Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Are you wearing your green? I am!
I don’t really decorate for this holiday but I love to make a green dish or treat in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. This year I made green rice crispy treats! They’re super fun, easy to make, and a hit with the kids.
What makes these so fun is the green color you get from adding food coloring to the mix! Here’s the classic “Rice Crispy Treat” recipe I used. After the marshmallows are melted, add a few drops of green food coloring to the mix (you can use the liquid or the gel coloring). Be sure to stir it well, then continue with the rest of the instructions. After I smoothed the mix out in my 13 x 9 , I sprinkled a little green colored sprinkles on the top for some sparkle!
Hello! Today I wanted to share my self-laminated Valentine card embellishments with you. They’re fun to make and with a few craft supplies, you can customize these to your liking.
All you need is some scrap craft paper, glitter glue, stickers, etc. and some self-laminating sheets. I happened to score 2 packs of the 5 x 7 size from the Dollar Tree but you can find these at any store that carries laminating products.
The self-laminating sheets are easy to use and will make your embellishments last a long time. You just center your project on the hard side and the back is peel and stick. It comes with instructions and shows you exactly how to seal your craft.
For the love tag, I started with a cream 4 x 7 piece of cardstock for my background. I then cut a piece of pink scrap paper smaller than the background and added a couple of stickers to the center. After, I went around the edges making hearts with my mini heart puncher and affixed it the background piece.
The cupcake card was actually a card so I just cut it in half and decorated it. I added glitter glue and the pink hearts from the previous punched card. You could create a cupcake with a few scraps of paper if you like this one.
For the larger card I used a page out of a dictionary. I love using dictionary pages in my crafts and decor! You can find them just about anywhere. I found mine at my local library. They sell books for like .50 cents so I’m always there getting old books. It’s just something about those old, worn out pages that I love. Just add a little glittered heart cut out or punch and you have a cute little card.
There are so many possibilities on how you can use these. Punch a hole at the top and add some twine and you have a cute little ornament for your Valentine tree! You could also use these in your planner…add some sequins to the front before sealing and you have a shaker dash-board. Also, these would be fun as a gift tag, or a love note for your special someone. Leave one on the night stand for your love to find or even drop one in your kids lunch to find at school.
My cards are hanging right next to my tree. I display extra Valentine cards here too during the holiday and it makes a pretty festive display.
Feel free to use these if you’d like. I’d love to see how yours come out. You can find me on Instagram @thedimestoregypsy for home decor inspiration and more.
First post of the New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. We recently celebrated my daughter’s 1st birthday and I’m so excited to share all the details and decor. I love planning and hosting so naturally I had to go all out!
For invitations we used Vistaprint.com. They have a great selection of invitations that can be printed from your home or printed and mailed to you. I chose to have them printed and mailed and they did a really great job! Everyone loved them. I’ve linked them below.
Here’s the style I used. There are 3 different color options and I chose the pink. You are able to edit the wording, pictures, etc. however you like. I took the photo insert off so I could have one large snowflake and we edited the wording under Winter Wonderland to say: Oh what fun! Our little snowflake is turning One! They came with white envelopes for free or the option of matching envelopes for an additional cost. I found a coupon code online and ended up paying around $.60 cents per invite with free shipping.
I created all the decorations using the Recollections Strawberry Cream cardstock value pack from Michaels craft store. It has 5 different shades, comes with 50 sheets total, and It’s priced at an everyday value at $2.00! I’ve linked it here for you.
Recollections Strawberry Crème-Michaels.com
*I found a 25 pack of snowflake cutouts also from Michaels but these were seasonal and are no longer available.
Check back a few posts to see how you can make these magical snow globes I used in my table centerpiece!
I always decorate my kitchen with gingerbread during Christmas and this was just so cute with all the other decorations.
For this backdrop I used the cardstock to create some paper fans and glued them to a white back drop from Dollar Tree.
In keeping with the theme I chose a white cake with white butter cream icing and some edible snowflake accents. I ordered from our Wal-Mart bakery and it was so moist! The cake topper was a clear ornament filled with faux snow and a dye cut snowflake from some of the leftovers I had. You can wipe the bottom off and it becomes a keepsake ornament. Just add the birth details with a sharpie and hang it on your tree with some pretty ribbon!
I saved the tutu from our cake smash photo session and used it as the high chair skirt.
I put together these dainty little sitting table centerpieces with the Recollections silver glittered die cut snowflakes and clear rhinestones I found at Michaels. They were 12 in a pack, with a mix of large and small. I’ve linked the exact ones below.
Michaels.com
I wanted a deli style lunch so we had a mixture of catered and homemade goodies. From the Kroger deli I ordered mini chicken salad croissants, assorted ham and turkey tea sandwiches, a fruit tray, a veggie tray, and a spinach and artichoke dip bread bowl.
I ordered a couple of gallons of the Zuppa Tuscono soup from Olive Garden for something warm and I have to give many thanks to my stepmother for bringing one of her friends awesome cheese balls (this is so good everyone is literally asking for it at every party I’ve had), cranberry chili meatballs, and these delicious salads!
We had cake for dessert along with strawberry wafer cookies and donut holes.
For the drink station I used my cute little mason jar drink dispensers that I found this summer at a discount shop. They really came in handy for the sweet tea and cucumber lemon water I served.
I used an old chippy tray to hold all the napkins and serving ware right next to the food.
For our party guests I put together these goodie bags with Grab n Go Play Packs, a few pieces of chocolate candy, and a snowflake bubble wand. The play packs are really handy and they come with an activity book, a sticker sheet, and a small set of crayons. You can find these at Wal-Mart, Target, etc. in a variety of characters. They’re relatively inexpensive at $1.00 each. I just lined a basket with some tissue and arranged the goody bags here for the kids to grab.
Iced gingerbread men all wrapped up as a party favor for everyone!
I used the Little Debbie gingerbread snacks as party favors. All you need is some loot bags and decorative ribbon and you have a cute, in-expensive favor. Arrange them in a basket and put them near the door so when your guest leave they can take one with them.
Christmas tree with birthday gifts by the fireplace.
For the fireplace I used the Wal-Mart Creative Cuts 2 yd. piece of burlap as an overlay. I then added baby photos, pinecones, DIY poster board tree cones, and a name banner pinned with flower ribbon brooches.
A few fun game ideas we used that you can play too!
We are so thankful for this little blessing and couldn’t be happier! Thanks for reading along and I hope this gives you some inspiration for your next party.
Happy Holidays! I’m sharing this whimsical mason jar snow globe DIY. They are so beautiful in the light! I made quit a few and grouped them together around my home. Read on for details on how to make your own.
Supplies:
If you don’t happen to have any jars saved, you can find them at Michael’s craft store. The smaller ones are everyday value at $1.00 and the larger are $2.99 regular price. I found my smaller ones at Dollar Tree and I saved a few Atlas pasta sauce jars for the larger size.
Next you’ll need the mini trees. You can find a variety of these at the craft store in all kinds of colors and sizes. I picked a few shades of green for myself. Here are a few options from Michael’s. (mini 6 pack on the left/$2.99 and medium 3 pack on the right/$3.19)
Here are a few different options for the base. I always grab these when I find them on sale because I know I’ll be using them for different projects. (I don’t pay over a dollar or two for each.) I was lucky to find a few of the middle ones at Dollar Tree. I like to group the finished jars together so it looks great when you have different sizes and shapes. You can find these at most craft/home stores.
And of course, you’ll need snow and craft glue. All of these products can be found at your local craft store. I found my snow spray and filler at Dollar Tree and the craft glue at Michael’s. Be sure to grab the clear craft glue. I have seen it come in white and black. (Make sure to use industrial strength adhesive for your base, you don’t want your jar coming off the base.)
Instructions:
Hold your mason jar in one hand and with the other take your snow can and hold it about 4 to 5 inches above the opening. Spray a small short burst into the bottom of the jar to add some snow and texture to your jars. (This is a little messy and may get on your hand. Use gloves and wash if you get any on your skin.) Let sit for about and hour to dry.
Once dry, add about 1/4 jar of snow fill.
Next, glue your tree down to the inside piece of the lid. (I used hot glue here to speed up the process.) Once it’s dry, place it in the jar and screw the lid on.
All you have to do now is put a little bit of craft glue around the rim of your base, center it on the lid, and let dry. Once it’s dry you can flip it right side up and start decorating!
These are on my kitchen hutch with my gingerbread tree. Don’t they look great!
Happy Wednesday! Just a few more days and Halloween will be here. A few days ago I shared some great Halloween party game ideas that I’ve used at our parties and now I have a few prize ideas to go along with them. I can recall the excitement and joy winning prizes at the Halloween carnivals I would go to as a child. Last year at our party, one of my son’s friends won a game of bingo and he was so excited. His prize was a ceramic Darth Vader vase full of Halloween salt water taffy I found at Target. (Yes, I love Target lol) Anyway, He said, “I never win anything.” Then after picking his prize he said, “Man, this is my favorite candy, thank you.” He was happy the whole night and it brought me back to when I was a kid.
All of these items are from Target but I do provide another option at the end you can put together yourself using items of your choice. I try to find cute gifts that aren’t expensive. After all, I like to have a lot of games so I keep that in mind when I’m shopping. If you wait to buy the week of the party, you can usually find everything on sale.
So the first thing I found are these boxed Halloween caramels. I just love the cute packaging! They come in these 2 colors and have a little ribbon handle at the top. They’re on sale for $2.49 right now.
The next thing I want to share are these cute cookie pops. I mean, look at that Frankenstein…so cute! At $1.79ea., these are a fun option.
Candyville Halloween Cookie Pops 1.3oz -$1.79
I love this next idea! It’s a great alternative for the younger ones and a great family activity. This kit comes with pre-baked cookies and all the goodies to decorate them. All you have to do is open it up and let the kids get creative!
At my last party, my nephew (who was 5 yrs. old at the time) won a games so I gave him a Zombie Brain Rice Krispy Treat kit I had found at Target for around the same price point. He was able to help his parents make/decorate them and loved it. If you will have any children who are younger, a great idea is to have a pack of bubbles on hand to give out. This way they can participate as well.
Create a Treat Halloween Chocolate Skeleton Family Cookie Kit 13.4oz -$4.49
Another fun prize option are these gourmet chocolate chip cookie tins. These are single cookies about the size of your palm and come in a cute keepsake tin.
Original Gourmet Double Chocolate Chip Cookie 1.5oz -$1.00
I also found these Halloween wrapped chocolate bars you could use as a prize. There’s 4 different package styles and who doesn’t love chocolate right?
The next idea is a great option because the favors come in packs of 4-8 for $1.00. You can get multiple prizes for under $10.00! All of the items are from Target. The gift bags are on sale for .50 right now. Just put one of each favor in the bag, close it with a fun Halloween sticker and you have prize bags ready to hand out.
I also included a crazy skeleton tumbler. Instead of bags, you can put a few favors in the tumbler, put the lid back on, and you have a cute inexpensive prize ready. These tumblers and favors can be found at Dollar Tree and Dollar General as well.
Halloween is almost here, can you believe it? Each year I throw a party and go all out with our decor and games/prizes for the kids. I love entertaining and this happens to be my favorite holiday! I enjoy seeing everyone have a good time, especially the kids.
Today I’m sharing 3 awesome game ideas I used last year that the kids loved. I have a mixture of pre school to young teens (12-13) and they all enjoyed these so if you’re looking for some ideas for your party, look no further.
The first game is the Pumpkin Poke! This is great! It’s inexpensive to make and you can fill the cups with any “treats” you like. Keep in mind the age range of the children that will be at your party so you can plan accordingly. For myself, I made 2 of these and placed them side-by-side. I used and assortment of candy, ear buds, light up bounce balls, Halloween socks, fake ugly teeth, sticky mustaches, and finger skateboards from Dollar Tree. I left a few cups empty for a “trick’ but allowed whoever received a trick to play until they won. At the end, the children traded each other if someone had something they wanted. Check out the link below for a great tutorial at sheknows.com on how to make your own.
sheknows.com
Next is this fun Halloween bingo kit I found at Target. It comes with everything you see and is only $5.00! We ended up playing about 3 games and the kids didn’t want to give it up. I’ve linked it down below for you.
The last game I have for you is a freebie from pagingsupermom.com. What is a Halloween party with out a cake walk? I used white paper to print the numbers so they would stand out with the black light. I only ended up using numbers 1-10. I arranged them in a large circle in the garage and secured them to the pavement with a few pieces of packing tape. For the goodies, I made 2 loaves of pumpkin bread, and 2 small cakes. We did 1 drawing every hour until the goodies were gone. All the kids were super anxious to play so they could win something good!
pagingsupermom.com
These games were a big hit at our party. The kids all had a great time and I even had a few adults join in on the cake walk. If you’re looking for some game ideas that have been tried and tested, these are the way to go!
Thanks for reading! You can find me on Instagram at dimestoregypsygal. Let me know if you use any of these games and if they worked for you. I’d love to hear about it!
Hello and welcome back! Halloween is just a few weeks away and I wanted to share my mantle decor with you. I have been collecting items here and there and have some fun projects to share so I’ll get right into it.
So first to cover the mantle, I used a black twin size flat sheet. I cut big tattered slits on one side to give it that old, creepy effect. The large brown candelabras were already there and stay up year round so I didn’t mess with those. The faux potion books are from Michaels and I actually got these at 70% off. They came out to about 6.75 ea. Such a good deal! I’ve linked these below. If you find them in your store I believe they are still doing and additional 20%.
Stack of Magic Books by Ashland 8.49
The crows, black glittered candelabras, and witch hat are from Dollar Tree. The 2 small witches (purple & green) are tea light holders and I found the set for a few dollars at a resale shop. The large green skeleton skull I found at Ross for 5.99! I saw a few of these in other stores as well in different colors.
The black brew pot is from Dollar Tree and was pretty fun to make. I found my black kettle from Dollar Tree and you can pretty much find these at any store that has Halloween decor. I used some spray foam sealant and let it dry. Once it was dry I painted just a little of the top to give it some color.
Now for my fun apothecary jars! This was probably my favorite things I’ve done so far. You can really get creative and use your imagination. I found the jars on sale at Hobby Lobby. You can really use any jars you like. I liked these because of the cork topper. Now you just need some embellishments like buttons, broken jewelry, lace, ribbon, etc. and some twine/cording to finish off your bottles. You’ll also need hot glue to seal your bottles.
I found a really great simple tutorial by LunarFoxCrafting on You Tube. Here’s the link to the video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqwvAx9FzOY. I printed my own labels I found online and skipped the tea step. Other than that, I followed the video and they came out great. Using the soap works really well!
If you decide to make some fun jars I want to see! You can find me on Instagram @dimestoregypsygal.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Are you wearing your green? I am!
The Dimestore Gypsy 