Planning birthday parties is one of my favorite things to do! With 4 kids I get the chance to get creative every couple of months (tee hee hee). This past month my baby boy turned ONE! I threw him a Winter ONEderland Party. I thought this party turned out so cute that I'd share it with you so that you too could be inspired! The first, and most important part of the party is the cake....of course! It just so happens that our local bakery offers a FREE "smash cake" for their 1st birthdays. Thanks to them I didn't have to pull out the pans and make one, yay! Check with your local bakery to see if they offer the same. (Note- I didn't blot out my sons name because it would have taken a long time to do...this will be the only post in which I will share his name). I asked them to add blue and white dots to the cake to coordinate with the colors. I also had them make a "winter- themed" sheet cake for our party guests. My lovely friend made the gorgeous fondant igloo, penguins, and polar … [Read more...]
Tutorial for making applique shirts
Welcome to day 13 of Toys In The Dryer 14 Days of Valentines! From February 1-14 we've done non-stop Valentine's posts to celebrate this lovely holiday! We hope you've enjoyed it as much as we have! Tomorrow is our last day. On Wednesday we'll return to our regular schedule. OK I know some of you might not want to do this but I promise it is REALLY easy to do and you do not need to know how to sew (OK maybe just a teeny tiny bit)! Your little girl is going to LOVE you for this project! I made the Be Mine a few weeks ago and my daughter has been wearing it out! I'm going to show you how to make one in just a few really easy steps. Let's get started. Here is what you will need a shirt small pieces of fabric steam a seam sheets (purchased online or at a fabric store) scissors needle and embroidery thread Start with making a template. I use my computer to print off photos of things I like and then cut them out. Super easy! Cut it out and place it on your sheet of … [Read more...]
Valentine’s Boxes
Welcome to day 7 of Toys In The Dryer's 14 days of Valentines From Feb 1-14 we're doing non-stop Valentine's posts to celebrate this lovely holiday! One thing that I remember from my childhood that was special was the Valentine's boxes my mom would make for me. At our school we always had a contest to see who could be the most creative and crafty in making their "mailboxes" for Valentines.....and I will admit, I always won! (Thanks mom!) A lot of schools are sending home the request to make Valentine's boxes (because of budget cuts they no longer are making them in schools) so I thought it would be fun to share some inspiration with you! (I only wish I had photos of the amazing boxes my mom made for me.) First thing you will want to do is get creative in your structure! You could use a basket and weave ribbons, you could make a box out of an old shoe box, use an actual mail box, or you can even use paper plates. I hope some of these photos will inspire you to get … [Read more...]
Tutorial for making "50 reasons we love you" deck of cards
Welcome to day 6 of Toys In The Dryer 14 Days of Valentines! From February 1-14 we'll be doing non-stop Valentines posts to celebrate this lovely holiday! I had seen a version of "50 reasons we love you" floating around the internet and I thought it would be SUCH an amazing gift to give....of course with my own special tweaks to it. I really hope you like this project and will give it a try too. What you need: a deck of cards paper hole punch paper (either sticker paper or regular and mod podge) zip ties Step 1: gather your cards and use a paper clip to hold them all aligned, punch two holes into each card Step 2: loop a zip tie through all of the cards and secure Step 3: (this part takes the longest) keeping in mind that the average deck of cards measures 2 1/2" X 4 1/2" create 50 reasons you love the person you are giving it to, leaving the first card for the title "50 reasons I love you" and the second card to say "by (insert name) and a date. I used a … [Read more...]
Woven Hearts
Welcome to day 5 of Toys In The Dryer 14 Days of Valentines! From February 1-14 we'll be doing non-stop Valentine's posts to celebrate this lovely holiday. Today we're doing woven hearts. I showed the above photo to a few friends of mine and I got the same response each time--"I remember making those!" Some made them out of felt, others made them out of paper like I did with my girls. FYI: felt is MUCH easier to work with because it doesn't tear. Here's what you'll need to make your own woven hearts: Felt or paper of two different colors (we used paper because I was too lazy to get more felt) Scissors Glue (optional) The steps below are the same if you use felt or paper. 1) Cut a long rectangle out of each color paper making sure they are the same size. 2) Fold the rectangles in half, put them together then round the unfolded edge corners. 3) Still folded, line up the two rectangles at a 45 degree angle. Note (make a light line or mark) where they … [Read more...]
Wax Paper Hearts
Welcome to day 4 of Toys In The Dryer 14 Days of Valentines! From February 1-14 we'll be doing non-stop Valentine's posts to celebrate this lovely holiday! Wax paper hearts are a combination activity and craft. This only involves a few items too! Here is what you will need: Wax paper Pencil sharpener Crayons Cookie Sheet Parchment paper (or construction paper will work too) Scissors and string Remove a long sheet of wax paper from the container and place it on the cookie sheet. Have your child (or help them) take Valentine's colored crayons (white, pink, red, a little gray) use the pencil sharpener to create crayon shavings. Spread the shaving out all over the wax paper. Fold the paper in half. Cover with parchment paper. *This part is for the adults* Iron on the lowest setting until the crayon shavings are completely melted. Set the wax paper aside to cool completely. Use a scissors to cut out heart shapes from the wax paper. Attach a string and … [Read more...]
