Simple and Unexpected Valentine's Decor (and a Five Minute Garland!)

     Anyone who knows me will tell you: I love a little something out of the ordinary. I love things that make you say, "oh, that isn't the norm!". But in a good way. It is becoming more and more common to use varying colors schemes for seasonal decorations (I use cream, gray and yellow for my fall decor and red and turquoise for Christmas) so, of course, I couldn't let Valentine's Day feel left out! It is one of my favorite holidays (I think because it is so close to my birthday!).

This year, I was inspired by book pages. I know those have been popular for a long time now, and I think it is because there is something so interesting and curious about all those little words. The patterns and colors are soothing and work well with so many palettes.

Since I was using old book pages (that same volume of Shakespeare I have been milking since this wreath! Talk about getting your money's worth.) I decided that black and creamy yellow were a must. I also included silver and gold- the two complementary metallics for those colors.

 The little garland could not have been any simpler. Using my tried and true formula, I put it together in about five minutes.

I used:
-one sheet of metallic silver
-one sheet of metallic gold
-one sheet of metallic dark silver
-one page of cream/black font
-one page of black/white cursive
I bought all these at Hobby Lobby, paper is 50% off this week so my grand total (5x $0.59 x .5= $1.48)
-my own book pages (free!)
-part of a spool of black satin ribbon from the Dollar Store (we will say $0.25)
-staples, use what you have! Mine are purple, but you can't really tell.:) (free!)
-scalloped heart punch, I have this one from Micheal's and I use it *all* the time. I am not including it in the cost because it is like scissors in my mind, you use it constantly! If you buy it, be sure to use a coupon.

Grand total: less than $2

 I didn't include a picture of punching out the hearts, I have enough of those! I cut out four hearts out of each of my 6 papers. I left a little space between each one, and I alternated placing them right side up and upside down. I just laid the heart on top of the ribbon and punched right through both! Easy peasy, as my kids would say. In a little less than five minutes I had over six feet of garland, including the ribbon I left hanging on both ends.

I battle my perfectionism by refusing to measure spaces or use a pattern. It is good for me to be a little less obsessive, and I am always happy with how it turns out. I love how the heart shape is so Valentine but the colors are decidedly less so. It makes for a good combination.

The only other thing I did was to whip up this little printable in Word. I used "Traveling Typewriter" from dafonts.com and wrote "Oh how He loves us all" in all caps justified to the left. I printed it on cream cardstock (I keep white and cream cardstock on hand all the time) and checked "two pages to a sheet" in the printing instructions box. That made it the perfect size to cut out for a 5x7 frame. I love how simple but powerful it is. In my mind, Valentine's Day, being about love, is not completely about romance, but about the One who is Love. Maybe *that's* why it is my favorite!

Anyway, I dragged out items from around the house, I didn't purchase anything new for this. That is the best way to decorate! Whatever your color scheme is, ask yourself: "What do I already have that matches?" It doesn't have to be "holiday"- the only things I have that says Valentine's day in this display are hearts and the printable- they are both easily switched out and cost almost nothing. Look at your things through fresh eyes and borrow from other rooms to decorate. I love to "steal" my own stuff, it makes it feel brand new!

The old-fashioned school bell was a gift from my mom, she had one I coveted, so she bought me one so I wouldn't steal her's! I had a Glade candle that I dressed up with a little washi tape, and I added the little wooden "Trust in the Lord" (also a gift from my mom!). On the other side, I used a copy of "Pride and Prejudice" and a leather bound journal I use to write my husband love letters in- a little nod to romance (you have to have a little!) topped with a mirrored frame (Target clearance) holding one of my favorite pictures of my honey and me. It was taken by the talented Beverly Bender! The "lion dog" as my kids refer to it, is a little ceramic statue from Target that is just the kind of whimsical, eccentric decor I love.

And I couldn't forget the gorgeous shelf! It was handmade by my aunt and uncle, and it works perfectly as a faux mantle. 

And, of course, because I am famous for re-using, I ripped the watches off my New Year's wreath and added three paper hearts. I couldn't resist, it was perfect for this color scheme!

The whole set-up is right above my desk, and I am loving it. It looks fresh and festive and it didn't cost much. It reminds me of things I love, and that is just right for Valentine's Day, isn't it?

PPP Day 23: Fun and Festive Garlands (TWO Tutorials!)

Have you entered the "Giftcard Giveaway" yet? Go now, and come back! The giveaway is now closed.

 I promised that I would show you two more ways to make banners/garlands for your "perfect party". These two are both super simple, but they also can be made in a multitude of different ways to add variety.

For the first one, the dot garland shown in the picture above, you will need:
-a variety of scrapbook paper. I was doing a Halloween theme so I chose purple, black and green. I like lots of patterns and shades!
-a circle paper punch, mine is 2 inches
-tape (I love my little Scotch dispenser, if fits over your hand so you don't lose your tape. The little clear and green rectangle is the refills for it.)
-ribbon

 Start by cutting out circles. This may be a no-brainer, but I find that it is easier to use my punch "upside down", so I can see what I am cutting. I keep paper scraps, so I try to use each piece to its fullest potential. It helps if I keep the punch close to the edge, and also to each punch.

       Leave whatever length of ribbon you want for tying off your garland, and then start taping circles. To keep them evenly space, I used my trusty ruler, I just placed dots on either side of it. If you want your garland to hang straighter, tape your circles closer to to the top. I wanted mine in the middle of the ribbon, so I just used a little bit of folded tape to stick it to the wall.

     Keep adding circles until you are happy with the length. I wanted mine to be random, so I just made sure I didn't put any two colors or patterns next to each other. I don't like having to keep track of a pattern, although it wouldn't be hard if that is what you wanted to do.

 And there you have it! This is so simple, but cute. And you could do it differently by:

-mixing smaller and larger circles
-using a different shaped punch
-adding hanging circles by using thread to attach them to the garland ones
-using only one color for a solid garland
-making multiple strands and hanging them together (which is what I did above)
-this would also be cute hung vertically, multiple strands together

My cute props were gifts from my sister, Robyn!

This is literally the easiest thing ever. Everyone needs to do a paper chain at some point in their lives. Here is your opportunity. You need three things: paper, a stapler (or tape) and some sort of cutting device (scissors, a paper cutter, etc.)

 My sweet friend, Kristan, bought me a paper cutter for Christmas and I love it! This is the one I have and if you buy it at Hobby Lobby it will be a sweet deal with a 40% off coupon! It worked great for this project. I decided to use old book pages (I literally have had these for years, since I made a book page wreath). I could cut multiple pages at a time. It was a snap! If you are using scissors, simply pencil in lines, using a ruler's width to get your measurements. I used the cutting ruler to make mine 1inch.

 Then you take your strips and start your chain. Make a circle with the first strip.

 And keep adding loops, alternating directions (you will have to do this to loop them through each other) stapling the ends together of each circle. Don't you love that I have a mini stapler and *purple* staples? I have never owned a full size stapler, and I have never needed one!

And continue until you reach your desired length! This is definitely the easiest one! But cute. I have to thank my sister, Lisa Dawn, for reminding me of this little project. You can whip these out in no time and they are a great space filler! To switch these up you can:

-make longer loops
-make wider loops
-use different colors of paper
-hang them vertically
-make circles of the chains and attach those to each other to have a giant chain of chains!
-drape them over items, like I did with the pumpkins
-put them on your Christmas tree

There you have it, garlands two ways. These are perfect decor items for the novice crafter or the DIY hater. You have the satisfaction of a handmade item in 15 (or even 10) minutes! How's that for perfect?

This is Day 23 of "31 Days of Perfect Party Planning". See the rest of the series here.

Linking to:
"Thrifty Thursdays" at Living Well, Spending Less

PPP Day 22: Pretty Pennant Banners

Have you entered the Giftcard Giveaway yet? Do that now, then come back! The giveaway is now closed.

    So, my blog advisers (aka, my sisters) suggested that I needed a "real" tutorial to help round out my post line-up. The unanimous vote was for a pennant banner, which I'll be honest: I kind of thought it was no-tutorial necessary. But they disagree. So here it is-a ridiculously easy DIY!

Gather your supplies:
-ribbon
-cardstock/scrapbook paper/ construction paper/ foam sheets (that's what I'm using)
-a ruler
-a hot glue gun (or you could use tape if you're desperate, or sew it on a machine if you are talented!)
-washi tape (this is totally unnecessary, but I like it for embellishments, as this is a low-key banner)

 Unless you want wide, fat triangles, you need to start out with a rectangular piece of material. I was using craft foam from the Dollar Tree that came in pre-cut sheets of 4x6 size. Basically, you can cut a regular piece of scrapbook paper in half, that will give you 6x12 sheets, or you can cut them any other size you desire. If you use 6x12 you will end up with long, narrow triangles (which is kind of fun), and the closer your dimensions get the more "even" your triangles will be. I have found 4x6 to be a nice size.

Start by measuring to the center of the bottom of  your triangle, on the "short" side of your rectangle. You want to mark your halfway point with a dot. I measured to 2 inches and marked that.

Then, using your ruler, place it touching the corner of your sheet on the diagonal, with the bottom crossing your center point and draw a line. I am pretty sure I learned this in geometry- I don't remember, I try to block those things out! Do the same thing on the other side.

 Ta-da! You have officially drawn a triangle! Yay for math!

 I wanted some of my pieces to be embellished with washi tape, so I went ahead and laid a stripe across the top, *before* cutting out the triangle, so it would be even with the sides. You should be able to cut out several triangles at once. Don't do what I did and lay your tape on the traced side, flip it over and put it on the back, so you won't see the pencil lines. I had to move mine.

Keep cutting until you have the desired number of triangles. You can do the math-each triangle is 4 inches at the top, and divide it into the number of feet you want. Or you can throw some ribbon up to measure that way. Or you can just wing it. I'll let you guess my preferred method!

I recommend laying your triangles out the way you want to glue them down-especially if you are spelling out words. This helps to eliminate gluing errors!

The easiest way to attach them to the ribbon that I have found is to run a line of glue across the *very* top of your triangle (especially if your ribbon is thin, like mine), and then flip them over and stick them to the ribbon. You can leave spaces in between, I chose not to this time, I placed them right next to each other.

And in just a few minutes, you will have a charming pennant banner, suitable for all types of events, or just decorating your house! I was delighted to find I had fall colored foam on hand, it looks so festive with my pumpkins.

I have two more little garlands to share with you tomorrow-if you are bored by the basics. But don't forget that there are so many ways you can change this to fit your party. You can:

-make it larger
-put letters on it
-add designs with more scrapbook paper or stickers
-put bows on the end, or felt flowers
-make it smaller, to top a cake
-use it on a wall
-use it on a table
-put it on a bookshelf
-change up the size of the triangles on the same garland (use both skinny, wide, large and small triangles)
-put it over a fireplace
-use felt or fabric to make it a keepsake

Knowing how to make these is like knowing how to bake a chocolate cake-its a party classic that will always serve you well!

This is Day 22 of "31 Days of Perfect Party Planning". See the rest of the series here.

Linking up to:
"Show Me What Ya Got" at Not Just a Housewife 
"Wow Me Wednesday" at Ginger Snap Crafts

PPP Day 18: Trending Now

  

      We've talked about the basics of parties, and listed those elements here. However, parties are just like fashion- there are the classic pieces that form the basis of your wardrobe (or structure of your party) and then there are the fun, trendy pieces that add pop and make a statement. You can definitely stick with the classics and have a fabulous party, but if you are looking for that extra something, here are some things you might consider:

1. Photo booths: Or at the very least, photo props. I did photo booths for my 80's party and for my sister's wedding. They were both so much fun! It is a fabulous way to capture all the guests on camera. At both I used the same basic formula: a white sheet backdrop (I hung it on my rolling wardrobe rack for my party, and for the wedding we put it on a rope.), a basketful of stick props: glasses, mustaches, etc. (I purchased party store items for my party, for the wedding we used pre-made ones from Walmart) and a camera! Since the wedding was a much bigger deal, my sister's sweet friend manned a DSLR. For my party, I simply left my point and shoot on the prop table! I decorated both "booths" with simple banners to add a special touch. The set up doesn't look like much, but it inspires some very memorable photos! For the "Mustache Bash" I just threw sticky dollar store mustaches on skewers and we still got some great pictures.

2. Candy buffets/bars: I did these for the Superhero shower, the Hungry Caterpillar shower, and the wedding. They are sooo fun! I love collecting candies in the right colors, to match the theme. The book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" inspired the buffet for that party, and I chose superhero style candies for that shower. For the wedding it was all about red and aqua sweets! These are fun because they can be small and inexpensive or as grand as you like! I wouldn't do less than about four types of candy, but that can be as cheap as $5-$7 for something that serves as both decor and food! You can even offer bags and it will do triple duty as a take-home favor. That's a bargain!

3. Pennant banners: This is not just a trend for parties, it is all over home decor! I have done more of these than I can count. They are so simple, but they are high impact for cheap. You really won't spend more than about $2-$3 for matching scrapbook paper and a little ribbon to hang it on. If you aren't one for winging it, I have a template for triangles pinned here.

4. Pom-poms: I made yarn poms for the "Perfect Timing" shower, and tissue ones for the "Tiny" shower. I would love to do these cake topper ones! They are another super versatile party decoration- you can put them on sticks, hang them from the ceiling, put them on presents, anything you can think of-you can even make them into a garland. They are cheap and both styles are easy to make, just google it. I make the yarn ones by wrapping them around my hand!

There are plenty more trends that you can find if you spend more than 10 minutes on Pinterest, but these are some of my favorites because they are low-cost but high impact. Adding just one of these elements to your basic party will make a big difference. Sometimes it is fun to be a trend-follower!

This is Day 18 of "31 Days of Perfect Party Planning". See the rest of the series here.

St. Patty's Paper Garland

 I was admiring my heart punch the other day when I realized it would make great shamrocks! So, I took some paper, some scrapbooking brads and a little bit 'o twine (like that Irish accent?) and put together a little garland.

 

You'll need:

-large heart punch (mine is 2 and1/2 inches, from Micheal's, around $10 after 40% off coupon)

-jute twine (just in case you didn't know, and I didn't, this is with the jewelry making stuff at HL)

-decorative scrapbooking brads (called "Spare Parts" at Hobby Lobby. I bought 1/2 inch ones. $1.50 at half off.)

-paper  ( I bought five different ones, and only ended up using four. You will only need one sheet of each to make an approximately 5 foot garland.)

-standard hole punch

I decided I preferred the way three leaf clovers looked over four leaf ones. Clovers still represent St. Patrick's Day, and I don't believe in luck anyway! So, I punched out three hearts for each clover, and then free handed a little stem pattern. Your stem will need to be longer than you think, since part of it will be covered by the leaves. 

Then I stacked three hearts together and pushed a thumbtack through them close to the bottom of the heart. The brads I bought weren't sharp enough to go through that much paper on their own, so this helped to get them started. 

Then, thread the brad through, and before separating the prongs on the back, arrange your hearts to form a clover. When you like the arrangement, add your stem, and open the prongs to stabilize the brad.

And you have a clover! Repeat for as many clovers as you need. I bought 12 brads and only ended up using 10. Then punch holes with a standard notebook punch in the two horizontal hearts, and thread them on your twine. I tied knots in between the clovers to add some visual interest.

And then hang your garland wherever you like! I thought this was a great way to re-purpose my heart hole punch. I was also happy that I could use more muted greens, rather than being stuck with the bright Kelly green that most store bought St. Patty's decorations use.

I know Easter is early this year, but I didn't want to overlook poor, forlorn St. Patty's! I think my garland brings a little bit 'o cheer... okay, I will stop with the accent!:)

Superhero Baby Shower

If you have followed my blog (or known me at all!) you know that I have decorated for quite a few baby showers.  I have to say, this one was one of my favorites! It was for a dear friend who deserved an extra special shower. This was probably the most time-consuming shower I have decorated for, but I think it was all worth it!

I thought long and hard about how to incorporate both "baby" and superhero without it being cheesy. I poured over different blogs and party sites. Most of them were more  comic book themed than actual superhero. I started by making the little capes and then realized they would be perfect with the onesies! I know, I know, my capes are all wrong (Batman's cape is black with no symbol and the Green Lantern doesn't even wear a cape! But it still looks cute!) I found the symbol templates here.

I interspersed the masks with the capes to give it some interest- this banner was probably one of my favorite elements. (Free mask template printables here!)And it looked perfect over the backdrop that Sarah (and her helpful hubby) created out of a plain white sheet! She also put together the canvases- they printed the symbols on paper and then put them on canvases wrapped with ribbon. Wasn't that clever? 

I thought it would be cute to use a coloring book as a guest book. I set it up with some crayons and invited guests to color a page and leave a message!



 My dear husband donated vintage comics from his own collection! Seriously, the comics we used for the banner, the runner and the whole books we used as additional decor were all circa 1990's. I didn't take any really great pictures of the banner, but it looked really fun. Joel cut the triangles with a paper cutter and I hot glued them to ribbon. It was a snap!



 In stiff competition for my favorite part with the onesie garland was the candy table. I loved looking at all the different candy set-ups on Pinterest, and I decided to make my own. I wrapped various boxes in paper, free-handed "windows" and "doors" and set up my little "city". I picked up all the candy at Walmart and the Dollar Store! That is also where I got the Pez dispensers.

The favors were a bit of work, but they turned out so cute. I cut all the capes out of felt and used a hole punch on the symbols, which I had printed on card stock. I printed labels that said "Thanks for celebrating Super Baby _______" with us!" I found the free templates for the symbols here.

All this candy came from the Dollar Store! The "popping candies" were a huge hit! I couldn't believe that they had so much stuff, but it probably didn't hurt that the Avengers movie just came out.

 The "Rings of Power" found a happy home amongst Mike and Ike bubblegum pieces- which were also surprise hit. They were the perfect colors.

 I love, love printing Scripture and framing it. I feel like it is so appropriate to have the Word around-especially for such a special occassion. I chose Isaiah 40:25-26, and 28-31 because it talks about so many of God's "super powers" and how He gives us His "super" strength! You can click on the photo to enlarge it.

Pretty perfect, right? But then again, isn't that how the Word is?

My sweet friend, Christy, made the beautiful cupcakes. The colors were absolutely perfect! I threw together the cupcake toppers out of card stock and toothpicks.

Sarah framed the invite, and another friend made the "spider bites"- just Ritz peanut butter sandwiches with pretzel sticks shoved in. I always think it is fun to incorporate the food in the theme.

 I think I finally have the water bottle thing figured out. Two things are necessary: packing tape and a paper cutter. I will share later on how I wrap them-I found it to be trickier than I thought. I really appreciated the free water bottle label printables, but unfortunately I didn't pin it and I can't find it!

I tried a new technique with the streamers, and I wasn't overly impressed with how they turned out, but I thought hanging them all vertically was a nice change over the traditional draping. I also made a runner out of comic book pages hot glued together. I realized you can't see it  very well in the photo-ugh!

I realized that, as usual, I forgot to photograph some things, like the cute prize bags ( superhero notepads, Pez dispensers, and stickers!) and I am super bummed that I didn't get a better photo of the comic book banner or runner, but I still think you can get a pretty good idea of how it turned out. Pretty super, right?;)

If you are interested in any of the sources I have the mask templates, superhero symbol templates, lollipop favor printables and lots of other ideas I didn't even have a chance to use, all pinned on my "Bump Bashes" Pinterest board!