A Licorice-Themed (Halloween-ish) Birthday Party

 

Hello, today I am excited to share a party I never posted from way back in September I did for my grandma. I had no idea what theme to do, and I was inspired when sometime near her birthday she mentioned how she loved licorice, which I already knew, but in desperation for a theme a thought that perhaps licorice could be my theme. Her birthday is the month before Halloween, so I ended up doing not only licorice and sweets for the décor, but also a bat and dark, moody/elegant colors like burgundy and black with blush pink, other pinks, and tan. I used fabric cut into long strips for the background of the display (from fabric donated to me as I mentioned in a previous post and had on hand), all looped around a string or fabric strip at the top. I draped the fabric over a pegboard. I made matching kabob sticks with Dollar Tree candies and licorice, and also got Dollar Tree cookies. The big pink candy decoration was fabric tied around a balloon. The licorice stick decoration next to it was black fabric hot-glued to a recycled protein powder container. The licorice-looking word banner was made of hot glue on cardstock letters all painted black. 

I hope this is helpful for other licorice/candy lovers with upcoming birthdays or as Halloween party inspiration!

-Lauryn

DIY Candy / Willy Wonka Bouquet

Hello! Today I am sharing a tutorial for a Willy Wonka/Candy bouquet. I made this for my brother last year when he played Charlie in a Willy Wonka play. This was a quick, very last-minute gift (otherwise I'd have never gotten him junk food with dyes). Please keep in mind that any of these treats could be substituted. For example, nut packages and a large bar of Lillie's chocolate or something could be used instead. 

To make this, you will need:

-Small packages of candy/treats

-A large, pretty treat such as a candy bar, homemade lollipop, homemade bread. a large cookie, etc.

-A small balloon

-Dowel rods or an alternative

-Hot glue and a hot glue gun

-Tulle

Step 1. 

Hot glue the candy/treat packaging to the wooden/plastic sticks/rods.

Step 2. 

Tie tulle around them all in a bundle and glue where/if necessary. Add in the balloon.

You're done! It's a super easy gift, and perfect for boys in theater who may not want flowers or traditional after-performance-type gifts. Plus, like I said before, this could be changed into a healthier version. I gave my other brother who played Mr. Bucket photos and a balloon in place of candy due to his dietary restrictions. There are lots of substitutes to a bouquet that are easy and quick. You could even do a non-candy bouquet.

I hope this comes in handy and you enjoyed! I look foward to sharing more activities and events with you soon!

-Lauryn

Easy, Cheap DIY Reeses Appreciation Gift

Here is a super easy tutorial for a fun, tasty, small appreciation gift. I was thrilled when I came up with "App-Reese-ate", and this gift is great for when you need to show your thankfulness at the last minute. 

To make it, you will need:

-A jar (or set of jars; I like to buy 12 for around $8 at Walmart)

-A bag of Reeses candies (I used the Christmas tree kind in December for $2-3 and added the pun "tree-mendous" on my labels/notes)

-Twine or ribbon

-Paper or something for the jar labels and a marker

I bought a large bag of Reeses and used them in a gift box, gift basket, filled around four jars, and still had extra! Just fill a jar with the candy, write a label that says you "App-Reese-ate" someone in your own words, and tie a ribbon or string around the jar. It's so simple and very inexpensive, especially to make in bulk. 

I hope this helps when you want to give a token of gratitude!

-Lauryn

Mini Winter Peppermint Birthday Party

Way back in November I did a peppermint-themed party for my dad. I chose the theme and grabbed decorations from my stock in our garage the morning of his birthday...yeah. Not that I'm a procrastinator or anything ;) His parties are always difficult, though, because it's hard to find a theme, and I was obviously short on time at that point. He likes peppermint, so I did this mini party that required minimal, easy decor. The color scheme was red, gold, and white. 

I'm afraid there aren't many photos (after all, there wasn't much to take pictures of), but this theme, which I discovered on Pinterest, is great if you're ever in need of a quick, last-minute party idea near Christmas time. I hope you liked it, and look foward to sharing more soon!

-Lauryn