Candy Themed Party Crafts: How To Make A Candy Boat And A Candy Airplane

Earlier I posted about making candy themed birthday invitations and a "Happy Birthday" banner for my daughter's birthday and I promised to show you the candy themed crafts we did at the party...........so here they are.

The first one we did was a candy boat with gummy bear sailor.  This was pretty easy and the kids had fun creating it (and eating it).

How to make the candy boat:

Supplies ~ orange slices candy, frosting, lifesavers, pretzel sticks, gummy bears, sour tape candy

1.  Have an adult make an X with a knife for the pretzel stick to go into on top of the orange slice.

2.  Insert the pretzel stick (carefully ~ they can break easy).

3.  Cut your flag out of the sour tape.  I made a rectangle and then cut out a triangle (it's almost like math) and then attach it to the flag pole using frosting as glue.

4.  Attach your gummy bear sailor and the wheels (one on each side) on your boat using the frosting and let the frosting dry out a bit before setting sail.

Our next project was a candy airplane.  Some of the kids even "glued" a gummy bear pilot on their planes. =0)

How to make the candy airplane:

Supplies ~ Smarties (or similar candy rolls), stick gum (still in wrappers), lifesavers, rubber bands

1.  Thread your rubberband between the wheels (lifesavers). You can either keep the lifesavers in the wrappers and make a slit in them to run the rubber band through or you can take the wrappers off and use them that way.

2.  Take two pieces of gum, still in the wrappers, and wrap your rubber bands around each end of the "stack" of gum like you were making a ponytail on each end, just not too tight.

3.  Take your roll of Smarties and tuck them under the gum and between the wheels and pull it through until you get your airplane.

The kids had a blast making the crafts but I think that they might have had more fun making their own creations with the left over candy and frosting. =0)

Candy Themed Birthday Invitations And "Happy Birthday" Banner (Craft Project)

"A Kid in a Candy Store" was the theme of my daughter's 7th birthday recently.  Which I found out wasn't the easiest to find decorations or invitations for, so I made my own.

I love the look of the old bubble gum machines and I was excited when I found this picture online to use for her invitations.  I just copied and pasted it into my paint program.

I adjusted the size of the picture until it fit on half of a sheet of paper.  I then printed it out on "gumball" colored stock paper for the top part of the invitation.  (I flipped the papers over so that I was able to print 2 gumball machines on each piece of paper and I ended up with 7 different colored invitations.)

For the second part of the invitation, I went back into the paint program and erased the "gumballs" and other lines and inserted the party information in using the text feature.  I also included the theme at the bottom of the machine.  I then attached the front to the back using a brass fastener at the top.

For the "Happy Birthday" banner I found another picture online (of course for the life of me I can't find it again ~ just google candy clipart).  I copied and pasted the picture into the paint program again to work with it.

The candy was originally a peppermint candy with lines that I erased so that I could have a blank piece of candy to write on (I did that part by hand).  I printed the pieces of candy out on the same colors of card stock that I used for the invitations.

I used tiny clothes pins (you can find them at any craft store) to hang the candies from a string that I hung across the wall.

Be sure to come back on Monday and see what candy crafts we did at the party.

*To see a bigger picture just click on the picture.

Garage Sale Find ~ Lamp Shade Redo (Craft Project)

Here is the craft project I promised to show you.  My daughter's room is very sweet and girly girly with a little bit of drama so this lamp fits in it perfectly.

I purchased the lamp itself at a garage sale for $2 (came with the light bulb).  I found the flowers (as a wreath) at Goodwill for $2 and the mirror centers cost me $3 at JoAnn's.

Here is how I put the lamp together:

1.  Tore the flowers off of the wreath and deconstructed them until I had just the fabric petal parts.

2.  I glued the flowers (6 to a side) on the outside of the fabric shade using a tacky glue and I let it dry before tackling the center of the flowers.

3.  I glued the center (mirrors) onto the flowers using the same tacky glue. I did one side at a time and let the glue dry before moving onto another side so that the mirrors wouldn't fall off. 

I decided to use mirrors for the center of the flowers to go along with the flowers that I painted on her wall (they have mirror centers, too).

I think that this would also look cute with clear jewels or three pearly beads sewn together as the centers of the flowers and maybe a butterfly or two resting on the petals.  Are crafters every really done with their projects?

Teacher Appreciation Week ~ Paper Flower Tree (Craft)

This week is Teacher (or staff) Appreciation week and this is a great opportunity to show appreciation to those who have the stamina and heart to put up with our kids for 6 + hours a day for minimal pay. =0)

At my kids' school the grades take a day (Monday was the 6th graders' day) and the parents provide a lunch or an array of treats for the staff to enjoy.  Since I was in charge of Monday we provided a Tapas lunch for the staff and I made this tree (thanks in part to the inspiration from the Craftberry Bush).

The "tree" has 51 flowers and in the picture frame next to the tree, I wrote that each flower represents a 6th grader at the school whom the teachers have touched and whose soul they have helped to blossom.  Then, I also included a poem about being a teacher.

Here is how I created this tree:

1.  I used an old pot that once used to house a lemon tree (dwarf).......I have no green thumbs. =0(   But, the pot had great character and aging.

2.  I cut up styrofoam from packing in a product that I had purchased previously (I might not have green thumbs but I do like to be "green" when I can) and filled the pot.

3.  I cut a dead limb from my lilac tree and glued that down inside the styrofoam as the tree base.

4.  I used my Cricut and cut out 3 different sizes of flowers on card stock.

5.  I cut circles out of an old statistics book and folded them up for the centers of the flowers.  I then glued them in the middle of the flowers.

6.  I used watered down food coloring and painted the centers of the flowers blue.

7.  I curled up the edges of the flower petals using my thumb and a screwdriver (a pencil would also work great).

8.  I covered the base of my tree with moss and glued it down.

9.  I then glued the flowers on the tree starting with the larger ones on the bottom and then decreased in size as I went up the tree.

Several staff members came into the teacher's lounge just to check out the tree as I was setting up. And, from what I hear from my kids it was the talk of the school.  I am glad that I was able to have this opportunity to thank the staff at Webster school for all that they do. =0)

DIY Craft: Disney Pook-A-Looz Bookmarks

My kids are currently enjoying spring break this week.....so I am looking for things to keep them busy.  They love to do crafts and to read so when I saw these bookmarks I figured that they were the perfect thing to keep them busy for about 5 minutes. =0)

Go HERE to find the complete instructions and printable templates.

Valentine's Craft: Hershey Kisses Rosebuds

The kids and I like to get crafty when it comes to holidays and their teachers (to include office staff and the principal).  So, this year for Valentine's Day we decided to make long stem rose buds out of Hershey Kisses.  Who wouldn't like to get chocolate roses, right?

The kids had a lot of fun putting these together so I thought I would share how to make them with you.

Shopping list:

1 bag of Hershey Kisses
1 roll of floral tape
Floral wire (not on a roll) - the package I purchased had 12 wires in it - strong enough to hold the rosebud
Cellophane (I bought a roll at Michael's and used my 50% off coupon)
Leaves (I used my Cricut to cut out heart shapes)
Double stick tape

Step 1:
Use double stick tape to "glue" two Hershey Kisses together.

Step 2:
Cut Cellophane into 5" X 5" squares.

Step 3:
Place "glued" Hershey Kisses in the middle of the cellophane square.

Step 4:
With the tip of the Hershey Kisses in the middle of the cellophane square bring the edges of the cellophane down, folding the excess around and twist at the bottom.

Step 5:
Starting at the base of the Hershey Kisses start wrapping your floral tape around the excess cellophane, pulling slightly on the tape as you wrap.  When you have reached about the half-way point on the excess cellophane, insert the stem (wire) in the middle all the way up to the bottom Hershey kiss and continue to wrap until the whole stem (wire) has been covered.

Step 6 (final step):
Prep your leaves- since I am using paper hearts I folded them in half and then folded the base in order to have something to wrap the floral tape around and secure it to the stem.  Using the floral tape, secure your leaves on the stem by wrapping them several times with the floral tape being sure not to place your leaves too close together. (Refer to picture at the top of the post for finished product.)

Valentine's Day Craft: Disney Fairy Valentine Tree

I love Valentine's Day (I even convinced my husband to marry me on this day ~ 11 years this year) and I love Disney!  This Fairy Valentine Tree would make for a cute display on the table. =0)........not to mention quality craft time with the kids.

List of needed supplies:

*Scissors
*Brown cardstock
*Craft knife
*Scrap of craft paper (gold, pink, or red)
*Glue stick
*Sticker hearts or small scrapbooking hearts
*Marker

Go HERE to complete instructions and for the tree template.

Disney Princess Gown Ornaments To Make

Do you have a little princess in the house?  Check out these cute Disney Princess gown ornaments that you can make.  They look super easy to do.  My daughter and I might just have to try these.

Make Your Own Perry The Platypus 3D Ornament

We are big Phineas and Ferb fans here so when I saw this ornament I just had to share it with you.  You can go HERE to get the pattern and instructions to make your own ornament.

I think the kids and I might make this when we get back from Disneyland. =0)

Christmas Craft: Clothespin Magnets

These are so cute and easy for those who are craft-handicapped (not to mention frugal). Go HERE for directions on how to make the clothespin magnets.

These would be super cute to attach to a card or as part of a package.  They would also be cute as a way to display your own Christmas cards that you receive.

HOT High Value Coupons For Michael's

Crafting for the holiday season?  Click HERE to print these 3 HOT coupons for Michael's.

50% Off One Regular Price Item (Valid Nov. 7 - Nov. 10)
40% Off One Regular Price Item (Valid Nov. 11 - Nov. 13)
20% Off Your Entire Purchase (Valid Nov. 11 - Nov. 12)

*Did you know Michael's takes competitor coupons?  I've been able to use a Jo Ann's and a Micheal's coupon in the same transaction (just on different items). Bonus $!

Thanksgiving Cornucopia Craft

How cute is this!  I saw this cornucopia craft in the current issue of Family Fun magazine yesterday while I was waiting for my son at the Ortho's office.  Of course, I just had to share it with you. =0) Go HERE for the complete instructions and printable templates.

This would be a great craft to do with your kids (you can hand sew or glue the pieces together). There are so many extra possibilities with this craft. 

Here are a few of my ideas:

Write down what you are thankful for and attach it to a vegetable. Then on Thanksgiving take turns pulling out the vegetables and reading what everyone is thankful for (save the "thankfuls" for the years to come). 

This would also be a great learning tool for younger kids.  You could write a number on each vegetable and do math or counting games. 

Not ready for math or counting games?  How about learning colors and words for objects?

Do you have any great ideas to make this more than just a craft?  I would love to hear them. =0)

Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for More Than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats

How cute is that.......a lollipop made out of cake! I came across this cookbook ( Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for More Than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats) in my local newspaper today and I thought that it was one of the most adorable things that I have seen lately.   Amazon actually has a tutorial video on the site about how to make the simple round cake lollipops and they look easy enough that I think that my kids would have fun making them. 

The cookbook Cake Pops is full of 40 different recipes for shaped lollipops including ones for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, plus many more! The cake pops would make fun gifts during the holidays not to mention the cookbook itself would make a wonderful gift (hint, hint, honey if you are reading this).  Amazon has it available for both the Kindle and on hard back. (The hard back ships FREE with Amazon Prime- Check out this post to find out how to get 3 months for FREE.)



Disclosure: I am an Amazon Associate.

FREE Halloween Pumpkin Stencils

We love to carve pumpkins for Halloween.  It usually gets messy and ends up with at least one of the kids hiding pumpkin seeds in some unexpected places but it is memories that I wouldn't trade for anything.......pumpkin seeds can't grow without dirt, right?

Here are some great sites to find some fun and easy (or not so easy, but cool looking) stencils to carve your own pumpkin with:

Better Homes and Garden Pumpkin Stencils- Tons of ideas and tips!

DLTK Pumpkin Stencils-Many kids characters and how to instructions.

Stoneykins 100 FREE Pumpkin Stencils- Patterns don't seem to be for the novice but there are a lot of cool looking ones.

Hershey's (no not candy ones) Pumpkin Stencils- Patterns are grouped into difficulty levels.

Disney Family Pumpkin Stencils- Disney character stencils.

Reader's Digest 12 Pumpkin Stencils- These look very easy!

Martha Stewart Pumpkin Stencils- Tons of cool ones (even for mini pumpkins)--This might be my favorite site!

Happy Pumpkin Carving!

Daily Freebie: 50 Sheets Of Origami Paper

Everything in Paper Crafting is giving out 50 sheets of Origami paper (plus FREE shipping).  When you receive your FREE paper (in 3 different sizes) come back to the website and learn how to make all the cool shapes.  This is a fun skill to learn.  It can keep the kiddos (and adults) entertained in moments of boredom. =0)

It is limited to 1 per household and US residents only.  Allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.

Thanks, Deal Seeking Mom.

Getting Ready For Halloween: Disney Pumpkin Carving Templates

I love the smell of Autumn and the sound of leaves crunching under my feet. I also love getting ready for the holidays to come, including Halloween.  We normally get around 550 - 650 trick-or-treaters where I live so it makes it all the more fun!  My kids like to stand outside and hand out the treat bags and check out everyone's costumes almost as much as they like to go trick-or-treating themselves. 

One of our favorite Halloween traditions is to carve pumpkins.  We love to find templates online and use those so that even the kids can be pros at it. =0).  In the spirit of our upcoming trip to Disneyland, I found these pumpkin carving  Disney templates to share with you.  A great way to enjoy the holiday while spending less. Have fun!

31 Days Of Disney Halloween -- Mickey Mouse Pumpkin Patch

In the mood for a Disney Halloween?  Go HERE to find out how to make this cute Mickey Mouse Pumpkin Patch (out of salt dough).

I might make some for a Disney Halloween Display!.....I think that the kids will have fun helping me. =0)

Lightsaber Pretzel Sticks

We just recently hosted a Star Wars Houseparty and I decided to make some cute "lightsaber" pretzels.  They are super easy to make and were hands down a favorite at the party.  To get started you will need to purchase some pretzel rods, melting candy (found in craft section of most stores), and aluminum foil.

1.  Melt your candy according to directions on the package.

2.  Dip the pretzel rod in and cover it up to about 2 inches from the top

3.  Let the candy harden and then wrap the non-dipped end with aluminum foil (I kept the dull side on the outside)

If you look at them from across the room and squint your eyes they really do look like lightsabers. =0)

My Son's Birthday Cake

Yesterday was my son's 10th birthday. He wanted his theme to be Toy Story so I made him this cake with one of the Little Green Men from the movie on it.

Here are my secrets to making this cake-

1. I found a picture online that I thought I could handle and I saved it to my paint program.

2.  I enlarged the picture to fit the cake and printed it out and then drew the balloon and block myself.

3.  I cut out the pictures and layed them on the iced cake (I froze the cake before hand to make it easier).

4.  I used a toothpick to trace around the pictures and then lifted off the paper very carefully.

5.  I used the same toothpick to make my inside lines (belt, eyes, etc.)

6. I  made my frosting colors and then "filled in the lines."

7.  I then used black writing icing to outline the character/toys (and make his mouth) and add detail lines.

8.  I added extra detail to make it special (my son's intials and age).

Everything is Coming Up Roses......I Mean Petunias :)

My kids and I recently made these flowers for their teachers as an end of the year "thank you."  They were super simple to make and the teachers absolutely loved them. 

Supply List:

Small Terra cotta pot and saucer
Spray Sealer
Spray chalkboard paint
dirt
flower
chalk

Directions:

*Spray outside of pot and all of the saucer with the sealer and let sit until dry (actually dries pretty fast)

*Spray outside of pot and all of the saucer with the chalkboard paint (I choose the black colored one)
*Tip- I set the pot upside down on newspaper and sprayed around it so the paint didn't overspray inside the 
   pot.

*As soon as it is dry you can plant your flower ( I bought a 6 pack for $1.50 and used the three extra in my
own garden.)

*We wrote "Thank You" on our pot with chalk and included an extra piece of chalk so that they could use it
later to write whatever they would like.