InspireMe Crafts

DIY Cupcake Stand

"Coffee makes it possible to get out of bed, but cupcakes make it worthwhile."

I'm not a morning person. Even if I get 8 hours of sleep, my husband quivers as he utters his first morning words to me trying to figure out if I will smile or bite his head off. After 10 years of being together he has figured out a way to make mornings just a little less painful as I open my eyes and remember that I do have a heart.

Coffee. And even better, coffee delivered in bed. How can I be grumpy with a loving husband that brings me my coffee? I can't, right?!

Coffee definitely makes it possible to get out of bed, but cupcakes do make the day worthwhile. Luckily, I have been blessed with a fabulous friend and neighbor…did I mention her passion is baking? We love her evening surprises of special treats from cake truffles to the above Pumpkin Spiced Latte Cupcake, but our waistlines are calling her all sorts of bad names. As I am biting into my 2^nd Pumpkin Spiced Latte Cupcake of the day, I am secretly calling her that "no-good, diet sabotaging, calorie adding, muffin top promoting, baking beeatch…." Really, though…she's not a beeatch - just a fun-loving baking genius. J

With all the treats we were "taste-testing", my creative juices were flowing and I thought her delicious treats needed a Cupcake Stand suitable for her masterpieces. I have seen all sorts of DIY cupcake stands using candlesticks and plates, but I thought some Terra Cotta pots plus some new pearl Martha Stewart Paint would make a "perty" cupcake stand. $5 and you are ready to go.

The "pearliness" in the paint is gorgeous so I decided it needed some bling too! I had some sparkly stickers to write "Enjoy" and then decorative crystals to "bling-up" the bottom of the Cupcake Stand.

Ooooohhh….I mean look at that Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcake…. Delish! You want to enjoy it, don't you!?

With a special delivery like this you would be sure to make even your enemy's day!

Look at my boys ooogling over the cupcake and the pretty girl!

I'm in love with this Terra Cotta Cupcake Stand. Inexpensive and pretty and useful! I am also thinking of placing my business cards on it for a Holiday Show and even making one to hold some of my jewelry. There is always more than one use for something;).

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Wedding Favor – Personalized Magnets

"A hundred hearts would be too few to carry all my love for you"

I just wanted to share with you some photos from my biggest magnet order yet! 200 personalized magnets for their wedding favor. She chose the backgrounds based on the fall color scheme of her wedding, chose the words she loved best and I got to work. Take a peek…

The magnet party favors are great for just about any occasion. Celebrating birthdays, baby showers, bridal showers, weddings, graduations…whatever the occasion the magnets are a great way to send your family and friends home with a unique souvenir.

I can create them to your color scheme, but check out some of my current samples in My Etsy Shop!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Day 15 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer: Space Invitation

"5… 4…. 3…. 2… 1… BLAST OFF!"

I've had a Space Junkie on my hands ever since May when he saw the Shuttle Endeavor launch off from Kennedy Space Center. When he heard the Shuttle Atlantis was launching on Firday, July 8^th he asked if we could go back to Florida and watch it. If only I could make that happen! He currently thinks I have special Mommy Superpowers ever since I changed the radio station from behind the steering wheel and I'm surprised he hasn't asked me to use the superpowers to get us down to Florida. He's asked for my superpowers to fix his lacrosse pads (which they did when he was sleeping), make his daddy come home early (secret phone call solved that) and sometimes I've just told him my superpowers work only on a full stomach or something crazy like that to buy me some time. To my luck, he has not requested the Mommy Superpower to beam us down to Florida. He must have been happy enough with my suggestion of having friends over to watch the launch on TV.

So here we are, just getting the space invitation out today. Oops. It is just a few friends, but I must admit I had some grand plans running around in my mind. But since we have 3 days until the launch they might have to use their imagination….A LOT! That's what kids are good at, right?!

I better get to work…

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Day 14 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer: Drinks In Mason Jars

"It is easily overlooked that what is now called vintage was once brand new" – Tony Visconti

We went to a friend's house for a 4^th of July BBQ and needed to bring drinks to share. Drinks in mason jars were the perfect answer to prepare and take. Plus they look cute J

I used some chalkboard stickers on top, tied some stars around with twine and secured a straw in place. At the party I placed them in a tub with ice to keep them cool. I had plain lemonade in the jars for the kiddos and then I made red and blue cocktails for the adults.

Red Cocktail:

1 bottle dry white wine
1 bottle champagne
¾ pineapple juice
¼ lemon juice
Hawaiian punch to taste/color
pineapple chunks, strawberries, kiwis

Blue Cocktail:

Vodka
Blue Curacao
Lemonade
Blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries

Easy to transport in my cooler bag…

Certainly easy to enjoy one – or three (with the hubby as the designated driver, of course)….

The ideas are limitless for mason jars. But right now some yummy cocktails are just right for these hot days. These could be used for weddings, baby showers, holidays…just Google it and see what's out there! You'll be inspired!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

First Birthday Party: One Year in a Flash

"My oh my how the time does fly!"

It was time to celebrate my little man's first birthday and even though I said I wasn't going to do much…I just kept getting ideas that I couldn't resist trying out. I am the definition of "Mamarazzi" and for those of you who haven't heard this term yet the Urban Dictionary defines me as this:

Mamarazzi: Mothers who constantly follow their children around with several cameras and video taking equipment, snapping photos at each turn and documenting each milestone or event with at least two dozen photos and a video. 

I definitely have about 2 dozen photos from every outing or milestone and figured it was time to share them instead of just filing them away until I make the end of the year photo book. Being a Mamarazzi is a good thing (someday my kids will agree) and it was time to show off what my little man had been up to all year long. So the theme started to develop based on photos and my scouring the internet for ideas began. I went to Etsy first and found this invitation. I loved the wording in it so I started playing with my own invitation. I love chevron designs right now (along with everyone else) so I started there for the background and started playing around until I came up with the above invite.

My first "big" idea was to make a collage out of the photos spelling "one" similar to the "one" in the invitation. With some white posterboard and lots of black and white photos I got to work. Are you ready to see lots of photos? Because you do know you are reading a blog from a certified Mamarazzi ;).

I had lots of photos that were not used in the collage, but I still wanted to showcase them. So I made my own version of photos drying in the dark room by hanging them on some twine with clothespins. I loved it so much I think we are going to leave them up and change the photos regularly.

I also hung pictures with twine and clothespins above the sliding glass door, but every time I tried to get pictures they looked like dark blobs.

I wanted to sum up all the major milestones and if you aren't a regular reader you might just be learning that I LOVE chalkboard paint for just about everything. I spray painted some $1 foam board and put it behind an empty frame. And, yes, doesn't that diapers number astonish you? The ear infection number isn't a good one either, but really, 2190 diapers?!?

Remember how I love chevron designs? Well , I had to incorporate it into the party since it was on the invite so I found the black and white chevron fabric at a discount store. I purchased 1 ½ yards and put it straight onto the table…no sewing J. With my large black and white "one" photo collage I knew I needed some color. I found the green lanterns at the DollarTree and hung them from the ceiling. I then took a pack of tissue paper from the DollarTree and turned them into some brightly colored rosettes. There are lots of detailed how-to's on the web to make these paper rosettes, but I just folded the tissue paper in accordion style, tied the middle with dental floss (its nice and strong), and started to spread them out and tape pieces into place. I then ruffled up ½ a piece of tissue paper and put it on the middle to hide all the "ugly" stuff. Like I said…lots of detailed directions on the web based on the type of paper and size that you want. It's definitely something to bookmark if you need an inexpensive way to add some color or decorations to a boring white wall like I needed to.

As if there were not enough pictures yet….I had to do a "1sts" wall. I used black and white photos to stay consistent and then glued them onto some white paper. I cut out the paper and placed the photos on to it to resemble Polaroid photos. After the party I am taking them down and putting them straight into a book of his 1sts.

Michaels had some frame decals on clearance for 50 cents – perfect to extend the photo theme out to our deck.

You think this kid is having a good time?

He is in awe of the big candle…

Enjoying his cupcake one star at a time!

If you made it this far into this post, I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into my Mamarazzi files because we all know these were only a sampling of what my camera actually took! Enjoy and hopefully it sparked some ideas for your own party. Imagine doing the "One" collage for an anniversary – the numbers 50 really large with photos from 50 years of a marriage. It would be stunning and such a tribute to the couple.

I think the party planning is done for a while since both boys had their big days for 2011. Now the time has come to organize, organize, organize! I wonder what project I can accomplish tomorrow in between referring my boys game of Tom & Jerry around the house.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

I've linked this party over at Under the Table and Dreaming

Killer Whale Birthday Party: The Decorations

"Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party'" - Robin Williams

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are lucky that Lil Big Man has a spring birthday so we can celebrate outside. Otherwise, I'm not sure what I would do with all his energy plus the energy of 15 of his closest bouncing buddies. Luckily, the weather pretty much held out except a few minutes of rain that didn't even phase the kiddos. Since we celebrate at the park I don't go overboard on the decorations – just a few simple and inexpensive special touches to go with the theme.

Anything I bought went with the blue, black, and white color scheme. Blue tablecloths for the water, black and white napkins and plates, a black and white wrapped box to hold some drinks, etc.

The first things the kiddos noticed were the inflatable killer whales hanging from the rafters of the park picnic shelter. With some Dollartree twine and my underhand toss over the rafters to the hubby we created our own swimming whales in the ocean. They were about $2.00 each and added just the right amount of decorations. I thought of other decorating ideas to make it more under-the-sea theme, but we really wanted to stick to just killer whales as much as possible. So we stopped here…I can't believe I had that kind of self control.                                                                                             

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My ocean in a jar idea was originally going to be a project for the kiddos with some empty baby food jars I had. However, after testing it out on some big jars I decided it was going to be too messy and the little sea creatures I purchased didn't float. You put half water with some food coloring, and then fill the rest with mineral oil or clear vegetable oil ( I couldn't find this). Instead of keeping the non-floating sea creatures in the jar, I printed out some killer whales from the computer and glued them on the outside of the jars. When you move it you make waves. There was a breeze so I used them as paper weights for the plates and napkins. Plus the kids still had fun checking them out and making 'waves'.

Then we had the cake and cupcakes. I used out of the box cake mix, homemade frosting, killer whale cookie cutouts, and some candy fishes and jelly bellies. We made the killer whale cookies for his pre-school class celebration and luckily had leftovers. Thank goodness I refrained from eating them because they saved the day. We used the leftovers to put on the cake instead of having to use a plastic toy or figuring out fondant (one thing I still haven't tackled). Lil big man loves jelly bellies (along with his mommy) so it was a special touch to use those for the waves. It certainly isn't going to win any awards, but it was relatively painless and to a bunch of kiddos it was cute. If only it hadn't taken lil big man 14 tries to blow out 5 candles…

Add a few random beach balls everywhere and we were ready to party!

It is possible to complete a theme just enough without breaking the bank if you pay attention to what the kiddos will appreciate more than what us adults would appreciate. For adults a great layout for the food is often something we focus on or the table setting…..but to a 5 year old? Not so much! The flying killer whales are way more interesting. Think like the age group you are planning for and you'll throw a great party. Next, I'll share the games and activities we played. Stay tuned J

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Killer Whale Birthday Party: The Birthday Boy Whale Shirt

"The first sign of maturity is the discovery that the volume knob also turns to the left".  ~Jerry M. Wright

The above quote cracks me up. ..it describes my son to the 'T'. The birthday celebration is for the big '5' and I have a feeling we are years from discovering that the volume knob turns to the left. His volume controls are loud and louder and nothing less. And recently is volume was cranked up to loudest when he insisted that the killer whale on his shirt needed to have white on it. Yet, after a good night's sleep he decided he liked it with the blue. Good thing I didn't act too quickly on fulfilling his wishes. J

I made this killer whale shirt using my new favorite technique – freezer paper silhouettes. I followed the same directions as shown here and as originally found on MADE's website for her silhouette President T-shirts.

To re-cap see below, but for detailed directions go here.

1. Print your photo onto the non-waxy side of the freezer paper.
2. Using an X-Acto knife, cut out your photo.

1. Place wax side down on t-shirt and iron.

1. Paint with fabric paint and let dry.

4 more days until the party and oh so much to do! I had all these grandeur plans to make some inexpensive games for the party like throw the ring on the dorsal fin, toss some fake fish into the mouth of the killer whale, a fishing hole, etc. Then reality hit and I realized there was not enough time and I've seen this kiddos play – they will be happy just running around at the park. I'm glad I had my reality check. Although, the games would have been fun !

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

 

Baby Shower Party Favors: Pink and Black Magnets

Here are some pictures from my latest magnet order for a baby shower party favor. This was my first time doing the magnet party favors in the pink and black color scheme and I LOVE IT! I have two boys so any chance to do things in girly colors just makes my day J.

The customer chose 8 words to use: Sweet, Love, Diva, Wish, Hope, Dream, Laugh, Fun

She also chose to have me package them for an additional fee. It's amazing what some cellophane bags and ribbon can do!

If you are interested in ordering some magnet party favors please contact me at inpsiremecrafts@yahoo.com or check out my listings in MY ETSY SHOP.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss: Bake a Cake

Little man's pre-school class is celebrating Dr Seuss's birthday all week and the teacher wanted a birthday cake today to add to the birthday celebration. So today we sent in a Cat in the Hat cake for them to enjoy. You could still do it this afternoon with your little ones or for them. With sick kids right now, I needed something quick and easy. Is the cake bakery perfect? Far from it! But it gets the point across, was fast, and put a smile on little man's face. Did I mention how much I love box cake mix? In the terms of little man, "it's easy-peasy".

1. Bake your cake.
2. Draw a simple outline just on the top of the cake (not all the way through in case you have to fix it). Once you have the outline you like, then cut all the way through to the bottom. Remove outer edges. In hindsight, don't cut the outline still in the pan like I did. I then had to transfer it to the baking sheet and worry about not breaking it. Take the whole cake out first, place on your plate or baking sheet and then cut out your outline.

1. Add some frosting. Or if you are really fancy and want a more professional looking cake you could used rolled fondant. I've never used it before so no tips from me L. I guess I'll have to give rolled fondant a try one of these days.
2. I was looking for easy-peasy so I just did red sprinkles for my stripes. However, you could use food coloring to die some of the frosting red.

It's not too late to celebrate Dr. Seuss and the happiness and laughter he has brought into our homes for decades. Continue to the celebration all week and enjoy a fun cake one day J.

Be inspired, get creative and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Chalkboard Silhouette (Denim & Diamonds Party Décor)

My other obsession right now is chalkboard paint and I am turning anything and everything into a chalkboard. The chalkboard silhouette for my Denim & Diamonds party just proves my obsession. At first I was going to make a stencil using freezer paper and spray paint the area with chalkboard paint. But that just seemed like a little too much work when it was the day before. Thank goodness for Michael's shipment of new stuff because they now carry chalkboard stickers that come in a rectangle size a little bigger than 8x10. With the chalkboard sticker, I just cut out the silhouette using a stencil printed from online, peeled off the back and attached it so my fabric covered canvas. Since this was a "bling" party where guests could try on jewelry I added some rhinestones around the silhouette's neck and a few from where her ears would be.

For some of the other decorations…

I made a table runner from some discount fabric and used the remnants to cover some canvases.

I took a clear vase that I'm sure we all have hanging around or you can find one at the Dollar Tree. I spray painted it white along with some branches. With leftover fabric from the baby food jar candles, I wrapped it around the center of the vase and scotch taped it into place. Yep….scotch tape.

From the branches I hung some beads to add some more "bling". We were going to hang some earrings from the jewelry line, but they were just a tad too heavy for the branches.

I hope you like some of the ideas from my Denim & Diamonds party sparked some simple but fabulous ideas for your own party! I promise that next time I have a party I will take way more photos!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Denim & Diamonds Party: Invitation

A couple weeks ago I hosted an evening out for my lady friends.  We had to start with the invite to set the theme...

I was also doing this party on a budget so as much as I would have loved to mail pretty invitations, they got the pretty invite via email instead.  

I combined a couple of my favorite things right now - silhouettes and damask - and you'll see them throughout the party.  The party turned out great, the only problem was that I didn't take any photos!  Can you believe that?  The queen of taking photos forgot to take photos of the evening...I was just having too much fun!  

Stay tuned for some creative personal touches that anybody can add to their party. 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Moss Covered Wood Letter

"A smile is the universal welcome" - Max Eastman

Our front door has been naked way too long and was waiting to be dressed up with the right accessories. I was searching for a wreath, but remembered that I'd fallen in love with some moss covered monograms I had seen on Etsy and said to myself, "I can do that". You can find the materials all at your craft store. Here's what you need:

MATERIALS:

Wood letter
Moss
Ribbon
scissors
Glue gun

This project is messy so please beware and plan accordingly. It won't ruin anything, but the moss does get everywhere. I bought the moss at the craft store in the wreath area. I guess I didn't realize it was real moss because when I opened the package I was alarmed at the smell! I wasn't ready for it and it took me a little time to get accustomed to. I started by tearing off large pieces of moss and placing it on the letter. I then used the glue gun to secure it in place. Once I had the top part done, I worked on the sides. I cut strips of the moss and glued to the sides and then wrapped them around if needed and used the glue to tie down any loose ends. After the letter is covered in moss, hang your ribbon from the back and you are done. Pretty easy – just a little smelly and messy.

Check out these other ideas with Moss:

Good Housekeeping

Onewed

I hope your mind is racing with some ideas to use moss. Get to it and send us a pic!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Paper Christmas Wreath

I'm re-posting this because I just pulled it out of the Christmas tub to hang up last week and I still love it as much as when I made it.  It put that smile on my face so I thought I'd share.  I hope you are enjoying the fun and stress of the holidays as much as I am :) ! 

"Joy to the World"

Accidents happen...sometimes good and sometimes bad.  Luckily, this accident was good.  I was playing with some paper trying to come up with less labor-intensive paper tree ideas and ended up with a paper wreath!  I added some special photos and it is adding just the right amount of unique Christmas decorations to our house!  I used the same scrapbook paper that I used for my Christmas Paper Tree . I purchased the scrapbook paper at Target in a pack.  It included all 5 coordinating designs and plenty of it!

MATERIALS:

8x8 paper (10 pieces)
scissors
glue
stapler
Scotch Tape
ribbon
embellishments
photos

THE STEPS:

I tried the best I could to explain it...I'm still working on describing my steps as clearly and detailed as I can.  Please let me know if you have any questions or comments about it!  I love to get comments on the post or you can email me at inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com.

The Holidays are here and Christmas is only 9 days away!  Its hard to believe, but that's what I saw on a sign today!  Take care....

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!!

Gotta Make It: Juice Box Flower Vase

"Earth laughs in flowers."  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Hamatreya"

Nothing says summer like a backyard barbecue with bright colors and beautiful colors.  When we were on vacation last week (hence the lack of posts), we went to my cousin's wedding reception.  Besides the fact that my Aunt and Uncle have a yard and garden that should be featured in Sunset Magazine, they also added a few creative touches to their backyard barbecue wedding reception.  At each rectangular table were a couple of Juice Box Flower Vases full of bright flowers.  All she did was clean out a juice container, cut off the top, add some water, and add a bouquet of your favorite flowers.  So simple, so economical, and so adorable!  You could use these juice box flower vases for Baby Shower decorations, barbecue decorations, Mother's Day gift, and I'm going to use it as a little hostess gift this weekend for a barbecue we are attending. 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Ballerina Princess Birthday Party (on a budget ;))

"Let's Have a Ballerina Princess Party"

My friend mentioned the words "help", "daughter", and "princess party" one afternoon.  Granted, they were probably in a full sentence, but that was all I needed to hear for my party turning wheels to get in motion.  In fact, I'm not sure she even asked for my help, but I sure did volunteer it.  :)  We sat there and the big ideas spewed out of my mouth...I just couldn't stop it.  Then reality kicked in, but I was determined not to let it damper our fun on this party!  Once we meandered our way back to reality,and realized that turning the house and staircase into a castle with a moat around the front of the house and a little bridge for the little princesses to cross, was probably a little out of our league (this year) we let the fun begin. There are several reasons this made my month.  But to share a few...

Reason #1:  I love girly things...but do not have a little girl of my own.
Reason #2:   If there is an excuse to use pink...I will. 
Reason #3:  I love to plan parties...and spend someone else's money
Reason #4:  I thrive on a challenge to create something beautiful for little $.
Reason #5:  I grew up in the studio prefecting those plie's and tendu's so adding the little ballerina touch to the princess theme would  make her daughter's party ultra fabulous :)
Reason #6:  You gotta love a party, whether for an adult or 2 year old...there is always cake!

We did have a couple boundaries.  We wanted to do it on a small budget and we had less than 2 weeks to get it all together.  Here's how it went...

1)  Invitations

If you aren't hooked on Etsy yet you are missing out.  The first thing I did was go to www.etsy.com and put "Ballerina Princess" in the search field.  That was how we found these adorable invitations from BabyCakesArt. Once those were ordered we moved on to what little Princess P. would wear for her big day.

2) Birthday Outfit

ABC Baby Boutique is full of adorable accessories to make sure your princess shines.  One of my favorites are her handmade tutu's.  I ordered the Pretty in Pink Tutu and it was an early birthday gift to Princess P.  Every princess has to have a handmade tutu for her Ballerina Princess Party:).  The crown and a wand were found at JoAnn Fabrics for ....wait for it.....a $1! 

3)  Decorations

We needed to turn a dull screened in porch to a room fit for our little ballerina princess.  We added some inexpensive pink fabric to the ceiling that we draped from the corners to the middle and then added some pink curly ribbon and balloons.  Instant glam for little $$$$. 

 

I designed some custom "Happy Birthday" banners with brown and pink polka dot ribbon and a little crown to add instant charm.  Its amazing what you can do with a little ribbon and paper! 

 

 

For inexpensive fun, you can never go wrong with some chalkboard paint.  We sprayed the inside of the gates to the porch with the chalkboard paint and then added a castle and princess crown drawing to let the kids know they were free to have fun on these walls! 

 

4)  The Sweets

Add some glam to your party with personalized cake or cupcake toppers.  I made these crown's with '2' and the 'P' with the crown's.  Have I mentioned how much I love paper and ribbon :).

 

5) Party Favors

We've all had our fair share of birthday parties and we typically round up a bunch of little trinkets that go along with the theme and throw them in a bag.  We decided to change that up a bit and with the same amount of money give something that might be used just a little more instead of finding their way to the garbage or under the seat in the car.  :).  We found princess skirts and princess wands at the DollarTree.  The girls were able to dress up during the party and take them home.  Plus we hung them up on the porch to add some more princess decorations.

 

6)  Have Fun...

...watch those kids have the time of their life and capture it with some photos!  Here's a photo of my Lil Man, Princess P, and her brother (and Lil Man's best bud) before the festivities were underway.

 

Do you have pics from a Ballerina Princess Party or ideas you'd like to share?  If so, please leave a comment or send pics to inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com! 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Custom Party Favor Magnets ...Now Available!!!!

"The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention."  ~Oscar Wilde
 

As many of you know, I've got the Spring Cleaning fever and it hasn't stopped with just my "personal" life.  It has now poured into the business side of things, which includes getting some of the things I've wanted to do with the shop done instead of letting the idea or thought sit on a piece of paper. Adding the custom magnets that have been very popular for party favors to my Etsy Shop has just been waiting to get checked off.  So I will....today (that feels good!).  I have made a listing for the custom magnet party favors at MY ETSY SHOP.  It is for 30 magnets, however, I will do any amount.  You get to choose the color schemes, words, etc.  Typically 4-5 letters/numbers are the maximum that I can fit onto the magnet.  However, if you have something particular in mind, I will be more than happy to try it!  

SAMPLE WORDS:
Love
Hope
Wish
Joy
Dream
Sweet
Baby
Girl
Boy
Diva
Laugh
Fun
Play
-Initials-
-Date-
Thanks
4 Ever

These custom magnets would be adorable for baby showers, weddings, birthdays, anniversary celebrations, stocking stuffers, End of the Year student gifts from teachers, etc. 

If you would like to order and are familiar with Etsy go to My Etsy Shop to purchase or you can contact me at inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com .

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Halloween Centerpiece

"Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble." -Shakespeare, "Macbeth"

 

I love Halloween and decorating so I needed to come up with some Halloween centerpieces for our dining room table and kitchen table.  I decided to use what I already had laying around...no pulling out the debit card (I'm horrible about having cash on me) at Wal-Mart or Target.  And if you've been to either place lately and seen the adorable decorations, then you'll know how difficult it was for me not to throw those in my cart! 

My dilemma for creating these centerpieces was really the battle of 'fun, not-so-scary' Halloween vs the 'scary' Halloween.  With the lil man starting to understand the concept of scary, I've been going back and forth on what to use for Halloween decorations and more importantly what NOT to use.  So we did somewhat of a compromise.  I have mostly non-scary decorations in the house, but I did create one Halloween centerpiece with bones and skulls.  The other trick of this personal challenge was that I had to use other supplies I already had in my craft closet.

Let's start with the "FUN" centerpiece. You'll need:

• Glass jars, tin cans, flower vases, etc that you've saved to use for that 'special' project.
• Paper
• Ribbon
• Tape
• Colored plate (found at DollarTree previously and used it in the baby shower I hosted)

Once you look at the pictures for the Halloween themed centerpiece you'll notice its pretty simple.  Use some Halloween paper to wrap around vases, tin cans, or glass jars and tape into place.  At the end of Halloween you can remove the paper and use the jars again.  I'm going to put some candy corn in the empty glass jar.  I then had some thick ribbon in a fun design that I simply laid across the table and let some excess hang off each side.

Now for the "SCARY" centerpiece.  You'll need:

• Glass vase
• Ribbon
• Plastic bones
• plastic Halloween candy holders
• colored plate

Once again, this is a centerpiece that could be done andlooking "boo-tiful" in less than 5 minutes and definitely less than $5.  After I made the centerpiece I realized it would work great as a dipping tray for a party.  In the glass vase you could place those long pretzel sticks or long bread sticks and then in the cauldrons and skulls you could place different dipping sauces. 

I apologize that I couldn't share a full blown view of the tables, but to be honest they are such a mess as I'm trying to get Lil man's Halloween costume done.  My quick fix is of course just pushing it off to the side :).  I hope everyone is having a wonderful week and I'd love to see pictures of your Halloween decorations and Halloween parties so we can showcase them right here on InspireMe Crafts!

Be inspired, get creative and have fun!

Last Minute Baby Shower - Part 10: MISC Decorations

It's bittersweet to say that today's post will wrap up my "Last Minute Baby Shower..on a Budget" series.  I hope you enjoyed the ideas as much as I enjoyed planning and creating this celebration.  For the last post I just wanted to share some quick, simple, and budget friendly decorating tips that you can really use for any celebration..not just baby showers. 

1.  Centerpieces don't have to be flowers:  Although I love flowers as centerpieces, it just was not within my budget.  Instead I found these adorable gift bags (2 for $1 in the Target $1 section), added some tissue paper, placed on top of a plastic plate I found at the DollarTree and added some Sweetarts around it.  My bags were empty, but you could add a simple gift inside and have a drawing or something to let a guest take it home.

2.  Paper & Ribbon can tie a whole event together:  Find some paper and ribbon you love and add it everywhere.  It will really tie your whole event and decor together.  Its inexpensive and absolutely adorable!  I used the same paper for the magnet party favor, the clothespins, the onesies, etc.  All of that did not cost much at all...it just took time.  So don't overlook the small details.

3.  Wrapping Paper can be your best friend:  I was lucky to find some coordinating wrapping paper that was just adorable.  I kept my empty cracker boxes, wrapped them up, added "Sweet" and I had instant decor.  I also used it to elevate the food so that it wasn't so one-dimensional.  It was great to have on hand, because at the last minute I needed to come up with a hard writing place so I quickly wrapped up a large book and voila!  You could also use it on tables as a table runner to spruce things up a bit. 

4.  Do what you can:  We all have different budgets and spending plans so if you want to throw a friend a shower, but are worried about money...just do what you can and don't be afraid to ask some of your friends to help out by bringing a dish to share or whatnot. 

Now its time to move on to Halloween ideas....

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Last Minute Baby Shower - Part 8: Party Favors

This project was one of those accidents that you are glad that happened. I wanted to give a party favor, but knew I couldn't spend a lot of money, so simply looking in my closet full of stuff that I've held on for the right time, did the trick! I've had leftover business card magnets for 3 years and I finally found a use.  I simply took various papers I was using to decorate the magnet, cut to size, attached to the magnet, and then added different words.  They ended up being a huge hit so I've decided that I'll start selling them on my Etsy shop shortly.  So stay tuned.  :)  They could be great for anything really...baby showers, bridal showers, weddings, birthdays, and one guest is even thinking about giving them to her students at the end of the year.  If you want more info about the magnets or would like to inquire about purchasing them please contact me at inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Last Minute Baby Shower - Part 7: Baby Shower Trivia

I'm not much of a game person at baby and bridal showers.  I don't mind having the bride or expecting parents to be put on the spot, but when it comes to myself, I rather just sit back and enjoy my food and drink.  I'm a loser :(.   As a result, I went with this alternative 'game'.  Its more like a silent auction.  I placed a trivia question on each clipboard and then had a spot for everyone to write their guess down.  Whoever got the questions right, or was the closest educated guesser, got the corresponding prize.  Simple, yet guests can win something and we all love to win!  Here are the details of where I found what:

Those cute gift bags were in the dollar section of Target (2 for $1).  The clipboards were from the DollarTree and then I covered it in paper.  The adorable trivia coasters are from Michaels.  There were 20-something trivia coasters in a set.  I used three for the game and then placed the others all around as conversation starters.  You could certainly make these on your own instead of buying them, but it just saved me a lot of time! 

For the Expecting Parents, we kept with the "Sweet" Theme and played the Pregnancy Candy Bar Matchup.  There were words related to baby and pregnancy on one side and then candy bars on the other (attached with velcro so they could be moved).  They had a set amount of time to get the correct candy bar with the correct term.  Here are some examples:

WORD:  Conception            CANDY:      Skor
             Hospital Bill                             100 Grand
             Poopie Diaper                          Tootsie Roll
             Hospital Address                      5th Avenue
             Contractions                             Whoppers
             Nurses                                      Sweetarts

I found this game at www.creative-baby-shower-ideas.com and there are some other great ones that were recommended to me at http://nested.typepad.com/blog/files/mommy-to-be-traits.pdf

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun! 

Last Minute Baby Shower - Part 6: Blessings for Baby Memory Book

I love having mementos that capture special events.  That being said, most of the time I throw everything in a box and say "When I have time, I'll put together a book".   The box full of special memories sits there, I look at it in the closet and think I need to work on it soon, it collects dust, it sits there some more, I look at it again and its still sitting there.  You get the picture.  So whenever I throw an event I try to have some sort of memory book that is ready to take home and display. For the baby shower, I chose to do a "Blessings for Reagan" book.  I found this pre-designed scrapbook at Target a while ago on clearance for around $2.  It's hard to believe, especially since its normally around $18, but I knew I couldn't pass up that deal.  A year later, I found its use! 

The original plan was to use my Polaroid camera to take polaroids of the guests as they arrived.  They would then write their blessing, note, wish, or prayer to the baby while it was developing and then we would add it all to the book right there.  I went to Wal-Mart to get the Polaroid film and it never made it into my cart when I saw the price of $16.99...for only 10 pictures!  Since I was going to need at least 30, this was not an option.  So instead I just took pictures throughout the event (with my digital camera) and will give the parents the pictures so they can insert them into the book. 

I found the adorable sticky notes in the $1 section at Target, along with the mini gel pens.  I just added a piece of plain pink paper to each sticky note so there was a place to write the blessing.  It worked out well because guests just stuck their note to the baby on the counter and you could see what others said.  At the end, we attached the sticky notes to the different pages in the scrapbook.  Once she gets the pictures in she will have to secure the sticky notes down with glue or double sided tape.  But its still a heck of a lot better than starting from scratch with everything thrown in a box! 

This is not the first time I have done something like this.  I threw my best friend her bachelorette party and we had a plain mini scrapbook, Polaroid camera and film (I was working outside the home at that time so I must not have had the same sticker shock as now), and some pretty gel pens.  It was a small group of us so we would take goofy pictures throughout the night and then make funny comments, etc.  You can see us starting out so fresh and as the night goes on we just keep going down hill :).  I look at it every time when I go to her house and get a good laugh!

Whether its a baby shower, bridal shower, wedding, wedding anniversary, birthday party, going away party, retirement party, etc that you decide to try this idea for, just remember that you can do this without breaking the bank! 

Here's a picture of the whole table set-up and a hint of the other ideas I'll be sharing with you tomorrow. 

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!

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!

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!

Berry Trifle

Stressed spelled backwards is desserts.  Coincidence?  I think not!  ~Author Unknown

I made this trifle for 4th of July and I thought I would share this delicious and easy dessert.  If you're at all familiar with me or my blog, then you know I have a sweet tooth.  I'm not just talking once in a while I get a craving...it's ALL THE TIME.  So if this pasts my test of "...mmm, ...mmm..., yummy" then you know its worth trying.  I know what you are thinking now.."That's great that its the perfect July 4th recipe, but its July 8th now.  Does she not own a calendar".   Well, I do own a calendar...and I'm just 361 days ahead of planning for next July 4th ;).  Anyhow...now you have an idea for next July 4th and all the other occasions it would be perfect for - -baby shower, Mother's Day, Bridal shower, just because, etc.  The recipe is on marthastewart.com.  Instead of using one big bowl as they show in the recipe, I chose to make individual servings and place them in margarita glasses.  I made it first thing in the morning, but you could make it the night before - put them in the fridge and its ready to go!  Your kids can even help with all the different layering.  They'll love all the colors and they'll even get their serving of fruit:).

So go make a batch, invite some friends over, sit on the deck and enjoy the summer evening.  It can't get much better than that. 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!