THIS WEEK'S PRODUCT FIND @ WALMART

I love finding products that give me a head start with any DIY project. That's why I was so happy to find these pre-made pallet pieces at Walmart. There are two different sizes, with prices from $9.97 to $14.97. Saves you from sanding and nailing together the plank pieces. You'll also notice that the smaller versions are offered in different finishes. A great deal!

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THANK YOU CARD

This week is going to be a hard week for me. My twin girls will graduate from elementary school on Friday. I only have the twins so it's like boom, it's done! I feel very fortunate though that they each had such a great experience at their elementary school--especially since they each have such different personalities and needs. So, I really wanted to be able to express our thank you to the staff.

I have seen a lot of cute thank yous to teachers like this one on Pinterest. I decided to take the idea one step further. We made cards for each girl. You see the cover above. Inside, on the first panel the card is addressed to every teacher (including principals and specials teachers) that the girls have had since kindergarten. On the other side we outlined the many lessons each girl learned during her six years there. (Our elementary school is K-5.)

We'll be passing them out tomorrow and I know each teacher will really appreciate the note.

How do you thank your kids' teachers at the end of the year? Would love to hear!

DIY MAILBOX PLANTERS

Just because Earth Day is behind us doesn't mean we should stop thinking about how to repurpose, reuse and recycle. I love this project from Second Chance to Dream. This is a great repurposing project and pretty spring decor to add to your front porch - especially if you like decor with a bit of a vintage flair. Find the full tutorial here.

FLORAL TRAY USING MELTED CRAYONS

You've probably melted crayons for kid projects, but how about doing it for this pretty adult acrylic tray project from Crafts Unleashed?! I love the way the melted crayons take on a watercolor look. She used her Silhouette Cameo to cut out the crayon floral shapes but I'm wondering if you could use cookie cutters? That would probably be easy enough if you don't own a Cameo, or as she suggests you can just use scissors.  Find the full tutorial here.

EASTER CENTERPIECE USING CLOTHES PINS

When I started this blog I used to post great crafts and DIY projects I thought were pretty unique and that I felt all skill levels could do. These days with Pinterest, etc. it's become much harder to find those kinds of projects. I feel like we've seen it all. But this project from An Extraordinary Day has re-inspired me! This darling Easter centerpiece is different and really makes a statement on your Easter table. Find the full directions here.

SPRINGTIME GARDEN PARTY

I realize some of you in the northeast may not be feeling it, but spring is just a week away. It's just about time to start planning some outdoor festivities! Submitted by photographer Kir 2 Ben, this beautiful garden party welcomes spring with pretty pastels and handmade paper decor.  My favorite items have to be the scalloped plates and floral napkins–they just make the table. Best of all, you can easily achieve this look on your own by ordering a curated "event in a box" from Gala Tuesday. Find all the spring options and more here.

FOOTBALL PARTY TIP

We've all seen and do the wine charms... but I have to say I never thought of doing something to help party guests keep track of their beer or soda cans. I love this idea from Lydi Out Loud. She made cute helmets with a Cricut attached to elastic hair bands as "can charms." If you don't have a Cricut, you can use different colored footballs that would be easy to cut out.  Find this idea and more for your parties here.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS / OUR HOLIDAY CARD

Every year it's a bit of a creative challenge on what we're going to do for our holiday card. (Not doing one is NOT an option! ha ha) With photo booths being such a party craze this past year, this seemed like the idea to go with. One of my daughters wasn't too happy that she was cut out in most of the photos, but I tried to explain to her that's just part of the photo booth fun, and besides I post enough photos of her on Facebook, people know what she looks like!

I hope your holidays are filled with laughter and fun.

Best,
Rose Marie

CHRISTMAS PAPER LANTERN

I am always in awe when I see blogger tours of their elegant homes beautifully decorated for the holidays. How do they get it all done? So I really appreciate little projects like this that are easy but really add a nice festive touch to a living room or entrance. I found this pretty project via Craftberry Bush, but it was originally posted on eHow here. If you give it a try, let me know!

WREATH MAKING PARTY

While I was going through these photos I felt like I could actually smell the fresh scent of greenery. It immediately relaxed me! Get together with a few girlfriends to relax while putting together a plush green Christmas wreath. It'll be a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the holidays. With Christmas just over a week away it's the perfect time so your wreath is nice and fresh. This get-together was hosted by Janelle, wedding industry florist expert, in her home studio (nice room, right?!) who taught participants how to make their own wreaths using boughs and pretty adornments. (Having them use rubber gloves is a smart tip!) Thanks to Calgary's GingerSnap Photography for taking and sharing the festive photos.

PINTEREST WIN: "GIVE THANKS" BLOCKS

I wasn't planning on sharing this project on the blog, but I received so many questions and engagement when I posted it on my personal Facebook page, I thought I better!

A few weeks ago I hosted a craft night with some new gal pals. I needed to do something fairly easy but have it also be something we could actually use. I had pinned this project from Crystal and Co. quite a while ago. You can find the full directions here. She makes the project super easy because she provides the printables for free! There were no stencils to use or vinyl to cut. The most work was actually done by my husband who helped me cut the wood into blocks and I sanded down the edges.

The one thing I will warn you about is make sure not to use too much Mod Podge underneath the printables, otherwise you'll get bad bubbles. You just need a thin coat underneath and on top to adhere them onto the blocks.

I have my blocks on the mantle and love it! Another one of the ladies has them on a side table in her entryway and it looks great. Such a nice greeting for guests!

There is still time to give it a try. Happy Thanksgiving!

OUR HARRY POTTER PARTY: QUIDDITCH GAME

My husband gave me a hard time about getting this game set up for the party - he thought I was going a bit overboard - but it ended up literally costing less than $20 to make and took no longer than 30 minutes to set up. It ended up being a favorite activity at the party so it was totally worth it!

How we made our Quidditch game:

We compromised a bit. Instead of putting hoops at both ends of our field, we only put hoops in the middle of our backyard. We were afraid that if we put hoops near the fence, balls would constantly be going into our neighbors' yards, so we concentrated the game in the middle.

My husband purchased 3 long pieces of pine wood from Lowe's at $1 each. He shaved points at the end of each one to make it easier to get them into the ground. I purchased kid size (smaller than the usual size) hula hoops ($1 each) at Dollar Tree. My husband then drilled the hoops into each wood stake. We enforced it a bit with some clear packing tape. You can't really tell from this photo, but the middle one was higher/taller than the other two hoops.

Additionally, each girl got a broom to play with. I purchased $1 dowels from Hobby Lobby. I collected sticks from our neighborhood and hot glued them onto each dowel. I finished them off with a piece of ribbon I had.

We used a foam ball we found at Walmart as the "quaffle" and we happen to have a yellow golf ball that we used as the "snitch."

To play we used Flax & Twine's set of rules for the game here.

The girls really enjoyed it--even getting a bit competitive!

Make sure to check out the other posts about our Harry Potter party here, here and here.

DIY TOTEM POLE

This totem pole made with milk jugs and coffee containers from Instructables is so genius, colorful and fun! With all the tiki-themed parties around this summer, I thought it was totally worth sharing. Find the full directions here.

STORK PINATA FOR GENDER REVEAL

It totally makes sense to have the stork 'deliver' the news on your baby's gender to friends and family! This adorable idea from The House That Lars Built does just that. Strike the stork. If pink candy and prizes fall out, it's a girl.  If the goodies are blue, it's a boy! Find the full tutorial here.

BALLOON & FLOWER GARLAND

Balloons seem to have made a comeback. Bloggers are displaying such different and creative ways to use them.  This is one idea from Little Inspiration that is one of my favorites. Combine smaller sized balloons with faux flowers for a plush garland. Perfect for a shower or garden party. The full tutorial is featured here.

DIY EASTER BUNNY WREATH

From a boa to a festive wreath! I love this idea from Crafts Unleashed. And it looks pretty easy to make. You could also use it as an Easter game by throwing carrots through the middle. Find the full tutorial here.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY: PAPER PLATE BACKGROUND

How awesome is this backdrop in a robot party featured on Kara's Party Ideas? Look closely and you'll notice that it's made with paper plates! Like crepe paper, paper plates are a great inexpensive item to create backdrops for large areas. You can easily see those square paper plates being used for a Lego or Minecraft party. Perfect also for a photo booth.

SNOWMAN S'MORES

Just because the holidays are over doesn't mean you have to stop the cute ideas. Continue to have some fun with this snowman s'mores idea from Shabby Creek Cottage. You can also just make a snowman head and drop it on the top of your cup of hot cocoa. Find the original post here.

POM POM TABLECLOTH

Happy New Year all! Starting off the year with an idea that was meant for New Year's Eve but can certainly be used for any party! From Let's Mingle, this simple DIY shows how some store-bought pom poms can totally transform a boring tablecloth. Love it! Find the full tutorial here.

TIN CAN HOLIDAY DECOR

If you've found yourself with a small collection of cookie tins from past holidays, here's a great way from Croissant and Lavender to repurpose them. Use them as candle holders to give your room a soft "silent night" glow. She used tuna cans but if you use holiday tins, they're already pre-decorated! I'd also recommend battery operated tea lights, especially if you want to keep them on for a while. Find the full tutorial here.