See Christi craft

Jan 13

I often lament my inability to do anything crafty successfully. I try something I see either in a magazine or on Pinterest (damn that web site! Damn it all to hell!!) and I end up drinking 8 glasses of wine just to quell my rage, which means my projects turn out like this. I mean, not like they weren’t going to look like crap anyway, but binge drinking rarely helps when icing a cake. Trust me.

But since this is the year of the challenge, I have GOT to find a way to make something from scratch that doesn’t end in tears and a hangover. I KNOW I can do this. I went to college on an academic scholarship, for Pete’s sake, I can make cute shit! I CAN!

So. I have two upcoming events I’m hosting (that sounds WAY more formal than they really are. We are talking a baby shower and a 1st birthday, not Diddy’s White Party.) and I have been SCOURING the internet (and that damn Pinterest. GOD, THAT SITE) for easy and cute decoration ideas that even a moron like me can do.

And I don’t want to jump the gun, but I think I may be on to something.

Now, I know I need to keep my abilities in mind when I get inspired by something like this. No chance I could pull this off. None. But. With a little patience and practice (yes, I am practicing my crafts), I have taken some aspects of that shower and many others I’ve seen, and come up with some ideas. And I would LOVE some input from you experts out there. (This is a cry for help. Please do not ignore it.) I’ve already mastered tissue paper flowers, which pretty much is the craftiest thing I’ve ever pulled off, so you can bet there will be about 500 of those.

The lovely mom-to-be that is the recipient of the baby shower I’m helping throw described her nursery theme as “whimsical” and it has precious owls and birds, butterflies, trees and flowers in muted shades of green, pink, purple and white. So I want to use those ideas for the shower decor. Today I found what I thought were some GREAT finds at Target in the dollar section (Sidebar: How much do you love the dollar section at Target?? Holy balls, it is the best. Toys, books, decorations, art supplies and it is all ONE DOLLAR.) that were meant for Valentine’s Day, but I think with some CREATIVITY, I can blow out this shower.

So here are my finds. ANY suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated!

: Here’s my stash. It includes scrapbook paper, tissue paper, cute 3-D sticker things, plates and other things I don’t really understand.

: The tissue paper will make ADORABLE paper flower balls. No clue about the hearts, yet.

: Some stencils or whatever you call them from a crafty web site.

: Cute little foam shapes of flowers and bugs. I assume they are sticky. I have no idea.

: Some of the scrapbook paper had cupcakes all over it, so I cut out the yellow hearts that say “cupcake” and then attached them to the cupcake scrapbook I cut out in the shape of a flower. Then I want to attach that to a lollipop stick to decorate the cupcakes with. Also, cupcake.

: How cute are these plates???

: A cute pink heart-shaped serving bowl.

Christi 13 comments Arts and Crap•Cheap Tricks•I Know Things•I Love This. You Should, Too

http://www.itsnotsasha.blogspot.com Sosha

My sister, my people! We are kindred spirits. My family calls me the incredulous crafter. For years, I was completely anti-crafting (I even have a very snarky blog post about scrap booking). However, after having my child and deciding to cut our income in half by not going back to work (another shock), I decided I had to get a handle on this crafting stuff. I am actually pretty good at it. I still don’t like the act, but I am starting to like the results. Plus, I use it as an excuse to drink Fat Tire and red wine…you know, to get my creative juices flowing.
- http://www.domesticdisturbia.com Christi
  
  Where do you live and can we be BFF please???
http://gronicktales.blogspot.com/ jen

looks like a great stash! two things i am thinking – make some big tissue flowers as well, will help to fill the space. i made them for my daughters birthday and hung them from the trees outside and the front porch – very dramatic and whimsical. now i have a loaded question – do you have a sewing machine? if so you can run the hearts.flower shapes through it and make a garland – like this one: http://www.danamadeit.com/2011/09/tutorial-happy-day-garland.html or you could take lengths of ribbon and glue the hearts.flowers to it and suspend them from the ceiling over the food table or in a window frame. the stencils an be used on some paper – take two sandwich them around either straws or toothpicks for food decoration. fill the bowl with candy – the expecting mom will thank you!! hope this helps!
- http://www.domesticdisturbia.com Christi
  
  OK, yes on the tissue flowers. I’m going to do big and small. Can you mix colors in one flower? Like layer different colors? Or does that look heinous? And LOL at a sewing machine. Um, no. But I do have these foam hearts, stars and those bugs and flowers, and I’m going to get some fishing line… I’m thinking a hole punch? Or hot glue? The ribbon idea is good, too. LOVE the ideas of the paper. I’m going to use the pink bowl for chicken salad, I think. Or something. Food I can do! You are awesome!
  - http://gronicktales.blogspot.com/ jen
    
    i mixed pink, lavender and blue and they were my favorite ones!! http://gronicktales.blogspot.com/2011/06/party-countdown-day-2-decorations.html and the party: http://gronicktales.blogspot.com/2011/06/time-to-party.html. {i thought i had a photo!!} i layered the tissue so there was a pattern to them – 8 sheets of tissue: 3 pink outside, 3 lavender then 2 blue (middle). and if you can handle it i would hot glue!! hope this helps!
http://www.salsapie.blogspot.com Caroline

Hahahaha! Cracked me up! We have many craft disasters over here as well!

Seriously, though–okay–here’s an idea for your shower decor. You will need: 1. Cardstock paper 2. scissors 3. Monofilament (fishing line) 4. Some tape

From solid colored card stock paper, cut out shapes of the whimsical things she might like for her nursery (maybe birds? butterflies?) you can find templates all over the web–just google search.
Punch a hole in the top with a straight pin or hole-puncher
Thread monofilament through the hole and tie.
Hang from the ceiling using clear tape.

I’ve done these in my house before and they look very cool!
- http://www.domesticdisturbia.com Christi
  
  Yes! Caroline, I was thinking of those things! So if you say it’s ok, then it must be!! I’m heading to Hobby Lobby today for a hole punch and the monofilament (seriously, it’s not just called fishing line?? wow, that’s technical…). I think with the paper I got, it will be very cute! I also have templates for cutting out little diapers, onesies and bibs, so I’m going to do that, too. I may go insane with all of this! lol
http://lesliesholly.wordpress.com Leslie

You crack me up. I often say I am not crafty. I’d go to Party City myself if I really felt the need to decorate. We have many many birthday parties and the extent of our decorating has been a Happy Birthday sign!
- http://www.domesticdisturbia.com Christi
  
  Leslie, that is normally me, too, and I have NO problem with it, lol. I’m trying to see if buying all this dollar stuff can save me money. Probably not because I’m going to buy all this crap, lose my mind and then go buy all the premade stuff, lol.
http://gronicktales.blogspot.com/ jen

oh!! something that was done at my shower for a garland…get some sort of string/cord and hang things like a real onesie, diaper, socks, t-shirt to make it look like a clothes line. it was so cute – we had it above the fireplace. great touch i thought! and a diaper cake always make a good centerpiece – make it yourself and it’s a present for the mom from you – who wouldn’t want diapers!!! roll up the diapers {and fasten each with elastic} like a tier of a cake and around each tier wrap it with ribbon and place a small stuffy on top!
Missy

Looks like I picked the right co-host! You go!! I can’t even cut a piece of construction paper in a straight line, so you’re light years ahead of me in the craft-y department.
- http://www.domesticdisturbia.com Christi
  
  Missy, I was so afraid you would see this and be like “You are fired!” lol I promise to make it cute and cheap, or all the (new) decorations will be on me! lol
Cheryl Burchett

My best suggestions for ANY party, and I throw a lot, are to have a color theme ( you have that do YEA) and FILL every possible space with those colors! Tissue paper is great because it is cheap. Make the flowers and hang them, lay them on tables as center pieces or filler. Here is a tutorial I did for taping the flowers to a wall to make a monogram. It’s easy ( Christi easy, swear!) http://lydiaburchett.blogspot.com/2011/05/super-easy-tissue-paper-decorations.html?m=0
I also do a lot with crepe paper streamers, also a cheap filler and great way to add your colors! Here is another tutorial for making a wall of streamers that can be hung anywhere, in a wall, filling a doorway, hiding something ugly! I did this for Lydia’s party last year when the power had been out for four days, so I was in a HUGE rush and very non- functioning! http://lydiaburchett.blogspot.com/2011/07/super-simple-streamer-wall-decoration.html?m=0
finally, if there is something you have to spend money on anyways, if there is a choice of color, get it in your theme. I love the owl plates you found! Think of fruit that coordinated, drinks in the colors, frosting, etc! Good luck!