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Archive: Parties
October 14, 2009
Small World-Themed Birthday Party
I have to admit that when it comes to planning my kids' birthday parties, I tend to be a bit of a slacker. Occasionally, though, I come across party inspiration that is so fantastic, I am throttled in to wanting to plan the best parties I can imagine. That's how I'm feeling after reading Mena's post about her daughter's It's a Small World party. After getting fed up by "cool" versions of commercialized characters, she decided to devote the party to something her daughter loves: the It's a Small World ride at Disneyland. Only mildly daunted by the fact that she landed on a theme with no purchasable decorative components, she went on to create one of the coolest birthday ensembles I've ever seen. Read on to see how she pieced together a fantastic backdrop, decorated cupcakes and made personalized handmade party favors for each child.
Posted by Rachel Hobson |
Oct 14, 2009 06:00 AM
Parties |
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October 7, 2009
Sewn Paper Party Streamers
I love what Heidi Kenney of My Paper Crane has done with these paper party streamers to make them extra special. She's sewn and ruffled them in multi-color strips. Fantastic!
Another reason I like these is streamers in general are thought of as disposable. They are thin, cheap, and rip easily. But when sewn like this the streamers become something you can use over and over again. The sewing/stacking/ruffling makes them feel real sturdy and thick.
Posted by Rachel Hobson |
Oct 7, 2009 08:00 AM
Parties |
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October 6, 2009
Mummy Dogs
Sarah James at Instructables shows how to make these Halloween-themed mummy dogs, which would be a perfect snack for your party!
Posted by Becky Stern |
Oct 6, 2009 02:00 PM
Food, Halloween, Parties |
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How-To: Truss and Roast a Chicken
Christy Canida at Instructables shows us how to make an easy, delicious, successful roast chicken first by trussing the chicken (securing the legs and wings so they don't dry out by being overcooked), and then roasting the chicken. If you've never roast a whole chicken before, give it a try!
Posted by Becky Stern |
Oct 6, 2009 09:00 AM
Food, Parties |
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October 3, 2009
Felt Autumn Napkin Rings
Perfect for a fall dinner party or even Thanksgiving, check out these felt autumn napkin rings, via The Kitchn.
Posted by Becky Stern |
Oct 3, 2009 11:00 AM
Parties |
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October 2, 2009
Printable Pennant Cupcake Toppers
I love the bright, simple, fun style of these printable pennant cupcake toppers from Rachel at Fog and Thistle.
Posted by Rachel Hobson |
Oct 2, 2009 03:00 PM
Paper Crafts, Parties |
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Intern's Corner: Cocktail Hats, Anyone?
Every other week, CRAFT's awesome interns tell about the projects they're building in the Craft: Labs, the trouble they've gotten into, and what they'll make next.
By Lindsey North, projects intern
So your best friend calls -- you're to attend a fancy dress party, costumes mandatory. But you have nothing to wear! However, you see fun beads and feathers sitting on your crafting table ...
From these small items, along with a clothes hanger, a headband, and a few scraps of fabric, you can make the perfect cocktail hat. (And if you want to make it completely outrageous, you can cover it in peacock feathers and sequins.)
In CRAFT Volume 10 we featured a Fancy Cocktail Hat and showed readers how to make a basic hat form. You start with a piece of metal wire -- an old clothes hanger works wonderfully, since it's light enough to bend easily but strong enough to hold its form.
Read full story
Posted by Keith Hammond |
Oct 2, 2009 10:03 AM
CRAFT Projects, Intern's Corner, Parties, Sewing, Vintage |
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October 1, 2009
How-To: Fried Ice Cream
Instructables user sleepingkills has a tasty tutorial for fried ice cream, what a treat!
Posted by Becky Stern |
Oct 1, 2009 09:00 AM
Food, Parties |
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September 28, 2009
Party Flowers for Late Summer
Don't these flowers just scream celebration? This set of grouped dahlias makes a lovely arrangement for late summer. Photographer Michelle Feileacan created the scene for her 10th anniversary party. I think she struck the perfect balance of shape, color, and height. Each vase is a standout, but doesn't detract from it's bloom, or it's neighbor. The effect is elegant and complex, while being simple and attainable at the same time. Just like any good soiree!
Posted by Brookelynn |
Sep 28, 2009 05:00 PM
Home Decor, Parties |
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September 14, 2009
How-To: Sushi Candy
CRAFT Twitter follower @mommyknows posted up this nifty tutorial for making "sushi" rolls for kids' birthday parties using flat sheets of rice krispies treats and various colorful candies. The results are enticing, and they look fun to make! Gotta love that Swedish fish!
Posted by Becky Stern |
Sep 14, 2009 02:00 PM
Food, Kids, Parties |
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How-To: Printed Burlap Banner
Melinda at Little Old Hat whips out her stencils and ink showing you how to make a printed burlap banner which she made for her grandma's 80th surprise birthday party.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Sep 14, 2009 08:00 AM
Parties, Printing, Sewing |
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September 9, 2009
Party Garland Roundup
It's Rachel's birthday! Happy Happy Joy Joy! In that spirit, here's are three stunning garlands that I would love to use to decorate her house! The first is a stained glass garland from Pamela Angus in France, the second is a sweet tutorial by Anna Maria Horner, and the third is an epic and popular fabric flower garland from Dolci Odille.
For more party madness, check out Ga-Ga for Garlands on Flickr.
Posted by Brookelynn |
Sep 9, 2009 12:00 PM
Holiday projects, Home Decor, Parties |
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September 8, 2009
How-To: Frozen Bottles
For your next party, try freezing your spirits in a sheath of ice to keep them chilly.
More:
Posted by Becky Stern |
Sep 8, 2009 04:00 PM
Parties |
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September 2, 2009
Yarn & Quilled Paper Place Card
Yarn & Quilled Paper Place Card
By Ann Martin
Here's a place card design that's quick and easy enough to make a large quantity in a short amount of time, assembly-line style. They would look pretty at a bridal shower luncheon or could even grace your Thanksgiving table.
The flowers were made with colorful 2-ply yarn I'd been saving in my sewing box for ages, leftover from a crewelwork pillow kit. I love it when I finally find a use for extra bits that were just too nice to throw away.
A few strips of quilling paper were rolled and folded to make the flower centers and leaves. If you don't have quilling paper, you can easily cut your own strips with a paper trimmer. Just use any paper that's similar in weight to standard computer paper. If you need to join two strips to make a longer one, tear the strip ends before applying a small amount of glue to each, overlapping the ends slightly. The torn edges will blend better than straight cuts and the join spot will barely be noticeable.
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Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Sep 2, 2009 01:00 PM
Cozy Up to Yarn, Paper Crafts, Parties, Weddings |
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August 27, 2009
How-To: Backyard Tiki Bar
Decor it Yourself shows us how to make a simple backyard tiki bar for a festive summer party "getaway" on a budget. Meg even has some cocktail recipe suggestions!
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Posted by Becky Stern |
Aug 27, 2009 02:00 PM
Home Decor, Parties |
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August 25, 2009
How-To: Squirt Gun Refill Station
Cheapie party favor squirt guns are hard to fill without a small stream of water, so Instructables user gabebillings hacked together this clever squirt gun filling station for his son's birthday party.
Posted by Becky Stern |
Aug 25, 2009 08:00 AM
Kids, Parties |
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August 10, 2009
Cross-stitch Printables & Stitched Typefaces
These cross-stitch printables are available from Wedding Style Guide but you could use it for any kind of party or crafty event in my book! The templates are for an invitation, monogram letter, drawstring bag pattern, cross-stitch booklet, and booklet cover. [ via iDiY ]
I'm always on the lookout for new fonts and love these stitched typefaces in a roundup compiled by iDiY.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Aug 10, 2009 08:00 AM
Design, Paper Crafts, Parties, Weddings |
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August 6, 2009
How-to: The Perfect Cosmo
I'll admit it -- I got into drinking Cosmopolitans because of the TV show, Sex and the City. Before that, I was happy to order a Sea Breeze, or even just a Cranberry-and-Vodka. But after a few episodes of watching Carrie and her ladies, I moved on to the harder stuff. They always looked so confident holding their Cosmos. They were all so perfectly dressed, their hair perfectly coiffed. They were fabulous and having a fabulous time. I gotta get me some of that!
I could lie on my couch in my grubbiest pajamas, my hair a big mess, heck, even with an avocado mask on my face, but I still felt stylish and fabulous when I drank my Cosmo and watched the show. When I lived in New Zealand, Sex and the City aired once a week on regular cable, so some lady friends and I got into the habit of making Cosmopolitans and watching the show together, every week. It was a perfect end to a long day. I strongly encourage you to invite a few girlfriends over and host your own Cosmo Clache!
The Classic Cosmopolitan
Ingredients and Utensils
Vodka Higher end brands are better. Something like Stoli always works well.
Cranberry juice You want sweetened, cocktail-type juice, not just pure cranberry.
Cointreau You can substitute Triple Sec or Gran Marnier, but it won't be quite as good. Really.
Limes or the juice of several limes. Some people prefer lemons and lemon juice. I've been known to use whichever I had in my house.
Ice For shaking up your Cosmo.
Shot glass
Martini drinking glass Stick the glass in the freezer while you mix up the Cosmo. Chilled glasses are a nice touch.
Cocktail shaker
Juicer
Garnish (optional) Lemon or lime peels cut into small curls work nicely.
Directions
- Fill your cocktail shaker halfway to two-thirds full of ice.
- Add 2 shots of vodka to the shaker.
- Add 2-4 shots of cranberry juice to the shaker. You'll have to experiment with different amounts to find the taste that you love.
- Add 1 shot of lime juice to the shaker.
- Add 1 shot of Cointreau to the shaker.
- Put the lid on the shaker and shake the drink vigorously for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Retrieve a martini glass from the freezer.
- Slowly pour the shaken Cosmo into the glass, stopping just below the rim.
- Garnish, if desired.
Now, take a small sip and savor your drink. And savor your mad mixicology skills. Savor your fabulous friends. And savor yourself, because you're perfect!
Posted by Shawn Connally |
Aug 6, 2009 12:00 PM
Food, Home Decor, Parties |
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July 30, 2009
How-to: Muddle Some Mojitos!
I tasted my first mojito in the mid- to late 90s in a bar called Absinthe in San Francisco. A co-worker named Mike Little insisted that I taste his, and one sip later I was hooked. Back at home, I searched for various recipes, did some testing, and at the next backyard BBQ with friends, I declared, "The Mojito! This is our new summer drink."
Another summer, quite a few years later, we instituted a Mojito Thursday at the office. Speaking in code, we'd let people know that there was a Mr. Mo J. Ito wanting to see them in the kitchen. Seriously, a call from Mr. Ito helped get more than one person out of a long meeting.
Big thanks to Mike and Mo J!
The Classic Mojito
Ingredients and Utensils
Rum Light or dark, depending on your preference.
Club soda
Sugar or Simple Syrup
Limes They should be washed and cut in half (you use a whole half in each drink).
Mint A generous handful of washed leaves per drink.
Ice Lots of ice makes the drink wonderful.
Shot glass
Tall drinking glass Mojitos are best served in a tall glass. I'm not sure why this is true, but it is, trust me.
Muddler A wooden spoon works well; we use a piece of driftwood we found a few years back.
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Directions
- Put a handful of mint leaves (20 or so) into the bottom of your drinking glass. Add 2 teaspoons of sugar or an equivalent amount of simple syrup. Add a splash of club soda, and begin to mix this with your muddler. You want to really press down on the mint leaves, smoosh them against the sides of the glass, for a good 10-15 seconds, maybe longer, to release the aromatic oil from the leaves.
- Squeeze half a lime into the glass, dropping the whole rind into the glass as well. Add a shot of rum (or 2, depending on the size of the glass and your taste for rum) and mix well.
- Fill the glass with ice, and then add club soda to the top.
- Mix again, and then garnish with a sprig of mint, a long, thin piece of sugar cane, or both.
- Take your first sip, smack your lips, and say "Ahhhhh." You're done!
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Posted by Shawn Connally |
Jul 30, 2009 12:00 PM
Food, Home Decor, Parties |
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July 22, 2009
Spiral Dot Printable Box
Shala at Don't Eat the Paste has a spiral dot printable box available for download in a variety of colors, perfect for party or wedding favors!
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Jul 22, 2009 08:00 AM
Paper Crafts, Parties, Weddings |
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