TUTORIAL: Heirloom Pumpkin Flower Centerpieces

A friend of mine is hosting Thanksgiving for the first time tomorrow.  She has gone ALL OUT and planned for months.  I offered to help her with the centerpieces for her big event and we had a great time making it happen last night.  Many of you have probably seen pumpkin centerpieces online but I thought I'd jot down the steps we took to make these come to life.

To make heirloom pumpkin centerpieces you will need:

-Heirloom pumpkins (hers are from Whole Foods)

-Flowers (we used 3 large hydrangea, about 8 roses and a small mixed bouquet to fill each pumpkin)

-Floral foam

-Ribbon

-Scissors

Start by soaking your floral foam in water.  While it's soaking, hollow out your pumpkins.  (We learned last night that carving heirloom pumpkins is like attending a Crossfit workout.  What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.)

Stuff each pumpkin with floral foam.

Use the hydrangea as the anchor since it's the largest flower.  Cut to your desired height and insert into the foam.  (You may need to make a hole with a pen first and then insert the stems.)

Side note: That's my mom drinking her Chardonnay and enjoying the production.  She's not as in to the "crafting scene" as I am, but she' always willing to cheer me on...and got an arm workout carving one of the pumpkins. Go mom!

Next we inserted the roses in-between the hydrangea.  (My friend's mom who is a florist taught me this trick when I helped her with the flowers at my friend's wedding a few years ago and it is now my go-to.)

Then we filled in the sides with the mixed bouquets.

Both moms nervously looking on...

No need for nerves though...it was all coming together!

Add a bow to cover any exposed floral foam....

And voila!  

I think it's safe to say my friend is going to ROCK hosting her first Thanksgiving.

I mean really...who even cares about turkey after seeing the atmosphere she created? :)

Wishing you all a very happy Thanksgiving!  Enjoy.

TUTORIAL: Turkey Cake Pops

Cake pops make me nervous. Sure, I can hold my own in the cookie department but something about cake on a stick puts me out of my comfort zone. So when a friend's son declared that he wanted to make turkey cake pops for Thanksgiving and wanted my help, I was nervous I was going to disappoint. But the nerves were for not and the process was easy thanks to the great tutorial he found and the wonder of the Nordic Cake Pop Pan. Gone are the days of mixing frosting and cake for me. This pan saved the day and the end results tasted great.

My friend made the cake balls in the pan before I arrived for assembly assistance. Here is a good tutorial on using that pan.

To make turkey cake pops you will need:
-Cake balls
-Candy melts (we used 2 bags for 28 pops)
-Ritz crackers
-Lollipop sticks
-Candy corn
-Heart sprinkles
-Candy eyes
-Scissors
-Wax paper
-Stand or tray for drying
-Colored sprinkles (optional)

We used candy melts from the craft store for our project.  I started by melting them in the microwave per the directions on the bag.  We then dipped one side of the cracker in the melted chocolate, attached the candy corn feathers and let them dry on waxed paper.

Tip: Do not overheat the candy melts.  If they seem to thick, thin them out with a little vegetable oil until they are smooth.  Allow them to cool a bit before dipping.

Dip one end of the lollipop stick into the melted chocolate and insert it into the cake ball.  Allow to dry for a few minutes.  (This will make the pops much more secure to dip.)

(Shout out to Mr. Preppy Cookie for the homemade cake pop stand!)

At this point things were going well and my helper was a happy camper.  I still had nerves with the dipping part ahead but thankfully it all had a happy ending.

We dipped the pops in the chocolate and laid them on a cracker to dry.  Then my helper went to down adding the faces and sprinkle topping.  (Be sure to cut the candy cane beaks in half.)

At first I was unsure if these would ever be able to stand up without falling apart because they were really heavy.  We had devised a plan for them to just be served on a tray on turkey day but after an hour they were able to stand tall on their own.

Closeup of my helper's hard work!

SUCCESS!

And if this reaction to our efforts doesn't make you happy, what will really???

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

TUTORIAL: Halloween Witch Legs & Photo Booth

I rarely follow through with something I pin on Pinterest.  But when I saw this pin a few months ago, there was no way I wasn't going to replicate it.  Fast forward to last weekend and this beauty was sitting in our family room.

There were no directions to go along with the pin, so creativity was necessary.  After looking up "mannequin legs" on Amazon, we were in business. (Sidenote: I will never forget my husband asking me why we received "fake legs" in the mail.)

The tights were found at a party store and the shoes (size 10) at Goodwill.  I bought a plastic planter from Home Depot, spray painted it in glitter black and filled it with sandbox sand.  Anchored in the legs, covered the sand up with some deco mesh, added the broom and she was wickedly done.

The last (I think) Halloween project to share with you is the "photo booth."  I knew our house was going to be DARK at our party but also knew we did not want to miss the opportunity to photograph our friends' costume efforts.  A little niche in our house lent itself nicely to a photo booth where we could keep the lights on high.

The backdrop was fabric with some deco mesh and garland to accent it.  The sides were a flashback to my sorority rush days where we would cover our walls in twisted crepe paper.  Inexpensive and goes a long way.

You can see many of our guests' forced cameos here.  If only I had managed to subject everyone to it.

And here's a candid moment of me with Mr. Preppy Cookie. This was my consistent reaction whenever I looked at him throughout the evening. A cross between The Hulk and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle who forgot to take the hairnet off of his wig.  (And don't forget the Sperry top-siders to finish off the ensemble.)

I still have no words.

TUTORIAL: Floating Candles Halloween Decor

Sometimes my husband is skeptical of my big ideas.

Does asking him to dangle candles from the ceiling seem unreasonable to you?

Yeah, me neither. :)

Though initially resistant, Mr. Preppy Cookie now agrees that the "floating candles" added the exact wow factor we needed at our spooky soiree.  Watching our guest's reactions to them made them 100% worth the effort.

(Goldendoodle photo bomb!)

To create the floating candle effect you will need:
-Battery operated candles
-Fishing line
-Scissors
-Heavy duty tacks (Yes, we put tacks in our ceiling.  We're "YOLO" like that.  Just a little spackle afterward will put everything back to normal.)

Here is the recap of what Mr. PC did from there:

-Unscrew each candle bulb
-Cut approximately 8 inches of fishing line
-Take the fishing line and tie a knot around the top of the candle
-Screw the bulb back in
-Attach other end of fishing line to the heavy duty tack
-Tack candle into the ceiling

Turn the lights off and enjoy the impact!  

TUTORIAL: Halloween Painted Wine Bottle Candles

When I posted a photo of the painted wine bottle candles I made for Halloween on Instagram, a few people asked me how to make them.  It almost seems silly to call this a "tutorial" as these are incredibly easy to create but here goes.

To make Halloween painted wine bottle candles you will need:

-Empty wine bottles

-Soap

-Spray paint 

-Craft paint

-Foam paintbrush

-Taper candles

-Foam circular stamp (optional)

-Hot glue (optional)

-Plastic spiders (optional)

First, gather your empty bottles...

and give them a long soak in a soapy warm bath to loosen up the labels.  

Remove labels and allow to dry.

(Here is where I forgot to take step-by-step photos.  It is easy enough to explain though.)

-Spray paint each bottle and allow to dry.  (I used Krylon glitter spray paint from the craft store.)
-Using the regular paint, freehand paint whatever designs you'd like. Perfection is not the key here - just have fun. I used a Martha Stewart circular foam stamp for the dots.
-Hot glue on plastic spiders or any "accessory" you'd like.
-Insert taper candles.

See?  EASY.

Great way to use your fireplace without projecting the heat that comes along with a real fire.

Enjoy!

TUTORIAL: How to Make French Fry Cookies

A few weeks ago Mr. Preppy Cookie and I were invited to a BBQ. Of course I did not want to go empty handed and thought through what to bring. It was a co-worker crowd but also kid-friendly so I decided to make a batch of "hamburger cupcakes." My mom and I brainstormed about a fun cookie compliment to the burgers and fries seemed like the obvious fit.

I am not the first one to make french fry cookies but thought it would be fun to share my version.  They are EASY and equally intriguing to the party guests as the cupcakes themselves.  Add a side of red buttercream frosting "ketchup" and you could skip the burgers entirely.  Enjoy!

What you will need:

-Batch of your favorite sugar cookie dough
-Coarse sugar sprinkles
-Small amount of water
-Baking sheet
-Pizza cutter
-French fry container to display cookies in

First roll out your dough.

Take the pizza cutter and trim the ends from the dough.

Then cut the section into smaller squares. (Precision is NOT the key here...french fries are not perfectly shaped nor should these cookies be.)

Add the imperfect squares to your cookie sheet (I always line mine with parchment paper.)  Take a mister or clean finger and brush the tops of each cookie with a small glaze of water.

Coat each cookie with coarse sugar sprinkles prior to baking.

Bake the cookies according to your recipe.  (Hint: I always put my cookie sheets directly into the freezer for about 10 minutes prior to baking them.  This helps cut-out cookies hold their shape.)

Once they are out of the oven, take your pizza cutter and cut each square into small strips while the cookies are still hot.  Keep trimming them down until you have the french fry shape you are going for.

To me, packaging means a lot.  I will drive a longer distance and even pay a little more money to purchase items in shops that I know will nicely package the gifts I am buying.  Don't let that mindset leave you when it comes to fun food presentations.

I went to McDonald's and asked to purchase 6 mini fries, hold the fries.  This caused quite the stir at my Mickey D's and resulted in a long flurry of embarrassing activity until they agreed to just give them to me.  (Side note:  I used to LOVE McDonald's....and am also a vegetarian.  I have ordered a #2 with no meat for many years and this request for 6 mini fry containers caused more commotion than ordering a hamburger with no meat.  Hopefully your McD's will be more understanding of the need to display cookies in a creative manner.)

That's it...enjoy!

My friend told me that the morning after the party, her son found a stray cookie fry on the floor of their car...and ate it!  Now that's a compliment. :)

Checking In

Well, no excuses...I'm a bad blogger. Between the holidays and my real job (okay, yes there are excuses) it has just gotten away from me. I'm not going to make any grand promises about future blogging improvement so in the meantime I wanted to share an article where someone else did the writing for me. There you'll find my first little cookie-related interview, a few photos and even a written tutorial. In other words, much better than anything I have been giving you lately!

http://us.aritzia.com/Round-Up:-Cookie-Makers/ea3-round-up-cookie-makers,default,pg.html

Happy new year and enjoy!

Tutotial Roundup

Looking for a few fun projects to work on this holiday season? While not all of these tutorials are "holiday" themed, they could easily be adapted to this festive time of year. (Think red and green topiaries, Christmas tree applique shirts, or snowman ribbon notebooks.)

Peppermint Wreath:

Mason Jar Water-less Snow Globes:

Ribbon Topiaries:

DIY No Sew Applique Shirt:

Grosgrain Ribbon Notebook:

Happy crafting!

TUTORIAL: How to Make Easy Easter Placecards

I have mentioned this before but when I was a little girl I would spend Easter with my family at my great aunt and uncle's home. My cousin Jess was always the "waitress" making sure everyone had their drink orders while I would take charge of the placecards annually. Most of the time I would just remake the Easter Bunny placecards that my great aunt Josie originated. They are cute, simple and contain a treat that no one can really pass up after Easter dinner.


I thought I would share our little tradition in case anyone is looking for a quick Easter craft to do with their children...or maybe you're like me and just want a little something extra on your table that doesn't require much more than what you probably already have on hand.

To make Easter Bunny placecards you will need:
-Construction Paper
-Scissors
-Glue
-Dental Floss
-Cotton Ball
-Pen or pencil
-Marker
-Reese's Egg (Coconut is my favorite which is why I strategically used PB here!)


First, fold the paper in half and trace a simple bunny shape. (I wish I was fancy enough to make you a template but we are not going for perfection here anyway.)


Turn the paper inside out to hide your outline and cut out the shape. You can use the first one as your template to make more.


Take your pen and poke a small hole in the "nose" of your bunny. Thread two small pieces of dental floss through the hole and tie in a knot for the "whiskers."


Fluff out your cotton ball a bit and glue it to the bottom back of your bunny for the "tail."


Draw any details you would like to add and/or personalize for your placecard.


Finally, add a small amount of glue to the inside bottom of your template and attach your chocolate treat.


That's it!


HAPPY Easter!