Graduation Party in a Box!

Graduation Party in a Box

My friend Amy, from Mod Podge Rocks, created a bunch of fun items to create a sort of “Graduation Party in a Box” and I really wanted to share this with all of you! While I don’t have a kiddo graduating from high school anytime soon, I know a few of you might have a kid, significant other, or friend that’s graduating from college or high school and this little kit will be perfect for your party! All the printables are free and she shared how to make a couple of adorable cake plates and a graduate frame. Just add my fortune cookie cash jar and you are all ready!

Cute, right?

– Chelsey


Dessert Ideas!

Ok, I gotta be honest. I stayed up way too late watching The Game of Thrones and I didn’t finish the post I had planned for today. No worries! I think that gives me the perfect excuse to wander back through my archives and share some yummy dessert ideas from The Paper Mama blog! Easter is coming up this Sunday, so maybe this will inspire you?

Homemade Apple Chips.

Homemade Apple Chips

Watergate Salad (made by IROCKSOWHAT for The Paper Mama blog).

Watergate Salad (made by IROCKSOWHAT for The Paper Mama blog).

Rainbow Cupcakes.

Favorite Apple Pie Recipe.

Super Simple Strawberry Shortcake.

Super Simple Strawberry Shortcake

Chocolate Covered Bacon Bites.

Chocolate Covered Bacon Bites

Stained Glass Cookies.

Stained Glass Cookies

Mini Doughnut Muffins with Cinnamon Sugar (made for The Paper Blog from Sweet Lavender Bake Shoppe).

Mini Donut Muffins with Cinnamon Sugar

Well, now I wish I had a pile of cookies and doughnuts in front of me. Happy Monday!

– Chelsey


Favorites: Fun Kid Easter DIY’s!

I don’t know about you, but this was a busy week for me. So much going on and I gotta say: thank goodness it’s Friday. I get to sleep in tomorrow morning! Yay! Ha. So, the approaching weekend ALSO means we are just over a week away from Easter. We’re starting our Easter Egg Countdown on Sunday and planning out how we’ll be coloring our eggs to give to the Easter Bunny (the kiddo has mentioned there will be A LOT of purple and pink). Secretly I’ve been collecting some kid Easter DIY’s to make for, or with, my daughter. Below you’ll find a little collection of my favorites.

 

Bunny Candy Pouch (so cute): Mer Mag.

http://mermag.blogspot.com/2012/03/easy-bunny-candy-pouch.html

 Crepe Paper Carrot Surprise: Martha Stewart.

http://thecraftsdept.marthastewart.com/2011/04/crepe-paper-carrots.html

Easter Birds’ Nest: Lulu The Baker.

http://luluthebaker.blogspot.com/2014/04/diy-easter-birds-nests.html

Surprise Egg Countdown: The Paper Mama Blog.

Cascarones Easter Egg Surprise Countdown // thepapermama.com

Egg and Box DIY: Carrie Can Blog.

http://www.carriecanblog.com/2014/04/easter-printable-egg-box-diy-tutorial/

Clay Bunny Bowls: Alice and Lois.

http://aliceandlois.com/bunny-clay-bowls/

 Bunny Tails: Eighteen25.

http://eighteen25.blogspot.com/2011/04/bunny-tails-more-i-love-us-prints.html

 Mini Carrot Balloons: Jacks & Kate.

http://www.jacksandkate.com/mini-carrot-balloons/

 Origami Easter Bunnies: Oh So Very Pretty.

http://ohsoverypretty.com/2013/03/18/ultra-cute-origami-easter-bunnies-with-cotton-bums/

 Easter Egg Popsicle: Ramblings of a Handbag Designer.

http://kailochic.blogspot.com/2012/03/easter-egg-popsicles.html

 Have a very happy weekend!

– Chelsey


Pressed Flower Cake Decor

Paper Flowers Cake Decor // thepapermama.com

Paper Flowers Cake Decor // thepapermama.com

It’s Spring. Yes it is. I thought this would be the perfect time to share this cute cake. I’ve officially used my pressed flowers printable 3 times: paper flower frame, decoupaged flower eggs, and now my pressed flower cake decor! I think this little cake turned out pretty adorable. How sweet would this be for Easter or Mother’s Day? It’s so easy, especially if you buy a cake instead of make it. Hee.

Supplies:

pressed flowers printable

– toothpicks

– hot glue

– delicious cake

Directions:

Paper Flowers Cake Decor // thepapermama.com

1. Print out your pressed flowers printable. Use some scissors to cut out the flowers you’d like to use. Use your hot glue to attach the toothpicks to the back of the flowers.

Paper Flowers Cake Decor // thepapermama.com

2. Pick off any lose bits of hot glue string, and your cake decorating flowers are ready.

Paper Flowers Cake Decor // thepapermama.com

3. Organize then on the top of your cake. I arranged the flowers so the taller blooms were in the back.

Paper Flowers Cake Decor // thepapermama.com

Enjoy!

– Chelsey

P.S. I picked up this beautiful cake from a local Portland bakery, The Cakery. Highly recommended if you’re in the area and don’t want to bake a cake.


Sad day for the chicken eggs.

Day 6 Candled Egg infertile // thepapermama.com

Well, sad day for our chicken eggs. The eggs we set under our hen last week are all duds. I’m sad (and she worked so hard), but there just weren’t any chicks developing in the eggs when we checked. BUT, we aren’t giving up. We went to the Portland Homestead Supply Co. and bought some of their blended fertile eggs to TRY and hatch. We picked out a blue egg, green egg, and super dark brown egg. PLUS, they gave us a couple tiny eggs from the chickens they have at their store.

Cross everything that this works. Our broody chicken has been working so hard to hatch those eggs, I hope it works this time. I guess we are starting the countdown all over again…. IF these eggs are fertile (and make it through) we will have some chicks on April 29th. I’ll be sure to share updates!

– Chelsey


Fortune Cookie Cash Jar

Fortune Cookie Cash Jar (with free printables)

Fortune Cookie Cash Jar (with free printables)

Have you been wracking your brain to come up with the best graduation gift, instead of your typical card with money? Well, I have an idea for you: The Fortune Cookie Cash Jar. Make that graduate work for the cash. It’s a unique way to celebrate a new step in life and a little bit of money always helps. Ready to create this? Let’s go!

Supplies:

Fortune Cookie Cash Jar (with free printables)

Directions:

1. Print out all three printables: the Fortune Cookie Template (print as many pages as you need, I printed four), Fortunes and Congrats Labels.

Fortune Cookie Cash Jar (with free printables)

2. Cut out your the fortunes you like (the final sizes of each fortune should be about 4 inches wide x 1/2 inch high).

3. Cut out the fortune cookie circles, from the Fortune Cookie Template.

Fortune Cookie Cash Jar (with free printables)

4. Pinch a line about 1 inch long onto the center of a fortune cookie circle.

Fortune Cookie Cash Jar (with free printables)

5. Fold your dollar (or whatever cash you’re using) to be about 4 inches wide by 1/2 inch high.

6. I’ll refer to the left and right side of the 1 inch folded line as sides “A” and “B”. Place your fortune and folded dollar perpendicular to the 1 inch folded line (the a-b line).

Fortune Cookie Cash Jar (with free printables)

7. Fold together sides “A” and “B” (see photo below).

Fortune Cookie Cash Jar (with free printables)

8. Here’s the fun step: With sides “A” and “B” touching, push in the center of the 1 inch folded line. Put one Zot adhesive dot (you can use hot glue, but the zots are quick and easy) and squeeze together. You now have a paper cash fortune cookie! Yay!

Fortune Cookie Cash Jar (with free printables)

9. Pick out which color/size Congrats label you’d like for your jar. Cut it out and attach the label with a couple Zot adhesive dots. Fill the jar with your fortunes and give this gift to the lucky graduate!

Fortune Cookie Cash Jar (with free printables)

This gift would also be perfect as a birthday, wedding or even a baby shower gift!

I want to see what you’re making! Share your creations with me in the comments below, or tag me on Instagram @thepapermama!

– Chelsey

I was paid to create this post for HP Create.

The Paper Mama Shop

Tags: , ,

Categories: diy, Gifts, HP


DIY Flavored Sea Salts

DIY-flavored-salts

It’s always fun to give homemade gifts, especially when they’re food related, even more especially when they’re very fancy and very gourmet. Flavored sea salts are one of those great little gifts that don’t cost much to make, but look really beautiful and are very much appreciated by the recipients. They’re perfect for hostess gifts, housewarming presents, and neighbor gifts for the holidays, and would make excellent take-home party favors. They look especially lovely packaged in small glass jars and bottles, and are pretty enough to be left out on the kitchen counter. Below you’ll find a 3 different lovely recipes to make your own DIY Flavored Sea Salts!

flavored-sugar-gifts

Rosemary Sea Salt

1 cup sea salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary

Combine the sea salt and fresh rosemary in a medium bowl. Spread out on a parchment-covered baking sheet, and place in the oven on the lowest temperature setting for 1 hour. Let cool, package, and give.

Good on meats and veggies!

Vanilla Bean Sea Salt

1 cup sea salt
4 vanilla beans

Pour the salt into a medium bowl. Cut each vanilla bean in half lengthwise with a sharp paring knife. Using the tip of the knife, scrape the seeds out of all of the vanilla bean halves, and add them to the salt. Mix well with clean hands, rubbing the salt and vanilla seeds together until well-combined. Package and give.

Perfect for sprinkling on chocolate chips cookies, homemade caramels, and other sweets!

Lemon Sea Salt

1 cup sea salt
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon zest

Combine the sea salt and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Spread out on a parchment-covered baking sheet, and bake for 1 hour on the lowest temperature setting. Remove from oven, allow to cool, package, and give.

Great on chicken, fish, and veggies!

* * *

Of course, you can’t give a cute jar of homemade flavored sea salt without a matching tag, right?! I’ve created three simple graphics, one for each type of salt, that you can download and use to make printable labels. Use them to make squares or circles or rectangles, stickers, hang tags, etc! Just right click on the graphic you want, save the image, and use it in whatever program you want to create your labels in!

DIY rosemary salt label DIY vanilla salt labelDIY lemon salt label

flavored-salt-favors

– Melissa Bahen, Lulu the Baker