What Does Flatten Mean In Cricut Design Space?

Apr 18, 2022 · Leave a Comment

What does flatten mean on Cricut: discover how to use the flatten tool in Cricut Design Space and also how to unflatten.

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What Does Flatten Mean On Cricut?

Flatten is a tool in Cricut Design Space that is used to turn multi layered designs into one single layer so that you can use the Print Then Cut feature. Print Then Cut allows you to send a flattened print image to your home printer then cut it out with your Cricut machine.

Cricut Design Space has five main tools: the attach tool, the slice tool, the weld tool, the contour tool, and the flatten tool. These are all very important tools when designing in Cricut Design Space. Most Cricut cut files, or svg files contain different layers within them. These are usually the different cuts that the Cricut machine will make when cutting out a multi-layer project. When you decide that you would like to use the Print Then Cut feature, you must reduce the image from a multi-layered image to one individual layer. You are basically flattening all the layers down to one single printable image layer.

What Is Print Then Cut

The only time you will use the flatten tool, is to prepare an item for Print Then Cut, so what exactly is the Print Then Cut feature of Cricut Design Space? Print Then Cut allows you to use your home printer to print an item, and then use the Cricut to cut it out perfectly. It's often used for making stickers with printable sticker paper. When the flattened image is printed on your home printer using the Print Then Cut feature, Cricut will add a black border around the printed image, which acts as a registration mark. After it's printed you will add the printed design to your cutting mat, and the Cricut machine will use sensors to read the cut sensor marks to line up the cut perfectly.

There is a maximum size for print then cut images, they can only be 6.75 x 9.25 inches. Unfortunately this is the max size regardless of the Cricut mat size.

You can not use Print Then Cut with the Cricut Joy machine. It does work with all the Explorer series and Maker series machines, including the Cricut Explore Air, Cricut Maker, and Maker 3.

When Do You Use The Flatten Tool?

The only time you will need to use the flatten tool in Cricut Design Space is if you want to use the Print Then Cut feature. It's a tool used to prepare an svg file or image for Print The Cut. If you are not using the Print Then Cut feature on your Cricut machine, then you will never need to use the flatten tool.

Is There Ever A Time When You Don't Need To Flatten Before Using Print Then Cut?

If you have a single layer image then you won't need to flatten it before using Print Then Cut. If you choose a Cricut Print Then Cut image from Cricut Design Space, it's also ready to go as a single image without using the flatten tool.

How Do You Flatten In Cricut Design Space?

If you're a visual leaner, check out this YouTube video to find out what Flatten Means in Cricut, and How To Unflatten.

If you want to use Print Then Cut, then first you will have to flatten your image in Cricut's Design Space.

Once your svg cut files are uploaded to your canvas, or you have chosen an item from Cricut Design Space you can flatten it.

Select all the layers using the select all button at the top of the canvas, or by using your mouse and shift to select all, or by holding down shift and selecting each item in the layers panel.

Once you have the selected layers, click on the flatten button in lower right corner of the canvas screen, at the bottom of the layers panel. You will see in the layers button that all the layers have condensed or flattened into one layer that says Print Then Cut

If you wish to unflatten your image, you can select it and you will see that the flatten button has turned to unflatten at the bottom of the layers panel on desktop. Click it to unflatten the item.

Can I Unflatten?

Yes, you can unflatten in Cricut Design Space. The unflatten button does not appear, until after you've used the flatten tool. After you've flattened something, you'll notice that when it is selected the flatten tool is changed into an unflatten button. Click on it and the previous layers will be restored and the item will be unflattened.

Is Weld The Same As The Cricut Flatten Tool?

The weld tool is not the same as the flatten tool. The weld button is used to make new shapes by combining separate shapes into one new shape with no individual cut lines. Weld will combine shapes into a single shape without overlapping cut lines. It's a great way to make new designs out of different shapes and turn them into a single customized image. You can also use weld to to combine the letters of a word so that there are no cut lines in between. Weld is used for creating new shapes with new cut paths, whereas flatten combines layers in preparation for Print Then Cut projects.

Best Cricut Machine For Cutting Vinyl

Apr 18, 2022 · Leave a Comment

Best Cricut Machine For Cutting Vinyl: if you're looking for the best Cricut for vinyl consider costs, size and type of projects.

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If you are shopping for a Cricut machine, it's very helpful to know what items you will be cutting most, and what kind of projects you will be doing in order to get the best machine that suits your needs. If you're looking for the best Cricut for vinyl, here are some things to consider.

Which Cricut Is Best For Vinyl?

When it comes to cutting vinyl, all of the Cricut machines will do a great job, including the Cricut Joy, and all of the Cricut Explore -Cricut Explore Air and Cricut Maker machines. They can all cut vinyl, including intricate designs. The main difference between the Cricut machines in going to be cost, size, and materials it can cut. So how do you choose which one to get as a vinyl cutter?

Size Of Projects

If you want to make larger vinyl projects on your Cricut, you probably do not want the Cricut Joy. Its small size means that it can't cut anything wider than 4.5 inches. It can however create long projects. With the matless vinyl for Cricut Joy you can create projects up to 20 ft. long at once. And even if you want to create wider projects, you can sometimes break a project up into sections, as a work around, if the Cricut Joy is your only option.

All of the Cricut Explore and Maker machines can cut a width of 12 inches. The standard mats are 12 x 12, but you can also purchase 12 x 24 inches for longer projects.

The Cricut Explore 3 and the Maker 3 can cut new smart vinyl, that does not require a cutting mat. The new smart materials are available on a roll, that you can feed into the machine for much longer cuts. The width is slightly wider than with a mat, at 13 inches, and the vinyl rolls come in lengths up to 75 ft, so a great option for larger projects!

For most standard crafters the 12x12 regular mat will be fine, which works with any of the Explore or Maker machines, which might make them a great choice if project size is a factor.

Types Of Vinyl

It doesn't matter which different type of vinyl you use, they should all cut the same in all of the Cricut machines, whether it's permanent vinyl, removable adhesive vinyl, glitter vinyl or HTV vinyl. So you can make vinyl decals, t-shirt vinyl, tote bags, even window cling vinyl. You can pair your Cricut machine with the Cricut easy press for lots of amazing projects that use a heat press.

There is one exception to that rule, which is the printable vinyl . The Cricut Joy does not have the Print Then Cut feature, so if you want to use the Print Then Cut feature for printable vinyl sheets, then the best vinyl cutter for you may be any of the Explore or Maker machines.

Explore or Maker?

This is a great question, and one that lots of first time buyers of Cricut machines have. Out of the Cricut Explore and Maker Series machines, which Cricut machine is the right machine for you to buy? I usually tell people that it depends on two factors -price and what materials they want to cut. We're talking about cutting vinyl specifically so it may just be a matter of price.

Materials

Which Cricut machine will give you the best results in terms of performance? All the Cricut machines will do a great job and can cut out detailed designs, with precise cuts. I don't think one does any cleaner cuts than the other. The different Cricut machines have things that set them apart from one another, but the quality of the cuts isn't one of those factors. Whether you're vinyl cutting, doing paper crafts, greeting cards, or different projects, my experience is that all the Cricut machines do a quality job with the cutting process.

The Explore series machines can't cut all the fancy things that the Maker can, but then again, are you ever going to even use your Cricut for engraving or cutting fabric? The answer for many people is no, in which case I would wholeheartedly suggest any of the Explore series machines.

The Explore machine can still handle 100 different materials, including bonded fabric and some wood. The best thing about the new Maker 3 machines is that they have 10x the cutting force and can cut 300 different materials, including thicker materials like balsa wood. This is the biggest difference between the different Cricut models.

If vinyl is your primary material the Explore series machines are a perfect choice. If you also want to cut lots more materials now and/or in the future, the Maker series machines may be your best choice.

Cost

There is a price difference between the Explore series machines and the Maker series machines.

Explores are cheaper. If the Explore machine is cheaper and does a great job on the materials that you want to cut then it's a clear winner and the right choice! So, if you primarily want to use your Cricut for cutting out vinyl, then I recommend the Explore series machines as the best Cricut cutter for you.

If, however, you want to use your Cricut for a wide variety of materials, then a Maker series machine might be a good idea, and the right Cricut machine for you. This is a machine that will last you a long time, and you will not outgrow quickly. Some people get an Explore series machine as a starter machine, to see how much they use it and if they even need the capabilities it offers.

A Word About Small Business

If you are investing in a Cricut machine with the intention of starting a small business and selling projects, be warned that Cricut Explore machines are not recommended for commercial use. These are for the at home crafter, and not recommended for business. The Maker series of machines promise commercial grade experience, according to Cricut. Many people love to use Cricuts for their small business for their ease of use , and accurate cuts, as well as being able to buy them and other supplies easily at craft stores. If cutting vinyl, or other materials is for a business venture, then the Cricut Maker might be worth the extra cost.

I hope you've found this information helpful as you try to decide the best Cricut machine for you and your needs. With the right Cricut machine to cut vinyl projects, life really is a party!

The Best Way To Clean A Cricut Cutting Mat

Apr 8, 2022 · Leave a Comment

How To Clean A Cricut Mat: tips and tricks to extend your mat life by cleaning with baby wipes, and dish soap cleaning.

How to clean a cricut mat using Dawn soap, scraper and baby wipes.

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Sometimes, after many uses in your Cricut machine, Cricut cutting mats lose their stickiness, but before you throw your's out and buy a new mat, there are some ways to clean your Cricut mat and make it sticky again! And most of the cleaning methods are really quite easy and simple to do, with no need for special products. Cleaning your Cricut mat whenever it needs it is a really good idea , and can really extend the life of your mat.

How Often and When To Clean A Cricut Cutting Mat

On average a Cricut cutting mat will last for 40-50 cuts. They do not last forever, but you can certainly extend the lifetime of your mat by cleaning it every once in awhile. If your mat isn't holding items very well anymore, than it's time to clean it. Or if you've just cut something that's left alot of debris behind, like glitter cardstock, then it might be time to clean it.

All these methods will help extend the life of the mat, but they will eventually wear out and need to be replaced with a new Cricut mat.

Tips For Keeping Your Mats Clean

It's inevitable that a mat will eventually get dirty, and ultimately need to be replaced, but we want to get as much use out of mats as we can. Remember these tips to keep your mats from need a big clean too often:

Always store the mats with their plastic covers.
Occasionally or after cutting something messy like glitter vinyl, run a lint roller over your mat to remove debris.
Use the right mat for the right job. Choose a lower tack mat or higher tack mat depending on the needs of the material you're cutting.
Rotate your mat from time to time. The upper left corner tends to see the most use. Remember you can move object on your mat in the print preview screen, or load the mat upside down to spread out the use a little more.

Use Baby Wipes to Clean Cricut Mats

Our number one favorite way to clean a Cricut cutting mat is to try using alcohol-free baby wipes. This method is quick and easy way and really does a great job to get your mat sticky again. Just remember it must be an alcohol-free baby wipe, otherwise you may act as an adhesive remover and remove the adhesive, not just the dirt. Wet wipes seem to be a brand that works well. To clean your Cricut mat with a baby wipe, simple use the wipe and rub the mat in circular motion, to remove any dust, dirt, or debris. Slowly work your way around the entire mat, and be sure to also get to the edges of your mat. Some people also like to use a plastic scraper to remove larger pieces. No plastic scraper? Try using the edge of an old credit card, or a plastic gift card.

how to clean cricut cutting mat with baby wipes

Pay particular attention to the top of your mat, since area tends to receive the most wear and tear by being the most frequently used spot.

Once you've finished wiping the entire mat, let it dry fully before using it. This usually takes around 10 min. Afterward, your mat should once again have a sticky surface and be ready to use again. Remember to store your clean mats with the plastic cover on them. Always putting the plastic cover on your sticky mats for protection.

Recipe

how to clean a Cricut mat with baby wipes

How To Clean A Cricut Mat With A Baby Wipe

How to extend the life of our Cricut cutting mat, by cleaning with a baby wipe.

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Course: Cricut

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 5

Total Time: 10

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Materials

Alcohol Free Baby Wipes

Instructions

Make sure your baby wipes are alcohol free, otherwise they might damage the mats adhesive. To clean the dirty cutting mat, use a baby wipe, and wipe the mat in a circular motion, until the entire surface is clean.
Let the mat dry, and then be sure to add the protective cover to keep it clean.

Use Dish Soap To Clean Your Cricut Mat

Another great way to clean your mats is to use a mild dish detergent. It works really well, but is a bit more involved and tends to take a little longer for them to dry complete.

To wash your mats with dish soap, place your dirty mats in a sink full of warm to lukewarm water, you don't use hot water or cold water. Add in some mild dish detergent, a lot of people like to use Dawn dish soap. Use a wet paper towel and clean the entire surface of the mat slowly rubbing it in a circular motion to remove all the debris right to the edges of the mat. You can also use a soft brush to scrub your mats. Just be careful that you're not accidently removing all the adhesive by scrubbing too vigorously.

Once the mat is clean, for best results you must leave it to air dry. Try resting it on a flat surface or on your drying rack to dry. Once it's dry, you should have a sticky mat again.

cleaning cricut cutting mats with dish soap

Recipe

how to clean a Cricut mat with Dawn dish soap

How To Clean A Cricut Cutting Mat With Dish Soap

No ratings yet

Print Pin Rate

Course: Cricut

Cook Time: 5

Additional Time: 10

Total Time: 15

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Equipment

cleaning cloth
scrub brush

Materials

mild dish soap like Dawn

Instructions

Wet your dirty mat in the sink, and add some mild soap like Dawn, to the surface. Scrub gently in a circular motion with a cleaning cloth or scrub brush, taking care not to scrub too hard and remove the adhesive.
Let the mat dry on a flat surface. Once dry, be sure to add the protective layer to keep it clean.

Using Other Cleaning Products And Methods To Clean Your Cricut Mat

Many people like to use L.A. Awesome cleaning product from the Dollar Tree in the US, or look for it online, to clean their mats. Definitely try the milder cleaning methods of baby wipes and dish detergent first, but if that isn't enough and your mat still isn't clean and sticky you have nothing to lose by trying a more aggressive cleaning method.

To clean a Cricut mat with L.A. Awesome cleaner, first remove any debris you can, then spray the mat and let it sit for 5-15 minutes. Use similar cleaning methods to above with something like the Cricut scraper tool to remove dirt and residue. Do not clean the mat too aggressively or this cleaning process may remove all the adhesive from your mat, and rather than be a sticky cutting mat again after washing it maybe ruined.

I don't recommend using something like a Magic Eraser or an all purpose cleaner , because they're just too strong of cleaners and may remove all the adhesive.

Can I Add Adhesive To An Old Mat?

Some people recommend adding new adhesive to old mats. Keep in mind that DIY's like this can lead to voiding your Cricut warranty so if you choose this method, proceed with caution. If you add too much adhesive you risk getting the adhesive inside of the cutting machine and damaging it.

The basic method of adding new adhesive to your cutting mat is to use painter's tape or masking tape around the border of the mat, where the guide wheels are, to keep it free from adhesive. You can then apply a spray adhesive. If you are applying a repositionable adhesive spray be sure to do it in a ventilated area, and protect the surface underneath from over spray. Let the adhesive set 10-15 minutes or according to the package instructions.

What About The Pink Fabric Mat?

The pink fabric mat is special. It's not as sticky as the other mats and requires a little bit of special care. Do use tweezer to remove large debris and if necessary try the baby wipes or dish detergent method taking care to be gentle and not accidentally scratch the more delicate adhesive off.

Cleaning Up After Cutting Felt

Felt is the worse offender when it comes to messy materials in your craft room to cut with your Cricut. Because it's so fuzzy it always leave behind residue on a cutting mat. We have a few suggestions to help tackle felt.

Use a dedicated mat just for felt so that it doesn't ruin multiple mats.
Try lining your mat with a piece of transfer tape, sticky side up and applying the felt to it. When you're finished, or when the transfer tape is no longer sticky, you can peel it off and have a clean mat underneath. Transfer tape is less expensive than new mats, so you might find this method worthwhile. Some people use it for for more than just felt as well.

Even with these tips your cutting mats will not last forever, but these ideas can help extend their life.

With clean cutting mats that are ready to use with your Cricut, life really is a party!

More Cricut Tips

You might also like The Best Cricut Accessories You REALLY Need post here.

How To Unweld In Cricut Design Space

Apr 8, 2022 · Leave a Comment

How To Unweld In Cricut Design Space: when to weld, how to use it and how to unweld in Cricut Design Space.

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One of the questions we've heard a lot from Cricut Design Space users is how to unweld in Cricut? Let's start by going over how to weld, and then answer that question.

What Is Weld and When Do You Use It?

When you're creating a design for your Cricut machine in Cricut Design Space you can take two different objects and weld them together to form one new object.

Combining Letters

The weld feature is useful when you're working with cursive letters. When combining script font so that a word cuts out as one without cut lines between the individual letters. The items must be touching to weld them together, so you may have to first adjust the letter spacing for the individual letters of a word to get them into the correct position. Once the letters are welded together using the cricut weld tool, you won't be able to edit the text. If you click on the word a text box won't open. Once welded the single word is treated like an image rather than text that can be edited.

Combining Shapes

Weld is also a great way to combine shapes to make new image. Again welding different shapes together removes the overlapping cut lines and creates new shapes. For example without weld these circles would cut out as three different circles, but when they are welded together it forms Micky ears and cuts it out as one shape and one individual layer.

How Is Weld Different From Attach?

Welding items together is the best way to make one single image out of two or more separate images, or to combine multiple basic shapes into one single shape for new designs. Weld takes different layers and combines them into one.

A lot of people wonder what the difference is between the attach tool and weld. The attach function is like holding things in place with a paperclip. They remain distinctly separate, and removable. They are attached on a canvas so that their placement won't change on the cutting mat .

Think of the weld function like permanent glue. Be sure you want it to stay like that before using weld. It's a great tool to combine two or more separate shapes into one single customized image.

How To Weld?

To weld two or more objects together, make sure each single layer is selected, and then click on weld at the bottom of the layers panel in Cricut Design Space. If the individual objects were a different color before welding, they will will now appear as one color.

You can tell these are welded together now because they are referred to as "Weld Result" on the layers panel.

How To Unweld in Cricut?

How to unweld is one of the most common questions for Cricut users, but the answer is bad news.

There is, unfortunately, no unweld button in Cricut Design Space.

The only way to unweld is to use the Undo button. To use the undo, click on the back arrow at the top left of Cricut Design Space.

Undo Keyboard Shortcuts

You can also use keyboard shortcuts Ctrl + Z on PC or Command + Z on a Mac.

Undo will get rid of your last function in Cricut Design Space. If you just used weld, then the undo button will undo your weld. If however, you used weld sometime ago, you will have to undo everything you've done since then to get back to the weld to undo it. This can be very frustrating and time consuming.

More Unweld Options

There are two other ways to work around there being no unweld function, the first is to save a project before welding with a different name, that way if you're unhappy with the weld, you can open the unwelded project and work from there.

Make A Duplicate

Another option when designing in Cricut Design Space is to make a duplicate of the objects before welding so that if you're unhappy latter you can use the unwelded pieces. Select your objects before welding and use the duplicate button at the top of the layers panel to make a copy. Group the duplicate together and then use the hide button -which looks like an eye icon beside the item in the layers panel. This will keep a copy of the items, cut not show up on the canvas, or cut preview screen. If you need it, you can go back and un-hide it, and work with it.

Save A Copy Of The Unwelded Items

Another option that some people like to use is to save a copy of the project before welding. Go to the Save button at the top right side of the canvas, and then choose Save As. Give it a name and add Step #1, when you resave the project be sure to give it another name, then you'll have the project saved at this stage if you need to go back to it. Unfortunately, like using the undo button, you will lose all the other work you've done beyond this save. For this reason, I think the duplicate copy using the hide feature is a better solution than this one.

Both of these suggestions require extra steps before hand, and you may not realize ahead of time that you're going to want to go back, so they aren't perfect solutions to this problem, unfortunately, but if you find yourself doing a lot of designing with weld, and then becoming frustrated when you want to make changes, these ideas might be good to try and incorporate into your regular workflow.

With some unweld options to try in Cricut Design Space, life really is a party.

The Best Cricut Accessories You REALLY Need

Apr 5, 2022 · Leave a Comment

The Best Cricut Accessories You REALLY Need: with so many Cricut accessories available we'll tell you which ones you need to begin with.

The best Cricut accessories, incluidng Cricut markers, vinyl, wedding tools and blades.

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There are so many cool products you can get to use with your Cricut. But, which accessories are the ones you really need to get started and will get the most use out of?

I've had a Cricut for over 10 years -that's a long time, and have been lucky enough to work with Cricut and been sent some really cool Cricut accessories over the years. Let me share with you the best accessories that I've found most helpful and used over and over again, and would definitely recommend for the beginner. There are some accessories that are nice to have, but can wait until later. Let's start with what the new cricut owner needs.

My Must Have Cricut Accessories

Basic Tool Kit
Brayer
Transfer Tape
Extra Standardgrip Mat
Replacement Blades
Cricut Pens
Storage Solutions

The Cricut Basic Tool Set

I would highly recommend the basic tools kit for anyone starting out as my number one cricut accessory. I've used all the tools at one point or another. You can buy these Cricut tools individually, but it's a better deal to purchase the whole kit.
My favourites are the weeding tool, which you will need to weed any vinyl project you make. The sharp little hook like end makes it easy to grab the vinyl you're weeding away.

The scraper tool is great for getting any little bits off of your mat that have been left behind when removing a project from your cutting mat. There is also an XL scrapper, that is helpful, but this is one of those accessories that's nice to have but that you can get later.

I really like the Cricut scissors. I'm sure all of us already have scissors, so what makes these ones make it to my must have list for new Cricut users? They are small enough to use for intricate projects, the ends are nice and pointed for getting into tiny corners, and they are very sharp, making them a really great tool. Store these with your Cricut machine and don't let anyone use them around the house to keep them nice and sharp.

The spatula tool is really helpful for paper craft projects. To avoid tearing paper with intricate designs as you remove it from the cutting mat, use the spatula tool to lift the paper off the mat from underneath. This also helps avoid the paper curling.

The Brayer

This tool is so helpful to run over materials you are adding to the cutting mat. Can you use your hands to pat things down? Yes of course, cut the brayer applies even pressure over the entire material, and is faster too. This is a tool you will use all the time.

The Paper Trimmer

This is a tool that I was sent and was surprised at how much I use it. I have a larger paper trimmer, but this is the one I grab all the time. It's lightweight, easy to store, and really useful. I use it to cut paper when I need a straight edge. I also love that you can replace the cutting blade really easily, so if it gets dull from using it alot, it's not ruined. Swap out the blade for a new one, and it will cut perfectly again. It also has a ruler guide that pops out for aligning larger pieces, like 12 x 12 -a lot of people don't know about this feature and it's really useful.

Transfer Tape

When I first started cutting out vinyl on my Cricut Machine, I didn't think I really needed transfer tape. Big mistake. It's so much easier to apply your vinyl when using the transfer tape. It not only helps to line things up with the grid, or keep them aligned exactly the way they cut out, but it also keeps you from accidentally stretching or messing up your vinyl trying to transfer it with your fingers. I like the Cricut brand transfer tape, partly because of the grid printed on it that makes it easy to line up. One time I did buy extra strength tape, thinking it might be better, but it was too sticky and I couldn't get my vinyl project off of it. I learned later that it's only for things like glitter vinyl, so avoid the mistake I made and stick with the regular transfer tape.

Extra Standardgrip Mat

You don't have to have an extra mat, but it's one of those things that can make life a little bit easier for you. All Cricut mats do run out of stick and need replacing eventually, so you'll have to buy a new mat at some point.

But there is another reason to get at least one of the green mats that you'll use most often right away. Very often when you're cutting out a project on your Cricut machine, the project will require multiple mats to cut it all out. You can run one mat through the machine, remove the material, and reload it for the next cut. But, it's much faster if you have two mats and you can be cutting out the next one, while your removing the material from the mat of your first cut. This system will just speed things up for you, and since you ultimately need to buy more mats at some point, it just makes sense to get at least one more green one right from the start.

If you are cutting larger projects, you might also want to invest in the larger size cutting mat. The 12x24 mat is really useful for big projects, but not something you likely need right away as a beginner -so consider it in the nice to have category.

Extra Replacement Blades

Another item you will need eventually is a replacement fine point blade. This is the most commonly used blade, and over time they wear out and need replacing. You can replace just the blade, not the entire housing. You won't need a replacement blade right away, you'll have many, many great cuts before you need to put a new one in. But, it will need replacing eventually, and it can be very frustrating when you realize it's time to replace the blade and you're in the middle of a project, but don't have one on hand. So I think it's better to buy one and have it ready.

You can store it on the magnetic strip inside your tray in the Cricut Maker and Explorer machines -in fact this is what that strip is designed for, and that way you won't lose this small part or not be able to find it when you do need it.

Cricut Pens

The Cricut machines are designed to work perfectly with their pens. Make sure you purchase the ones that are compatible with your machine -there are specific pens for joy or explorer and maker machines. They come in lots of different and beautiful colours, and if you work with paper at all, I think they're worth getting.

Storage Solutions

It's a good idea to think about storage solutions right from the beginning. If you are fortunate enough to have a craft room, you might want to consider how you will store your Cricut machine, accessories, and materials. If things are packed away and hard to get to, then you will be far less likely to use them regularly. So consider where you will put things and in what kind of storage.

Different bins or shelves can be helpful for organizing paper and vinyl supplies that you don't want to wrinkle or crease while storing. Lots of people enjoying housing their Cricut supplies on a rolling cart for easy access. This is a great way to keep all your supplies together, and makes it easy to roll everything to your work area for a project and roll it back when your finished.

Difficulty in storing extra supplies is just one of the arguments for not over buying, especially in the beginning when you're not sure of what materials you will end up using the most. I recommend buying materials for individual projects. Many Cricut crafters are tempted buy bundle packages that save money, but if you never use the supplies or don't love the colours and end up having to store them and have money tied up in them are they really such a great bargain? These are all things to consider.

Cricut Accessories That Are Nice To Have For Specific Materials

A lot of what you need depends on the different materials you will be cutting for different cricut projects. These specific accessories are nice to have, but not essentials for the beginner. As you work with your Cricut and become more confident, these supplies make sense for working with special materials.

For Paper Projects:

If you plan to use your Cricut for a lot of paper projects, you will find the scoring tool very helpful. You can also use the scoring stylus, but it doesn't score as deeply and most paper crafters prefer the scoring wheel. There are two different scoring wheels available, the single scoring wheel and the double scoring wheel. The single is recommended for thinner and lighter materials like paper, and the double is recommended for cutting heavier materials like card stock.

A variety pack of card stock in different colours that you use often is also really helpful to have on hand, if you find you do a lot of paper crafts. Look for sales at craft stores for these. Many cricut crafters also have a strong preference for a solid core cardstock, rather than the white core cardstock. If a cardstock is solid cord, it means that the core runs all the way through the cardstock down to the core, whereas white core cardstock has the colour on the top and bottom layer, but is white in the middle core. Many people don't like the white showing on the edges of their cut projects.

Cardstock also comes in many weights, from 65lbs, to 110 lbs. Many people have a preference for working with a weight of 80lbs. You can experiment and figure out what you like best, but it's good to keep these things in mind and not stock up before you figure out if you prefer a certain weight and solid core vs. white core.

For Fabric Projects:

If you have a Cricut Maker series machine you can cut fabric using the rotary blade. You will also need the pink fabric mat. Another great accessory for someone who sews is the washable ink fabric pen, which allows you to add patterns or stitch lines to fabric as well. These are probably all on the must have, buy right away list for anyone who uses their cricut for sewing projects, but more on the nice to have list for anyone who will only use their cricut for sewing occasionally. I wouldn't recommend the bonded fabric blade right way, because it's specially for fabric with a bonded adhesive backing, and the rotary blade is for regular fabric.

For Vinyl Projects

If you plan to use your Cricut many for vinyl projects then the main thing you'll need is vinyl. There are lots of different brands of adhesive vinyl available. Different users have different brand preferences. I tend to use Cricut brand, but lots of other makers have lots of good to say about other brands too. My advice would be to buy small quantities and experiment a little in the beginning until you find what you like working with best. You will definitely need the weeding tool, and transfer tape for vinyl work, which I've already mentioned.

For work with Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV) the Cricut easypress is definitely nice to have. You can use a household iron with HTV, but the Easy Press is easier -thus the name. I don't think it's something the beginner needs, but is definitely nice to have if you plan on using HTV or infusible ink often. It's also available in different sizes, depending on the projects you plan to make with it.

Cricut Joy Projects

If you have a Cricut Joy, I would get all the things I mentioned on list at the beginning, the toolkit, extra mat, pens, just be sure things like the mats and pens are specifically for the Joy. I think the card mat and card inserts that work with it are fun for making cards too, probably in the nice to have category, along with the Cricut Joy carry bag. Because this little machine is so light and portable compared to the larger machines, the carry case is definitely handy to transport it safely. There are some other joy specific products, like labels that are great if that's something you want to make, but not necessary.

Wood, Engraving, Leather, Foil

There are lots of fun accessories for the Cricut machine that allow you to cut and use these more unusual materials. The foil tool is a fun accessory if you want to add foil to project -something like a special paper card. Is this a must have? Certainly not. Is this a nice to have? If you will use it, it is very cool.
There are several things that only the Maker machines can do, and if you bought one, chances are you wanted to experiment with some of these materials. I feel the same way about most of these as I do about the foil tool. Very nice to have, but not necessary for the beginner. The engraving tool can create some really cool projects, nice to have if that's something you'd like to do with your Cricut.

The Cricut can cut leather, faux leather and wood. Some people even use the engraving tool to tool leather. There are really some amazing things you can create but you will need things like a stronggrip mat, and a deep-cut blade or knife blade, as well as the actual wood, leather, or faux leather. Definitely buy these supplies with a specific project in mind. These materials are actually harder to cut, and may involve a bit of experiment so they are not on my must buys for a beginner, in fact, even someone very experienced might never try these materials. So please don't feel the need to buy all these specialty materials at the beginning.

Blanks

You may hear people talk about blanks in the Cricut community and wonder what they are talking about? A blank is a general term for a blank item that you can add something you've made on your Cricut to. Things like plain tote bags, t-shirts, cups, signs backgrounds, and mugs are all nice to have, but especially at the beginning I would buy these as needed for specific projects so that you have the size you need and aren't storing blanks that take up a lot of room.

With all the best Cricut accessories that you will really use, life really is a party!

Free DIY Cricut Easter Bunny Banner

Apr 1, 2022 · Leave a Comment

Cricut Easter Banner: Free SVG cut files or printable pdf to create a bunny Easter banner perfect for Easter and spring celebrations.

easter bunny banner Cricut free cut file

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Free Bunny Banner Cut Files and PDF

I have a free cut file for you to use with your Cricut machine, or print the free PDF and cut it out by hand.

I love Easter crafts that are simple, and this one is really quick and easy to put together. To access the free cut files that you can use with a cutting machine to make this, or for the PDF version just subscribe to Life is a Party. You'll be given immediate access to our Free Resource Library where you can download the free file to make this. The PDF version can be printed and cut out by hand, as part of our free printables collection.

Bunny Treat Box

I used this adorable bunny banner as part of a children's Easter table. Pair it with our Bunny Treat Box full of easter eggs. The free cut and Easter SVG files and PDF for the bunny treat box are included with the bunny banner files. You can access the full tutorial with instructions on how to make it here. These bunny svg files are such a fun Easter projects to do with kids, or as a family.

Cricut Easter Banner Materials

free cut files
white cardstock
Cricut marker
pink, blue, or a other colour of cardstock for the glasses
glue stick
yarn, twine. or ribbon
hole punch or tape

You can cut this out on your Cricut Maker, or any of the Cricut Explore machines including the Cricut Explore Air. It is not compatible with the Cricut Joy, because it's too big to cut out with this machine.

how to make an Easter banner with your Cricut

How to Make The Bunny Banner

To make the cute banner with the free PDF, download it from our Free Resource Library, print it, and cut it out with scissors.

In Cricut Design Space

To make the bunny banner with your Cricut machine, download the free svg file, and upload it to Cricut Design Space on a new canvas.

Next, ungroup the project.

Select the bunny face, and change the operation from basic cut to pen.

Then, select the bunny outline and the face -but not the glasses, and use the attach button to attach them together.

Now, use the duplicate button to create as many copies of the bunny and the glasses as you would like. I did five for my banner, with two sets of the glasses.

Then cut out the bunnies and the glasses from cardstock, adding the marker when prompted in Cricut Design Space.

Assembly

To create the banner, start by adding the glasses to the bunnies. You won't want to use a hot glue gun to add a dab of glue for this project, since the glasses are so delicate. A glue stick works really well to add the glasses to the bunnies.

Use a hole punch to add holes to the top of the bunnies ears and string them together with a piece of twine, yarn or ribbon or use tape to attach the yarn to the back of each bunny image. Hang up your Easter garland and enjoy all spring long.

How To Use Your Bunny Banner

There are so many different ways to use this fun project to decorate for your Easter holiday. These Easter Cricut projects would be a great decoration for your Easter egg hunt, or on your front door. Or create some extras and use a cute bunny as name tags on your Easter buckets.

The beautiful banners make lovely home decor, or great gifts. I thing my favourite way to use the simple Easter banner is over a dining table, like we did for our Easter table. Combining the banner with our bunny treat boxes has to be one of my favorite Cricut Easter ideas. Happy crafting!

Cricut Bunny Banner with Free Cut File SVG

Don't forget to subscribe below for access to the Free Resource Library.

More Easter Ideas

You might also like our DIY Sequin Easter eggs here.

Sequin Easter Eggs: Easy diy sequin Easter eggs made from styrofoam Easter eggs. Make them with any pattern and in any colours, and use year after year.

Also check out our Gold Leaf Easter eggs here.

Gold Leaf Easter Eggs: how to make easy DIY gold and pastel Easter eggs with gold leaf and craft paint.Perfect for your Easter decorating.

You might also like our DIY Cement Easter eggs here.

Cricut Bunny Treat Box Free Cut File

Mar 30, 2022 · Leave a Comment

Cricut Bunny Treat Box Free Cut File: use our free SVG, DXF, and PDF files to create the bunny treat box with a cutting machine, or by hand.

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These little bunny treat boxes, are so much fun and perfect for Easter or any time for the bunny lover. Use them to hold Easter eggs, or any yummy treat. They'd make a great addition to Easter baskets, your Easter table, an egg hunt, or as a great way to give any Easter treats.

This Easter treat box is really easy to make. They can be made from one sheet of regular copy paper -in fact I found they're best made of paper, since it's easier to manipulate the bunny ears and not bend them that way. I prefer to use regular letter size copy paper, instead of white cardstock. If you wanted to try different materials, you could try coloured copy paper -pastel colours rather than bright colours would be cute for spring. If you wanted the boxes to be bigger, you could scale the design in Cricut Design Space and cut out of a 12 x 12 scrapbook paper. These might be cut with a floral paper for Easter too.

The glasses are a fun addition to the project, and you can make them in any colour. But if they're not for you, feel free to leave them out.

The face is created using the Cricut markers, so you don't have to worry about gluing on tiny bits after they're cut, which makes this project so much easier.

The free cut files are for personal use only, and the zip file contains svg format, dxf format, and pdf files. Get the free files by becoming a subscriber below and access the files in our free resource library.

Bunny Treat Box Materials:

free bunny treat box cut files from our resource library
regular white copy paper or a colour of your choice
1 mm black Cricut marker
pink, blue, or any colour of card stock for the glasses
glue
optional: pom poms bunny tail
Easter treats to go inside like Easter eggs or jelly beans

Video Tutorial

How To Make A Bunny Treat Box

If you don't have a Cricut machine, download and print the PDF file, and use scissors to cut out the box and assemble it.

Cricut Design Space

To make the bunny treat box in Cricut and cut out with your Cricut Maker or Cricut Explore Air, open Cricut Design Space or the Cricut Design Space App and start a new project. Upload the free SVG files -Bunny Treat Box SVG file from our free resource library.

Ungroup the items.

Using the layers panel at the side, select the eyes and mouth and change the operation from cut lines to pen for the bunny face.

Select the four lines that form a square and change the cut layer operation to score, changing them from cutting lines to scoring lines.

Select the box outline, score lines, and face -but not the glasses and attach.

Make It

Now you're ready to choose Make It and cut out the bunny treat box.

Select 81/2 x 11 as your mat size, and cut out the bunny treat box with regular white copy paper -choosing the right weight when you select materials. Follow the instructions on the screen to insert a black marker, and also a scoring tool -either the scoring wheel or the scoring stylus will work for this project.

Choose a colour of cardstock and cut out the glasses with your cutting machine.

You may choose to colour in the eyes with the marker to make them solid, after the bunny treat box is cut out, but before you fold it to make it easier. Also glue on the glasses. If you are adding a bunny tail, you can glue it on also. A glue stick will work great for the glasses, but depending on how big of a pom pom you add for a tail, you might want to use your hot glue gun, just for this element if you choose to add it.

Free bunny treat box cut file and printable

Assembly

To assemble the Bunny Treat Box, use the score lines to fold in the sides of the box. Gently guide the ears through the slits in the side of the box, doing one side at a time, and adding your treats into the box.

These bunny treat boxes are such a fun way to give a little Easter treat, or any time of year. They even make adorable Easter decorations. And they are a very fun Cricut Easter craft to make with kids or friends for gift giving or as part of a spring celebration. These cute boxes will add a little joy to your Easter holiday. With the help of a Cricut machine, or by cutting out the simple design by hand with the PDF, I hope you'll love these craft projects.

We added one adorable bunny candy box to each place setting for an easy table, and it was such a great addition along with our matching bunny bunting. The bunny bunting is very easy to make too and such a fun idea. Use the free svg cut file to make the bunny faces and then string them onto some yarn or ribbon and hang for an adorable Easter decoration that matches the paper box at each place setting. Our step by step tutorial to make the bunny bunting is coming soon.

With a cute and easy project like this, life really is a party!

Subscribe below for the free files from our Free Resource Library.

More Easter Ideas

You might also like our Free Printable Easter Jokes here.

Easter Jokes: bring a smile with clean, kid-friendly jokes. Free printable perfect for egg stuffers, lunch box notes, and more.

Also check out our Free Vintage Easter Printables here.

Free Vintage Easter Printables: these antique Easter postcards are available as a free download, to print and enjoy for decor, and crafting.

You might also like our Bunny Breakfast ideas here.

Easter Bunny Breakfast: bunny themed children's Easter breakfast your kids will love with bunny deocr, and bunny themed foods.

Cricut Valentine Card

Feb 11, 2022 · 1 Comment

Free Cricut 3D Pop Up Box Card for Valentine's Day: use our free cut file to create this Valentine mailbox that folds flat for mailing.

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This Free Cricut Valentine Box Card is the perfect way to send a little love, for Valentine's Day, or anytime of year. Use our free cut file and cardstock to send a little love.

I'm excited to share this beautiful Valentine Box Card. If you're not familiar with box cards they are 3-D boxes, that fold flat for mailing. They're similar to a pop-up card. You can flatten them to fit in an envelope to send to someone, and then the recipient can pop them open to create a 3-D box like card to enjoy. Or make one as a cute addition to the a shelf in your craft room. I'm sharing the free Cricut design space cut file, so that anyone with a cricut machine can cut this out and enjoy it. It will work for a Cricut Joy, any Cricut Maker machine, or a Cricut Explore machine.

I just love the idea of sending a handmade Valentine's Day card to a sweet heart, or even a best friend. There are so many Cricut valentine ideas and cute cards and cricut projects you can make with a cutting machine, but I thought this card design was extra special and so much fun. It has a special pocket in the centre where you can insert cards, like a gift card, or a special message. It's a great way to send handmade valentines this year.

This project is fairly easy to put together, just a little time consuming. I think it's suitable for most skill levels.

Free Cricut Cut File

This design is available for free to Life is a Party subscribers. There's a link to the free cut files in our Free Resource Library. If you're not yet a subscriber, subscribe below.

Materials:

All you'll need to make this sweet card is your Cricut machine, a standard grip cutting mat, card stock -I used light pink, white, grey, and rose pink for mine, and some tacky glue

Cricut machine
Free Cricut Design Space File -subscribe for the free link
Standard Grip Mat
Card Stock -light pink, white, grey, rose pink
Tape
Tacky Glue

how to make a Valentine's Day card with your cricut

How To Make The Cricut Valentine Mailbox Box Card

Check out the video below for the full cricut tutorial.

Begin by opening up the free Cricut design space file. To access the link to the free file, subscribe below.

Once you open your free Cricut design space file, you're ready to cut out the card. Choose your cardstock colours, and follow the prompts on the cutting preview screen to add materials at the right times. We cut ours out with of medium card stock and used the "more" pressure setting.

After your card pieces are all cut out of card stock, it's time to assemble it. Because we want the card to be able to fold flat when it's finished, when you are gluing the main parts together take the time to bend it flat in each direction to ensure each piece is properly lined up.

Begin by gluing together the outer mailbox piece, with tacky glue along the flap. I tried a few different gluing methods for this but I found that glue tape or a glue dot didn't work that well here, and decided on regular glue. Hold the glued piece in place for a few seconds until it is set.

Next assemble the insert #2 to hold a gift card. Fold this piece to create the pocket that can hold the gift card. It's best to use scotch tape on the bottom and sides to great the pocket -this ensures the space is large enough for the gift card, and that the glue doesn't accidently get in the way.

Next add the three card inserts. Begin by gluing the piece labeled #1 to the front of the inside of the box. Next glue #3 to the back of the inside of the box. Lastly, fold in the tabs at the top and bottom of #2 and use these as spaces against the back or front to glue it into the middle of the card. After gluing in these pink pieces, be sure to let it dry for a few minutes before moving on to the embellishments.

Now embellish the front of the card with the mailbox white piece. Add an "XO" above the mail slot on the front.

To assemble the love letters, fold the flap over on the dashed line and glue in place. Add a heart to the front of each one, decide on which ever heart colour and size you prefer.

Next decorate the top of the card by gluing various letters and hearts to the top. Vary the sizes and colours. There are extra hearts and letters that you can add as a little bit of confetti to the card envelope.

The finished cricut Valentine cards should fit in any A7 envelope.

Recipe

Cricut Valentine Card

Cricut 3D Pop Up Box Card for Valentine's Day

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Cricut

Prep Time: 20

Total Time: 20

Servings: Card

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Equipment

Cricut Machine
Standard Grip Mat

Materials

Free Cricut Design Space cut file -see our Free Resource Library
1 sheet white card stock
1 sheet rose pink card stock
1 sheet grey card stock
1 sheet light pink card stock
tacky glue
gift card optional

Instructions

Begin by opening up the free Cricut design space file. To access the link to the free file, subscribe below.
Once you open your free Cricut design space file, your ready to cut out the card. Choose your cardstock colours, and follow the prompts on the cutting preview screen to add materials at the right times. We cut ours out with of medium card stock and used the "more" pressure setting.
After your card pieces are all cut out of card stock, it's time to assemble it. Because we want the card to be able to fold flat when it's finished, when you are gluing the main parts together take the time to bend it flat in each direction to ensure each piece is properly lined up.
Begin by glueing together the outer mailbox piece, with tacky glue along the flap. I tried a few different gluing methods for this but I found that glue tape or a glue dot didn't work that well here, and decided on regular glue. Hold the glued piece in place for a few seconds until it is set.
Next assemble the insert #2 to hold a gift card. Fold this piece to create the pocket that can hold the gift card. It's best to use scotch tape on the bottom and sides to great the pocket -this ensures the space is large enough for the gift card, and that the glue doesn't accidently get in the way.
Next add the three card inserts. Begin by gluing the piece labeled #1 to the front of the inside of the box. Next glue #3 to the back of the inside of the box. Lastly, fold in the tabs at the top and bottom of #2 and use these as spaces against the back or front to glue it into the middle of the card. After gluing in these pink pieces, be sure to let it dry for a few minutes before moving on to the embellishments.
Now embellish the front of the card with the mailbox white piece. Add an "XO" above the mail slot on the front.
To assemble the love letters, fold the flap over on the dashed line and glue in place. Add a heart to the front of each one, decided on which ever heart colour and size you prefer.
Next decorate the top of the card by gluing various letters and hearts to the top. Vary the sizes and colours. There are extra hearts and letters that you can add as a little bit of confetti to the card envelope.
The finished cricut Valentine cards should fit in any A7 envelope.

Video

I know your friends and family will love this handmade valentine's day card. Or, use it anytime of year when you want to send a little love. Remember if you love giving valentine's day gifts, you can also add a gift card to this handmade card. Or make a sweet treat by including a gift card to your favourite restaurant, ice cream, or coffee shop. If you love paper crafts then this is the perfect cricut valentine's day project.

I hope you have a very happy valentine's day! With great Valentine's day crafts like this to create on your cricut, life really is a party!

Easy Milk Chocolate Fondue Recipe

Jan 26, 2022 · 1 Comment

Easy Milk Chocolate Fondue Recipe: only two ingredients for this quick and delicious recipe, plus lots of dipper ideas.

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Milk chocolate fondue is an easy dessert and perfect for just about any time. We used ours as part of a special Fondue Date Night -check out all the details of the evening and other fondue recipes including cheese fondue here. It's especially perfect for a Valentine's Day celebration, since strawberries and chocolate are both pretty required for love day. But really this recipe is perfect for just about any chocolate lovers -and a great idea for New Year's Eve fun tradition, a birthday dinner, or any special occasion. The whole family will love this sweet treat, and you will love how easy and fool proof it is.

If you're a chocolate lover, you might also like our Easy Brown Trifle Recipe.

What Kind Of Chocolate To Use For Chocolate Fondue

You can really use any type of chocolate you would like for this fondue. We've used milk chocolate, but if you want it to be a little less sweet feel free to substitute in dark chocolate or bittersweet chocolate. Feel free to use milk chocolate chips , semisweet chocolate chips, or a chocolate bar, or melting wafers. Choose the best chocolate you can for this recipe, since it's the main ingredient. I wouldn't use use white chocolate chips for this recipe, as it would be too sweet.

Equipment

Melting Chocolate

To melt the chocolate a double boiler is a really helpful and definitely safer for not burning chocolate. Melting chocolate can be a little bit tricky, because it can burn easily. A double boiler really helps. If you don't have one, you can make your own by using a metal mixing bowl over a pot of boiling water in a medium saucepan. Just be careful not to get any water in with your chocolate, because this will ruin the consistency. Another options is using a microwave and a microwave-safe bowl. I always recommend using your microwave at only half power to avoid burning the chocolate. Or use a heavy saucepan at a low heat on the stove top, stirring often to avoid burning. If melting bars of chocolate, be sure to break them into smaller pieces first.

Fondue Pots

To serve your fondue using the double boiler kind of fondue pot that has water in a pot that the ceramic fondue pot sits in is the best. These help prevent your fondue from burning while you're enjoying it. Another option are simple candle ceramic fondue pots, but again be careful it doesn't burn. Help prevent this by giving it a stir every so often. An electric fondue pot is a great option too, because they usually have a very even heat.

Don't have a fondue pot? No problem. You can just serve your chocolate fondue in a ceramic bowl, and microwave it to reheat it if necessary. Another great option is to borrow a fondue pot from a friend, or look for one at a thrift store. Thrift stores seem to always have them. One more option is to make and serve your chocolate fondue in a mini slow cooker. Your regular size one is probably too big and might lead to burning, but a small crockpot on the warm setting would be perfect.

Fondue Forks

Don't forget you'll also need some fondue forks for dipping. Don't have any fondue forks? Use simple wood or bamboo skewers.

Milk Chocolate Fondue Individual Servings

Not into a communal pot? If you prefer individual servings, especially for kids or serving a crowd, give everyone their own individual bowl of chocolate fondue. Use individual ramekins for serving, along with a small plate of dippers.

Chocolate fondue in heart shaped bowl with a platter of dippers and flowers on the table.

What To Serve With Chocolate Fondue

We love to use a variety of dippers for our easy chocolate fondue. Be sure to include lots of fresh fruit. There are some suggestions below, but be sure to include your favorite fruit, as it's sure to be your favorite dippers. You can also try baked goods like rice krispie treats, brownie squares, vanilla wafers, or banana bread, plus candy, and even something salty like pretzel rods make great dippers. Some of the best chocolate fondue dippers are:

banana slices
strawberries
apple slices
oranges
pineapple
rice krispie squares
angel food cake
pound cake cubes
donut holes
cream puffs
pretzels
potato chips
brownie bites
shortbread cookies
banana bread
gummy candies
wafer cookies
graham crackers
chocolate chip cookies
dried fruit
nuts
gummy candies
rolled wafer cookies
marshmallows -storebought or try our Homemade Coffee Marshmallows

Plater of chocolate foudue dippers with fruit, marshmallows, and cookies.

Chocolate fondue dippers including candy, pretzels, and cookies.

Bowl of milk chocolate fondue with dippers in the background.

Easy Simple Ingredients

Many chocolate fondue recipes call for heavy cream and other ingredients, and risk splitting. Our recipe is so with only two simple ingredients. It's quick to make a foolproof, and guaranteed to be a hit with the chocolate lover. If you're looking for a very easy version that sure to be a crowd pleaser at your next dinner party this fun dessert is perfect.

More Milk Chocolate Fondue Options:

Want to experiment with different flavors? Try adding some vanilla extract. Or make it peppermint chocolate fondue with the addition of peppermint extract for the chocolate mint lover. Love peanut butter? Stir in a few spoonfuls to make peanut butter chocolate fondue, and serve with peanut butter cookies for dipping.

Recipe

Easy Milk Chocolate Fondue Recipe

Easy milk chocolate fondue with just two ingredients.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 5

Total Time: 10

Servings: servings

Calories: 405kcal

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Ingredients

▢ 1 ½ cups milk chocolate or semi sweet chocolate chopped or chips
▢ 300 mL can sweetened condensed milk

Instructions

In a saucepan combine sweetened condensed milk and chocolate. (I used chocolate bars, broken into small pieces, chocolate chips would be great also.)
Heat over low heat in a heavy saucepan, or in a double boiler while stirring until chocolate is completely melted and combined with the sweetened condensed milk.
Serve while warm with assorted dippers such as: strawberries, bananas, pineapple, grapes, blueberries, cookies, marshmallows, Rice Krispies, brownies, pretzels, gummy candies, nuts, dried fruit. Store leftovers of the chocolate fondue in the refrigerator, and reheat in the microwave.

Nutrition

Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @LifeisaParty or tag #lifeisaparty!

This is one of my favorite easy recipes and makes a perfect chocolate fondue. It's a great addition to a fondue party, and sure to be appreciated by anyone with a sweet tooth. With easy milk chocolate fondue, life really is a party!

Coffe table set with chocolate fondue, platter of fondue dippers, candles and flowers.

More Inspiration

Enjoy this milk chocolate fondue as part of a romantic meal with our at home date night fondue -check out all the details here.

You might also like our chocolate charcuterie board here.

Chocolate Charcuterie Snack Board: perfect for the chocolate lover, tips on building your board, and ingredient suggestions.

Also check out our Christmas Fondue Party with lots more fondue recipes here.

Fondue Date Night

Jan 26, 2022 · 1 Comment

For our Fondue Date Night we made cheese fondue & chocolate fondue. We've included all the recipes, plans, a shopping list, & free printable conversation starters for you to create your own easy at home fondue date night.

Date night fondue with cheese fondue and dippers at a coffee table.

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Why We Love This Fondue Date Night

Finger food is romantic.
Melted cheese followed by melted chocolate just can not be beat!
These recipes are easy to make and delicious.
Fondue is the kind of meal you can linger over and have great conversation as you dip.
This is much cheaper to do at home, with the most expensive items being the cheese and fresh fruit.
Fondue is the kind of thing you don't do everyday so it feels extra special.

It's always nice to go out for a date night, but there's also something extra nice about a special date night at home. Fondue is the perfect date night food, enjoyed snuggled up on the sofa together with some candles lit for a romantic night.

You might also enjoy our Christmas Fondue Party, Valentine Breakfast Board, or 20 At Home Valentine's Day Ideas.

We put together everything you need to create the perfect at home fondue date night, including recipes, a shopping list, a schedule for the night, and even table decor ideas.

We've thought of everything so that you don't have to.

Follow our instructions for the perfect fondue date night. This is the perfect way to celebrate Valentine's Day at home, or a great way to celebrate a special occasion like an anniversary. It's also great for any at home romantic date night.

Coffee table in front of couch set up for date night with cheese fondue and flowers.

Cozy Coffee Table Date

DIY Table Runner
Fresh Flowers
Candles

This cozy romantic dinner works out great at a coffee table in your living room. Set things up so you can sit on the couch together or add lots of throw pillows to the floor, maybe even a cozy sheepskin rug.

Coffee table set up for date night with X and O table runner flowers and place settings.

DIY Table Runner

If you like DIYs, use some plain craft paper to make a table runner. Use craft paint to add X's and O's or hearts in a simple hand drawn pattern. Or find some pretty wrapping paper to use as a table runner. The runner will add a little interest to the table and is easy for clean up, since fondue can be a little drippy.

Pink tulips, candles, and disco ball set up on a coffee table.

Fresh Flowers and Candles

It won't be date night without fresh flowers, candles and chocolate. We've got chocolate covered with dessert. Pick up some fresh flowers and add them to the table in a pretty vase to add a little romance to the setting. Light some candles or battery powered twinkle lights or string lights to create the perfect romantic atmosphere.

These little touches add so much to a romantic cozy date night.

Coffee table in front of couch set up for date night with place settings for two and flowers.

Preparation Schedule

Sometimes when it comes to date night at home, the hardest part is getting it organized. We've planned out a whole schedule for you so you know exactly what to do to get ready.

Before Date Night

Set a date for your romantic fondue night and get it on the calendar.
If you have children, make a plan for them like early bedtime, a movie in their room, or a sleepover at Grandma's house.
Shop for groceries.
Don't worry if you don't have a fondue pot. You can serve the fondue in a bowl, and reheat it in the microwave if necessary. Or pick one up at your favourite kitchen store, look for an inexpensive one at a second-hand store, or borrow one for the night.
Print the conversation starter cards.

On Date Night

Put on some romantic music.
Make a cocktail or mocktail, or pour a glass of wine.
Start cooking by roasting the potatoes, add asparagus for the last 10 min. of cooking.
While the potatoes are cooking, put together a tray of your cheese fondue dippers.
Prepare your chocolate fondue dippers.
Make chocolate fondue.
Make the cheese fondue.
Toast the garlic bread.
Have dinner together.
Use the conversation cards.
Reheat the chocolate fondue, and have dessert.

Cheese fondue for date night set up on a coffee table with a platter of dippers.

Fondue Date Night Menu

Cheese Fondue with roasted potatoes and asparagus, and other dippers.

For our date night we had a classic cheese fondue for our main course. All our recipes for this date night are easy recipes. What could be better than enjoying melted cheese with an array of yummy dippers?

You can use a traditional fondue melting pot for this recipe, or an electric fondue pot, even a small crockpot works well with an extension cord. Don't forget the fondue forks as well.

Below are our suggestions for dippers for your date night cheese fondue. We liked including potatoes, some different meats, and veggies for a complete meal. The granny smith apples are perfect for that sweet and salty combo -if you're a fan. Just remember to coat them with a little lemon juice so that they don't turn brown.

Find our Cheese Fondue Recipe here.

Or subscribe below and download our free Fondue Date Night mini book that includes all the recipes, schedule, and grocery list.

Pof of cheese fondue with dipped bread dripping in cheese.

Cheese Fondue Dippers

We chose:

green apple slices
kielbasa
spicy salami
garlic bread
roasted asparagus
roasted potatoes for our cheese fondue dippers.

The possibilities are endless. You might also like to try:

grapes
carrot and celery sticks
cherry tomatoes
French bread
gherkin pickles
cooked mini meatballs
crusty bread
soft pretzels

Top view of cheese fondue on a table set for two, with platter of fondue dippers.

Recipe

Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus

Oven roasted potatoes and asparagus pieces that are perfect dippers for cheese fondue.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 25

Servings:

Calories: 440kcal

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Ingredients

Instructions

Wash your mini potatoes and slice any large ones in half. Toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
To prepare the asparagus, snap the tough ends off with your fingers. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside for now.
Roast the potatoes on a baking sheet at 425 for 10 minutes. Then turn the potatoes and continue to cook for another 10 minutes along with the asparagus, adding it to the baking sheet and cooking until both are tender .

Nutrition

Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @LifeisaParty or tag #lifeisaparty!

Dessert

Chocolate Fondue with Fruit and Sweets

Fondue date night with chocolate fondue in a heart shaped bowl and a platter of dippers.

Find our Milk Chocolate Fondue Recipe here.

Or subscribe below and get all the recipes, schedule, and grocery list as part of our Fondue Date Night mini book as a free download.

Platter of chocolate foundue and dippers.

For our chocolate fondue dippers we used:

bananas
pineapple
strawberries
blueberries
chocolate chip cookies
pretzels
poke sticks
biscotti
rolled wafer cookies
heart shaped rice krispies
marshmallows
chocolate hearts
cinnamon lip candies

Any of your favourite fresh fruits, vanilla cookies, angel food cake, or candies that pair well with chocolate would be a great choice. Visit the bulk store to find lots of great dippers, so you can buy a small quantity and have lots of variety. Also look for ready made cookies in the grocery store bakery section to make preparation a little easier. Want to take this up a notch further? Serve it with a bowl of ice cream on the side.

Chocolate fondue in a pink heart shaped bowl, and a platter of dippers with fruit, cookies, and candy.

Chocolate fondue and platter of dippers on coffee table.

Fondue Date Night Grocery Shopping List

garlic
8 oz. Gruyere cheese
8 oz. Swiss cheese
cornstarch
dry mustard
lemon
nutmeg
brandy (optional)
white wine for fondue
green apples
1.5 lbs mini baby potatoes
olive oil
kielbasa
spicy salami
1 lb fresh asparagus
garlic bread or baguette
1 ½ cups milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate bars
1 can condensed milk
dippers for chocolate fondue such as: strawberries, bananas, pineapple, blueberries, pretzels, cookies, gummy candy, dried fruit, nuts
wine, cocktail, or mocktail ingredients
flowers for the table

A coffee table with vase of flowers and chocolate foudue and fondue dippers.

Free Printable Conversation Starters

Get the conversation flowing over dinner with our fun and free Conversation Starter Cards. Print these out ahead of time on your home printer, or at an office supply store and add them to the table for the night.

Subscribe below for access to these free printables without the watermark in our Free Resource Library full of free printables.

Free printble date night conversation starter cards.

Want to enjoy this fondue date night and give your partner the gift of an unforgettable date night experience? Subscribe to the blog and we'll send you our Fondue Date Night mini book with the recipes, shopping list, schedule, conversation starters and more.

Free printable fondue date night recipe book, schedule, shopping list, and conversation starter cards kit.

With a fondue date night at home, life really is a party!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the etiquette for eating fondue?

You must not ever double dip. Some people suggest using your fondue fork for dipping and then placing the dipped item on your plate, and eating with a dinner fork. Others feel it's appropriate to eat off your fondue fork, if you don't let your lips touch it.

What if you drop your food into the fondue pot?

Old Swiss custom is that a man who drops his food in the fondue pot buys the next round of drinks, and that a woman kisses her neighbour.

Can I store the leftovers?

Yes, store any leftover fondue in the refrigerator in an airtight container, and reheat the fondue in the microwave before serving.

If you tried this Fondue Date Night or any other party idea on my blog please let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting today!

More Fondue Inspiration

Hot Chocolate Charcuterie Board

Dec 15, 2021 · 7 Comments

This Hot Chocolate Charcuterie Board has all the fixings for making the perfect hot chocolate. It's great for holiday or winter entertaining. Your guests will love helping themselves to everything they need.

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Why You'll Love This

Everything looks amazing on a board.
It's easy to for guests to help themselves.
We included so many delicous toppings -like homemade marshmallows, chocolate, and freshly whipped cream!

This hot chocolate charcuterie board is perfect for sharing with friends over the holiday season or anytime during the winter. It's full of all the treats you need to make the most delicious cup hot chocolate and is a really fun way to share with a crowd. Your guests will love it and it will take your cup of hot chocolate to the next level! This is perfect for any hot chocolate lovers.

You might also like our DIY Hot Chocolate Mix Recipe, Homemade Marshmallow Mug Toppers, Coffee Marshmallows Recipe, Chocolate Charcuterie Board, Easy Chocolate Brownie Trifle, or our S'mores Charcuterie Board.

Is It Really Charcuterie?

No, it isn't really charcuterie, in the traditional sense. The word charcuterie really means a cured meat products board, but in recent years this term has been used not just for a traditional charcuterie board filled with an assortment of meats, but also cheese boards, and even sweets boards.

It seems to have a become a term that's interchangeable for any snack or dessert board, and here we're even using it for drink items.

Strictly speaking this is not really charcuterie, but a dessert board, but we're taking our cue from popular culture here. With dessert charcuterie boards becoming more and more popular, we think you'll love our classic hot chocolate version.

Ingredients

Here are the yummy hot chocolate toppings we included on ours:

Hot Chocolate Mix: you can use our easy recipe to make your own or use store-bought. Remember to boil the kettle and warm some milk.
Whipped Cream: Homemade is best. Just whip cream with a little sugar and vanilla. Or use the canned version.
Candy Canes: these are perfect for chocolate mint lovers.
Belgium Chocolate Wafers: We love this Belgium chocolate because it's such great quality.
White Chocolate Wafers: For the white chocolate lovers.
Chocolate Chips: Just to add a little more chocolate flavor to your hot chocolate.
Rolo Chocolate and Caramel Candies: Add these for the caramel lovers to melt in their hot chcolate.
Chocolate Spoons: We found these at the dollar store and they are always such a crowd pleaser.
Marshmallows: Mini Marshmallows, Regular, and our Homemade Marshmallow Mug Toppers -or grab some store-bought ones. Homemade marshamallows are actually not too hard to make, and the best thing about homemade marshmallows taste is they are much lighter and fluffier, and more delicate than store-bought ones. We used cookie cutters to cut the snowflakes and hearts, but you could do any shape you liked. We drizzled some with melted chocolate and added sprinkles too.
Wafer Cookies: Vanilla, and Chocolate these are the perfect cookies to dip in a hot chocolate.

hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows

Variations

We put the hot chocolate mix right on the charcuterie board. As another option you could instead make a crockpot full of hot chocolate.

Here's some other options for addtions to the board:

White Chocolate Chips
Milk Chocolate Chips
Chocolate Syrup
Hot Chocolate Bombs
Hershey Kisses
Peanut Butter Cups
Caramel Sauce, or Syrup
Mint: We added candy canes to our board for the mint lover, another great option would be some chocolate mint candies, or crushed peppermint candies, or peppermint sticks.

How To Make A Hot Chocolate Charcuterie Board

1. Start with a large tray or cutting board. We used a lazy Susan, which is perfect for a party, because guests can spin the board and reach things from all sides. We added our small bowls of whipped cream, hot chocolate mix, and then candy canes. The bowls help contain the ingredients and add some height to the board. We added small wooden spoons for serving.

2. Next, add all the rest of the chocolate, marshmallows, and cookies around the board to fill in all the other spaces.

Keep these hot chocolate charcuterie board ideas in mind for your next holiday party, Christmas eve, or as a great addition to movie night. It's sure to be a hit at any holiday gatherings.

With a hot chocolate charcuterie board to enjoy, life really is a party!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this hot chocolate charcuterie board ahead of time?

Yes. Store your whipped cream in the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap until right before serving. Also wrap the board tightly in plastic wrap so that the marshmallows don't drry out before serving.

Can I use something other than hot chocolate mix?

Yes, a great option is to leave the hot chocolate mix off the board and make hot chocolate in a large crock pot so it's hot and ready to serve. Guests can add in extra chocolate, marshmallows and fixing from the board to personal their own.

Can I add alcohol to my hot chocolate charcuterie board?

Yes, serve alcohol like Bailey's Irish Cream, Whisky, Rum, Mint Liqueur, Kulauh, or Amereto for great flavor pairs. Choose 1-3 options and serve on the side for guests to help themselves.

More Inspiration

If you try this Hot Chocolate Charcuterie Board, or any other recipe on my blog please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting today!

Recipe

Homemade Marshmallow Mug Toppers

Dec 9, 2021 · 4 Comments

Homemade Marshmallow Mug Toppers: use our marshmallow recipe to create mug toppers perfect for enjoying with hot chocolate and gift giving.

Homemade marshmallow mug toppers with chocolate drizzle.

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Have you noticed these cute marshmallow mug toppers at stores like Target this Christmas. They're so cute and perfect for topping your hot chocolate. But they can also add up, so I thought why not make my own?

This marshmallow recipe is a favourite that I've made lots of time. Check out my recipe for Coffee Flavored Marshmallows. You might also like our Chocolate, and Bailey's Marshmallows, Strawberry Marshmallows, and this Hot Chocolate Charcuterie Board.

Homemade marshmallows are actually quite easy to make, and the taste is amazing. Generally speaking, a homemade version of anything usually tastes better than store bought. And marshmallows are no exception to that. Homemade marshmallows are so much lighter and fluffier than store bought.

Marshmallow Mug Toppers

To turn these homemade marshmallows into mug toppers, I made then in a more shallow pan than usual. I used a cookie sheet which was perfect. Making these marshmallows thinner than normal homemade marshmallows, allowed me to use a cookie cutter to cut then into fun shapes, perfect for floating on top of your mug of hot chocolate.

I used a snowflake and a heart cookie cutter shape to make mine, but the possibilities really are endless. I've noticed some store bought ones shaped like houses, or mittens, or candy canes. All these would work great too. The only thing to consider is the size of our average mug and the size of the cookie cutter. You want a finished marshmallow that will fit inside your mug easily.

Adding Chocolate and Sprinkles

The finished marshmallows are perfect on top of hot chocolate as is, but if you want to make them even more special, consider adding some special toppings to your marshmallows. We drizzled some with melted semi-sweet chocolate, and added some sprinkles. You could use dark, milk, or white chocolate for your drizzle, or even dip them melted chocolate.

We choose some sprinkles, and added them while the chocolate was still melted so they would stick. Any sprinkles would work, including Christmas ones for the holidays, or snowflakes for any winter day. You could also add coloured sugar instead. Another great option or the mint lover is crushed candy cane pieces.

Packaging Your Marshmallows

Once your marshmallows are finished, package them up for gift giving. Marshmallows will last up to three weeks, in an air tight container. We packaged ours in cellophane bags, tied with twine. Package them separately, or use a larger bag to add more.

Homemade marshmallow mug toppers packaged in a cello bag and tied onto a jar of homemade hot chocolate mix.

These are really perfect for gift giving. Check out our homemade hot chocolate mix gift here with the recipe. The homemade hot chocolate mix and marshmallow mug toppers make a really great gift, especially around the holidays.

Special Equipment

Homemade marshmallows aren't difficult to make, but you do need a couple of special pieces of equipment.

You will need a candy thermometer. These are easy to find on-line, or at any good kitchen store. They're aren't expensive at all. If you are a fan of homemade candy, you'll use a candy thermometer over and over. You can't make this recipe without one, because you have to bring the sugar mixture to the exact right temperature.

You'll also need a stand mixer. This recipe is whipped for up to 15 minutes. You wouldn't be able to do this by hand, and it would would be difficult with even a hand mixer. A stand mixer is the perfect equipment for this job.

We've seen these cute little marshmallows in lots of stores, but we knew we could make better ones at home, and for a fraction of the price. These turned out so great. They're super cute, really delicious, and perfect for gift giving.

Recipe

With these homemade hot chocolate mug toppers, life really is a party!

More Inspiration

DIY Hot Chocolate Mix Gift Idea

Dec 8, 2021 · 5 Comments

DIY Hot Chocolate Mix Gift Idea: make your own hot chocolate mix, easy recipe, perfect to make with kids, great for inexpensive holiday gifts.

DIY hot chocolate mix recipe in a mason jar.

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During the holiday season I'm always looking for fun and easy DIY gift ideas, and this homemade hot chocolate mix is perfect. It's really easy to put together, and would be a great one to do with kids.

When it's cold outside everyone loves a cup of hot chocolate and our hot chocolate mix recipe makes it easy for you to make your own, and package it up to give as Christmas gifts.

Also check out our Hot Chocolate Charcuterie Board, or if you're a chocolate lover, check out our Easy Chocolate Brownie Trifle Recipe. And for more gifts ideas check out Wine and Cheese Basket and DIY Breakfast Gift Basket.

Hot Chocolate Mix Ingredients

This mix uses all dry ingredients, so it's easy to put together. To make the hot chocolate with the mix, you combine ¼ cup of the finished mix with 1 cup of boiling water. Alternatively, to make the hot chocolate extra creamy, you could add a cup of hot milk. Another option is to try making with warm coconut milk.

Our recipes used dry milk powder, unsweetened cocoa, dairy free creamer, powdered sugar, and a little salt. It's a really easy recipe. You can make this by simply mixing the ingredients together, but you can also combine them in the bowl of a food processor , and use this to mix it really well, and remove any lumps.

It is important to use unsweetened cocoa powder and not hot chocolate mix in this recipe. And the quality of the cocoa for this recipe matters too. Look for a dutch processed dark cocoa powder for best results, and a rich chocolatey hot chocolate. Not all hot chocolate mix recipes include non-dairy creamer, but we felt the addition of the powdered creamer leads to a creamer, slightly thicker hot chocolate, which is really delicious. We also added just a little bit of salt. It doesn't make the finished product salty at all, it just helps wake up all the other flavours.

I love that this recipe uses ingredients found easily in grocery stores, or you might even have them in your pantry. This dry mix has a long shelf life, and will last for months, so feel free to double or triple it for a big batch, perfect for lots of gift giving.

Packaging Ideas

Once you have your hot chocolate mix all put together, it's fun to package the dry mix up as the perfect gift. Homemade gifts are always a great idea, especially around the holidays.

To get the hot cocoa mix ready for a holiday gift, package it up in any airtight container. I love using vintage mason jars, a pint jar, or a mason jar with the flip lid, but any jar will do.

You might even up-cycle a glass jar and use something like an old jam jar. Just make sure it's nice and clean. Then add in your mix and seal it up, ready for gift giving. We've decorated ours with some twine and yarn, ribbon would be lovely too.

I've added a little extra to my jars, by attaching homemade marshmallows. You could also tie a cinnamon stick, or candy canes to the front of your jars.

Check out the recipe for these Homemade Marshmallow Mug Toppers recipe here. These are the perfect addition to the DIY hot chocolate mix for gift giving, or just enjoying yourself.

If you like, you can leave a little room at the top of the jar, and add in some special ingredients to the top, like semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate pieces, white chocolate chips, crushed up peppermint candy, caramel candies, or mini marshmallows. Just add them to the top of your homemade mix .

Another nice option for gift giving is to package the homemade cocoa mix in a cellophane bag or small plastic bag. A great gift idea is to give this with a mug, and tuck the hot chocolate mix inside for the perfect mug of hot chocolate. I love this idea to include as part of a care package all winter long too.

Be sure to include a gift tag with the instructions on how to make the hot chocolate. We used ¼ cup of hot chocolate mix with 1 cup of hot water, or warmed milk. Write the instructions on some white cardstock, or a gift tag and attach with some baker's twine.

Hot chocolate bombs have become really popular in the last few years. To make your own, use this mix in the centre of your chocolate sphere, along with some marshmallows, ready to make a perfect mug of hot cocoa.

Fun Add-Ins

If you love a flavoured hot chocolate, feel free to play with some add-ins. Looking for a Mexican hot chocolate? Try adding some cinnamon and cayenne pepper.

Love mocha? Try adding some instant espresso powder to the mix.

And there's always things extra chocolate chips, caramel sauce, or pieces of candy canes. The possibilities are almost endless.

For adults, some Baileys Irish cream would be a fun addition too.

Recipe

DIY Hot Chocolate Mix Gift

Make your own hot chocolate mix made with just 5 ingredients.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5

Total Time: 5

Servings:

Calories: 133kcal

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Ingredients

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Or combine the ingredients in the bowl of a food processer and pulse until fully combined and there's no lumps. Store in an airtight container, like a mason jar.
To serve, combine ¼ cup of hot chocolate mix with 1 cup of boiling water, and stir. For a creamer version, use warm milk in the place of water.

Nutrition

Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @LifeisaParty or tag #lifeisaparty!

This recipe makes the best hot chocolate, perfect for a cold night -or any time! With DIY hot chocolate mix gift ideas like this one, life really is a party!

More Ideas

You might also like our Ho Ho Ho Hot Chocolate Bar here.

Ho Ho Ho Hot Chocolate Bar: set up the perfect Christmas hot chocolate bar with our printable package that includes labels, poster, bunting, and more.

Also check out our Coconut Hot Chocolate Recipe here.

Hot Chocolate with Coconut Milk: it's easy to make and so delicious, perfect for anyone with dietary restrictions, or vegatarian.

You might also like our Christmas Dessert Board here.

Rustic Scandi Cottage Christmas Decorating Ideas Home Tour

Nov 30, 2021 · 12 Comments

Rustic Scandi Cottage Christmas Decorating Ideas Home Tour: cozy cottage and vintage pieces mix with Scandi natural elements for Christmas.

rustic Scandinavian cottage Christmas decor

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Welcome to my Christmas home tour for 2021 and Merry Christmas! This year my home is full of rustic Scandi cottage Christmas decorating ideas, with a little boho and pink thrown into the mix. I hope it gives you lots of fun ideas for your own home. I love decorating for Christmas, and this post is probably my favourite one of the year. So come on in and enjoy a look around.

The Front Porch

We had a little snow over the weekend, and now it really feels like Christmas! I put together an arrangement of greens that I collected on a forest walk. The yarn covered sticks from last year are a fun addition -see how I made our DIY yarn covered sticks here, along with some pretty stars.

Doormat and Wreath

I'm most excited about my door mat, and pretty Christmas wreath. You can find the full tutorial on how to make the moon shaped Christmas wreath here. I love the pom poms, mushrooms, and stars. They're all little hints of what's to come inside. And the Christmas doormat is a fun DIY. I was inspired by a beautiful Antropologie doormat with a red Santa and decided to try and create my own pink version with a inexpensive IKEA doormat.

pink Anthropologie inspired Santa DIY doormat

A sprinkling of snow, pretty lanterns, vintage skates, and some natural accents like birch logs and pinecones, set the stage for our rustic Scandi cottage Christmas decorating ideas and what's to come inside.

The Dining Room

Our tour begins inside with the dining room, which is the first room you enter through the front door.

Console Table

This little console table is always a favourite to decorate. This year I've used this vintage rustic old toolbox, and filled it with mini Christmas trees. I wanted to add a real cozy feel to my decor this Christmas, for all the rustic Scandi and cottage Christmas vibes. My color scheme this year is lots of whites and creams, natural wood, with some pink, and traditional greens. And just for fun, I've added in a few sprinkles of iridescent to the color palette. It goes so well with the pink, and adds a little of that holiday magic and whimsy we love.

I have some fun mirrored birds above the console table, and on top I've layered a bunch of fun garlands -a look I've repeated in several places this Christmas to make it feel cozy and festive. I've gone for a combination of raw wood, felt balls, and pom poms, with some pink and stars mixed in everywhere.

mini Christmas trees in a vintage white box

Bar Cart Holiday Decor

Next, over on the bar cart, we've got a little forest of Christmas trees to create our own mini winter wonderland. I brought in a real birch tree. It's set in a little quick setting cement, and strung with fairy lights. And beside it is a real pine tree, also just decorated with Christmas lights this year. I'm lucky to live with the woods nearby and lots of places for winter walks. One of my favourite things to do at Christmas is to bring the outdoors in. Real trees can be messy, but there really is nothing like them to make it feel like Christmas!

This summer, at a little antique store I found these beautiful vintage pink champagne coupe glasses. There were only four, but they've become such a favourite and inspired the bar cart decor this Christmas. There are lots of little Christmas trees, and pretty glasses for sipping Christmas cheer over the holidays. I've added more of the layered garland, and a pretty cheers garland too.

how to decorate a bar cart for Christmas

Dining Room Table

I've kept things pretty simple on the dining room table this year. I've layered a knit table runner and a sheep skin to create a cozy feel here. On top of that is an antique wooden dough bowl filled with vintage Christmas decorations. These vintage Christmas ornaments are some of my very favourite Christmas decorations. I always have my eye out for them at thrift stores, flea markets, garage sales, and antique stores.

I've also added a beautiful white paper Christmas tree. I love the warmth and texture of these beautiful paper trees that I've used in a few different spots this year. And I've also added some little touches of vintage brass in a few spots, including a few candlestick holders here.

vintage Christmas ornaments in a wood bowl

Buffet Area

This little forest of mini trees and candles might just be my favourite spot this year. Getting these little trees out each year always gets me in the Christmas mood. I've used a combination of bottle brush trees, glass trees, wooden trees, and paper. I love mixing and matching. The key to it looking great together is to stick to a colour scheme. I used whites, creams, wood, pink, and iridescent for this grouping, and tried to include different textures, and heights.

Living Room Cottage Christmas Decorating Ideas

Headed into the living room, next we have this cute little rustic chippy white paint table. I've hung some cute little house shelves above it, that feel very Scandinavian. For the holiday season this small space is full of little mini treasures. I used a white shelf with lots of little cubby holes, and filled it with mini bottle brush Christmas trees, wooden ornaments, and pine cones. It's the perfect little backdrop to more trees.

In front is one of my favorite Christmas decorations, a wood advent calendar. You start out with the little wood tree, and each day in December you add a different woodland animal to the scene. I love that it's reusable year after year, and it could not be cuter.

Up on the house shelves, there's a small collection of creamers, and they're dressed up for the holidays with more mini bottle brush trees. And below there's a beautiful vintage wicker basket and a stack of vintage wool blankets in creams and pinks. All these little bits add up to the cutest cottage style Christmas display.

Stair Garland

On the stairs, I've kept things relatively simple. Because the stairs are open, I could drape them all in garland, but it feels a little overwhelming for my more simple Scandi cottage boho look. Instead I've played off the asymmetrical fireplace mantel beside them, and only decorated one side. I've added lots of cozy layers here again. I started with the macrame garland -see my DIY macrame bunting tutorial here to make your own. Layered on top is some pretty faux fir garland, and more pom poms, felt balls, raw wood, and star garland.

Fireplace Mantel

The fireplace mantel this year is decorated with lots more mini Christmas trees, and brass candlestick holders. Because it's a corner fireplace I've created a backdrop for the scene with some faux falling snow. I used different sized pom poms from the craft store, and strung them together with some thread. They're hung like a curtain, and such a fun addition that adds to the cozy feel I want this Christmas.

I've also hung more macrame garland, and a fun asymmetrical garland on top. I love the asymmetrical look of the fir garland, along with more layers of garland in front. And the white Christmas stockings were hung with care. You can read all about our asymmetrical fireplace mantel here.

Coffee Table Festive Decorating Ideas

The coffee table is always another favourite place to decorate for Christmas because it's in the centre of the room where we spend so much time, so I always save some of my very favourite pieces for here. This year I've started with a large round log piece, and painted the top in a soft pink with craft paint. Here are some of my favourite little Christmas trees, a new white flocked one, a raw wood one, and a brass look one. They make the prettiest forest, and perfect setting for these little vintage deer. They were a gift from my sister a few years ago, and they're perfect here curled up together in the snow. Add in a few candles, and twinkle lights and you have a the best Christmas display in the evening with all the lights out and the candles and lights twinkling.

On the couch I've created a cozy feel with lots of pretty pillows. I love a seasonal pillow like nobody else, and this new skier pillow is definitely my new favourite. It's mixed with some cozy knit, velvet, and boho fringe for the perfect festive pillowscape.

Behind the couch we have a pass through to the kitchen. Lately I've been loving hanging things here for the different seasons -see my flower curtain here, and fall leaves here. For Christmas I wanted to add snow, and made the snowy curtain of pom poms for here that inspired the fireplace. I also added a bit of greenery, with some real pine clippings.

The Christmas Tree

I love a real tree for Christmas. There's nothing like the smell, and look of a real tree. Even though it's a bit messy, and you have to remember to water it, and when it's time to remove it I always think to myself next year I'll get an artificial, I just can't seem to. It's the one traditional decor thing I just can't seem to quit. It reminds me of being a little girl and going to my Grandma's farm in the snow with my family to get a tree each year.

I love a wild tree, untrimmed, imperfect, and sparse. A real farmhouse Christmas tree for me. It's been referred to as a Charlie Brown tree -and this one is even a little more sparse than usual, but its imperfections kind of add to the beauty for me. I've decorated it with the most beautiful and delicate traditional vintage glass ornaments. They're such sentimental ornaments for me. I remember my mom putting similar ones on the tree when I was a little girl and all us kids being told not stick our fingers into the centre and break them!

Next, I've also added in some glass iridescent Christmas tree decorations . They look so magical with the sun shining in, and at night with the fairy lights. I love the subtle mix of old and new together. I've topped the tree with a beautiful pink vintage tree topper, and for garland I used some delicate pom pom yarn, which ties in with the snowy curtains in the pass through and fireplace, and all the pom pom garlands around the house beautifully. To hold the tree, I love to use a vintage galvanized wash tub, with white tree skirt tucked in around the tree. I've added some faux fur sheep skin, and cozy throws, and a few presents that I've managed to get purchased and wrapped so far at the bottom of the tree.

Beside the tree is a favourite spot, This new Christmas tree throw blanket will be perfect for snuggling up under watching Christmas movies.

Cottage Christmas Decorating Ideas in the Kitchen

On the farm table in the kitchen, I've used this pretty tray to create a grouping of trees and candles. It's perfect for containing some faux snow without it getting everywhere. I've also included a few mushrooms this Christmas, and this tray has a few of my favourites, sprinkled with iridescent snow.

This little cabinet area is always a favourite to decorate and this year I made this fun pink art work. I love how it feels vintage with the typography, and the pink colour. I ordered a colour engineer print, which is a really inexpensive option, and used some wood strips to hang it. I've layered in lots of pretty garland, to match the rest of the house over top of the poster.

Underneath, I used an old vintage portable desk that I love, and added in some of my favourite Santa mugs, these ones are not vintage, so they're perfect for sipping hot chocolate all holiday season. Beside them is one of my favourite vintage Santas, and some tins that will soon be filled with Christmas treats.

Open Shelves

The open shelves in the kitchen are another great spot to decorate. Ever since we swapped out our upper cabinets for these DIY open shelves -see how we made them here, I've loved changing up this area every season. On the shelves this years, there's more of the same colour scheme from the rest of house, creamy white, pink, and some green. I've also added some of my favourite vintage decorations for the Christmas season here. It is always fun hunting for these at antique markets and thrift stores, and adding to the collection over the years. I think the Santa mugs are my favourite of all. The pom pom garland helps tie in with the pom poms in the pass through and living room.

open kitchen shelves decorated for Christmas

how to decorate open kitchen shelves for Christmas

open shelves in the kitchen decorated for Christmas

Over on the other side of the kitchen, the pine and pom poms make for a pretty view from the sink. And I always like to decorate a little spot beside the sink with some favourites. Have you spotted the snowy mushrooms on the front door wreath, coffee table, kitchen table, and now repeated here again. These ones are in a pretty vintage pink tea cup and sprinkled with iridescent snow, surrounded by bottle brush trees. And on the other side of the sink, we're ready to make a hot chocolate with marshmallows and sprinkles.

Thanks so much for joining me for this tour full of rustic Scandi cottage Christmas decorating ideas, it truly is probably my biggest and best post of the year, so I hope you've enjoyed it.

Asymmetrical Christmas Mantel Ideas

Nov 24, 2021 · 1 Comment

Asymmetrical Christmas Mantel Ideas: use garland and a mini Christmas tree collection to create a cozy pretty Christmas mantel.

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I love decorating my mantel for Christmas. I've never loved things being perfectly symmetrical so today I'm sharing some asymmetrical Christmas mantel ideas. I love this look and that it's a bit different, and it's really easy to pull together.

Snowy Backdrop

We have a corner fireplace and it can be a bit tricky to decorate, because it has such a large triangular space to fill. I usually start out with some kind of back drop. For Christmas I decided to make a curtain of snow. To start, I picked up some white pom poms in three different sizes, and strung them randomly onto some white thread. Next, I used some command hooks at the top, with a string tied between them, and hung the strands of pom poms from them. I love how snowy and whimsical it looks for the holidays.

Christmas Trees

In front of my snowy backdrop I added a collection of mini Christmas trees. I love mixing different colours and textures. This year for my Christmas decor I'm using lots of whites and neutrals with touches of pink, and iridescent. I used a tall bottle brush tree, two different white ceramic ones, a raw wood tree, one pretty iridescent tree, a pink glass tree, and a metal brass looking one. I love the mix of different colours, textures, and heights to add interest to the display. We've placed the largest one to the right, to create a bit of the swoop to the display, and coordinate with the asymmetrical garland beneath it.

mini table top Christmas tree collection

Candles

Next, since it's Christmas I thought it would be nice to include some candles. I used vintage brass candle stick holders form the thrift store, and thrifted pink candles.

The Garlands

The base of this garland is two faux fir garlands, attached to the mantel with two small finishing nails on either side. I wanted my Christmas decor to feel warm, cozy, and layered this year, with a Scandinavian feel, so I layered a lot of different garlands on top of the greenery. Secondly, I always have my DIY macrame bunting hanging on the mantel, and I left it up for Christmas, since it feels so cozy and pretty. See the tutorial for the macrame bunting here. On top of that, I combined a fun pom pom one, and a felt ball one. I also included one long 12 ft. garland of raw wood beads, and doubled it. Lastly to add in some of the pink I used some pink pom pom yarn, and the pink star garland that I made last year with polymer clay and gold wire -find the full tutorial for the star garland here.

And the last finishing touch to the garland area was to hang up some warm, wooly stockings. I used more command hooks to hang them, and placed them on one side to add to our asymmetrical look.

how to decorate an asymmetrical Christmas mantel

I love the asymetrical look achieved by off setting the garlands, and arranging the Christmas trees all to one side. This Christmas mantel is full of interest, and all the cozy, Christmas feels I was looking for. I hope it inspires you.

pink Christmas decor ideas fireplace mantel

With these Asymmetrical Christmas mantel ideas, life really is a party!

Free Printable Letter To Santa

Nov 17, 2021 · 4 Comments

Free Printable Letter To Santa: use our free printable template in pink or blue, to make writing a letter to Santa extra fun and easy.

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It's always fun for kids to write a letter to Santa at Christmas. Make this fun holiday activity easier -and cutier, than ever with our free printable letter to Santa template.

Free Printable Letter To Santa In Pink or Blue

We've made our letter to Santa templates two different versions, available in both pink and blue, so choose whichever your child prefers. Just print and let them fill out all the details, making it easier than ever for anyone to write their own letter to Santa.

Our free printable dear Santa letters are great area wonderful way to send magical messages to the big guy. The blank Santa letter templates can be printed at home on your home printer, or at any office supply store.

You'll love seeing which box they check, and if they think they've been naughty, nice, or a little of both this past year. There's a also a fun little greeting to Mr. Claus, and a spot for them to fill out what's on their Christmas wish list this year.

Start A Fun Tradition

We love traditions, especially during the Christmas season. So there's so many fun activities to do as a family like Elf on the Shelf -check out all our free printables and cute ideas here. We also love to bake Christmas cookies and turn it into a Christmas baking party too.

And writing a letter to Santa is a favourite tradition too. Make an afternoon of it with some hot chocolate, and toy flyers or catalogues. You might want to pick up a fun Santa pencil just for the occasion! This simple letter makes it easier for young children with a little help, or older kids who aren't sure what to say and easy, fun way to share their Christmas wishes.

It's also a fun activity at a festive get together or as part of a Christmas crafts station. Create a letter writing centre with our fun free printable letter, and some envelopes, and stamps. You could make your own post office, complete with a mini Christmas tree, Christmas lights, and post box. Make sure kids add their return address to their Christmas letter on the envelope, and address their letters to Santa Claus North Pole, before leaving them with your DIY postal service -and be sure to actually mail them.

Another great idea for this magical time of year is add the blank printable Santa letter template to a Christmas Eve box. Kids will love sharing their Christmas lists, and the nice things they've been doing along with the traditional milk and cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. Make a little box or basket with special Christmas pajamas, the letter, and package of hot cocoa to enjoy while writing letters.

This letter to Santa is available free to Life is a Party subscribers, in our free printable library. Subscribe below for instant access to the PDF files and tons more beautiful free printables. Our free printable Santa letter template is available for personal use only.

With a beautiful Letter To Santa template to enjoy this holiday season, life really is a party!

pink and blue free letter to Santa printables

Christmas Breakfast Board

Nov 15, 2021 · 2 Comments

A Christmas breakfast charcuterie board is the perfect solution for busy Christmas morning with festive gingerbread waffles, sugared cranberries, bacon, eggs, and all your favorite holiday treats. This beautiful breakfast spread lets everyone graze while opening presents, and most items can be prepared the night before for a stress-free holiday morning.

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A Quick Look At This Recipe

📋 Type: Christmas Breakfast Board
⏲️ Ready In: 35 minutes (20 minutes prep, 15 minutes assembly)
👪 Servings: 6-8 people
🔪 Difficulty: Easy
💭 Top Tip: Make the sugared cranberries and cook proteins the night before so you only need to warm and assemble Christmas morning!

Why You'll Love This Christmas Breakfast Board

Festive gingerbread theme: Gingerbread waffles, marshmallows, and sprinkles create a cohesive holiday look.
Make ahead friendly: Cook bacon, sausage, and sugared cranberries the night before for easy morning assembly.
Perfect for Christmas morning chaos: Everyone can graze while opening presents without sitting down for a formal meal.
Sweet and savory balance: Offers waffles and treats alongside eggs and breakfast meats to please all preferences.
Beautiful presentation: Cedar sprigs, sugared cranberries, and festive colors make this board Instagram worthy.

I've been creating Christmas breakfast charcuterie boards for my family every Christmas morning for the past several years, and it has become our favorite holiday tradition. The key is preparing everything the night before so Christmas morning is about family time, not kitchen stress. My kids love grazing from the board while opening presents, and adults appreciate having substantial breakfast options without the pressure of a sit down meal.

The gingerbread theme makes this board feel extra festive and cohesive. Between the gingerbread shaped waffles, gingerbread marshmallows, and warm holiday spices, your kitchen will smell like Christmas morning should. The homemade sugared cranberries add an elegant touch that looks impressive but takes only 30 minutes to prepare.

This Christmas breakfast board works beautifully whether you're hosting extended family for Christmas brunch or keeping it simple with your immediate household. The variety means picky eaters find something they love while adventurous eaters can try everything.

If you love easy breakfast ideas for the holidays, you might also enjoy these pumpkin waffles, easy overnight French toast casserole, or small batch pancakes for Christmas morning entertaining.

What's On a Christmas Breakfast Board

Gingerbread Waffles: Use a gingerbread shaped waffle maker if you have one, or make regular waffles and cut them into festive shapes with cookie cutters. You can use your favorite waffle recipe or mix, and gingerbread flavored batter takes the theme even further.

Scrambled Eggs: Fluffy scrambled eggs add protein and balance the sweeter items. Cook them just before assembling since they only take a few minutes.

Breakfast Meats: Crispy bacon and breakfast sausage links provide savory elements. I always bake my bacon in the oven at 400°F for 15-20 minutes for perfectly crispy results with minimal cleanup.

Sugared Cranberries: These jewel-like cranberries are easier to make than they look and add gorgeous color and festive sparkle. See the recipe below.

Fresh Berries: Raspberries, strawberries, or any seasonal berries add fresh color and natural sweetness.

Whipped Cream: Serve in a small bowl with a spoon for topping waffles. Make it the night before and keep refrigerated.

Maple Syrup: Pour into a small pitcher or bowl so everyone can drizzle their waffles.

Festive Additions: Gingerbread marshmallows, holiday sprinkles, and fresh cedar or rosemary sprigs from the garden create Christmas magic.

The Gingerbread Theme

Creating a gingerbread themed Christmas breakfast board brings everything together visually and makes your breakfast feel extra special. Here's how to build the theme:

Gingerbread Waffles: The star of the show. If you can't find a gingerbread waffle maker, regular mini waffles work perfectly. You can add 1 tablespoon molasses, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon cloves to your favorite waffle batter for authentic gingerbread flavor.

Gingerbread Marshmallows: Look for these seasonally at specialty stores or online. They're adorable scattered across the board and kids love them.

Gingerbread Sprinkles: Add a jar of gingerbread shaped sprinkles for topping waffles and whipped cream.

Mini Cast Iron Skillet: I use a gingerbread shaped mini cast iron skillet for the scrambled eggs. It keeps them warm and adds to the theme, but any small oven-safe dish works.

If you can't source gingerbread specific items, you can create any Christmas theme using shaped waffles (Christmas trees, snowflakes), red and green sprinkles, and peppermint flavored additions instead.

How to Make Sugared Cranberries

These sparkling cranberries look like Christmas jewelry on your breakfast board and taste delicious. They're surprisingly easy to make and can be prepared 1-2 days ahead.

Ingredients:

¼ cup sugar
¼ cup water
1 cup fresh cranberries
¼ cup sugar (for coating)

Instructions:

Step 1: Combine ¼ cup sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar completely dissolves and the mixture reaches a gentle boil.

Step 2: Add the cranberries and stir gently to coat them in the sugar syrup. Remove the pan from heat immediately. You're not cooking the cranberries, just coating them.

Step 3: Use a slotted spoon to remove the cranberries from the syrup and spread them in a single layer on a wire rack set over a plate or baking sheet. Let them sit for 20-40 minutes until they become tacky and sticky to the touch.

Step 4: Place the remaining ¼ cup sugar in a shallow bowl. Working in batches, roll the sticky cranberries in the sugar until completely coated. They should look frosted and sparkly.

Step 5: Store sugared cranberries in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Don't stack them or they'll stick together.

Assembly Instructions for Your Christmas Breakfast Board

Step 1: Start the Night Before

Cook your bacon and sausage the night before. Let them cool completely, then store in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Make the sugared cranberries up to 2 days ahead. Whip your cream and refrigerate. This prep work means Christmas morning assembly takes only 15-20 minutes.

Step 2: Christmas Morning Prep

Warm your pre-cooked bacon and sausage in a 300°F oven for 8-10 minutes. Make fresh waffles using your waffle maker or waffle iron. If you're making regular waffles instead of shaped ones, you can use Christmas cookie cutters to cut them into festive shapes while they're still warm. Scramble your eggs last so they're hot when you assemble the board.

Step 3: Choose Your Board

Select a large wooden board, cutting board, or serving platter. I use a board that's at least 18 inches long to give plenty of space for all the components. Make sure it's food safe and can handle warm items.h berries on the board and make them extra special holiday treats for Christmas

Step 4: Arrange the Waffles

Start by laying the waffles down the center of the board in a gentle wave pattern, overlapping them slightly. This creates your focal point and establishes the visual flow.

Step 5: Add Bowls and Skillets

Place your mini cast iron skillet with scrambled eggs on one side of the waffles. Add small bowls for whipped cream, maple syrup, and sprinkles. Space them evenly for visual balance.

Step 6: Add Proteins

Arrange the bacon and sausage links around the bowls and waffles. You can stack bacon in small piles or fan it out. Sausage links can be arranged in a row or scattered.

Step 7: Fill with Fruit

Add piles of fresh raspberries, sugared cranberries, and any other fresh fruit around the board. Use the bright colors to fill empty spaces and create pops of color.

Step 8: Final Touches

Tuck small sprigs of fresh cedar or rosemary from your garden around the fruit for a natural festive decoration. Scatter gingerbread marshmallows across the board. Sprinkle some holiday sprinkles over the whipped cream bowl for extra sparkle.

Make-Ahead Strategy

The secret to a stress-free Christmas morning breakfast board is strategic prep work:

Two Days Before:

Make sugared cranberries
Shop for any missing ingredients

The Night Before:

Prep waffle batter (if making from scratch)
Cook all bacon and sausage
Whip cream and refrigerate
Set out serving board and bowls

Christmas Morning:

Reheat proteins (10 minutes)
Make waffles (15 minutes)
Scramble eggs (5 minutes)
Assemble board (10 minutes)

Total Christmas morning work: 40 minutes, most of which is hands-off reheating time.

Serving on Christmas Morning

This breakfast board shines on Christmas morning because it lets everyone eat while opening presents. Set it up in the living room on a coffee table or keep it in the kitchen where people can wander over between gifts. The variety means kids can grab waffles with sprinkles while adults load up on eggs and bacon.

I love using this approach because Christmas morning is chaotic and wonderful, and sitting down for a formal breakfast feels impossible when there are stockings to explore and presents to unwrap. The board stays out for 1-2 hours as everyone grazes, and there's always something left for those who want seconds.

For drinks, set out a large carafe of coffee, hot chocolate for the kids, and orange juice. Festive Christmas mugs make everything feel more special.

If you're hosting overnight guests for Christmas, this board feeds 6-8 people easily. For larger gatherings, make two boards or use a very large serving platter.

You might also enjoy serving this alongside our Christmas granola for a complete Christmas brunch spread, or check out our yogurt and granola breakfast board for another entertaining style breakfast.

This delicious brunch board, with a gingerbread theme is one of my favourite fun Christmas breakfast ideas. This is so much fun for anytime around the holidays, Christmas eve, or Christmas day and your family and friends will love it. Instead of a regular breakfast or brunch, arrange it like this to take it to the next level.

More Christmas Breakfast Inspiration

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this Christmas breakfast board the night before?

You can prep almost everything the night before. Cook bacon, sausage, and sugared cranberries ahead of time. On Christmas morning, warm the proteins, make fresh waffles, and scramble eggs just before assembling. Fresh waffles are worth the 15 minutes because they taste so much better than reheated ones.

What's the best board size for a Christmas breakfast charcuterie?

Use a board at least 18 inches long for 6-8 people. Larger boards (24+ inches) work better for 10 or more people. The key is having enough surface area so items aren't piled on top of each other. You want everything visible and accessible.

How do you keep hot items warm on a breakfast board?

Cook eggs last and use a mini cast iron skillet or small oven-safe dish to help them retain heat. Warm bacon and sausage just before assembling. The board won't stay piping hot for hours, but it should stay warm enough for the first 30-45 minutes while everyone is most hungry.

Can I make a Christmas breakfast board without cooking?

Yes! Use store-bought mini waffles (frozen, then toasted), pre-cooked bacon, pre-cooked sausage links that just need warming, and skip the eggs entirely. Add yogurt, granola, fresh fruit, mini muffins, and mini cinnamon rolls for a completely no-cook assembly.

What are good store-bought items for a Christmas breakfast board?

Frozen mini waffles or pancakes, pre-cooked bacon, pre-cooked sausage links, mini cinnamon rolls (just bake), mini muffins, store-bought whipped cream, fresh berries, and any festive holiday treats. There's no shame in using shortcuts on busy Christmas morning.

How far in advance can I make sugared cranberries?

Make them 1-2 days ahead and store in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature. Don't make them more than 2 days ahead because they'll start to get sticky and lose their sparkly coating.

What can I use instead of gingerbread waffles on my Christmas brunch board?

Regular waffles, mini pancakes, or French toast sticks all work beautifully. You can cut regular waffles into Christmas tree shapes or gingerbread men using cookie cutters, or make chocolate chip waffles, pumpkin waffles, or classic buttermilk waffles. The theme is flexible based on what your family loves.

If you try this Christmas breakfast charcuterie board or any other ideas on my blog, leave a rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting today!

Recipe

About the Recipe Developer

I'm Dannyelle, a trained celebrant and former teacher who's been creating memorable celebrations for 15+ years. This Christmas breakfast charcuterie board has become our family's favorite holiday morning tradition over the past several years. My work has been featured in Better Homes & Gardens and Country Living for party styling and seasonal entertaining. More about Life is a Party →

How To Make DIY Paper Christmas Star Decorations

Nov 10, 2021 · 4 Comments

DIY Paper Christmas Star Decoration: this easy craft is perfect for Christmas. Make any size or colour, add mini holes, paint and glitter.

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It's always fun to make some homemade Christmas decorations. These paper Christmas stars are fun to make, and use materials that you probably have on hand already. These stars are perfect for the holiday season. I'll be using these as part of my own Christmas decorations this year. They'd also be really fun for New Year's Eve.

Simple Origami

Origami stars can be a little bit tricky to put together at first, but the results are so stunning. These step by step instructions should make it easy to create these. Once you make a few and get the hang of it they're very easy. You can make them in any size you like, or a mix like we've done here. Make larger ones for a more dramatic look, especially when lit up with fairy lights. Imagine one at the top of the tree, with holes and some lights inside. And the smaller stars are really cute.

This simple craft is a great one for the whole family to make together, and simple enough for kids, once you get used to making them. Try making them in different colors, or using festive papers from the craft store.

Materials

To make these Christmas stars you will need:

paper or card stock
scissors
glue stick or school glue
glitter
mini hole punch hole punch

How To Make 3D Stars

Square Paper

1.Start out with a square piece of paper. You can use any colour you like, regular paper, or card stock or scrapbook papers with pretty patterns or glitter all work well. Heavier cardstock is harder to fold, but holds its shape the best after it's finished. Our smallest squares of craft paper were 6 cm by 6 cm, and they went up from there.

Folding Paper

To create our star shape, begin by folding the paper in half. Keeping the fold edge at the top, next, fold the top left corner down to the bottom edge to make a crease, then unfold , and fold the bottom left corner to top and make a crease.

2. Where the two creases meet is the mark where you next fold the top right corner to.

3. Now take that same right corner and fold that flap back on itself to line up with the edge.

4. Next, fold the whole piece in half along the middle folds.

Cutting The Point

5. Finally, use a pair of scissors to cut a straight line, as shown in the image. The greater the angle of the scissors, the pointier the star will be, Experiment after making your first star, to see what angle is your favourite.

6. Unfold the star and reverse the fold lines where necessary to form the points of your star.

Decorate With Holes, Paint, and Glitter

7. You can also use a hole punch to add some pattern to your star. I used a mini hole punch to create a lacy look to some of my stars by folding each point of the star, and punching through two layers at once to create a pattern. Iridescent paint added a little sparkle to some. Glitter paint would be pretty too. I added some glitter to some with some glue and glitter sprinkled on top.

Hanging Stars

8. To make the stars into hanging Christmas decorations, I added a mini hole to one point at the top of the star and used a darning needle to thread some cotton string through it. You could also choose to make double sided ornaments by making two stars the exact same size, and a hot glue gun to attach two together. To make a tree topper, use the same method but with larger stars.

How To Display The Paper Star Decorations

There's so many ways you could display these paper stars decorations at this wonderful time of year. The large ones would make really pretty Christmas tree toppers. They're also gorgeous hanging from a tree branch at different heights to make a wall hanging for the Christmas season, like I've done here. Small ones would look great on a Christmas tree, wreath, or tucked into a garland over your living room mantel. I made a few stars from paper bags and a Froebel star last year, and these would look amazing mixed together with them too. They'd also be cute as gift toppers. There's so many ways to use them this time of year.

Wall Hanging

To make my wall hanging, I found a few evergreen branches, and tied them with some twine to hang them on the wall. Next, I tied string to my stars, and hung them at various heights. Lastly I added some fairy lights for a little sparkle. These look so pretty at night.

Recipe

DIY Paper Christmas Star Decoration

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Print Pin Rate

Cook Time: 5

Additional Time: 5

Total Time: 10

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Cost: $2

Equipment

paint brush
mini hole punch hole punch
scissors
darning needle

Materials

paper or card stock
glue stick or school glue
glitter
iridescent paint
cotton string

Instructions

Start out with a square piece of paper. You can use any colour you like, regular paper, or card stock or scrapbook papers with pretty patterns or glitter all work well. Heavier cardstock is harder to fold, but holds its shape the best after it's finished. Our smallest squares of craft paper were 6 cm by 6 cm, and they went up from there.
To create our star shape, begin by folding the paper in half. Keeping the fold edge at the top, next, fold the top left corner down to the bottom edge to make a crease, then unfold , and fold the bottom left corner to top and make a crease.
Where the two creases meet is the mark where you next fold the top right corner to.
Now take that same right corner and fold that flap back on itself to line up with the edge.
Next, fold the whole piece in half along the middle folds.
Finally, use a pair of scissors to cut a straight line, as shown in the image. The deeper greater the angle of the scissors, the pointer the star will be, Experiment after making your first star, to see what angle is your favourite.
Unfold the star and reverse the fold lines where necessary to form the points of your star.
You can also use a hole punch to add some pattern to your star. I used a mini hole punch to create a lacy look to some of my stars. I also painted some with irredicscnet paint, and added glue and glitter to some.
To make the stars in to hanging Christmas decorations, I added a mini hole to one point at the top of the star and used a darning needle to thread some cotton string through it. You could also choose to make double sided ornaments by making two stars the exact same size, and a hot glue gun to attach two together. To make a tree topper, use the same method but with larger stars.

These paper Christmas stars are so fun to put together, and there's so many different ways you could use them. They're also very inexpensive to make, and a great craft for kids or a group.

With pretty paper Christmas stars like this, life really is a party!

You might like our Book Page Paper Feathers Tutorial here.

Also check out our DIY Star Garland here.

DIY Star Garland: easy craft using polymer clay and gold wire to create beautiful star garland for Christmas decorating.

You might also like Little House Christmas Wreath here.

Birch Christmas Wreath:-full tutorial to make your own square wreath from some gathered greens, birch logs, and a coat hanger. Perfect for Christmas.

DIY Moon Shaped Christmas Wreath

Nov 3, 2021 · 6 Comments

Moon Shaped Christmas Wreath: how to use a round wire form to make a DIY moon shaped grape vine wreath decorated with ornaments and mushrooms.

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Moon shaped crescent wreaths have become so popular that I thought it would be fun to make one for Christmas. This DIY wreath wasn't hard to put together, and I love that when you make it yourself you can customize it to go with your own personal decor and colour scheme.

I made a Halloween version of this wreath -you can find it here. It was so popular, that I knew a Christmas version would be great too. I love it. I can't decide whether to use it on my holiday mantel, front door, or a vignette. That's a pretty good problem to have. 😉

I'm still loving pink, so I went with a pink colour scheme for this wreath. But if you're more traditional, you could switch it up for red. It would look great in blue's or even neutrals depending on your holiday colour scheme.

Moon Shaped Christmas Wreath Materials:

wire wreath base
grape vine
garden clippers
wire
wire cutters
pink spray paint
faux greens
pink ornaments
yarn pom poms
pine cones
mini disco balls
air dry clay
hot glue
craft paint -white, pink, grey
white glue
iridescent faux snow
gold glitter paper
Cricut star cut pattern

The Moon Shaped Grapevine Wreath Base

I started out making the grapevine wreath. I used a dollar store metal wreath frame as the base. Begin by using some wire cutters to remove a section of the wreath. I cut out two sections of my wreath and drew the loose ends together on each side to create the crescent moon shape. Grape vine grows wild near where I live, so I gathered some and used wire to attach it to the wreath base.

how to make a crescent moon shaped wreath

I wanted by crescent moon wreath to be pink so I used some spray paint, pink ballet slipper, to paint it. Be sure to give it a few coats, and flip it over to get into all the nooks and crannies. Once it's dry, it's ready to decorate.

The Mushrooms

I made the mushrooms out of air dry clay. Start with a piece of wire to be the mushroom stem, and roll the clay around it. Form a mushroom cap separately, and then push it on the wet clay stem. Use a piece of styrofoam, and push the wire ends into it so they can dry. After the air dry clay has fully harden, which usually takes overnight, you can paint them. I used some craft paints in white, pink, and grey. Traditional red would be really cute for a red wreath too.

Decorating The Moon Shaped Christmas Wreath

Start by hot gluing some greens on the grapevine. Next arrange your ornaments and pom poms on top. I picked up various yarns to make my pom poms in two different sizes. To make them multicoloured, like I did, just add some different colours as you make them. Once you're happy with your arrangement it's time to attach them. I used hot glue to attach the pom poms, and pinecones. Some of the vintage pink Christmas ornaments I didn't want to permanently attach to the wreath, so I used some wire to attach them. This will allow me to remove them without any damage, if I want to use them differently another year. I wanted the mushrooms to look as though they were growing out of the wreath, so I attached them in a cluster near the bottom, with some hot glue on the wire ends.

Stars

Stars were the perfect addition to the wreath, since they're great for Christmas, and go so well with the moon. I used my Cricut to cut out some gold glitter paper -get my free Cricut cut pattern here. After they were cut out, I hot glued some gold wire to the back. This enables you to position the stars standing out from the wreath, as though they're floating and creates a really pretty 3D effect. To attach them, just poke the wire in and secure at the back of the wreath.

Snow

As a final touch, I used some white craft paint on the greens and pine cones to look like snow. Then I added glue to the mushrooms, and pinecones and sprinkled them with some faux iridescent glittery snow. This touch added a little magic.

The wreath is hung with some wire attached to the wire wreath base at the back.

DIY crescent moon shaped Christmas wreath

I love how this moon shaped Christmas wreath turned out and think it will be a really fun addition to my holiday decor.

Halloween Mantel Decor

Oct 13, 2021 · 4 Comments

Halloween Mantel Decor: a moon shaped wreath, and flying black butterflies with lots of pumpkins and lanterns are perfect for Halloween.

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This Halloween I thought it would be fun to add some Halloween decor to the fireplace mantel. It's perfect for Halloween movie watching. And even though it's perfect for Halloween and a little spooky, it's also really beautiful too. If you're looking for that balance of spooky decorations but still really beautiful, here's some inspiration for you and some Halloween mantel ideas you'll love.

Your fireplace is the perfect spot to add some indoor Halloween decorations to your fall décor. Add a sprinkle of the holiday season living room style with your favorite Halloween mantel decorations. The first things we started with to decorate the top of the mantel was making and hanging this beautiful Halloween wreath.

Moon Wreath

The wreath is a fun DIY. You can read all about how I made it from a dollar store round wreath form, and transformed it into this fun moon wreath for Halloween. Check out the full tutorial to make the Halloween moon wreath here. This new wreath makes the perfect focal point. I had so much fun making it, it's truly one of my very favorite holiday DIYs ever.

The wreath set the colour scheme for all our Halloween mantel decor ideas. I used black, with some pink, peach, and white for a scary vibe.

To hang the wreath I used a simple 3M hook attached right to the mirror. Look for one that holds the appropriate about of weight for your project.

Black Butterflies

When I made the wreath, I added some black paper butterflies for a spooky look, and decided to cut out some extra ones with my Cricut, to decorate the mantel with as the perfect finishing touch to the wreath. You can find my free black butterfly cut file for cricut here. I attached the butterflies to the mirror using some scotch tape, and was sure to fold the wings outward to create a more 3D effect. Be sure to group the butterflies so that they're all flying at about the same angle in the same direction for the best look.

I really like the black butterflies, but if you prefer you could use some black spooky bats here instead. Pick up some dark bats, or cut them out with your Cricut machine, and attach the paper bats in same way I have attached the butterflies. Another fun option would be some cute creepy spiders and spider webs.

Garland

I love using a garland on a fireplace. To create these Halloween garlands, I hung a few different pieces of yarn, black lace, fringe, pom poms, and felt ball garland in black and white, with one strand of pink pom pom yarn. It was really simple to hang them with a couple command hooks. The best part about this garland is it's not specially Halloween. Use the neutral ones any time of year, or raid your ribbon or yarn basket. Layering different textures in the garland helps create a cozy home feel, even for our spooky mantel.

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, and More Pumpkins

The rest of the mantel is decorated with pumpkins. There's a mixture of real and faux pumpkins here. I love using real pumpkins, but remember that indoors they can go bad fairly quickly. A tip is to cut a small piece of parchment paper and layer it under your real pumpkins. It won't show, but it will help protect your home from any damage. .And we used white pumpkins, pink pumpkins, and peachy orange pumpkins to go with our spooky Halloween mantel color scheme perfectly. We combined large, small, and mini pumpkins in our farmhouse Halloween mantel display. Some of the faux pumpkins weren't the right shade of pink to match the wreath so they got a spooky makeover with some spray paint.

I also added in a couple black lanterns -because they seemed perfect for Halloween. Any black candle holders would work well. I love using my regular home decor pieces in a seasonal look like this one. No need to always buy new holiday themed pieces, when you can shop your house and find things simple items like white candles, old books, book pages, lanterns, string lights, and black candlesticks that you already have. Once you get your creative juices flowing you realize you can use lots of existing decor in new ways for a fun way to decorate your Halloween mantel.

Touch of Whimsy

I also added a simple letter board saying "making magic" and a disco ball to match the ones in the wreath. I always like to add a few fun things to create a bit of whimsy as a final Halloween touch. Another great option might be to add a witch hat, or magic wand.

It's really a pretty simple Halloween mantel, but I love how it turned out. And it looks so beautiful and spooky at night with the candles lit. It's a really fun addition to your haunted house this fall season. It's the perfect place for watching scary movies, eating Halloween candy, and snuggling in your favorite throw blanket.

With this Halloween mantel decor, life really is a party!

DIY Cresent Moon Wreath

Oct 6, 2021 · 3 Comments

This Moon Wreath is an fun DIY. Convert a round wire wreath base into crescent moon wreath adding your own grape vine and decorations.

DIY Crescent Moon Wreath with homemade grapevine base, and decorations.

Why You'll Love This Project

It's perfectly magical for Halloween or fall.
You can customize by spray painting the wreath black, leaving it natural, or painting a different color and adding your own decorations.
It's really inexpensive to make using dollar store supplies.

"Love it! Very inspired to make my own. Thank you for sharing!" -Mitchell via Pinterest

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I've noticed lots of crescent moon shaped wreaths lately, and fell in love with them. I thought it would be fun to DIY my own. Using grapevine and a round wire wreath form, we made our own moon shaped wreath base.

You might also like our Christmas Moon Shaped Wreath, Pinecone Wreath, DIY Birch Wreath, or these DIY Acorns.

I did see some grapevine crescent moon wreath bases at the craft store when I was shopping for a new wreath, but they weren't very crescent shaped, and they were quite expensive. You can make your own version that looks better and is cheaper.

We used our moon wreath as part of our Halloween Witchy Garden Shed -you can check out more details about it here.

Garden shed door decorated with crescent moon shaped DIY wreath.

Materials:

Round Wreath Form: We're going to customize this form and turn it into a crescent shape.
Grapevines: Look for these growing on fence rows.
Fine Wire: You want something bendable and easy to work with. Since we spray painted our wreath the color of the wire didn't matter, but if you want to leave the grapevine natural, be sure ot use a brown colored wire that will blend in with it.
Wire Cutters
Garden Clippers: For cutting the grapevine.
Black Spray Paint: Or whatever color you'd like your crescent wreath to be, or you could leave it natural.
Decorations For The Wreath: We used black faux flowers, yarn pom poms, disco ball ornaments, mini velvet pumpkins, back paper butterflies, and pink glitter stars.
Hot Glue

Variations

If you don't have access to grapevine, you could use a different material like burlap strips, ribbon, mesh, or fabric to cover your wire wreath frame. Then add in faux florals, vines, and branches on top, securing them with hot glue to create your wreath base and add more embellishments on top.

How To Make The Crescent Moon Wreath Base

Step 1: Make the Crescent Wreath Form

I started with a regular round metal wreath form, and with a few simple steps I turned it into a moon wreath form. Pick up an inexpensive round wire wreath form from the dollar store. The first step is to cut out a section of the round wreath form. Use wire cutters to cut it. It does take a little muscle and perseverance, but you can cut through them.

Once you have a section of the round wreath form removed, you can create your crescent shape. Use some floral wire to gather the ends of the wreath form together, and secure it tightly to create each end of the moon.

I wanted to make a black grapevine wreath, so I used the green wreath form I found and some silver coloured wire because I knew I was spray painting it all black once it was formed.

If you wanted to keep the natural brown grapevine colour, you could begin by spray painting your wreath form brown, and using brown wire to attach the grape vine.

Step 2: Adding the Grapevine

Next you begin to add your grapevine. I gathered my grapevine from a spot where it grows wild, and removed all of the leaves. There were lots of the twirly tendrils attached, which I think are my favourite part, so be careful not to break them off.

It's best to make your wreath within a few days of cutting the grapevine, because when you first pick the grapevine it's still really flexible and easy to bend.

If you were using older grape vine, you could soak it in water first to make it more flexible.

To add the grapevine to the wreath form, cut grapevine pieces to the right length and wire them onto the wreath from. As you go, you will want some pieces of grapevine that are shorter, to bulk up the middle section of the wreath. Try and tuck the ends into the wreath as you build it. Once it is how you like it wrap the wire around tightly and secure at the end.

You can also twist some wire to the back to create a wreath hanger.

DIY crescent moon grape vine wreath base

Next, spray paint your wreath black. Remember to do several light coats to avoid dripping, and spray from different angles, and from the back for full coverage.

Step 3: Decorate Your Moon Wreath For Halloween

Once your wreath is dry you can embellish it in your own style to suit any occasion. We made a Halloween wreath.

I was inspired by Lifesfrostings, and used pink, peach and black yarn to make two sizes of pom poms. I also added some mini velvet pumpkins, black faux florals, and some mini disco ball ornaments. The artificial flowers are form the craft store, and I used some wire cutters to cut them into smaller flowers to decorate the wreath.

Lastly I embellished the wreath with some black paper butterflies, and pink glitter paper stars. To make the paper stars and butterflies more dimensional, I hot glued them to some black wire and wired them to the wreath, so they could stand out more.

This wreath is the perfect addition to a front door or a mantel. It's a great idea to use for Halloween season.

With an amazing DIY moon shaped wreath, life really is a party!

More Wreath Ideas

Freqeuntly Asked Questions

Where did you get the grapevine to make your own crescent wreath?

I picked the grapevine that grows wild in my area. Look for it along fence rows. And remove the leaves before making the wreath.

What if I don't have access to grapevine?

You can purchase a moon shaped grapevine wreath base online or at a craft store, and then paint it and embellish it yourself to make something similar. Or purchase grapevine garland and shape it into a wreath. Soak the grapevine in water to make it easier to work with.

How did you cut the wire wreath form?

I used wire cutters to cut the wreath form. It was a bit hard to cut, but I also found bending the wire back and forth helped it to snap off.

If you try this DIY Crescent Moon Wreath or any other idea on my blog please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting today!

Recipe

DIY Crescent Moon Wreath

Make your own crescent moon shaped wreath using a regular round wire wreath form and grapevine.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 20

Servings: wreath

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Cost: $15

Equipment

Wire Cutters
Glue Gun
scissors
garden clippers

Materials

round wire wreath form
fresh grape vine
wire
black spray paint
pom moms
mini pumpkins
mini disco balls
faux florals
paper black butterflies
glitter paper stars

Instructions

The first step is to cut out a small section of the round wreath form. Use wire cutters to cut it. Once you have a section of the round wreath form removed, you can create your crescent shape. Use some floral wire to gather the ends of the wreath form together, and secure it tightly to create each end of the crescent moon.
Next you begin to add your grapevine. Cut the grapevine pieces to the right length and wire them onto the wreath from. As you go, you will want some pieces of grapevine that are shorter, to bulk up the middle section of the wreath. Try and tuck the ends into the wreath as you build it. Once it is how you like it wrap the wire around tightly and secure at the end. Also, twist some wire to the back to create a wreath hanger.
Next, spray paint your wreath black. Remember to do several light coats to avoid dripping, and spray from different angles, and from the back for full coverage. Let if dry fully before the next step.
Start by adding two sizes of yarn pom poms, mini velvet pumpkins, black faux florals, and some mini disco ball ornaments. Use the wire cutters to cut the flowers to the right size. Use hot glue and black wire to attach the embellishments to the wreath. Lastly, we hot-glued some wire onto the black paper butterflies, and pink glitter paper stars. The wire means the butterflies and stars can stand out from the wrath and add dimension.

Notes

If you are spray painting your wreath it doesn't matter what color of wire you use to attach the grapevine. If you want to leave your grapevine natural, be sure to use a brown wire that will disappear.

Attach your hanging wire and test it before you add the embellishments.

Adding wire to the paper butterflies and stars means they can pop out form the wreath and add some dimension to the design.

Use any colors or combination of colors you like. If you prefer traditional orange, black and purple for Halloween, use these colors.

Decorate this wreath for other occasions with different embellishments, or for year round use with moss, flowers, and mushrooms.

Fall Breakfast Charcuterie Board

Sep 29, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Fall Breakfast Charcuterie Board: pancakes, pumpkin waffles, sausage, syrups, whipped cream, nuts, and fresh autumn fruit.

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What could be better on a fall weekend than a breakfast charcuterie board to enjoy? We took advantage of the best flavours of the season, like pumpkin and toasted pecans to make it perfect for fall! This is a great board for breakfast or brunch to enjoy the most important meal of the day. We had so much fun incorporating all our favorite breakfast foods to make this cozy brunch. You and your family and friends will love this delicious fall breakfast.

Breakfast Foods

For my fall season breakfast charcuterie board, I chose to go with sweet -since it's everyone's favorite. We made mini pancakes and pumpkin waffles, and added sausage, and all the delicious fall fruit and toppings. It's perfect for fall hosting, and such a great way to serve up lots of different items. Not only does it look beautiful, but guests can easily help themselves to whatever they want. And there lots of great choices that the whole family will love. Our fall brunch menu included:

Pumpkin Waffles -recipe here
Mini Pancakes
Breakfast Sausages
Maple Syrup
Caramel Sauce
Whipped Cream
Toasted Pecans
Pears
Plums
Blackberries
Golden Berries
Fresh Figs

Breakfast Foods

For my breakfast charcuterie board, I chose to go with sweet. We made mini pancakes and pumpkin waffles, and added sausage, and all the delicious fall fruit and toppings.

Easy Pumpkin Spice Waffles
Mini Pancakes
Sausage
Maple Syrup
Caramel Sauce
Whipped Cream
Toasted Pecans
Pears
Plums
Blackberries
Goldenberries
Fresh Figs

Waffles, Pancakes, and Sausage

I used our easy pumpkin spice waffle recipe -find it here. The pumpkin waffles were made in a mini waffle maker. Pumpkin-shaped waffles would be great too. They're perfect for a board like this, because you can sample a little bit of everything. If you don't have a waffle maker you can use this same batter to make them into pumpkin pancakes. It's such a wonderful way to incorporate some pumpkin spice and fall vibes.

We also made some regular pancakes. To make the pancakes uniform and about the same size as the mini waffles I used an ice cream scoop for the batter. It worked perfectly and I highly recommend trying it.

We're big fans of sausage with our pancakes or waffles so I made a batch to go with them. Bacon would be a great choice too, if you prefer, or some of each.

Toppings

Part of the fun of pancakes and waffles is lots of fun toppings. I started with maple syrup -in my Canadian opinion this is always a must when it comes to pancakes. I also included a warm caramel sauce. This was especially good on the pumpkin waffles. We used our easy caramel sauce recipe here, or you can use some store bought caramel sauce. Both the syrup and caramel sauce are best served warm.

We also had some whipped cream, and toasted pecans. To toast the pecans heat them in a dry skillet over medium heat, turning them as they toast, and taking care not to burn them. Homemade whipped cream is easy to make and so delicious, but canned is a great addition too.

Fresh Fruit

I also wanted to include lots of beautiful fall fruits. We had pears, plums, blackberries, goldenberries, and fresh figs. This was such a fun way to incorporate some fruit this time of year. Apples would be a great fall choice too. Some fried apples or warm apple pie filling would be a great topping for the waffles and pancakes too.

More Options

If you wanted to incorporate some more fall brunch ideas you could add in some eggs. Some scrambled, or hard-boiled eggs would be great on this board. Pumpkin loaf would be a great addition as well -check out our pumpkloaf with honey cinnamon butter here. You really can never have too many pumpkin recipes this time of year. If you want more sweet treats. mini cinnamon rolls would be a delicious addition as well.

Putting The Breakfast Charcuterie Board Together

The breakfast board is built on a large wooden board that is a round lazy Susan. This worked perfectly for our festive brunch board, because everyone could easily spin the board and reach what they wanted. I started with the pancakes and waffles which were the star of the show, and placed them down the middle as our main focus.

Next I added all the fun additions and toppings around the pancakes and waffles. We served our syrup and caramel sauce in some black ceramic cups with the cutest little labels tied on. I also added a "Good Morning Pumpkin" pick to the waffles. I used my Cricut machine to cut out the wood labels, little pumpkin pick and the vinyl lettering. Find my Cricut cutting file here to make your own. These were such a fun addition, and helped bring the board to the next level. The pumpkin pick was one of my favorite things.

I used some black ceramic small dishes to hold the whipped cream, and the pecans. I love the contrast of the black ceramic pieces with the light wood board.

The rest of the items were arranged on the board in the extra space that was left. I included a mini pumpkin, since it fit so perfectly for fall, but it was just for decoration.

This board was such a fun breakfast to put together, and everyone loved it. It was also a really great combination of flavours, and only took a few simple steps to create. This easy fall brunch board would be great for any fall get together. It's the perfect way to start your day on special occasions or just to enjoy the flavors of the season..

With a beautiful fall breakfast board like this to enjoy, life really is a party!

More Fall Breakfast Inspiration

You might also like our Pumpkin Waffles recipe here.

Homemade Pumpkin Waffles -easy recipe for pumpkin waffles, perfect morning treat, and easy to freeze extras for a quick weekday breakfast later.

Also check out Pumpkin Bread with Honey Cinnamon Butter here.

Pumpkin bread with walnuts, spread with cinnamon honey butter and a cup of tea.

You might also like Easy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins here.

Witch Halloween Decor

Sep 29, 2021 · 2 Comments

Witch Halloween Decor: inspired by Harry Potter, our garden shed is full of vintage and elegant witch decorations perfect for Halloween.

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It wouldn't be Halloween without a little witch Halloween decor. Inspired by all things Harry Potter, we used lots of vintage finds to create a witchy feel in our little garden shed. This would be a really fun addition to a Halloween party, or instead of giving out candy on my front porch this year, perhaps I'll invite trick or treaters with their parents into the witch shed, and put on a witch costume for the evening.

I've been seeing lots of really fun outdoor play house decorating for Halloween on Instagram the last few weeks, and I thought why not create an adult version to enjoy this Halloween. So I got busy adding lots of fun witchy pieces to my garden shed.

The Garden Shed

Way back when the pandemic started and we were all home more than usual, we decided to makeover our side yard -read all about the whole process of our DIY portager garden here. We added raised beds, with pea gravel paths and this amazing cedar shed. It was intended to hold our garden tools in the summer, and some of our outdoor furniture during our cold and snowy Canadian winters. It has worked out really well, but beyond just being really functional, it's also turned out to be incredibly cute.

A Witch's Garden

We added some chairs outside for a sitting area, and inside we put in an old antique hutch for storage and a removable little desk worktop spot. It's been used on and off as a sweet little extra office space in the spring and the fall. This halloween with the addition of some halloween decor items, it's turned into a witch's garden shed, the perfect spot for collecting things for potions, and growing and drying them. This would also be really fun in your living room for a party.

Harry Potter Inspiration

A few years ago we had the chance to go to Universal and I loved all the amazing Harry Potter rides, and gift shops, It really felt like you were entering a different world. I absolutely loved all the attention to detail and it definitely inspired me as I created this witchy Halloween shed with a real Harry Potter feel to it. If you love Harry Potter check out more of my Halloween Harry Potter decor here.

Inside The Witchy Shed

I made a fun moon shaped wreath, with butterflies, stars, pumpkins, and disco balls. I'm be sharing more details about how I made it next week.

Along with the beautiful DIY halloween wreath, there are also lots and lots of pumpkins. They've got to be any good witches favourite thing to grow, don't you think?

The Antique Hutch

On one side of the witchy shed we have our little antique hutch, and it's filled with everything you need for creating potions.

The setting here is a garden shed, so there's lots of garden tools and pots. Next, layered with that are lots of different preserved insects, candles, orange pumpkins, and white pumpkins. There is also some different vintage scientific glass containers, and beakers, ready for collecting seeds or making potions.

The Shelf

As you enter the shed, there's a little shelf that is used to hang garden tools, and on top a few witchy treasures. We have an old clock, and set of vintage trophies -best potion awards perhaps? best pumpkin? or fastest in the broom flying race? And on the other side a few witchy family portraits. These were so easy to put together. I found a few vintage photos on-line and printed them on my home printer. Then I added them to some vintage gold and brass frames from the thrift store. And also, down on the floor, there's a pair of boots ready for some work in the garden -or to be part of a Halloween costume. 😉

The Witch's Desk

Over on the other side of the shed, our witchy friend looks like she's been very busy working. This area is my very favourite. It's a little cluttered, and full of magic.

There's lots of fun details on the desk area.

Pet Crows

There are some pet crows in the bird cage. I wonder if the with has black cats too? Or a few pet plastic spiders? The cage was a thrift store find spray painted white, and the birds are from the dollar store.

Witch Family Photos

There's also more family photos -aren't they festive in their witches' hats? To make them grab some old frames at the thrifts store, and look for vintage witch photos on-line. Print out some with your home computer and add to the frames for your own witch family photos.

Mushrooms and Witch Hat

There's also some free prints of vintage botanical pink mushrooms pinned up -you can read more about the mushrooms here. And she's left her witch hat on the chair. I found this perfect black hat at the dollar store. It had some black tulle with stars on it, which I easily removed. I thought our garden witch would have an altogether more practical black hat.

On the left side there's a cycle of the moons phases made of polymer clay, and painted gold. There's also more scientific glass with collections of seeds, chestnuts, and pods. This pair of vintage glasses looks ready to help her read a spell book.

And one more adorable DIY, are these mushrooms in a teacup. They look so great with the DIY velvet mushrooms I made for here in the spring -see the tutorial on how to make DIY velvet mushrooms here.

Harry Potter halloween witch decorations

This little witchy shed was so much fun to put together. I used mostly vintage pieces I had from thrift stores, and antique shops. It's my own little Halloween-y version of a garden shed right out of the set of Harry Potter. Can't you just imagine Professor Minerva McGonagall, or Professor Pomoma Sprout in a black dress puttering about in here?

With your own little witchy Halloween shed in your backyard, life really is a party.

Fall Decorating Ideas -Home Tour

Sep 22, 2021 · 5 Comments

Fall Decorating Ideas -Home Tour: Boho fall decor with dried grasses, macrame, pumpkins and pink, peach, mustard yellow, and rust.

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Fall is probably my favourite time of year. It's also one of my favourite times to decorate. I'm so excited to show you my fall home tour this year, and hopefully give you a few little fall decorating ideas that you can use too.

Fall Colour Scheme

This year for my fall decor I decided to go with a pallet of pink, peach, mustard, and rust. I've been using pink and even a little mustard for the past little while, but I'm excited to add some peach and rust to the mix. The colours of a sunset are pretty perfect for fall, I'd say. And since I really love the boho vibe, these colours are working perfectly. My house is pretty neutral, so there's still lots of white and cream, and black and grey mixed in, even a little green in the dining room. It's feeling so cozy and ready for fall in here, so I'm excited to show you around.

Fall Decorating Ideas in the Dining Room

When you enter our house you're greeted by this little console table at the front door. I've added lots of pumpkins and some of my amber glass collection along with lots of pretty dried grasses for fall.

fall decorating ideas for a console table

I kind of have a thing for science inspired decor. Picture a Victorian lady going for walks in the fall, collecting plant samples, and insects and bringing them home to study and catalogue. I haven't gone crazy with the theme this year -like I did with fall botanical decor here, but you'll see a few subtle touches here and there, like these insects, the card catalogue, and the magnifying glass.

Dining Room Table

On the dining room table I kept things pretty simple this year, and I love it so much. I found a new pumpkin farm not too far away -since my own in my garden this year were a bit of a flop and only a few small ones grew. Maybe I over watered them, since we installed a new irrigation system this year? Perhaps killed them with kindness? We'll try again next year. You can read about my little portager garden here. This wood dough bowl full of real pumpkins is pretty much what fall dreams are made of.

fall decorating ideas in the dining room

Bar Cart

On the little bar cart, I've got lots of plants for the boho look -a mix of real and faux. There's also my favourite recent antique store find. These gorgeous pink champagne coupes were only $1 a piece and I love them. On the bottom more pretty amber glass and plants.

Feature Wall

We have a fun feature wall in the dining room. Our DIY hand stencilled green featured wall is still going strong. I've got the most beautiful wall hanging on it, that pretty much sums up my philosophy of life "we should celebrate this thing". What? Everything! Let's start with fall. ;). In front of it is my DIY candle holder that my brother-in-law and sister made for me last Christmas. I'm still absolutely loving it and I feel like it goes with the sentiments of the banner so well. So to add a little fall over here, I started adding pumpkins and didn't stop! There is a mix of faux pumpkins and velvet pumpkins I made. This year I added a few rust coloured ones in, and I love them.

The Living Room

Heading into the living room, past our staircase looking very ready for fall with lots of pumpkins here too. I've kept up the macrame garland because it's so pretty and boho. You can see how I made the macrame garland here. It looks great paired with these faux white pumpkins.

We also have a little wall and side table on the way into the living room. It's a fun spot to decorate seasonally. It's got a pretty mix of pumpkins, including some of the velvet ones and these sweet little wicker ones. I had some old orange wicker pumpkins in my fall decoration boxes last year, and pulled them out for a little makeover. I used some spray paint and now I'm so in love with them. Wicker is a great boho touch too, along with the pretty dried grasses.

Pillows

Into the living room and my favourite spot this season might just me our cozy couch. It's an inexpensive slip covered couch from Ikea, but what I really love about it is how easy it is to change up with pillows. This season my whole colour scheme was really created here. I have a slight obsession with pillows. Like I own far too many to count kind of obsession. I often start the whole scheme of the room from a new pillow. In fact a few years ago I was talking to my sister about my "pillowscape" and she stopped me to ask if that was really a word? Well, if it's not, it really should be.

pink peach mustard yellow rust fall decor

My pillowscape this year began with these fun vintage rug pillows from Turkey. They add great texture. Throw in a gorgeous mustard yellow mud cloth pillow, and pink fringe covered boho pillow and then all you need is some cozy velvet in pink, peach, and rust. Oh and we can't forget the knit throws. I love how it turned out this season. And it's perfect for all the fall movie watching and snuggles.

It's also the perfect backdrop for the coffee table. This coffee table decor started with the wood lazy Susan from Ikea, which helps contain and elevate everything. I picked up the large wicker pumpkin at the craft store and love it here.

how to decorate your coffee table for fall

I found the pretty mustard yellow candle thrifting -which is a really great place to find coloured candles. The amber glass jar is actually an upcycled yeast jar with a tea light in it. The little pink bowl looks adorable with some acorns in it. I painted a few of them in the rust just to bring more of that colour in. And then there's one little peachy coloured pumpkin that I grew in the garden.

Fireplace

Over on the fireplace, there's more of the boho autumn feel. There's also a little more of the science decor that I promised earlier. I love the beaker on a stand -in fact I've been looking for a vintage one of these for years with no luck. This one is from the craft store and I love it. It makes a perfect vase, or a plant propagation station. The candle is from Ikea. It's peach and smells amazing.

Modern fall boho fall mantel with pumpkins and grasses.

The real butterflies are another thrift store find. I sanded down the dark frame and I love how it looks now. And then there's a mix of dried grasses, and large vintage glass bottles and a demijohn. Of course we had to have more pumpkins here too.

The wood leaves are a little DIY I did on my Cricut with some thin wood veneer. You can read more details about this modern boho fall mantel here.

And here is the other side of the room, looking into the kitchen and dining area. This is my favourite chair, along with my favourite co-worker Oscar, and my new camera bag that I'm totally in love with. I had it out to shoot this, and rather than place it out of shot, like I usually do, I included it here because it's so pretty, the perfect colour, and I will certainly spend my fall taking lots of gorgeous pictures. As I get older, I find myself investing in really functional and beautiful pieces like this. Life is too short for boring black canvas camera bags -or anything that's functional but not pretty.

Heading into the kitchen I love these pretty plants and one little pumpkin.

Fall Decorating Ideas in the Kitchen

I love decorating and often seem to go with a more is more look. But I have found that it can be a bit of a pain to live with on the kitchen table. So I've kept things simple over here. I found this set of amber glass bottles thrifting this summer, and thought they'd be really sweet together on a table. They'd make great vases, but I used them as candle holders, with a mix-match of white candles inside. They look so pretty all lit.

amber glass bottles with candles in them

On the back area I've hung a pretty wall hanging in pink. There's also more grasses, and more pumpkins. I love to repeat elements when I decorate. I feel like it helps make things feel cohesive and pulled together.

Fall Flowers and Garden Pumpkins

Over on the counter I've picked some flowers from my garden. This was my first year experimenting with growing dahlias. There were some lows, and lots of learning but also some highs like these beautiful big blooms. I picked some other flowers and leaves in pinks and rusts to create a pretty arrangement.

And in the sink are a few more of the pretty little pumpkins from my garden. Be sure to give your pumpkins a bath to remove any dirt, which will help them to last longer too. Some people add in bleach or vinegar too. Another tip is to cut a small piece of parchment paper and put it under any of your real pumpkins that you're using inside to protect the surfaces they're sitting on.

This little spot by the sink is looking pretty adorable with this tiny arrangement in a vintage bottle, a mini pumpkin painted rust, and an old apple Avon perfume bottle -a fun fall addition.

And more of the wood veneer leaves that I cut out are hanging here. I used some thread to hang them and they're the perfect fall touch here. The wood makes them look modern, and they spin and twirl here and are so pretty.

Open Shelves

Over on the other side of the kitchen is one of my favourite views. We gave this kitchen a bit of a makeover a few years ago and we added these open shelves to the space -see how we made our kitchen open shelves here. It's so fun to decorate them for every season.

I've used the same colour scheme here of pink, peach, mustard yellow and rust. I've also tried to include some pretty plants. There's lots more amber glass tucked on these shelves too. And we couldn't forget a few more pumpkins.

how to decorate kitchen open shelves for fall

My finished flowers and the one mini pumpkin that grew this year look great here too.

Thanks so much for joining me and having a look around my home all decorated for fall. I hope it gives you few little ideas of some fall touches you can add too. With fall decorating ideas making our house cozy for fall, life really is a party!

More Fall Inspiration

Modern Boho Fall Mantel Ideas

Sep 15, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Modern Boho Fall Mantel Ideas: using elements like macrame, dried grasses, vintage glass bottles and seasonal elements to create fall mantel.

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I love decorating for the seasons, and fall is one of my favourites. This modern boho fall mantel is full of beautiful boho and fall touches. This season I'm using a colour palette of pink, peach, and rust, and it's so perfect for fall.

Modern Boho Elements

This mantel is full of boho elements. I've used things like macrame, vintage pieces, dried pieces, and seasonal elements to create a beautiful modern boho fall mantel.

Macrame

This macrame bunting has been hanging here for years. You can see how I made it here. I love how much texture it adds to the space. It's neutral so it goes with everything, and it's become such a great layering piece.

Vintage Glass

I love adding some vintage pieces to every space. This mantel has quite a few, but lets start with the large glass vintage bottles. There is a large demi John on the floor, and above large vintage water bottles. I've found them all second hand, usually on-line or local buy and sell groups.

Dried Grases

The feeling of boho is often very 70's, and you can't think of the 1970's without thinking of dried flowers. I know my mom definitely had some. These days pampas grass is definitely having a moment. This beautiful grass in pink and white is from one of my favourite etsy shops EverythingFrivolous. The dried money plant is some from my mom's garden.

Butterflies and Scientific Glass

I love adding elements of nature to my decor, and these butterflies in orange, yellow, and brown tones are a beautiful addition, and the colours feel perfect for fall. This piece is from a second hand store. The frame was originally a dark reddish brown, and it didn't really go with our vibe. I used my palm sander and it only took about 15 minutes to remove the old finish. The raw wood finish looks really great now.

I always love including scientific glass as a fun vase. It adds interest instead of using a plain vase. The piece with the feathers is another vintage find from an antique store. The cute one in the stand is from Michaels. It's part of their Halloween line, but I think it's perfect as a vase.

Pumpkins and Leaves as Fall Elements

Since this mantel is for fall, I wanted to add some specific fall elements. The pumpkins are a mix of real and faux. The pink coloured one is so beautiful. Here's a tip if you're adding real pumpkins to your home this fall, add a little parchment paper underneath your pumpkin to protect the surface it's sitting on.

There's nothing more beautiful in fall than the leaves. We added a really simple fall leaf garland and layered it over the macrame one. I made the leaf garland with my Cricut and some very thin wood veneer. It was really easy to make and I love how the wood leaves tie in with the wood vintage window frame that we're using for a background.

I love how pretty this modern boho fall mantel turned out. And I can't wait to share my whole boho fall home tour with you next week!

With this beautiful fall mantel, life really is a party!

Smart Cookie Party

Sep 9, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Smart Cookie Party: the perfect way to celebrate back to school, or graduation, free cookie party printables included.

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We have a family tradition of having a special family back to school party on the first day -see last year's back to school dinner here, and the year before that special back to school party here. I love creating a special back to school family dinner, during which we can hear all about our kids first day. We've been doing it for so many years, starting in elementary school and no that they're in high school, it's something we all look forward to. This year I thought a smart cookie party would be a great way to celebrate together.

Printables

I started out by creating some beautiful free printables for the party to set the tone. This set is so adorable. Just subscribe to the blog and gain access to our free printable library with hundreds of free printables, including the Smart Cookie Party Printables. Subscribe below for instant download access. You can download the digital file and print at home or at an office supply store.Subscribe below and find the download link in our Free Resource Library. Free printables are such a fun way to make your own party supplies.

Subscribe for instant access, download your digital printable file, print and enjoy!

This party set includes a printable banner, two posters, a pendant, two sets of lunch box notes -that I used as gift tags, and napkin ring holders, plus table scatter. These printable would also be great for a graduation celebration. You could also use them for a teacher appreciation gift. The small signs or lunch box notes also make a great free printable tag. You could also use these printables to create special celebration on the last day of school.

Smart Cookie Banner

Let's start out with the adorable "One Smart Cookie" banner. I printed these on cardstock on my home computer, then cut out, added holes with a mini hole punch, and threaded them into a banner. So cute.

Printable Signs

I created two fun signs you can use for your party. The first is our large "You are one smart cookie". We printed it onto card stock and used it as decor, you could also frame it.

The second printable sign is the "I love you more than milk loves cookies." It was a great addition to the table.

Pennant

I thought it would be fun to create a back to school pennant for the party. Print this one on paper, and hot glue it to a dowel, then add some ribbons to decorate.

Smart Cookie Printable Joke Cards

I also made a set of small cards. These cards would be great as lunch box notes anytime. I used the joke set as napkin ring holders. Just print, cut out the printable card, add a hole with a hole punch, and add to your napkin with some ribbon. We had fun going around the table asking each other our jokes over dinner.

The size of these makes them perfect smart cookie gift tags, or bag toppers also. Attach the free tag to sweet treats of homemade cookies in a cellophane bag, and anyone would love them. Bring a bag of cookies to teacher night as a great gift. Or use the cookie bag as a party favor with the free printable gift tags.

Mini Signs

There's also a mini version of the larger signs. I printed them on white card stock, and used these as gift tags. Attach them to the bags with ribbon or baker's twine. I always like to get my girls a small gift, something like some new pens or pencils, and sticky notes are a great thoughtful small gift for back to school. Lunch bags were the perfect treat bag that fit with our school theme, and the tags really dressed up the bags with a little piece of ribbon. These little party favors were a hit. These would also be great as an end of the school year gift during the last week too. Or use them as gift tags on a package of cookies.

Smart Cookie Table Scatter

The last printable item in the printable set is the table scatter. I used my Cricut machine to cut it out. Up load the image, and use the print then cut feature to make it. It worked perfectly for this. It would be more difficult to cut out by hand since it's so small, but you could if you don't own a Cricut machine. It looked great as table scatter confetti for the party.

I kept the table quite simple with a white linen table runner, some white flowers, and our printable sign and table scatter.

You really can't have a cookie party without cookies. I baked some peanut butter, chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies for the party. We used some large and small glass canisters as my cookie jars, and they looked great on the table.

I also picked up some chocolate milk in glass milk bottle from the grocery store, and it looked so cute with the milk bottle image on the printables. Our cookie bar was great. Everyone enjoyed the cookies for dessert. For a larger party, you could have some small bags for people to take some cookies home as yummy and cute gifts. Homemade cookies make a great party favor, sure to be enjoyed by all.

Smart Cookies Decorated Chocolate Chip Cookies

I created a smart cookie for our printables and thought it would be a great idea to try and recreate it in real life. The base is a chocolate chip cookie. I decorated the cookie with some black icing, candy eyes, and a little pink icing. These guys are a little wonky looking, but so adorable. Use the black icing to create the glasses, and the smile. Add the candy eyes, and just a drop of pink icing to make each cheek. This might be a fun activity to do with your kids, if they enjoy decorating cookies. It's suitable for all ages, from very little to middle school, right up to high school.

Not a baker? No problem. Use store bought cookies instead of baking. Or make things easier with slice and bake cookies.

This little smart cookie party for back to school was so much fun. I froze the extra cookies, so they'll be showing up in school lunches for weeks to come, and hopefully be a sweet reminder of this fun family party.

?This party themed worked so well for back to school, but it would also be great for a grad party. A smart cookie graduation party theme would be so great for a graduation parties for your favorite graduate. If you have a smart cookie graduating, they're sut eo love this theme a whole lot.

With a smart cookie party to kick the school year off, life really is a party!

More Back To School Inspiration

You might also Book Themed Back To School Party here.

Book Themed Party: book page wreath, DIY mini book garland, book page table runner, and lots of fun vintage books and other pieces.

Also check out our Back To School Family Dinner Ideas here.

Back To School Printables and Family Dinner: decor ideas, dinner and free printable Back To School printables, and "All About Me" sheet.

You might also like our Notebook Paper Sugar Cookies here.

Halloween Movie Night Ideas and Free Printables

Sep 8, 2021 · 6 Comments

We love movie nights, and Halloween Movie Night is extra spook-macular! Use our free printable movie ticket, poster, cupcake pics, bottled water wrap, and Halloween banners as decor plus there's ideas for a themed popcorn bar and snacks.

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Why We Love This Party

Movie night + Halloween = Dreadful Delight!
Here for the snacks!
Whether you're looking for a family freindly ghoul gala or a fright fest for you and your boo, Halloween movie night is where it's at!
The free printables take movie night from everyday to extra special!

We love a good movie night around here, so we thought it would be fun to create a Halloween Movie Night to celebrate the season and get into the Halloween spirit. This little party would be perfect for a Halloween family movie night, or a fun Halloween party, or Halloween Night or even as part of a summerween party. You might also like our Pink Halloween Party, Fall Themed Party, and Ghost Themed Foods.

Love movie night as much as we do? You might like our other anytime of year free movie night printables. We also have summer movie night free printables, Valentine's free movie night printables, and Christmas free movie night printables.

Free Halloween Movie Night Printables

The printables for this spooky season movie night are so cute. I hope you love them as much as I do. They're perfect for bringing your party together and they're available for free to Life is a Party subscribers in our Free Printable Library. Subscribe to the blog below for instant access.

To use the printables, just download and print on your home printer, or at your favourite office supply store or printer. Then use them to style your own party.

In our Halloween Movie Night printable set there's a fun movie night ticket, perfect for inviting your kids, family, or friends.

Along with the movie night ticket, there's also a fun Halloween poster, cupcake picks, bottled water wrap, and several versions of a Halloween banner.

Halloween Movie Night free printable ticket invitation

Living Room or Backyard?

We love the idea of enjoying classic Halloween movies from the comfort of your own home by turning your living room into a Halloween movie theater. Set up a cozy evening on your couch with lots of pillows, throws, decor, and party snacks. And the best part? How about instead of wearing Halloween costumes, you wear Halloween pjs?

You could also create this Halloween movie night outside. Watch your favorite Halloween movies on an inflatable screen in the backyard with a outdoor movie projector. Invite friends to your outdoor movie night using our printable ticket. Light a bonfire and enjoy your perfect Halloween movie night in the moonlight.

The Snack Table

On the table I used some pink tulle as a tablecloth. It's really inexpensive and you can pick it up at the fabric store. It comes in all kinds of colours, but pink was perfect for our party. I love how it adds a bit of whimsy to the table. We also used some cute mini star lights, that fit with our printables and the Halloween feel perfectly. You could also add regular string lights.

I used a simple black frame to add our printable poster to the table. "Eat, Drink, and Be Scary" indeed! This is such a fun and easy way to add themed decorations to any party. Store your frame and switch out the poster for any occasion.

We also added in a few pumpkins, perfect for Halloween.

DIY Pink Cauldrons

I thought it would be fun to serve our popcorn buffet in some pink cauldrons.

We picked up some black plastic cauldrons at the dollar store, and spray painted them in three different shades of pink. Look for spray paint that is compatible with plastic. Remember it's best to do many light coats of spray paint to avoid drips in the paint and ensure a smooth finish.

Once the paint was dry, I lined the cauldrons with plastic wrap to make sure they were safe for food for our Halloween treats.

For the party, I filled them with popcorn. I picked our family favourites and used buttered movie theatre style popcorn, white cheddar popcorn, and caramel corn.

Here's another tip, depending on the size of your get together, if you don't want to fill them all the way, because they are quite large, add a little crumpled parchment paper in the bottom to take up a little space, and then add your popcorn.

These easy snacks were a big hit. You could also drizzle some homemade popcorn with some orange and white chocolate and add Halloween sprinkles, mini candy eye balls, and Halloween candy to the mix for a really fun popcorn treat to fit the spooky mood.

Also check out all our ghost themed snacks and Pink Halloween party with pink Halloween foods and Harry Potter themed snacks and treats for more ideas.

More Halloween Movie Night Snacks

I also included some adorable cupcake picks with our printable set. Just print them, cut them out with a large circle punch, and then use hot glue to attach a tooth pick to the back. The cupcake picks are a great way to dress up some simple store bought cupcakes.

Some more sweet treats for a Halloween movie night you might include are homemade caramel apples, and a candy bar assortment.

Here's another entertaining tip. I didn't have a dessert stand in the right size so I used a small pink plate, set on top of a small pink bowl, turned upside down.

Drinks

For drinks for this party we served bottled water and dressed it up with some printable bottled water wraps. Just print, cut, and attach to the bottle with some tape.

Our swamp water punch would be a fun Halloween option too.

halloween bottled water wraps free printable

Halloween Banners

One of my favourite elements to this party is the adorable Halloween banner. I used my Cricut and the print then cut feature. Because this banner is quite detailed, it worked really well to cut it out with the Cricut.

If you don't have a Cricut, you could of course cut it out by hand, it would just take a little while. I also added some glitter details to the cut outs with different coloured glitters, and a glue stick. To create the banner I used a mini hole punch, some pink embroidery cotton, and a needle to thread them.

I love this cute little banner, and I think it would be great decor for the whole Halloween season. The little spider is so cute. He would also look very cute with some spider webs.

I also added a less intricate banner that would be easier to cut out, along with a simple "Happy Halloween" banner as well. Use any or all of them as a fun touch to your movie night, or as part of your Halloween decor after the party.

Family Halloween Movies

Nightmare Before Christmas
Hocus Pocus
Curious George: A Halloween Boo Feast
Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin
Harry Potter
Casper
The Witches
Beetlejuice
The Adams Family
Monsters Inc.

Date Night Halloween Movies

Witches of Eastwick
Ghostbusters
Practical Magic

Don't forget to subscribe to the blog for instant access to these free printables.

With our free Halloween Movie Night printables, life really is a party!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I access the free printables?

Subscribe for our Free Resorce Library (not the free praty planner) and the code will be instantly sent to your email. Can't find it? Check in your spam or junk mail folder.

What if I don't have a color printer at home?

You can print these at your local office supply store, or many public libraries of color printing a very minimal fee.

If you use these Halloween Movie Night Ideas or any other ideas on the my blog please leave me a rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting today.

More Halloween Inspiration

Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

Sep 3, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes: individual cakes made from scratch in a cupcake pan with traditional pineapples, and cherries.

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These mini pineapple upside down cakes, have all the goodness of regular pineapple upside down cake, but in adorable individual size! Everything is cutter when it's mini, right?!

We made these individual pineapple upside down cakes as part of our Moana dinner and movie night -see all the details here. They were the perfect addition to our island inspired menu, and the individual mini size was perfect!

I love pineapple upside down cake, but this sweet treat it isn't something I grew up with. This is actually my mother-in-law's recipe, but I've given them a slight makeover by making the mini form of the classic dessert. I've made these mini desserts by baking them in a muffin cup pan. She's been making this cake for years. It's tested and true, and definitely a family favourite. Along with making it mini, I've also served it with whipped cream. It is really the perfect combination, because the cake itself is quite dense, so the light airy whipped cream is the perfect contrast. They're so good, and so mini, you might even need two. 😉

I made these mini versions in a cupcake pan, so they're easy to make at home, without needing to buy a special pan to create them. Once you turn them upside down to serve they look so cute with the pineapple and the best part -the little red cherry!

individual pineapple upside down cakes from scratch

how to make mini pineapple upside down cake

Larger Size

These are quite mini when made in regular size muffin tins. Want to make them slightly larger but still serve everyone their own personal cake? Try making them in a jumbo muffin tin. If making ina. jumbo muffin pan be sure to adjust the timing to cook slightly longer.

Substitute The Pineapple

These mini pineapple cakes are best made with canned pineapple rings. Can you use crushed pineapple or pineapple tidbits in this recipe? I would not use crushed pineapple in this recipe. You could use a can of pineapple chunks or tidbits in this recipe in a pinch, just arrange them to cover the bottom of the cupcake tin.

You can try substituting fresh pineapple for this recipe, but canned may be sweeter. Be sure to cut the pieces so that they aren't overly thick, you want them to be the size of regular canned pineapple rings.

Recipe

These are sure to become one of your favorite recipes. With these individual mini pineapple upside-down cakes to enjoy, life really is a party!

This recipe was part of our Mona Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Night -check out all the details about the whole party here

Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Toolkit

Love Disney Princess dinner and movie nights? Buy our Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Toolkit. The Toolkit includes 6 different Disney Princess movie nights with menus, all the recipes, inspiration, and printables for each one. Check out more about the Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Toolkit by clicking here.

Easy Sweet and Sour Pork Kababs

Sep 2, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Sweet and Sour Pork Kababs: the perfect combination of sweet, tangy, and savoury. Grill these on the bbq for a perfect tropical dish.

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These sweet and sour pork kebabs are so good. The sweet and sour sauce is deliciously sweet and also has the perfect tang. It is delicious paired with the bell peppers, onion, and pork in this recipe, not to mention the pineapple. Pork and pineapple are always a match made in heaven and the addition of this great sauce takes it to the next level! This sweet and sour pork recipe is easy to make, and so delicious.

Moana Inspiration

We enjoyed our sweet and sour pork kebabs as part of our Moana dinner and movie night -check out all the details here. It was the perfect tropical addition to our menu. Serve with white rice or brown rice for a great dinner. We were inspired by the movie. There's a sweet scene in the movie where Moana eats some pork in front of Pua the pig. After saying "Mmmm, that's good pork" she notices Pua, and makes an excuse to leave. We wanted to make some good pork for the evening too, just don't tell Pua. 😉 Whether you're celebrating a movie night or not, you will love this truly good pork.

Balance of Flavors

The juicy pieces of pork tenderloin coated in the tangy sauce have a wonderful complex flavor. We love making these into kababs and adding all our favorite vegetables like green bell pepper, red and yellow peppers, and red onions or green onions. And don't forget the pineapple. The pineapple adds more sweetness to the this dish and is such a great combination with the pork. We used canned pineapple chunks for our sweet and sour pork kebabs for the sake of convenience, but you can use fresh pineapple if you prefer. Just remember that you will also need some canned or fresh pineapple juice in addition to the fresh pineapple, if you are not reserving the juice from the canned pineapple.

This easy homemade sweet and sour sauce has a perfect balance of sweet and sour. Ingredients like the rice vinegar add the sour to the dish, while the pineapple juice, sugar and ketchup bring lots of sweet for the perfect sweet & sour combination. Adding in the little bit of cornstarch thickens the homemade sauce and gives it the perfect viscosity applying it to our kebabs.

Pork

We used pork tenderloin to make our pork kebabs, but you could also use pork shoulder or pork chops cut into bite-sized pieces of 1-inch cubes for this sweet and sour pork dish.

Substitute Chicken

Not a fan of pork, but love everything else? You can substitute the pork in this dish with chicken if you prefer, and make sweet and sour chicken. It's equally delicious in this dish.

These sweet and sour pork kebabs are a real favourite, the sweet of the sauce, and the pineapple, combined with the savoury pork and vegetables, and the tang from the sauce is a winning combination you will love if you're a fan of sweet and sour dishes. We love this tangy dish served with simple steamed rice. Made with simple ingredients, it's sure to become one of your favorite delicious recipes. This beautiful sauce comes together in just a couple of minutes and add so much amazing flavor to the dish.

Grilling

Grilling the pork and fresh produce adds such great flavor to this recipe. But if you don't have access to an outdoor bbq to grill your sweet and sour pork kebabs you can cook this recipe on an indoor grill or on a grill pan.

Recipe

With sweet and sour pork kebabs to enjoy, life really is a party! Happy cooking!

This recipe was part of our Mona Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Night -check out all the details about the whole party here.

Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Toolkit

DIY Cute Designs for Embroidery Insects

Sep 1, 2021 · 6 Comments

Embroidery Insects: make your DIY embroidery patterns and create realistic embroidery bugs in custom colours.

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Embroidery insects are fun to make, and with our tutorial you can make your own embroidery pattern for any insect you like. Stitch them in realistic colours, or add some whimsy with your own colour choices.

Science Themed Decor

For several years in the fall I've decorated with a bit of a scientific botanical theme. You can check out my science themed fall home tours here, and here and here. These embroidery insects would be great any time of year, but I especially love this for fall mixed with lots of nature inspired decor, like pumpkins, grasses, leaves, acorns, pinecones. When I first used this theme for fall home decor, I imagined a historical nature loving botanist woman, who loved spending time outside and collecting specimens, and coming home to study and document them.

how to make your own embroidery pattern for insects

These embroidery insects are such a beautiful project. We used small embroidery hoops as the frames for the these pieces, and used lots of different colours, and some beads to create them. These were actually made by my 17 year old daughter Paige. She enjoys embroidery, and is great at it. I asked her to make these for me and she did an amazing job.

Use An Insect Image To Make Your Own Pattern

The pattern for the dragonfly embroidery was made with an image that we found on-line. You could use this method to make a pattern and embroider any insect you like. No need for an embroidery machine, these were all created by hand, which makes each one it's one little work of hoop art.

You can either base your colours for the embroidery insects based on real insects, or you can get a bit more whimsical.

Recipe

Dragonfly Embroidery Pattern

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 3

Total Time: 3 20

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Equipment

Cricut light pad

Materials

small embroidery hoop
cotton fabric
dragon fly image
embroidery needle
beads
embroidery cotton thread in black white, light blue, and greenish-blue

Instructions

To make the pattern for the dragonfly embroidery, start by choosing an image on-line and printing it. Make it large enough that you can see all the details. Don't worry about it fitting your embroidery hoop yet.
Place the image on the light pad image side down, or on a window in the light, and use a pencil to trace the outline and details on the backside of the image, to create your pattern. Make it detailed enough to be interesting, but not too detailed to actually embroidery.
Take a picture of your pencil sketch, and on a computer screen or ipad, size it to your fit nicely into your embroidery hoop. Place a white sheet of paper over the the computer or ipad screen and trace the pattern one more time, smoothly out any rough lines as you sketch. This will be your final pattern.
To transfer your pattern to the cotton fabric, place it under the pattern and use a pencil to lightly trace the pattern on to the fabric.
Place your fabric into the embroidery hoop, and begin to embroider the dragonfly. We used black, white, light blue, and greenish-blue colours, but the part of the beauty of creating your own is that you can use any colour combo you like. This one was inspired by the colours in the original photo. We used satin stitch for the solid areas, backstitch for the outlines, and a French knot for some of the details on the body, and eyes. You can also try adding the stem stitch and bullion knot for more details. The outlines are done with three strands of embroidery cotton thread, and the solid areas are done with two strands of embroidery cotton thread. You could also try adding some metallic threads for special effects.
Once the whole dragonfly is stitched, trim the excess fabric and hang it on the wall. You can use this pattern making process to create a pattern for any insect.

Free Dragonfly Embroidery Pattern

If you would like to use our dragonfly pattern, you can find it in our Free Resource Library for subscribers. Subscribe below for free, for instant access to our Free Resource Library.

To use this pattern, just print the image from the Free Resource Library scaled to fit the size of your embroidery hoop.

I love how the three embroidery insects look together as a little grouping. We are hoping to add a few more to our embroidery insect gallery. These are so fun, I love how they turned out.

With this amazing embroidery insects gallery wall, life really is a party!

Beer Battered Coconut Shrimp Recipe

Aug 31, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Beer Battered Coconut Shrimp Recipe: these coconut shrimp are sweet and moist on the inside, and crispy and coconut covered on the outside. The perfect appetizer.

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Coconut shrimp is such a favourite treat. We often order it at a restaurant, but it's a great recipe to make at home too. It was the perfect addition to our recent Moana movie night -see all the details here. We were inspired by the song in the film about coconuts to include it as part of our themed menu. And this old favorite was perfect.

What Kind of Shrimp Should I Use For This Coconut Shrimp Recipe?

For this recipe it's best to use raw shrimp that are peeled and deveined but have the tail still on. If you can find the shrimp peeled and deveined you'll save yourself a lot of time, by being able to skip these steps. You can use precooked shrimp, but you risk overcooking them during the frying process. The size of the shrimp doesn't matter too much, just adjust youre cooking time to less or more depending on their size. Look for the shrimp to turn pink and the coconut to turn golden brown to know they're done. Defrost frozen shrimp according to the directions on the package.

Do We Have To Chill Them Before Frying?

Chilling the shrimp after they've been battered helps the coconut to stick better while frying. It gives time for the coconut to absorb some of the moisture from the batter, and holds it together better, a bit like glue. This step ensures that you don't lose the coconut coating while you're cooking it.

If you don't have time to chill in the refrigerator, you can speed up the chilling time by using the freezer for about half the time. But do not skip this important step.

Why Three Steps To Coating The Coconut Shrimp?

We coated our shrimp first in flour, then in our egg and beer batter, and lastly in the coconut. All three steps are important and shouldn't be skipped. Start with flour, this enables the batter to stick better. Next add the batter, this acts as the glue that holds the coconut onto the shrimp.

Can I Make This Coconut Shrimp Recipe Ahead of Time?

Yes, prepare the shrimp with the flour, batter, and coconut, and extend the chilling time up to overnight in the fridge before frying. Serve the fried shrimp immediately after frying. If you want to make them even more in advance, freeze them individually on a parchment lined baking sheet, once they're frozen and won't stick together, you can store them in a ziplock bag in the freezer. You can fry them from frozen, just adjust the cooking time.

Serving Suggestion

We like to serve these beer battered coconut shrimp with a sweet chilli sauce for dipping. It's a sweeter sauce with a little heat which pairs perfectly with the fried shrimp. Any tangy sauce would be a great choice. Some people like it with tartar sauce or cocktail sauce for dipping.

We love this recipe! It's so delicious and easy to make. It's sure to be a crowd pleaser and these fly off the plate. This recipe is great for company. Be prepared for them to disappear quickly!

Recipe

With this beer battered coconut shrimp recipe, life really is a party!

More Appetizer Recipe Inspiration

You might also like our Honey Garlic Chicken Wing Recipe here.

Honey Garlic Chicken Wing Recipe: these delicious and inexpensive chicken wings only have 6 ingredients making them easy to make.

Also try Guyanese Cheese Straws Recipe here.

Cheese Straws Recipe: spicy and savoury cheese shortbread straws, perfect for gift giving or as part of a charcuterie board.

You might also enjoy Homemade Breaded Onion Rings here.

This Beer Battered Coconut Shrimp recipe was part of our Mona Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Night -check out all the details about the whole party here.

Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Toolkit

Moana Themed Party -Dinner and A Movie Night

Aug 30, 2021 · Leave a Comment

This Moana themed party has a themed dinner and is perfect for movie night with family, friends, or for a Disney date night. You will love the fun ideas for Moana DIY party decorations, and printables, as well as a full menu and recipes.

Moana themed party ideas and menu with food.

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Today we're sharing our final Disney Princess Dinner and A Movie Night. I wanted to do six Disney movie nights all together and I had a lot of trouble deciding on our final movie, because there are so many great ones. We are finishing with a Mona themed party dinner and movie night as our final pick, because it's such an amazing movie. We've already done:

Why We Love Moana

There are so many great options. At the end of the day I had to include Disney's Moana because she is according to many, Disney's most popular princess. She breaks the old princess mould by being strong, independent, and without a prince or love story line. Our little voyager overcomes difficulties by trying again, and she's the new princess role model that younger girls are growing up with. The setting for this film is really beautiful, and it has amazing songs as well. All those reasons are why we chose Moana as our final Disney Princess Dinner and A Movie Night!

We set up our party as a family movie night, but it would also make an amazing Disney date night, or a really fun girls night too. Our post is also full of Moana birthday party ideas if you're planning a Moana-themed birthday party and looking for some creative ideas!

Moana party table with themed food and decorations.

Party Decorations

We had so much fun setting up our Moana-themed party movie night. Keeping things casual for movie night, we set up things in the living room around the coffee table so we could enjoy dinner together there while we watched the movie. We were inspired by the tropical setting of the beautiful island, and colorful leis in the film, and decided to go with a jungle vibe. I used lots of house plants as decorations.

Since the movie is also all about the sea, I wanted to include the beachy, palm tree, sun and sand feel with some perfect Moana inspired sea shells as well. The large conch shells can get a little expensive, so I have a tip for you. Look in thrift stores, or online at second hand sites for a deal. I found a couple available online and they were so much cheaper than buying them at the craft store. I also love the pink of the conch shells, the colours are so pretty.

Moana food on a party table with decorations.

Inspired by the macrame on Moana's skirt as an island girl, we added this pretty macrame bunting to the front of the table. You can read all about how I made the macrame bunting here. We had a great time finding pieces like this and all things Moana to decorate with instead of just picking up Moana party supplies at the party store.

Moana party with food table decorations.

We also thought it could be fun to include tropical fresh fruits on the table for more tropical vibes. So I picked up a fresh pineapple at the grocery store, along with three coconuts. If you wanted you could add a tropical fruits tray to the table, or dessert table. Inspired by the Kakamora coconut pirates in the film, some of our favorite characters, we painted faces on our coconuts.

Just use simple craft paints, and free hand some scary looking faces on your coconuts to make your own Kakamora as table decorations. This could be a fun activity to do with kids at a Moana theme birthday party.

Moana Themed Free Party Printables

We made some really cute printables to go with our Moana party theme. I love the color scheme of pink, orange and red and the graphics were inspired by tropical leaves and tropical flowers.

We made a printable movie ticket. It's the perfect invitation to movie night for family or friends. Your kids or party guests will love it! You could also use it as a birthday party invitation for a Moana birthday theme party.

Printable Moana movie night ticket party invitations.

We also made a really beautiful Moana poster with palm leaves, that we framed in an Ikea frame for the party. It would be sweet bedroom decor for a Moana fan afterward, or birthday girl.

Printable Moana party decoration sign with sea shells.

We also made some printable food labels, and there are also some blank ones included in the set that you could use to make your own food labels, or as place cards if you were setting a table in the dining room.

Also included in the set, are some cupcake toppers. We made them into little sails. You could use the Moana design cupcakes picks in any desserts or themed party foods. Just cut them out and hot glue them onto a toothpick to use as picks.

Moana themed desserts with printable cupcake picks.

Lastly there's some drink flags included in the set. Add these to paper straws are an easy way to add another fun detail to your party space. Use them in the coconut milkshakes.

Moana party table with themed desserts and coconut milkshakes.

Free Moana Party Printables Here

All our free printables are available for to our subscribers in our Free Resource Library. Subsribe below for instant access.

Moana Inspired Menu

Since Moana takes place in the tropics, we went with a tropical menu for the evening.

Moana party table with themed food and party decorations.

Coconut Shrimp

We love the song "Where You Are" from the film, which talks all about the coconut, and how the islanders use every part of the tree. It inspired us to make some coconut shrimp for our movie night. These were so yummy, and felt like a special treat for movie night. Get the Coconut Shrimp recipe here.

Moana party food coconut fried shrimp on a plate with dip.

Sweet and Sour Pork Kebabs and Rice

There's a sweet scene in the movie where Moana eats some pork in front of Pua the pig. After saying "Mmmm, that's good pork" she notices Pua, and makes an excuse to leave. We wanted to make some good pork for the evening too, just don't tell Pua. ;). We put together some Sweet and Sour Pork Kebabs, that we cooked on the bbq. The sweet and sour sauce is easy to make and so good. You'll love the Sweet and Sour Pork Kebas, find the recipe here.

We also made some simple rice to go with our meal.

Moana themed party food sweet and sour pork skewers on a plate.

Moana themed party table with Moana themed food and party decorations.

Coconut Milkshakes

For drinks we made our Coconut Milkshakes. They're a real favourite around here. They only have three ingredients, so they're really simple to make, and so delicious. Get our coconut milkshake recipe here. Another idea would be to serve these in coconut cups. You'll want to make these last minute right before serving so that they don't melt.

Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

Lastly, we finished our dinner with individual pineapple upside down cakes. These are a family favourite too, and a fun alternative to a Moana cake even for a birthday. Get the individual pineapple upside down cake recipe here. These awesome cakes were simple to make as individual servings cupcake pans to bake them in. We used our printable cupcake picks in each cake to make our own Moana boat!

Moana themed party dinner and movie night

We had a lot of fun putting this movie night together, and I've been singing the songs from the Moana soundtrack for days! I love the messages of this movie, and really enjoyed this movie night.

Party table for Moana movie night with decorations and Moana themed food.

With a Mona themed party dinner and movie night like this to enjoy, life really is a party!

Chip Charcuterie Snack Board

Aug 28, 2021 · 1 Comment

Chip Charcuterie Snack Board: calling all salty snack lovers! Combine all your favourite chips, Doritos, cheesies, and popcorn flavours for the ultimate snack board!

Chip charcuterie board with different chips, and salty snacks.

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I love chips. They're so salty, and crunchy and delicious. And there's so many amazing varieties. When I was planning a special movie date night the other day -see all the details of the movie date night here, I decided that a big chip charcuterie snack board was pretty much the ultimate snack! Strictly speaking, charcuterie does mean cured meats, but these days everyone is using it to refer to this, a cheese board, any board of beautiful food, so that's the way it's intended here. This just might be the best charcuterie board I've ever made.

Adding in this truffle popcorn to this board would be a great addtion too.

I love the idea of lots of different flavours of fun chips, and snacks all grouped together. If you're one of those people that love some sweet with their salty, you could certainly add in some sweet snacks, but not me. I'll take my salty snacks straight up please.

I used a large board as my serving platter for our chip charcuterie snack board. It worked great because it had a bit of an edge on it, so none of my chipies could get away. 😉

What To Include On A Chip Charcuterie Snack Board

I had a lot of fun looking for all our favourite chips and snacks. Part of the date turned into picking out anything we wanted in the chip aisle. Here's what we went with:

white cheddar popcorn (it was movie night after all, so we needed some popcorn 😉
regular potato chips
salt and vinegar chips
dill pickle chips
potato ringolos (this is the Humpty Dumpty brand name, but they're basically potato rings)
plantain chips
Pringles
Doritos
crunchy Cheetos
potato sticks
chip dip

You could definitely just use all your personal favorite chips and snacks, but it's also fun to try a few new things. If there's any new or special flavors you've been wanting to try, this is your chance. There's a few things to think about as you choose.

1. Different Textures and Shapes

Things like the popcorn, cheeses, plantain chips, Pringles, kettle potato chips and regular chips add some different textures to the board. When it comes to shapes, the ringolos and potato sticks are some great options. Pita chips would be a good addition too.

2. Colours

Let's face it, there's not a lot of different colour options when it comes to chips. The Doritos and Cheese bring in some orange, and help break up all the beige. If you're a fan of bbq or ketchup chips (is this just a Canadian thing?) they could add some colour variation too. Or you could add in some blue tortilla chips and your favorite salsa as another great way to add in some colour. You could also use colourful small bowls for holding your dips.

3. Avoid Straight Lines

When your arranging all your epic chips, avoid putting them in straight lines. Create some movement on your tray with flowing piles of different chips and snack options.

4. Add Some Dip

You can't really have chips without dip! We made a simple sour cream and onion dip. The easy recipe is to use 1 container of sour cream, and one envelope of onion soup mix. This old recipe made with simple ingredients is super easy, and really yummy with plain chips. Use interesting dip bowls, like the pretty marble one we used here.

You could add a whole variety of different dips. French onion dip would be a great choice, you could also try a dill pickle dip, ranch dip, or a tangy goat cheese dip. Adding dips is an easy way to add a touch of tangy flavors and a fun way to make a more flavorful snacking experience.

5. Use A Board With A Lip

If you can find a board or tray with a lip around the side, use it for your chip charcuterie snack board. It will help contain the chips, and avoid them all falling off the side as you eat them and move things slightly. We used a large square tray and it worked perfectly.

6. Shop At The Bulk Store

Not all chips are available at the bulk store, but look for some of the more interesting varieties. We got the ringolos, and potato sticks at ours. They also had cheeses, and plantation chips, along with lots more interesting varieties of great salty snacks. I like that you can buy a small amount, rather than a large bag. Since we were buying so many different ones for our board, being able to buy a few in smaller quantities was great.

7. Storing Leftover Chips

We wanted to add lots of different varieties to our chip board, and we ended up with quite a few left overs in the end. Tie up the bags with a chip clip or twist tie, so they don't go stale and lose their crispness. Did you know you can store chips in the freezer? They will stay nice and crisp, and you can eat them right out of the freezer. Chips taste great when they're really cold. If you're chips or snacks do become stale at all during storing, you can sometimes bring them back to life by reheating them in the oven. Place them on a baking sheet in a single layer and heat them at 350, for 5-8 minutes, watching them carefully to make sure they don't burn. Allow them to cool, and enjoy them with their crunch back.

Snack boards of all shapes and kinds are definitely so much fun, and this chip board looks amazing and tasted great. We loved ours for movie date night -see all the details and get the printable popcorn box here. This chip board would also be really great for entertaining too, especially if you want to bring your snacks to the next level.

This board looks so much more exciting than a few regular bowls of chips on the table, and it would be easy to replenish as the party went on. That's what makes it one of my favorite ways to serve any type of chip when entertaining. I hope it's inspiring you to make one too. Make one for your own movie nights. It would also be the perfect way to create a great snack for game day that your party guests will love. This is the easiest way to make snacks for a crowd look great. Or you could make a version with Mexican food, using a variety of salsas, and tortilla chips make your own salsa board. This would be perfect for cinco de mayo too. And how perfect would this be as a dinner party appetizer for guests to enjoy before dinner.

Recipe

With a chip charcuterie board to enjoy, life really is a party!

More Inspiration:

You might also like our Slow Cooker Spinach and Artichoke Dip recipe here.

Also check out our Individual Charcuterie Boards here.

You might also like How To Make The Perfect Cheese Board here.

How to Make the Perfect Cheese Board -learn how to combine sweet, salty, sour, spicy, crunch, and creamy to create the perfect cheese board!

Movie Date Night At Home

Aug 27, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Movie Date Night At Home: take it to the next level with a Cricut made ticket, movie bunting, food pics, popcorn box, and movie genre dice.

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Movie date nights are even more special when they're at home. We took ours to the next level with some fun touches made on our Cricut machine including a ticket to invite your date, a popcorn box, movie night bunting, food picks, and a movie die to help you choose what genre of movie to watch.

Movie Date Night Ticket and Decorations

I thought it would be fun to create a special movie ticket for our date night on my Cricut. I used simple black and white card stock to create the beautiful layered ticket. This is the perfect invitation for a special movie date night at home.

I also made some matching movie night decorations using my Cricut. This movie themed bunting is a fun addition to the front of the coffee table, it would also be cute as a wall decoration. After cutting it, and gluing the layers together, I used some black and white bakers twine to string it together.

The food picks also match the rest of our movie night pieces. After cutting them out, and gluing them together, I used a glue stick to add tooth picks to the back of each one. I used them here on our chip snack board, but they would be cute in cupcakes, or any stack you serve for movie night.

Recipe

Movie Date Night Ticket and Decorations

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Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 30

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Equipment

Cricut Machine
Cricut Cutting Mat
Glue Stick
Hole Punch

Materials

Cricut Design Space Cutting File
White Cardstock
Black Cardstock

Instructions

Open the Movie Date Night Ticket and Decorations cutting file in Cricut Design Space.
Add the white cardstock to the cutting mat and cut out the first white pieces. Remove them from the cutting mat, and set the pieces aside. Continue until of the white pieces are cut out. Next, add the black cardstock to the cutting mat and cut out the black pieces, and remove them from the cutting mat. Continue until all the black pieces are cut out.
Take care with some of the inner pieces that are quite small, like the centre of the "o" in movie, and the inside of the "a" in admit.
Use a glue stick to add the black and white layers to the movie ticket, the bunting, and the food picks.
Use a hole punch to add holes to the corners of the bunting flags and string them togerher with some black and white string.
Use a glue gun to attach tooth picks to the back of the food picks.

Movie Night Die

If you've ever struggled to choose what movie to watch this die is for you. We added a different movie genre to each side. Just roll the die and whatever it lands on can be your genre for the movie, helping to narrow down your choices. This paper die is easy to make on the Cricut, using a marker with the drawing feature to add the names. After it's cut out, just use glue to make it into a 3D cube, all ready for rolling.

Recipe

Movie Die

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Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 15

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Equipment

Cricut Maker
Cricut Cutting Mat
Glue Stick
Scoring Wheel Tip
Cricut Marker

Materials

White Cardstock
Movie Die Cutting File in Cricut Design Space

Instructions

Open the Cricut Design Space cutting file for the Movie Die.
Add the white cardstock to the cutitng mat, and follow the prompts on the Cricut to add the score wheel tip, the marker, and the fine point cutting blade.
Remove the cut die from the mat, fold along the score lines, and use a glue stick to glue the cube together.

Popcorn Box

I love salty snacks and thought it would be a fun idea to create a chip snack board to enjoy during the movie night. Since popcorn is the classic movie snack, I knew I had to include some of it on our chip snack board too. I used my Cricut to cut out the most adorable popcorn box, and postioned it as though it were spilling out on our tray. You can read all about how to create the chip charcuterie snack board here. The boxes would be great just to hold regular popcorn for a movie night as well.

Recipe

Popcorn Box

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Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 15

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Cost: $2

Equipment

Cricut Maker
Cricut Cutting Mat
Scoring Wheel Tip
Glue Stick

Materials

Black Cardstock
White Cardstock
Popcorn Box Cutting File in Cricut Design Space

Instructions

Open the popcorn box cutting file in Cricut Design Space.
Add white cardstock to the cutting mat, and follow the prompts in Cricut Design Space to add the scoring wheel tip, and the fine blade and cut out the white pieces. Remove the cut pieces from the mat, and set aside. Continue until all the white pieces are cut out, and then do the same to cut out the black pieces.
Fold the white pieces along the score lines to form the box, and glue it together with a glue stick.
Add the black decorative pieces to the box with a glue stick.

This movie date night at home was so much fun, and adding in all the fun Cricut details really took it to the next level. It's the perfect way to take your next at home movie night with someone special to the next level!

With a movie date night at home to enjoy, life really is a party!

This post is sponsored by Cricut. As always, all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make Life is a Party possible.

Easy One Bowl Brownies

Aug 26, 2021 · 5 Comments

Easy One Bowl Brownies: easy to make, simple ingredients you already have in your pantry, and better than a store bought mix. Promise.

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These Easy One Bowl Brownies are a real old family favourite around here.

A Family Favourite

I grew up on them. When I was in grade five my mom went from being a stay-at-home mom, to working as a housekeeper 3 mornings a week at, what we called at the time "the mansion". There was also a full-time cook named Rose.

Rose made these chewy brownies at least once a week, and sometimes more, and it wasn't long before my mom was making them too. They're super easy. These are the best brownies, and that soon made them a staple at our house too.

Last week when my youngest Maddie decided she wanted brownie sundaes for her her birthday, I turned to my old standby one bowl brownie recipe.

I hadn't made them for a while, and I have to say I was reminded how easy and yummy they were, and realized I'd never shared them here on Life is a Party before. If you don't have a go-to brownie recipe, then now you do. ;). Introducing what is sure to become one of your favorite brownie recipes next time you have a brownie craving.

Don't Over Bake

Perfect brownies should be fudgy and kind of gooey inside, so be sure not to over bake these. Follow the timing on the recipe. These have a lovely crinkly top, and chewy fudgy middle. My personal favorite are the chewy brownie edges at the edges of the pan.

Homemade Vs. Box Mixes

If you've ever worried that making brownies from scratch will be too hard or time consuming then these are the right recipe for you. These one-bowl brownies are really easy to make, so no more clean up than from a box mix. These easy brownies are cheaper to make from scratch then from a brownie mix and they're more delicious too. And these brownies are made with items from the grocery store you probably have in your pantry right now, so you can whip them up anytime for an easy dessert. We use semi-sweet chocolate chips, so no special unsweetened chocolate or baker's chocolate is necessary for this great recipe. They're really great served with ice cream and this hot fudge sauce, or just on their own.

We used our easy crackly top homemade brownies as part of some brownie sundaes, with toppings like chocolate sauce, peanut butter, and whipped cream. These chocolate brownies also delicious with a scoop of ice cream on top of the brownies. These easy homemade brownies are also a great lunch box treat, and because they're so quick and easy to make they're even great to bake last minute.I hope your family loves them as much as we do.

Recipe

Easy One Bowl Brownies

Easy one bowl chewy brownies.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 40

Servings:

Calories: 208kcal

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Ingredients

Instructions

Cream the sugar and margarine together in the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl and use an electric mixer.
Add in 1 teaspoon vanilla and eggs, and mix until well combined.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave, and then add the melted chocolate chips to the batter, stir to combine.
Add the flour and combine, without over mixing.
Spray a 8 x 8 square baking pan with non-stick baking spray or line with parchment paper, and then add in the brownie batter. Bake at 350 degrees, for a bake time of 25-30 min. taking care not to over bake. The pan of brownies should be still slightly gooey in the middle when done. Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @LifeisaParty or tag #lifeisaparty!

I love simple recipes like this one, with only one bowl to worry about cleaning up. With Easy One Bowl Brownies, life really is a party!

More Chocolate Recipes You'll Love

Also check out our Chocolate Charcuterie Board here.

You might also enjoy our S'more Charcuterie Board here.

This recipe was part of our Frozen themed Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Night -check out all the details about the whole party here.

Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Toolkit

Hot Fudge Sauce

Aug 26, 2021 · 1 Comment

Hot Fudge Sauce: this quick and easy sauce is thick and fudgy and the perfect addition to ice cream as a hot fudge sundae or any dessert.

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This sauce is the best hot fudge sauce I've ever had. It's pretty easy to make and so much better than store bought, Trust me when I say it's definitely worth the effort to make it. We used ours to make ice cream sundaes, but you could use it to elevate any dessert, and add some fudgy goodness just a simple bowl of ice cream. I love this easy homemade hot fudge sauce and I'm not even a real chocolate lover.

Made With Pantry Ingredients

One of the things we love about this sauce, is that you can make it with just a handful of ingredients from your pantry so you don't have to run to the grocery store. Don't worry if you're out of chocolate, or chocolate chips. This hot fudge recipe uses unsweetened chocolate cocoa powder. I try to keep a tin of evaporated milk in my pantry as well, it lasts for a very long time unopened, and adds a real richness to this fudge sauce. This recipe has no heavy cream in it, so it's the kind of think you can whip up pretty easily with simple ingredients.

What Is The Difference Between Chocolate Sauce And Hot Fudge Sauce?

You might be wondering what the difference between chocolate sauce and hot fudge sauce is. Chocolate sauce is typically thinner, ore like a chocolate syrup. Hot fudge sauce is thick and fudgy. When chocolate sauce cools it remains pourable. Hot fudge sauce is served hot because as it cools it becomes very thick, fudgey and un-pourable. If you're serving this hot fudge sauce over ice cream, the hot sauce will melt some of your ice cream, and the cold ice cream will make the some of the sauce even more thick and fudgy - making the perfect combo!

The main difference between chocolate sauce and hot fudge sauce is the texture. If you're looking for a runnier chocolate sauce recipe that doesn't thicken up, this isn't the sauce for you.

We made our homemade hot fudge sauce recipe and served it with our easy one bowl brownies and ice cream for the perfect ice cream sundaes as part of our Frozen themed dinner and movie night, It's perfect as an ice cream topping. I love it over vanilla ice cream, but the chocolate lover serve it over chocolate ice cream for a double chocolate hit, or make it a sundae with chocolate bar pieces added on top This homemade fudge sauce would be also be a great addition to your banana split.

Storing Chocolate Fudge Sauce

Store your leftover sauce in an airtight container or mason jar in the fridge. It's a delicious recipe for gift giving too in a pretty glass jar. Who won't love a jar of hot fudge sauce?

To serve this delicious treat after storing, the best way to heat it up is in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl, or heat it up on the stove top in a small saucepan.

Recipe

Hot Fudge Sauce

Smooth and creamy hot fudge sauce perfect for topping ice cream or any dessert.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 7

Total Time: 12

Servings: Servings

Calories: 348kcal

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Ingredients

Instructions

Add butter, cocoa powder, sugar and evaporated milk to a medium saucepan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for seven minutes.
Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Use an immersion blender and blend the sauce in the pan for 2 - 4 minutes. Take care not to splatter the hot sauce and burn yourself. Serve hot. Store any leftovers in the fridge, and reheat in the microwave to serve.

Nutrition

Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @LifeisaParty or tag #lifeisaparty!

This easy recipe really is the perfect topping for your favorite ice cream any favorite dessert you want to add some chocolate flavor to. With quick and easy hot fudge sauce that's this good, life really is a party!

This recipe was part of our Frozen themed Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Night -check out all the details about the whole party here.

Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Toolkit

. Check out more about the Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Toolkit by clicking here.

How To Make Easy Oven Roasted Carrots

Aug 25, 2021 · Leave a Comment

How To Oven Roast Carrots: oven roasted carrots are quick and easy, only 4 ingredients, deliciously tender and caramelized, great side dish.

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Wondering how to oven roast carrots? These easy oven roasted carrots are a great side dish with almost anything. Serve these with a holiday dinner, or just as part of an everyday weeknight healthy side dish at dinner. They cook in about 20-25 minutes, depending on how large you cut them, so they're quite quick to make, with just a few simple ingredients.

Only Four Ingredients

Simple roasted carrots are super easy to make. Just four simple ingredients at you can find easily at the grocery store:

carrots
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

This delicious side dish is pretty foolproof, and I'm sure once you try them, they'll make it into your standard easy weeknight meals rotation.

Why Roasted?

There's lots of ways to cook delicious fresh carrots, but what I love best about this carrot recipe is that roasting the carrots at a high heat brings out the natural sweetness of the carrots and causes those sugars to caramelize, making them a lovely golden brown. To make sure they caramelize nicely, be sure not to overcrowd the pan, since they release a little liquid while they cook, and we don't want them to steam in their own juices. Always place them in a single layer on the large baking sheet. The other key to a nice caramelization is to use a high temperature, to add lots of nice colour to your caramelized carrots.

Other Variations on How To Oven Roast Carrots

Love sweet carrots? Feel free to add a tablespoon of honey before roasting for sweet honey roasted carrots. Or try adding pure maple syrup or brown sugar to sweeten them up.

You can also add your favourite fresh herbs like fresh parsley or fresh thyme to this dish, but personally, I love them with just a sprinkle of salt old salt and black pepper.

Lots of over vegetable are delicious when roasted with just a little oil and some salt and pepper, just like our carrots. Feel free to try a combination of roasted vegetables with your carrots. Just cut the veggies to about the same size and add other varieties to the sheet pan such as sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, onions, or brussels sprouts. It's such a good idea for bringing out the sweet flavor of regular carrots and many other vegetables.

How Long To Roast Carrots At 400 In The Oven?

How long it takes to cook oven-roasted carrots does depend on the size of the carrots, and your particular oven. We cut our carrots into sticks and the cooking time was 20-25 minutes. Be sure to flip the carrots half way through the cooking so that they don't bun on the bottom. If your carrots aren't tender and caramelized after 25 minutes, just add another 2-5 minutes and check them again. Also, don't make the mistake of removing them from the oven as soon as they are tender, make sure you give them long enough to brown. This is caramelized sugars browning, and it really makes a much taster roasted carrot if you give it long enough to brown. So if they're not quite browned yet, give them some more time, but do check them frequently so that they don't burn.

Leftovers

If you have any leftovers, which I never seem to, store them in the fridge in an airtight container and reheat in the microwave.

Recipe

How To Oven Roast Carrots

Easy and perfectly caramelized oven roasted carrots. The perfect side dish.

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 35

Servings: servings

Calories: 110kcal

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Ingredients

▢ 2 lbs carrots
▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
▢ ½ teaspoon salt
▢ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Peel your carrots, and cut into carrot sticks. Try and make your carrots around the same size so that they'll cook evenly.
Place the carrots sticks on a baking sheet, and add the olive oil. Toss or stir to evenly cover the carrot sticks with oil, and make sure they're in an even layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Cook at 400 degrees, for around 20-25 minutes until the carrots are tender and soft, and slightly caramelized on the outside. Turn the carrots with a spatula half way through cooking. Enjoy

Nutrition

Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @LifeisaParty or tag #lifeisaparty!

We enjoyed our oven roast carrots as part of our recent Frozen themed dinner and movie night -read all about here. They're the perfect side dish for almost any main dishes, but we loved them with our Swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes. They make a great easy addition to any dinner party menu. These are the best roasted carrots and I'm sure you'll enjoy them, if your a fan of carrots. Roasting them gives them the best flavor, and brings out all their natural sugars. This simple recipe is my favorite way to cook carrots.

With a recipe for how to oven roast carrots, life really is a party!

More Recipe Inspiration

You might also like our Mac and Cheese with Panko Breadcrumb Topping recipe here.

Also check out our Homemade Slow Cooker Baked Beans recipe here.

Slow Cooker Baked Beans Recipe: once you've tried homemade baked beans you'll never want to go back to the canned version again.

You might also enjoy Crispy Panko Onion Rings recipe here.

This recipe was part of our Frozen themed Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Night -check out all the details about the whole party here.

Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Toolkit

Easy Recipe for Swedish Meatball Sauce

Aug 24, 2021 · Leave a Comment

This recipe for Swedish Meatball Sauce is quick and easy and perfect to make with frozen meatballs for Swedish meatballs without the trip to Ikea!

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Why We Love This Recipe

Enjoy Swedish meatballs at home without the trip to Ikea!
These are quick and easy to make with frozen meatballs.
The sauce is creamy and the perfect gravy to enjoy with the meatballs and potatoes.
This recipe only has a few simple ingredients.

We used frozen Swedish meatballs from the grocery store freezer section and our easy homemade Swedish meatball sauce recipe. The sauce is a beautifully rich and creamy one and sure to be a hit. It only has a few simple ingredients. You can make the best Swedish meatballs at home, anytime you want to without a trip to Ikea.

This sauce was really tasty. I used frozen meatballs, so it was quick and easy. -Barb, Via Pinterest

We served our Swedish meatballs as part of our Frozen themed dinner and movie night -you can read all about it here. They were the perfect Scandinavian food to go with our theme. Love Scandinavian food? You might also like our Midsummer Swedish inspired picnic.

This dinner was a real hit with everyone. These are very similar to Ikea meatballs, so next time you're craving the Ikea version, you can make this easy recipe at home. Serve them up with oven roasted carrots or zucchini pancakes as perfect side dishes. If you love a hearty main dish, you might also like our Beef, Guinness, and Mushroom Pie Recipe.

Ingredients

See the recipe card below for exact measurements.

Frozen Meatballs: We used frozen meatballs to make this a really easy recipe. Choose your favorite, Italian meatballs, or Swedish meatballs from the freezer section. The frozen meatballs cook directly from frozen in the oven. You could make your own homemade Swedish meatballs if you prefer. Make sure your homemade meatballs are fully cooked before adding to them to the Swedish meatball sauce.
Heavy Cream: The heavy cream (whipping cream) in this recipe adds a richness and creaminess to the sauce. Do take care to prevent your cream from curdling in the sauce, which can happen when the heat is too high and the proteins and fats to separate.
Dijion Mustard: Adds great depth and flavor to the sauce. We used grainy Dijon, but regular Dijion is a great choice too.

Not A Great Slow Cooker Recipe

You might be wondering about making a slow cooker version of this recipe. Sometimes it's great to know that dinner is cooking itself in the slow cooker, especially on a busy day. These are not a great slow cooker choice, for several reasons. For one, you would essentially be making the thickened sauce on the stove top and going through all the same steps, but just in advance, to create a thick traditional sauce, and then pouring it into the slow cooker.

So that makes the slow cooker version no savings on prep or cooking times. Some slow cooker Swedish meatball recipes don't really thicken the sauce and come out with something far too runny. The other problem is the high chance of the cream curdling if you add it at the beginning or things not being hot or creamy enough if you add it just at the end before serving. It's best to make the easy Swedish meatball sauce on the stove top, right before serving over your meatballs.

Instructions

Expert Tip

The sauce has a roux base, which thickens it to create the creamy gravy sauce. When you are cooking the roux, you must let the roux base brown. If you don't let it brown enough at this stage the finished sauce will be too white, but if you let the roux brown too long it can burn and ruin the sauce, so take care to get it to the right shade of golden brown.

Frozen Swedish meatballs on a baking tray.

Step 1: Place frozen meatballs on a baking tray and cook in the oven according to the directions on the package.

Making a roux for easy Swedish meatball sauce.

Step 2: In a large skillet over medium high heat melt the butter and whisk in the flour to create a roux.

Browning a roux in a skillet for an easy Swedish meatball sauce.

Step 3: Cook the roux until it becomes brown and smells nutty. Be sure not to undercook the roux or the sauce will be too white, and don't burn it either or the flavor will be ruined.

Making an easy Swedish meatball sauce in a skillet for frozen meatballs.

Step 4: Add in the beef broth, cream, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer over a low heat, taking care not to boil it after you add the cream.

Easy homemade Swedish meatball sauce in a skillet with meatballs.

Step 5: Add the heated meatballs into the pan, and stir to combine with the sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley. The sauce will continue to thicken slightly as it sits.

Storage

Place any leftover meatballs and sauce in an airtight container. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use this Swedish meatball sauce with homemade meatballs?

Yes make it and serve with homemade or frozen meatballs.

Why did my Swedish meatball sauce curdle?

Do not boil your sauce after you've added the cream. The heavy cream can split if the heat is too high and the proteins and fats separate.

Why is my Swedish meatball sauce so white looking?

If you don't cook the roux long enough, until it's a dark brown color the finished sauce will be too white and pale and lack depth of flavor.

More Recipes You'll Love

If you try this Swedish Meatball Sauce Recipe or any other recipe on my blog please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting today!

Recipe

Recipe for Swedish Meatball Sauce

Use this easy sauce with frozen or homemade meatballs.

4.60 from 15 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main

Cuisine: Swedish

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 20

Servings: cups

Calories: 257kcal

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Ingredients

Instructions

Place frozen meatballs on a baking tray and cook in the oven according to the directions on the package.
In a large skillet over medium high heat melt the butter and whisk in the flour to create a roux. Cook the roux until it becomes brown and smells nutty.
Add in the beef broth, cream, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer over a low heat, taking care not to boil it after you add the cream.
Add the heated meatballs into the pan, and stir to combine with the sauce. The sauce will thicken slightly more as it sits. Garnish with chopped parsley and enjoy.

Video

Notes

Make this sauce and serve with any homemade or frozen meatballs.

This recipe is not a good one to make in a slow cooker.

The sauce itself has a roux base, which thickens the sauce to create the creamy gravy sauce. When you are creating the roux you let the roux base brown. If you don't let it brown enough at this stage the sauce will be too white, but if you let the roux brown too long it can burn and ruin the sauce, so take care to get it to the right shade of golden brown.

Nutrition

Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @LifeisaParty or tag #lifeisaparty!

Frozen Themed Party -Dinner and Movie Night

Aug 23, 2021 · 2 Comments

This Frozen themed party with dinner and movie night is so much fun We served Frozen themed food, with Swedish meatballs, Sven's roasted carrots, and Frozen Ice Cream Sundaes with plenty of chocolate. We've got some great Frozen inspired partyn decor and Frozen printables too.

Frozen themed menu, party decor and printables.

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Do you want to build a snowman? Do you want to have a Frozen themed party dinner and movie night? This party was so fun to create, and one of the prettiest Disney Princess Movie nights that we've done so far.

Frozen themed food table with Swedish meatballs, Sven's carrots, mashed potatoes, and party decor.

Why We Love This Party

The Frozen movies represent a new kind of Disney Princess that isn't waiting around for a handsome prince to save them.
The powerful love in this film is sisterly love.
The menu inspired by Norwegian and Scandinavian food is so good!
Chocolate! Anna and Elsa's favourite and ours too.

Disney Most Popular Princesses

When I was researching which Disney Princess was the most popular, Frozen topped many of the on-line lists. It's certainly the best selling Disney Princess Movie of them all. Things have shifted over the years in terms of the princess narrative. It's been a while since any princesses have been waiting around to fall in love or be rescued by a handsome prince. Frozen is a love story, but the saving love in the movie is sisterly love, and Elsa is a strong, independent and powerful princess turned queen. This has appealed to girls of all ages. We were excited to include Frozen as one of our Disney Princess dinner and a movie night.

Check out our other Disney movie nights too. You might like our Cinderella Dinner and Movie Night, Beauty and the Beast Dinner and Movie Night, The Princess and the Frog Dinner and Movie Night, or Snow White Dinner and Movie Night.

You might also like our Winter Ice Skating Party Ideas.

Party Decorations

We went with the classic decor inspiration from the first Frozen movie, so lots of snowflakes, white and ice blue.

I used some inexpensive tulle fabric from the fabric store in white and blue as a snow drift inspired table cloth on our two small tables. I love to set these little parties up in the living room, so that we can enjoy dinner while we watch the movie for movie night. On top of the table cloth I used some snowflake table scatter, from my Christmas decoration box.

Frozen themed party decor printables, balloons, and decorations.

Balloons always feel special for a party, even a small at home movie night. I found this balloon arch kit with the balloons and the special tape to connect them at my favourite independent dollar store. It worked really well as the backdrop for our table.

In front I added lots of pretty iridescent candle holders. I thought the iridescent pieces worked really well with the ice and snow theme. The candles look really beautiful when we lit them. If you had smaller kids at your movie night, you could always opt for battery powered candles for safety. We also used lots of mini twinkle lights on both tables.

DIY Snowballs

These DIY snowballs were a fun additon to our Frozen inspired party decor.

To make the snowballs I found styrofoam balls in different sizes at the dollar store. I used a small craft paint brush to cover them in white glue, and then rolled them in some faux snow and glitter. After they dry they look great as snowballs .

I added them and a bit of extra faux snow and twinkle lights to the bottom of one of the tables as a fun decoration.

Frozen themed dessert table with make your own sundaes.

DIY snowball Frozen movie themed party decorations.

Frozen Themed Free Party Printables

We made some beautiful Frozen printables for this party. We started with our printable Frozen movie night ticket invitation. These are so fun to print at home on your printer, or at a local office supply store, and use as a special invitation to friends or family for this movie night.

Frozen printable movie ticket invitations.

We also made a really sweet poster with a great quote from our favourite snowman Olaf -"I like warm hugs." It's on our table in an inexpensive Ikea frame, which works perfectly.

We also included a bottle water wrap, with another great quote from Olaf "some people are worth melting for."

There are also some cupcake picks, which we used in our sundae toppings. Lastly we added this sign "Do you want to build an ice cream sundae?" as the perfect backdrop to our small ice cream sundae buffet.

Our free printables are available to all our subscribers. Subscribe below for instant access. Download and print on your home computer or at an office supply store, or print shop for your own Frozen party.

Frozen Themed Food Ideas

There isn't a lot of mention of food in Frozen, which made planning the themed dinner a little bit tricky. We ended up going with food from the region of Norway and Scandinavia, where the movie is set as our inspiration.

Swedish Meatballs with Homemade Sauce
Mashed Potatoes
Sven's Oven Roasted Carrots
Frozen Ice Cream Sundae Buffet with Hot Fudge Sauce and Easy One Bowl Brownies

Swedish Meatballs

Swedish meatballs are easy to make, delicious, and always a hit with grown ups or kids, so we served them as our main course. Find the recipe for our Swedish meatballs sauce here.

Mashed Potatoes

Along with our Swedish meatballs, we served some mashed potatoes. Pasta would be a great choice too, if you prefer.

Frozen party table with themed foods and party decor.

Bowl of Swedish meatballs for a Frozen themed dinner.

Bowls of Swedish meatballs, roasted carrots, and mashed potatoes for a Frozen themed dinner.

Sven's Roasted Carrots

We also made Sven's Roasted Carrots. These were a delicious choice that worked perfect with the meatballs, and I know Sven would approve. ;). Find the recipe for these easy oven roasted carrots here.

Frozen themed dinner table with snow themed party decorations.

Bowl of Sven's oven roasted carrots for Frozen themed dinner.

Frozen Themed Make Your Own Sundae

For dessert, we thought it would be fun to serve something that's actually frozen, and decided on a Frozen themed make your own sundaes.

To fit our theme we added lots of great blue and white options for toppings, and went with vanilla ice cream.

Waffle Bowls

For the sundae bowls we used waffle bowls decorated with blue chocolate and sprinkles.

I picked up some blue chocolate and melted it in the microwave on a saucer, and then dipped the edge of the waffle bowls into the chocolate. Before the chocolate set, we added blue and white sprinkles, including some snowflake sprinkles that fit our theme perfectly. Lastly, we let the chocolate set before serving.

Frozen themed make your own sundae toppings in blue and white.

Frozen themed dessert sundea table with hot fudge and brownies.

Blue and White Sundae Toppings

For our themed sundae toppings we had:

shredded coconut
mini white chocolate chips
mini marshmallows
white and blue jelly beans
blue sprinkles
snowflake sprinkles

We served them all in vintage milk glass containers.

Frozen themed make your own sundae bar with toppings with printable cupcake picks.

Frozen themed make your own ice cream sundae bar with blue and white toppings and chocolate brownies and hot fudge.

Frozen printable cupcake picks used on a dessert table.

Don't Forget Elsa and Anna's Favourite: Chocolate!

We also knew we had to to include some chocolate, since it's a favourite of both Elsa and Anna. So we made some yummy and easy one bowl chocolate brownies -get the recipe here to add to the sundaes, along with the most delicious hot fudge sauce.

Frozen themed dessert table with bowl of brownies with printable cupcake pick.

I'm not a real chocolate lover personally, and even I couldn't stop eating this amazing hot fudge sauce. It's so good.

Frozen themed make your own sundae dessert table.

Frozen themed food table for a party with Swedish meatballs, Sven's oven roasted carrots, mashed potatoes, drinks and party decorations.

Frozen Recipes

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I make this themed dinner quick and easy?

Use frozen meatballs, and already prepared mashed potatoes. Also buy mini carrots, so you don't have to peel and slice them. For dessert, pick up some store bought brownies and chocolate sauce. These already prepared foods will make this menu quick and easy.

What was Ellsa and Anna's favourite food?

Chocolate!

If you tried this Frozen Party and Menu or any other ideas on my blog please let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting today!

Frozen themed party food table and dessert table.

With a Frozen themed dinner and a movie, life really is a party!

More Frozen Inspiration:

Check out our Frozen Birthday Party Part I with lots of Decoration and Activity Ideas here:

You might also like our Frozen Themed Party Food Ideas here:

Also check out our Frozen Inspired Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats Recipe here:

Frozen Themed Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats: inspired by Disney's Frozen these snowflake rice krispie cookies are perfect for your Frozen themed party.

The Grey Stuff Recipe

Aug 20, 2021 · Leave a Comment

The Grey Stuff Recipe: made from vanilla and chocolate pudding, Oreo cookie crumbs, and cool whip, a Beauty and the Beast themed dessert.

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It wouldn't be a Beauty and the Beast party without "the grey stuff"! It's such a fun, and yummy treat to include in any Beauty and the Beast inspired party -see all our party details here, plus more Disney recipes. It's really quick and easy to make. You're entire family will love this easy recipe for the grey stuff. It's one of Disney's most sought-after recipes. This simple version is based off of the official recipe of the Disney World version. Now you can enjoy all of your favorite Disney movies brought to life with a Disney entertainment inspired menu and delicious recipes. We love finding easy and fun ways to bring the Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Park experience home with us.

Beauty and the Beast party table with food and decorations.

What Is The Grey Stuff?

All Disney fans will know the song "Be Our Guest" that's part of the film Beauty and the Beast. In it Lumiere, the candle, sings about the grey stuff.

"Try the grey stuff, it's delicious. Don't believe me? Ask the dishes".

how to make Disney's grey stuff from Beauty and the Beast

When the film first came out viewers were curious about what the grey stuff was? When the Be Our Guest restaurant opened in 2012 at Disney World theme parks the grey stuff became a very popular Disney food item at the beast's castle. And it was just as delicious as the song said it would be!

The Disney version is quite easy to make at home, and an easy way to include this movie detail in your Beauty and The Beast themed movie night at home. You'll love this copycat recipe, and have so much fun making it in your own kitchen.

Tips For Making The Grey Stuff

don't make the pudding according to the package directions, we're using the pudding mix powder as an ingredient
use the whole Oreo cookie, don't remove the icing when you're making your oreo crumbs
to keep the Oreo's from turning into a paste in the food processor when you're trying to make a fine crumbs, don't over blend them, and try working with cold Oreos
refrigerate the grey stuff before piping to make it easier to work with, and better able to hold its shape
serve the grey stuff on its own, or on top of a cookie, cake, cupcake, or brownie or as a fruit dip.

the grey stuff recipe from Beauty and the Beast

We loved enjoying the grey stuff on our shortbread cookies, it would also be delicious on sugar cookies. Use a piping bag to pipe it on top of the cookies. It's also delicious served on cake for your own grey stuff gateau, or cupcakes. You could also enjoy it piped into a mini ice cream cone. There are so many different ways to enjoy the actual grey stuff.

It was the perfect way to a little Disney magic to our dessert for our Beauty and the Beast themed dessert. Try it next time you're at Disney World in the Be Our Guest restaurant, but in the meantime, enjoy this make at home version any time you want a treat.

Recipe

The Grey Stuff Recipe

Inspired by Beauty and The Beast, this sweet cookies and cream mousse is the perfect sweet treat.

No ratings yet

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Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Additional Time: 2

Total Time: 2 10

Servings: servings

Calories: 176kcal

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Ingredients

▢ 1 ⅕ cups cold milk
▢ 3.4 oz package instant vanilla pudding mix
▢ 15 Oreo cookies
▢ 8 oz container cool whip, thawed
▢ 3 tablespoons instant chocolate pudding mix

Instructions

Add cold milk to the bowl of a stand mixer and add instant vanilla pudding mix. Mix at medium speed for 2 minutes, until pudding is slighly thickened. Refrigerate 1-2 hours until firm.
Place the oreo cookies in a food processor and pulse until turned into crumbs. Be careful not to over process and create a paste.
Fold the cookie crumbs, cool whip, and instant chocolate pudding mix into the chilled vanila pudding mixture, until fully combined.
Refrigerate the grey stuff for 1 hour before serving in small bowls, or piped onto cookies or cakes. Enjoy.

Nutrition

Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @LifeisaParty or tag #lifeisaparty!

With this grey stuff recipe, life really is a party!

This recipe was part of our Beauty and the Beast themed Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Night -check out all the details about the whole party here.

Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Toolkit

Love Disney Princess dinner and movie nights? Buy our Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Toolkit to help you create the perfect themed party. The Toolkit includes 6 different Disney Princess movie nights with menus, all the recipes, inspiration, and printables for each one. Check out more about the Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Toolkit by clicking here.

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