The following ideas are credited to two of my long time friends. I saw these ideas at different baby showers, and thought I would share them.
1. Buy enough plain white onesies for each guest attending the shower. Set up a table with non-toxic fabric paints and stencils, brushes, and foam stampers. Guests can create special, personalized onesies for the new baby!
2. If you are giving multiple items for your gift, you can create a "wash line". Use clothespins to hang your gifts to a wash line string (bibs, onesies, towels, booties, etc.). Place the wash line gently in a gift bag so that when the mommy-to-be starts to pull out her gift, she will pull out each item consecutively and be able to hang it up at the shower to display the items. It comes out very cute, but also has functional future use. The wash line is reusable, as well as the clothespins. You can elaborate on the wash line as much or as little as you like by adding ribbon bows between the gifts, or clipping note cards filled out with advice, cute sayings, or funny stories. It allows you to present your gift in an atypical way, and will certainly create a memorable gift!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Fall Favor Ideas
The following favor ideas were mainly based upon a wedding reception, but would work well for any occasion.
1. Leaf shaped candles or soaps, placed in either a organza drawstring favor bag or a clear cellophane favor bag. These bags can then be embellished by tying your "thank you for sharing our special day" card to the ribbon ties, or even adding small charms or beads in coordinating colors to the strings. If using a cellophane favor bag, be creative with the ribbon ties - use 2 different colors of ribbon, or some very pretty fall themed ribbon.
2. Leaf and pumpkin shaped chocolates, handmade by you and your wedding party. Buy the appropriate candy molds and melting chocolate at the craft store, and make it a fun group activity night with the wedding party or any friends/family willing to help out. Have dinner together, get some work done, and just have time together to talk, reminisce, etc.
3. Same idea as number 2, but use homemade cut out cookies in the shapes of leaves and pumpkins. Check out any craft store's cake decorating aisle or any retailer's section of fall merchandise to find the cookie cutters if you don't already own them. Again, have an activity night together to make the cookies. For this idea, if you are willing to share your cookie recipe, you can have your "thank you/wedding date" card that gets attached to the favor do double duty. Have the cookie recipe printed on the other side of the card so people can enjoy the cookies again on their own sometime.
4. Hot chocolate, hot tea or coffee favors. Many wedding supply companies offer personalized pouches of hot chocolate, hot tea bags, or coffee. If you prefer to do something more creative or homemade, you can always get favor containers, such as small tin or plastic containers, and fill them yourself with your choice of hot chocolate powder, coffee grounds or even loose tea, and embellish them with ribbon, paint them with stencils, or even glue on beads/rhinestones. Put it together to make it look like a gift wrapped box. Just make sure that the container you choose has a secure lid or has no chance of leaking out the substance inside. If you choose to put together your own favor, make sure you have the appropriate amount of powder, grounds or tea to make at least one full cup, and choose a flavor that is either special to you and your soon-to-be spouse, or something that is a favorite for the both of you. This gives your guests a little bit more of your personal touch. If you do choose something special, make sure it is noted somewhere on the favor card so your guests know why you may have chosen a specific flavor.
When making your own favors, always look for the bargains. Buy things when they are on sale, use the craft store coupons from the weekly ads and buy in increments, or recruit your friends and family to come with you to purchase the items so they can use coupons as well. Make the most out of your money - weddings can get very expensive if you don't plan carefully and save wherever you can.
1. Leaf shaped candles or soaps, placed in either a organza drawstring favor bag or a clear cellophane favor bag. These bags can then be embellished by tying your "thank you for sharing our special day" card to the ribbon ties, or even adding small charms or beads in coordinating colors to the strings. If using a cellophane favor bag, be creative with the ribbon ties - use 2 different colors of ribbon, or some very pretty fall themed ribbon.
2. Leaf and pumpkin shaped chocolates, handmade by you and your wedding party. Buy the appropriate candy molds and melting chocolate at the craft store, and make it a fun group activity night with the wedding party or any friends/family willing to help out. Have dinner together, get some work done, and just have time together to talk, reminisce, etc.
3. Same idea as number 2, but use homemade cut out cookies in the shapes of leaves and pumpkins. Check out any craft store's cake decorating aisle or any retailer's section of fall merchandise to find the cookie cutters if you don't already own them. Again, have an activity night together to make the cookies. For this idea, if you are willing to share your cookie recipe, you can have your "thank you/wedding date" card that gets attached to the favor do double duty. Have the cookie recipe printed on the other side of the card so people can enjoy the cookies again on their own sometime.
4. Hot chocolate, hot tea or coffee favors. Many wedding supply companies offer personalized pouches of hot chocolate, hot tea bags, or coffee. If you prefer to do something more creative or homemade, you can always get favor containers, such as small tin or plastic containers, and fill them yourself with your choice of hot chocolate powder, coffee grounds or even loose tea, and embellish them with ribbon, paint them with stencils, or even glue on beads/rhinestones. Put it together to make it look like a gift wrapped box. Just make sure that the container you choose has a secure lid or has no chance of leaking out the substance inside. If you choose to put together your own favor, make sure you have the appropriate amount of powder, grounds or tea to make at least one full cup, and choose a flavor that is either special to you and your soon-to-be spouse, or something that is a favorite for the both of you. This gives your guests a little bit more of your personal touch. If you do choose something special, make sure it is noted somewhere on the favor card so your guests know why you may have chosen a specific flavor.
When making your own favors, always look for the bargains. Buy things when they are on sale, use the craft store coupons from the weekly ads and buy in increments, or recruit your friends and family to come with you to purchase the items so they can use coupons as well. Make the most out of your money - weddings can get very expensive if you don't plan carefully and save wherever you can.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Cute Fall/Halloween Centerpiece Idea
I saw the following idea in a candle book, and it looks very cute for a simple centerpiece.
Take one terra cotta pot, medium sized, and paint yellow around the bottom, and white around the outside lip of the pot. Make sure to stencil your line first, in order to ensure a straight line. Your pot should now resemble a piece of candy corn. Fill the pot approximately 3/4 full with whatever filling substance you would prefer to use, for example, glass stones or sand. Use a substance that will add some weight to the pot to keep it in place and prevent it from tipping over. Place a white or ivory colored pillar candle in the middle of the pot. Cover the filler substance and surround the base of the candle with candy corn. Add to the centerpiece with options you like, such as placing the pot on top of a festive round piece of cloth, surrounding the pot with tiny pumpkins or votive/tealight candles, or anything else you see fit to be creative. As the candle burns, melted wax will eventually drip down onto the candy corn, so please warn guests that it is not advised to eat the candy. Pillar candle may be placed in a glass pillar container of your shape and size preference, and candy corn may be used to completely fill the pot if you don't mind your guests sampling the candy throughout the event.
Take one terra cotta pot, medium sized, and paint yellow around the bottom, and white around the outside lip of the pot. Make sure to stencil your line first, in order to ensure a straight line. Your pot should now resemble a piece of candy corn. Fill the pot approximately 3/4 full with whatever filling substance you would prefer to use, for example, glass stones or sand. Use a substance that will add some weight to the pot to keep it in place and prevent it from tipping over. Place a white or ivory colored pillar candle in the middle of the pot. Cover the filler substance and surround the base of the candle with candy corn. Add to the centerpiece with options you like, such as placing the pot on top of a festive round piece of cloth, surrounding the pot with tiny pumpkins or votive/tealight candles, or anything else you see fit to be creative. As the candle burns, melted wax will eventually drip down onto the candy corn, so please warn guests that it is not advised to eat the candy. Pillar candle may be placed in a glass pillar container of your shape and size preference, and candy corn may be used to completely fill the pot if you don't mind your guests sampling the candy throughout the event.
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