Handmade Parties

Lovely Things to Make, Bake or Buy this Valentine’s Day!

Friday, February 3, 2012

Our little household gets all confused when Valentine’s Day rolls around. While Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14th in Canada, it works a little differently in Japan (where my husband and I met and married) as women give gifts to men on February 14th and the men reciprocate on White Day – March 14th. And in Brazil, where my husband is from, Dia dos Namarados (Lover’s Day) is sometime in June. So, we’ve never really worked out which Love day to celebrate. And, to be honest, I’m okay with that. I’m not really a wine-me-dine-me-buy-me-roses-or-else kind of girl. In fact, my ideal Valentine’s Day would probably include a mailbox full of handmade cards (feel free to send me one!) and a chocolate-covered marshmallow heart (or two). Oh, and a cupcake!

That being said, I can definitely appreciate the abundance of Bee Mine and I Choo-Choo-Choose you puns, and over-abundance of pink and red hearts on everything! It taps into my innate love for cute & lovely things.

Now, I can admit, I may have been guilty of being a Valentine’s Day grump in the past, (surely a result of giant bouquets of flowers and life-sized heart-wielding teddy bears flaunted around high school hallways every February 14th) but I have learnt that holidays like Valentine’s Day are only miserable if you let them be. (Kinda like how New Year’s Eve is always a let down?) So stop being a Valentine’s Day grinch! Instead use February 14th as an excuse to embrace over-the-top pink & red & hearts-all-over, to indulge in something decadent (preferably involving chocolate) and to treat yourself or someone you love to something special.

No special someone this Valentine’s Day? Breathe a sigh of relief (pressure to find that perfect gift/card is off) and eat that cupcake anyway, bake heart-shaped cookies to share with your workmates or craft up handmade cards to share with your single friends. I’ll bet they’ll love them!

Make Something Special

1. Valentine Popcorn Invitation – Eat Drink Chic  / 2. Love Garland – This Is Glamorous

3. Sweet Straws – A Field Journal / 4. Giant Paper Rose – Green Wedding Shoes

5. Felt Heart Barrettes – The Purl Bee / 6. Je T’aime Coffee Cup Wrappers – Eat Drink Chic

7. Valentine Cards – Alisa Burke /  8. Love Tea Time – Rosaline

 

Bake Something Decadent

1. Cupid’s Arrow Cupcakes – Bakerella / 2. Conversation Heart Cookies – Martha Stewart

3. Valentine’s Day S’mores – Bird’s Party / 4. Gift Box Cake – Bakerella

5. Raspberry-Hazelnut Linzer Hearts – Babble / 6. Red Velvet Whoopie Pies – Annie’s Eats

7. Origami Heart Cupcake Toppers – Omiyage / 8. Valentine’s Sugar Cookies – Sweetapolita

 

Buy Something Lovely

1. Je T’aime Card – Popolo Press / 2. LOVE Print – Helen Dardik

3. Valentine Paper Dolls – Jordan Grace Owens / 4. Herkimer Diamond Ring – lumafina

5. You Are So Loved – Katie Daisy / 6. HELLO Print – Mengsel

7. Tiny Heart Studs – Rachel Pfeffer Designs / 8. For Like Ever – Super Rural

 

As for us, this Valentine’s Day is sure to be a quiet one. But there will be cupcakes!

How about you – Are you a Valentine’s Day lover or could you do without this holiday? Will you be doing anything special to celebrate this year?

Glitter & Gold & Tigers, Oh My! Hello 2012!

Sunday, January 1, 2012

the year of the creative entrepreneur

It’s a brand new year, still all sparkly and squeaky clean, waiting to be filled up with dreaming, messes and handmade goodness! Last night I threw my mama a glitterific 50th birthday party and brought 2012 in with a roar. Nothing would have made me happier then to have the amazing friends I have made online join us to celebrate and toast to the birth of a new year. But wait, you can!

(read more…)

Handmade Parties: Crafting a Butterfly Birthday

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Butterfly Birthday party, handmade parties, party planning for kidsOur theme this month has been so packed full of brilliant ideas for your business and your creativity! I had a hard time fitting in this post about my oldest daughter’s 7th (ACK!) birthday party. It is a wet dreary weekend here in Halifax and I know many people out here are snowed or rained in. So I thought today we should step back in time just a few weeks. Ila’s party was on October 8th- it was unseasonably warm and gloriously sunny, she had chosen a butterfly birthday as her theme (to go with her new room, she is so my kid) and it seemed like even the weather conspired to make it a perfect day.

I go a little crazy for birthdays and this year was no different! I had spent the weeks up until the party making butterfly wands, little wooden butterfly girl dolls, the glittery birthday banner and cutting out hundreds (or maybe thousands!) of paper butterflies as decorations and confetti for the pinata. I also printed out Bridgett’s handy party planning checklist and started ordering goodies. For the full list of sources and tutorials see the bottom of this post.

Butterfly Birthday party, handmade parties, party planning for kids

Two days before I made a crazy amount of butterfly sugar cookies and since I had never decorated them before I read a gazillion tutorials on how to ice them. We jazzed up some biodegradable cups with washi tape triangle bunting and paper straws from Pippi & Scout.

We transformed the back deck into a play space by clearing everything off and setting up stations for face painting, butterfly art, a low budget photo booth, a flower beanbag toss and musical instruments. We used a roll of floor sheathing which is basically heavy kraft paper available at building supply stores to create a mural backdrop with frames of washi tape. The art the kids made is my favourite part:

Butterfly Birthday party, handmade parties, party planning for kids

“I love you everyone” is a note from Ila to her friends-it just melted my heart! I also couldn’t resist getting a picture of my littlest Sela looking so sweet. After the party we cut out around our frames and Ila put them up in her room.

Speaking of frames who knew a quickly painted frame could become the hit of the party? My dad was visiting from BC and I enlisted him to help photograph the kids in our makeshift photo booth and do before/afters of their painted faces. I love the quirky/candid results! We printed them up to send out as thank you’s to all our guests.

Butterfly Birthday party, handmade parties, party planning for kids

For the treat bags I bought muslin butterfly bags from Perideau Designs to match our theme and filled them with treats in paper bags sealed up with some washi tape all from the lovely Marisa of Omiyage. Ila had a grand time handing out the butterfly wands and dolls to each guest at the end of the party.

Butterfly Birthday party, handmade parties, party planning for kids

As you can see all the goodies were well received. And were worth staying up until unspeakable hours and getting so far behind on all my “real” work.

But wait, there’s MORE!

Butterfly Birthday party, handmade parties, party planning for kids

Let’s not forget that I had this last minute crazy idea to make beanbags from a tupperware full of flax and lavender I had sitting around. So I sewed & filled (with more help from the family) 20 beanbags that didn’t have any beans in them at all but smelled glorious! 4am the night before the party found the man and I gluing tissue paper petals onto a painted piece of foam core to throw the beanbags into. It held up surprisingly well and got extra use when the kids wanted to take pictures in it. So cute!

The party ended with a bang and a pinata filled with butterfly confetti and organic natural juice lollipops (an apology to the parents for packing their kids full of sugar). After each kid had 3 turns whacking it with no end in sight I took a turn…let us just say that hitting a pinata is the best way to end three weeks of party preparations-butterflies flew!

 

butterfly birthday party shopping listWant to plan your own butterfly extravaganza? Here is what I ordered and the tutorials I used (for anything not listed I just winged it & challenged my own creativity):

Butterfly muslin goodie bags from Perideau Designs

Washi tape, bakers twine + paper treat bags from Omiyage

    • Washi tape was used for the mural, party cups and to seal up the paper treat bags.
    • Divine Twine was used for the birthday banner

For the Happy Birthday banner I used this tutorial and printed out my letters using this font at 300pt onto heavy cardstock. I then made them all glittery with two colours of fine glitter and sprayed them with a fixative (okay, I only used hairspray…because that’s what I had).

Purple striped paper straws and flower fairy cupcake liners/toppers from Pippi & Scout

Felt (for the butterflies & doll wings) from Felt on The Fly and Mercurius 

To make the butterfly wands I painted wooden doweling with umpteen coats of fine glitter mixed with modge podge and made/traced this template onto wool felt. A few strands of super skinny ribbon and we were good to go. 

Wooden dolls from Goose Grease Undone I primed the dolls with white latex and then painted the faces/hair with acrylics. The glittery dresses are the same glue/glitter mixture as the wands + some teeny tiny felt wings. 

2 sizes of Martha Stewart butterfly punches for butterfly confetti, art table and random throwing at the birthday girl. 

For the sugar cookies I referenced this tutorial (among others) and this recipe.

I hope you enjoyed reading about our handmade butterfly birthday! Nothing makes me more broody and crafty then one of my little girls growing older-it is so bittersweet. I want each birthday to be a celebration of the year that came and the one just unfolding, Ila said it was the very bestest day of her entire life-which is the very bestest thing I can imagine.

How do you celebrate birthdays in your family? I would love to know!

Get Creative with New Pop & Lolli Decals

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

 restickable fabric wall decals, Pop and Lolli

The new collection from our sponsor Pop and Lolli is ridiculously adorable! These amazing decals can transform a room into a pirate getaway, a robot factory, a spooky Halloween party or an ocean scene to sail away into on your very own ship. I interviewed Mia at the beginning of the year and was impressed then by the creativity and unique style of Pop and Lolli designs. Now they are celebrating their first year in business with a new round of styles. The decals were released October and are just as awesome as the earlier designs!

 restickable fabric wall decals, Pop and Lolli

Seriously, what kid (or adult for that matter) doesn’t wan’t to play with giant stickers? Now is your chance! Mia has offered OMHG readers a 15% discount on anything in the shop. Simply enter OHMY15 at check out and have fun transforming your walls into an interactive play space. Worried that wee beasties will destroy the decals? This video shows them in action and I can speak from experience, Mia sent me a sample last year and my toddler had great fun balling up the decal when I wasn’t looking. A couple seconds of smoothing it out and it was good as new!

 restickable fabric wall decals, Pop and Lolli

Throwing a Halloween party? For just a few more days you can save 20% on the Pop and Lolli Halloween overlay (bottom left) with the code HW2011.

Also be sure to keep in touch with Pop and Lolli goodness by visiting the website, following on Twitter and becoming a fan on Facebook .

 

Oh My Its Been A Crazy July!

Sunday, July 31, 2011

This month has been wild! We threw one incredible party here with of some of the best posts we’ve shared yet. I’m feeling oh so ready to take on another year as editor now! This month I also pushed past my shyness (yup, I have those problems too) and challenged myself on a bunch of levels with some excellent help. So as if I needed MORE reasons to party here are a few of the reasons I am wearing a party hat and mixing mojitos once the girls are asleep tonight.

Reason to party #1:

My first ever screencast & design related tutorial was SO fun and I got such great feedback there are definitely more to come.

Watch the screencast here & let me know what you think!

Reason to party #2:

I was interviewed by Srini for BlogcastFM and shared my blogging journey in my first podcast and live interview.

Take a listen to our interview here.

Reason to party #3:

BOOK LAUNCH! And was it ever incredible, almost 100 copies of Cultivate Your Creativity are out there hopefully stirring up all sorts of creative ideas. A million thank you’s to everyone who has bought the book for your support! Many thanks to Mayi Carles of Heartmade for inviting me to guest post and share the story of the book + some sketches and to Zoe of A Quick Study for her wonderful post showing how she used one of my worksheets to make an important jump from one rock to the next.

Grab your copy of Cultivate Your Creativity here (psst-only a few more hours to pay what you can/want/will).

Reason to party #4

I turned the tables and interviewed Srini about his relationship marketing e-book + invited him to co-host our #omhg chat.

Listen to our interview here + get in on a special offer for Oh My! readers

Reason to party #5

I got over my camera shyness with the help of Mayi Carles + cupcakes & bunting & sparkly microphones. Go watch our interview-I am pretty sure our cheerfulness is contagious (in a good way).

Come join our party & see me on screen here!

Reason to party #6

Oh My! Handmade has the most generous, talented, loving, and wonderful contributors + readers. None of this would mean anything without you. Thank you is not enough to explain how much this year of posts, comments, tweets, emails and new friendships has meant to me.

There were a few contributions this month that really humbled me with how much time and creativity went into them. Special thanks to:

Its almost sad to say goodbye to this theme-but I’m also tired out from all the excitement! We’re going to slow down a bit for August and travel through time to explore the heritage of handmade. I’ll reveal the details of our theme tomorrow but in the meantime go scrolling through the last 30 days of posts and the links above. I hope these posts remind us all that parties aren’t just fun, they are also food for the soul.

Cheers to a year well spent, to another 365 days of posts & to many more adventures and friends made along the way!

Here is a little sweetness to end the party and send us on our way-my girls taking a minute to smell the flowers:

Ila & Sela taking time to smell the flowers from Jessika Hepburn on Vimeo.

Gaia & Gerald’s Kid Friendly Handmade Wedding

Saturday, July 30, 2011
a super special guest post by Gaia Cornwall
gaia cornwall, handmade wedding, kid-friendly wedding ideas, children inspired weddings
To finish off the month of celebrations, Jessika asked me to write about our wedding!  My husband, Gerald, and I got married last month and one guest described our wedding as “the ultimate kid’s birthday party.”  We took it as a huge compliment, as we were aiming for a thoroughly fun and fabulous time. If you have any celebratory events coming up involving children, hopefully a few of these ideas will set you on your way, and the photos will provide lots of inspiration! 
gaia cornwall, handmade wedding, kid-friendly wedding ideas, children inspired weddings
Come Up With A “Theme”
When people (aka Our Moms) asked what our theme was, we stammered something about animals and bright colors. I don’t think we were comfortable with the notion of a “theme,” but we knew what we wanted.  We carried animal silhouettes, and bright saturated colors, from our invitations, to our website, right through to the actual day. Don’t worry if “people” (ahem) think it’s crazy, if you stay consistent to your main idea, –whether it’s pale pinks and roses, or not– it will make the event feel that much more cohesive. Plus having some constraints makes decision-making down the line that much easier.
gaia cornwall, handmade wedding, kid-friendly wedding ideas, children inspired weddings
Make Some Decorations
That said, we basically decided on our decorations based on what would be the most fun to make. We spent a lot of time pawing through eye-candy online.  I had never visited a wedding blog before this, but I’ll definitely keep looking at them in the future for inspiration.  They are some of the most creative online spaces! (If you feel like you’re in a visual rut, I encourage you to take a look.)
gaia cornwall, handmade wedding, kid-friendly wedding ideas, children inspired weddings
 Anyways, collect your ideas (Pinterest was perfect for this!) make a list, come up with a plan, buy your supplies and recruit some friends to help out!  Start early.  And if you want yards and yards of these circle pennants, it helps to have an incredibly kind and patient mother willing to make them for you.
gaia cornwall, handmade wedding, kid-friendly wedding ideas, children inspired weddings
For the centerpieces, and flowers in general, I was really aware of not blowing our budget, so instead of huge arrangements at each table, we placed just a few flowers, along with painted branches, in three glass bottles of varying heights.  We bought the flowers from a farm the day before and had our friends help divide them up. Brightly colored, painted animal figurines roamed around them.  It felt modern and fun.  My mother in law made the boutineers, and I made my bouquet mostly from flowers from my mother’s garden.
gaia cornwall, handmade wedding, kid-friendly wedding ideas, children inspired weddings
Get Your Invitations Ready
We designed our invitation suite, favor labels, and day-of signage together, incorporating the various elements mentioned above. A big splurge was custom postage stamps, with our patterns on them, which ended up being really fun. The initial invitation design decisions happily informed all the other signs we made later on. In lieu of menus, we printed a poster listing all the different food options (and addressed the several dietary concerns of our guests.) The favors were seed packets filled with a mix of perennial seeds Gerald (the gardener in this partnership) picked out. Our “guestbook” was a poster that everyone signed. We can’t wait to hang it up in our apartment.
gaia cornwall, handmade wedding, kid-friendly wedding ideas, children inspired weddings
Include The Kids
From the beginning it was apparent that we had too many flower girl options.  So we decided to have a “Kid Parade” instead and invited all of the kids coming to participate.  They had a short rehearsal before the ceremony, but honestly we didn’t know what to expect.  We thought probably most of them would get nervous and end up sitting it out. We couldn’t have been more wrong!  They all took their job very seriously and it was truly wonderful to be marched down the aisle by them.
gaia cornwall, handmade wedding, kid-friendly wedding ideas, children inspired weddings
 I think asking a few of the older kids to be “helpers” was key.  They were happy to “help” the little kids get their acts together, and the little kids were thrilled to do something with the “cool, older kid” crowd.  Only our friend’s son insisted on being the “Flower Girl”– he was actually the first to call dibs on throwing flowers.  So he proudly did just that instead of playing an instrument.  It was awesome.
gaia cornwall, handmade wedding, kid-friendly wedding ideas, children inspired weddings
We both have fond memories of sitting at kid tables at family functions growing up, and everyone knows that dinners can feel like they last forever when you’re little. So we were sure to create a designated kid’s table stocked with goodies.  Besides silly little toys (I believe a whoopie cushion was included,) we set out paper with crayons and hung a line with clothespins asking them to make some drawings for us.  It was really sweet to look at them all hanging there later.
gaia cornwall, handmade wedding, kid-friendly wedding ideas, children inspired weddings
Create A Yummy Menu
One way to not split the menu into adult and kid versions, is to do comfort food, but dressed up.  Think simple, but with good ingredients.  We served macaroni and cheese, but with gruyere. The french fries, sweet and yellow, were hand cut, with a spread of dips to try. The mini burgers were made with fancy beef, and ground that day.  The veggies were local and grilled.  The cabinets ( basically a RI milkshake) could be spiked. Neither group seemed any the wiser and both cleaned their plates.  Also: tiny flag toppers and striped straws charm everyone.
gaia cornwall, handmade wedding, kid-friendly wedding ideas, children inspired weddings
I think many of the other celebration posts provided tutorials or tips on all the decorations we made.  But please ask if you have any questions. A huge thank you to Li of Fat Orange Cat Studios for taking the gorgeous photographs!  Gosh, after a whole month of fabulous party posts, all the OMHG readers are going to be throwing some out-of-control bashes. Can’t wait to see the pictures!
gaia cornwall, handmade wedding, kid-friendly wedding ideas, children inspired weddings

Gaia Cornwall • Illustration & Other Such Things

HOW TO THROW YOURSELF A WORD-PARTY (disco ball, tambourines, confetti & all)

Friday, July 29, 2011

Editors note: When I was planning our celebration theme I knew there was one person who I really wanted to guest post this month. Just imagine how over-the-moon yippekiyay excited I was when she said YES! Reading her words always makes me want to celebrate and give thanks for the true awesomeness that she is bringing to the world. I love celebrating people rocking their own truth and encouraging the world to join in the party. So here she is folks, go bask in the radiance and let it fill up your heart, drumroll please….presenting Ms. Alexandra Franzen!

throw yourself a word party with Alexandra Franzen!{My radometer is off the charts print by YellowHeartArt}

Repeat after me (out loud, like a lunatic):

“No one one earth can do what I do, in precisely the way that I do it.”

Don’t believe yourself? Print out that mantra and tape it to your forward. Backwards, of course. So it makes sense when you look in the mirror.

Let’s presume, for a moment, that you DO believe yourself. And that you want to create an online presence that celebrates your disco-ball individuality — in a way that resonates with your ideal clients & customers. Y’know — the people you wanna party with. And who wanna throw their panties at you.

Your website, blog, social media pages, Etsy shop, and bits & bobs of digital flotsam ‘n jetsam ought be a reflection of the most memorable, brilliant, and captivating qualities you possess.

And you possess plenty of ‘em.

Let your webcopy — them’s the words on your ‘puter screen, for non-marketing geeks — be a celebration of your gifts. A personal invitation to the party of the century.

Here’s how to throw yourself a word-party, like an ultra-pro.

// POST A MANIFESTO //

A manifesto is a poetic declaration to the universe — what you stand for, what you’re striving for, and a hint at the color & texture of your soul.

Whether you’re a solopreneur, a start-up maven, the head of a company, or an aspiring blogstress, a powerful manifesto is the quickest way to pull your audience into your truth zone, and creating raving, fanatical advocates — for life. Hey-o! Here are my  2010 and 2011 manifestos, for your inspirational pleasure.

Dunno where to begin? Start with a game of word association, doodling and mind-mapping. Think back to the big, juicy WHY behind your business, or blog. WHY did you launch this puppy, back in the day? And WHY are you here to stay?

Or prompt yourself with the following hypothetical question: “if you had ten seconds to live, before the earth cracked open to swallow you whole, what would you want to declare to the citizens of earth?” No deliberating, just…GO!

// GET A KILLER BIO //

Does your bio sounds like it was peeled off the back of a corporate training manual? (Blech.)

Does it roll on for eons, with no end in sight? (Snore.)

Is it riddled with accreditations & awards that no longer bear any relevance to your chosen career track? (Whuh?)

Is it woefully outdated, outmoded and grimace-inducing? (Le sigh.)

Your bio is your memoir, made skimmable — a vivid reflection of your gifts, with a clear trajectory of how you became the person you are, today.

If re-writing your bio feels like pulling teeth from a T-Rex, source some golden materials from people who love you. Danielle LaPorte’s Ask-A-Friend Survey is sure to unearth some story-gems you’d long forgotten.

Or, grab an audio recorder, sit down with a pal, and ask ‘em to interview you, Oprah-style. You’ll be amazed at what tumbles forth, once the convo (and the wine) starts flowing. And once you transcribe that precious audio file, your bio will practically craft itself.

// LET OTHER FOLKS DO THE TALKING //

The only thing more potent than celebrating your own skills is letting other folks (clients, customers, comrades & colleagues) do the talkin’ for you.

Testimonials, rave reviews and case studies are the webcopy equivalent of metallic confetti, tossed in the air with a “hip, hip hooray!” And social proof makes all the difference between spongy promises and serious street cred.

Testimonials belong all over your website — sprinkled through your sales language, rotating in your sidebar, hovering about your contact form, and stacked on a special page, all on their own.

Light on applause? Offer some product freebies, do a guinea pig program trial, or extend some pro bono services — with the explicit intention of collecting feedback and praise.

Not getting the standing ovations that you need? Create a feedback form or survey, with pointed questions to pivot your client’s responses in the ideal direction. Design your Q’s to pull forth specific metrics, like:

“What was the biggest [wellness transformation / business shift / emotional arc] you experienced, in working with me?”

“What surprised you about the process of [whatever it was that we did]?”

“How has [name of fabulous product] increased your ability to [do cartwheels / pluck daisies / earn more money / stand on your head], and by what percentage, per month?”

You’ll get much stronger responses if you lay out a plug ‘n play framework for praise-giving…and receiving.

// WORK WITH A PRO //

It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: not everyone is blessed with celestial wordsmithing powahs. If writing webcopy feels like a midnight horror movie marathon (minus the popcorn), go find a pro who will gloss up your language with love & respect.

I’m a professional digital scribe (cough cough), but if my stylings aren’t your cuppa tea, I’ve got a shortlist of brainy beauties right here, each with their own niches & knowledge banks. Knock on a few doors, and see who syncs up with your vision, and budget.

Now, go forth and CELEBRATE. I’m shaking my sizz-boom-bah tambourines, with tassles and all, in honor of your glory — and your story.

alexandra franzen

 

A promotional writer with a keen eye for words that woo, Alexandra Franzen helps righteous entrepreneurs break their own sound barriers, with whoa-nelly webcopy, sales page sorcery, and spooky-perfect ghostwriting. She’s been lauded as “Spock, but with a sense of humor. And better hair,” and was once pronounced “a unicorn, in human disguise.”

Standout clients include fire-starter Danielle LaPorte, marketing megastar Marie Forleo, international playgirl Gala Darling, master intuitive Hiro Boga, and a vibrant bouquet of branding and marketing agencies, including Red Slice and d.trio

When she’s not throwing neon-green lightning bolts during 1-on-1 VELOCITY sessions, you can find her Twittering away, sippin’ on cranberry kombucha and blogging up a storm.

Celebrate in Handmade Style: 20 Tutorials to Give Your Next Party a Handmade Touch

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Congratulations to Jessika on her first year as the Editor of Oh My! Handmade Goodness! July seems to be full of birthdays and celebrations – we celebrated Omiyage‘s 1st birthday this month too. And what a great way to celebrate here on OMHG – a whole month jam-packed with parties!

So, let’s keep this party going with a round-up of fun tutorials you can use to celebrate in handmade style!

We all know that as much fun as a visit to the party store can be, nothing really beats a celebration full of handmade touches. Whether you bake the cake, sew the birthday crown, or make the favours; making something to celebrate with the special people in our lives is truly an expression of love. These tutorials have a little something for everyone – from fun activities you can involve the kids in to gorgeous desserts that appeal to a more adult taste.

The Invitations

Set the tone for your celebration with a handmade invitation. Step away from the computer (well, not till you finish reading this!) and send snail mail instead of email this time! Get inspired by these DIY invitations:

1. Who doesn’t love butterflies? Get little hands involved while making these butterfly invitations with was eigenes. (in German, but the step by step pictorial is very clear).
2. Whether you want to host a cozy movie night for two, or a movie-themed party, this sweet popcorn invitation from Eat Drink Chic is wonderful inspiration.
3. Think outside the envelope! Make confetti invitations with Oh Happy Day.
4. Want a simple way to make each invitation unique? Craft washi tape cards with Omiyage Blogs.

The Decorations

Your guests are invited, the date is set, it’s time to bring a little magic into the room. Here are some colourful ways to make the ordinary look a little more extraordinary:

5. Streamers reinvented are just oh so pretty!  Make ruffled streamers with Made.
6. Think a party just isn’t a party without balloons? Try something new and string together balloons with Design Mom.
7. Here’s a simple garland with big impact. Sew this paper garland with Mini-eco.
8. Looking for that wow factor? Create a streamer and garland installation with O Chickadee.

The Accessories

You’ve decorated the room, but how about the people in it? A successful fête is a lighthearted affair – set the mood with party hats, pretty crowns and photo booth accessories:

9. Classic party hats are so very festive. Make your own with Jones Design Company (image via The Sweetest Occasion).
10. Make those party hats into modern heirlooms. Craft felt part hats with Princess Lasertron.
11. Sweet summertime gatherings will be even sweeter with flower crowns. Learn how with Smitten and Hazel.
12. DIY Photobooths are all the rage. Increase the fun with these printable props from Oh Happy Day.

The Party Game

Nothing says party fun quite like a piñata! I’ve made a few of the typical painted papier maché versions in the past, but modern piñatas are anything but typical. Here are four tutorials which will have you creating your own whackable masterpiece:

13. Bring a beloved drawing to life. Make a custom piñata with Giddy Giddy.
14. No more fighting over goodies. Create a mini-piñata for each guest with Ruffled Blog.
15. Never mind number candles! Make a number piñata with The Sweetest Occasion
16. Who doesn’t love ice cream? Craft this larger than life ice cream cone with Simply Modern Mom.

The Dessert

It must be said – it just isn’t a party without some celebratory treats! Here are some sweet treats which look as gorgeous as they taste:

17. Looking for the perfect summer party treat? Whip up ice cream sandwiches with Tartelette
18. Take advantage of this year’s berries. Try making a pavlova with What Katie Ate.
19. Sometimes it’s more fun not to share! Turn your cupcakes into mini cakes with Sweetapolita.
20. Talk about gorgeous! Bake a pink ombre cake with Call Me Cupcake.

While some of these might seem a little birthday-centric, there’s no reason to limit your fun to birthdays only! Celebrate a job done well, a beautiful summer day, a new friend.

I’d love to know, what are your most treasured celebration traditions? Or your silliest? In my family, we sing Happy Birthday to Canada on Canada Day and celebrate everyone’s birthday – adults and all – with themes, silly party games and piñatas. Why should the kids have all the fun? Have fun with them!

In celebration of Jessika’s one year anniversary here at OMHG and the fabulous celebration-filled month of July, Omiyage would love to offer an exclusive treat to all OMHG readers. Get a Free Gift with purchase when you shop at Omiyage! Simply let us know that you’re an OMHG reader during checkout.

Celebrate National Ice Cream Month!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

photo credits: Key Lime Pie Ice Cream via My Baking Addiction, Blueberry Pie Ice Cream via She Wears Many Hats, Dried Apricot-Pistacio Ice Cream via Brown Eyed Baker, Rolo Ice Cream via My Baking Addiction

Did you know July is National Ice Cream month? It’s also my birthday month, but I’m not going to tell you which birthday I celebrated on the 10th :)

In honor of this special month, I’m going to share with you some fun resources and ideas of ways you too can celebrate Ice Cream! And for the record, it’s OK to eat it as a main course in case you don’t save room for dessert. That’s my philosophy anyway… shhhh don’t tell my 5 year old.

Like my little photo layout and banners for this post? I downloaded them for free here at Oh My Handmade. In case you missed Jessika’s post, click here for your very own.

photo credits: Limited Edition Ice Cream Popsicle Party Complete Invitation Set from InkSpot Workshop, Ice Cream Topping Stand by Wilton, Ice Cream Smorgasboard by Gourmet Gift Baskets, Pinwheel Ice Cream Invitation for Girls by InkSpot Workshop

Around this time last year I was contacted by Studio 5 KSL TV in Utah, about an Ice Cream Parlour feature they were preparing for. I sent them a set of my Pinwheel Ice Cream Invitations for Girl’s and matching party accessories and was super excited to see them when the feature aired. They included too many great party ideas to list here, but if you check out their site they list several of the vendors. Watch the segment below, I’m sure you’ll get inspired. In fact next month I plan to throw an Ice Cream for Dinner party for my 5 year old and some of his friends as a way to celebrate the end of Summer and of course make memories using my new Ice Cream Popsicle Complete Party Set.

Top 10 Favorite Ice Cream Recipes brought to you by Brown Eyed Baker

Why not try your hand at making your own ice cream? I adore the look of old fashioned, hand crank ice cream makers. They make me wish I could step back in time when everyone sat on their front porches making ice cream in the Summertime because there was no such thing as air conditioning. Wouldn’t that be fun? If hand cranking your own ice cream is not your idea of fun, you can make your own handmade ice cream without using an ice cream maker, as shown to us by Brown Eyed Baker. She’s my new ice cream Queen.

Tools: Ice Cream Cone Holder and Cake Stand by TAG, Waffle Cone Maker from Bella Cucina, Old-Fashioned Pine-Bucket Electric/Manual Ice-Cream Maker from Maxi Matic, Ice-Cream Spade by Zeroll

Books: Cool & Creamy – Smoothies, Ice Cream Treats & More! by Taste of Home, Sundaes & Splits: Delicious Recipes for Ice Cream Treats by Hannah Miles, ICE CREAM SUNDAE: 100 Greatest Fountain Formulas by Michael Turback, Serendipity Sundaes: Ice Cream Constructions and Frozen Concoctions by Stephen Bruce

Thanks for letting me spend National Ice Cream month with you today. I hope you found this post inspiring and that your stomach isn’t growling too badly by now. I would love to hear what you come up with. Shoot me an email with your pictures and you may even get featured on InkSpot Workshop’s blog. Have your own favorite ice cream recipe you’d like to share? or favorite way you like to celebrate ice cream? Please feel free to post below.

Stacy Altiery
Owner, Imagination behind InkSpot Workshop
and The Inkspot Workshop Blog
Dog Lover? Checkout my charitable shop Fire Hydrant Press
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DIY Rick Rack Mini Felt Buntings + Giveaway

Monday, July 25, 2011

rick rack bunting tutorial, mini bunting tutorial, cupcake bunting, felt bunting, felt garland

I’m jumping on the bunting bandwagon! I love bunting, rick rack, making little things and wool felt-combining all of them (+ an excuse to bake cake) is a recipe for making my heart sing. This weekend I didn’t “work” but I did make this tutorial with Ila’s help during Sela’s afternoon nap, she is such a wonderful assistant! I wanted to make a project for our party theme that was fast and fun but could be used to make every day a little party. It is also my blog sister birthday gift to Miss (soon to be Mrs-eek!!!!) Mayi Carles-this one is for you chica, congratulations! Blessings! More parties!

I made the bunting using the beautiful wool felt from our sponsor Felt on The Fly in the Blossom color way & Janet has generously offered some packages of her felt so you can make your own bunting (& try out the long stemmed roses tutorial).

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You will need some really basic supplies to make your bunting-rick rack (I love the vintage stuff, more for the packaging then any other reason), craft glue (or fabric glue), at least one color 8 x12 sheet of wool felt, a ruler + scissors. If you want to make cupcake toppers and/or a cake topper you will need toothpicks and doweling. That’s it!

rick rack bunting tutorial, mini bunting tutorial, cupcake bunting, felt bunting, felt garland

To make the triangle bunting:

  • Cut 1 yard of each size of the rick rack you are using-I used small, medium & large to match the triangles.
  • Cut 3 rectangles from your wool felt- small (1/2″x 12″), medium (3/4″x 12″), large (1″x 12″)
  • I don’t use a pattern for cutting out the triangles, just cut off the end of the rectangle at a diagonal & go for it! Ila loves catching the little triangles as they are cut & sorting them into neat piles.
  • Then dip the very edge of each triangle in the glue & stick it on, be careful to line up the edge of the triangle with the rick rack so it doesn’t show when you flip it over.
  • Let it dry until the glue is slightly set then turn it over and make sure everything is in the right place.
  • Dry and then store by wrapping around a piece of cardboard or reuse the rick rack packaging.

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You can make cupcake toppers with the smaller buntings by dabbing the end of the tooth pick in glue and wrapping the edge of the bunting around on each side. Or a cake topper by hot gluing the bunting onto doweling.I fancied up these baskets with it too.

I’m just getting started on imagining all the ways this bunting could be used! Some more ideas are:

rick rack bunting tutorial, mini bunting tutorial, cupcake bunting, felt bunting, felt garland

Gift wrap, cards, and scalloped bunting inspired by Bridgett of Perideau Designs Oh My! inspired printable party set. What else? Photo shoot props, embellishments for packaging, scrap booking….I scanned them and used one for the title image. The list is endless!

rick rack bunting tutorial, mini bunting tutorial, cupcake bunting, felt bunting, felt garland

Ready to make your own?

Felt On The Fly  is giving away THREE sets of four 8 x 12 sheets of 100% wool felt in your choice of colors! Leave a comment below telling us what colors you would choose from her shop (I know, it will be HARD) and/or  your ideas for how you would use the rick rack bunting.

Get an extra entry for adding Felt on the Fly to your Etsy favorites.

+ if you want to share this giveaway and tutorial on Twitter & Facebook, hooray! Leave a separate comment if you do.

This giveaway is now CLOSED congratulations to:

psst…a sneak peek of upcoming handmade goodness coming your way next month from Felt On The Fly and OMHG: