Category Archives: Holidays

Affordable Easter Themed Birthday Party

26th January 2016

 

1-004

Enjoy my Easter themed children’s double birthday party!  It was for 36 guests and EVERYTHING cost under 150:  snacks/drinks, cakes, cupcakes, printing of goods, invites, favors for 14, decor…you name it!  Read the captions to see my ideas or tips at saving money.  Pin and follow me on Pinterest and here on herpartypants!  Thanks for lookin’, pals!

 

 

My invitations and party pack came from the wonderful Dee Dubs Designs on Etsy.  She is fast, talented, creative, and affordable.  I have used her before when she customized my Gender Reveal for me and I will use her again. I loved the vintage bunny and simple design.  My little girls LOVE glasses so it was only fitting to have a bunny in some.  Check out this gal’s Etsy shop to have her create something just for you or browse her other unique party invitations and packages.

 

043

 Invites on the party plates from Target that I fell in love with!

044

 

I had a neat idea for party favors.  Since it was an Easter theme party, an egg hunt seemed like a natural fun party activity but I decided to tweak it a little in a creative direction.  Instead of packing a million eggs which required a lot of candy and each child to bring a basket, I bought 2 pack Hobby Lobby medium fillable eggs at 50 percent off and hid only one egg per child in the yard.  Beats the same old gift bags.  To do one better, since none of the little kids could read, I used my patterned scallop tags from Dee Dubs Designs and mounted a picture of each child on each egg so they didn’t have to look for their names, just their picture to know which favor was theirs.  I downloaded pictures of the guests from Facebook and punched them out with paper punches and tied them on with string from Hobby Lobby.  Boom: activity and favor all in one without a kid or parent having 50 plastic eggs to keep up with.  Each favor broke down to a little over a dollar each.  Notice I gave each girl attendant sunglasses to match the invite and to implement something my little girls love:  some shades!

 

017

004

 

652

 For the big kids, about 8 and up, I made Peep S’mores bags. Again, each favor bag broke down to about a dollar each and they gave the older kids something to take and make at home.  They weren’t too childlike but still kept in the theme.  They loved them and they look precious.  I put them in a chicken wire basket from Target’s one spot that I spray painted.  Cheap, cheap!

559

 

561

 

Helium balloons are so expensive these days.  Especially mylar ones!  Hang balloons instead of inflating them.  I got two packs of latex balloons from Walmart/Hobby Lobby and draped them into a banner with one dollar gift wrap string from the dollar store.  I scattered some extra balloons on the floor because hey, kids love some balloons!

090

 

099

 

 The table set up was thrown together the night before and I didn’t know what I was going to do as I was going.  I used one dollar plastic cloths from the dollar store and used a contrasting color as a runner.  I used a pot I already had, bound it with the two toned baker’s twine from Hobby Lobby that I used on the favors and wrapped it around and tied it into a bow.  I used a fake branch I have in my home decor from Z Gallerie and hung painted styrofoam eggs on them that were a dollar a pack at the dollar tree.  Super simple and still a little chic.  Did she say chic dollar tree items?  Oh, I did.

The cups were from the Dollar Tree and plates from Target’s Easter aisle.  I adore the bold and bright geometric plates.  The pinwheel straws were from Target’s Easter aisle as well and they brought a little spring whimsy to the table.

030

 

045

 

646

 

082

 

085

Each of my girls had individual bunny cakes that were made by a local baker for only 8 dollars.  Even though I made cakes for years, with this big ole’ pregnant belly and two toddlers, I’ll just pay someone else!

053

 

Instead of having someone scoop ice cream, just like we did at my daughter’s One Direction Birthday Party, we served individual ice cream sandwiches.  It is way easier on everyone and the kids love it!  I got 24 ice cream sandwiches for 5 dollars taking advantage of a deal at Kroger.  Gotta love it!

528

 

2 dozen glitter dusted cupcakes for the kids.  I failed to get the cupcake toppers on in time.  You can let your imagination run wild!  They were bunny heads with glasses like the invites =0)  The colors were to bold too leave a picture out, toppers or not!

 

520

 

Due to the time of party, I didn’t have to feed the guests but I did these little snack cups filled with mini-appetizers, if you will.  I was going with a bunny/garden food theme with carrots (and ranch) cups, fruit/berry cups, but then the rascally pretzel cups with cream cheese pineapple dip slipped in too.  The snack cups can be found for 1-2 dollars a pack in all sorts of sizes, colors, and patterns at almost anywhere: dollar stores, Wilton aisles at Target/Walmart, party stores, Hobby Lobby, etc.

Each cup requires little food and each person can have a sampling of everything.  It’s like the cute cheap version of passing h’orderves at a wedding.  It was an unbelievably cheap way to serve food with a fun presentation.  As you can see, I used a cupcake stand for my treat cups. Super.

069

 

Outside I used my antique Coca-Cola cart and filled it with bubbles and chalk for the kids to do while they played outside.  Easy, affordable, and putting it in this fun crate gave it some flare, I think.

027

 

Sand treasure dig?  Absolutely. The girls were surprised with a sandbox for their party and I filled it up with party favors for each guest to have fun digging up little treasures to keep.  It was an activity plus another little take away for the kids that again only cost me a few dollars.  For an outdoor party, utilize whatever toys/things you have to make it into something new or fun at a party.  Outdoor parties at home have a million affordable play options and you save on a venue or inflatable, etc.

 

293

 

 Every year my kids wear a number shirt on their birthdays from Old Navy.  You can always find them on-line in most young ages and they cost around 8 dollars each when you catch them on sale.  You never have to wonder when you look back in pictures how old they were or which party it was.  Plus, they look really cute in them and get a kick out of wearing them.

 

444 432

 

I hope you enjoyed this simple and affordable party!  Share, pin, & enjoy!  Thanks to Shelly Griffin Photography for all of the great pictures.  No party is great without being captured well so thank you , thank you, thank you!

What To Do With All Of The Holiday Crafts Your Kids Make

21st December 2015

LOW QUALITY PICTURE ALERT…It’s all I could get this year, but I still wanted to share it!  Next year, I will replace these pictures with some that have all that fancy pants quality to them.  Until then…..

My mom has raised 4 children who are grown, with me being her youngest at 33.  Now my mom is in the middle of raising 4 children she adopted later in life.  For all 8 of us, she has saved the holiday crafts we have made through the years and it has become my favorite holiday decor.  Using twine and clothespins, she strings up all of the crafts we have made through the years.  It is such a personal and a neat way to decorate!.  You hate to throw away all of their sweet hard work and this way, you can keep the work from ANY holiday and always have the best kind of decorations.  It is neat to see the growth in the work through the years too.  I’m starting my collections now!  Isn’t this the sweetest?

Hang them over doorways, mantles, windows or banisters!  So many cute ways to hang these little treasures.

1-20151220_163800

1-1-20151220_163800

 

 

 

Easy DIY Wood Slice Ornaments

11th December 2015

 

 

 

1-20151210_154926

 

These couldn’t be easier! Here is what you will need:

Wood Slices from Hobby Lobby, 4 for $1. (with coupon, 1.99 without)

Sharpies

Pencil to draw design/wording first if you need to

Eye Screws (just push and turn by hand)

Baker’s Twine

I browsed Pinterest and found all sorts of cute ideas for design!  Aren’t the just the easiest, cutest and cheapest things on the planet!

1-20151210_154537-001

1-20151210_154926 (2)

1-20151210_154640

Pin and Enjoy!

The Cutest Way To Give A Gift Card

10th December 2015

 

Some people don’t like giving gift cards because they think they are impersonal.  I’m definitely not in that category because nothing gets me going like guilt free money to burn in a store I love!

If you want to add a creative touch or personalize a gift card, why not package it in a really cute way?  Enter mason jars for gift card packaging!  I used the same materials to make my DIY Mason Jar Snow Globes but instead, ditched the glitter and water and affixed a gift card inside.  Using a little hot glue, I lined the bottom edge of a gift card and snuggled it in between craft pine trees.  I put both of the teacher gift-gift card jars side-by-side in a wire basket and personalized each card with a chip board letter that I painted red to match.  My little girl dictated the message inside to her teachers with awesome things like, “Merry Christmas.  I love you.  You look like a candy cane.”

The gift cards were small, but cute and practical and who wouldn’t love to get a gift in something like this? The crafter in me would re-use all of the components if I were to get this gift.  Actually, I think I’ll keep it because I love it.  Just kidding… Or….Okay, I’ll give it to them.

If you are really fun, you can actually make the jars into the snow globe with the gift card inside.  Snow globe gift card packaging?  I might choke on a candy cane I’m so excited about that idea.

Put anything you want in a mason jar to make this packaging party, season, or person specific.  The possibilities are endless!  Here’s to hoping that two pre-school teachers like this gift as much as I do!

Follow, pin, share, and enjoy!

WP_20141217_14_19_39_Pro-004

In my dreams, I have that pillow-y fake snow in the bottom of this basket.  In my dreams I also don’t take blog images with my cell phone so I guess, we can’t all be winners.

WP_20141217_14_20_13_Pro

Alone, it’s simple and may need a little pizazz but when packaged with the wire basket and cards, it’s ballin’ out of control.  If only the fake snow…..

DIY Mason Jar Snow Globes

2nd December 2015

 

1-20141110-IMG_3083-004

Make a craft that makes you look like Martha!  Really, these take no skill!  Anyone can do these beauties. I had a craft party at my house and we all made snow globes and other cute crafts soon to grace this blog!  Thanks to Shelly Griffin Photography for the pretty pictures of these creations.

You will need:

Glitter

Small craft trees {These seen here are from Hobby Lobby, Walmart, & Michael’s.  Yep, I had to go three places to find three sizes. Awesome.}

Mason Jar

Super Glue

Decoupage

Washi Tape if you want to embellish the lid like you see below.

Little deer/bunny/squirrel figurines {I didn’t get them for these jars ,but I die for them!  Check out the dollhouse section of Hobby Lobby for these.)

Steps:

Super glue, not hot glue, the trees to the lid

Decoupage/seal in some way the metal tips of the trees and let dry so they don’t show rust when you look at your tree tops

Put a spoon full of glitter into the bottom of the empty jar

Fill the jar with water

Screw on your lid with attached trees

Shake it like a Polaroid picture

 

20141110-IMG_3098-2

The jar above has tinted water due to the trees bleeding color.  It was a neat accident.  I guess you could always use food coloring if you dig this and your trees won’t share their color. The one below has a lid trimmed with Washi tape.  So cute!

20141110-IMG_3102-2

Follow Me, Pin, Try & Enjoy!

DIY Stay-at-Home Mom Costume {For Kids}

2nd November 2015

 

Drum rolllllllllllllll….tah dah! This year I made my 16 month old a stay-at-home mom! I used everything I had here at home, excluding a small amount of fabric I bought for another costume. That means free, y’all!  And please, no one get their panties in a wad over this “interpretation”.  I am, in fact, a stay-at-home mom.  I also, in fact, look like a mess a lot.  Pajamas just feel so fine….   However, I don’t hot glue pretzels to myself and then go out in public.  I promise.  Although if they could chew on my pants while I shopped…..

1-men8

What you need:

a small baby doll (You can buy the one I used here from Target.)

sweats, mismatched clothes, or PJs you already have

food for splattering and real and/or fake food for gluing on to clothes

house shoes

hairspray to mess up their hair

hot glue gun, scissors, fine point sharpie, and black and white felt to make a baby bjorn

Optional but totally cute:  I used a baby doll diaper bag with a diaper and bottle for her trick or treat bag and had an empty coffee cup for an accessory

1-men7

1-mendel5

1-men9

1-10989489_10153747817999433_2101694392396608614_n

12191073_10153747816109433_6428607820009374870_n

Everyone laughed watching her walk around.  Free, fast, unique and, is there anything cuter than a baby wearing a baby?????!!!!  No.

(I was Rainbow Dash’s mom to a Rainbow Dash not pictured. You know, if you were wondering.)

Pin the mess outta this guy and follow me here and all of my social media accounts!  You can see past year’s costumes here and here towards the end of this post.

Photo credit:  Shelly Griffin Photography

Homemade Halloween Costumes

30th October 2015

This year I tackled all three of my daughter’s costumes.  They are all no sew, handmade, and 10 dollars and under!  Ever since I started making bouquets and wreaths with felt, that fabric has become my jam.

Eden loves pizza so I thought I would make her one.  Pepperoni, cheese, sausage, olive pizza! Comfortable, lightweight and so cute!

Play-Doh is my second child’s favorite thing.  Seeing my brother in a scary clown mask, is not. Thus, her impending devastation but moving on.

You can smooth out the colored lip of the can to stand out like a real lid.  I didn’t for these pictures though because it was crazy when we showed up to trick-or-treat.

Introducing the toy claw machine, baby edition!  There is a baby in there.  I confused everyone because I told them she’d be dressed as a dog, yet she wasn’t a dog for Halloween.  Oooooooo, the plot thickens.

 

Fresh hot glue strings still dangling form the claw from the last minute panic of getting it finished and getting to meet everyone to trick-or-treat.

 

Tutorials to come on all of these get ups!

DIY Claw Machine Costume

26th October 2015

 

Tah-Dah!  I did this for 4 dollars, y’all.  If you had to buy a few things, it shouldn’t cost you more than 10.  This is real life.

Supplies:

Stuffed animals from around the house

Free box from friend that I cut with a bread knife…makes sense

Black paint and construction paper or sheet of yellow adhesive foam

Zip tie & binder clips

Hot glue

Packing tape

Animal outfit for your child ( I borrowed one) or face paint etc. to make them an animal

I had ALL of these things at home, minus the box I got from a friend.  I painted the box and made some circles from yellow sticky foam to look like lights for the front of the box.  Next, I affixed the box with packing tape to the stroller tray and filled up the space with my stuffed animals.  I safety pin a few together and even hot glued a few.  You know you don’t need or care about all of those stuffed animals so it was an easy sacrifice.  If you put the box flaps down, it gives a ledge for you to pile the stuffed animals on, plus a large rim to tape down to the stroller to attach it.

To make the claw, I hooked several binder clips/rings together to make the chain and put a zip tie through the top ring to attach it to the center of the box.  For the claw, I opened to binder rings completely and hot glued them like crazy at the center with the clips opening in opposite directions to make it look like a claw grabber.  Once I had a finished claw, I glued that bad boy to the dangling binder clip chain and boom baby.  Throw a human dressed like an animal in there and you are done.  People loved the heck outta this thing!

Pin and enjoy, friends! Follow me on here, Pinterest, and social media, ya heard?!

 

1-20141031-IMG_2918-001

 

WP_20141031_16_57_43_Pro

 

20141031-IMG_2869

 

Easy DIY Ghost Suckers

20th October 2015

 

Originally on my blog, www.the1sthundred.com, but it’s still me guys.  

Here’s a throwback to Halloween treat I made with my mom as a child in the late 80s. Today I made them with my toddler to give to her friends at church. Just take a Kleenex, wrap it around a sucker, tie a string at the neck, and draw a face with a Sharpie. Boom: old school, cheap, and easy Halloween DIY to do with your kids.

 20131015_165015

20131015_165042