Roller Skating Birthday Party Success!

My daughter's roller skating and ice cream social birthday party was this past weekend and thankfully it was a success. I wish I took more pictures of the details, but time slipped away.

My goal was to try and hide a bit of the gaudy roller skating decor that is standard with all roller rinks and keep it sweet, girly and pretty. All of this on a budget and time crunch. There were several bumps in the road (for example, favors didn't arrive in time and no time to sew pretty fabric details), but all-in-all I couldn't have been more please. And most importantly, my daughter had a blast.

Below are the details on where I found the decorations and made it all happen fast and cheap.

I covered the horrific plastic tablecloths the roller rink supplied with brown bulletin board paper I found at a teacher supply store. The paper is very thick and rolls out smoothly with no wrinkles. A big roll was $15 and was more than enough to cover three large cafeteria style tables.


The place settings were just standard party supplies paper plates, but I hand rolled the plastic wear the night before to save time setting up. The edible waffle bowls were from Walmart (and I tried several grocery stores and Walmart was the only one who had them) 10 for $2. The old fashion paper ice cream parlor hats were from Praire Moon Beverage Shop and they were the only pre-order thing that arrived on time.

To keep the details simple, easy and give the decor a cohesive design I wrapped the water bottles, whip cream cans and made the table signs all from a book of scrapbook paper I had on hand. I found all the scrapbook paper and the ceramic white square table stands at Michaels craft store.


And my silver lining in all the chaos were the ice cream straw cups I found last minute at Arnie's Party Supply in Houston. It was total luck that I found them the day before and so many for so cheap since my original favors were held hostage by UPS.



The brand is Krazy Straws and you can order them online here. 


I have to give a huge THANK YOU to my friends Danielle and Rachel.  They both with their families helped me pull it all together and setup in lighting speed before the party began.  Thank you ladies for all the help, you helped keep me sane so I could actually enjoy the special day.

Pretty DIY Play Kitchen

Are you a Master Crafter?  Do your friends bow down to your mad DIY skills?  Then perhaps this precious torquise kitchen is just the project for you.  Check out the full details here.

Holy Crafty Creations Batman! Another fabulous design by Christie Chase.

My friends, it never ceases to amaze me the insane talents of my friend Christie Chase. She is a real life Martha Stewart for the hip thirty-something’s. She can sew herself a sassy little cocktail number for her dinner party; paint a beautiful canvas piece of art for her living room and then cook up some homemade carnitas for that evening’s festivities, from scratch. I am totally serious the woman can do it all.


So naturally I had to share with you the amazing upholstered letters she custom made for a client. AMAZING!

Click here to read the How To.

 
 

Frugal Friday: Chic and Easy Fabric Art

I spied these beautiful framed fabrics on a featured nursery room from Spearmintbaby.com.  It got me thinking, how EASY and CHEAP this project really easy.  Even if you don't have a crafty bone in your body you can make this art for your child's room.

To help you out here are a few beautiful and FREE templates from the beloved Amy Butler.  To make this fabric art, start by printing your desired template on computer paper and enlarge or shrink to fit your frame as needed.  Once you have the right size cut out the template and pin it to your fabric.  Try to arrange your design so that it hits the center of the fabric pattern.  Notice above how the damask butterfly is perfectly centered over the fabric pattern?  It makes for a much more eye catching piece of art.

After you cut your fabric designs, glue or tape (double stick tape) the design to your frame back.  You can also use construction or other decorative papers to create a prettier background. 

Hope this helps sparks some decoration inspirations for your homes!  Click here for the Amy Butler patterns.

 

Shower Flowers 101: Elegant and Simple DIY Arrangements

This past weekend I co hosted a shower for one of my oldest and dearest friends Sarah.  She's expecting a boy in January so it was time to eat cake and shower her with gifts.  It was my responsibility to handle the floral decor for the event and well, I am no Eddie Ross, but I must say they turned out lovely.  Each arrangement cost only $15 and they were also gifts for the mother-to-be, and grandmothers-to-be.  Below I share with you how I put them together. 

First I headed to Sam's Club to purchase 4 dozen roses for $40.  I stuck with one type of flower to keep the cost down and the arrangements simple.  I went with the orange since it seemed fitting for fall.  Costco is also a great place to buy flowers in bulk for cheap and FYI; you can place your order in advance with the florist and select the exact color roses you want.

Then I went to a grocery florist to buy the vases, large heavy rectangle vases for only $7 each.  When I got home I washed them and cut large leaves from the plants in my backyard to line the inside of the vases and hide the stems.  This gives the arrangements a polished and more professional look.

I then divided up the roses evenly and cut them to the desired height I wanted them to sit in the vases.  I also pulled off any wilted and unsightly petals and excess leaves around the stalk leaving only a few at the bud.

Then to get even more creative I headed back out to my yard and clipped a few branches from a bush that was producing orange berries.  I clipped the branches to the desired height and let the berries just kind of organically hang over the edge of the vase.  I also pulled some leaves from another rather large monkey grass bush and created random loops around a few buds that I secured with floral wire to add more fill to the vases. 

After I arranged each vase as I described above, I then worked the buds around until they sat as I had desired and filled the vases with water and a bit of flower food that came with the roses.  I've also been told you can add a little sugar to the water, but I've never tried this.    Here they are below all lined up and ready to go.  Almost.  I could have stopped here and they would have been just fine for the event, but I decided to take them a step further. 

Since I made the baby bedding for the mother-to-be I headed to my studio and grabbed a few scraps of fabric that I cut with pinking shears to give the edges a zigzag cut and prevent the fabric from fraying.  I wrapped each vase in a different fabric with coordinating ribbon and secured the fabric in the back with straight pins.  And last the most popular vase of all was the monogrammed one with the baby's last name initial.

I hope you enjoyed my little tutorial and found some inspiration for your next dinner party or event!

I am an Undercover Lover. Are you?

You will be once you check out this fabulous tutorial on how to make your own crate covers from Laura Gunn and her Paint in My Hair blog.  How beautiful are these DIY crate slipcovers?  I love them and definately need them in my life.  I have so many fabric swatches, sewing, craft supplies and kiddie stuff my house looks like it's in a constant state of chaos. 

If you can sew or have a crafty bone in your body try it out.  Laura even provides you with a step-by-step pdf instruction sheet.  Isn't that thoughtful of her?

Chalked Full of Fun

Our new home has a recreation room on the second floor that we have reserved for movie nights and our daughter.  We have carved out a little nook just for her and we're slowly adding fun details.  Today I am sharing the easy DIY chalkboard I made for the space.

I started with an open frame I bought at Aaron Brothers during their penny sale, which I blogged about here.  Then I headed to my local hardware store for a thin piece of MDF type board that I rolled with Rustoleum's Chalkboard paint.  I primed the MDF board first to insure the finish would last longer and a sponge roller gave it a smooth finish.

After about 20 minutes it was dry and we secured it to the frame and mounted it on the wall.  I had an extra shelf tucked away in a closest that I used for a chalk ledge and whao la!  She loves it and so do I.  By the way, notice her pom chandelier?  So cute!

Here is the paint I used.

But later I found this!  Hudson's colored chalkboard paint available in a rainbow of colors.  I wish I had seen this first.  I am going to use this in my kitchen, I love it!

DIY: Easy Pelmet Boxes via Little Green Notebook

I you follow my blog regularly you know I love a beautiful cornice or pelmet box above a bed or window.  So naturally I was very excited to see one of my favorite blogs, Little Green Notebook posted a step-by-step DIY on how to make your own.  Check out the final result below.  These would be beautiful above a bed or as she has them over a window.  Click here for full instructions. 

Frugal Friday & DIY: Paper Doll Art

What do you do when you need artwork for your child's room and you have a budget of $30?  You get crafty and creative.  I had decided when we moved in June that I was going to make original artwork for my daughter's room with vintage paper dolls.  I found a site that sells reproduction paper doll books and they have just about very series every published.  Papergoodies.com is stocked full of paperdoll assortments from celebrities and fashion, to vintage children's books.

I chose Natalie Wood (one of my favorite Hollywood actresses) and the entire project was very easy and took about an hour to complete.  Check it out, I am so pleased with the results.

Here's how to make your own.  I started with 4 empty picture frames and removed the wood back and matting.  I then glued down burlap fabric directly to the frame board using regular spray mount glue.  I used burplap because I had the scrap fabric left over from a previous project and I wanted the art to have a vintage look.  Plus the burlap makes me think of an old dressmakers form.

While I let those dry thoroughly I cut out the paper outfits and doll I wanted to use for the series of four.  This was the most time consuming party because I was very maticulous about my cuts.

I then did a dry fit of cutouts to ensure proper symmetry within the matted area before gluing. 

 

I also made labels that I printed off regular printing paper and used tiny fabic pins to enhance the overall look. 

When I was ready to glue everything down I used a regular old glue stick to secure everything.  Then I popped each board back into the frames and there you have it.  Chic on the cheap art for your child's room. 

DIY: Beautiful in Burlap

Bit by bit my studio is slowly starting to take shape. A few weekends ago I finished a burlap bulletin board and it's an easy DIY for anyone. I love a framed fabric covered bulletin board for children's rooms, offices and kitchens. They make your catchall spaces look more organized, turn your children's art into priceless collections and the frame pulls it all together for a polished look.

Here is mine right next to my gorgeous Janet Hill paintings. Below is a step-by-step guide to create your own.



I started with an inexpensive ceiling tile from the hardware store and an open back frame. With a straight edge and an exacto knife I trimmed the ceiling tile to fit snuggly into the framed. Be careful when handeling your ceiling tile, they are fragile and break easily.



I wrapped and stapled the ceiling tile with burlap and folded the corners like a present for a clean finish. Be sure to pull your fabric taut so it doesn't pucker or wrinkle.



Using fabric pins, a measuring tape and staple gun I meaured and layed out my grosgrain ribbon diamond pattern. The fabric pins help to keep the ribbon in place as I pulled, wrapped and stapled it to the back of the ceiling tile. Here you can get creative with your ribbon pattern and colors to create a custom look.



Almost done.



I tufted the front using Dritz buttom covers in 1 7/8" sizes and an upholstery needle. You'll need a long, strong upholstery needle to push through the ceiling tile to the back. to keep my button knots in place, I used plastic buttons to secure the back and knotted three times.



I just popped the finished product into the frame and whoa la! A beautiful burlap frame to organize my notes.

Chic on the Cheap Toddler Beds

Make your own toddler bed; no really make it for only $75. Design Sponge featured this DIY project and I had to share. This is also a great way to make the transition from crib to big bed. Get the step-by-step here.

No Sew Fabulous!

I found this fabulous and easy DIY anyone can make from the Cookie Magazine website. They make beautiful and thoughtful baby gifts for all parents-to-be. See the step-by-step directions here.

Playtime for Pennies

How do you go from this...

to this for under $40? Okay, so maybe it costs more than just pennies, but nonetheless it's still a chic-on-the-cheap decorating idea. I can't take credit for this crafty creation, my friend Rachel made this precious playtable and chairs set for a friend's daughter. I thought it was a beautiful and thoughtful gift and one anyone can make for their own kids.




The table and two chairs come as a set from Ikea for $25 and it costs about $15 to jazz it up with paint and fabric. I should mention that I gave Rachel the fabric for this set. I let her rummage through my scrap fabrics, so if you have scrap fabric or a friend that stocks up ask if they will donate some to your project. You can also use any of these gorgeous oilcloth and vinyl coated fabrics below available here.

Step 1: Paint the wood before you assemble and let dry overnight.
Step 2: Cut your fabric pieces to fit the chair seats and table top. You'll need one large cut for the table and two small cuts for the seats.
Step 3: Wrap the chairs' seats and table top with fabric and stable or glue to underside.
Step 4: Assemble chairs and table. Follow the Ikea instructions that come with the set.

It's that easy! If you want to use fabric that is not pretreated like the vinyl coated or oilcloth below, you can iron on a vinyl coating available a most fabric stores and available here. That's what Rachel did for this set and I watched her prep the fabric. It's really easy and all you need is an iron and a pair of scissors.

So there you have it. Now go and make your own adorable set so your kids will stop destroying your expensive furniture. Have a great weekend!