Ghost Parade DIY
What I’ve learned is that kid’s parties are always better with a project, game or activity planned. What I’ve also learned is that kids love anything on a stick – which I discovered this summer when I tied a balloon to a stick in the park for my boys. They were entertained for quite a long time, while I watched in surprise at how much fun they were having.
I was inspired to make a set of ghosts that we could then bring to a ‘Ghost Party’ in our local park. The ghosts were actually so easy to make, the only thing I had to buy was a bottle of starch from the grocery store, and some wooden dowels from the hardware store – everything else you probably already have around your house.
Click through for full instructions.
Vellum Flower Cake DIY
I’ve always loved the way edible flowers – or frosted, or gum paste, or marzipan for that matter – look on a cake. But there are always these two problems for me- I’m afraid I’m going to inadvertently poison my guests, and they’re not always readily available (I think I’ve seen packages at Whole Foods, but that was eons ago). This is a pretty simple way to decorate a cake inspired by that look. I printed out vintage flower illustrations (found copyright-free here), cut them out, stuck them on toothpicks and skewers, and voila! A pretty cake! The genius of it is you can pick and choose your flowers, colors, leaves, etc to create whatever you wish– I’m pretty sure there’s no way those leaves I used would go with the flowers I used. Artistic license!
Hanging Fabric Ribbon Hoop DIY
What do you do when you’re co-hosting a baby shower, you’re in charge of decorations, and you live 612 miles away from the shower location? Perhaps you’d make these hanging ribbon hoops and pack them in your suitcase, ready to unfurl and hang when you arrive the morning of the party.
Since I live in New York and the shower was in Ann Arbor, Michigan, I needed to make some suitcase-friendly, portable decorations. It couldn’t be too big or too fragile – I needed something that would survive the flight intact. These ribbon hoops were just the ticket. They’re virtually indestructible – just fabric and hula-hoops. The shower was held at a local flower shop called Pot and Box – which has a beautiful event space off the back, with high ceilings, white walls, and floor to ceiling shelves piled high with pretty vases and containers. I knew there were pipes and metal hooks on the ceiling, so that hanging the hoops wouldn’t be a problem.
Materials needed: strips of fabric, hula-hoop, scissors. (I used a 20” diameter hula-hoop, and it took about 60 strips of fabric cut into 2” inch strips. There’s no need to be exact though. You can add more or less fabric strips depending on what you have).
Step 1: Cut your fabric into 2” x 40” – 48” strips.
Step 2: Fold a strip of fabric in half, lay it under the hoop, and then flip the bend of the strip over the hoop. Pull the two loose strips through, tightening as you pull.
Step 3: Continue all the way around, until you have enough fabric strips to cover the hula-hoop.
Step 4: Shake out and smooth the fabric ribbons down, and hang.
Floral Crown DIY
My friend Roxana’s daughter had a birthday, so I jumped at the chance to do a little something pretty and flowery. I love making party hats and crowns for children’s birthdays, and this sweet, floral head-wreath made little Maya feel like a princess for her special day.
Materials: Morning glories (any soft and flexible stem, from Dandelions to Lisyanthus, would do), a variety of other small blossoms, small vintage fake flowers on wire, wrapped floral wire, scissors and seam-binding ribbon.
Step 1. Trim off extra greenery and cut long stems into three 8-inch lengths. Pre-cut a few 3-inch pieces of wire so you can just grab it and wrap it as you go. Pre-cut and make a little pile of blossoms and blooms with approx. 2-inch stems.
Step 2. Depending on the flowers you use, you may have to wire two or three stems together to get your initial base stems to create a circle. I found that a 5″ diameter was good for a 3-year old. Gently pinch the stems together as you wrap the wire tightly around the stems. Cut off any extra wire, or tuck it parallel to the wreath so it won’t stab any little heads.
Step 3. Add your additional blossoms and blooms at regular intervals around the wreath. Tuck the ends gently into your circle and then wrap gently with more floral wire to secure them. I used some vintage purple flowers on wire and used the wire to wrap them to the wreath, creating an extra secure layer.
Step 4. Cut two 18-inch lengths of ribbon and tie a bow. Leave the extra length hanging down. I used seam-binding because it is lightweight, flowy, and comes in great colors.
This is such an easy and simple project, too, and the beauty of is that you can really use any seasonal greenery and flowers. Just maybe not evergreens and holly for a winter birthday! Voila! Go and crown your birthday girl!
PS. It’s best to make this right before the party starts, as the flowers will not have water and therefore will only last for a few hours – probably just long enough ’til the meltdowns start!
Super Long Taper Candles DIY
I love the look of those super long taper candles, but can never find them in my neighborhood. I thought it couldn’t be so hard to make them myself, and did it in three really easy steps. I like the way they look color-blocked, and love the charm and – dare I say it – the “pizzazz” it gives to an ordinary white cake.
Materials needed: birthday candles, knife, an old cutting board, lighter.
Step 1: Align two different colored candles together, making sure the wick of one candle is lined up next to the bottom of the other candle. Hold them next to each other and cut a diagonal slice through both of them.
Step 2: Light the lighter and melt the cut end of one candle.
Step 3: Gently press the two diagonal ends together, hold it for a few seconds, then rest it gently down on a flat surface and let it set. The candles will be pretty fragile, so handle with care. Some candles were more temperamental and didn’t want to stick together, so I just set those aside for another day.
Step 4: Light them up and make a wish!
Oh Happy Day is a party and lifestyle blog based in San Francisco. We just moved back after spending a year in Paris, France. We love to throw parties and make things!
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