them but to be honest, my crafty self can NOT pull it off. I tried all the different methods I have seen (rolling them with masking tape, roses) but for some reason, I am missing some coffee filter flower making gene.  So while failing miserably trying this...quite by accident...I came up with my own way of making them. 

And it's easy! 

Everyone chic scream for easy!

First I dyed them.  

I experimented with tea, food coloring, washable markers, and watered down acrylic paint.  They all work great but I had the most fun with food coloring.  I found I had a lot of leeway with it. You can even use kool aid too!  I just soaked them for about 10 minutes and dried them in individual layers.

The soft colors of these are so lovely.  

Here they are folded twice into cones and cut with a scalloped edge all ready to make the flowers.

Check out my video below with a step by step on how to make the flowers.  I needed both hands and I figured using my tripod for a picture tutorial would be more time consuming then just doing a video.  

I don't necessarily call this a vlog because  only my hands are in the video. But I guess it is.  I was probably sporting yoga pants, a hoodie, and working on day 2 of needing a shower.

I love being a mom. :)

Oh, and my voice sounds funny.  Kinda valley girlish.  Never knew that about me but whatever.

Or...WHAT-everrrr. ;)

Hope you like the step by step and let me know if you would want more vloggy tutes.

What do you think? Aren't they crazy easy for being so pretty?

BTW...if you want me to show you how to make these with a stem, I can do that too.

Here are a bunch as I was playing with as a practice run on my kitchen table (which is round like my gala table).  I think I am just going to have all the flowers loose to work as the centerpiece with those candlesticks in the middle to add height. Sorry you can't see a completed look but at least you see the flowers!


I will check in with you soon for another fun tutorial.  It's a favor and a place card in one. I'm just plain tickled I actually will be back soon! I hope you will be back too. :)

Blessings lovelies!

P.S.  I hope this will launch an upcoming 2x a month series called Tablescape Tuesday.
Details to come!

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!

♥

Pretty Paper Party Things

Hi sweet friends!
(say that title 5x really fast...Pretty Paper Party Things.  So fun)

Today I have some more party ideas!
I have put together some paper type projects and I am excited to share them with you.  

Since we are having a picnic during a Florida summer...it will be a tad warm.  So what better idea is there then to make some girly fans!!

I hunted down a bracket frame image I liked, enlarged the image to make a paddle type fan and printed it out on card stock to be a sturdy template.  I used 8 x 8 scrapbook card stock paper which fit it perfectly.  I tried using 12 x 12 but I could only get one fan from the sheet and I felt that was a waste of paper.

I traced the template on the back of each sheet, cut it out and hot glued each one to a craft popsicle stick.

    SO EASY!  Took me one nap time to get it all done. :)

Here is a template to make your own.
Click here to download

Now our girly guests will be able to feel cool and say things like..."I declare!" in a southern accent.

(of which I do NOT have though many others say I do)

I am probably crazy for wrapping up utensils but I really think it adds an extra detail to a party to make it special. It also lets me buy inexpensive napkins and by wrapping them with 4 inch doilies and tying them off with twine...it makes for a lovely presentation.

I have to be honest that I was pretty much over the 4th of July Mason Jar Sippy Cups I made.  I loved them but I was excited to do something else with them for this party! I had an idea and I went on a hunt and was so happy with what I found at Michael's in the scrapbook section...plastic paper. How genius is that? And it is SO PRETTY! I figured y'all would like to see my revamped jars...

I loved how the one sheet looks like lace and the other with dainty pink flowers.  Perfect for my party theme and they are both clear and see through. The lace one reminds me of  overhead projector sheets.  Wow, that must age me, right? If you are wondering...I am 35. :)  The pink flowered one is more thick and opaque.  But perfect!

So I traced and cut the circles out and I am re-loving the jars again.  LOVING THEM! And no mess too.

If the plastic paper thing was not to be found, I was going to hunt for plastic placemats or something.  But I LOVE the look of these and I am so happy with how they turned out!

Happy Tuesday sweet friends!
♥ XOXO ♥

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!