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BLANKETS & CRIB SHEETS
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BIRTHDAY
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MUGS
Obviously, keeping the kids entertained is one of the top priorities at any good children’s party. You need a craft that is interesting and new, but not too complicated for them to handle with minimal help. For this week’s Ballet Party theme, we’ve found a craft that meets all these needs. I recommend it for agest 5 and up, although you could do younger if you have some moms to help out.
This was originally the idea of Anjie on the Pom Pom Emporium blog (she made fairies as Christmas ornaments) – but we put a new twist on her idea to make these fun little ballerina dolls.
You will need:
Step 1: Paint hair, a leotard, and a face on your clothespin. If the kids are doing this, you might just want to get some vibrant paint pens or markers. It will make cleanup easier.
Step 2: Take a drinking glass and create a “donut” template on your cardboard. Cut out two identical cardboard circles for each ballerina. I used a cereal box out of the recycling bin for this – it was sturdy enough for the craft, but still easy to cut through.
Step 3: Place both “donuts” together, and wrap with yarn until covered. If you want to make a striped or ombre skirt, consider changing yarn colors partway through.
Step 4. Insert your painted clothespin into the center of the yarn-wrapped donuts. Using sharp scissors, cut the yard around the edges of the two cardboard donuts.
Step 5: Gently separate the two donuts – moving one towards the ballerina’s face and the other towards her feet. Tie a length of yarn firmly around the ballerina’s waist (between the two separated cardboard donuts).
Step 6: Fully slide the donuts off of the ballerina. Fluff the tutu, trim any loose yarn pieces, and start playing!
This easy craft idea is courtesy of Kelly Purkey at American Crafts Studio Blog. I originally found this idea when I was coming up with inspiration for my “Cute as a Button” baby shower, but this idea would be great for Mother’s Day, too.
To make your flower bouquet, you’ll need to gather a few items (most of which you should be able to find around the house – no trip to the store required!):
Simply thread the buttons onto a die-cut felt flower (or one you cut yourself), making sure to keep excess string on the backside of the flower. Tie excess thread around a skewer stick, securing the flower to the front of the stick. Use a dot of glue to hold it in place. Tie a piece of ribbon on the skewer to look like the flower leaves.
Then just place the skewers into your vase (or a teacup or pop can) that’s been filled with the floral foam, rice or sand. It’s that easy!
I had a wonderful, long-term client request a “cute as a button” baby shower invitation last week, and I thought I’d pull together some ideas for her to take her party over the top. I’ll be posting a DIY tutorial on Friday for the button flowers, so stay tuned!
I’ll keep adding ideas to my Pinterest button board over time, so if you like what you see, make sure to follow my boards. Keep reading after the inspiration board to find the sources for these cute finds!
1. The Cake
I fell in love with this cake when I saw it on the Miso Bakes Blog. The fondant buttons are simply adorable!
2. The Invitation
I designed this invitation to match the color scheme my client was using – but, of course, we could update it to match any scheme you want for your party. You can this modern invitation at Swanky Press or on Etsy.
3. Button Flowers
I love the idea of making these fun button flowers for the centerpiece – and to scatter in vases all around the party. The DIY tutorial will be posted on Friday, so stay tuned!
4. Button Napkin Rings
You can add buttons to all sorts of things for the party, but I especially loved this idea by Burnt Creative. You can head over to their blog for a full DIY tutorial.
5. Cupcakes
These fondant button cupcake toppers are as sweet as could be – and you can buy them at Sweet Lavender Bake Shop on etsy. Another idea would be to add these to a frosted cake to give it a very custom look.
6. Button Bowl
This idea is so simple that’s it’s brilliant. Take a balloon and cover it with glue. Line up buttons on the balloon/glue and let dry. Pop the balloon and you have a seriously cool bowl! I pinned this on Pinterest a couple weeks ago and it shot all around the site like wildfire. The bowl in the photo was designed and created by Knoop.
7. Button Garland
This idea is just stunning – and would be so simple to create. You can go over the top and add the garland throughout the party location, or, if your time/budget is more limited, create a garland above the dessert table only. You can see this idea (originally from a very cool wedding) on The Wedding Chicks.
8. Button Lollipops
These blueberry flavored button lollipops would be great on the dessert table, or could be the perfect party favor to take home. You can find a tutorial on how to make them on The Daily Mixer blog from The Layer Cake Shop. They sell the button candy molds there, too. I’ve got to be honest here, I ended up wandering around their shop for a really long time (in a virtual sense)…there are too many fun baking supplies!
9. Button Wine Charms
These button wine charms from RBK Creations on etsy would be a great touch at the shower. She’s got a ton of other fun button things in her shop, too.
10. Button Soap
This adorable button soap would be great as a party favor – but make sure you put a bar in the bathroom at the shower, too. It would be such a fun way to incorporate the button theme throughout the house! You can find it on Hello Crafty on etsy.
Wow – I had so much fun looking through everyone’s Pinterest party inspiration boards! It was a very, very tough decision.
But…drumroll please… the winner of the contest is MamieCole 24 for her Penguin Birthday Party ideas! Congratulations.
Note: MamieCole – your comment didn’t have an email address associated with it, so when you see this post, please email me at orders@swankypress.com so we can discuss your prize.
Thanks for pinning, everyone!
We are starting a contest today called “Pin it to Win it”, where you can win the invitations and thank you notes for your dream party. To enter, create an inspiration board in Pinterest designing the best party you can come up with, using one of Swanky Press’s invitations. Fill your board with the not just the invitation, but also cake, decor, clothing, and anything else that will set the vibe for your party.
Once you’ve designed your Pinterest board, leave a comment here with a link to your board. The best board will win the featured invitation (a set of 25) and coordinating thank you notes (a set of 25) for their party!
So how do we judge best? Quality is the first factor, but we will also give weight to boards that gets lots of pins and likes – so spread the word once your board is done. Facebook, twitter…however you can want to get people to visit your board!
The boring fine print: Contest open to US and Canadian residents only. The winning board board will be chosen by Swanky Press On Wednesday, January 25th. You have the entire year of 2012 to claim your prize – so don’t worry if you little one’s birthday isn’t until next November…that won’t be a problem. You can create as many boards as you like for more chances to win. The winner can select their invitation and thank you notes (and can substitute a different Swanky Press design of his or her choosing.)
Need to see what a party inspiration board can look like? Check out our pirate party or princess party for inspiration.
To go hand-in-hand with my Pirate Party Inspiration Board, I thought I’d offer a DIY tutorial for Pirate Flag Cupcake Toppers – including free printable flags. These just take a minute to make, but can make a big impact at the party. (Hint: you can use the printable for all sorts of other things, too…like favor bag tags, to adorn table placards, etc.)
The cupcakes were made by Noi Gifts & Gourmet. They are a rich chocolate cupcake dipped in a dark chocolate ganache. I couldn’t wait to get done photographing the flags so I could eat one! Check out Noi’s on Facebook, too… and tell her Swanky Press sent you!
You will need: a printer, lollipop sticks, scissors, and tape.
If clicking on the image doesn’t work for you, try this link for the free download.
Ahoy Matey! Who doesn’t love a Pirate Party? I’ve had a lot of requests from clients for pirate invitations lately (you can see my 3 favorite invitations here, here, and here), so I decided to pull together an inspiration board, too. Make sure you check out the 4th photo – it’s free printable cupcake topper pirate flags, courtesy of Swanky Press.
I’ll keep adding ideas to my Pinterest pirate board over time, so if you like what you see, make sure to follow my boards. And keep reading after the board to find the sources for these fun finds!
1. The Invitation
A silhouette of a pirate ship is great for a pirate party, and works for both younger and older kids. You can this modern invitation at Swanky Press or on Etsy.
2. Pirate TShirt
This fun pirate tshirt is from Modern Frills – my personal favorite tshirt shop for party and seasonal tees. She has a blog filled with amazing party and craft ideas that is worth checking out. She has some great boards on Pinterest, too. (A Personal Note: I don’t follow too many people on Pinterest, but when I do, it’s because they really offer something special. Modern Frills is one of those I enjoy following!)
3. Bunting
This pirate treasure map bunting is from Scrap Your Story on etsy. I loved the aged details.
4. Cupcakes and Free Printable Flags
These yummy chocolate ganache cupcakes were made by Noi Gifts and Gourmet out of Frankin, TN. She has a fabulous shop – if you’re not local, you should at least pop by her Facebook page and check out some of the amazing cakes she makes!
Now for the pirate flag cupcake toppers – you can see a DIY tutorial and print them out for free by clicking here!
5. Photo Booth Pirate Props
These photo booth props would be great for the party – what a fun activity and a great way to catch some fabulous pics! You can check them out at Little Retreats on etsy.
6. Walk the Plank!
This idea is the brainchild of The Fickle Pickle Blog: a actual plank to walk as part of the party activities. She threw a fab pirate party for her 4 year old – you should check out how she pulled it all together!
7. Pirate Medallion – Doubloon
Ok, my two oldest kids just watched Pirates of the Caribbean for the first time – and are now a touch pirate obsessed. I watched most of it with them (but dozed off at the end – typical movie watching for me!). Anyway, when I saw this medallion from Touch Soul on etsy, I knew it would be the perfect accessory to the party. If it’s a small party, you could have a treasure hunt where each child finds one as the last step. If you have more kids and that doesn’t make sense financially, you could have the medallion be the grand prize for the pirate who wins the big contest at the party. At $4 each, this really is a good, quality party find.
8. Skull Cake
This skull cake is just fondant fabulous! I love the pirate, patch and colors. You can find it at ZebraCake1 – contact them on Facebook for more info. (They are a UK baker, but lately, we have so many readers from the UK and Australia that I thought it would be nice to start including some international links.)
And More…
There are just too many great pirate ideas to limit it to 8 spots, so here goes:
Party Activities: scavenger hunt, treasure hunt (with a pirate map, of course), make your own “hook” hand – either a low budget one or a cute softie, use a hook to break the piñata, fill a small sandbox with pirate treasure (for little kids)
Party Keepsakes: Get a Pirate Party Keepsake Book from Special Occaisions Design; attach a pirate flag to a small gift/favor bag (you can use the free printable)
Party Attire: Check out these fun finds for Dad and for Baby Brother or Sister
Table Settings: This table setting , another table setting, and this bunting are awesome! Oh, and consider adding a map and scroll to your dessert table – you can find this awesome set on etsy!
Food: I love this Watermelon Pirate ship, this cake, this pirate hat chocolate mold, this pirate hat cake pop, and these cookies.
Simply Swanky loves freebies! We have free printable New Year’s Eve gift tags available to dowload. Feel free to download and print out as many as you need (for personal use only). You can use them for champagne bottle tags, hostess gifts or cupcake toppers.
To download, just click on the photo below and the file will open in a new window. Hit file>save and it will save to your computer. Then, just print, cut, and enjoy!
I’ve been inspired lately by vintage 1800-era illustrations, which were the fuel for this clock-themed vintage/steampunk New Year’s Eve inspiration board. It’s a great way to combine vintage with extra glitz – Happy 2012!
1. The Invitation
The invitation is inspired from a men’s pocketwach from a late 1880’s catalog. You could use the same vintage/clock idea for a steampunk party, too. You can find it in our etsy shop.
2. Tilting Clock Cake
This fabulous, tipsy cake is from Mike’s Amazing Cakes. His entire gallery of cakes is pretty spectacular.
3. Decorate with Clocks
An easy way to get your home into the theme is to put clocks everywhere. You can get old ones at a second-hand store, or just borrow some from your neighbors. I especially love the idea of stacking them up as a centerpiece of the dessert buffet. This great collection of clocks is from Mitzi’s Collectables.
4. Sparkler Favors
Weddings are using sparklers as a favor, and we loved the wedding featured on the Ruffled Blog that used this simple, pretty way to have them ready for guests. The original idea was submitted to Ruffled by Katie at Carla Ten Eyck.
5. Countdown Cookies
These clever countdown cookies are from the i am mommy blog. Too cute, and you could do them in any color scheme.
6. New Year’s Cootie Catcher
Wow – I love this simple, fun idea from Designs by Tenisha on etsy. You can download a digital file from her for only $10, and then print as many clever party favors as you need.
7. Glittery Cupcake Toppers
These cute glittery cupcake toppers can be found at UniqPaperCreations on etsy.
8. Lighted Sparkling Garland
This idea from Apartment Therapy is a simple and classic way to add some sparkle to your party (but I’d be tempted to leave it up year round!).
At some point, almost every little girl will ask for a princess party. But since the girls also go to each other's princess parties, this theme (and paper Disney Princess plates) can really get overdone. I've pulled together some ideas to make your princess party stand out from the rest. The ideas all complement Swanky Press' Princess line, which has invitations, melamine plates, and an coordinating stationery. We also just launched a second princess line based on a damask pattern and vintage crown.
As I run across new ideas in the future, I'll add them to my Princess Party idea board on Pinterest - feel free to check it out and/or follow it.
1. The Invitation
The invitation is from my princess line. It looks really great dressed up with some rhinestones on the crown too! You can find it on our website or in our etsy shop.
2. The Pink Carpet
I saw this pink carpet entrance on Pinterest, and I think it's brilliant. What little girl wouldn't love to arrive to a party and get to walk in on a fabulous pink carpet? The idea is from a party thrown by Christi at P is for Party. You really should check out her blog on the entire party - she did a fabulous job!
3. Simple, but Beautiful Princess Cake
The idea of this cake is great. A simple, two-tier cake with pink frosting - something even those of us that are a little challenged in the kitchen can still probably do. Then, add a store-bought tiara and it's ready to go! Although there are a million pics out there of beautiful, elaborate princess cakes, I wanted to show just how easy it could be to do something special even if you don't have a baker at your disposal.
I wish I knew who to credit for this simple, but sweet cake. I've found it used on the internet several times, but no one has ever linked back to the original source (that I can find, anyway!)
4. Pink Popcorn
Pink popcorn is the perfect snack for the party. The idea (and recipe) come from Erin at Erin Cooks. I'd recommend putting the popcorn in paper cones and having them easy to reach for the girl. It's a great grab and go snack during party time.
5. Crown Sandwiches
Holly Eddins at Creative Party Blog has some great ideas and activities for parties of all kinds, but I loved the simplicity of her crown sandwiches. What a great way to get the royal court to have something healthy during the party!
6. Princess Hats
These princess hats are adorable! It would be easy to buy mass-manufactured sparkly crowns, but I love the old-school charm of these princess hats. You can find them at Party Accessories on etsy.
7. Crown Cupcake Toppers
These sweet fondant crowns make the perfect topper to cupcakes! I've seen a lot of flat fondant crowns, but I loved that Two Sugar Babies on etsy made these 3D!
8. Tissue Paper Poms
Tissue poms are an easy and inexpensive way to make any party space more special. Try grouping these pink poms over the dessert table for a very royal effect. You can find them at Fiesta Pom Pom on etsy.
1. The Invitation
The invitation was originally made for my son's birthday party, and then became one of our top sellers ever. You can add the age of the birthday kid under "take". I also make custom "showtime" envelope liners to match the design. You can find the movie clapboard invitation on our website or our etsy shop.
2. Red Carpet
I bumped into this idea on Pinterest, and I just think any kid would love it! Take an inexpensive piece of red fabric, make stars with the kids' names, and you're all set for the paparazzi! The idea came from Kristi at Punkin Seed Creations - you can read all about it on her blog.
3. Candy Stand
I love movie candy - and this cute candy stand from Pottery Barn Teen is a perfect centerpiece for the dessert table.
4. Popcorn Cupcakes
I've seen popcorn cupcakes around the internet for a while, but I still can't get over how real they look! The "popcorn" is actually mini-marshmallows sprayed with a touch of yellow food coloring. The absolute best example I have seen is on Peppermint Creative. It was done by Mrs. Jebby and can be found here. She's really a great baker and a great photographer!
5. Fondant Cupcake Toppers
These move cupcake toppers are incredibly detailed and such a great idea. You can find them at Clever Cupcakes in Montreal.
6. Popcorn Party Favors
This is the most clever idea I've seen for movie party cupcakes - "Thanks for Popping By!" These were favors used a party featured on the Jac o' lyn Murphy Blog. She's got some great ideas for a lot of parties. You should definitely look through her blog.
7. Cake Pops
These adorable cake pops in the shape of popcorn boxes can be found on etsy at Sugar Spice Sweetery.
8. Popcorn Bags
Obviously, popcorn is a required ingredient for this party, and I just love these retro-looking bags I found on Hey Yo Yo. You get 50 bags for only $7, so it's a great deal.
9. Cupcake Wrappers
These cinema-themed cupcake wrappers by CakeaDoodleDoo are perfect for a movie party! CakeaDoodleDoo doesn't just use purchased templates to make her wrappers - she dreams up and creates each design herself. She starts out sketching her ideas in a notebook then transforms each design into into cardstock. Since her designs are unique creations, the only place you can get them is in her Etsy shop.
It's back to school time here in Nashville, and if it's not time for you yet, it will be soon! As watched my kids climb on the school bus this morning, I started thinking how much fun it would be to throw a Back to School Bash for the neighborhood kids.
1. The Invitation
I whipped up the invitation just for this inspiration board. What could be more perfect for back to school than a chalkboard? You can find it and other back-to-school invitations on our website.
2. Cake Pops
If you regularly read this blog, you know I've totally jumped on the cake pop bandwagon. That's why I was so excited when I saw these by Audrey over at Sweet Cheeks Tasty Treats. It's amazing how real the apples look, but I think it's even better that Audrey took it one step further and mounted them on pencils! You can read the whole DIY tutorial on her blog.
3. Iced Cookies
These cute apple iced sugar cookies can be found at Sugar and Flour on etsy.
4. Pretzel Crayons
This idea is so clever I just had to share it. Stacy at House of Chic and Penoche posted about a late night attempt to make pretzel crayons - and I think they look fabulous. I can't wait to try this with my own kids! She even included a link to download free crayon wrappers.
5. Water Bottle Labels
One Charming Party is one of my favorite places for inspiration. Check out these fun water bottle labels - they are simply word strips taped around water bottles. Too clever!
6. School Bus Magnets
These would make great party favors - or a fun gift for the school bus driver on the first day. You can find them at Girlz Stampin Boutique on etsy.
7. Cupcake Toppers
These cute cupcake toppers really stand out from the crowd because of they are 3d - not just printed cardboard circles. Check them out along with a ton of other cute goodies at A Forest Frolic on etsy.
8. Fondant Cupcake Decorations
These pencils and A+ notebook paper are some of the most creative uses for fondant I've seen recently. You can find them at Parkers Flour Patch on etsy.
