Party + Wedding Ideas

Big Fringe Garlands

Here  is a party idea that could be used for decoration, a photobooth, or even hung as a garlands. Big curtains of fringe make a huge impact and are so easy to make. Click through here to find the easy step-by-step instructions.

Click through for full instructions and photos.

(more…)

Mini Ice Cream Cones + Acrylic Stand DIY

This post is sponsored by Dreyer’s/Edy’s® Slow Churned Light Ice Cream: all the taste of regular ice cream, but with half the fat and 1/3 fewer calories. Now that’s a reason to smile. Give a smile here: http://on.fb.me/L3wSQf

Today Alexis Birkmeyer made these wonderful acrylic mini ice cream stands. This project is so so simple. Sometimes power tools or unfamiliar materials can intimidate people to not try a project but this one is so easy! The acrylic stands can be used over and over. They are great not just for ice cream cones but any sort of food served in a cone. If you have a creme brulee torch at home the only things you would need to pick up are the pieces of acrylic and the special drill bit. The heat gun is preferable but if you only have a kitchen torch it will work just fine. I would love these for a kids party or even a bridal or baby shower. The mini ice cream cones can be prepped in advance and you can put the stand and prepped cones in the freezer right before the party starts. When it is time to eat you just pull them out and serve. Find all the directions and more photos below!

Continue reading after the jump.

(more…)

5 Tips for a Backyard Movie Night

This movie night series is sponsored by Skinny Cow.

This is the last in our summer movie night series. (Here are the other posts: Invitations, Food, and Decor.) Here are 5 tips for planning a movie night.

1. Choosing the Movie. Depending on the crowd, picking a movie can be tricky. In general I try to pick something classic that isn’t too intense. And I consider if kids will be there. Here is a list of movies that might work: Star Wars, Rad, Footloose, Dirty Dancing, Indiana Jones, Goonies, Mean Girls, Any Pixar Movie, Real Steel, Nacho Libre, Lord of the Rings, School of Rock, Napoleon Dynamite, Back to the Future, ET.

2. Timing is Everything. Most movies are two hours which if you are socializing before it starts can easily drag into a 3-4 hour event. I start the party 30 minutes before it gets dark to allow for talking and eating. Then I start the movie as soon as it gets dark to get the party going. You have to mindful of the schedule or it can easily tun into a marathon party.

3. Sit on It. In my experience people prefer sitting in chairs. So even if you are doing blankets on a lawn, its nice to have some chairs around.

4. Keep the Food a Coming. It can be awkward to get up during the movie so send someone around with a tray of goodies every so often so they can refill on popcorn!

5. Intermission. I went to a party once where they stopped the movie in the middle and had an intermission so people could talk. If you wanted to go all out it could be funny to do an live intermission show. Have someone play a song or kids perform a dance or something.

Have any of you thrown a movie night party lately? I would love to hear your tips.

I loved this photo from Vogue by Jason Busch that I found on sfgirlbybay.

Party Treat Pockets

by Steph Hung

I’m heading to San Francisco next week to compete in the “Lau Olympics” which is like our family olympics. It’s going to be a showdown of physical challenges like a hula hoop discus, watermelon eating contest, and suitcase relay.  My cousin Sandy asked for help with party favours so I’m planning to make treat pockets. These pockets are a cinch to make and you can put anything in them.  They make tidy snack packs and are a great alternative to the candy bowl that invariably gets mauled by lots of muddy little hands (at least in my family).

Materials you will need:  vellum or parchment paper, double stick tape, 1/2″ coloured tape (trim if wider), scissors, and your choice of fillings – I used candy necklaces, salt water taffy, and candy blocks.

Step 1:  Cut strips of paper:  3.5″x8″ for small, 4″x9″ for medium, and 4.5″x10″ for large.

Step 2:  Place double stick tape along one short end and stick to the other end to form a loop.

Step 3:  Pinch one end and close the opening with a strip of coloured tape.

Step 4:  Fill the pocket.

Step 5:  Pinch the opening in the opposite direction as before and close with coloured tape.

Vintage Marquee DIY

This series of Movie Night Posts is sponsored by Skinny Cow.

When we were brainstorming ideas for movie night decorations we kept coming back to vintage marquees and movies signs. So we put together this DIY using foam core and poster board. This would be awesome in a driveway or on the front of a house telling people where the movie night is. My friend Brooke told me about these strands of super cheap globe lights from Target, which makes the whole project really affordable. While the materials aren’t too expensive this took us a whole afternoon to make. The most time consuming part is cutting out the letters and then lining them. It took us about 45 minutes per letter. These would also be awesome in a kids room or for any event or party. Find all the instructions and printable template below. ps: See our movie night food ideas right here.

Complete instructions and dowload are after the jump.

(more…)