WRITTEN ON November 3rd, 2009 BY molly AND STORED IN Theme Party Ideas, Uncategorized
Tags: christmas cards, greeting cards, holiday cards
Personalized Holiday Greeting Cards
Wish your friends and loved ones the very best this season by sending them a personalized Christmas or Happy New Year card!
Personalized cards are a great way to let all of your favorite people know what you and your family have been up to this past year. You can even add a family picture of a vacation or any fun time!
Holiday Snail Mail Greetings Cards
I just love getting good ol’ snail mail from the people I love, especially at this holiday season! I also love a chance to inform friends of recent happenings in my little family. So I’m always sure to personalize it with a recent family photo and good wishes for the year to come!
You can also order personalized holiday invitations. Carlson Craft has many beautiful styles to choose from. Now, the hard part is choosing one.
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WRITTEN ON October 24th, 2009 BY molly AND STORED IN Party Tableware Ideas, Theme Party Ideas, Uncategorized
It can be such fun to decorate a table for a Halloween party or get together!
With some solid color tableware to accent your Halloween print, you can make an ordinary table look extra spooky!
The black spider web table cover below, was placed over a solid orange tablecover and orange placemats were used to make the plates stand out against the printed tablecover. Black cutlery really shows up nicely on top of the orange placemats.
Good luck with all of your Halloween party plans. Hope you have a safe and Happy Halloween!
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WRITTEN ON October 15th, 2009 BY molly AND STORED IN Uncategorized
Tags: theme party, under the sea
Here’s how to throw the best Under The Sea Party Ever!
I’ve put together some ideas for your Under The Sea Party Theme. With winter approaching and a chill in the air, it’s fun to feel a little warmth by throwing a luau or deep sea party. The Under the Sea theme is great for birthday and theme parties alike and is a great theme for any time of year!!!
Here are some helpful ideas for throwing an unforgettable Under the Sea Party…
The first step to throwing a great Under the Sea Party is to choose your location. A room with a lot of wall space is a great place to start. Scene Setters are a great way to cover a bare wall. They look great and are so easy to use. Just unroll and evenly apply to the bare wall using heavy tape or staples.
Blue cellophane is a great way to create a water-like ceiling. Just drape it along the ceiling using tape or staples. A cellophane ceiling can look even better when you first drape a solid blue table cover along the ceiling to really create a deep blue sea effect. 3-D Fish and danglers look great hanging from the ceiling as well.
Netting will give your Deep Sea Party the authentic feel of the ocean. Drape it over walls or a door then entwine plastic lobsters, crabs and starfish throughout the netting.
Don’t forget your Under the Sea tableware and invitations to complete your party and continue your theme from start to finish.
With these simple tips your next Under The Sea party will be unforgettable!!
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WRITTEN ON October 10th, 2009 BY molly AND STORED IN Uncategorized
Here are some ideas for a different and exciting girl 1st Birthday Party! I used the Hello Kitty theme with mostly pink and black as accent colors-so girly and so much fun!!!
Pictured below are the homemade cakes that I made to match the Hello Kitty theme. I used Wilton cake making supplies and fondant. It was so easy and fun!
Pink cotton candy makes a great favor for children and adults alike!
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WRITTEN ON October 2nd, 2009 BY molly AND STORED IN Birthday Ideas, Wedding, birthday castle cake, bridal showers, cakes, princess party
When it comes to cake decorating, I am a beginner. In fact, these are the very first cakes I’ve ever decorated. There are definitely some imperfections, but I’d say they turned out pretty cute for being my first try. Trust me, if I can decorate a cake, you can too! Here’s how…
This was such a fun project, I just kinda made up my design to match the theme of the first birthday party I was throwing. I started with the Wilton Cake supplies pictured below.
For the round, polka dot layered cake I used…
1-6″ round cake pan
1-8″ round cake pan
1-10″ round cake pan (not shown)
For the square, striped cake I used…
1-6″ sqare pan
Tip: If you have the time, make and decorate your cakes a few days before the party, then freeze them. This allows you to enjoy yourself while you prepare for the party because the cake is already taken care of! It also helps to relieve some stress as the party approaches. Now, just relax and follow these simple steps…
First Step: Bake the cakes. Just follow the instructions on the cake box. Be sure to grease and put flour in the bottom of you pans so the cakes will easily come out of the pans after cooling for 5-10 minutes. I placed my cakes on Wilton cake boards after cooling for easy decorating.
Step Two: Frosting the cakes. I used a Wilton Buttercream mix that was so easy. The Wilton spatula was a must- have for smoother frosting.
I first put a thin layer of frosting on the cakes, then put them in the fridge while I got the fondant ready (this step makes the second layer of frosting go on a lot smoother and crumb-less when it’s time). When the fondant was ready (see next step for fondant) to lay over the top of the cakes, I took my cakes out of the refrigerator and frosted them for the second time so the fondant would stick properly. Remember that any imperfections in your cake will show through the fondant, so make it as smooth as possible.
Step 3: Rolling the fondant. I used the Wilton ready to use white fondant to cover the cakes and I’m glad I did. It was so simple. Cut off the amount you will need for the first layer and roll it out. (you will need enough to cover your whole 10″ bottom layer cake, I cut about 4-5 ” off of the chunk of fondant). Roll it out until it is about 1/8-1/4 of and inch thick. Then, lay it over the bottom cake.
Next, form the fondant around the cake so it is the shape of the cake. Then, using a sharp knife, cut the extra fondant around the bottom edge of the cake. You can either reuse the extra fondant or discard. Repeat this step for each layer of cake. Then, stack the cakes evenly. Biggest size on the bottom to smallest on top.
For the polka dots and stripes, I used a ready made fondant kit that had browns and black colors. When I ran out of black fondant, I just added black food coloring to the dark brown fondant. Then, kneaded it until it matched the already made black fondant.
If you are starting with lighter fondant color you will just keep adding black food coloring until it matches. It will take quite a bit of color to create black. That’s why I started with a color (drk brown) that was already dark.
Step Four: Roll out the black fondant and cut out your shapes. I couldn’t find the size of round cookie cutter that I was looking for, so I used a lid from a jar at home. Tip: If you use a lid from home, make sure it is smooth.
For the stripes, I just used a straight edge and a pizza cutter. To attach your shapes to your cakes, just put a little bit of water on your finger to adhere the shapes to your cake. It’s a good idea to map your design out first. After you’ve added water to your black fondant and adhered it to your cake, it will leave a mark on your white cake, making it impossible to move your shapes after you’ve applied them. Place your fondant shapes while they are still dry, then add the drop of water to make them stick permanently after you are sure of the your placing of the shapes.
Step Five: Add the frosting trim. I used buttercream frosting, but whipped frosting can be a little stiffer and easier to use. I used tip #304, and a disposable 12″ decorating bag to make my border. For the color, I used fuschia, but only added a few drops of color so it came out the right color of hot pink I was looking for. Tip: Always add food coloring a few drops at a time to prevent a finished color that is too dark.
I first practiced on a plate to get the ruffle I was looking for. I chose to put the border around each layer of my round cake and around the bottom of the square cake, but the best thing about decorating your own cake is that you can make it however you want! ;) !!!!
My cakes didn’t turn out absolutely perfect, but I got my party theme, color scheme, and point across and had a ton of fun in the process. I will definitely continue to decorate my own cakes!!!
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WRITTEN ON September 28th, 2009 BY molly AND STORED IN Baby Shower, Party Tableware Ideas, Wedding, bridal showers, bridal sowers
Here are some elegant ideas to create a beautiful wedding on a budget. Let’s start with the decorations. ..
These tissue flower balls look absolutely breathtaking when hung at a wedding, bridal shower, baby shower, reception, or any other celebration. They can be used indoors or even outdoors as long as the weather is nice. They come in a variety of colors.
… And are so easy to put together. Simply fold the already-cut tissue squares back and forth accordian-like. Then fold the tissue around the wire with the wire wrapped around the center or the folded tissue, this will be the center of the flower and is where you will attach your ribbon to hang the flower. Next, gently pull each separate sheet of tissue out, away from the center, being careful not the rip the tissue. When each sheet is pulled apart from the center, you can fluff the flower and separate any sheets of tissue that are stuck together.
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WRITTEN ON September 21st, 2009 BY molly AND STORED IN Baby Shower, Birthday Ideas, Gift Wrapping Ideas, Theme Party Ideas, Wedding, bridal showers, princess party
Pull-bows make chic gift wrapping easy! Just open the package, pull the strings and attach to your gift! With 3 great sizes of bows available, you can create a beautiful gift in seconds!
Here’s another gift wrapping tip: Use tissue paper as gift wrap to better match your party or theme. Here I chose zebra and black polka dot tissue to match the hot pink gift wrap. Whenever I use tissue as gift wrap, I double or triple the sheets of tissue so the you can’t see the gift through the tissue.
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WRITTEN ON September 14th, 2009 BY molly AND STORED IN Uncategorized
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WRITTEN ON September 11th, 2009 BY molly AND STORED IN Uncategorized
Paper lanterns are great accent for any special occasion! With just two pieces to work with, they are so simple to use. Just open up the package and expand the lantern. Then, place the wire inside the lantern to hold it in place. You will also need some hooks or thumbtacks to hang the lantern and some ribbon or string to attach the lantern to the hook. Removable sticky hooks are a great way to hang the lantern from the ceiling.
Choose a decorative ribbon to hang the lantern from. You can also tie some ribbon to the bottom of the lantern for a matching tail. Paper Lanterns even look great without a lightbulb inside. Just string some lights along with your lanterns for a beautiful twinkle effect. TIP: When using your lantern with a lamp or lightbulb, be sure to choose a flame resistant lantern as some lanterns are not intended for this use.
Paper lanterns make great centerpieces too. Place two different sizes in the center of your table for a bright, colorful centerpiece. You can also hang them very low above your table for a dramatic centerpiece.
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WRITTEN ON September 8th, 2009 BY molly AND STORED IN Birthday Ideas, Theme Party Ideas, birthday castle cake, cakes, castle cake, princess party
When helping your child choose a theme for his next party, choose a theme that has a cake pan to match. Making your own cake is a great way to personalize your childs’s party. Even if the theme doesn’t have a cake pan to match, there are round/square cake pans, decorating tips, icing colors, and fondants to choose from. Cupcakes and sugar cookies are also a great choice to give to your guests at a birthday party. It can be simple to make your own cake, even if it’s your very first. For more Wilton Cake decorating supplies, please contact us!
