Throwback: DIY Matchbox Monster Mouth Favors

Nothing says, "last-minute Halloween craft for preschoolers" quite like these super quick, inexpensive, fun matchbox monster mouth favors. I whipped them up a couple of years ago for kiddo, but now that she's practically grown (in elementary school), her little sister's preschool class can reap the rewards of this old school spooky treat box.

Swing by my Momtastic post to see the entire DIY tutorial.

DIY Abstract Art Heart Valentine's Day Favors

It's finally candy month! Er, um I mean the month of love. Yes, Valentine's Day is almost upon us, and the kids and I spent a snow day crafting our little hearts out (pun totally intended). We recently were invited to see The Children's Theatre production of The Frog Bride, and the vibrant, abstract backdrops in the play inspired our Valentine's favors.

The play was unlike any children's play we'd ever seen before. Instead of elaborate sets and a whole cast of characters, The Frog Bride features only writer/director David Gonzalez, pianist Sergei Prokofiev, and violinist Daniel Kelly set against a multi-media backdrop. The story all comes alive in Gonzalez's colorful narrations, which are partnered with abstract, watercolor splashes on the screen. This uncluttered performance really allowed the kids to use their imagination to envision the characters, the scenario, and the story's clever plot twists. The jazz music kept everything lively and engaging.

These DIY Abstract Art Hearts are perfectly unique and wonderfully inexpensive. Even my youngest was able to get fully involved in this project to create watercolor Valentine's cards for lots of friends and family. They're impossible to mess up, and that's a full-on win in my book. Because, ain't nobody got time for frustrated kids. Check out the entire how-to below.

DIY Gold Typography Pumpkins for Thanksgiving

My neighbors already have their lights up. One of my best friends put up three, yes three, Christmas trees inside her house before Halloween. By now, she's probably put up her other four trees. I know it's tempting to bust out the winter-y holiday decorations, but I'm savoring the fall festivities. These DIY Gold Foil Typography Pumpkins are gonna wow my Turkey Day guests. Swing by Momtastic to check out how I decked out our Thanksgiving mantle.

Dessert Meets Design: Sweet Birdie Birthday Party and Dessert Table

You know I L-O-V-E a good party, but I was determined not to go overboard planning, decorating, and designing stuff for my girl's third birthday. So, instead of inviting over a million of her tiny friends or renting out a bounce house venue, I temporarily converted my office into the perfect party spot for her birthday party. Her only request was that her closest little friends and a cake be in attendance at her soiree, which photog Sydnee Bickett captured beautifully. 

After I designed the hexagon and faux bois invites and found a great cake recipe, I planned a bash that was full of bright, spring-y colors offset by lots of white and gold accents. I created DIY faux bois color block placemats to bring color and warmth to my white desk for the girls to dine in style. 

Along with sliders, powdered donuts, and popcorn, the girls devoured vanilla ice cream and my strawberry cake. I customized labels with each girl's name to decorate the paper ice cream cups from Sweet Party Shop. I also designed faux bois labels for the milk bottles to add a natural element to the all-white room. Land of Nod's birdie garland and cupcake kit added a bit of whimsy to the dessert table that really kicked up the color a notch. 

The birdie garland also added a fun touch to the faux bois backdrop I made for the photo booth. Lila smiled happily with her sister and friends as she wore the a DIY starburst birthday crown I made for her. Sydnee even managed to snap a picture of us all smiling, which is basically a small miracle.

Credits

party concept, styling, and dessert table: Shauna Younge

images: Sydnee Bickett

birdie garland and cupcake kit: Land of Nod

ice cream cups: Sweet Party Shop
my projects: DIY starburst birthday crown and DIY faux bois color block placemats

The Biggest Little House Favor Printables

Last week, we were treated to an advance performance of The Children's Theatre's The Biggest Little House. The story is based on the book by Djemma Bider, and it's full of sweetness and laughs. We've seen several plays in the large theater at CTC, but none in the intimate Cargill Stage theater. We like to really get into plays, which you already know because of this and this. We read the book, watch the movie, then watch the play if all of those options are available. Then, we discuss which format we liked better and why. I really think plays bring books and movies to life in a way that uniquely interests kids.

During The Biggest Little House, which is perfect for kids between two and five years old, kids sit on low benches right at the edge of the stage. They're free to laugh, pop bubbles, and enjoy the various characters who live together in a tiny house that is bursting with love. Our girls liked it so much, that I cooked up this little DIY project just in time for Valentine's Day. Just like the holiday, this little play is full of love, love, love.  

Since the play focuses on a variety of woodland animals living in harmony together, I thought it'd be nice for several different candies to reside peacefully in this favor bag (right before taking residency in my mouth!).

Check out the quick and easy tutorial below. If you haven't already made plans to see The Children's Theater's The Biggest Little House  definitely add it to your to-do list. It's running now through March 15th, and it's perfectly tailored to tykes. Even the adults giggled a time or two. Seriously, what better way to get the kids excited about their upcoming theater date, than by reading the book and crafting up a cute little favor bag or two?

Supplies
this favor template
2.5" x 4" white envelopes
8.5" x 11" paper
washi tape
scissors
candy, candy, candy

Instructions
Download and print this favor bag template in black and white onto a sheet of 8.5" x 11" paper. Tape each envelope into position using washi tape. Unlike transparent tape, washi is less sticky and won't rip your envelopes when you remove them from the paper.

Print the template, this time in color, to transfer the images onto each favor bag. Gently remove each envelope from the paper.

Cut the tops of the envelopes into roof shapes, if you wish, and fill with a variety of small candies.

Kiddo's Retro Modern Birthday and Dessert Table

Whew! Kiddo's 6th birthday has come and gone. Now that I'm rested up from all that designing, planning, and crafting, it's the perfect time to share some pics and projects. You know me, I had to DIY some cute stuff and design a dessert table to customize her bash, but I didn't want to spend a lot of money. So, I created an inexpensive photo booth backdrop, a retro modern dessert table backdrop, some milk bottles, and a colorful dance floor for breakdancing.

The fab Sydnee Bickett captured all of the lovely details, and I'm sharing tutorials for the projects on Momtastic. I also give my 5 Tips to Makeover a Bland Birthday Venue, which helped us save some money. Check that out, and be sure to swing by to learn to make your own:

DIY Retro Diamond Paper Plate Backdrop
DIY Number Outline Birthday Photo Backdrop
DIY Retro Diamond Color Block Bottles

These little diamond color block milk bottles were another easy, inexpensive DIY. I wrote up the tutorial for Momtastic. Swing by for the how-to.

 

Last year, I made a little cake for her. This year, we had a million (read: 14) kids in attendance, so cupcakes seemed like a more manageable option.

This giant number 6 photo booth backdrop was easy and really inexpensive to make. You've got to check out my tutorial.

 

I danced as much as the kids, and this pic of my two girls dancing together makes me so happy!

Last-Minute Halloween Idea: DIY Monster Mouth Favors Pt II

It's two days until it's time to hit up the neighbors for sacks full of candy. That's right, friends, Halloween is almost here! You know I'm jazzed about that. Even if you haven't crafted a single Halloween project with your kids, it's not too late to get in on in some spooky fun. I made these DIY Monster Mouth Favors for Momtastic, and they're a breeze.

Make them with your kids, or surprise them by slipping one in their lunchbox on Friday. They take 5 mins, I promise! Swing by Momtastic to check out the tutorial. You can also see this bad boy in action on my Instagram feed.

And, I know you're thinking, "Why is this project labeled as Part II?" Well, because you might want to check out the DIY Monster Mouth Favors I whipped up last year.

DIY S'mores Truffles

You know I love a good bonfire (find proof here, here, and here). But more than that, I love roasted marshmallows. I whipped up these DIY S'mores Truffles for Momtastic, and they're pretty fab. All the roasted goodness in a lunchbox-able size.

Swing by Momtastic to get the how-to for this delicious tutorial. Mmmm! So, good.

DIY Kids Say... Birthday Cake Toppers

Kiddo's headed back to school, and that means birthday parties for classmates are going to fill up our calendar soon. You may remember her faceted 5th birthday party last year. This year, I think something silly and lighthearted might be a fun way to go. Enter these DIY Kids Say... cake toppers, which showcase all the things kiddo's friends like about her. I whipped them up for Momtastic, so you should definitely swing by and check out the post.

Try not to smile over these goofy toppers. Go ahead, I dare you!

DIY Color Block Ice Cream Cones

I've been all over Instagram lately sharing up a storm, so if you're not already following me there, swing on by and say "heeey!" Scroll through my IG feed, and you'll see some fun sneak peeks of things to come here on the ole blawg. Seriously, how can you resist this mini dessert table, this giant gummy bear, and these teeny tiny gummy bears?

Before you bounce off to my IG, check out the ice cream project I whipped up a couple of weeks ago. These DIY Color Block Ice Cream Cones were super easy to make. Here are a few of my favorite pics of this neon project. I'm sharing the tutorial on Momastic, so visit me there to get the how-to.

You know I love hanging with you here, but I want to see your faces (even if it's just your avatar) around the interwebs. So, chat me up on IG, share some pins on Pinterest, or like a post on FB.

Also, don't forget to check out these other sweet DIYs:
DIY Color Blocked Cocktail Popsicles
DIY Gold Rock Candy Favor
Last-Minute DIY Sprinkle Heart Cake Topper

Oh, and be sure to check out my reaction to the totally absurd bday gift Maddy, my Confetti Pop partner, bought me last month.

Last-Minute DIY Sprinkle Heart Cake Topper

Around here, procrastinators are always welcome. We didn't even plan to make this cake until a couple of days ago. Well, today's Valentine's Day, and I've been in the kitchen with kiddo making and decorating a super simple box/mix cake to surprise Darren when he gets home.

Of course, I hit up my collection of sprinkles and sanding sugars for the occasion. Check out this cute video of her working her sprinkle magic on the cake. Look at those thick layers!

Anyway, I wanted a simple way to dress up a store bought or boxed cake that she could help me with. She's very into baking and making, so I wanted her to be more than just a casual observer in our V-Day treat.

So, I baked up two 6" cakes (they're the perfect size for our small clan), and she helped me frost and sprinkle the layers. Check out how we made this perfect little sprinkle heart cake.

DIY Valentine's Arrow Macaron Picks

Ever come across something cute, and think, "Why didn't I think of that?" This Sugar and Cloth tutorial is one of those. It's cute, easy, and Valentine's Day appropriate. It doesn't get much better than that. Plus, it would mean having macarons on-set, and I'm all about that.

Swing by Sugar and Cloth, and check out the tutorial for this cute V-Day project.

Kiddo's Winter Wonderland Birthday and Dessert Table

Hey sugar addicts! I'm so jazzed to share kiddo's 5th birthday party with you. The ladies of 100 Layer Cakelet were kind enough to share some images with their readers, and I wanted to highlight the dessert table here. I designed this invite, and it inspired everything else, so I guess I should give you a glimpse of that first. And, before you zoom in all close, just know that this isn't my real address. It's not that I don't trust each and every one of you, but…

I wanted to keep the dessert table pretty simple. It is for children, after all. But, I still wanted to add enough custom details to delight my girl. Let's just say, this is probably the first time in history anyone has ever squealed about a milk bottle label. She was like, "That says, 'Averie! It's fabulous, dah-ling!'" She has flair. If you follow me on Instagram, you're well aware.

Check out this gold confetti plate and that little owl! So fab. Both of those beauties were contributed by Land of Nod. They're a perfect fit this white and gold, wintry theme.

Shop Sweet Lulu kindly let me pick some products from their shop. I designed wrappers for the white ice cream cups to match the back of the invite and labels for the milk bottles with each girl's name. I also put a faceted 5, like the one on the invite, on top of each milk bottle. 

Candy Warehouse hooked us up with plenty of candy to fill up the gold faceted piñata I made.

This is one of my favorite pics of me, Darren, and the kids. So cute!

Pop on over to Confetti Pop to see the rest of the party and the DIYs I designed to create my girl's modern, wintery bash.

dessert table, invite, custom labels & wrappers, piñata, cake topper: Shauna Younge for Confetti Pop
Photography: Angela Rose Photography
candy: courtesy of Candy Warehouse
gold confetti plates & animal ornaments: courtesy of Land of Nod
white ice cream cups, plastic milk bottles, biodegradable spoons: Shop Sweet Lulu