DIY projects

Little Artists Costumes

Here are some quick costumes that could be pulled together last minute with an errand or two and from stuff you already have. We put together three classic artist costumes: Andy Warhol, Frida Kahlo, and Vincent Van Gogh for less than $15 each. These are usually the kind of costumes I end up doing when I’m super busy. I like them simple and classic. Click through here for more photos and all the details.

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Vellum Flower Cake DIY

by Chiara Alberetti Milott

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!

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Fluffy White Cloud Costume

Today we are sharing one of my favorite costumes, this sweet little cloud. This costume was really fun to make and would work amazing for an adult costume too. I love working with paper mache (it reminds me of making pinatas!) because you make something with structure out of flour, paper, and water. Plus it is fun to work with your hands and get a little messy. Find the tips below for making a cloud costume of your own.

Materials Needed: Flour and Water mixture (I like it the same thickness as pancake batter.), Balloons, Paper, Cotton batting or Polyester pillow stuffing, white leotard and tights, white felt.

Step 1: To make the cloud structure we followed this tutorial here. (I think their pillow stuffing looks more cloud-ey than batting, but use what you have.) Leave a generous hole at the bottom for the feet to come out, ours was kind of like a skirt.
Step 2: Cut a hole just big enough for the neck, but cut a slit so the head can slide through, then cut arm holes.
Step 3: Line the parts that will be touching the body like the top and around the neck and arm holes with white felt so the costume is comfortable. If you wanted to make the costume a little easier to wear, just make it a little smaller (like 5 balloons instead of 9 balloons)

Credits and our Talented Contributors:
Photography by Aubrey Trinnaman for Oh Happy Day
Art Directed by Jordan Ferney
Produced by Ashley Rose Kirschling
Crafting and Calligraphy by Julie Manwaring at Flourish & Whim
“Homemade Halloween” Type by Angela Hardison
Thanks to A for showing us her ballet skills!

Field of Flowers Costume

Happy Monday! I’m trying out a new way to work on posts starting today that will be more collaborative and I’m really excited about it. We’ve been working really hard on it and are still figuring out the details but I hope people love it as much as I have loved working on it. Since it’s officially October 1st we thought we should start out with a Homemade Halloween Costume Series. This Field of Flowers costume is ridiculously cute and sort of had us wishing we had an adult sized suit of our own. It was pretty affordable and easy to put together but it did involve getting fancy with a glue gun (don’t fear the glue gun!) See below for full instructions and our source for affordable flowers.

To Make a Field of Flowers Costume it is really very easy. Avoid craft stores when looking for fake flowers (their flowers are kind of pricey for this project) and head right to the dollar store where you get get huge bunches for $1.

Materials Needed: shirt, leggings, beanie, glue gun, and fake flowers.

Step 1: Remove fake flowers and leaves from stems.
Step 2:  Dab hot glue onto the back of the flower and attach to clothing. Put the best flowers on the front and on the hat since they will be seen the most.
Step 3: Continue gluing but leave a 2″ area empty around the top of the leggings so that the shirt will lay flat when on.
Step 4: Finish adding flowers then have the costume tried on to look for any bare spots to fill in. Et Voila! You’re done. The whole thing took us about two hours and was pretty easy.

Credits and our Talented Contributors:
Photography by Aubrey Trinnaman for Oh Happy Day
“Materials” photograph by Paul Ferney.
Art Directed by Jordan Ferney
Produced by Ashley Rose Kirschling
Crafting and Calligraphy by Julie Manwaring at Flourish & Whim
“Homemade Halloween” Type by Angela Hardison
Thanks to little E for modeling!

DIY Splatter Paint Favor Boxes

by Jenny Batt

I’m old enough to remember the craze in the 80s first hand, ok, I was a kid, but I think that is where my love for neon originated. I had to incorporate it into some fun favor boxes. Whether for a birthday party or a wedding, customizing little boxes with a dose of hot pink modernizes even the drabbest of favors.

You will need: craft paint, favor boxes, medium to large sized paint brush, a bit of water

Click through for more photos and tips.

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