I’m so excited to be guest blogging over on Sweet Designs today! Amy Atlas has been a huge inspiration to me over the years so I was completely honored to provide a picnic inspired DIY project for her site. You can see my paper chopstick holders and get full instructions on how to make the custom paper napkins right here.

Thanks so much to Amy for having me and I hope you all get a chance to get outdoors and enjoy a meal outside! Cheers!

If you’re looking for that little detail to make your 4th of July event perfect, Martha Stewart obviously has you covered. The magazine has generated a ton of ideas over the years and here are a few of my favorites. All of them are just impeccably done and would make a fine addition to any party.

1.4th of July Invitations 2.Berry Cupcakes 3.American Flag Tart 4.Patriotic Ice Cream Wrapper 5.Stars & Stripes Paper Cones

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend, holiday or not! I’ll be taking an extra few days to enjoy the long weekend with friends and family and I’ll see you back here next week. xoxo

I did these last year but I really wanted to share them with my newer readers. I love how the project turned out and they would make the perfect compliment to yesterday’s DIY. For full instructions, check out the original post. You’ll find everything you need to make your own sparkler cards, matchbook wrappers and straw tags, including printable templates!

The 4th if July is coming up this weekend and for folks in the states that means fireworks, friends and entertaining. I thought it’d be fun to make a week of it and share some of my favorite Independence Day themed projects and designs.

First up, Chocolate Dipped Rice Crispy “Popsicles” on a stick. I got the idea from Balancing Motherhood and thought it would be a fun addition to any 4th of July Celebration. The whole process is super simple, just make rice crispy treats (directions on the box), cut into 1″ x 1″ x 3″ rectangles, add a candy stick, dip in melted chocolate and enjoy! You could easily add sprinkles and wrap them in cellophane for portability too.

Check out these A-DOR-able Shirt & Tie gift boxes Kristen from Paper Crave put together! She’s even provided a downloadable template and full how-to instructions on her blog. This is such a sweet and clever idea that would be perfect for all kinds of gifts for dad. Happy crafting and Happy early Father’s Day everyone!

Today’s DIY craft is by Natalie Jost of Olive Manna and is so insanely brilliant! This is one of those ideas that I wish I’d thought of myself and it’s so incredibly easy that anyone can do it. On her blog, Natalie shares how to transform ribbon and fabric into tape and stickers. I’ve had a chance to play around a bit already and am having so much fun adorning things in textiles. Check out Natalie’s full post for complete directions and step-by-step photographs.

As promised, I’m back today with the last of my sisters baby shower details. I had so much fun putting it all together and preparing all the pieces. I think the cake topper was my favorite part and hopefully it’ll be something they can keep for some time.

The favors were a keepsake that each of the guests got to take home and were based off these that I had seen in the portfolio of Rebecca Thuss. Mine didn’t come out nearly as beautiful but they were still a sweet addition to the event. I wrapped two shortbread cookies in clear cellophane and put them inside the fabric envelope. These little envelopes could hold any number of things really with the proportions adjusted to fit. Below are instructions for how to make your own.

What You’ll Need:
Fabric
Scissors
Scalloped Rotary Cutter
Thread
Shortbread Cookies
Diaper Pins

Instructions:
1. Cut fabric into strips about 5″ wide x 9″ long. Fold top of fabric in 1/2″ towards wrong side of fabric and hem. Repeat on bottom edge.
2. Once both top and bottom edges have been hemmed, fold bottom portion of fabric up approvimetly 3.75″ creating an envelope. Sew along both edges 1/2″ in; securing both sides of the envelope.
3. Add a little detail and prevent fraying by trimming the sides with pinking shears or a scalloped rotary cutter. Be sure to fold top over to where it will approximately be once favor is inside then cut – the scallops will align and the envelope will appear more finished.
3. Finally, slide favor inside envelope and secure with a baby pin!

For Part II of a Baby Shower In Blue I wanted to share some more details. With the help of my husband, we made a four-tiered white cake with lemon curd filling and a lemon butter cream frosting. For the topper, I ordered some blank nesting dolls and hand painted them to match the illustrations from the invites. It took some trial and error in painting, but I think the final result turned out pretty well.

Each seat at the table had a crossword puzzle based on Allison and Ryan and words related to pregnancy and parenthood. The game was a great way to get people mingling and having fun. To add a bit of whimsy to the table, old fashioned grey and white striped straws adorned each glass. Lastly, for favors, I made little sewn envelopes based on these by Rebecca Thuss. I put wrapped shortbread cookies inside and sealed with a baby pin. Be sure to check back tomorrow; I’ll be sharing the How-To for the fabric favor envelopes!

I’m so excited to share with you Part I of a baby shower I recently designed! My sister Allison and her husband Ryan are expecting a baby boy so I jumped at the chance to do something special for them. I loved the idea of using Matryoshka Dolls as the theme, so for the invitations I illustrated these to resemble the parents and the boy-to-be.

I letterpressed the invites myself and was able to save a little bit of money by using thick blotter paper. I then coordinated them with cute blue craft paper envelopes and lined them with a custom flower pattern from the invite. For the address I was able to print directly onto the envelopes with my laser printer. Above are some process shots of the printing process in the studio.

The rest of the shower coordinated with the nesting doll theme and the colors from the invitation which I’ll be be sharing more of tomorrow. In the mean time, I’m guest blogging today on PaperCrave and you can see more pics and get full instructions for the easy DIY baby shower banner (seen above). I hope you’ll stop by and say hello to Kristen and I!

As promised, I’ve got another wedding DIY for all of you today! Better yet, this Book Cover and Bookmark coordinate with yesterday’s DIY Favor Bags. Adorned with the phrase “True love stories never have endings” this bookmark says it all. What better way to celebrate your big day than with a beautiful book to remeber it by.

Weddings are a day shared with family and friends and a brief moment to express your gratitude and feelings for one another. Sometimes it’s hard to say it yourself so let your favorite book or collection of poems say it for you. Simply cover a book with paper in coordinating colors and weave a bookmark through for the perfect favor. The best part, the bookmark doubles as a seating card with space at the bottom for a name or note.

A book favor would be lovely at an intimate wedding or at a book themed bridal shower. These would also make perfect gifts for your wedding party as a token of thanks. Don’t have a favorite book? Cover a journal or album of photos instead. It’s a simple way to add a personal touch to just about anything.

Materials
Decorative Paper (Like these from Snow & Graham, Elum or Hello Lucky)
Color Printer
Card Stock
Craft Knife
Ruler
1/8″ Craft Punch
Ribbon

Instructions
Download the Bookmark Template and follow directions within the template on how to enter names, cut and construct. Punch hole at top with 1/8″ craft punch and thread coordinating ribbon through hole at top. Add a little more detail by adding an eyelet to the hole before tying the ribbon.

Pre-cut and fold your decorative paper to wrap around your book. If the book already has a cover, use as a template for the new one. If creating one from scratch, make sure it’s the same height as the book and remember to leave at least 3 inches on either side to fold in to the inside front cover. Once wrapped, firmly crease the spine and edges with fingers.

To weave the bookmark through, you’ll need to create two slits in the center of the book cover using a craft knife. The slits should be slightly wider than the book mark; approximately 2″ wide. I recommend making a sample one to practice and use as a template for the remaining book covers. After slits have been cut, wrap cover around book and carefully weave bookmark through slots.

Abby was kind enough to post my latest DIY wedding project up on Style Me Pretty yesterday! These DIY Wedding Bags are perfect for favors, bridal showers, or for a midnight snack for dancing guests, the sky’s the limit with a little imagination. Head on over for the full details and a link to the PDF.  Also come back here tomorrow for a coordinating wedding favor, you won’t want to miss it!

The set includes Pockets and Check-out cards for your books, Tabs to keeps the cards organized in a filing system, a Book Jornal to keep track of your favorites, a Band to wrap around the set and lastly a bookmark that doubles as a gift tag! See below to download and get the instructions.

Materials
Clear Box or Wooden Recipe Box
Colored Cardstock
Color Printer
Craft Knife
Ruler
Bone Folder
Stapler
Mini Pencil

Instructions
Download Part I of the Personal Library Kit. PDF contains the Checkout Cards, Pockets and Band to wrap around the box. Follow directions within the template on how to cut and construct. The file contains only brown ink so you could really print this onto any color paper that you like. Would look great in black and white too!

Download Part II of the Personal Library Kit. PDF contains the Book Journal, Bookmark and Dividers. Follow directions within the template on how to cut and construct.

Once you have all the pieces constructed, place inside box with coordinating mini pencil and wrap with the band. I purchased the clear box from the Container Store (not available online) but you can also purchase it online through Amazon. Adorn box with bookmark and voilá, you’ve got a sweet little book-lovers gift! Hope you enjoy!

Create a simple and tasty brunch tablescape for Mother’s Day with these little fabric wrapped cheeses as a starter. All you’ll need is some fabric, a scalloped rotary cutter, waxed linen twine and enough Mini Babybel Cheeses for everyone. Place in the center of each plate and you’ll have instant decor and a delicious appetizer to get the meal started. Serve with flat crackers, bread and apple slices.

These little favors could easily be used for a bridal shower lunch or even a casual afternoon wedding! Just find a coordinating fabric and you’ve got an easy and inexpensive favor that everyone will enjoy!

Materials
Fabric
8″ Circle Template
Scalloped Rotary Cutter or Pinking Shears
Waxed Linen Twine
Mini Cheeses

Instructions
Download the 8″ Circle Template and cut out along dotted line. Use the template as as a guide to cut out each of the fabric rounds and use a scalloped rotary cutter or pinking shears to create a decorative edge.

Remove the plastic wrapper from mini cheese wheels but keep the wax wrapper intact. Place two mini cheese wheels in the center of the fabric and gather fabric up and around cheese. Tie shut with a piece of string or waxed linen thread and finish off with a bow!

It was so much fun to read all of your favorite Mom stories and see what everyone’s favorite tapes were. A big congratulations to the lucky winner Tong for winning our latest contest! She’ll recieve a combo pack of her choice along with another one to give to her Mother or friend! Shoot me a message with you choice and address and I’ll pass it along to the ladies at TapeSwell.

If you didn’t win, you’re still in luck! TapeSwell is offering a %15 discount now through May 15th by entering code: MDAY at checkout. Thanks for playing everyone and thanks to TapeSwell for the great giveaway!

Hope you all had a nice weekend! My sister Laurel ended up making these beautiful naturally dyed eggs for Easter and I had to take a few pics. She used onion peel and beats for the coloring and garden herbs for the decorations. Definitetly bookmarking this idea for next year!

If you need more Easter inspiration you absolutely must check out The Wedding Style Guide’s special Easter feature in their current issue. Included are some of the most beautiful details for a perfect Easter brunch. Themed invitations, place card tags, and mini paper poms are some of the charming details included. Best part, the invitation and tag templates are available for free in their downloads section! Hoppy planning! *wink

DIY Marshmallow Peeps

DIY Easter Bunny

In case you missed them last year; here are a few DIY projects I made just for easter. All of them are fun and a snap to do!

Marshmallow Peeps: DIY marshmallow peeps, using cookie cutters makes this project a snap and pretty darn adorable to boot! (Full Directions)

Stuffed Easter Bunny: Just print, cut, stitch, stuff and delight a little one with this DIY Bunny stitch kit. (Full Directions and Download)

Paper Easter Basket: Try your hand at this fun DIY paper and ribbon easter basket. (Full Instructions and Download)

1. Forgot to wear some green? Spare yourself the pinches and pin on a charming Shamrock Boutonniere from Martha Stewart.
2.”Sip” on a clever Popcorn Ball “Beer” Treat by The Hostess with the Mostess.
3. Stratigically place a few green bell pepper slices on a plate for an instant festive and healthy snack. Via Martha Stewart
4. Whip up a few of these no-bake Mint Oreo Truffles for a sweet dessert from (of course) Bakearella.
5. Dress up a simple cupcake with this downloadable PDF cupcake topper from TomKat Studio on To Be Charmed.
6. Send Kristen of Domestifluff a few air kisses for sharing this downloadable mini “Kiss Me” notecard and be prepared to pucker-up yourself!

Happy and lucky St. Patty’s day to you all! Cheers!

Yummy and beautiful hot chocolate sticks, what more could you possible want? *sigh. It’s been a little on the cold side lately and these lovelies would make the days all that much warmer. The genius AmberLee of GiversLog came up with these and has step-by-step directions on how to make them. Bottoms up!

My jaw dropped when I saw these adorable letter-pressed houses on paper crave last week! They come as a kit by 1canoe2 and couldn’t be any cuter! The illustrations are just perfect with meticulous line work, rich colors and a tone of whimsical details. How perfect would this be for a housewarming gift?! They’ve set the bar pretty high with this initial set and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for their next neighborhood!.

I’ve been working on a fun DIY series to share with all of you but I’m still in the process of editing all the photos and setting up the files for downloading. In the mean time I thought I’d share this quick tip that I just learned from my sister Allison. This trick totally came in handy for my latest project so here’s a sneak peak for what’s in store.

Rather than spending tons of money to replace all those craft punches that have begun to dull you can repair them yourself! All you need is a little tin foil! Just punch the foil a few times and TA-DA your punch is sharpened and restored! I was a skeptic at first but after testing it out on all of my punches myself I can tell you that it actually works! Added bonus, I also discovered a new way to make shimmery homemade confetti!

*Update: Reader Kylie was kind enought to add that if you punch through some wax paper afterwards, the wax will lubricate your punch too. Thanks Kylie!