Quick Halloween Crafts From Martha Stewart

I was going to go non-Halloween today, but then thought better of it when I realized this is my last chance to post some Halloween fun before the big night! (Next to Christmas, Halloween is my favorite holiday!) So, here are a few adorable crafts you can still manage before Sunday. They're each from Martha Stewart and the directions can be found here. My favorite is the little spider treat cup. So inspiring, too. Think about doing a red doily pattern around the cup for Valentine's Day!

I hope each of you has a safe and happy Halloween! Eat, Drink and Be Scary! ;)

Lollipops for Baby

Not real lollipops, of course! But lollipops made with baby washcloths. I made this for a friend of mine, who recently had a baby girl. I thought it was a cute alternative to a diaper wreath or cake, so wanted to share it with you.

I referenced this tutorial here, but did a couple of things differently.

• Once I rolled the washcloth, I secured it with some scotch tape.
• I didn't have small, clear rubberbands on hand, so I just tied the cellophane bags with regular curling ribbon, and it seemed to hold up well.

The tutorial notes this, but make sure to use washcloths that have the trim, otherwise you won't get the "swirl" in the lollipop.

I picked up a cute tub at Target, included some baby wash with a ribbon and garnished it with pink grass I had from Easter (yes, I save everything!). So easy and she really appreciated it! This can turn into a bigger gift basket or even as a shower centerpiece that the mom-to-be can take home.

Shabby Chic with Boyish Charm

I try to spotlight parties that either offer a great, helpful solution, like last week's boy and girl garden party here, or a party that showcases a unique twist–like this one!

When you think "shabby chic" normally you think girly: white, pink, lace, distressed props, etc. But this party takes shabby chic to a different level–for a boy! I saw this yesterday on Celebrations at Home. Done by mom Suzanna at Mon Tresor, I love how she was able to pull off the shabby chic look for her 3-year old son! She incorporated blues and chocolate brown into the color scheme. When she did use a traditional girlie detail, like lace, she used a beige color to give it a hint of masculinity. She did a wonderful job! You can see the full showcase either at Celebrations at Home here or at Mon Tresor's original blog post here.

Quick Classic Halloween Games

In the last few days I've seen quite a few people asking for "quick" Halloween party games. Thought I'd share a few here that are easy, use mostly household items and that you can definitely still make in time before the weekend! Most importantly, they'll add some spooktacular fun to your party for different ages.

Mummy Wrap Relay

Get into teams of 2-3 kids. Using toilet paper, wrap one of the team members as fast as you can! Then the "mummy" needs to run (or hop!) to the finish line to win.

Photo source here.

Halloween Can Toss

This traditional carnival "knock 'em down" game is an oldie but goodie. If you want to make it a little more challenging, add a bit of weight to the cans, so the cans aren't so easy to knock down. I would also recommend using soft bean bags (instead of a hard ball) so you don't risk damaging the back wall. Better Homes & Gardens makes it easy to make this fun game with cute free downloadable printables here.

Witch's Stew
I'm using this one for our Halloween party. Use templates (MarthaStewart.com is a good source for templates) to cut out some creepy "ingredients" for a witch's brew: bat, fly, mouse, bones, etc. Place the shapes beside a bowl/cauldron. Using a straw as a "vacuum," each child tries to pick up a shape and place it in the bowl to create the Witch's Stew. You can either time the players to see who can get all the shapes in the bowl the fastest, or set a goal for a prize, "Put five in to get a prize." Photo source here.

Doughnuts on a String
Here's a great alternative to "bobbin' for apples." Have kids and adults race to finish eating a doughnut from a string without using their hands! Use frosted orange doughnuts that are often seen in stores around this time. For complete game directions, visit MarthaStewart.com here.

Family Tree Craft

With my head so filled with Halloween over the weekend, I want to take a break and jump ahead to Thanksgiving--after all, it is less than a month away!

Since we don't live near family, each year I try to find something that we can make to send to the grandparents. Searching online, I came across this great "Family Tree" craft that I love. Put it in a pretty frame, I think it would be perfect for any holiday! If I decide to do this, I'll probably have to start collecting photos soon. What's convenient too, is, if any new grandchildren come along (oh, no WE'RE done! Referring to my sister in the future!) you can easily replace one of the circles for a new photo.

For the complete tutorial, visit Embellishing Life here.

Gray, Cream and Green Inspiration Board

Pam Smerker of Party Starters is hosting a "Create My Party" contest to celebrate her upcoming birthday. Smart girl, heh! It's a clever way to tap into creative minds for some great ideas for her own birthday party! Not that she needs them, mind you! If you don't know Pam, she is a paper crafting wizard! She recently did these great Halloween treat favor bags that you can see here that were one of my favorite items this season. And she also designed these super adorable mini cupcake boxes you can see here. I can't wait for the opportunity to use those! Plus, she offers great party inspiration and ideas at her blog, Party Starters that you can visit here.

More importantly, I was excited with the thought of helping Pam with her party because she was so super nice to me as I was immersing myself into this whole blog world! Y'see, I kind of hunted her down! Really! I was in a desperate search to find a party planning gal in my area that I actually contacted a couple of people before I got to her. And when I asked her my questions, she was SO kind to respond and respond thoughtfully! (Let me tell you, I e-mailed a few people that never answered!) It was greatly appreciated! And besides the contest prizes are pretty awesome! HA!

SO, her challenge is this: Inspiration for her birthday party that must include:

• A DIY cupcake decorating buffet
• A fun bar with cocktails
• Gray, cream and leafy green (include damask) color scheme. The color scheme was inspired by this Gap sweater at right (yes, you can find inspiration from anything!)

I haven't done too many of these, but wanted to give it a try. This is what I came up with. My notes and reasons for choosing these images are all below.

First off, I wanted the look to be special, but not super formal. (We're not super formal here in Colorado) Plus, the sweater has a casual sensibility to it so that's where I was going.

Starting from the top: Since Pam is a maven with paper, I thought it would be a nice personal touch to create custom favor boxes in a damask pattern. Or she can even use the damask pattern as the lid to her mini-cupcake boxes.

I fell in love with this table setting. It's so pretty and the criss-cross ribbon accent on the tablecloth adds just the right touch of comfort I was looking for. The pops of green come with the flowers, plates and napkins.

You see that large cocktail glass?? Pam's mother sent her that! Hysterical, right?! Instead of trying to come up with ways to decorate it, I say the birthday girl just uses that as her personal party glass! And so she'll need a big canister of apple-tinis to help keep up with that glass! Seriously though (although I am half serious!) using a large beverage decanter with a colored cocktail actually helps bring in your accent color to your decor, while also being functional.

I thought a great way to bring in the texture and "warmth" of the sweater is to use these knitted flower headbands around the vase centerpieces. She may even want to put one in her hair!

I was so psyched when I found this image for the DIY Cupcake Bar because it is exactly what I was envisioning--using a chalkboard is a great way to utilize the color gray and keep a casual element in the decor.

Below that is a cream color scheme for the buffet table. Using a burlap tablecloth and/or backdrop helps to bring in organic textures inspired by the sweater and lets the food "pop" on the table.

If Pam doesn't have time to make custom favor boxes, I thought these cute plants would make perfect favors for guests, and are reflective of the season.

Finally, Pam added a note that she likes the way sheet music looks, so why not create a pretty wreath to welcome guests. Totally says "here's the party"!

Happy birthday Pam! I'm sure whatever design scheme you choose it'll be a great party! Cheers!

Photo sources:

Damask favor bags here; Criss-cross tablescape here; Apple martini jar here;

Flower headband here; Dessert table here; DIY cupcake bar here; Sheet music wreath here; Plant favors here;

A Blog Award for ME??!!

What a great way to end the week!! Yesterday I opened my e-mail to discover that "The Real Housewife of Nowhere" selected Home Confetti for a "Versatile Blogger Award"! To me there is no greater honor than being recognized by one of your peers! Besides being my first recognition of any kind, this one means a lot because I really do try to make Home Confetti's content as diverse as possible. I try to feature tutorials, party theme ideas, crafts, recipes–and whatever else will add some fun (confetti!) to your home life. I am so grateful!

So, according to the "rules" I need to follow through on a few things:

• Thank and link back to the person who awarded you (check!)
• List seven random things about yourself (see below)
• Pass this on to at least 5 blogs that you have recently found and think are fabulous (see way below)
• Contact said bloggers and let them know they have been awarded The Versatile Blogger Award. (will do!)

Here are 7 random things about me:

1. I am addicted to Bravo's reality shows. I want Andy Cohen's job so I can interview all the insane cast members

2. My actual "day job" is working as a freelance marketing manager for Hearst Magazines

3. I am the oldest of three and definitely own the personality traits of being the oldest one (responsible, protective, organized, goal-oriented)

4. I am adamant about not being like my mother by using the good china and not saving it for just special occasions

5. I prefer white wine to red

6. I was in a bad ski accident years ago that shattered my tibia plateau. People still ask me about my scar.

7. My favorite color is purple

The five blogs I am passing this award onto; the ones that I feel showcase the "versatility" factor are:

Attention to Detail

Simply Creative Insanity

Make and Takes

Fun Favors

Divine Party Concepts

A Girl AND Boy Garden Party

As a mother of twins, I meet a lot of other twin moms. They always seem to bring up the common birthday conundrum that twin moms share: "Do I do separate birthday parties because it's so hard for the twins to decide on a theme they both like?" or "are they willing to share the party spotlight?" etc. But this dilemma is even greater when it is a set of boy/girl twins. The different interests can be a challenge. When the kids are still young, you can certainly do a great party that boys and girls will totally enjoy. Look at this amazing and charming "garden frog butterfly party" that mom from Bird Crafts did for her boy and girl. Her children aren't twins but they were born on the SAME day, two years apart! So, she certainly finds herself in the same predicament!

For the party she created a beautiful tablescape with an overall garden theme, but gave each child their own special place–one side for the butterfly, the other the frog. Because she used the same patterns, she was able to achieve a very cohesive look.

The details are amazing. I LOVE the leaf pedals she added to the pudding cups and the frog cupcakes are almost too cute to eat!

Her mission to create a harmonious, yet stylish party for her boy and girl was certainly a success! And judging by the rest of the photos, her children certainly had a good time, too!

To see the rest of the party, visit Bird Crafts here.

Get Ready for Harry Potter!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 1 is scheduled to be released next month, November 19th. No doubt this will resurrect the Harry Potter frenzy! If you plan on having a party to celebrate the movie release, or know that a Harry Potter-themed party is in your near future, this is the time to shop for it, by taking advantage of all the Halloween merchandise that's out now and especially Halloween clearance after the holiday. Or after seeing some of these ideas, you may even want to give your Halloween party a Harry Potter spin! So, whatever the occasion, here are some ideas to add a bit of magic to your party! (Click on photos to enlarge.)

1st Column:
Don't have a real owl to fly invitations to guests? Then add an owl illustration to your envelopes to greet invitees at their mailboxes. You may even want to hand deliver invitations with a small owl. Photo source here.
Set the stage as soon as guests arrive! Emulate the 9 3/4 Platform by covering your front door with a brick "scene setter" (you can find one here) and create a "Hogwart's Express 9 3/4" platform sign like this mom did here.

Middle:
Represent "Honeyduke's Candy Shoppe" with a colorful candy buffet. Use licorice magic wands and these wizard cupcakes (how-to here) along with other fun confections to fill it. (Candy buffet photo source here.)
Your party food can only be accompanied by some "Butterbeer." Just add butterscotch syrup to cream soda to make your own. Design your own Butterbeer labels to add to liter bottles to keep with the theme, as this mom did here.

A Harry Potter party isn't complete without a "Magic Potions Lab." Save small bottles and jars for your Potions Lab. Give kids a "Charms and Spells Book" as one of their party favors, as this mom did here. You can find "potion" or science experiments online. Do at least one at the party. One idea uses baking soda, vinegar and food coloring. Let the kids mix their own colors with food coloring and vinegar. The magic comes when they add the baking soda to create a foaming response!
 Don't forget to cover your surface and have each child wear an over sized shirt for a smock. OR fill the bottles and jars with edible ingredients, but give them spooky names and let the kids just come up with their own wild concoctions!

Last Column:
The kids will love to participate in their own game of Quidditch! See how this couple built their own Quidditch course here. Let the "Sorting Hat" come up with the teams before starting. Quidditch hats can be purchased from Amazon.com here.

Featured Etsy Seller: Candy Apple Designs

One of the biggest rewards for me personally about blogging is meeting so many creative people. I just love to meet other people who get the same joy from the little things I do! (And who don't think I'm crazy if I want to add a crepe paper trim to a cakestand! ha) But really, whether it's paper crafting, sewing, writing, painting, photography, woodworking... a person's craft really offers a different side to someone you might not normally see. And in many ways, you actually learn more about that person because they use their craft as a personal, expressive outlet. Low and behold, because of this blog, I discovered that one of my neighbor friends, Sherae Christensen, is a little creative maven! Home Confetti sparked a conversation between us. I went over to her house and discovered all the wonderful things she crafts--mostly with vinyl. And holy smokes–she even has her own etsy shop–who knew?!! Now, she won't be able to get rid of me! Once I saw what she does, I immediately asked her to create 3 Halloween-themed canvases, using her vinyl designs. I want to hang them in my dining room, which will be the "buffet room" for our Halloween open house party. She suggested the choice of illustrations and color, and off she went! Aren't these great?! I love how they turned out! I took these photos with my little digital camera, so BY NO MEANS do these photos do the artwork justice! These are a great way to add some festive, and a more sophisticated Halloween decoration, to your home.

You can visit Sherae's shop on etsy.com, Candy Apple Designs, here. What you'll find is just the tip of the iceberg of what she can do. She welcomes custom requests as well. For those of you here in No. Colorado, I'm sure you can set up a time to see her crafts. (Contact her through her etsy shop.) Sherae will be doing a "home show" next month and I'll be sure to let you know when that is! In the meantime, please visit her shop and make sure to tell her Home Confetti sent you!

Dino-mite Cupcake-Cake Tutorial

It's not a cupcake, and it's not a cake... it's a cupcake-cake! Cupcake-cakes are ideal because they give you the look of a cake, but they make serving so much easier. You don't need to worry about making a mess from cutting into the cake, or uneven slices. I always have someone saying, "that piece is way too big" and I get a lot of uneaten pieces of cake left over. With a cupcake cake each guest can just "pull away" their own cupcake. I bet making a pumpkin cupcake cake for Halloween would be fairly easy because of the simple roundish shape. Click here for a tutorial on creating this cute Dinosaur cupcake cake. If you don't want to make the red chocolate "spikes" as shown in the tutorial, cut triangles from fruit roll-ups instead. Once you get the hang of making a cupcake-cake, you may find yourself making them more often than regular cakes.

Craft Test: Bat Candy Wrappers

We're hosting a Halloween open house this year, so I'm trying to get a lot of misc Halloween stuff out of the way, because no doubt that I'll be in a frenzy to get everything ready for that the week before! So, we made the girls' treats for their classmates this week. Didn't they come out really cute?! If you missed it, this idea was included in a post last week. You can check it out here. The template is designed for a full size Hershey bar, but I photocopied it down to 70% and used it for the mini sized Hershey bars. I'm guessing the parents will thank me for that! Using an exacto knife is far easier and quicker than trying to cut the black card stock with scissors. Renee and Siena had fun sticking on the googly eyes, chocolate bar and message inside with glue dots. So, now I'm hiding them all in a Ziploc tucked away in my bedroom armoir, so none of them disappear before their class's Halloween party!

And by the way, here is the "Boo Your Neighbor" I did! When I saw this friendly ghost container in Michael's, I thought it would be cute to have a matching sign. I actually found a "Boo" ghost letter on Skip to My Lou, but I changed some of the wording, and presto! Hopefully the little ghost is making his way around the neighborhood!

And two final random–and super easy–Halloween crafts. Here is a photo of my mantle. (ugh! Is that a reflection of toilet paper?! How did THAT get there?!) ANYWAY–I have to say, I'm not one for plastic skeletons and such hanging from my walls. I try to keep the decorations subtle but festive. Plus, Renee and Siena get scared way too easily! But wanted to share two very simple ideas to integrate Halloween into your living room. The bats around the fireplace are simply made from black card stock. I used a template found here on Martha Stewart. I tried to make them look like they were flying into the room. I attached them with scotch tape and they've actually been pretty good about staying on. The "B-O-O" pumpkins are an idea I got from Better Homes & Gardens last year. They're just white craft pumpkins, purchased at Michael's, and I used a sharpie to write on the letters. And of course I can't find the original idea on their website, but that was really all there was to it. (Actually, looking at it in this photo, I probably need to do some editing by removing some frames...!) Each idea is a nice, sophisticated addition to any bookshelf or mantle. You could even place the pumpkins on the top of your kitchen cabinets.

Hope you get a chance to do some fun Halloween decorating this weekend!

Party Popcorn Bar

I started off the week with food, and am going to end it with food!

I love the idea of fun, self-serve stations that allow guests to customize their treats. We know cupcake decorating is fun, and even a s'mores bar makes a great dessert station at parties... but how about a popcorn bar?! Popcorn is a great treat for kids and adults, a little healthier--and what better way to lure guests to the dessert table than the smell of fresh popped popcorn?!

I'm loving this idea from Think Garnish. Guests can choose from toppings like seasoned salts or cajun spices. I personally love a sweet and salty mix, so would love to add something like caramel or cinnamon onto my popcorn. The more options you add, the more fun for your guests! And popcorn is pretty inexpensive, which is a big plus! The kraft ripple cups and wooden serving boats shown in the photo can be purchased from Garnish's online shop here. See the rest of this original post on Think Garnish here.

DIY Paper Cupcake Stand

This is one of those ideas you file away and look for a reason to use--it's that cute! Cupcakes have become so decorative in their own right, that they should be put on their own pedestal! Use this neat little cupcake stand to accent your dessert table, leave one at each guest's table setting or create a lovely row of them in different papers for your tablescape. It really opens up a lot of new decorating options. Featured originally on Bird Crafts, you can find the complete tutorial with a downloadable template here.

Lovely With Lace

Feminine, soft, romantic, girlie... so many ways to describe lace. And so many ways to incorporate lace into a celebration. Lace certainly isn't for weddings only! If you're not big on "theme" parties, adding just touches of lace into a party, shower or tablescape is a nice way to bring everything together, give it a cohesive look. I've collected some of my favorite images that exemplify the many ways you can use lace. Make sure to read the notes below for a couple of noted tutorials and image sources.

Top Row:

You need to click to enlarge this photo to really appreciate it. The backdrop is made of beautiful luxe fabrics accented with strips of lace, and the bunting on front is made with doilies, twine and clothes pins. Click here for the full tutorial, featured on Amy Atlas. The same idea of using a collection of hanging fabrics and lace translates well to embellish a chair like this. Adorned with a flower, anyone will be sitting pretty at your party. To see the rest of these party photos, click here. This beautiful lace garland was done for a mexican-themed wedding. What a nice way to lighten a room. You can see the full showcase here at postcards and pretties.

Second Row:

A mix of paper, ribbon and paper doilies helps sweeten these bottles for a pretty centerpiece, as shown here on The City Cradle. I love these next hurricane lamps. I'm hoping to do something like this, this coming winter. You can find how to easily make these here. Add a strip of lace to a cake, like this one found here at The Sweetest Occasion. Serve toppings or juice in bottles embellished with lace, like these found here at Kate Landers.

Third Row:

There were many great lace touches used in an "Autumn Engagement Party" from Celebrations at Home. It was hard for me to narrow it down to these three! But I love how they used lace in the placecards, behind the L-O-V-E letters and, especially around the cake holder. And finally, another nice touch is to use lace around a mason jar, whether it's on a table or hanging from a tree like this one featured in a beautiful "Sunshine" party from Love the Day. To see Love the Day's full Sunshine party, with amazing details like this one, click here.

A Centerpiece to Fall For

This beautiful centerpiece just screams fall to me. I love the simplicity and choice of yellow color. The raffia around the bottle necks gives it a nice finished rustic accent.

These were actually done as wedding centerpieces. But, they would look lovely just on a kitchen table. Or use a series of smaller bottles, with smaller branches in a row for a Thanksgiving tablescape. The only real effort involved is making the yellow rosettes, which is very easy. I found a tutorial here via "postcards & pretties." You can click here for the original blog.

Going DOUGH-NUTS!

First it was cake, then cupcakes, then cupcakes and candy on skewers... now it seems like doughnuts are taking over! In many party showcases over the last few months I've been spotting doughnuts on dessert buffets and used in other delicious ways! With the variety of flavors and forms, there is so much you can do with them. Here are just some of the ingenious ways doughnuts are making their way to the head of the (dessert) table!

From cute to elegant. I would love to have either one of these waiting for me at the breakfast table in the morning! How ridiculously adorable are those snowmen from Better Homes & Gardens?! A great presentation for a holiday brunch. (Click here for more info.) The coffee and mini doughnuts at right, from Martha Stewart Weddings, would be a nice treat to greet a house guest in the morning. (Click here for complete recipe.)

Kids will gobble up these doughnut hole kabobs in no time! Use the same doughnut or mix them up a bit with plain, chocolate, powdered and sprinkled versions. (Photo from Project Wedding) And I love the idea of adding strawberries and drizzled chocolate for a really indulgent dessert! No one will miss cake! (Photo source here.)

Couples are using doughnuts as a unique twist (and less expensive alternative) to the traditional wedding cake, without losing the beautiful presentation. Displayed with flowers, a tray of doughnuts can really make a statement on a dessert table. (Left photo found here; Right photo found here.)

And finally, doughnuts are also being used as party favors. These two just happen to be wedding favors, both given to guests as a midnight snack. The left one is sealed with a label, "Sweet Dreams" found here. The right one is packaged with adorable milk bottles, found on hostessblog.com here.

Craft Test: Halloween Jar Lanterns

I mentioned on Facebook that I was planning on tackling this little project with my girls, Renee and Siena. Last week we got the chance to do it. The project looked so easy, that honestly, I just jumped right in and didn't consider one important thing as we were working on it...

First off, the project is actually titled "Painted Jar Luminaries." You can find the tutorial here. I purchased a pack of 12 wide-mouthed, quart size mason jars at Wal Mart for around $10. I only had to buy the purple and orange acrylic craft paint (Michael's $3.99 each) because I already had yellow and green. I also did buy the recommended Krylon Clear Glaze ($6.99 but used my 40% coupon off that). The girls and I had a lot of fun painting the mason jars. I set everything up outside, so it was nice relaxing in the backyard, in the sun, painting. Renee and Siena are 4, and they did a great job painting the jars. Once they were dry, I used a pencil first to draw the faces. I copied a lot of the faces in the tutorial and then tried to come up with a few of my own. I went over the pencil drawings with black paint. Once the faces were dry, I sprayed the jars with the Krylon. Here are the little guys taking in the sun to dry.

Easy breezy, right?! BUT, here is a vignette of the jars on my front porch during the day and glowing at night. (By the way--I use battery operated tea lights, instead of actual votives.) What do you notice? The purple and green jars are not as transulcent as the yellow and orange. Dang! Although I did add some water to the acrylic paint, I should have thinned it out much more. I tried to lightly sandpaper some of the paint, but it was just totally taking the paint off. So, at night we're only lighting the yellow and orange jars. Together, there are 8 of those, so it still looks pretty festive at night. So, if you try this, make sure to thin out the paint, or just stick to yellow, orange and white paint.

But I have to say, it was still a fun project, that was easy enough for 4-year olds, and quality time spent with my girls. And the collection of jars look very fun on our front porch--check it out below!

Classroom Halloween Treats

In Colorado we aren't permitted to bring homemade snacks as a classroom treat. You can imagine how much that bugs me every time I see an adorably decorated cupcake, an oreo pop, chocolate covered pretzel or other cute idea posted somewhere! So, I was searching the blogs this last week looking for something Renee and Siena can give their classmates for Halloween that could be made with a prepackaged candy. I found this great bat chocolate bar wrapper on Skip To My Lou. So cute and I already have the black card stock and googly eyes--so this is what I'm going to do! There is also a mummy version on there, too. I thought I'd share this and a couple of other ideas in case you face the same challenge. And if you have any ideas you want to share, I would love to see them! For the template and tutorial on the above bat (and mummy) candy wrapper, click here.

Here's a cute creature that's easy to make and the children will love! Just wrap 4 chenille stems (which back in my school days were called pipe cleaners!) around a lollipop. Then use glue dots to attach googly eyes. Photo source found via Frost Me here.

Or find a spookatcular way to package some store-bought candy. This package uses takeout-styled boxes (you can purchase from OrientalTrading.com). Use either foam stickers or card stock cut-outs for the face. Parents magazine gives you the bat wing template here.

And don't forget some of the easy lollipop ideas I've given you on Home Confetti's Facebook page. The Tootsie Pop Pumpkins (see here) and these sweet ideas here.

A Bevy of Balloon Ideas!

With the rise in custom party goods, props and other DIY craftiness, it seemed that good ol' balloons were taking a backseat. But, I am so happy to see new, incredibly creative ways people are finding to use balloons in their parties! Here are just a few recent examples of inventive ways to use balloons that go beyond just using hot air!

This one from Little Lovely may be my favorite. This was done for a first birthday party, but can also be done for a travel themed, bon voyage party--or what about Wizard of Oz--putting Dorothy somewhere at the bottom of the hot air balloon?! Unfortunately there isn't a tutorial, but you can probably study the photo and figure out a way to do it using scrapbook paper, ribbon and glue dots. Original post here.

Love the theme for this baby shower–"She's About to POP"! A balloon wreath welcomed guests, along with a cute sign, "Pop On In!"

To see all the photos from this shower, featured on Catch My Party, click here.

Balloons provide flower power here from Martha Stewart. What a fun way to bring lots of color into a room or to an outdoor garden party. Click here for the full tutorial.

How adorable is this oversized ice cream balloon cone?! I love the added sprinkles on top! Nice touch! Perfect for an ice cream themed party or play date. The Craft in Me gives a full tutorial here.

Semi-Homemade Halloween Party

Last week I let you all know what a fan of Sandra Lee's I am. This is another great example of why. Here's her "Black Cat Bash" that makes it SO easy to throw a Halloween Open House. She gives you the menu with recipes (there's even a great orange cocktail for the "groan-ups"!), black cat invitations, with matching tags and decoration you can download on your own computer. (I'm definitely finding a place for that cute black cat!) Sandra also provides party favor ideas and shopping resources. So, if you weren't even considering having a Halloween party, this might make you reconsider!

Find the recipes and downloadables for the large black cat image, invitation and circles here. For the full photo story, check out the September/October issue of her magazine.

Today's Takeaway: Etch a Sketch

Adding a monogram to a party favor really elevates the gesture of the gift. Personalization shows that a gift is meant for a specific guest and some extra care went into making it for that specific person. When I was looking at the beautiful photos that pen n' paperflowers showcased from their "lemonade & sunshine party" I was pretty dazzled by it all! Then came the photo of the gift basket that each guest got to take home--how happy would you be with this lovely package?!

I was immediately drawn to the monogrammed vintage-styled milk bottle. How did she do that?! Well, she was actually gracious enough to share a tutorial on how to etch the bottles. She even brings you through the trials she went through to get to the best result. And guess what bottles she used? Those are Starbucks Frappucino bottles you can find anywhere. Love it! Once you learn the art of glass etching (and you'll see how easy it is from her tutorial) you can etch candles or put a nice package like this together as a gift for the holidays. Or keep this idea in your back pocket for a special occasion.

To go directly to the tutorial, click here. To see the full party from pen n' paperflowers, click here.

Another Reason to Party: The Gender Reveal!

Is it going to be a boy or a girl?! Many parents-to-be anxiously wait for that 20-week sonogram to tell them the gender of their upcoming addition. And the excitement builds when waiting to share the news with family and friends. But it's how they share the news that has gotten really creative! Many newbie parents are having special parties to announce their baby's gender. Here is a round-up of just some of the fun ways parents have chosen to share the news!

This fun couple went all out with a "What's it Going to BEE?" theme for their party, tailored with a black and yellow color scheme. Adorable! (Photo source here)

Two great ideas from this party mama at right: The snacks were all based on the mom-to-be's cravings! And while at the party, guests were asked to vote if they thought the baby was a boy or a girl. To see the rest of this party, click here.

The most common way to finally let guests know if it's a boy or a girl is by cutting into a cake or letting guests take a bite out of a cupcake to reveal blue or pink icing. This cute couple at right took it one step further and changed into custom T-shirts to make the official announcement. To see the rest of these party photos, click here.

Craft Test: Country Living Paper Wreath

A week or so ago I posted a Halloween wreath project from Country Living on Home Confetti's Facebook page. Yesterday, I got the chance to make it. I like to review my experience with a project to share anything I may have learned or tips in making it. This one was fairly easy and I was pretty happy with the results, although my finished wreath looks a little different than their's. The photo above is Country Living's finished wreath. If you missed the posted project on Facebook, click here to go to Country Living's tutorial.

Now onto mine. First thing to make sure you do is purchase the WIDE styrofoam wreath. I used a 12" styrofoam wreath from Joanne's. (It was $5.99 but got 40% off that with a coupon.) There is a "skinny" styrofoam wreath--that is not the one you want. Here's a photo of the back of the wreath so you can see what the wide wreath looks like. You need the wide version to be able to pin three layers of crepe paper across it.

So, follow Country Living's directions pinning the crepe paper across and around the wreath. I used regular pins and used 3-4 pins across each row. NOW, when it came to the hanging ribbon in the middle--that's where mine looks different. They must have used a wider sized crepe paper than I did--I just bought mine at Party City for $1. When I added the hanging crepe paper in the middle, it looked a little wimpy to me... so I added some ribbon (that I bought at Wal-Mart for $1) to give it an accent and dress it up a little. And I'm pretty satisfied with it. I'm going to hang this on our door next week. Luckily, we do have a front porch that should protect it from any rain, wind, etc. We'll see how it holds up! Below is a photo of my finished wreath.

If you have tried any of the projects I've posted, I would LOVE to see and even share your photos! And if you haven't joined Home Confetti on Facebook, make sure to visit the Home Confetti page and hit "Like" so you don't miss out on all the extra "confetti"!

BOO Your Neighbors!

October 1st! Let the countdown to Halloween begin! This is the perfect game to get you and your neighborhood into the Halloween spirit! Truth be told, I had never heard of this game until I saw it on a number of blogs. And hopefully some of you haven't either! (Note to my neighbors reading this: I will probably do this so don't give away who the "Ghost" is!)

In a nutshell, you secretly leave a treat for one or two neighbors, along with a sign and note. (The sign is to hang on their door so people know they've already been BOOed. The note provides directions on what to do.) The recipient then leaves a new treat, sign and note for another neighbor--until hopefully most of the neighborhood has been BOOed! So, if you plan to do this, it's probably a good idea to start soon!

I've seen a few variations of this game on different blogs, but the one shown here, from The TomKat Studio, makes it really easy to execute. Download the sign and note here. Happy BOOing!