InspireMe Crafts

Last Minute Baby Shower - Part 5: The Diaper Cake

I couldn't wait to share "The Diaper Cake" with you!  I really wish I could take credit for this masterpiece..but I can't. :(  You can thank Terri M. and Wendy H. for the fabulously decorated diapers.  I mean, what parent can have too many diapers...none!  So why not give a creative gift that doubles as quite the conversation piece at a baby shower.  It truly was the perfect touch. 

I'm sure you can find directions on how to make it online if you "google" it, but I believe it just entailed rolling up diapers, arranging them, and decorating with ribbon, teddy bears, teething rings, shampoo, and anything else 'baby'.  As soon as I get the link to the directions they used I'll be sure to post it here. 

I've got more to come from the baby shower including party favors, games, trivia, food, sweets, and more so stay tuned in the next couple of days as I squeeze in some time to share the ideas with you.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Last Minute Baby Shower - Part 4: The Party Welcome Table

Today was the day of the big shower and I think it went really well!  Instead of sharing all the pictures all in one post, I thought I would divide it up into sections so you can see the ideas, the ah-hah ideas, the oh-no ideas, etc without being overwhelmed. 

As you walk into the clubhouse (yep, I paid the fee and booked it...and to be honest I'm SOOO GLAD that I did), I had this 'Welcome' table.  It served a few different purposes.  1)  It was pretty 2) Guests wrote their mailing addresses on the outside of the envelope so when the expecting parents are doing their "Thank-You's" it will be so much easier on them and 3) the 'Welcome' sign set the tone of the party reminding the guests of the theme..."Nothing is sweeter than a baby girl".

Here are some of the tricks:

The Welcome Sign:  Its a cutting board!  Yep, you heard read me right.  I saw the cutting board at the $1 section in Target and knew that it could be put to good use. 

The Writing Tablet:  I bought a roll of wrapping paper in the colors of the baby shower to use in various places.  The first place was for the hard surface for guests to write.  I wrapped a book that I found in the clubhouse with the paper and voila!..you've got color and a purpose.

The Onesie:  I Googled "Onesie Clipart" and used that as my template.  On my computer I printed "Nothing is Sweeter than a Baby Girl" on pink paper, placed the template over the writing, traced the outside, and then cut.  You'll also see the onesie's in other pictures with a little twist. 

The baby banner, gift bag, and striped bowl were all found at the Target $1 section. 

Now that the day is over, the dishes are done, and I'm sitting down with my feet kicked up, I'm so glad that we had this baby shower for our friends (I just wish they didn't have to move). It just reminds me how nice it is to entertain and have your friends and family around for a good time.  It also makes me think outside of the box when I'm doing things on tighter budgets....and I love seeing the magic of creativity come to life (and the failures).  Stay tuned to see some of the other ideas you'll be able to use for your small, big, inexpensive, or expensive parties! In the meantime..

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Quote of the Week

Custom Decorated Letter - "Kaelyn" Design : Pink & Green Flowers

I couldn't wait to share this new design for the Hanging Letters with you!  This was chosen as a custom order through my Etsy shop.  She sent me an email with a picture of her daughter's crib bedding and I sent her about 6 different options to choose from.  This is the one she chose and I was ecstatic.  I had been looking at this paper every day wanting to use it and I finally had my opportunity.  This pink and green flower design is modern, yet whimsical and although it is pink and green still...they are bolder colors than the typical pastel combination.  I love it, love it, love it and hope you do too! 

To see some of my other designs head on over to http://inspiremecrafts.etsy.com and take a look around. You can also check out my photo album of hanging letters located on the right side of my website.  This is a collection of most of the letters I have done.  And of course, you can always email for a custom order and you just might get a true gem like this one. Kaelyn is one lucky girl (and what a beautiful name!).

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!   

Last Minute Baby Shower - Part 3: The Decorations

"People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one". -Leo J. Burke

Boy, did I hit the jackpot this weekend!  On my string of shopping stops looking for inspiration for the fuchsia, purple, lime green color scheme I wanted to go with...I came across the dollar section at Target.  Although it was not in my desired color scheme they had loads of color coordinated stuff for baby showers.  It couldn't get any better than this!  Here are some of the key things I found:

1.  'Baby' Banners in adorable designs with glitter!!!
2.  Baby Gift Bags:  These will have two uses:  a)decorations b) gifts for the winners of games
3.  Blank Note Cards:  People will write their addresses on them when they arrive so the mom-to-be won't have to track down addresses for thank-you's.
4.  Pink & Green Mini Pails:  Don't know exact use yet, but I know it will be good once I get the 'ah-ha' moment.
5:  Post It Notes and Gel Pens:  Adorable!  And they will be used in the "Blessings for Baby" book that I will showcase later.

Then I stopped at the DollarTree and found:

1.  Baby shower plates, silverware, napkins
2.  Various decorations that you'll see later

Next was Michaels:

1.  Baby Trivia Coasters:  Awesome, awesome, awesome.  You'll see how I will use these on a later post.
2.  Baby Girl Candies:  Again...you'll see how I use these later for decorations.

All together, I probably spent about $50.  Not bad for all the stuff I got.  Stay tuned for more details on the decorations, food, and the actual party!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Personalized Hanging Letter - Olivia in Pink & Brown Stripes

Here is my latest personalized letter.  They chose the very popular pink & brown stripe design for their daughter's room.  The custom decorated letters truly make the most wonderful gifts.  They ALWAYS get the 'wow' reaction from the recipient.  If the couple has already decided on a name you could have a custom hanging letter made for a baby shower or you could give them a gift certificate for one. Of course, you can also wait until the baby is born and surprise them with a gorgeous letter gleaming with the child's name.  :)  Did I mention these are popular for birthday's, christmas, christenings, etc? This is how the process works:

1.  Go to my shop at http://inspiremecrafts.etsy.com.  Browse around.
2.  If you see a design you like you purchase it through Etsy and then in the notes give me the name and other information that may be needed.  If you are new to Etsy you'll set up a quick account. Its simple and secure and everything on their is handmade.  True originals...
2a.  If you browsed around and liked what you saw, but didn't see the exact design you need...no problem!  Email me at inspiremecrafts @ yahoo.com (no spaces) or start a Conversation through Etsy and let me know your color scheme or even better...send a picture! I'll then email you back with options that I think would work well for you.
3.  Then, I get to work on creating it. It usually takes about 3-5 days to be completed and off in the mail to you.  Rarely, it may take a little longer, but I will definitely let you know.
4.  You receive the letter in the mail and proudly hang it in his/her room or you give the gift knowing you hit the jackpot. 
5.  Enjoy! 

Please let me know if you have any other questions!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Last Minute Baby Shower - Part 2 : The Invitations

Its official and there is no going back!  The invitation (evite) has been sent and we are exactly one week away from the 'last minute baby shower' I'm throwing.  Oh yeah...and I'm doing it on a tight budget so I'm sharing the ups, downs, ah-ha's, and oh-no's with you. 

I'm a paper kind of gal.  Not just 'kind of', we're talking major obsessed with paper, stationery, and ribbon. So you can imagine the pathetic looking frown I had on my face when I realized it was just too late to send out a paper one, not to mention the budget.  Faster than we can say "baby girl" Evite was to the rescue!  I briefly looked around at the baby shower templates they had, and although they were nice, I just wasn't finding one that I wanted to email to everyone.  Luckily, I noticed the option to create your own.  Now we were talking. :) You choose the background, then you choose the image (I chose the baby carriage) and then Evite gives you options for the 'accent' images (the polka dotted circles on each side of the carriage).  I thought it turned out decent and I love the RSVP option.  I'm actually addicted to it.  Every time I go by my computer (which is VERY often), I hit the refresh button on the internet to get an update. If you are an instant gratification type of person like me, then this will be heaven.  As of now we are at 26 attending, 4 declined, and 36 still haven't replied.  The deadline is Tuesday.  Tick, tick, tick...come on people! 

I'm going with a 'sweet' theme so this was the wording for our invitation:

"Nothing is sweeter than a little baby girl"

Come help us celebrate the anticipated arrival
of their sweet baby girl - Reagan. 
Join Cindy, Devin, & Reese
for hors d'oeuvres & good company on

Sunday, September 28
2:30 p.m.

Carriage Hill Clubhouse

Please RSVP by Tuesday, September 23rd
and I'll send driving directions & more details.

Families welcome! 

I really want to do a non-traditional color scheme.  I'm going to go look for inspiration in the coming days, but I'm thinking a fuchsia, lime green, and purple combo..similar to the Evite invitation.  We'll see what I happen to run into.  The pit-stops for inspiration are DollarTree, Wal-Mart, and Target.  I'll let you know how it goes...

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Last Minute Baby Shower - Part 1

"Nothing is sweeter than a little baby girl"

We just found out my friend and her family are moving away in less than 2 weeks. Not only am I bummed because my son absolutely loves her daughter, but she is one of those friends that understands everything we've been through. We've raised our kids very similarly, lived in 3 states before our children were even 2, we're far from family, our husbands work crazy hours, etc....it almost seems like our lives are mirror images of each other...just a year apart.  Did I mention she is 7 months pregnant?  Moving to a new town with no friends, she'll probably miss out on a baby shower and we can't let that happen. So in midst of the craziness of preparing for a move they are going to take a break on Sunday, September 28th to enjoy family and friends and celebrate the anticipated arrival of the baby girl.  And guess who's s planning the shower....moi! 

Here are three facts about me:  1) I love planning parties 2) I'm a procrastinator and 3) I wish I could spend lots of money on celebrations, but I don't have much right now :).  However, those facts about me have never been combined!  When it comes to parties, procrastinating has never been a problem. I was the bride planning her wedding before she was engaged...I even had a folder with the ideas I liked. And now that we're on a budget...I can't spend a whole lot of money on entertaining, but my standards are still high. I guess we can't always have it our way, can we?!

Here are the issues I'm running into:

1)  Only about 1 week to prepare
2)  I'm on a tight budget
3) My standards are very high, so trying to create something beautiful on a shoestring budget will be interesting.
4)  The guest list was just an itsy bitsy tad larger than I had expected.  We'll see how many people can actually make it.
5)  Husbands and kids are welcome so I have to adjust the 'traditional' baby shower idea to include everyone! 
6) Location, location, location.  Although I consider our apartment to be a very comfortable size for the 3 of us...it probably isn't very comfortable for 50 or more people.  I'm going to do it at our clubhouse, but I'm trying to get out of paying the $150 fee.  If we use only the deck we don't have to pay the fee.  That is great because there is a gorgeous view, but then you are taking a chance on weather and we don't have access to the fridge.  I'll keep you updated on what I decide....

Since I'll be busy planning this shower, I won't have time to work on many other projects. Instead, I decided to keep you updated on the progress, ideas, craziness, etc..  ISo stay tuned...

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Personalized Hanging Letter - NEW "Reagan" Design - Pink & Green Stripes

I just listed the new "Reagan" Design in my Etsy Shop at http://inspiremecrafts.etsy.com .  This adorable pink and green striped design will not let any girl down!  Slowly, but surely, I keep trying to add new designs to my shop whenever my 2 year old gives me a break :). 

But if you want a custom designed hanging letter and don't see the design that will work for you...just let me know!  Email me at inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com with your color scheme and I'll let you know what I can do for you! 

Is this a last minute gift?  No problem!  As long as I have the letter you need in stock its about a 3 day turnaround.  You can't beat that for a personalized gift :). 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It...with the Kids: Hands Down Paper Weight

"Hands Down the Best Dad Ever"

I've been trying to be better about not buying things just because I like them.  I try to make sure I have a use for it in the near future or I know exactly where I'm going to put it.  Prior to becoming a one salary family, if I liked it...I'd get it.  Pretty simple.  Its part of the shopping habits I'm trying to change to make sure we always stay within our monthly budget.  Fun stuff, huh?! 

Well, I passed the glass circle in the Michaels clearance section probably about 8 times before I decided to purchase it.  I'm not sure what it was meant for, but I knew it was a good deal.  It only took me about 4 weeks to figure out what I would do with it before I purchased it for a steal...$1. 

Lil man and I went home, dipped his hand in paint, put his paint covered hand on paper, and let it dry.  Then I placed the circle glass thing-a-ma-jigger over the paper and traced a circle.  I cut it out and inked the edges.  Then I took a gold glitter pen and wrote " 'Hands Down' the Best Dad Ever" and included the date around the outside of the hand print.  Next, I used a spray adhesive to attach the paper underneath glass.  Once it was dried, I added a couple layers of Mod Podge to protect the bottom surface. 

Now it proudly sits on daddy's desk to make sure nothing blows away :).  This gift would work for Mother's Day, Father's Day, Grandparents Day, for Teachers, etc.  The ideas are limitless.  So continue to think out of the box when you see something for a great price.  I actually think it was meant for candles to sit on top of...but I'm not sure. 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Quote of the Week

Custom Decorated Hanging Letters - Hope & Avery

Here are pictures of my latest order.  My customer ordered the Pink & Green Paisley Hanging Letter for her niece and the Polka Dot Hanging Letter for her nephew.  What a nice Aunt!  If you would like to see other designs I offer jump on over to http://inspiremecrafts.etsy.com and take a look around.  I can always change orders slightly if you want something done differently and if you want to start from scratch we can do that also.  Just let me know your color scheme, I'll email samples for you to choose from and then we'll get started. 

If the letter you need is in stock it usually takes 3-5 days before it is ready to be shipped.  If the letter is not in stock it may vary.  You can always check with me before the purchase to see if the letter is in stock and the estimated time for shipment. 

If you have any questions let me know.... inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It...with the Kids: Paper Barn with Flaps

"If the rain spoils our picnic, but saves a farmer's crop, who are we to say it shouldn't rain?" - Tom Barrett

On rainy days, we are always looking for new things to do. Its so easy to just turn the TV on, (he certainly wouldn't mind, but I can only take so much Barney), so I'm constantly trying to have ideas up my sleeve.  That's where your craft box of misc things you've held on to will come in handy.  If you see a great deal on something, but don't exactly know how you are going to use it yet...grab it!  Take it home and add it to your rainy day box. If a food container or box just seems to good to throw it away...add it to your rainy day box!  Random buttons, cotton balls, ribbon, broken shoelaces, straws, popsicle sticks, tin cans, stickers, magazines, etc are all great things to add.  When that rainy day arrives, there's no doubt that you'll be prepared.  Depending on how old your kids are, you can either come up with the project or you can hand them the rainy day box and let them have at it.

Lately, I've noticed that lil man loves books with flaps and anything to do with animals.  So we combined the two and made our own farm animal flap piece of art...or whatever you want to call it.  All you need is an empty cereal box, construction paper, scissors, markers, and some animal stickers.  We had some animal stickers from the DollarTree and some cool chipboard ones from Michaels that I picked up when they were on sale for 50 cents.  We cut out the construction paper and then glued it to the cereal box in the barn shape.  Then we added the flaps by folding the paper and gluing them on.  Then lil man got to do the fun part.  He was the farmer and he placed all the animals inside the flaps wherever he wanted.  He also decorated the barn doors and then I added the animal sounds.  Whenever we find more animal stickers he'll add them to his barn and plays peek-a-boo with them.  For a project that didn't really cost anything, its been a big hit in our household.  We'll see how many days it lasts before he decides to start ripping it apart :).  That can be the next part of the project for the next rainy day...

Be inspired, get creative and have fun!

Grandparents Day Quotes

Looking for some Grandparent's Day quotes for your gifts and card?  Try some of these...

1.  The reason grandchildren and grandparents get along so well is that they have a common enemy.  - Sam Levenson

2.  When a child is born, so are grandmothers. - Judith Levy

3.  Grandchildren:  the only people who can get more out of you than the IRS. - Gene Perret

4.  Never have children.  Only grandchildren.  - Gore Vidal

5.  Do you know why grandchildren are so full of energy?  They suck it out of their grandparents. - Gene Perret

6.  A grandfather is someone with silver in his hair and gold in his heart.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Grandparent's Day Gift Box

"The reason grandchildren and grandparents get along so well is that they have a common enemy" - Sam Levenson

Last year, I completely had a brain fart around Grandparent's Day and as a result they received nothing in the mail from their lil grandson.  And we all know who's fault that really is.  It certainly is the child's fault :).  So this year I circled, highlighted, and added arrows to Sept 7th on my calendar.  If I missed it this year, with all those reminders, then there is no hope for me.  But I am proud to say lil man and me got the gifts in the mail this morning and they are currently en route from from Virginia to Washington State. 

I could do flowers or spa days but we're on a budget and to be honest they would probably be surprised if I didn't send something corny and cheesy in the mail.  I would never want to let anyone down so we'll keep with the cheesy theme.

I started with these white boxes from the craft store. You get 3 in a pack and they are only around $2...can't beat that.  Then on the bottom of their own box of treats, I put these cute Grandmother and Grandfather stickers that list the ingredients, cautions and directions of grandparents.  If you are a total freak you could decorate these boxes so adorably...but I went with the bare minimums, which I think still turned out ok.  Do what you can.

Now, let's take a look inside of our grandparent box of treats and see what cheesiness lies ahead for them.

Here are the contents:

1.  PHOTO MAGNET:  Found a picture we liked, cut it to the size of a square piece of chipboard, adhered the picture to the chipboard with spray adhesive, added stars (lil man's idea!) for some bling, and then glued strong magnets to the back of the chipboard.  I then placed it on the top of everything else in the box so that the picture of us is visible through the clear portion of the gift box.

2.  LIPS:  I found some candy lips and we attached a piece of paper with ribbon that read "A Kiss from Me to You".

3.  DUM-DUM SUCKERS:  My son picked out these suckers when we were at the store so I decided to throw some in.  We attached a piece of paper with ribbon to the sucker that said "I'm no 'Dum-Dum', I know I have the best Nana ever".  See, cheesy...and I love it!

4.  MINI RULER:  Again, my son actually started playing with these in the store when I realized that I could come up with another cheesy saying to add.  We wrote on the back of the ruler, "No one measures up to my Nana".

5.  FIRST PLACE TROPHY:  At the DollarTree you can get four mini trophies in a pack.  Each grandparent got one that said "#1 Nana" , "#1 Papa", etc.

6.   WERTHER'S ORIGINAL:  Everytime I see or have a Werther's I think grandparents...so we threw them in.

7.  LOVE MARBLES:  At the DollarTree we came across these pretty marbles that each have different words on them like "Love", "Faith", "Hope", etc.  You get 4 in a pack.  We threw a couple into each box making sure they each got one that said love.

8.  CARD:  Included with the box was a one-of-a-kind designed card by their grandson..signed and everything! 

I wish their grandson could be with them on Grandparent's Day, but I hope a box full of cheesy treats will bring a smile to their face instead!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Lil Man loves to Paint!

It's amazing how quickly kids can get into mischief!   As soon as I left the table to go to the kitchen sink (less than 3 steps away) the paint immediately went from the paper - to hands - to belly - to every where else!  Luckily, I was in a good mood so we just went with it.  He was having a blast... that is, until cleanup time rolled around. Bath time is usually a highlight of the day, but not so much when he's not allowed to touch anything because he might spread the joy of his favorite color blue around to the wonderful all white bathroom (who decided painting apartments white was a good idea anyway?).  He might like the new color in the bathroom, but I'm sure management would have a different story.  When the blue water was drained out of the tub and lil man was back to his normal skin tone, I was pretty sure that we had done a decent job of not getting paint anywhere else.  Uhh, Yeah right!  At that moment, I must have had an inflated sense of self thinking that I could be that good of not getting any blue paint on anything in our traveling path.  Is there any mom that could possibly accomplish that?  If so, send her my way so I can learn.  I keep finding little hints of the mess everywhere.  But it was all worth it.  Seeing him so excited with his belly laugh was priceless.  However,  we'll see if he is that enthusiastic about painting himself next time knowing that cleanup wasn't that pleasant. 

Other than being a mess maker and going to football and soccer games, we were pretty much busy getting ready for Grandparents Day so we can get the gifts in the mail tomorrow.  I'll have pics up soon if you need some ideas....and if you know anything about me you know they will be nice and cheesy! 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!