Party Ideas - DIYInspired.com
24th Apr2012

Cherry Themed Twin Baby Shower

by Dinah Wulf

Earlier I shared a sneak peek into this Cherry Themed Twin Baby Shower, showing you the invitations that I made and the game prizes that doubled as centerpieces.  We had such a great time and I wanted to show you a little more of some things my girlfriends and I did.

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Party Favors

I found these cute little baskets and filled them with a liner and round red chocolate candies.  I simply made a label on my computer that said, “Double the Sweetness”, printed them, and used ribbon and cardstock in pink, red, and green to embellish each basket.  We had a favor at each place setting and scattered a few on the buffet table.

Food and Drink

We wanted the shower to be casual and fun so we decided to serve a buffet and had each guest help themselves.  I made signs for the drink table outside.  One for the guest of honor’s sweet tea craving and one for the Champagne punch.

I also made simple signs to “Please Help Yourself” so that guests would know they did not have to wait to dig in.

Instead of having a messy fruit bowl, I made individual fruit cups with cupcake liners and used a circular craft punch to line them with foil.

For dessert we had red velvet and chocolate cupcakes with two cherries on top.

 

Decorations

Outside we hung a clothing line with pairs of matching clothes for the twin babies.

The game prizes doubled as centerpieces and graced each table with two “twin” balloons to represent two cherries.

Small pink and red lanterns were hung in pairs with green ribbon to look like giant cherries.

We also had a cherry themed shirt made for the guest of honor to wear at the shower. Congratulations, Jen!

I LOVE MY GIRLS!! BTW, Watch out because I’m rallying for the favorite Auntie position!

 

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5 Comm
17th Apr2012

Cherry Themed Party Sneak Peek

by Dinah Wulf

My girlfriends and I are throwing a baby shower for one of our best friends who is having twins!  I was too excited to wait until after the party show you pictures so I thought I’d do a quick sneak peek of some of our Cherry Themed Party ideas.

We decided on a cherry theme because cherries are fun, vibrant in color, and typically come in pairs! Our mommy-to-be and guest of honor is having twin girls so we chose to use both red and pink for our color scheme.

Easy DIY Invitations

Of course I couldn’t BUY the invitations! I had to make them myself! So I followed my own Easy DIY Invitation tutorial, bought these supplies, and made these adorable invites.  See? I told you this tutorial would work ANY theme!

Baby Shower Game and Prize Idea

Next, I want to show you what I did for the baby shower party game gifts.  One of the games we are playing is called the dice game.  For this game, all you need is five or more prizes, a pair of dice, and a plate.  The game is timed, typically fifteen minutes.  Each guest takes turns rolling the dice one time per turn.  If you roll doubles, you take one wrapped gift. The gifts are not unwrapped until the game ends. Once all the gifts are taken, the gift stealing begins! If you roll doubles, you continue to take a gift until the allotted time ends.  It’s possible for one guest to end up with more than one gift.

Anyway, instead of using a gift bag and tissue paper, I wrapped each gift in a small picnic basket and used a cherry dish cloth to cover or hide the gift. Also, these prizes double as table centerpieces, cutting the cost of the party!

Can’t wait to show you the rest! Stay tuned :)

 

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2 Comm
16th Apr2012

Tea Party Inspiration

by Dinah Wulf

I have been contemplating what to do for my daughter’s 2nd birthday party.  For some reason I keep going back to a tea party theme.  I know she’s a little young, but I think it may work.  It’ll be a small and simple party anyway… we won’t go big until she turns five years old (at least that’s what I’m telling my husband).

I decided to get some inspiration from the World Wide Web and… man… there are some GREAT ideas out there… TONS of tea party inspiration right at your fingertips! I love it all!

Check out what I found.  The Better Homes and Gardens Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter party is tremendous!  One of my favorites is using colorful vintage tins as flower vases.  I found a ton of cool ideas from party favors to decorations, and centerpieces to finger food ideas.  I also dug up some of my past ideas that I thought would go nicely.  I added links at the bottom for tutorials and for sources for your reference.  I hope it helps.

If you have more ideas, please comment! I’d love to read them.  I need all the tea party inspiration I can get.

Tea Cup Candles

Mad Hatter Tea Party

Stacked Tea Cups

Pink and Purple Dessert Table

Fabric Flag Banner

Tea Party Dress Up

Accordion Flowers

Tea Cup Dessert Display

Mini Cupcakes in Tea Cups

Party Pinwheel How To

Paper Dahlia Favors

Tea Party Favors

Tea Pot Flowers

BHG Mad Hatter Party

 

Did anything on this inspiration board actually inspire you? Please fee free to leave a comment! :)

**Don’t forget to enter to win a $50 gift certificate to iStencils.com! The giveaway ends soon!

** Thanks to Amy from Pound For Pennies for featuring an article I wrote today for her Green Theme!  Check it out and peruse her site for some awesome coupon deals!

 

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4 Comm
09th Apr2012

Ombre Inspiration Board

by Dinah Wulf

If you Google the word “ombre” you’ll find a lot of information on celebrity hair styles.  That’s not exactly what I was looking for.  So I researched a little further.  The best definition of the word  that I found was from Fire Mountain Gems, “Ombré (from the French world “ombrer” meaning to shade) is a dip-dye technique used on fabric where the color is graduated from light to dark.” The term is also used to refer to design color in general, not necessarily limited to fabric.  It was popular a few years ago, but I have found that it’s a trend that is back, as it is popping up everywhere. Lately, I’ve noticed it online, in magazines, and on television.

This week’s inspiration board is all about ombre! I found a few tutorials, and surprisingly a lot of erred links! Once again, forgive me if the link isn’t there. I must say, I love the dresser drawers the best.  There are a few examples below.  It’s a simple way to upcycle an old dresser or desk or add a little pizzazz to a nursery changing table. And yes, you are seeing it correctly… a design on a radiator! So clever!

I hope you enjoy my inspiration board!

Ombre Inspiration Board Links

Did anything on this inspiration board actually inspire you? Please fee free to leave a comment! :)

 

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4 Comm
26th Mar2012

Natural Fibers Inspiration Board

by Dinah Wulf

I love projects using natural fibers like, sisal, burlap, jute, and rope.  It’s eco-friendly, chic, and inexpensive.  What more could you want? It also goes with several types of décor styles from industrial to rustic and from nautical to French country. So, I created a Natural Fiber Inspiration Board for actually several reasons: 1) I am obsessed with Pinterest and Houzz and I can look at pictures for hours, 2) I wanted to share my favorites with my DIY Inspired readers, 3) My blog is my virtual diary, and also my virtual to do list.

I decided that it would be fun to do my own versions of inspiration boards so for now, I’ll try and use Monday’s posts for that… we’ll see how long that lasts!

I did my best to find the correct DIY tutorial for each photo.  Some of the photos on this inspiration board are from Etsy.com or other online retailers, so the link will tell you where you can purchase it (woo hoo!), because sometimes we don’t have time to make everything ourselves! Scroll all the way down; the links are below at the end of the post.  If there is no link, I couldn’t find it. Sorry! However, hopefully the photo itself will still give you some do-it-yourself inspiration anyway!

Links for Natural Fibers Inspiration Board DIY Tutorials

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4 Comm
19th Mar2012

White Party Inspiration Board

by Dinah Wulf

I had so much fun looking for St. Patrick’s Day inspiration and posted a St. Patrick’s Day inspiration board last week.  I had such a great response to it, so why not do it again!  This time, I wanted to the focus to be a White Party. I threw one several years ago (long before my blogging days) and it was so much fun.  It was a Bridal Shower white party where all the guests wore white with wide brimmed hats.

When I think of all white, I think of crisp, clean, and elegant.  Putting together this inspiration board for an all-white party or for an all-white wedding reminded me of my own personal version of Pintrest.  I pulled together some great ideas for decorations, favors and gifts, and sweet treats for desserts.  Many are from Etsy.com, one of my favorite websites.  If there is no link (scroll all the way down to the list) to the picture you are looking for, I apologize ahead of time (I couldn’t find it)! Hopefully it will inspire you anyway.

Decorations:

Sweet Treats:

Favors & Gifts:

*****

Don’t forget to ENTER TO WIN free Simply Spray Fabric Spray Paint! The winner will be announced this week!

 

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1 Comm
08th Mar2012

Candy Land Birthday Party Part Two

by Dinah Wulf

So, because I had so many great pictures to choose from, here is part two of yesterday’s Candy Land Party post.

You can’t have a Candy Land party without candy and sweets, of course!  Jenny left no sweet tooth unturned as she had…

Colorful gumdrop cupcakes…

A homemade Candy Land Birthday cake… this cake was decked out with lollipops, candy canes, ice cream cones, starbursts for the track, gumdrops, kisses, and marshmallows.

A chocolate fountain table… this table was filled with a ton of yummy chocolate dipped goodness including pretzels, strawberries, Rice Krispie Treats, graham crackers, marshmallows, and licorice.

And a candy table that doubled as a favor table…she made treat bags handy for each guest to fill with their favorite candies.

Here are some shots of the patio, covered in colorful tulle, giant balloon candies, and a cardboard castle top.

The yard itself was transformed into a game board with the track they spent hours hand painting. The kids had a blast pretending to play the life sized board game.

What’s crazy is that I left out pictures of the bounce house and the Peppermint table filled with fresh fruit and snacks. Jenny got creative and used peppermint Christmas ornaments to decorate Peppermint Forest.

Amazing job, Jenny! When’s the next one? Tee hee…

To see more of Jenny’s work, check the posts DIY Nursery Letters or Carnival or Circus Theme Party.

 

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9 Comm
07th Mar2012

Candy Land Birthday Party Part One

by Dinah Wulf

The famous Hasbro board game, Candy Land was first designed over 60 years ago, and yet it still seems to be a popular party theme. Today there are several different versions and spin offs of the game, with of course, an online version as well.

The theme is perfect for a party due to the famous Candy Land locations including Gum Drop Mountains, Lollipop Woods, and Peppermint Forest.

I wanted to share a real party thrown by one of my best friends, Jennifer Hostetler. Jenny is an extraordinary party planner and is one of the most detailed and creative people I know (Some of Jenny’s other projects include DIY Nursery Letters and a Carnival Theme Party). She transformed her back yard into a real life Candy Land board.  I have to edit so many pictures, that finally I decided to break it up into two different posts.

This first post will show the making of Candy Land, and tomorrow, I will post the fabulous results!

Candy Land has several characters including the Gingerbread People and Mr. Mint.  Here are a few of the characters Jenny created with cardboard and paint.  Her nephew surprised everyone and played the role of Mr. Mint!

One by one, her and her husband painted many signs for each of the lands…

Painted gumdrops…

Hand painted Styrofoam circles and attached sticks…

Blew up balloons and wrapped each one in cellophane and ties with ribbon to create oversized candies…

… And painted each winding space for the Candy Land game board track.

Wow! I’m tired just writing it! Come back tomorrow and see Jenny’s back yard Candy Land party transformation!

 

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7 Comm
02nd Jan2012

Wine Bottle Frames

by Dinah Wulf

I made these wine bottle frames out of recycled wine bottles for a wine tasting party.  It was also a bridal shower party, so I used them for a “who knows the bride best game”. I framed each question and placed the wine bottle frames all over the room so that the guests could mingle, talk, drink their wine, and play the game at the same time. Each guest wrote their answers next to the corresponding question number on their wine scoring card.

These wine bottle frames are very simple to make. The materials needed are, an empty wine bottle, a wooden frame, picture frame hangers, and string or ribbon.  I purchased the wooden frames from IKEA which were only $1.99 for a set of three…CHEAP!

The pictures speak for themselves, but all you need to do is to screw each picture frame eyelet into the wooden frame by hand in the desired area.  It takes a little pressure at first, but it should screw in fairly easily.  Use a ribbon or string to hang the frame onto the wine bottle.

Also consider, decorating the bottle with wallpaper remnants or scrapbook paper, or ribbon or you can also paint the inside of your frame with chalkboard paint.  I preferred to remove the wine label with warm soapy water.  There is something beautiful about a plain wine bottle.  Arrange your display with other wine bottles of different colors and sizes.

Another option is to frame a letter and place several bottles in a row to spell out the bride’s (guests or honor’s) new last name.  Use decorative paper as a boarder.  Make displays by using other recycled wine bottles and recycled wine crates.

 

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4 Comm
10th Nov2011

Budget Butterfly Birthday

by Dinah Wulf

Having a party and hosting a party doesn’t have to break the bank.  There are always alternatives to spending a lot of money on party decorations.

One of my best friends had a butterfly themed party for her daughter’s first birthday.  On a strict budget, we had to get creative. Here are some creative party ideas for a budget butterfly birthday theme (or any theme for that matter) for less than fifty dollars.

Rule Number One: Use your resources.

It always helps to have fellow mommies as best friends.  We borrowed these butterflies from some of our best friends who also has a young daughter.  These wire butterflies were decorations that were in her daughter’s bedroom.

We also borrowed these lanterns and butterflies from another friend who recently threw a pink and purple baby shower.

Rule Number Two: Raid the dollar bin and the dollar store!

It’s amazing what you can find for parties in the dollar bin at major retail and craft stores.  These purple butterflies were perfect and only a dollar and doubled as party favors for the little guests!

Rule Number Three: Get Crafty on the Cheap (my motto)!

I made this DIY party banner from ribbon and scrapbook paper already in my craft closet.  I printed the butterfly pictures from Google Images.

The hostess spent half the budget on colorful party napkins.  We made over 60 napkin tissue paper flowers and dispersed them throughout the backyard; super cheap for such whimsical decorations.

Rule Number Four: Repurpose and recycle your party supplies.

The hostess had her treasures showcased in her China hutch, however it distracted from the party theme.  We used an inexpensive plastic table cloth to cover the glass windows and created a pretty butterfly and banner display.

For the cupcake dessert display, we used cardboard cupcake towers from two previous parties and added a topper to fit the theme.

Click here for a DIY tutorial on making your own butterfly wings!

 

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4 Comm
20th Oct2011

Wine Tasting Party

by Dinah Wulf

I don’t know much about wine, but one of my best friends, and bride to be LOVES it.  Her mother, sister, and I decided to throw her a wine tasting bridal shower party. I have to say, it was one of the best showers I have been to.  Between the bridal shower games and the wine tasting itself we had such a great time that all the guests stayed for quite a while.  Here are a few easy DIY decorating ideas for a bridal shower wine tasting party theme.

Wine Tasting Score Cards

I made cards out of card stock and scrapbook paper that doubled as wine tasting score cards and an answer sheet to a “who knows the bride best” game. On the wine tasting score card I had instructions and a rating system for five different wines.  There were five categories including, appearance, aroma, body, taste, and finish. I supplied pencils with the letter “W” all over them, the initial for the bride’s new last name.

Wine Charms

I made personalized wine charms with each guest’s monogram.  For a complete tutorial on how to make wine charms click here.  Each guest took the glass and charm home as a party favor.

Wine Tasting

The wine tasting was so much fun.  I’ve never really done it before at a party.  I went to a local wine specialty store to help me choose the featured wines.  They were able to assist me and curtailed it to my budget.  I displayed the featured wines as part of a centerpiece as well as the wine tasting steps.

Bridal Shower Trivia Game

I wanted each guest to be able to mingle and meet one another, so I had a “who knows the bride best” game. Instead of the traditional ask and answer game, I displayed each question in a wine glass picture frame and placed them all around the room and outside on the patio.  It allowed each guest to walk around, talk, and look at the decorations. Some sample bridal shower trivia questions I used were:

  • What is the bride’s biggest pet peeve about the groom?
  • What is the bride’s most favorite feature of the groom?
  • What is the bride’s favorite sports team?
  • How many countries has the bride visited?
  • What is the bride’s favorite food?
  • Where did the bride and groom meet?
  • Where is the bride and groom going on their honeymoon?
  • Who asked whom out first?
  • Where was their first date?

If you are throwing a wine tasting party only, and not a bridal shower, consider using wine trivia questions instead.

Recycled Wine Bottle Centerpieces

Wine bottles come in so many sizes and colors and are so beautiful when they are grouped together.  I asked my friends to save their wine bottles and collected them to use as party decorations.  Click here to find out more on how to make wine bottle frames.

Hanging Tissue Paper Flowers

I made hanging tissue paper flowers out of cocktail napkins instead of tissue paper.  I decided to do this because it was cheaper than tissue paper, and the color scheme of the napkins fit the décor.  Click here for a full tutorial on how to make tissue paper flowers out of cocktail napkins.

Decorate Your Own Wine Glass

This party game was a hit!  I had a wine glass decorating station.  At the guest’s leisure, they were able to sit down and anonymously get creative.  The bride chose the winning glass. At the decorating station I had craft markers in all colors especially made for glass, gems in all sizes, shapes and colors, googly eyes, ribbon, and other embellishments. The winner received a prize and each guest took their glass home to remember the occasion.

Other Simple DIY Decorating Ideas

I framed the letters of the bride’s new last name, “Mrs. Walker”.

I used recycled wine corks to labeled the food by cutting a flat side and a slit on top with a sharp knife.

I made easy DIY cupcake decorations with the couples monogram.

I placed framed pictures of the happy couple everywhere.

I picked up recycled wine crates from a wine specialty shop to use in the décor.  Check your local wine shop.  They sell them for about $5.00 a piece, or give them away for free!

I used scrapbook paper, ribbon, and twine to embellish recycled wine bottles.

P.S. Today is the bride to be’s birthday! Happy birthday, Sara! I love you!! Thanks for always being an inspiration in my life!

 

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22 Comm
29th Sep2011

Napkin Tissue Paper Flowers

by Dinah Wulf

For some reason, my post on how to make tissue paper flowers is my most popular post. To put that into perspective, that particular page on my blog has been viewed well over 3000 times in the last 60 days!

I am always looking for ways to save money, even if it is a few cents. I mean, cut me some slack, I like to help my friends and family with parties and decorations and when you have two or three parties a month, the cost adds up!

I decided to experiment with making tissue paper flowers since it is so popular. Man I am such a nerd, but here are my calculations.  A package of 100 sheets of tissue paper is about $10.00.  You need 12 sheets to make one flower, so the final cost of one flower is about $1.25.  If you buy cocktail party napkins instead, which run about $1.00 for 16 napkins (when you can find them on sale), the cost is only 50 cents per flower because it takes only 8 napkins to make one flower because they are thicker.  That’s a savings of 75 cents a flower! See? I told you I was a nerd… a cheap nerd at that! Also, napkins come in a greater variety of colors, themes, and patterns. Using orange and black is perfect for Halloween.

So, here is the tutorial on making COCKTAIL NAPKIN tissue paper flowers.

Step One:

Stack 8 cocktail napkins on top of one another.

Step Two:

Make an accordion fold, approximately one inch in width and tie the end of a ribbon or string.

Step Three:

Gently separate each layer one by one.  If you accidently rip the paper, clear tape can be hidden easily in the ruffles (I learned that the hard way).

Step Four:

Fluff the tissue paper flower to your desired shape.  If you are hanging them and one side of the napkin is white, make sure the printed side of the napkin hangs down. Cut the ribbon or string in to your desired length.

Here are some after pictures.

 

 

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Category : Crafts, DIY Budget Party
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4 Comm
26th Sep2011

Boarding Pass Invitations

by Dinah Wulf

DIY Invitations add a personal and creative touch to any event.  These cute Boarding Pass invitations are perfect for a bachelorette party, birthday party, or destination wedding.

What I love about these, is that there are limitless fonts, colors, graphics, and free clip art that is available to fit any theme, destination, or travel plan.

I made these invites for a bachelorette party.  We are driving to Las Vegas; however a few personalized and altered touches made it work. For example, on the bottom I put “Full capacity.  Please one small carry on only.”  For the brides invite, I wrote “shotgun” as her seat number.

When designing these boarding pass invitations on your computer, consider adding the following information to make your boarding pass invitation look realistic.

  1. Name of the airline. I used “Lady Luck Airlines” because we are traveling to Las Vegas.
  2. The words “BOARDING PASS” in all caps and in a larger font.
  3. The passengers name is, of course, the invited guest.
  4. The date of the event, “boarding” time, flight number, gate number, and boarding “zone”.
  5. For the departure enter the place you are meeting.  For the arrival, enter the destination.
  6. I also added a perforated line to the right on the boarding pass and on the bottom of that section I wrote “Passenger Ticket and Baggage Claim” in a small font.
  7. Add a barcode.

I also added a free Las Vegas Sign clip art that I found on Google Images. I printed the invitations on cardstock and cut them out.

These actually didn’t cost me a dime because I already had the cardstock and black envelopes… super cute, easy, and free!

Check out my other DIY invitations with full tutorials including a Rocker themed VIP pass invite and a simple invite to fit any occasion!

Here are a few more pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

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4 Comm
05th Sep2011

Easy DIY Invitations

by Dinah Wulf

 Easy DIY Invitations

do it yourself DIY

I made these easy DIY invitations in a jiffy. If you are a fellow crafter, you probably already have these items in your craft closet.  These invitations are perfect for any party, and cost less than pre-packaged invites.

Do it yourself blog

Materials Needed:

  • Card stock and/or decorative scrapbook paper
  • Light weight Computer Paper
  • Hole punch
  • Ribbon
  • Double stick tape
  • Paper Cutter
  • Computer
  • Pre-packaged envelopes 4.75” X 6.5”

 

Step one:  Start by choosing the wording for your invites and type up the information in the desired font, style, and color on your computer.  Print on a lightweight paper and cut out.  The size of this information page should be 3.5” by 5.5”.  Another option is to use vellum paper.

Tip: There are several websites online with wording samples for any occasion if you get stuck!

Step two:  Prepare the rest of the paper by cutting out 4” X 6” base card stock for the bottom piece and 4” X 1” strips for the top strip.

Note: Three sheets of scrapbook paper will be needed for the bottom layer in order to make 24 invitations.  Less than one sheet of scrapbook paper will be needed for the top strip.

Step three: For 24 invites, cut 24 pieces of ribbon at 12” in length.

Tip: To save time, wrap your ribbon around a twelve inch ruler and snip each end.

Step four: Create an assembly line. Layer the 4X6 card, then 3.5X5.5 info sheet, then 4X1 strip in the desired position and adhere with double sided tape, on the top of the invite only.

Step five: Using a small hole punch, punch two holes approximately one inch apart in the top center of the invitation, thread a ribbon through the holes, and tie a bow.

 

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8 Comm
31st Aug2011

Carnival Theme or Circus Theme Party

by Dinah Wulf

Carnival Theme or Circus Theme Party

One of my best friends, Jennifer Hostetler, ALWAYS comes up with amazing ideas for a theme party.  This year, for her daughter’s first birthday, she decided to do a Circus theme.  With a little do it yourself creativity and a lot of imagination, Jennifer hosted a fabulous party on a budget.  Carnival theme or circus theme parties are great party theme ideas.

DIY Centerpieces

If you read this blog, you KNOW what a HUGE fan I am of dollar bin decorating, especially for a kid’s theme party.  Jennifer found these great circus themed pieces for the centerpieces. She took it one step further and glued popcorn and peanuts to give them a more realistic look. I love the way she made them all different.

Plastic Popcorn Tubs for Movie Night! – 1 Jumbo Tub and 4 Individual Tubs

Carnival Giant Decorating Kit
Carnival Game Ideas

Jennifer came up with these easy and inexpensive party game ideas to fit the carnival theme.  To keep the little guests busy, some of her party games included, a ring toss, baseball toss, and balloon dart throw.  For the ring toss she secured each empty beer bottle with glue onto a square wooden board.  I give it two thumbs up just for the beer bottle recycle factor!  Jennifer also recycled baby snack containers for the baseball toss by removing the label, painting the can, and weighing them down with pebbles.  She simply stacked three cans on a bar stool.

Candy Dessert Table

Big Top Carnival Treat Boxes – 12 per unit
I’ve posted before that a candy dessert table has a trifecta factor.  It is beautiful to look at, gives the guests something to do, and is tasty to eat.  Check out Jennifer’s gorgeous and colorful candy dessert table. She used a round table, which looked beautiful and yummy from all sides.  She created height with wrapped boxes and color and pattern with ribbon.

Do It Yourself Decorating

One thing about Jennifer is her attention to detail.  Check out these other great do it yourself decorating ideas for a circus theme party.

Jennifer is definitely someone who inspires me.  I didn’t even post half of the amazing details of this party.  Look out for her upcoming budget party blog to see the rest!!! I’ll be the first to let you know when it launches!  Thank you Jen for the inspiration! Love you!

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Category : DIY Budget Party, Inspiring People, Kid Stuff, Sweets and Treats
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14 Comm
22nd Aug2011

Accordion Flowers How To

by Dinah Wulf

Accordion Flowers How To

Accordion flowers are a very inexpensive do it yourself party decoration that adds a little whimsy to your theme and decor.  Perfect for a spring, summer, or garden tea party, these accordion flowers are very simple to make. They would also look great mixed with paper pinwheels.

This particular tutorial is for an accordion flower about ten inches in diameter, however play with different sizes to achieve the desired look.

Materials Needed:

  • Paper (desired size)
  • Wooden Dowels or BBQ Skewers
  • Double Sided Tape
  • Scissors
  • Glue

Step one: Fold two pieces of paper like an accordion (approximately a one inch in width) and fold in half. If you are making a smaller sized accordion flower, then shorten the width size.

Step two: Use scissors to cut a scalloped edge, or use craft scissors.

Step three: Adhere both pieces together with double stick tape.

Step four: Glue to a wooden dowel and add a center embellishment if desired. I found that a glue gun works well for this size and the wooden dowel and glue remains hidden. Consider using a craft punch and decorative paper or a button for your center embellishment for both the front and back. Another option is to use string or ribbon to hang each accordion flower.

Tip: To make smaller ornament sized flowers, cut one inch strips of paper, fold like an accordion, adhere the end, lay flat and fasten the center with an embellishment. Hang each paper flower by a string on branches to create a cute centerpiece perfect for a wedding or bridal shower or baby shower.  Make several color variations and sizes to complete your party look.

You may also like these other Paper Flowers:

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Category : Crafts, DIY Budget Party
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8 Comm
04th Aug2011

5 Clever Ways to Reuse Tin and Aluminum Cans

by Dinah Wulf

5 Clever Ways to Reuse Tin and Aluminum Cans

So after doing this blog I have officially become a hoarder because I no longer want to throw anything away, in hopes that I can turn it into something fabulous!  I have also become a huge advocate for recycling, reusing, and repurposing.  Taking the eco-friendly route feels good and also gets your creative Do It Yourself juices flowing.

If you strive to be the Hostess with the most, I have discovered that reusing cans, jars, boxes, and the like are perfect for party centerpieces and other decorations.  By covering them with decorative paper, or painting them, recycling items like these gives them a whole new look to fit any party theme.  For example, use wrapping paper to cover old boxes and create height and dimension to a candy or dessert table, or use glass mason jars embellished with ribbon or raffia as a tea light holder.

Check out these five ideas for reusing tin and aluminum cans.

1. Aluminum Can Tea Lights - Turn your favorite cans of soda into  decorative lighting.

2. Food Can Centerpiece - Use vintage cans to create an interesting centerpiece.

3. Food Can Storage Containers - Paint food cans to store office supplies.

4. Tin Pincushion - Make a cute pincushion out of a small tin.

5. Craft Supply Tin - Cover food containers with scrapbook paper to store scissors, paint brushes, or other craft supplies.

 

Check out these other creative ways to recycle:

 

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Category : Trash To Treasure
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7 Comm
29th Jul2011

DIY Centerpiece: Paper Cherry Blossom Display

by Dinah Wulf

DIY Centerpiece: Paper Cherry Blossom Display

Martha delivers yet once again! This Paper Cherry Blossom Display is a great DIY Centerpiece from Marthastewart.com. Something like this paper flower centerpiece would be perfect for a wedding or baby shower.  I actually had a cherry blossom theme for my baby shower, a pleasant whimsical theme and perfect for the summer or spring. These simple yet elegant paper flowers are embellished with wood branches and a vase.

Materials Needed:

  • Scissors
  • Vellum paper
  • Utility Knife

 

The complete steps from diagramed on Marthastewart.com are as follows.

To create five-petal blossoms, start by cutting pink or red glassine or vellum into 3 1/2-inch and 4 1/2-inch squares. Fold a square into a flat cone, following steps 1 to 4.

Using scissors, make four angled cuts to remove the top of the cone as in step 5.

With a utility knife, carve out a small rectangular sliver on each side of the cone. Snip off a tiny bit of the pointed tip of the cone, and unfold and shape the paper to yield a blossom. Collect branches from the yard, and poke their tips through the centers of the blossoms. Place the decorated branches in a tall vase filled with pebbles to anchor the display. For favor bags, fill colored-paper bags with token gifts of your choice, and fold down the closed tops of the bags twice. Punch a hole through one folded corner. Push colored brad through flower, then hole in bag to fasten.

Source: Marthastewart.com

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Also, check out these Sweet Treats, perfect for any party:

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Category : DIY Budget Party, Special Occasions
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1 Comm
28th Jul2011

DIY Crafts: Party Pinwheels How-To

by Dinah Wulf

DIY Crafts: Party Pinwheels How-To

These whimsical party pinwheels were found on non other than, (one of) my idol Martha Stewart’s, website. These are perfect inexpensive and easy to make party decorations.

Here is how you make them.

1. Cut four 2 1/2″ circles for each pinwheel from solid craftstock. Cut each circle in half.
2. Cut two 2″ circles from coordinating patterned paper. Cut each circle in half and adhere to the solid half-circles.
3. Arrange into pinwheel shape as shown and adhere to wooden skewer using tissue tape. Adhere candy sticker to the center of each pinwheel.

Cute and simple in three easy steps!

Also check out a post from Shindig Diva. She shared a how to on flower pinwheels by Gwynn Wasson. You get get the template needed to make this adorable pinwheel on her blog.

 

 

 

Use different colors and patterns to fit any themed party.  Here are the materials you will need:

-Pinwheel Template
-Xacto knife or scissors
-Cookie Stick or Drilled Dowel
-Wooden Beads
-Button
-Wire
-Small hole punch
-Ribbon
-Hot Glue

In eight easy steps, this cute pinwheel will add whimsy to your party decor.

Need More DIY Party Ideas? Try:

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Category : Crafts, DIY Budget Party
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4 Comm
11th Jul2011

First Birthday Party DIY Decoration Ideas

by Dinah Wulf

First Birthday Party DIY Decoration Ideas

Friend and fellow Crafty Chick (and may I add GORGEOUS), Tara Woelfer, did a fabulous job for an Elmo themed first birthday party.  Here are some Birthday Party DIY Decoration Ideas. She used bold primary and secondary colors coordinated with polka dot and checkered patterns. She covered boxes with colorful gift wrap, which is a great way to add height and dimension to any table scape.

Tip: A good investment for any party host or hostess is glass candy jars and glass bowls in various sizes and heights.  Add a ribbon and label to fit any party theme.

The dessert table was adorned with a “sweets” banner a topped with creatively labeled yummy treats like marshmallows, chocolate covered strawberries with sprinkles, colorful candies, cupcakes, and savory cheese popcorn.  Tara also added a special touch by personalizing some of the treats with the birthday boy’s name and age.

The centerpieces were assembled with checkered pinwheels in plastic pales, and pictures of the little man of honor.  Do it yourself Pinwheels are a creative and simple way to add whimsy to any party centerpiece. Use decorative scrapbook paper in any color or pattern to fit any occasion. Also, consider using pages of old novels, children’s books, or magazines depending on the party theme.

Thanks for the inspiration, Tara!! You are amazing!

The fabulous photography is by Carrie Sparks.

Need More DIY Party Ideas? Try:

Check out these Sweet Treats, perfect for any party:

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Category : DIY Budget Party, Kid Stuff, Sweets and Treats
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5 Comm
28th Jun2011

Simple DIY Party Banner

by Dinah Wulf

Simple DIY Party Banner

I wanted to decorate the first space where my husband goes after work the minute he walks thru the door on his birthday. It’s the space where he sets down his keys and messenger bag, and then opens his mail everyday like clockwork. I decided to make some banners for him.

This DIY craft is very simple and takes little time.  Just print out the message in any font and size you wish. Cut out the words and use double sided tape to adhere the words onto decorative scrapbook paper. Next, hot glue the words onto ribbon and hang. If you choose, add some pictures as shown. For a more whimsical or feminine look, add Japanese Rice Paper Flowers.

I also included pictures of a similar butterfly themed first birthday party banner I did as well.  For this one, instead of glue, I used a sharp knife to cut slits into the sides to weave the ribbon through.  Simple, quick, cute, and thoughtful…

Need More DIY Party Ideas? Try:

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Category : Crafts, DIY Budget Party
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1 Comm
12th May2011

Paper Flower Week: Tissue Paper Flowers

by Dinah Wulf

Tissue Paper Flowers

Remember making these in grade school?  If we made them then we can make them now!  These are SO easy and can be used for baby showers, bridal showers, birthdays, or any occasion. You can also make flower bouquets.

Materials Needed:
-   Tissue Paper Sheets
-   Florist Wire
-   Scissors

These instructions are from eHow.com.

1. Place eight to 12 full sheets of tissue paper onto a clean work surface. Make sure they are evenly stacked, one on top of another.

2. Fold the sheets accordion or fan style from one short end to the other. The folds should be approximately 1-1/2 inches wide. Be sure to keep the folds even. Use a craft stick to smooth the folds down for a crisp edge.

3. Securely wrap a 15-inch piece of wire around the center of the folded strip.

4. Hold the center of the folded tissue in one hand while wrapping one “leg” of the wire around the opposite leg. Firmly twist the wire legs or ends until they are pinched tightly against the paper center. Twist several more times.

5. Cut the end of each sides of the folded paper with straight or decorative-edge scissors. Cut a round or pointed shape to the ends of the paper to make petal edging.

6. Carefully separate the layers of paper by pulling apart the outer edges near the center. Continue to pull the thin sheets apart to loosen and shape the pompom petals. Repeat with the other side of the pompom.

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