Holidays

Pumpkin Halloween Decorations + The Jack O’ Lope

4 · Sep 1, 2015 · 5 Comments

Guys I’m so excited… We are heading into my favorite time of year!

AUTUMN!!

And with Autumn comes all kinds of fun decorating… Back-to-School, Fall, Apples, Pumpkins and Halloween to name a few. I am thrilled to be one of this year’s Michaels Makers and this months challenge is PUMPKINS.

I’ve always loved pumpkin Halloween decorations and I decided to take kind of a silly route with my challenge and make my version of the Jack O’ Lope…

I thought it turned out fun! It was so easy to put together, I just gathered a few supplies at Michaels Craft Stores. Did you know that Michaels is carrying HALF pumpkins?! No more will we need to pull out the heat knife to try and cut our craft pumpkins in half. We can buy them that way now! Well played Michaels, you always know what we need.

I found this great chalk board at Michaels (I couldn’t find it online, but it is in stores) and thought it would be fun to add some antlers to my half pumpkin for a fun wall piece for my Halloween display, to make a Jack O’ Lope of sorts.

First, I seasoned my chalk board to give it that worn in look.

I crushed a little chalk and then rubbed it all over the board with a cloth or paper towel.

That way it looks more like a used chalk board rather than a black sign.

Then I hot glued some antlers that I had hanging around onto the board…

Then, I glued the half pumpkin in place right on top of the antlers.

It fits perfect!

Next, I set-out to create a fun Halloween display to show-off my Jack O’Lope.

I grabbed some of Heidi Swapp Marquee Bats (sorry, they aren’t online but they are in-store) and spray painted them black with Krylon Chalkboard Spray Paint.

Then I added some paper wall bats that are also available in-store.

I added a Halloween printable that I created last year, I still LOVE it!

You can download it HERE.

To fill-out the scene, I added some more pumpkins to the drawer of my buffet…

I wrapped one with a pumpkin sleeve from the Martha Stewart Halloween collection at Michaels. They look really cool and are an easy way to dress-up any pumpkin.

Last but not least and made another set of large dice to use as decor this time. I just love how they fill-in the scene with a little more whimsy. These are super easy to make and are fun to have on hand for all kinds of things. I LOVE my new black set for Halloween!

All together, I think it makes a pretty fun scene for the season. My kiddos think it ‘s pretty cool anyway.

How do you like to decorate with pumpkins? Do you like to decorate for fall, or do you jump right into Halloween like we prefer to do?

Michaels is having a great sale on the crafting pumpkins this week, 40% off… Run and grab some quick before they disappear!

Disclaimer // I am a member of the Michaels Maker crew, this is not a paid position but I do receive store credit in order to create projects for the Michaels Makers program.

4th of July Printables

3 · Jun 26, 2015 · 3 Comments

Our family moved from Las Vegas to Lincoln, Nebraska and for the first time in our family’s history we have a backyard that is perfect for entertaining in. That’s a HUGE deal in my books. I love to entertain and there is nothing better than a good ole’ backyard barbecue, full of family and friends to share in all the summer fun.

I’m also a details girl. You know those extra special touches that take your backyard barbecue and transforms it into a real event. Nothing over the top, just those extra special touches that tells your guest that you really took the time to make sure this was a special occasion.

One thing that I like to do when throwing a backyard party is to hand out glow sticks to all the kiddos when the sun starts to set. You’d be surprised how this will take your gathering to a whole new level. It’s so funny to see how even he adults love to get in on all the glow stick fun as well.

What takes this whole idea up a notch, is the fun printable glow stick holder that you can display for your guests, that really jazzes up the idea. They are super simple to make.

All you have to do is download the printable from the box below, and print them on card stock. Cut out the separate cards and make one slits right above the “You Will Light Up the Night” box, and one right below. Then all you have to do is carefully (be careful, it is easy to activate the glow stick bracelets) slide your glow stick bracelets or necklaces through the slits, make sure you also include the connector piece, secure them with a little tape on the back and voila, your finished. You can also use this printable for sparklers as well, either one will look super cute!

I also have some super cute printable party cones that coordinate with this printable. They are perfect for serving chips, pretzels, veggie sticks… You name it, they will look fabulous in this treat cup.

All you need to do is click here to visit WhipperBerry to download the treat cone printable.

I have all kinds of fun summer ideas for the family like these Summer Sponge Bombs that your kiddos are sure to love…

They are also super easy to make and will help you rise up to Rock Star status in your kiddos eyes!

Sweet Freedom 4th of July Banners

1 · Jun 17, 2015 · 4 Comments

+ This 4th of July Banners post brought to you by ME… WhipperBerry +

As we get ready for our 4th of July celebrations, I thought I would put together some free printable 4th of July banners to use for your Independence Day celebrations.

I’m LOVING the new foil trend in the creative world right now. Have you seen the Minc Foil Applicator from Heidi Swapp?

I’m loving creating all kinds of goodies with this machine. All you have to do is print something, ANYTHING, on a laser printer, run it through the machine and voilá… You have a beautiful foiled decor piece. If you don’t have a laser printer, don’t worry. You can print your printable at an office supply store and bring it home and run it through the Minc. With that said… I thought I would design some fun banners to use with your Minc. If you don’t have a Minc, I’ve got you covered too. You can print the printable banner in color as well and skip the foiling process all together.

Along with the banner, I foiled some pre-printed pinwheels that Heidi Swapp also sells at Hobby Lobby or other stores that carry the Minc, you can even order them online.

The fun thing with the foil is, it comes in several different colors. I’m planning a red, white, blue & gold theme for my 4th of July celebration and you can get red, blue & gold foil to dress up all of your decor for your gatherings.

I kind of consider myself a minimalist decorator for parties. I don’t generally go over the top. I do try and have one or two key focal points to make the occasion special, but I don’t go crazy. A banner like this makes a simple enough statement that you don’t really need a whole lot of extras to make your occasion extra special.

To create your own banner, you can download this free printable. If you are planning on foiling it, you need to make sure it’s printed on a laser printer.

Click HERE to download the black & white files for foiling

Click HERE to download the color files

Now, keep in mind… This is an unsolicited, unpaid post. I just truly love working with the Minc Foil Applicator. I’ve got you covered if you aren’t into foiling at all. I understand that it adds an extra step and extra expense to a project, for me it’s worth it! I was not given a Minc machine, I purchased it myself and purchased all of the foil and pinwheels myself as well. I just love creating with this fun machine!

Here’s another little secret… If you have a Silhouette, these banners cut really easily with the Silhouette PixScan Mat. Just thought I would share. I’m not sure if Cricut has a print and cut option, Maybe we can ask Amy in the comments! 😉

If you don’t have a Silhouette or Cricut… Don’t you fear! This cuts just as easy with a simple paper cutter or even scissors.

Here are some fun recipes & other printables from WhipperBerry that you can use at your 4th of July gathering…

Chia Pudding with Berries

Here’s a fun, healthy dessert that our family loves that will look amazing on any red, white & blue table.

Printable Drink Signs

I’ve got you covered her for Water, Lemonade, Root Beer, Punch & Sweet Tea.

Homemade Strawberry Pretzel Ice Cream

This sweet treat takes the cake with the little salty bits of pretzel inside… delish!

For more WhipperBerry fun, follow along on Instagram!

Valentine’s Day Treat with Free Printable

0 · Feb 11, 2015 · Leave a Comment

+ Valentine’s Day Treat with Free Printable brought to you by WhipperBerry +

It seems like everyone is scrambling to fine a fun new treat for Valentine’s Day this year. Our house is no different! We decided to take a little less traditional route this year, opting for a more neutral color palette. We made a fun Valentine Munch mix from a few of our favorite snacks from Trader Joe’s.

It’s just a simple mix of Trader Joe’s Kettle Corn, Coconut Cashews, Dark Chocolate Mini Heart Cookies, Dark Chocolate Covered Cherries along with the Kashi Heart to Heart Honey Toasted Oat Cereal. The Kashi Heart to Heart cereal is super fun, because it has little hearts in the mix. Paired with the heart cookies, the dark chocolate and cherries, this mix isn’t too bad for your heart as well!

We mixed up a big batch in a large bowl,

Placed some on the counter for us to share,

and packaged the rest up for our friends at school with a fun new printable.

Click HERE to download the free Printable

One side is perfect of the boys in your life, the other for your more girly friends!

The printable is designed to use for all kinds of goodies, really during any time of the year. They really aren’t just Valentine specific, but they sure are fun for Valentine’s Day!

We packaged some Valentine’s Munch in some cute gold polka dot bags that we found at Target in the party supply section, but you can package it in all kinds of cute containers.