Valentine Heart Garland...

You know.... if there's such a thing as re-incarnation, I must have had a previous life as a 19th or early 20th Century British woman.

I kid you not. 

I mean... it totally explains my love of Jane Austen and my love of any British period piece television series or miniseries, such as Downton Abbey and Cranford.

I'm totally obsessed with anything remotely related to Queen Victoria of Great Britain. 

Sherlock Holmes is my hero. Yeah, he pretty much rocks...... 

Anyway, I also love paper crafts... which I think were pretty popular during that period. I thought I'd make a cute paper heart garland for Valentine's Day. 

Here's what I did...

 

You're going to need three different patterns of 12 x 12 paper (2 pieces for your base and 1 of each for the second and third layer), ribbon, and knitting thread (optional). I found this Martha Stewart knitting yarn at my local craft store and had to buy it. I loved how it sparkled!

You'll also need three heart cookie cutters, all in different sizes. A pencil for tracing, scissors for cutting, a hole punch, and double sided tape.

On the back of the base paper, trace the largest heart cookie cutter. Trace the medium and small heart on the backs of the other papers. Cut them out.

Layer and tape the hearts onto each other. Use the hole punch to punch a hole toward the top of the hearts for hanging.

Cut about 8 or 10 inches of ribbon or knitting thread. Pull it through the hole and tie the hearts onto a longer piece of ribbon.  I knotted the knitting thread onto the longer piece of ribbon and then cut the excess off. I did this so the hearts wouldn't slide around when I went to hang the garland.

Perfect for some Valentine's Day decor!

Cake Pop Display Stand...

 

Did I mention how busy I have been the past few weeks?

Yeah, I've been pretty busy. Between a Field Day at my girls elementary school, the Teacher Luncheon the PTA Board that I'm on organized, the school book fair I volunteered for, and lastly... my daughter's 12th birthday party sleepover we are planning... I really haven't had too much time to devote to this little ol' blog of mine.

One thing I can post about, is this super easy cake pop display I literally threw together. I don't have step by step pictorials, but I think it's simple enough that you'll understand, just by my explaining it to you.

And away we go....

Supplies:

• One, 11 7/8 x 7/8 white Styrofoam disc
• One, 12 x 12 scrapbook paper; design of your choice
• Paper cutter
• Double sided tape
• Decorative materials of your choice
• Basket filler or candies
• One, lollipop stick for piercing the Styrofoam

Begin by making 11 holes around the outer part (not too close to the edge) of the Styrofoam disc with a lollipop stick, about 2 1/2 inches apart. Then, moving approximately 3 inches inward, make 4 holes about 2 1/2 inches apart. Finally make 1 hole in the center. You should have 16 holes total.

Next, cut your 12 x 12 paper into four, 2 1/2 inch x 12 inch strips. You'll have an extra strip left over... discard it or save it for another project. Place your strips around the disc to get an idea of where you will need to place the tape to piece them together. Tape your strips together, but do not completely seal it into a circle. Place your decorative materials where you would like, then seal it shut around the disc. Lastly, place your cake pops into the pre-poked holes, place your basket filler or candies over the Styrofoam to hide it, and display!

Just another great reason to make cake pops!

I'm linking this post up to Tidy Mom's I'm Lovin' It.

Now, please excuse me while I pass out from exhaustion...

Teacher Appreciation Sweet Treat...

 



I have yet another cute idea for Teacher Appreciation Week..... sweet treat bags.

I decided to use the same scrapbooking paper that I used for the Notepad and Pen Set that I posted the other day.

I'm telling you.... these are very easy to make and are perfect as favors for birthday parties as well.



Supplies:

• 3-4 Decorative 12 x 12 scrapbooking papers, coordinating solids and prints
• Themed embellishments and/or stickers
• 3.75 x 6 in. Treat Bags, for lollipops and cookies
• Small candies, such as M&M's, to fill the bags with
• Double-sided tape
• Stapler

Begin by choosing a 12 x 12 paper for the base of your design. Measure and cut the paper into 4 x 4 squares. One 12 x 12 paper will cut into nine 4 x 4 squares. Fold the 4 x 4 square in half. Decorate one side of the folded paper with coordinating papers and embellishments and/or stickers to your liking. Next, fill the treat bags with your candy about half full. Fold the top of the treat bag down, about an inch and secure with double-sided tape. Take your decorated folded paper and place it over the top of the folded treat bag, so that the top of the treat bag is sandwiched in between the decorated paper. Staple shut and voilà, a cute bribe...... I mean gift...... for your kids teacher!

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

I'm linking this post up to Tidy Mom's I'm Lovin' It.

Birthday Celebration Pail...

 

One year for my birthday my mother-in-law ordered, on-line, a birthday cake package that included balloons, party blowers, candles, confetti, and a cake...... of course.

It was adorable...

... and very clever.

So, I thought it would be super duper simple to create a birthday package similar to the one I received a few birthday's ago.

Here's what I did:

My local craft store has these really cute paint pails in three different sizes. Some are solid and some are clear. I decided to go with the gallon sized clear pail. In it I placed homemade brownies, party blowers, confetti, and balloons. I added some grass filler and taped a decorative ribbon around the center of the pail with a cute paper cupcake die cut, that I mounted on green scrap booking paper cut into a circle. I embellished the green backing with a few eight point star die cut pieces... just to make it pop.

Totally cute... and probably half the price I would have paid to order something similar on-line. Also a bonus... it's personalized by little ol' me.

I love anything you can change up and add your own touches to. You could easily place these items in a decorative box...... so cute! Change the brownies to cupcakes... or cake pops... I think you get the idea.

So, the next time you're in need of purchasing a birthday gift... try this idea out!

You can find the brownie recipe that I used HERE on Tasty Kitchen...... and it's delish!

This post is linked to Tidy Mom's I'm Lovin' It and:


Until next time...

Decorative Paper Flowers...

 

Since I haven't posted a craft tutorial in quite awhile, and I need to add to my Ideas page, I thought I would share this fun decorative project with you.

This is a super cheap way to add decor to a party... and I LOVE anything that saves me a buck or two!

There are a few steps in creating these paper flowers, but I think it is well worth it. You'll end up with an adorable decoration that you can hang from your patio, above a dessert bar, or along your staircase... as I have done.

So, let's get going.

Supplies:

• 6 paper bags, such as colorful lunch bags- per flower
• A ruler
• A pencil
• Scissors
• A hole punch
• Double sided tape
• String
• An object with a rounded edge, such as a cup saucer

Step 1:

Fold the bottom of each bag down on it's self and with a ruler, draw a

straight line just above the crease at the bottom.

You will be cutting this section of

the bag off later:

Step 2:

Measure and mark the center of the top of each bag with a ruler and pencil:

Step 3:

Measure from the center point, diagonally... your preference... on each side of the bags: 

Step 4:

Take a saucer, or another object with a rounded edge, and connect the two points

on each bag. This will make the petal shape:

Step 5:

Cut along your pencil marks and punch a hole just above the base of each bag.

Place double sided tape as shown below. Stack and tape all the bags together.

Cut the string to your desired length and loosely tie a knot to secure it:  

Step 6:

Fan out your bags, pull the two ends together, and tape them to secure.

Place the string along the center of the two ends before securing.

This will help it to hang evenly:

If you want to get all fancy, use crafting scissors that have the decorative edges to cut your petal shape.

I'm linking this post up to Tidy Mom's I'm Lovin' It.

I hope you'll enjoy making these nifty paper flowers...