All Things For All Parties

More Memorial Day Decoration Ideas

 
I am sure you know by now that we are HUGE fans of Anders Ruff...they always manage to pull through with such amazing decor ideas.  Pair their Patriotic - 4th of July Pinwheels Printable Party with our Patriotic party supplies than just fire up the grill and you have a fabulous Memorial Day Celebration... instantaneously!! 

Cake Pops are All the Rage!!!

 
What could be better than a cupcake?  A cake pop...of course!   Cooking blogger Bakerella, Angie Dudley has turned cake pops into a party extravaganza!!  Moms and women everywhere are going crazy for cute little cakes on a stick.  Starting from just simple decorated balls to more exciting designs such as bumblebees, clowns, farm animals, ice cream cones, and so many more!  

These adorable creations are the perfect bite-sized alternative to cake at any party or get-together. 

Angie appeared on Martha Stewart's show to demonstrate how to make these delicious little treats and now with a little help from her new book you can recreate these amazing treats right at home with her simple, step-by-step instructions and photos of more than 40 featured projects, as well as clever tips for presentation, decorating, dipping, coloring and melting chocolate, and much more!  So if you like to entertain as much as I do...go get a a copy of this adorable book, Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for More Than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats. 

They are perfect for any occasion - birthday, wedding, bridal and baby showers, Halloween, Christmas...you name it!

Below are a few fun ideas you may find in the book...

 

 
 
 

DIY Easter Baskets

 
OK I found these adorable Terra Cotta Easter Baskets on the HWTM Blog...I actually think it was an old post from a couple of years ago but none the lesss worth sharing plus they are super cute and a fun craft!  The perfect decoration on your Easter table. 

TERRA COTTA EASTER BASKETS
(please note: for decorative purposes only).

For Each Basket, You’ll Need:
Small Terra Cotta Pot around 5-6″ or smaller
Double-sided *scrapbook paper in 2 coordinating patterns & colors
Easter grass filler
Glue and glue dots or tape
Small artificial flowers and butterflies (optional).

Natural Egg Dye Tips

 

Use natural egg dye materials to make colorful eggs at Easter or any other festive occasion without worrying about the side effects from artificially colored dyes. By taking colors from nature, such as berry juices and herbs, you can create a varied palette of colors for your eggs. The process is basically the same no matter what color-stuff, or dye material, you use.

You can achieve the following colors using the items noted, and once experienced at it, you can experiment with other items as desired to find the perfect hue.

Blue: Purple grape juice concentrate, canned blueberry sauce, boiled red cabbage leaves
Lavender: Hibiscus flowers, less grape juice concentrate, violet blossoms, Red Zinger tea bags
Pink: Beets or pickled beet juice, cranberries, raspberries
Red: Canned cherries, pomegranate juice, boiled red onion skins
Green: Spinach, chlorophyll in liquid form
Brown: Dill seeds, coffee or black tea, boiled walnut shells
Yellow: Saffron, carrot tops, orange peels
Orange: Yellow onion skins, curry powder, carrots, paprika

Adorable DIY Easter Egg Cups

 
How adorable are these festive egg cup holders?!  They are the perfect addition to your easter table or spring gathering; you can also use them as place card holders and favors - Just make the grassy coil tighter, write your guest's names on a card, and tuck them into the tall grasses. Ta da!!! 

Materials Needed:
How to PDF
8 1/2″ x 11″ Text Paper (Moss, Sage & Curry)
Medium Adhesive Pearls
7 Point Shape Hole Punch
Double Stick Tape
Bone Folder
Scissors

Instructions:
1. Cut strips of moss and sage text paper to approximately 2″ x 11″. Use the grass template on the "How to PDF" to cut out blades of grass or cut freehand.
2. Take one strip of moss grass and sage grass and loosely coil to allow room for an egg to fit snugly inside. Secure outer and inner strips of grass with double stick tape. Curl ends of grass outwards with a bone folder.
3. Decorate the base of the grassy egg cup holder with a curry flower, using the 7 point shape hole punch. Use double stick tape to adhere to egg cup. Embellish the center with a pearl.

This craft and photo was brought to you by the Paper Source.

DIY Egg Vase

 
Hippity Hoppity Easter's on it's way!  I am getting very excited about Easter and all the fun crafts that go along with this holidays so with that in mind I was thumbing through the pages of magazines (All You) looking for new Easter craft ideas when I came across these adorable Easter vases.  Pretty & Easy...the perfect combo for me. 

YOU'LL NEED (makes 1 egg vase):

Blown eggPaint or spray paint
Finely milled glitter (various colors)
Small scissors or tweezers
Hot-glue gun
1 daisy (or any other flower you prefer)
Eggcup
 

1.Paint a blown egg using paint or spray paint, then roll it in a bowl of finely milled glitter while paint is still slightly wet. Let dry completely.
2.Working from one of the holes you made for blowing, use tiny scissors or tweezers to gently break away bits of eggshell until the hole is big enough to fit a flower stem. Place a glue dot over other hole; let dry fully.
3.Fill egg with a small amount of water. Insert a flower. Place in an eggcup to display.

Craft and Photo by All You Magazine

Good Time Gumball Party

 

By Kara Allen, Kara's Party Ideas; Photography by Lyndsey Fagerlund Imagery

I saw this party on HGTV and thought it was the perfect party for any boy or girl - what kid wouldn't love like this vintage-inspired gumball party?!?! It is so colorful and fun! 

The big gumball machine is actually a cake (made by Dippidee) and it is the focal point of this 1950s-inspired table. This nostalgic table with all the old-fashioned elements really make guests feel as if they're in a 1950s soda shop. Kara dressed up the walls by hanging a themed banner, like this print-at-home banner by Gwynn Wasson Designs.

To create this old-fashioned look Coca-Cola brand crates previously used to carry glass coke bottles were used to display vintage objects and small glass jars were filled with gumballs. Believe it or not but they were able to find these these great crates in the local classifieds - I guess you just never know what you can find if you look! This simple addition allows guests to feel as if they've gone back in time.

 
In lieu of real flowers, Kara opted to make a flower bouquet out of real gumballs. She used a hot glue gun to adhere large and small gumballs together in a flower shape and than glued them to balloon sticks.

Cake pops are all the rage these days and these gumball cake pops go perfectly with the theme plus they are easy to make. 

Kara used Mason jars with stamped lids as drinking glasses for a classic look than made "gumball" ice cubes by filling a ball-shaped ice cube tray with red punch.

 
A birthday party wouldn't be complete without cupcakes. Even the cupcakes complement the party theme; the gumballs on top resemble cherries.

As take home gifts, Kara made guests theme-friendly party favors by giving them small gumball machines (she actually made these herself out of plant pots).

 
 
As guests are leaving, set-up a table with treat bags and a gumball jar so on the way out so guests can takes these yummy little treats home with them.

For younger guests, playing with ribbon wands is an exciting activity. These go with the theme and are easy to make — simply attach colorful polka dot ribbons to the top of painted wooden dowels 

Kara took a simple yet creative approach for the snack table. She used old-fashioned tables to continue her vintage theme, and the felt polka dot garland that hung on the wall was an easy, inexpensive DIY decoration that added colorful detail.
 

I love a guessing game although I will admit I have never guessed it!  This is the perfect party activity any kid (or parent) would enjoy, fill a large Mason jar with several gumballs. Have each guest guess how many gumballs are inside, and...TA DA, give a prize to the child who guesses the closest.

Thank you to Kara Allen for the great inspiration!

Easy Kid's Birthday Party Organizer

 
 
I just got off the phone with my BFF who was frantically trying to pull together her son's birthday party so I told her I wanted to help her out by putting together a simple list of the things she needed to do to prepare for the "Big Party." 

I think no matter how big or small the party having a checklist will help you to feel organized and less stressed.  So whether you’re celebrating at home or at a local park, with a bounce house or a magic show, this timeline will make for a very happy birthday with all the bases covered.

Over the Top Kids Parties

  

Over-the-top may be too mild a phrase for what takes place on TLC's Outrageous Kid Parties. I don't know if you have seen the show or not but take a look at the clip above and judge for yourself. 

The first episode features a family pushing it to the limit in order to give a fanciful, dream like birthday party for their six year old daughter. The middle class family spent over $32,000 on a fairy tale themed celebration because she is still in that prime age where she believes in fairy tales.” 

If you haven't watched the show yet, consider it to be the party blueprint for throwing a kid's party just like the one Taylor gave her 4-year-old daughter on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Complete with extravagant invitations, horse-drawn princess carriages, and costume-clad guests, the show lets the guests of honor take center stage as moms (and grandmas) do everything they can to give them anything their little heart's desire. In an age where themed dessert tables and $1,000 birthday parties have become the norm, do shows like this create unattainable expectations for the rest of us?

What do you think...are these over the top, pricey kids parties setting unrealistic expectations for Parents or do parents need to step it up?  We want to know what you think.

Eco-friendly Party Bags

 

Planning your child’s birthday party? What about a baby shower? Thank your guests for coming with these personalized muslin favor bags. Each bag is versatile and functional, as the recipient can tote back goodies from your party and then re-use the bag for collecting valuables or as a travel accessory.

If you're going to spend on favors (and really, who isn't?), consider wrapping them in carefully decorated and personalized bags that can be recycled and cherished by your party guests long after the face paint washes out of their party clothes.

You can personalize these bags by choosing a color, then have each guest’s name printed underneath a simple silhouette to match your party’s theme. Choose from airplanes and elephants for parties or bodysuits and ducks for baby showers. All silhouettes and names are printed in white unless otherwise noted.

Each favor bag is made from 100% cotton, measuring approximately 5” x 8”, roomy enough to fit small bubbles, candy, and cookies. The bags are off-white and has a drawstring on the right side for easy closure.

Sold in sets of 6.