All posts filed under: Celebrate.

sunshine baby.

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My Bebe turned one (ahem, in November) and we threw a little party. We were still (and still are) in keep-away-from-people times so we kept our celebration to just immediate family, but of course decorated like there was a crowd (why not!). We went with a first trip around the sun theme to inspire the photo backdrop and birthday outfits, plus You Are My Sunshine was on Bebe’s top song list. I had two ‘major’ projects for the occasion: a balloon arch and a birthday cake. Balloon Arch I’d made a small balloon arch just to experiment with making balloon arches a few years back. Bebe’s balloon arch was a much more involved, larger project with over 100 balloons. I found a balloon arch kit online; it came with balloons, a long plastic strip with holes to place the filled and tied balloons, plus sticky dots (like Glue Dots). That plastic strip is a total game changer! If you’re planning a big balloon project I also highly recommend getting a balloon pump and balloon tie …

skeleton.

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#tbt to last year’s Halloween festivities! I learned how to create a skeleton look during one of the online Yelp events. I was never big on face paint – something about sharing a palette with others and germs grossed me out – and also I was never sure of safe make up or how to remove it all afterwards (now I know – coconut oil for the win!). This was the perfect class for me because I didn’t have to share a palette and I learned some pro tips! Sabrina Lopez of Rabbit Rye based out of San Antonio, TX led the make up tutorial. Before the event she provided a list of make up and tool recommendations. She’s the pro so I got all the things on her list. I gathered a cream-based make up palette, paint/make up brushes, and make up sponges. Plus, I opted in for face glitter – I had been looking for an excuse to purchase body glitter! Here we go! First, we felt around our face to find our …

paper bag.

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It’s the easiest Halloween treat bag ever! If you’re pressed for time or need something foolproof for Halloween crafting, look no further. All you need to create these treat bags are Paper bags – Size will depend on what you plan to use for filling. I found these smaller bags at Daiso. A black marker Treats – I picked a few types of candy and stickers. Optional materials: Brown or green felt for the stem (You can also use paper.) Fabric scissors (or paper scissors if using paper) A stapler Work on a flat surface. Fold ~1 inch of the top of the paper bag to the backside. This helps with centering your jack-o-lantern drawing. Next, draw a jack-o-lantern face with marker. If you’re using a permanent marker (or thin paper bag), consider using a piece of paper or cardboard inside the paper bag to prevent the marker from bleeding through. You can write a note on the backside of the paper bag, too. Then fill with treats. If you’re adding a stem, cut out …

laser pumpkins.

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The same friend who laser beamed craft goodies for my Crafty Bebe Shower last year also created these laser beamed geometric wood pumpkins for a special Halloween DIY kit to gift to my fam. I gave my friend a photo of what I wanted and she created pumpkins in the perfect size. These kits were really fun to put together. I included paint pots filled with Martha Stewart acrylic paints (my fave) and brushes. Here’s how I packed them up. I included a string of orange lights, snacks, pumpkin spice goodies, googly eyes, and a fun Halloween card. I love putting together items to make the unboxing super fun! Some of the creations! I got in the fun, too, of course. Here are my pumpkins: What’s on your Halloween craft list this year? Share!

pumpkin fluff.

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Fall is the perfect season for felt (IMHO all seasons are the perfect season for felt, but Fall especially!). And you can never go wrong with a pumpkin craft. Let’s make fluffy felt pumpkins! For this craft your will need: Felt in your favorite pumpkin color (10” square for a pumpkin 5” in diameter, plus an additional piece for a 3” circle) Felt for pumpkin stem (any size, I used a piece of felt 2” x 3”) Nylon cord or upholstery thread Sewing needle Polyfil / fluff Fabric scissors This will make a pumpkin approximately 5″ in diameter and 2 1/4″ tall. Cut felt circle 10” in diameter. It doesn’t have to be a perfect circle. Loosely measure out cord. You want at least the circumference of your pumpkin felt + 10ish times the diameter of your pumpkin felt + a little more. Thread your needle with cord; knot one end of your cord. Sew a running stitch along the perimeter of your felt circle 1/4″ from the border. Begin to fill with fluff. Tighten …

bloombox.

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What better way to celebrate another pandemic wedding anniversary than with Matilda’s Bloombox! Ever since I spotted Matilda’s seafoam truck at a local craft event adorned with the prettiest blooms, I’ve wanted an excuse to treat myself to a box (I mean, ya, this one is also for you, too, Hubby). What a delight! Each box comes with a beautifully designed information sheet with details on each grower and each flower/herb, plus owner Emily’s suggestions for how to prepare and arrange the blooms in your vase of choice. I love that each flower/foliage is sourced from local growers, the box is hand delivered, and it’s also a fun DIY activity. Matilda’s Bloombox is not a subscription, but rather you select in advance which weeks you’d like to receive a box and you are charged upon delivery. They give a preview a week or two in advance to give you time to say yea or nay, and when it’s delivered, there’s no address label on the box – it’s like a friend left you a surprise …

homegirl.

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Happy Mother’s Day to all the mamas, mother figures, and future moms! This is my first Mother’s Day, and the only craft I was able to put together in the last month was this iron-on letter onesie for my little. It’s super simple and you can gather all your supplies from your local craft store or craft closet. Materials and tools: Onesie or any clothing item of choice (I recommend washing before applying letters) Iron-on letters (Pick your fave font and color) Scissors Iron (Remember I have a dedicated craft iron now? Ha!) Ironing board or other heat-tolerant firm surface Towel (A tea towel works nicely) I made a similar top for myself many years ago to celebrate my mom. Mine said Mommy is my Homegirl. I was inspired by a Gwen Stefani bag I used to own that said Gwen is my Homegirl. Cut out letters and arrange as you wish. Remove the protective backing; the letters should stick in place. Place a towel on top of the letters, then firmly press with the …

smorgastarta.

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Throwing back to a savory birthday cake I made for Hubby’s birthday last year because it seems like a great Springtime snack! I’m always looking for savory alternatives for cake. We eat normal cake, but we love savory foods more. Plus, it’s always fun to try something new in the kitchen. One year for Hubby’s birthday I made “ice cream sundaes” but out of mashed potatoes and sausages. This last birthday: smorgastarta, Swedish sandwich cake! Instead of making one normal sized cake I made a few mini ones. I cut out bread circles (and made cinnamon sugar toast with the excess!), then made fillings. Many recipes call for lox which would have been so delicious but I was pregnant at the time, so I found inspo for vegetarian fillings. I created three: Roasted beetroot + dill + honey + salt and pepper + cream cheese Roasted red peppers + Colby Jack cheese + salt and pepper + cream cheese Avocado + lemon + salt and pepper + cream cheese Making mini cakes allowed me to …

seed paper.

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It’s Baby’s First Valentine’s Day so we put together a little something for all his baby friends. Since babies can’t indulge in your typical Valentine’s sweets, I picked a non-food Valentine’s treat: seed paper in heart confetti form so friends can watch love grow all year long. (Aww, sweetness.) I am a big fan of nature confetti – what I’m deeming as dried leaves or fallen flowers harvested from the same area where you will toss the confetti – so I am all over this biodegradable confetti! I found this seed paper from Botanical PaperWorks. It came in so many colors – I picked three colors to mix and packaged them up. Here’s how I put it all together — I gathered: Seed paper confetti (I picked hearts but you can choose other shapes or punch out different shapes from full sheets of seed paper instead) Bag/pouch (I had 4” x 6” plastic bags in my stash. You can also source something biodegradable if you want to keep with the earth-friendly theme) Tag design (I’m …

paper lanterns.

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Gearing up for Lunar New Year! I was recently asked to host a paper lantern workshop in celebration of Lunar New Year. I had never created a paper lantern before so I did some internetting to get design ideas. My friend Rebecca created a lantern template for me and you can download it here to create along. Gather materials and tools: Lantern template Printer access Red cardstock (8.5” x 11”) Gold cardstock Gold metallic marker Gold metallic embroidery floss, or similar Tassel maker (cardboard or other firm board works, too) Sewing needle with large eye Scissors (for paper and for fabric) Hot glue (can use tacky glue or other glue) Print the lantern template onto red cardstock. I like using 65lb cardstock. Cut out the lantern shapes. Use the gold metallic marker to outline each lantern. This can be done before cutting, too, if preferred. Use a craft needle to poke holes on each lantern “petal” (use the black dots on the template as a guide) and in the center of the lantern. The petal …