Bridal Shower Ideas » DIY Inspired
02nd May2013

DIY Pedestal Bowl

by Dinah Wulf

DIY Pedestal Bowl (1) (560x372)

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One of my thrifty obsessions is to walk through the local Goodwill shop on the weekends, particularly because of the half off sale.  Throughout the day, they announce a color and the price tags labeled in that color are half off.  It never fails, each time the make the announcement they assure you that you will find that color label in every department.  Naturally, you will always find me by the home goods and furniture section.  This trip I found a nice white ceramic beaded ramekin and a short pewter candlestick all for less than three dollars.   I had to marry the two together and make a DIY Pedestal Bowl.

DIY Pedestal Bowl (2) (560x380)

I’ve made something similar to this for my daughter’s birthday party last year.  For her cupcake decorating station, I made party platters made out of plastic serving trays and candlesticks.  I still have them today and have used them several times since then.  This project is quite simple and doesn’t really need too much explanation, so here are just a few tips that may help you out.

Tip #1: When looking for candlesticks, look for the shape you want.  You can always paint them.

Tip #2: The wider the candlestick the sturdier.

Tip #3: Consider wine glasses or champagne flutes instead of candlesticks.

Tip #4: Use a strong bonding agent like E6000 and let it dry for 24-48 hours.

DIY Pedestal Bowl (3) (371x560)

Tip #5: Consider spray painting them to fit your theme or décor.  Protect the surface with a doily or decorative paper if you are using it for food.

There are several uses for this easy project.  Use them for displaying desserts or appetizers for parties and entertaining.  Use a small pedestal bowl for jewelry or a larger one to hold toiletries in your bathroom.  You can also use them to display flowers or favorite collections.  Make several in different heights and group them together for a unique display.

 

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Category : Crafts, DIY Tips and Tricks, Trash To Treasure
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2 Comm
26th Mar2013

Tutorial for Fabric Flowers

by Dinah Wulf

fabric-flowers

Fabric flowers have many uses in the craft world.  I use them to embellish pillows, adorn wreaths, and dress up a plain head band for my EXTREMELY girly daughter.  I use them for so many things and since spring has officially sprung, I thought I’d post a tutorial for fabric flowers today.

These fabric flowers are so easy and inexpensive to make.  All you need are:

  • Fabric of choice
  • Scissors
  • Needle
  • Thread
  • Button (per flower)

The magic number that I have found to work best is five (pretend there are only five pictured below…haha!).  Cut out five flower petals in the desired size.  Remember that there will be five petals, so the larger the petals the MUCH larger the flower.  If you choose a lighter weight fabric, you can cut all five petals out at once.  The lighter the fabric, the flimsier the flower, however the more realistic they look.

tutorial-for-fabric-flowers

Once you have your petals cut, sew your petals together, keep the ends of each side flapped down.

flower-tutorials

Continue sewing your petals together.

DIY-fabric flower

Once all five petals form the flower and are sewn together, sew a button in the center to complete your fabric flower.

easy-to-make-flowers

Here is another AFTER photo.

tutorials-for-fabric-flowers

Consider making them in several patterns, sizes, and fun colors!  Add them to jackets, clothing, purses, and hair accessories.  You can even use them to add a special touch to a gift or use them for weddings or baby shower and bridal shower decorations.

 

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Category : Crafts
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04th Mar2013

How To Throw a Party

by Dinah Wulf

If you are throwing a party for adults, whether it’s a birthday, an engagement do, a housewarming, an office bash or anything in-between, you want to make sure it’s remembered for all the right reasons and that everybody has a good time. So, make your party stand out from the rest with some little suggestions that should make it a fantastic event for all involved.  Here are a few tips on How To Throw a Party.

how-to-throw-a-party

First and most importantly are the invitations. Make your own invitations right and you are halfway there. There’s no point in throwing the most fabulous party there has ever been, only for no one to turn up because they didn’t have enough notice. Make sure you get your invitations sorted and sent out in plenty of time so that people with responsibilities such as work, children or just hectic lives in general can make arrangements so that they’re able to come.

Making your own invitations is a wonderful way to add a personalised touch and will make them stand out. It will also save you money if you can make your own invitations, so give it a go and get crafty! Use whatever theme you go for in your invitations to decorate the house with as well. If you’ve got kids, get them involved in making things like bunting and table decorations, turning a money-saving tactic into a fun, family activity to stop the kids getting bored! Here is an example of a DIY Owl decoration.

Obviously any party needs plenty of food and drink, but a good idea is to have a theme running through this as well. So you could go for an Australian theme if someone is emigrating and make sure the invites and party decorations match the food and drink on offer or a hearts and flowers theme for an engagement; whatever is suitable for the occasion.  Here are some fun party theme ideas to get some inspiration.

Finally, some entertainment is what really makes a party memorable, whether it’s a band, a magician or, for something really different, you could arrange for everyone to have a tarot card reading! Do some research into online clairvoyant readings to find out what’s available for parties and events.

 

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Category : DIY Budget Party
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07th Feb2013

12 DIY Theme Party Ideas

by Dinah Wulf

Looking back at my past 22 months of blogging, I noticed that my party theme ideas get a lot of love in the social media world.  I decided to put together this round-up of 12 DIY Theme Party Ideas.  These parties have been liked, shared, and pinned often and I also get several emails about them too.  Each link has the full details for each party and some parties have more than one post.

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Animal Print Tween Party

This is a collection of easy decorating ideas including food labels, paper medallions, and glittered wild animals perfect for the favorite tween in your life.

Butterfly Garden Party

A whimsical outdoor butterfly inspired party complete with DIY decorating tutorials, hot dog bar and recipes, and cupcake decorating station ideas.

Candy Land Party

A fun candy filled board game inspired party with life sized game board, peppermint, gumdrop, chocolate, and lollipop woods.

Carnival or Circus Theme Party

A true birthday carnival complete with DIY game ideas including ring toss, balloon darts, baseball toss, costume photo station and popcorn centerpieces.

Cherry Themed Party

A baby shower perfect for a mommy expecting twins.  This posts shows giant cherries, adorable party favors, and decorating ideas.

Colorful First Birthday

With Elmo as the special guests, this first birthday party has colorful inspirations to fit and type of party.

Golf Themed Party

This party was for a co-ed baby boy shower; however these navy and green party ideas are great for father’s day or for any golf lover.

Hello Kitty Party

One of the most shared theme parties in the social media world, this Hello Kitty party is all pink with ideas for games, dancing, dress up, and more for both boys and girls.

Mickey Mouse Party

Inspired by red, black, yellow, and polka dots, this party has ideas for Mickey Mouse sweet treats and food serving ideas.

Owl Themed Party

This cute owl themed party has tutorials on how to make your own owl invitations, party banner, and centerpieces.

Poker Party or Casino Night

This budget friendly party shows you how to use a regular pack of playing cards in your party décor with tutorials on how to make playing card drink umbrellas and personalized poker chip party favors.

Wine Tasting Party

Probably the most popular theme party on DIY Inspired, this party has tutorials for DIY wine charms, invitations, wine tasting rules, and bridal shower games.

I hope you enjoyed my 12 DIY Theme Party Ideas round-up!  Which one is your favorite???

 

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06th Feb2013

Recycled Pringles Can Gift Kits

by Dinah Wulf

I have seen a few Pringles can cookie tins on Pinterest.  They are cleverly wrapped and hold the perfect sized cookie.  I’ve seen them wrapped with Christmas paper complete with a bow and I’ve seen them wrapped like a Mummy for Halloween.   These lovely ideas inspired me to create these Recycled Pringles Can Gift Kits with a “pull me” tag and ribbon.  The long vertical shape is perfect for this.

Pringles Can Gift Kits

Here are the cans I used.

Pringles Can Pull Me Gift Kits (1)

I made these nail kits for a teenage girl is four easy steps.

STEP 1: Choose your gift.

Pringles Can Pull Me Gift Kits (2)

STEP 2: Make a “pull me” tag.

Pringles Can Pull Me Gift Kits (3)

STEP 3: Tie all your gifts together with ribbon.

Pringles Can Pull Me Gift Kits (4)

STEP 4: Insert them into your decorated Pringles can.

Pringles Can Pull Me Gift Kits (6)

Other Gift Kit Ideas:

  • Sushi Theme- chopsticks, sushi mat, soy sauce dish, packet of soy sauce, instructions on how to make sushi
  • Movie Theme- different types of candy and movie tickets
  • Spa Time Theme – loafa, travel sized soaps, bubble bath, bath wash, foot scrub, sponge
  • Tool Kit – screw drivers, nails, other tools
  • Sewing Kit – needles, thread, scissors, buttons
  • Makeup Kit – brushes and makeup
  • Creative Kit for Kids – crayons, markers, paints, brushes, stickers
  • Travel Theme – travel sized toiletries, tooth brushes
  • Puzzles – puzzle pieces and a photo of the completed puzzle
  • Bachelorette/Bachelor Party Kit- small liquor bottles, shot glass, cards, vail, sash, temporary tattoos, fun straws, games, etc.
  • Fourth of July- fill it with sparklers, snaps, matches
  • General- fill it with holiday themed candy and decorate accordingly

Here are some more fun trash to treasure ideas and tutorials!

What else can you do with a Pringles Can???

 

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Category : DIY Budget Party, Holidays
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8 Comm
04th Feb2013

Valentines Day Craft DIY Garland

by Dinah Wulf

Valentines Day Craft (1)

This Valentines Day Craft DIY Garland is a fun and easy activity for kids.  It’s very easy to do and involves using recycled materials.  I always seem to work that in my crafty projects!  This was another one of those quick crafts that I made with items I already had.  My daughter and I always try to think of projects to do during the day and she had a blast helping me.

Here is what you’ll need:

  • Paper scraps (I used pink and red)
  • Old book pages
  • Paper cutter or scissors (preferably a paper cutter because it would be a pain to cut all those strips!)
  • Double sided tape
  • Felt (I had felt craft birds from the dollar bin at Michael’s Craft Store)
  • Ribbon
  • Hot glue

We cut several strips of paper and book pages into one inch wide strips in three different lengths with a paper cutter.  OK, I completely forgot to measure the lengths but if I had to guess I would say 6”, 7” and 8”.

Valentines Day Craft (2)

Fold each strip in half.

Valentines Day Craft (3)

Next, using a small narrow piece of double sided tape, bend the curve of the heart in and tape the ends together.

Valentines Day Craft (4)

It will naturally form the perfect heart shape.

Valentines Day Craft (6)

We decided to layer the large (red) and small hearts (book pages), attaching with double sided tape.  Using a hot glue gun, I glued a small felt bird with a gemstone eye to the tip of the heart.  If you can’t find felt craft birds, you can always cut and make them yourself with a simple bird silhouette and felt.

Valentines Day Craft (9)

We punched a hole in the last two hearts, and tied ribbon to it.

Valentines Day Craft (10)

We attached the hearts together with tape and voila!   You have a whimsical recycled heart Valentine’s Day banner.

Valentines Day Craft (13)

Valentines Day Craft (12)

 

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Category : Crafts, Holidays, Kids Craft Ideas
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14th Nov2012

Recycled T Shirt Bunting

by Dinah Wulf

I wanted to spruce up my mantle for the holidays so I decided to make a Thanksgiving banner.  Naturally, I wanted to use recycled materials so I found an old wrinkled cotton T shirt in my husband’s side of the closet (my side is neat and tidy of course!).  There was a huge stain on the front right on the chest so this was perfect for my recycled T shirt bunting.

Here are the materials you will need:

  • Old clothing item
  • Scissors
  • Pencil
  • Ruler
  • Paper (to make your flag pattern)
  • Iron
  • Spray starch
  • Fabric paint
  • Spouncer
  • Stencils
  • Ribbon or rope
  • Hot glue

Instructions:

Step One: Grab and old T shirt or any other piece of clothing.  Feel free to play with colors and textures.

Step Two: Make your flag pattern.  I used a piece of cardstock (8”X6”).  It’s easiest to start with a rectangle, measure the center of one end, and draw a diagonal line from one corner to the center mark for both sides and cut.

Step Three: Cut out your flags.  I chose to spell out “Give Thanks”.

Step Four: Lay out your flags to iron and spray it with starch.

Step Five: Iron your flags.

Step Six: Stencil your letters using a spouncer.  I chose green my favorite color!  Check out my stenciling tips I from my stenciled place mat project. You can purchase these stencils online.

Step Seven: Allow your letters to dry and then hot glue each flag to your rope.  I bought 3 yards of rope they had on sale for the holidays and cut it in half.  It was perfect for my recycled T shirt banner!

Here are some AFTER photos.

I took these during the day…

 

Have you signed up for my emails?  I’d love it if you did! :)

 

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3 Comm
02nd Nov2012

Whimsical Monogram Sign

by Dinah Wulf

Yesterday I posted about some decorations I made for the Baptism of my God Daughters (Yes! Twins!).  These decorations aren’t exclusive to a baptism; rather some of the ideas can be used for a baby or bridal shower too.  I wanted to share more pictures but, specifically, a whimsical monogram sign that my best friend Jennifer and I made.  For this sign we used:

  • Wooden monogram letters for each baby
  • 3.5”, 3”, and 2” circle punch
  • Scrapbook Paper
  • Fishing line
  • Wooden frame
  • Staple gun and staples

I first did the tedious task of punching out circles, two for each side, and laid them out in a pattern.

Using fishing line, Jen attached each line of circles using double sided tape.  She carefully attached the monograms using the fishing line inside the frame as well.  She attached each end using a staple gun.  Here are photos.  It was so hard to take good photographs to capture how cute it was!  I STILL need to take that photography class!!

Here are some other photos of the party as well.  Jennifer used all the decorations I made as well as some apothecary jars filled with natural fillers, balls, and shells to go with the theme.   I filled the burlap shell jars I made with flowers fresh cut from my front yard.

We had a wonderful time and I am officially the proud God Mother of two beautiful twin baby girls!

 

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01st Nov2012

Baptism for Twins Sneak Peek

by Dinah Wulf

Guess what?? I’m a Godmother!  Guess what else?  OF TWINS!! I am so excited and truly honored to be the Godmother of my best friend’s daughters.  Needless to say, I wanted to help with the decorations for the Baptism reception.  So, here is a Baptism for Twins Sneak Peek!

First of all, I have to explain that the twins are identical.  I still can’t tell them apart and I see them several times a week.  The only way I can tell them apart is that Jaime wears a pink ribbon on her tiny wrist and Brooklyn wears a purple one.   Therefore, the color scheme for the reception is pink and purple.  Also, we decided on shells since shells are symbolic of a Catholic Baptism.

Here are five easy party decorating projects suited for a Baptism, shower, or beach themed party.

Baptism Signs

If you have a good photo printer like I do, signs are a simple way to add a personal touch to any party.  I made these four signs simply by finding an image on Google Images, Googling some Baptism poems and sayings, and merging them together with a free program called iPiccy.com. Here is what they say in case you can’t read them!

Precious angels from heaven above are welcomed into God’s family with love

Brooklyn and Jaime little blessings from up above!

All of God’s graces in two little faces

Twinkle, twinkle tiny light, little eyes that shine so bright, precious babies from heaven above, fills our hearts with so much love

Baptism Monograms

I bought each of the girl’s initials and added a ribbon, raffia, and shells.

Baptism Crosses

 

I bought wooden crosses for a dollar, painted them, and added ribbon, raffia, and shells to match the initials.

Flower Vases

I decided to do flower arrangements similar to the ones I did for the golf themed baby shower I did recently.  These are the vases I made out of recycled food jars.  I hot glued burlap and a shell and added white ribbon and a string of plastic pearls.

Food Shell Toothpicks

These are fun an easy to make using toothpicks, hot glue, and small sea shells.  It’s a great way to add the theme into the food table.  You can use them for appetizers or desserts.

Can’t wait to show you pictures of the actual reception decorations! Until tomorrow!

 

 

 

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24th Oct2012

Yes To Fruits and Veggies

by Dinah Wulf

Yes To Fruits and Veggies

I am guilty.  That’s right.  Guilty.  I am guilty of completely being gluttonous and indulgent in those tempting and beautifully decorated displays of sweets that seem to be the center of every shower, special event, or gathering.  Each one, found on every blog (even this one), is usually a magnificent color scheme to fit a specific well-thought out party theme.  There are beautifully designed signs and labels and banners, a variety of apothecary jars filled with candy, and matching platters with cookies and cakes… SO GOOD (and pretty too)!

Now that I am a parent, I have to make smart choices not only for myself but for my child.  Don’t get me wrong, I will STILL have my sweets table at my parties but it just may be a small one.  I decided to put a post together showing ways to display healthy fruits and veggie crudité for your next party as an alternative to the sweets table (or at least an addition) to help live a greener and healthier life. Here goes…

We all do it…use recyclable bags, wear Tom’s, try to take quick showers…basically taking small steps to live a greener life. Well, here are three more tips for you (and your family) to try!

1) Use water and vinegar to clean your windows (instead of Windex)

2) Bring a coffee cup on your next run

3) Start using natural skin and hair care products (try Yes To, a line full of natural treats – like fruits and veggies)!

A GIANT thank you to Yes To for sponsoring today’s post!

 

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4 Comm
19th Sep2012

Summer 2012 Project Round Up

by Dinah Wulf

September 22nd is the first day of fall!  I wanted to end the summer with a recap of some of my favorite DIY Inspired’s summer projects and party inspiration.  Here is my top eight summer 2012 Project Round Up.

  1. Recycled Book Page Butterfly Wreath – Full step by step photo tutorial for a wreath I made out of an old book, a coat hanger, and branches from my back yard.
  2. DIY Cake Stand – Make your own cupcake stand or party serving tray with thrift store finds.
  3. Owl Themed Invitations – A detailed step by step tutorial and YouTube video on how to make these adorable invitations with moving wings for an owl themed party. This is perfect for a baby shower or kid’s birthday party.
  4. Summer Birthday Party – A butterfly and garden inspired birthday party complete with a cupcake decorating station and stacked hot dog bar and hot dog recipe suggestions.  Also check out a short three minute YouTube video of the complete party details.
  5. Stenciled Butterfly Wall Art – An easy way to upcycle an old unwanted painting with burlap, stencils, and butterflies perfect for a little girls bedroom.
  6. Junk Drawer Crafts – Make magnets out of bottle caps, paint color swatches, Scrabble tiles, and old plastic gift cards, perfect for stocking stuffers or a fundraising event.
  7. Repurposed Plant Hanger – A whimsical butterfly inspired chandelier made out of a unwanted plant hanger.
  8. Recycled Jar Tea Light – Make your own tea light lanterns out of recycled jars and burlap for less than $1.

I had so much fun this summer creating these projects.  These were just eight of my favorites.  I’m looking forward to the fall and the upcoming Holidays!

 

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11th Sep2012

DIY Recycled Jar Tea Light

by Dinah Wulf

I’m pretty sure I save every single jar after it’s empty.  Pickle, spaghetti sauce, salsa… I don’t discriminate.  The Mason jar is beautiful but I think it gets too much credit (don’t get me wrong, I’ve done several Mason jar crafts in the past and I still LOVE them).  For this DIY Recycled Jar Tea Light, I decided to use a pickled beet jar.  Yes, I eat pickled beets…yum!!!

Materials:

  • Jar
  • Burlap scraps
  • Scissors
  • Wire or a wire coat hanger (I used 20 gauge because it’s easy to work with)
  • Spouncer
  • Craft paint in the color of your choice
  • Stencil of your choice
  • Wire cutter
  • Pliers
  • Hot glue
  • Tea Light

First, cut your burlap so that it fits nicely around your jar.  Next, stencil your burlap and set aside.  Wrap your wire around the mouth of the jar several (4-5) times depending on the desired thickness.  Cut another piece of wire for the handle wrapping each end securely around your wire circle as shown.  Place the wire circle with handle around the mouth of the jar.  Locate the ends of the wire circle and pull taught.  Pliers may help.  You may have to massage the circle accordingly.  Tuck in the ends of the wire.  Finally, hot glue the burlap around your jar and insert and light your tea light.

I thought six of these spelling out “boo” and “eek” would be really cute on the mantel for Halloween.  Hope you try it out!

 

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22nd Aug2012

Recycled Book Page Butterfly Wreath

by Dinah Wulf

If you follow me on Facebook, you saw this Recycled Book Page Butterfly Wreath I found on Pintrest.

A few of us were commenting on how to make it and inspired each other to take this project on ourselves (Thank you, Elise, Rose, Katie, Jo, Michelle, and Zach & Lois… you all are the best!).  The best part?  This wreath cost me NOTHING!  This is my version.

I ended up making two, a large one and a small one.  Here is my tutorial on how to make a Recycled Book Page Butterfly Wreath.

Step One: Make the butterflies

Materials:

  • Old book, map, magazine, etc.
  • Scissors
  • Pencil

I used an old book I had from another recycled book page wreath I made last year.  At first I used a butterfly stencil that I had but after tracing and cutting the first three, I thought it’d be more fun to free hand them instead.  It’s easiest to fold the page in half and draw half the butterfly so that you have two identical sides.  Use a pencil so that you can erase any lines if need be.

Step Two: Gather the branches and prep them

Gather your branches.   Remove any leaves from the branches and soak the naked branches in water.  This makes it easier to work with and will cause less breakage.

Step Three: Construct the wreath

Materials:

  • Wire hanger (one for small wreath, two for large wreath)
  • Prepped Branches
  • Water
  • Sink
  • Hot glue

Simply unwind the wire and create a circle, twisting the end together. One by one, wrap, twist, and tuck each branch around your wreath until you have the desired width.

Allow your wreath to dry.  (Optional step) Once it is dried, on the BACK of the wreath, use a hot glue gun to secure and loose branches.

Step Four: Assemble the Butterflies

Materials:

  • Pre-cut butterflies from step one
  • Plastic Beads, Pearls, Shells (anything you want to use for the bodies)
  • Hemp string (I found this to work best so that the antennas will stay erect)
  • Scissors
  • Hot Glue

You can use whatever your heart desires for the bodies.  I chose to use plastic beads and hemp string.  Using a hot glue gun, glue your beads together and while the glue s still hot, insert your antennas (as shown).  Next, glue the body onto your butterfly.  Make sure the butterfly wings are folded up so that they appear as if they are in flight.

Step Five: Attach the Butterflies to Your Wreath

Materials:

  • Assembled butterflies from step four
  • Constructed wreath from step three

I placed the butterflies on the wreath and moved them around to arrange them in the order and position I wanted BEFORE I used the hot glue.

Ta Da!

Here are some photos of the large wreath.

Here are some photos of the small version.

You can make these wreaths for the holidays and embellish them as you wish!  I hope you try it!  Email me a photo if you do… oh and say hi! :)  dwulf@diyinspired.com

Here are some more fun trash to treasure ideas and tutorials! In case you missed them!

 

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20 Comm
16th Aug2012

Butterfly and Garden Theme Party Video

by Dinah Wulf

Just a quick post today!  I wanted to share the Butterfly and Garden Theme Party Video I made that’s up on YouTube now.  It’s just a short 2 minutes of my daughter’s second birthday party.   It’s full of decoration, food and drink, and DIY party ideas.  Here it is! Thank you so much for watching; I had a blast making it!

Since I had so much to share for my daughter’s birthday party I broke the written blog posts into: Summer Birthday Party Sneak Peek, Summer Birthday Party Decorations, and Summer Birthday Party Food and Drink. Check them out for the full party details shown in this video.

 

Also, for those of you interested in blogging here’s a YouTube interview I did with Loren from Pandora’s Craft Box! It’s a short interview about her blogging journey.  I’m hoping to do more interviews with other fellow bloggers soon!  If you are a blogger and would like to be interviewed, please feel free to email me at dwulf@diyinspired.com. I would love to interview you!

Thanks, Loren for a great interview and for being my guinea pig!  For all of my YouTube videos, check out my channel! Oh and P.S. Don’t laugh I am new at this! :)

 

 

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6 Comm
08th Aug2012

Owl Themed Invitations

by Dinah Wulf

I was asked to help with an Owl Themed first birthday party for the end of this month.  Naturally I’m SUPER excited about it!  My cousin (Hostess) was inspired by retro style cartoon owls.  She sent me a few pictures and I was able to come up with these DIY invitations.  I created a mock up for her (pictured below) and she was super happy.  Here is how I made these Owl Themed Invitations.

The size of the invitation was very strategic for me because it is the most budget friendly.  Therefore, using my measurements for this tutorial will be most cost effective for you.  One 12X12 sheet of scrapbook paper will make 6 base invitations (as shown).  This tutorial is for 24 invitations.

Here are the materials you need:

  • Paper Cutter
  • 1.5” circle craft punch (eyeball)
  • 1” flower punch (iris)
  • Small flower or circle punch (pupil)
  • Small whole punch to connect the wings to the body with a brad
  • Glue and double sided tape.
  • Brads
  • Circular Plate
  • Computer Paper to print information
  • Scrapbook Paper
    • 4 sheets patterned paper for the body cut in 6 – 4”x6” invites
    • 7 – 2”X12” solid color strips for the eyeball
    • 5 – 1.5”X12” solid color strips for flower iris
    • 3 – 1”X12” black or brown strips for pupils
    • 6 – 3”X12” strips for the wings in the same color paper as the eyeball

The photos are self-explanatory but here are some helpful tips:

  1. I found it easiest to use a small paint brush to apply the glue for the eyes since the pieces are so small.
  2. Create a pattern, trace, and cut, for the wings.  One wing strip will make four wings for two invitations.
  3. Use a circular plate and a pencil to trace out the owls ears and rounded bottom as shown.
  4. The envelop size is a standard invitation size of 4.75”X6.5”.  You can purchase a pack of 20 for about $5.00 and any craft supply store.

Here are some the AFTER photos.

 

Here is the YouTube tutorial I made:

 

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10 Comm
06th Aug2012

Summer Birthday Party Food and Drink

by Dinah Wulf

Since I had so much to share for my daughter’s birthday party I broke the posts into: Summer Birthday Party Sneak Peek, Summer Birthday Party Decorations, and today’s post Summer Birthday Party Food and Drink. Let’s get to it!

Food

We had a hot dog bar complete with all the toppings, sauces, and recipe suggestions.  Here are the Hot Dog Recipes I used:

  • LA Mexican- Jalapenos and bacon
  • Texas- BBQ, cheddar, onions
  • New York- mustard and sauerkraut
  • Coney Island- chili, mustard, onion
  • Southern- ketchup, mustard, onions, pickles, chili
  • Chicago- mustard, relish, tomatoes, onions, pickles, peppers, celery salt
  • Hawaiian- ham, pineapple, onion, mayo
  • Southwest- Corn, olives, cheese, onions, ranch
  • Mia- EVERYTHING!

For sides I served potato salad, fruit skewers, party mix, chips, pretzels, jello with whipped cream, and cookies.

Drinks

I used a dresser to display the drinks.  I also kept the extra hot dog buns and chips in the drawers for easy access.  I simply made lemonade with sliced lemons, and strawberry lemonade with sliced strawberries.  I also have a jug of ice water on hand and a bottle of citrus vodka if the adults wanted to add a little kick to their drinks!

Decorate Your Own Cupcake

This station was a hit because it doubled as an activity for the kids.  It also made it cheap and easy to get plain non decorated cupcakes.  The topping I put out were chocolate chips, mini M&M’s, marshmallows, mini Oreos, gum drops, and chocolate balls.  I also had caramel, chocolate, raspberry sauces and whipped cream.

The party was a blast! I couldn’t thank my friends and family enough for all the help!!

 

 

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Category : DIY Budget Party, Sweets and Treats
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5 Comm
02nd Aug2012

Summer Birthday Party Decorations

by Dinah Wulf

OK, so I decided that since I feel like I have so much to share about this party, I needed to break up my posts.  Yesterday, I did a post on a Summer Birthday Party Sneak Peek; today I want to share Summer Birthday Party Decorations including favors and games.  Next week, I’ll share Summer Birthday Party Food and Drink.

Flowers

First, the flowers!!  My amazing friend Maily (who loves this stuff as much as I do… maybe more), brought over some fresh cut flowers from her Mother’s and Sister’s gardens the day before the party.  Between the two of us, we gathered several glass jars, vases, and even old pickle, jelly, and sauce jars to arrange the flowers in.  We kept the flowers inside in the cool over night to keep them as fresh as possible.  We scattered the arrangements on the guest and food tables.

Decorations

I made Burlap Butterfly Wall Art and a Repurposed Plant Hanger Chandelier for the party.  I also hung several butterflies, garden umbrellas, and lanterns on fishing line.  I designed a party banner online and I also made framed signs like, “decorate your own cupcake” and “happy birthday Mia” for the tables.

Game

Because we had a bounce house, shaved ice station, and a cupcake decorating station, I decided to only do one game.  It was essentially hot potato played with a large gift.  I wrapped three prizes, the best prize in the smallest package, the 2nd place prize in the next package, and the third place prize in the largest package all inside one another.  For example, the third place winner got the smallest prize in the largest package.

Favors

Towards the end of spring, I started shopping for favors for this party because I knew all the spring items would be marked down drastically.  I was able to find these great $8 butterfly nets for $2!!  I made small packages with candy, and bugs for the boys and butterflies for the girls.

Come back next week to see Summer Birthday Party Food and Drink!

 

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Category : DIY Budget Party
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10 Comm
01st Aug2012

Summer Birthday Party Sneak Peek

by Dinah Wulf

Being me, I should know better when I tell myself I’ll just have a small get together for my daughter’s birthday this year. It wasn’t large by any means, but it is just impossible for me to relax order some pizza the day of the party, bake cupcakes, throw up a balloon and streamers, and let the kids play. Oh no! I actually lose sleep over this kind of stuff. Oye!  Anyway, I thought I’d take the time and show you the part of the process for this Summer Birthday Party Sneak Peek.

It’s easiest to start with the small stuff.  Paper crafts are a simple way to spruce up any party.  I made little straw flags out of address labels that said “Mia’s 2!” on them.  I also used address labels to print a “Thank you for coming” sign on that butterfly net and bug catcher party favors.  I found colorful little frames in the dollar bin at a craft store and printed my daughter’s letters and age, used a craft punch, and layered it with burlap.  We also had a hot dog bar so I had a large framed board of topping suggestions.  For example, a Texas Dog is BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, and onions while a New York dog is mustard and sauerkraut.  I also framed the hot dog recipe suggestions to place at each table.  I made labels for all the hot dog topping sauces like ketchup, mustard, ranch, and BBQ sauce, and I also made labels for the sauces on the cupcake decorating table.

For the decorations, my friends and family helped.  We hung paper lanterns, butterflies in all sizes, and umbrellas from fishing line on the patio.  I designed a banner from Banners on the Cheap and hung it up on the patio as well.  We also used glass vases and recycled mason jars and arranged flowers cut from our gardens.

Lastly, we arrange the patio furniture and tables for seating for both the adults and kids.  I hung my repurposed plant hanger in the center of an easy up and strung lanterns across the lawn on fishing wire.

I can’t wait to show you the actual party.  Stay tuned tomorrow :)

 

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Category : DIY Budget Party
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8 Comm
30th Jul2012

Recycled Coffee Filter Inspiration

by Dinah Wulf

I made this Coffee Filter Wreath a few months ago.  I came across my left over coffee filters the other day and thought I’d go online to look for some DIY inspiration.  I found some great ideas and some new favorite blogs.  Oh and by the way, here is how I made this Coffee Filter Wreath for about $5.00.

This is perfect to pin on your lapel as a brooch; this elegant Recycled Coffee Filter Flower is by Design By Night.

An adorable craft for Spring are these lovely and dainty flower baskets from Urban Comfort.  These would make cute bridal shower or baby shower favors.

New York designer Vilma Farrell, designs these gorgeous Coffee Filter Lamps I found on Alternative Consumer.

This beautiful Coffee Filter Pom Pom Garland from Craft Gossip adds whimsy to a shabby chic birthday party or baby shower.

Aunt Peaches made these beautiful rose bouquets by mixing latex craft paint and water to dye the coffee filters.

Believe it or not, this if a milk jug adorned with coffee filters turned lamp!  What a great idea from Make Handmade.

Lastly, this fabulous Dutch Blog, By Miekk, shows you how to cleverly make coffee filter gift tags and gift wrap.

I hope you were as inspired as I was! Now… what to do with mine???

 

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Category : Trash To Treasure
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6 Comm
25th Jul2012

DIY Birthday Invitations

by Dinah Wulf

One thing I never buy anymore is invitations.  This is for two reasons: 1) I feel like I have an endless supply of scrapbook paper in my craft closet, and 2) I’m cheap.  I’ve made several invites before with spending little to no money including.  Some of them include, Bachelorette Party Boarding Pass Invites, Rocker Themed VIP Invites, and Cherry themed Invites.  This time, I made girlie invites for my daughter’s second birthday party.  I personalized them with a recent photo of her.  The only money I spent was for the envelopes.  These DIY Birthday Invitations work great for any type of party or event and are very easy to make.

Here is what you need to make DIY Birthday Invitations:

  • Decorative or scrapbook paper
  • Paper Cutter
  • Double sided tape or glue
  • One inch craft punch
  • Small hole punch
  • Brads
  • Photo Paper
  • Computer

First, I gathered several pieces of scrapbook paper that (kinda sorta) matched. And cut them in the desired size for each invite.

Budget Saving Tip: I find it most cost efficient to make six 4X6 invites out of one piece of scrapbook paper.

I printed my daughter’s picture on photo paper and cut them into 1.5 inch squares.  I used a one inch circular craft punch to cut out each circle for the front of the invitation to insert the photo. I printed the information for the party on regular paper, cut them out with a paper cutter and attached it to the inside of the invitation.  I attached the two sides of the invitation by using a hole punch and flower shaped brad.

That’s it! Super easy and cost effective :)

 

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Category : DIY Budget Party, Kid Stuff, Special Occasions
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6 Comm
24th Jul2012

DIY Floral Arrangement

by Dinah Wulf

My friend Maily is the ULTIMATE (non-professional) floral arranger.   I got a phone call from her a few weeks ago and we quickly got together to collaborate for the flowers for my daughter’s birthday party.  She has such an amazing eye, and I wanted to share some tips if one day you consider taking on DIY Floral Arrangement for your next bridal shower , baby shower, or and special event.  You can save so much money by taking this on yourself.  By the way, all the flowers shown in this post were done by Maily (I told you she was fabulous!).

Tip #1: Shop Wholesale

Lucky for us we live nearby the Los Angeles floral district.  There you will find fresh cut wholesale flowers and greenery.  If you don’t live near something like this, check discount super stores like Sam’s Club or Costco for inexpensive flowers.

Tip #2:  Use Coupons

When purchasing your floral supplies, always check your weekly ads for craft supply stores such as Michael’s.  Nine out of ten times you will find a 40% (sometimes 50%) off coupon.  If you are shopping online, don’t forget to search for coupon codes.

Tip #3: Don’t forget about embellishments

When arranging your flowers, you can easily implement beads, feathers, beautifully crafted butterflies, and even lighting.

Tip #4: Think vertically and horizontally

Depending on where you are placing your flowers, keep in mind whether you need to build your bouquet vertically or horizontally.  For horizontal arrangements use a shallow vase or container. Also think about the shape of your arrangement (oval, triangle, etc.).

Tip #5: Use creative recycled containers

A floral arrangement doesn’t always have to go in a glass vase or a pot. Consider using, a small vintage suitcase, a hollowed out book, a vintage tin, mason jars, you get the picture!

Of course, if taking on your own floral arrangement is too much, there are great sites like PickupFlowers to help.  Don’t forget to use your PickupFlowers Coupons upon your visit with them!

 

A special thank you goes out to CouponSnapshot.com for sponsoring this post.

Photo Source: BrendanCaoPhotography.com

 

 

 

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Category : DIY Budget Party, DIY Tips and Tricks, Special Occasions
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2 Comm
16th Jul2012

DIY Cupcake Stand

by Dinah Wulf

The BEST part of this DIY Cupcake Stand project is that I bought these blue trays years ago for $2.00 a piece on sale.  I have used them MULTIPLE times for baby showers, birthday parties, Super Bowl parties, and everyday entertaining.

I wanted to use them again for my daughter’s birthday party.  This time, however I wanted to create more height and dimension to the table to make the presentation better. I purchased two candlestick holders from a local thrift store for $1.25 each. I added a small wooden circle cut out so that the platters would be more stable and glued it to the top of the candlestick.  I decided to paint them white with paint I already had.  I simply attached the candlesticks with E6000 adhesive.

You can purchase E6000 here: E-6000 Med Visc 1-Ounce Adhesive

Here are some tips when completing this DIY Cupcake Stand Project:

  • Make sure that the platters you choose are food safe.
  • Wash all platters and candlestick holders and remove all stickers before you begin.
  • When aligning your platters, place them against a corner for more accurate alignment (see photo).
  • Place something heavy on top of the top platter until it dries completely.
  • Follow the directions on your glue as directed for drying times.
  • Do not wash your Cupcake Stand in the washer, rather hand wash them.

Here are some more after photos.

 

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Category : DIY Budget Party
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9 Comm
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