How To Make A Paper Party Ball

Ever seen those cute paper party balls hanging from the ceiling at an event? Paper party balls easily transform a space into a celebratory venue and aren't as standard as let's say balloons. If you purchase paper party balls at the store they will run about $5 each. Here's a way to make your own party balls and the materials should come out to about $1 each! You can make smaller ones to put on top of presents too!

What you will need:

- 1 tissue paper packet (the standard size that come folded).

- Scissors

- String

Steps:
1) Start by unfolding the the standard tissue paper pack. You will have about 5 to 10 rectangle sheets laying on top of one another. (If the pack only gives you five sheets you can always double up!)
2) Start folding the tissue paper (on the shorter width of the rectangle) about and inch wide like an accordion until you get to the end of the tissue paper. You should have long strip of tissue paper that fans out a bit!
3) Pinch the middle of the strip and tie a long piece of string around it.
4) Fan out your tissue paper and gently begin separating each pice of tissue paper from one another. Be careful not to rip the delicate tissue.
5) Hang your pretty party ball by the string and admire your work.

Not bad for $1 right? Have fun at the party!

Monogrammed Pumpkin!

Happy Halloween from Caroline's Pink Envelope!

Vermont Apple Crisp

After a weekend apple picking in Vermont, it was time to bake something with my loot! Instead of a pie this year, I decided to cheat and just make an easy apple crisp. I got the recipe from a very special Vermont grandmother :) It was almost as great as my apple pie and it took a quarter of the time! Why not try to make this very simple and delicious seasonal dessert for yourself. Go on and try, I promise it's really easy and yummy!

Ingredients:

5-6 large apples (any apple you prefer!)

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

4 tablespoons soft butter

Cinnamon (enough to sprinkle on top)

Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on the side if desired!

1) Grease baking dish with butter and preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. (The size of dish may vary, 9 x 12 or 8 x 8, it really doesn't matter!)

2) Peel and core the apples and slice them. Arrange slices in the baking dish.

3) In a small bowl mix together brown sugar, softened butter and flour until it has a sticky crumbly texture.

4) Sprinkle sugar mixture over the apples and sprinkle cinnamon on the top.

5) Bake for 45 minutes or until apples are soft.

6) Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

For Cards That Deserve Lined Envelopes

I’ve always loved the look of lined envelopes but I‘ve never known how to do it until now. I received a pretty card in the mail with a gorgeous lined envelope and I decided that my cards deserve lined envelopes too! To teach myself how to do it, I headed over to Paper Source in Brooklyn. The sale girls are great about teaching me new projects and showing me what supplies I’ll need. I purchased a plastic envelope liner template and a few pieces of pretty printed paper. I was delighted to discover how easy it is to create pretty envelope liners at the store and I hurried home to do it myself. Gosh this is so easy!! Here is how to do it!

You Will Need:

- Envelopes (I use A2, but any size will do!)

- Envelope liner template (make sure if you use let’s say A6 envelopes that you use the A6 liner template)

- Pretty paper (use light weight paper, wrapping paper works well)

- Double sided craft glue strips, you can substitute a glue stick

- Scissors

- Pencil

Steps:

1) Simply trace the template with your pencil on the back of the pretty paper.

2) Cut it out using scissors, I tried using an exacto knife and I wouldn’t recommend it.

3) Insert the liner in your envelope so it fits snug in the envelope.

4) Place two small glue strips only at the top of the envelope along the edge of the “V”. Press firmly with your fingers.

5) Fold the envelope to create a crease in the liner.

6) The most important step... Admire your pretty work!! Haha!

Soooo easy, right? Now you can create professional looking envelopes with easy to create envelope liners! I think my cards deserve lined envelopes, don’t you?

Mini Tarts For The Working Martha

Oh my goodness, I am almost embarrased to post this recipe because it's kind of Sandra-Lee-esque, BUT it was so yummy and so darn easy that I have to share it with my little working Marthas out there! I took a recipe that I found online and skipped half the steps to create this super easy recipe. No baking working ladies haha!! These fresh creamy tarts look so pretty and taste just as sweet!

Ingredients:Ready made mini gram cracker crusts. I used 6 mini ones from Betty Crocker1 package 8 ounce cream cheese2 cups of berries (whatever is on sale at the grocery store haha!)1/3 cup granulated sugar2/4 cup heavy whipping cream1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: In small bowl, beat cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar and the vanilla with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Next beat in the heavy cream on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Spread evenly into the mini pie crusts. Arrange your berries on top, this is the fun part! Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving or make a day ahead and store covered in refrigerator until you are ready to be Martha!!

A Decorating Tip

How many times have you been in a store and seen a home decor item such as a pillow and purchased it only to bring it home and realize that it doesn't quite match the colors that are already in your room? Shoot this can be so annoying when you are tryng to decorate a room using multiple fabrics and you want everything to blend nicely. Unless you are purchasing your entire living room from page 4 of Potterybarn where everything is pre-matched for you, you are going to run into this problem. If only I had a piece of the couch and chair fabric to tote along... but who has the fabric if you buy something pre-upholstered? 

To solve the issue I went to the paint store and browsed the blues and greens, looking for swatches that matched my upholstered furniture. "This looks like my blue, no wait I think it's more like this...eek!!" I had to bring home several swatches to make sure at least one of them matched up to my blue and green striped living room. In my pile of paint swatches I was thrilled to find a blue strip and a green strip that matched the tones of my fabric perfectly! Woo hoo!!  I marked the colors on the swatch and now I keep these swatches in my wallet at all times so if I see something in a store that I love, I can easily check if it matches my color scheme! I recently just brought the swatches to the fabric store to buy matching solid fabric to make curtains for the room! Thank goodness I had my swatches in my purse or I would have been way off in choosing my fabric!

The best part about using paint swatches is that they give you lighter and darker versions of your shade of color. I hope my decorating tip helps!

Happy July 4th!

The Easiest Diaper Cake

What could be sweeter than a diaper cake for a mom to be? Traditional diaper cakes are made using dozens of pins to hold the diapers in place, as if these moms don't have enough to do! Here is an easy way to create a beautiful and easy to disassemble diaper cake for that special mom to be!

 1) This may seem redundant but find out what diapers the mom to be prefers. Some ladies are picky these days so better to just ask!


2) Fold the diapers in half (do not roll them) and sandwich them together into a large circle around a clear plastic cup using your hands to hold the circle in place. I think it's easiest to build my circle on my lap. If you have an extra set of hands around for help that would be wonderful too!

3) Using masking tape to place a stripe or two of tape around the large circle. If enough diapers are packed into the circle it should stay in place! Place a pretty ribbon over the tape to conceal it. Secure the ribbon with clear tape where it meets its end.

4) Place the large circle of diapers on a flat surface and begin repeating the process to create a slightly smaller circles of diapers as you move up the cake.

5) There is no need to attach each circle together. That will happen at the end. You can create as many layers of diapers as you wish but make sure the circles get smaller as you go up.

6) Once all of your circle of diapers are sitting on top of one another, place the whole cake on top of two long ribbons (about 3 inches wide) in a cross shape.

7) Bring the ribbons up along the sides of the diaper cake and tie very tightly at the top. Use the excess ribbon to tie a pretty bow at the top of your cake.

8) Decorate your diaper cake as you wish! Perhaps try using faux flowers, other ribbons, tule or large buttons!

9) Your cake should be easy to transport and even easier to disassemble! What mom to be wouldn't love to receive the easiest diaper cake!

Happy Summer Cards

 

Looking for an excuse to send a note in the mail? Look no further because it's summertime!  The very best cards to receive are those that are unexpected, so take the time to send a special note just to say "Happy Summer" to someone you haven't seen in a while. Grandparents would love something like this! Happy Summer everyone!

When A Regular Box Just Won't Do!

I recently co-hosted a baby shower for my sister and made cupcake party favors for the guests. I started with my infamous cupcakes in a pink frosting with white nonperils. (She's obviously having a girl!) I ran out of my usual solo cupcake holder boxes and so I hurried over to the box store in Gramercy and bought a dozen plain brown small craft boxes. Shoot these weren't as cute as the ones I buy online but I figured they would do... As I was packing up my pretty pink cupcakes I decided that the brown boxes just wouldn't do and so I did something about it! I created a sweet little party favor box complete with a window to get a sneak peek of the treat inside as well as a little tag to thank the guests for attending the shower.

To make the adorable favor box below it was very easy just follow these steps:

1) Use a paper cutter punch or an exacto knife to cut a window in the top of the box.

2) Cut a small piece of clear plastic and glue it to the inside of the lid of the box.

3) Use a color printer to print out a cute message on heavy card stock. If you don't have a color printer just write a message by hand!

4) Use the same paper cutter or exacto knife to cut a sweet pattern around your message. ("In honor of Jenny's little cupcake! Thanks for coming!", etc...)

5) Decorate as desired!

You can use this window making technique on a variety of different boxes for food and other gifts. These are so cute and are perfect for when a regular box just won't do!

Footprints Of Santa

I am reposting my most popular post ffrom 2009 "Footprints of Santa" Enjoy!

For those of you lucky enough to have little believers around, I thought of some clever ideas to keep Santa's footprints alive!

-Most of you do this but bake cookies for Santa and leave carrots for the reindeer, if Santa comes, there should only be crumbs left on Christmas morning!
-Sprinkle some of the ashes from the fireplace onto the carpet. Whoops Santa made a mess as he came down the chimney!
-Get some red or white polyfil and leave a little on the edge of the fireplace screen. Santa got caught on his way into the living room!
-Take one of Dad's largest shoes and make footprint in either snow or mud. Santa was walking around outside for a little break in between houses!
-Cut a sponge in the shape of a reindeer hoof. Dip it in some muddy water and create a little trail along the driveway or sidewalk. The reindeer must have been frolicking around while Santa was inside!
-Cut some extra ribbon and leave it anywhere around the house or yard, any trace of Santa will excite the little ones!

There are just a few of my ideas to keep your little believers believing!

Wedding Ornaments

In August I attended my cousin Lindsey's wedding. It was a beautful beach wedding and starfish was a theme in the decor. There were starfish everywhere, the bridesmaids even wore starfish necklaces! My aunt who is also very crafty decided to use starfish to hold up the place cards. She positioned the starfish popping out of the sand holding each guests name with their table number. It was really cute. I decided to save a few of the starfish to create something special for the bride and groom. I asked a few people at my table if I could have their starfish too. I carried four starfish home and kept them safe and sound for several months. I would make ornaments for the couple at Christmastime... I just had to make sure I didn't lose them! In December I found my four starfish so I got busy making my ornaments!

I hot glued metal hooks to the backs of each starfish. I tied black and turquoise ribbon to each one for hanging, they were Lindsey's wedding colors! Now I have a set of four pretty startfish ornaments to give my cousin this Christmas. The starfish were straight from her own wedding which makes them even more special. As you attend weddings of friends, think of things you can hold on to a make into ornaments next December. I can't wait to see them on the newlyweds' tree!

2011 Christmas Cards

Here are some of my Christmas cards this year!

Preppy Ornaments

I made these darling preppy ornaments based on inspiration I got from a Lilly Pulitzer designed Christmas tree. It was covered with lots of a adorable tiny Lilly shift ornaments and I thought it was the cutest thing I'd ever seen! I searched for the Lilly ornaments on the web and they were pretty pricey so I decided to make them on my own. I bought inexpensive scrap fabric from the craft store and sturdy craft wire to make the hangers. How darling are these!!! I'm not going to lie they were SUCH a pain to make, but so freakin' cute! They look even cuter on the tree!

Make Your Own Stocking

Christmas is a crafty girls dream. There is lots of beautiful inspiration around and many reasons to create meaningful gifts and festive decor. This year I decided to sew stockings to match my apartment. Since I've been on sewing kick I figured this would be the perfect Christmas project. I chose a winter plaid fabric that wasn't too typically Christmas. (no red in it) The stockings were so easy to make! I used a pencil to draw the shape of the stocking and then just hand sewed along the line. The hunter green grosgrain ribbon detail gives these stockings a nice touch! How pretty, I can't wait to fill them! I also created a mini version as an ornament. I mean could this be any cuter?!!

Pillows Galore

Have I been busy or what? To all of my readers out there I sincerely apologize for my absence these past fews weeks. While I haven't been blogging, I certainly have been crafting! Here are some comfy and pretty pillows I've made recently for friends and family. Pillows are the easiest place to start when teaching yourself how to sew. They are SO inexpensive to create yet tend to cost so much money in stores, how dare they! Trust me, they are easy as pie, (still thinking about my last post I guess!) and you don't need a machine to make them! The key is to measure really well and stitch really small so they are durable when you throw them around. My sister calls the pillows I made her "Winnie proof" as in Winnie her dog. For big pillows go with 20 inches squared and for smaller pillows 16 inches squared. I stuff mine with Polyfil which is very inexpensive from the craft store and hypoallergenic for those who are allergic to down like myself. Why not create a nice red holiday pillow to give your couch that festive look? When you realize how small the effort for how great the reward, you'll be making pillows galore!

Apple Pie

Last weekend I went apple picking in Vermont. It was such a fun activity! I mean I really can't remember the last time I felt so young. It was like being in Disney World haha! Anyway, I picked tons of apples, some big and some small but all northern spies as they are called. When I got back to the city I searched through a ton of apple pie recipes online. If I was going to take on a pie, which I usually consider too much work for the reward, I was going to choose the perfect recipe. Okay so here's the recipe I chose and it's definitely a keeper!

Vermont Caramel Apple Pie

Ingredients

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust deep dish pie (I used pillsbury, works great!)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

5 cups thinly sliced apples

2/3 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon lemon juice

20 caramels, halved

2 tablespoons milk

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees (that's farenheit people, no one in America cooks using celcius)
2) To Make Taffy: In a small bowl combine brown sugar, melted butter or margarine, and 1/3 cup flour. Mix well and set aside.

3) To Make Apple Filling: Place apples in a large bowl. Add white sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Toss until all ingredients are mixed well and apples are thoroughly coated.

4) Spoon half of apple filling into pastry-lined deep-dish pan. Top with half of caramels and half of taffy mixture. Repeat process with remaining apple filling, caramels and taffy mixture. Place top pastry over filling and seal well (this is very important--if edges are not sealed, caramel will leak out all over). Cut steam vents and brush top crust with milk or light cream.

5) Cover pie with foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil from pie and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until crust is golden. 

The pie was beautiful and delicious!! I am used to shaving off a few minutes of baking time from most recipes to keep my baked goods moist, but this pie needed the full bake time listed in the recipe. Also I let mine sit overnight before cutting into it. I wanted the inside to set and not be runny when cut. Also I brushed my crust with milk and sprinkled some large sugar crystals on the top before baking it which is definitely a nice touch! It cut perfectly the next day and I warmed it in the microwave before serving each piece next to a scoop of vanilla ice cream! I'm not going to lie, it was a bit more work to make than your average cake, but definitely worth it. I am sure down the road it will be easier to make with time as is the case with most baked goods! Yummy, enjoy!

Pretty Curtains

Here are some pretty curtains I made for my friend Liz!

Here are some of my tips for designing curtains:

-If your windows are large and deep, try using a tension rod. Long panels can over power a room with large windows.

-Tension rods should sit half way between the distance between the window and the wall.

-If using a decorative rod, hang it higher above the window and wider than the window width to make the window appear larger.

-The length of a window valance should be no longer than 25% of the window length.
-When choosing fabric, hold it up to the light. Some fabrics are more transparent than they seem.
- Panels hung on the wall next to the window make a window feel much wider.
- Curtains are for decorative purposes only. Use separate sheers or blinds for privacy and light altering functions.
- Ribbons are an easy and inexpensive use for tie backs.
- If your walls are papered or painted with a pattern, choose a neutral fabric for curtains.
- White curtains are never a bad choice! When it doubt go white- it exudes cleanliness and enhances light.

Below are curtains I made for myself!