Vanilla Shortbread Cookies -Easy Cornstarch Recipe

Aug 19, 2021 · 1 Comment

These vanilla shortbread cookies are the ones your grandma made, just gently updated with vanilla bean paste for a little extra something special. Buttery, crisp, and melt in your mouth good.

Easy vanilla shortbread made with cornstarch.

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Quick Look

📋 Recipe: Vanilla Shortbread Cookies
⏲️ Ready In: 40 minutes
👪 Servings: 24 cookies
🔪 Difficulty: Easy
💭 Top Tip: Vanilla bean paste makes a real difference in a cookie this simple. The flavor is more intense than extract and the little black specks are beautiful.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Made with just five simple ingredients you likely already have.
Cornstarch gives these cookies a crisp exterior and tender, melt in your mouth center.
Vanilla bean paste adds beautiful flavor and those pretty little black specks.
Perfect for rolling and cutting into any shape for any occasion.
A great make ahead cookie. Bake a few days before your party and store in a tin.

I grew up with this recipe. It comes straight from the back of the Canada Cornstarch box, the one every Canadian grandma had cut out and tucked into her recipe box. My own grandma and my mom both made these, and the taste is pure nostalgia.

I've updated the classic with vanilla bean paste, which adds intense vanilla flavor and those beautiful little black specks. If you want the pure nostalgic version, simply leave it out.

If you love simple elegant cookies, you might also love our Toblerone Shortbread and our Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies. These vanilla shortbread cookies are also a staple on our Little Women vintage tea party table, alongside easy food processor scones and finger sandwiches.

Easy vanilla shortbread cookies with a scalloped edge.

Ingredients

Cornstarch -the secret to that melt in your mouth texture. Cornstarch shortbread has a crisp exterior and tender center that traditional Scottish shortbread made without it doesn't have.
Vanilla bean paste -our upgrade to the classic recipe. More intense flavor than extract and those beautiful little black specks. Vanilla extract works too if that's what you have.

Variations

The base dough is wonderfully simple to customize. Try any of these:

Orange: Add 1 teaspoon of orange zest for a warm, citrusy twist.
Lemon: Replace the vanilla bean paste with 1 teaspoon of lemon zest for a bright, fresh flavor.
Lavender: Add ½ teaspoon of culinary lavender to the dough. Beautiful for a tea party spread.
Almond: Swap the vanilla bean paste for ½ teaspoon of almond extract.
Chocolate Dipped: Dip baked, cooled cookies halfway in melted dark or milk chocolate and let set on parchment.
Coarse Sugar: Before baking, sprinkle the cookie with coarse colored sugar.

How To Make Vanilla Shortbread Cookies

Vanilla shortbread cookie dough formed in a stand mixer bowl with a spatula.

Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients and add the butter. Combine the cornstarch, powdered sugar, and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the softened butter and mix until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix, stop as soon as it comes together or the cookies will be less tender.

Vanilla shortbread cookie dough with vanilla bean paste mixed in, in a stand mixer bowl.

Step 2: Add the vanilla. Add the vanilla bean paste and mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Vanilla shortbread cookie dough rolled out on a floured surface with cookie cutters and cut cookies on a wood table.

Step 3: Roll and cut. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to about ¼ inch thick. Use your favorite cookie cutter to cut into shapes, or press with a cookie stamp for a beautiful embossed design. For the simplest version, roll the dough into 1 inch balls and flatten gently with a fork.

Vanilla shortbread cookies cooling on a wire rack.

Step 4: Bake and cool. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 300°F for 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges are just beginning to turn golden. The tops will still look pale and that is correct. They firm up as they cool. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before storing or serving.

Expert Tips: How to Serve These at a Tea Party

Plan on 1 to 2 cookies per guest when shortbread is part of a larger spread with sandwiches and scones.
Arrange on a tiered tray for the prettiest presentation. They look lovely stacked simply or layered on a pretty plate or cake stand.
They pair beautifully with a pot of tea. Earl Grey, English Breakfast, or a floral herbal tea are all lovely choices.
Make ahead with confidence. These are actually better after a day or two once the flavors have had time to settle, and they keep well in an airtight tin for up to a week.
Pack a few into a cellophane bag, tie with a ribbon, and tuck in a tea bag for the sweetest little party favor.

Easy vanilla shortbread cookies made with just 4 ingredients.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are vanilla shortbread cookies?

Vanilla shortbread cookies are a classic British biscuit made with butter, flour, and sugar, with no eggs or leavening. The addition of vanilla gives them a fragrant, warm flavor. Cornstarch shortbread cookies add tenderness and a melt in your mouth texture that sets them apart from traditional Scottish shortbread.

Can I make shortbread without a stand mixer?

Yes. Use an electric hand mixer at medium speed, or work the butter in by hand with a wooden spoon. If mixing by hand, be careful not to overwork the dough, which can toughen the cookies.

How do I know when shortbread is done?

The edges should be just barely beginning to turn golden. The tops will still look pale and slightly underdone. That is correct. They firm up as they cool, and overbaked shortbread loses that tender texture entirely.

How long do shortbread cookies keep?

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. For longer storage, freeze baked cookies for up to three months.

Can I dip these in chocolate?

Absolutely. Melt good quality dark or milk chocolate, dip the baked cooled cookies halfway, and let them set on parchment paper. Our Toblerone Shortbread takes the chocolate shortbread idea even further if you want to go all in.

Why do my shortbread cookies spread in the oven?

The most common reason is butter that is too soft or melted. Make sure your butter is at room temperature. It should be soft enough to hold an indent but not greasy. If your kitchen is warm, chill the shaped cookies on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before baking.

If you try these Vanilla Shortbread Cookies 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

Vanilla Shortbread Cookies

These vanilla shortbread cookies are made with cornstarch for a perfectly crisp, melt in your mouth texture. A simple five ingredient recipe ready in 40 minutes.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: British

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 40

Servings: Cookies

Calories: 89kcal

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Ingredients

Instructions

Combine the cornstarch, powdered sugar, and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the softened butter and mix until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix.
½ cup cornstarch, ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 cup all purpose flour, ¾ cup butter
Add the vanilla bean paste and mix until evenly distributed through the dough.
½ teaspoon vanilla paste
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to ¼ inch thick and cut into shapes with a cookie cutter or press with a cookie stamp. Or roll into 1 inch balls and flatten with a fork.
Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 300°F for 15 to 20 minutes until the edges are just beginning to turn golden. Cool completely on a wire rack before storing or serving.

Video

Notes

Love chocolate? Dip the baked cooled cookies in melted chocolate and let set on parchment paper.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Freeze baked cookies for up to three months.

Nutrition

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Braised Beef Ragu Recipe

Aug 18, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Braised Beef Ragu: rich beef dish is slow cooked in the oven until fork tender. Serve with pasta or mashed potatoes, perfect comfort food.

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I've been making this braised beef ragu for over a year now, and I've been meaning to share the recipe. I made it again for our Beauty and the Beast themed dinner and movie night the other day -check out all the details of the Beauty and the Beast party here.. We were inspired by the "Be Our Guest" song in the film to create a menu that featured beef ragu, since they mention it, and this recipe was perfect! It's rich and flavourful and the perfect comfort food, especially for cooler weather as we head into fall and winter. You'll definitely want to pin this recipe!

Braised Beef

Braised beef is any beef slowly cooked at a low temperature. It's generally seared at a high temperature in a hot pan first, and then slowly cooked in a braising liquid. The braising liquid is usually broth, and/or wine. The slow cooking of the beef breaks down all the connective tissue, until it's fall-apart tender. There's also often some sautéed vegetables included, most commonly onion, garlic, celery, and carrots. The braising is a great way to tenderize less expensive cuts of beef and make them fork tender after hours of cooking in a rich braising liquid. We usually use a beef roast, but you can braise many other cuts of beef also.

Beef Ragu

Beef ragu is an Italian meat sauce dish served with pasta. This Italian food is usually tomato based, and this rich sauce sometimes includes vegetables.

Braised Beef Ragu

Our braised beef ragu combines the best of both of these dishes, using a beef roast that is slow cooked until it's tender, along with the traditional onion, garlic, celery, and carrots, there are also mushrooms included in our dish. The braising liquid is beef stock and rich red wine, but there is also some tomato paste included to add the traditional tomato-based sauce flavour of a beef ragu. Our dish slow cooks for several hours in a large dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid and the cooking liquid reduces, the vegetables take on the flavor of the wine and tomato mixture, and the beef becomes fork tender. Before serving, the meat is shredded and given a good stir to turn it into a rich beef ragù sauce. This one pot meal is sure to become one of your favorite things.

Our braised beef ragu is delicious served with a wide pasta noodle like a pappardelle pasta. Cook the pasta until it is al dente, and then seve the meaty sauce over top for the perfect main course. This dish is perfect for pasta night. But this rich beef stew meat is also delicious served over mashed potatoes, or some people love it served over polenta. Either way, I know you'll love this easy beef ragu recipe. You can also top the finished dish with a little freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese.

Recipe Notes

Because we braised our beef ragu in the oven, some of the cooking liquids evaporated. If you want more sauce with your finished dish, feel free to add a little hot water to the dish before braising, or save some pasta water to make the beef ragu a little more saucy. Depending on if you use a cast iron dutch oven, or not, and if you have a tight fitting lid or not, and if you braise for 2 or 2 ½ hours the liquid amount will vary.

When I used a casserole dish for baking there was more liquid left. I usually add about a cup of hot water to it now for the dutch oven I have. You don't want the sauce to be soupy, but you do want some liquid. If you're serving it with pasta you may want a more liquid sauce, and you can add some of the pasta water. If you're serving it with mashed potatoes you may want it a little less liquidy. You can also save some of the potato cooking water to add as well.

When it's done cooking I shred the meat with two forks. If the meat won't shred easily it, isn't done yet, so give it a little more time. When you're shredding the meat, be sure to leave some large chunks and some small beef chuck pieces, and stir the liquid and veggies throughout.

Storing

Any leftover beef ragu can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. This sauce is even better the next day, and makes a great make ahead. You can also freeze leftovers. It's great frozen as an individual serving. Reheat on a cold day for the perfect lunch or dinner for one.

Meal Ideas

It's also wonderful served as a Sunday super. As soon as any guests arrive in the house, they'll smell the wonderful aromas coming from the kitchen as it slowly cooks. It does take quite a while to cook. so it's often a good choice for the weekend when you have a little more time. Once it's prepped and in the oven, it doesn't take much looking after. Do check on it every hour. You may want to stir it, so that any beef on the top doesn't dry out. You can also add a little water at any stage of the cooking if you feel it's drying out too much.

I love to serve this dish for a dinner party. I've 'often been asked for the recipe after ward. I usually serve it with a big caesar salad and cheesy garlic bread, and have some freshly grated parmesan cheese to add to the top. It's always a hit. Be prepared for your guests to want seconds. It's quite a heavy hearty meal, so best followed with a lighter dessert.

Recipe

With braised beef ragu, life really is a party!

More Recipe Inspiration

You might like our Best Homemade Mac and Cheese with Panko Breadcrumb Topping here.

Also check out our Beef and Vegetable Soup Recipe here.

Beef and Vegetable Soup Recipe: this homemade version of your favourite think and chunky soup is delicious and easy to make.

You might also enjoy our Recipe for Swedish Meatball Sauce here.

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. 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.

Beauty and the Beast Party -Themed Dinner and Movie Night

Aug 16, 2021 · 5 Comments

Our Beauty and the Beast Party Ideas for a themed Dinner and Movie Night are so much fun. We served beef ragu, French baguette for our themed menu, and we couldn't forget the grey stuff for dessert. We also set up a little a Gaston's Tavern are serving root beer. There were Beauty and Beast inspired decorations and printables too.

Beauty and the Beast party table with food and decorations.

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Why We Love This Party

You've got to love a fairy tale where the princess saves the prince!
Belle's smart girl book loving vibes are a favorite.
French inspired food -yes please.
Adding a Gaston's Tavern inspired rootbeer area is so much fun.

When I decided to do a series of Disney Princess themed dinner and movie nights this summer, I knew right away that I wanted to include one of our favorite fairy tales, Beauty and the Beast. It is one of the most cherished animated films of all time. Perhaps because Belle is a smart book worm, or because the newer live action movie is so beautiful, or maybe because, in this case, the princess saves the prince?

This party feels a little more grown up and sophisticated, probably because I was influenced by the live action version to use some beautiful vintage inspired pieces for the decor. You could find most of what I used at the thrift store, so it should be easy to recreate something similar at your house, with a little pre-planning and shopping.

If you're a Beauty and the Beast lover you must also check our Beauty and Beast Party Ideas for a birthday here. Be sure to check out our Frozen Dinner and Movie Night, The Princess and the Frog Dinner and Movie Night, Cinderella Dinner and Movie Night, Snow White Dinner and Movie Night and Moana Dinner and Movie Night.

Beauty and the Beast Party Decor

We set everything up in our living room around the coffee table to enjoy dinner while watching the movie on the big screen. If you prefer a Beauty and Beast dinner party, use our ideas to set up a dining room.

Book Page Runner

Inspired by Belle's love of books, we decided to make a table runner out of book pages.

I picked up some old and really inexpensive books at the thrift store. Next I ripped out pages and used my hot glue gun to attach them together to create the table runner.

Beauty and the Beast party table table with book page table runner, clock, candle holder, and roses.

Lumiere and Cogsworth

I thought it would be fun to include a clock to symbolize one of our favorite characters, Cogsworth, and a gold candlestick to represent Lumiere. I had an old clock that was perfect, but if you didn't you could look at a thrift store for something similar. Remember it doesn't need to be exact, which mine isn't.. It's just to give the suggestion. The candlestick I used was also from the thrift store. It was originally wood, but we liked the shape, and spray painted it gold. Brass candlestick holders would work well too.

Beauty and the Beast lumiere inspired candle holder.

Beauty and the Beast lumiere inspired candle holder and party decor.

Enchanted Rose

To create an enchanted rose to use on our table I used a glass cloche. It was really simple to put together.

I used a piece of clear fishing line, and tied a fresh rose at the base. Next, I used clear tape to attach the fishing line to the top of the cloche so the rose would hang. Lastly, I used some battery powered mini lights in the cloche as well, to create a magical look.

Just remember, if you're using a real rose like I did, not to put it together too early, as the rose will eventually wilt with no water source. Or you can use a faux rose instead.

DIY Beauty and the Beast inspired enchanted rose in a glass cloche with mini lights.

I used the rest of the red roses, and a few rose petals that I tore off, on the table. I also decorated with some stacks of vintage books that I had.

Beauty and the Beast party table with food and decor.

Beauty and the Beast Free Party Printables

We also created some beautiful custom printables for the Beauty and the Beast movie night. Starting out with this gorgeous movie ticket invitation. Print these off on your home computer or office supply store, and use them as an invitation for your kids, and friends.

Printable Beauty and the Beast movie ticket invitation on a table with candles and roses.

We also included a poster with this printable set that says "tale as old as time".

Tale as old as time printable poster for Beauty and the Beast party decor.

There's also food labels to go with our themed dinner menu, and beautiful cupcake picks that we used in our grey stuff dessert.

Beauty and the Beast inspired party table with food and party decor.

Beauty and the Beast party printables collection.

You can access our Free Bauty and the Beast printables in our free resource library. Just subscribe below for instant access.

Gaston's Tavern

We also included a little tribute to our favourite bad guy, Gaston -an iconic character. We created a special little area for Gaston's Tavern.

Where the coffee table decor was inspired by the beast's castle, this area is Inspired by the song lyrics, we were sure to use lots of antlers "... I use antlers in all of my decorating..." and included a faux deer head on the wall.

Beauty and the Beast party table with themed food and decor.

We created a printable Gaston's Tavern sign, that we added to the wall too. And based on the line "Belle what do you say we walk over to the tavern and look at my trophies?" I added some fun vintage trophies that I've found at antique stores to the table too.

Beauty and the Beast party at Gaston's tavern with trophies.

I thought it would be fun to have some root beer at the tavern or you could serve a homemade version of Disney's Lefou's brew recipe.

The glass beer steins are from the dollar store. I used my Cricut to add the logo to each glass, using permanent vinyl. Tip: I should have used white colored permanent vinyl, rather than black, so it would shown up better when the mug is full of root beer.

If you don't have a Cricut machine, you can create something similar by printing the logo on paper, and using glue to attach them to the mugs, or printing on sticker paper and adding stickers to the mugs. I've included the small logos in the printable package.

Gaston's tavern root beer bar at a Beauty and the Beast party.

DIY Gaston's tavern beer mugs for a Beauty and the Beast party.

Beauty and the Beast Themed Food

Some Disney Princess movies don't have much food mentioned in them, and it's a little challenging to come up with a theme menu, but not this one. The famous Be Our Guest song is full of ideas of what to serve for dinner. And we were also inspired by the Beauty and Beast menu at the Be our Guest restaurant at Walt Disney World.

Braised Beef Ragu
Pasta
French Baguette
The Grey Stuff with Vanilla Shortbread Cookies
Rootbeer from Gaston's Tavern

We went with beef ragout, baguette, and the grey stuff.

This beef ragu is a favourite of ours and I've been meaning to share the recipe for awhile. It's a braised beef sauce made with red wine, and beef broth, and it's rich and delicious. This is one of my favorite, most delicious recipes.

We served ours with pasta, it's also fantastic with mashed potatoes. Find the recipe for Braised Beef Ragu here.

Beauty and the Beast table with beef ragu, French Baguette, and the grey stuff.

Bowl of beef ragu at a Beauty and the Beast party.

Beauty and the Beast themed food table at party.

The grey stuff comes from the line in the song "try the grey stuff it's delicious, don't believe us ask the dishes". It's easy to make and so good, your kids will love it. Find the easy recipe for The Grey Stuff here. It's a delicious combination of oreo cookies, and vanilla pudding mix.

We used a piping bag to add to some delicious shortbread cookies. Find the vanilla shortbread cookie recipe here.

This is one of our favorite beauty and beast inspired simple treats. You could also serve the grey stuff on it's own in a small bowl, or as a cupcake topping, if you prefer.

Beauty and the Beast inspired grey stuff served on shortbread cookies.

This movie night was so beautiful and so delicious. The food is really amazing for this movie night. It would also be a great date night, family movie night, or birthday party celebration.

Beauty and the Beast inspired dinner of beef ragu, French baguette and the grey stuff.

With all these fun Beauty and the Beast party ideas for a fun themed dinner and movie night, life really is a party!

Frequently Asked Questions

What food is mentioned in Beauty and The Beast?

This movie has many mentions of food including beef ragu, cheese soufflé and, most famously, the "grey stuff."

What is the grey stuff?

The grey stuff served in Disney parks at the Be Our Guest restaurant is a sweet mousse made of cookies and cream. Some people believe that the grey stuff in the original film is pate, because it's served on a platter of hors d'oeuvres.

Can I make these dishes ahead of time?

Yes, make the beef ragu the night before, it will be even better heated the next day. Make your cookies and grey stuff ahead of time, but pipe the grey stuff on the cookies just before serving to avoid the cookie becoming soggy.

If you tried this Beauty and Beast 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!

Beauty and Beast Recipes

How To Set A Table

Aug 6, 2021 · Leave a Comment

How To Set A Table: the basics for setting a casual table, and all the details of how to properly set a formal dining table.

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The Purpose of Etiquette

Where do you start when it comes to how to set a table? Begin with the fact that the purpose of etiquette is for everyone to feel comfortable. The point of etiquette is not ever to try and trip people up or test them. The purpose of standardized table settings is so that dinner guests know what to expect, and where everything should be. This should help everyone feel comfortable and confident. If you ever see your guests struggling, lead the way for them, and create an atmosphere so everyone feels at ease.

There are no table setting or etiquette police. With these basics you should be able to set a table you're proud of, and that you and guests feel comfortable at for any dinner parties, special occasions, or everyday life. A properly set table with everything in the right place is the perfect way to make everyone feel comfortable and have a great time while you enjoy great food and quality time together.

Casual Table Setting

For casual table settings for casual meals, some people like to start with a placemat, but for a casual table setting the plate directly on the table is fine too. Next centre the plate in front of each chair. As a general rule, forks go on the left (the only exception is if you are setting a formal dinner table setting and including an oyster fork) and knives and spoons go on the right. Place your dinner fork to the left of the plate. Place the knife to the right of the plate. The blade of the knife always faces in towards the plate. The spoon goes to the right of the knife.

Place the napkin under or beside the fork, or on the centre plate -which ever you prefer. You can also choose to include napkin rings, if you wish for an informal table.

Lastly, the water glass should be above the knife.

Formal Table Setting

For a formal table setting for a special occasion start with a base layer of a tablecloth, or a table runner and placemat, and /or charger plates on your dining room table.

Next layer on your dinner plate. If you are serving salad, layer the salad plate next, followed by soup bowls if you're serving soup.

How To Set Formal Cutlery

For elegant table settings, to the left of the plate place the forks. The cutlery is placed from the outside in towards the plate, by course. We've included a salad fork and diner fork, as is traditional for North America. You might also include a fish fork, or move the salad fork over if you're serving salad after the main course as some European countries do.

On the right side of the place setting place the knives and spoons, again working from the outside in. Always have the knife blade pointing toward the plate.

Only set pieces you are planning on using for the meal. Never add extra cutlery or glasses that are not needed for the meal.

The bread plate is traditionally above the forks. If you have a large centrepiece there might not be room to place it there, so it can be shifted to the left side of the forks. Some people include a butter knife set diagonally on the bread plate, but these days most people don't own a whole set of butter knives for each person, or expect to have one at their place setting.

Above the dinner plate, place the dessert spoon and fork. The fork should be on the bottom pointed to the right. The spoon should be on the top, facing the opposite direction. Some people to prefer to not set dessert cutlery and bring it out when coffee and dessert are served.

How To Set Formal Glassware

To the right of the plate, above the knives are the glasses. Start by setting a water glass above the knife, this glass should be the easiest for the guest to reach. Then work your way out by courses. Typically you'd have a champagne flute next, if you're serving champagne or sparkling wine. This is followed by your white wine glass typically paired with your fish or chicken, then lastly a red wine glass for your meat course. These would be set on a diagonal. You can also set up glasses in triangle or diamond if you're short on space.

In keeping with the glasses being arranged in order of use, the coffee cup would be the furthest out, to the right of the cutlery. Some people like to set coffee cups, and others prefer to bring them to the table when dessert is served.

The napkin can be placed on the dinner plate, to the left of the forks with a napkin ring, or under the forks. Whichever you prefer the look of.

For a formal dinner, you can also include place cards. Some people like to write the name on both sides of the place card. This allows guests to find their spot, and other guests can easily read the names also.

Beautiful Centerpiece

For a special table you may want to start with some fresh flowers on the center of your table to add some visual interest. Faux flowers are a great option for a table centerpiece. Choose a floral arrangement to match your color scheme. For a more casual table setting the centerpiece could even be a bowl of fresh fruit in the middle of the table. Candles are a great addition to the table, and easy way to add elegance. Choose non-scented candles so that they don't compete with the food smells. It's always nice to add some natural elements.

Depending on the time of year, you might want include some seasonal touches for your next dinner party. You could add in small pumpkins, and traditional orange with your fall flowers for a simple Thanksgiving table setting, Natural materials are always a great addition, especially to add a rustic feel, For Christmas dinner you could add pine cones and votive candles to your centerpiece.

Printable Table Setting Infographic

All the table setting rules all in one place in this handy and printable How To Set A Table Infographic.

Want to print this? Subscribe below to have access to our free printable library and download the pdf for printing.

With a beautifully set table, life really is a party!

More Inspiration

You might also like How To Host A Tea Party here.

How To Host A Tea Party: ideas on what to serve at a tea party, including some recipes, and tips about hosting.

Also check out 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!

Top 10 Picnic Ideas, Tips and Tricks

Aug 5, 2021 · 2 Comments

Top 10 Picnic Do's and Don'ts: easy picnic ideas that will help you plan the perfect picnic and avoid all the mistakes.

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Picnics are such a fun activity. Today we're sharing all our favourite picnic ideas and best picnic tips and tricks to help you have the best picnic ever. Nothings better than fresh air and great food, enjoyed with great company. Any warm day is the ideal time to have a picnic.

1. Picnic Activities

Don't forget a few fun activities to do at the picnic besides of course eating great food. Games like bocce ball, ladder ball, corn hole, or even a Frisbee or a kite are great picnic ideas. Activities like these are an especially good options to keep young children happy if they're with you.

Swimming is such a favourite picnic activity. Bring a picnic to the beach, and enjoy the water, build a sandcastle, and enjoy the sun. Water sports or boating are a perfect picnic activity too if you have the opportunity.

Not a fan of playing a picnic game or sports activities? How about bringing a good book or a magazine for the perfect leisurely picnic activity? Another quiet activity for a picnic is painting or sketching. Since you're hopefully in a lovely spot with gorgeous scenery, it's a great time to pull out the sketch book, or try a little watercoloring. Kids love this too.

Lots of people love to bring a music device to enjoy some tunes on a picnic too. If you are bringing music though be sure you don't disturb others who are trying to enjoy the outdoors also, and might not love your choice in music. If you're off on your own though, some music can be a great addition.

2. Food Packaging

Do take care in how you package your food. There's nothing worse than squished or soggy sandwiches, or a salad that leaks salad dressings all over everything else, unless of course it's food poisoning. Make sure to keep hot foods hot and cold foods. Keep cold foods cool with ice packs and a cooler. Throw out any leftovers you're worried about. Remember food safety especially for items like potato salad with mayonnaise. If you're worried about having issues, then choose foods that are safe at room temperature. Frozen water bottles are a great way a cool bag cold on a hot day, without the dripping mess of ice cubes as they melt. If you are using ice cubes, make sure to pack them in ziplock plastic bags to avoid a mess of water at the bottom of the cooler when the ice melts.

To avoid the leaking issue with foods, choose containers like mason jars, or plastic containers that seal well. When you're packing your picnic basket, be sure to put heavy items on the bottom, and lighter things like food items that you don't want to get squished or crushed on top. Fresh fruit is great for a picnic, so take care to make sure it doesn't get crushed.

And when you're packing up your picnic foods, don't forget that you also are going to need some things like trash bags for after the picnic. Throw some paper towels, hand sanitizer, and wet wipes in along with the garbage bags for easy picnic cleanup when you're all done.

3. Colour Scheme and Decor

Do remember to think about your colour scheme and some flowers even for a picnic. It's amazing how adding a few special touches as picnic decor can take the festivities to a whole new level. Things like real china dishes, glasses, a small cutting board and cloth napkins are a little trickier to transport, but make your picnic feel super luxurious. I don't recommend these items for a backpack hike, but if you're parking your car nearby, some of these extras can take your picnic experience to the next level. If you do need a lighter more easy to transport option, there are lots of beautiful disposable products too. Beautiful paper plates, napkins, and cups with coordinated colors and patterns are a beautiful option. Choose whatever works best for you, but remember to try and co-ordinate it for a pulled together look. You don't have to be a food stylist to make it look great. Go the extra mile with a few special touches, and you will create a successful picnic full of special memories. Although things like coordinated accessories aren't necessary for a wonderful picnic, they really do make your picnic extra special. They're especially great if it's a romantic picnic and you want to show someone special that they're worth going to some extra trouble for.

4. Bugs and Avoiding Them

Do remember to bring some insect repellent and look out for ants. As cliche as it might sound, ants at a picnic are no fun, especially if they're the biting kind. Bee stings can dampen the mood too. Remember to look for insects when you pick your picnic spot and avoid them if you can. I once accidentally set up a gorgeous, elaborate picnic right on top of an ant hill. Needless to say we had to move everything and re-set up in a new area. Lesson learned. Always check your picnic area before setting it up. You might also want to keep a small first aid kit on hand, just in case. And take extra precautions if anyone is allergic.

Mosquitoes or black flies can be a real pain at a picnic too. The best way to keep mosquitoes away is bug spray, or something like a citronella candle or coil can help keep them away from your picnic area too.

5. Sun and Shade

Do find some shade. Too much sun in the great outdoors can be a bad thing. A sun hat, or an umbrella are great options. You could also look for a shady spot to set up your picnic blanket. Lots of parks have an outdoor sheltered picnic area. If you're picnicing on the beach a shade umbrella or shade tent is a great idea on really sunny days. If you're a sun lover, it's a good idea to bring some sunblock, so you can enjoy the sun safety.

6. Take Out

Do remember that a great option for a picnic, especially if you're not so into packing up all the food yourself, is takeout. My favorite picnic hack is to pick up food at your favourite restaurant. Bring a blanket and find somewhere in the great outdoors with great views to enjoy your meal. Even a take out pizza is a great option for easy picnic food.

It's not only restaurants, many grocery stores have a great grab and go food options. Look for things like ready made sandwiches, a fruit tray, veggie tray, dips, fresh bread, cheeses, even ready made charcuterie boards to enjoy. In the deli section you could find ready made salads, like pasta salads, fruit salad, and others. These ready made picnic classics make preparing a picnic much easier.

7. Three Season Picnicking

Do picnic in spring, summer, and fall. As soon as the weather is warm enough to enjoy being outside, and until it gets frosty can be picnic season. In the spring and fall especially a waterproof plastic backed picnic blanket is one of my picnic essentials. During those times of year, you may be more comfortable at a picnic table, rather than sitting on the ground. Camp chairs are also a great option. As well, a thermos with a hot drink, like tea, coffee, or hot chocolate is a great addition to a spring or fall picnic to warm up if you're feeling chilly.

8. BBQ or Campfire

Do bring a portable bbq on your picnic. An inexpensive mini bbq that uses charcoal or a small portable gas bbq are a great addition to any picnic. Some parks even have built-in bbqs where you supply the charcoal. This can take a picnic to a whole new level. In some areas you can also light a fire, which is great for roasting hot dogs or s'mores charcuterie snack board too, or staying until it gets dark. BBQs and campfires are prohibited in some areas, so be sure to check your local rules before starting one. And if you're in an area that allows it, a campfire is one of my favorite ways to add a little warmth to spring and fall picnics. In many picnic areas you can buy firewood. Use an old school stick from the woods for your marshmallow roasting. Don't forget to pack your portable camp chairs to sit around the fire.

9. Rain Rain Go Away

Do check the weather forecast. One of the few things that can really ruin a picnic is rain. Check the forecast before you head out, and if you're meeting friends you might want to consider a rain date or some other backup plan. Some parks have pavilions with a roof, which can be great if there's just a sprinkle. If it's really raining though, even under a pavillion things often feel very damp and just aren't as much fun. A unexpected picnic in your living room has a certain charm too, if you get rained out.

10. Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner?

Don't forget that picnics are great any time of day -breakfast, lunch, or dinner. A breakfast picnic is a great way to start off the day. There's lots of fun portable breakfast foods like pastries, muffins, fruit and a thermos of coffee. A sunrise picnic is just as special as a sunset picnic. So be sure to think of all the possibilities when you're planning your next picnic.

Picnics are so much fun. They're the perfect way to enjoy the outdoors, along with delicious food, and wonderful company. Picnic's are one of my favourite ways to entertain. Find a great place, pack some great food, and enjoy yourself. With these great picnic ideas and top tips and tricks, you're sure to have your best picnic ever.

More Great Picnic Ideas

You might also like our Mushroom Themed Picnic here.

Also check out our Cherry Themed Picnic here.

You might also like The Butterfly Themed Picnic here.

Cotton Candy Drink Recipe

Jul 29, 2021 · 1 Comment

Cotton Candy Drink: this simple two ingredient drink is always a hit with kids. Easy recipe and tips for working with cotton candy.

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This two ingredient cotton candy drink couldn't be more simple to make, and it's beautiful and delicious. So it's ticking all the boxes. Any one with a sweet tooth will love it. We love easy recipes that taste great, and when you can get all the ingredients at the grocery store.

We made these drinks for our Cinderella Dinner and A Movie Night -see all the details here. It was the perfect shade of Cinderella pale blue for our party. We called them Cinderella sippers as a sweet treat to enjoy for our movie night. They're great for any special occasions. These cotton candy mocktails are great for kids or anyone who wants a non-alcoholic drink option. Enjoy them at a bridal shower, birthday party, new year's eve, Mother's day, or the holiday season.

Cinderella inspired party table with themed food and party decorations.

You could also use pink cotton candy for these and make them a beautiful shade of pink instead of blue. Or get really crazy and combine both for a purple.

Wouldn't these be fun drinks in the pink and blue colors for baby showers, or a gender reveal? The colors are perfect for spring celebrations or a summer day.

Watch The Magic

The magical part of this drink is that you put the cotton candy into a clear glass first, and then pour the sprite over the top. The fun part is that the cotton candy instantly dissolves and the drink turns blue or pink! It's so perfect for special events, because it feels magical. Top the festive drinks with extra cotton candy and you can even add a sprinkle of pink luster dust, or edible glitter on top, or add blue or pink sanding sugar sugar to the rim of the glass for the perfect drink for celebrating. You'll love the sweet flavor of this alcohol-free version.

Tips

A few tips about working with fluffy cotton candy. As soon as the cotton candy gets exposed to moisture, even the moisture in the air, it begins to dissolve. So for best results, don't prepare these in advance because your cotton candy melts with the moisture in the air. Do them last minute, right in front of your guests. Keep that cotton candy in an airtight sealed container right up until you're ready to use it so the cotton candy dissolve doesn't ruin the appearance.

You could also add ice to this drink, to make it on the rocks.

We've tried this drink with ginger ale, and although it takes great, it didn't give the best color. Sprite is the perfect pop to use for the cotton candy drink because it's clear, and will give you the best blue colour when the cotton candy dissolves. Another great option would be a clear colored cream soda, or vanilla soda. If you want a really bright pink color you could also try a raspberry ginger ale.

Adult Cotton Candy Drink Idea

Kids love this drink. It's sweet and fizzy and a lot of fun and perfect for your next party. Want a grown up friendly version? Try adding vodka for a cotton candy cocktail. Too sweet for you? Swap out the pop for sparkling water for the fun cocktail version. This adult drink version is perfect for bachelorette parties, or any special celebration.

Recipe

Cotton Candy Drink

Easy two ingredient drink that kids love!

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 2

Total Time: 2

Servings:

Calories: 263kcal

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Ingredients

▢ ¼ cup cotton candy
▢ 1 cup Sprite pop

Instructions

This cotton candy drink is super simple to make. Place a piece of cotton candy in the bottom of a glass, and top with Sprite. Serve in a champagne flute and a cotton candy garnish on the top of the glass.

Nutrition

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

These drinks are so much fun and perfect for your birthday parties, girls' night -with big girls or little girls, or for new years, when kids love a fizzy drink.

With cotton candy drinks, life really is a party!

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

Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Toolkit

More Drink Ideas

You might also like our Swamp Water Punch recipe here.

Also check out our Coconut Milkshake here.

Coconut Milkshake: Inspired by our favouraite Thai resturant, made with just three simple ingredients -coconut milk, ice, and condensed milk.

You might also enjoy our Blackberry Sparklers here.

Blackberry Sparklers: fresh blackberries are pureed for this cocktail, make it with alcoholic, or without for a non alcoholic mocktail version.

Pumpkin Stuffed Manicotti with Browned Butter and Sage Sauce

Jul 28, 2021 · 1 Comment

Pumpkin Pasta Recipe: this pumpkin manicotti with sage browned butter sauce is comfort food at its best, a great fall and winter recipe.

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This easy pumpkin pasta recipe is a favourite of ours. With a rich, creamy pumpkin filling inside tender manicotti, and the perfect browned butter and sage sauce this pasta dish is so delicious.

We recently had a Cinderella Dinner and A Movie Night. We're watching Disney Princess movies this summer and pairing them with a dinner inspired by the film -see the whole Cinderella party here. When we decided to do a Cinderella themed dinner, we knew that we had to include pumpkins, as a nod to the famous pumpkin turned into a carriage by the fairy god mother.

Cinderella inspired party food, and DIY party decorations.

Pumpkin pasta dish inspired by Cinderella.

This pumpkin pasta dish is creamy and mild in flavour. I think most kids will love it too. The addition of the sage browned butter sauce is just what it needs. This dish is especially perfect in the fall. It is comfort food at its best.

Pumpkin Cannelloni with sage browned butter

Pasta

This pumpkin pasta recipe is an adaptation of a favourite of ours. It was originally a recipe for pumpkin ravioli with sage browned butter sauce. It's delicious, but making your own pasta from scratch and turning it into ravioli is very time consuming, labour intensive, and fiddly hard work. We loved the flavours, but wanted an easier method for putting this together. We thought about a few different options, like lasagna, or pasta sauce, but manicotti ticked all the boxes for us, since it allowed for the addition of the sage browned butter sauce, that really makes the dish. This was much easier to make than making your own ravioli from scratch, and had all the great flavours of the original dish.

We used manicotti for this recipe. You could also use cannelloni pasta. The difference between manicotti and cannelloni is that manicotti has ridges that give the pasta some bite, vs cannelloni which is smooth and more tender. If you can't find manicotti shells or cannelloni at the grocery stores, you could also use jumbo pasta shells, or use large sheets of fresh pasta to make your own by wrapping around the filling.

Pumpkin

The pumpkin filling in this pasta is so good. It has a richness and creaminess to it. It's a little bit sweet, but savory too. The pumpkin has a great texture, and the softness pairs perfectly with al dente pasta with a little bite to it. We used canned pumpkin puree for our filling. If you're using canned pumpkin be sure to get pure pumpkin instead of pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling has sugar and pumpkin pie spice added to it, so it won't work in this recipe. You can use fresh pumpkin too, if you wish. Just roast your pumpkin and puree it to a smooth consistency in your food processor.

Burnt Butter and Sage Sauce

The burnt butter in this recipe adds a wonderful nutty flavor, and the fresh sage cooked in the butter is delicious.

You could use a white sauce instead for this recipe as another option. I would not use a red sauce. The pumpkin and red sauce won't be a great combination. The pumpkin is quite a mild flavor and pairs better with the burnt butter or Alfredo sauce.

If you have any leftover pumpkin pasta, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

This manicotti recipe with pumpkin and the browned butter and sage sauce is so good. It's perfect for pumpkin season and you'll definitely want to add it to your fall repertoire. The pumpkin is smooth and creamy and little bit sweet and the butter and sage is so rich and flavorful. It's a taste of home, and real comfort food.

I like to serve this with a sweet Italian sausage, a green salad and some nice crusty bread for a lovely dinner. A grilled meaty sausage is a great accompaniment, or keep it a vegetarian meal and serve it on it's own. We didn't add cheese to our dish, but serving with some grated parmesan cheese would be delicious over the top.

Recipe

With our pumpkin manicotti with sage browned butter, life really is a party!

This recipe was part of our Cinderella themed Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Night -check out all the details about the whole party here. We had so much fun creating this Cinderella themed dinner menu.

Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Toolkit

Simple Wedding Cake and DIY Wood Wedding Cake Topper

Jul 26, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Simple Wedding Cake and DIY Wood Wedding Cake Topper: make your own simple and rustic 1 tier wedding cake and Cricut cake topper.

DIY wood cake topper on a naked cake with flowers.

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I love the trend in weddings these days for simple and rustic. This DIY wedding cake and Cricut wood wedding cake topper were pretty simple to put together and definitely really inexpensive too. I created the wood wedding cake topper with my Cricut machine. I love that it can cut wood, and that you can customize it to say anything you'd like. It's a great way to add a personal touch to your special day. The DIY cake topper turned out great and would be perfect for your a simple wedding or a special bridal shower for DIY brides.

Because you can personalize the cake topper, it's a great option not just for a wedding day. Make a custom cake topper for any special occasions. It's a great option to create a beautiful cake for a birthday, anniversary, baby shower, or any special day. It also makes a special keepsake.

The Cake

The simple cake is as basic as it gets -and that's exactly what you need if you're busy putting together your own wedding cake or wedding shower cake. I used two white cake mixes, and some homemade buttercream icing. We made ours a naked cake, again so simple. Another great option is to pick up some inexpensive plain white cakes at the grocery store. If there are no plain cakes at the grocery store, you can scrape the icing off, and add some white icing to create the look you want. This cake is perfect for the bride and groom who love simple and rustic. This is simple enough to do the day before your wedding day.

Tips for Cutting Wood with a Cricut Machine

We made the custom wedding cake topper on our Cricut machine. There's a few tips I'd love to share with you for working with wood, that might make the process go a little more smoothly.

1. Choosing Your Font

If you're designing your own cake topper in Cricut Design Space choose your font carefully. We wanted a script so that we could connect all the letters in our words to make a solid piece, but some fonts with thinner lines would not be a good choice to cut out in wood. The letter lines need to be at least ⅛" thick for the best results. We used the Cricut font Retro Script, and it worked great. Love Create Celebrate has a great video tutorial if you want to design your own topper.

2. Checking Your Wood Is Cut Through

Be sure to check that the topper is cut all the way through before unloading your project from the Cricut machine. You can test this by gently pushing down on the cut piece to see if it moves. You might also be able to remove any small circular inner pieces from the letters. If it isn't cut through add more passes before you unload the mat. This part is key, it has to be before you remove the mat from the machine. After you remove it, you can't add more cuts, because it won't line up properly.

3. Doing Touch Ups with the True Control Knife

Also, once you remove the mat, if you have a few spots that aren't cut through, use the Cricut True Control knife to cut through any spots that need it.

4. Using Wood Glue

If you unfortunately have a few delicate pieces of the cake topper break, you can glue them back on with a tiny amount of wood glue.

5. Cutting Against The Grain

Against the grain on the wood sheet is stronger than with the grain. We aligned our wood piece with the grain running side to side, rather than up and down to give those connections between the letters a little extra strength.

6. Extra Wood For Practise

It took us two tries at making the cake topper, so you might want a few extra sheets of wood. On our first attempt we had too many passes, and the cake topper broke. Lastly on the second attempt we did the same amount of passes and it wasn't cut all the way through so we had to add some, and touch up some spots with the knife afterward. It might take a few tries to make your project, so it's great to plan on having some extra material, just in case.

How To Make A Wood Cake Topper With Your Cricut

Recipe

DIY Cricut Wood Cake Topper

No ratings yet

Print Pin Rate

Course: DIY & Crafts

Prep Time: 1

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 2

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Equipment

Cricut Maker
Cricut Knife Blade
Strong Grip Cutting Mat
Cricut True Control Knife
Self-Healing Mat

Materials

Cricut Bass Wood
Masking Tape
"Happily Ever After" Cut File

Instructions

Begin by opening our free "Happily Ever After" cut file in Cricut Design Space, and choose the "Make It" option.
Use a strong grip cutting mat and line your wood up in the top left corner. Use masking tape around the outside of the wood to tape down the edges, and give it extra hold.
Next, make sure your Cricut has the knife blade inserted.
Follow the prompts on the Cricut to cut out the cake topper. Note -wood takes many passes, so it takes a little extra time to cut out.
Next, once your topper is finished cutting, but before you remove the mat from the Cricut machine, check to make sure that it's cut all the way through. Genty push down on the wood to see if the cut piece is free, or try and remove any of the inner circle pieces from the letters. If they pop out, then remove your mat from the Cricut. If they don't, then choose to add more passes, and then check again until it's completely cut through.
Once your mat is unloaded, carefully remove the masking tape. Next gently remove the cake topper. Take care because it's fragile, especially any small end pieces of the letters.
Lastly, if you notice it's not cut all the way through in some spots, use the cricut true control knife and the self-healing mat to cut through any attached pieces. If your cake topper breaks at all, you can use tiny amount of wood glue to reattach any small pieces that need mending

Once your topper is finished, use the two wood posts to insert it directly into the top of your wedding cake. We decorated our cake with a few fresh flowers and rosemary too. This is one of my favorite wedding DIY projects. Using your cutting machine and some bass wood, this is a really budget-friendly idea for your big day.

This wedding cake was really simple to make, but the DIY wood wedding cake topper really takes it to the next level. This cake is perfect for the bride and groom who love a simple rustic vibe, and it's very inexpensive to make yourself if you have a Cricut machine.

how to make your own simple wedding cake

With a simple DIY wedding cake and wood cake topper, life really is a party!

More Inspiration

We also used this beautiful wood cake topper as part of our Cinderella Dinner and Movie Night. This simple wedding cake was the perfect centre piece for our party. Therefore check out all the details for the Cinderella party here.

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

Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Toolkit

Princess Movie Movie Night Toolkit E-Book

Cinderella Party -Dinner and Movie Night

Jul 26, 2021 · Leave a Comment

This Cinderella Party Dinner and Movie Night is full of DIY Cinderella party decoration ideas, party printables, and a themed dinner menu of Cinderella inspired foods. It's full of great ideas for a movie night or a Cinderella themed party.

Cinderella Party table with Cinderella inspired food and DIY party decor.

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Why We Love This Party

Cinderella is such a classic Disney princess movie, and the ultimate fairytale.
This menu is so delicious and pairs perfectly with the movie.
The printables are easy to print and use, and so much pretty detail.
We used sewing materials, faux pumpkins, a clock, and all the pretty blue and pink for our DIY decor ideas.

We are having so much fun creating our Disney Princess Dinners and Movie Nights! We're choosing our favourite Disney princess movies and creating a themed dinner that goes with the movie to enjoy while we watch it. This week we did a Cinderella Party and it was so great celebrating one of our favorite Disney Princess characters of all time.

We've also done a The Princes and The Frog Dinner and Movie Night, Snow White Dinner and Movie Night, Frozen Dinner and Movie Night, Beauty and the Beast Dinner and Movie Night, and a Moana Dinner and Movie Night.

Cinderella food table with decor and menu inspired from the movie.

Disney's Cinderella was first released in 1950, so it would definitely be considered a classic princess Disney movie. We all grew up with it and love it, especially those adorable mice. And the fairy godmother is pretty much a dream come true too.

Cinderella Party Decorations

We set up table in the living room, to enjoy dinner as we watched the movie. We recommend wearing your princess tiara,magic wands, and high heels, if you don't have any glass slippers of your own.

For decor for our Cinderella movie night, we started out with some inexpensive blue tulle fabric in the classic Cinderella blue colour of our favorite princess. This flouncy fabric reminded me of her ball gown and was the perfect table cloth layer for our table.

While I was at the fabric store I also picked up some more Cinderella party supplies, including some pink satin ribbon, and some inexpensive teal beading. In the movie the mice find some of the stepsister's cast offs to add to the dress they help sew for Cinderella, but when the step sisters see them on the finished dress, they rip them off and take them back ruining Cinderella's gown.

Cinderella inspired decor ideas with printables, sewing supplies, clock and pumpkins.

Another fun piece on the table for our Cinderella-themed party, also inspired by the mice sewing for Cinderella is the cloche of sewing supplies. I used some vintage scissors, more pearl beads, and some vintage wood spools of pink and blue thread that I found at an antique market to create a perfect little vignette. This is such a pretty addition to our party table.

DIY Cinderella party decorations of a glass cloche filled with pink and blue thread, gold sewing scissors, and a string of pearl beads.

As well I added some faux pumpkins to the table, a nod to the pumpkin carriage that the fairy godmother created so Cinderella could get to the royal ball in time. These pumpkins were some I had in my fall decor, and the white worked perfectly with our colour scheme of blue, pink, and white. Mini pumpkins would be a cute addition too.

As well, the clock tower plays an important role in Cinderella, since the magic spell ends at midnight, and everything turns back as it was, so we thought it was a good idea to include a vintage clock as a decoration.

Printable Cinderella poster sign party decoration in a frame.

Free Party Printables

The printables are the perfect addition to this Cinderella theme party. We framed the poster in a simple white frame and it looks beautiful for the party or as decor in a girl's bedroom afterward, for the little princess.

Printable Cinderral movie ticket invitation.

The printable movie ticket invitations are the perfect way to invite your kids, family, or friends. Just print and give out as a Cinderella invitation.

We also made cute food labels for the food table, to go with our menu. We've included some blank ones too that you can customize or use as place cards for your own party guests.

There's also round cupcake picks, that we used here on our drink glasses, and straw flags to add to straws, but would be a great addition to white cupcakes or the top of the cake for a child's birthday celebration

Cinderella party printables with poster, movie ticket invitations, food labels, and cupcake picks.

Subscribe below for instant access to our Free Resource Library where you can download these and many other free printables.

Cinderella inspired party table decorations.

Cinderella Dinner Menu

Pumpkin Cannelloni with Sage Browned Butter Sauce
Clock Bread
Happily Ever After Wedding Cake
Cinderella Sippers Cotton Candy Drinks

Pumpkin Pasta

Inspired by Cinderella's pumpkins, we knew we needed to include a pumpkin dish for our dinner. We made Pumpkin Cannelloni with Sage Browned Butter Sauce. It's a favourite here, full of rich and creamy pumpkin and sage flavours. It's mild and should be a great option for most kids who love pasta. Find the recipe for our Pumpkin Cannelloni with Sage Browned Butter Sauce here.

Cinderella inspired menu and party decorations on a food table.

Clock Bread

We also had some clock bread. This was really simple to put together.

I bought a fresh loaf from the bakery, and then used a food safe edible marker to add the clock hands and ticks.

You could also do with individual bread rolls. Such a fun and easy addition to go with our party theme.

Decorating a loaf of bread with ediable marker to make it look like a clock for a Cinderella inspired menu.

The Drinks

We made these cotton candy drinks for our movie night called "Cinderella Sippers" to remind us of Cinderella's shoe, the famous lost glass slipper.

They're so easy to make with just two ingredients, and they were the most perfect shade of Cinderella blue. Find the simple recipe for Cotton Candy Drinks here. Edible glitter would be a great garnish to remind us of Cinderella's glass slipper even more.

Cinderella inspired blue cotton candy drinks.

Cinderella inspired food of pumpkin pasta, clock bread, blue drinks, and wedding cake.

The Wedding Cake

For dessert we made our own Happily Ever After wedding cake.

Don't worry it was very simple to put together. I used two white cake mixes and a little homemade icing to make it. To save time you could use store bought icing too.

The cake topper is a Cricut project made from bass wood. You can find all the details of how to make the "happily ever after" cake topper here, as well as a free Cricut cut file for the project.

If you didn't want to make a cake, you could always do cupcakes, but the cake was pretty easy to put together and so much fun. Somehow a wedding cake feels like the perfect ending to Disney Princess Party. You could also make it a birthday cake for the birthday girl if you were celebrating a birthday.

Cinderella party table with pumpkin pasta, faux pumpkins, clock bread and Cinderella dessert.

This party was so much fun to put together. And don't forget, it also pairs perfectly with the new Cinderella movie that's a live action version -which is really great idea for older kids too, or for date night.

With a Cinderella dinner and movie night like this, life really is a party.

Cinderella Recipes

Frequently Asked Questions

Where did you find the vintage sewing supplies you used as decorations?

Look for them at antique stores, or grab some new from the fabric store.

Where can I find pumpkins to use in the decor when it isn't fall?

Look for the white pumpkins for sale online anytime of year.

Can I make this menu ahead of time?

Yes, make your pasta dish the night before and reheat. Be sure to make your drinks right before serving.

If you tried this Cinderella 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!

Snow White Party Decor -DIY Mirror, Mirror

Jul 22, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Snow White Party Decor -DIY Mirror, Mirror: use Cricut vinyl to add mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of the all?

Snow White DIY mirror, mirror on the wall used as party decor.

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You couldn't really have a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs themed party without including the famous mirror, mirror on the wall. We made a simple and really cute version with our Cricut machine. Using the Cricut we cut out some vinyl and applied to a thrift store vintage mirror. It was really easy to make, and it turned out great. The mirror was such a great addition to our Snow White Dinner and Movie Night -see all the details of the party here if you missed it.

Snow White themed party decorations with forest inspired food table, and evil queen inspired dessert table.

I thought it would be fun to create a more spooky area with a little dessert table and our poison candy apples for our Snow White party. The famous mirror was the perfect backdrop. I didn't have a vintage mirror that would really fit the bill, but then I remembered that I had a mirrored tray that might work. We some wire on the back of the mirror and hung the tray on the wall and it was perfect -along with some spooky fairy tale looking tree branches.

Snow White evil queen inspired party decor mirror, mirror on the wall.

If you didn't have a mirror that would work, the thrift store or an online market like Facebook would be a great place to look for an inexpensive wall mirrors for your DIY magic mirror. And you can use removable vinyl for this project, so that if you ever change your mind and want it back to the original, you can just remove the vinyl letters and have a normal mirror again. Another cute option would be to use a hand mirror. Just adjust the letters to a smaller size to fit a smaller mirror.

Materials

Cricut Removable Vinyl
Mirror, Mirror PNG From The Free Resource Library
Transfer Tape
Mirror
Cricut Machine
Cricut Standard Mat
Weeding Tools

How To Make a Snow White Mirror

We designed a " Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who's the fairest of us all?" text png to use on our mirror. If you'd like to use it you can download from our Free Resource Library. It's free to all our blog subscribers. Subscribe below for free instant access.

Once you have the file downloaded from our Free Resource Library, you can upload it into Cricut Design Space. Or make your own templates in Cricut Design Space choosing any font you like.

We used black non-permanent vinyl to make our mirror, incase we want to remove it later and change it back to a regular mirror. Look for it at the craft store with the regular permanent vinyl. If it's your first time working with non-permanent vinyl, it's easy to work with, and cuts pretty much exactly like regular permanent vinyl. The non-permanent vinyl holds really well, but makes it easy to remove, without sticky residue if want to remove it later, and it's a great choice for projects like this one.

We used a standard grip mat to cut it out and the non-permanent vinyl cutting setting. After cutting it out, we removed the vinyl from the mat, and weeded it using the weeding tools. After the wedding is finished apply the transfer tape to the vinyl and use the transfer tape to add the vinyl to the mirror. Use the scraping tool to burnish the vinyl onto the mirror, and then slowly and carefully remove the transfer tape leaving the vinyl on the mirror and revealing the finished project.

Setting up Snow White evil queen inspired party decor with the mirror, mirror on the wall.

Recipe

Snow White Party Decor -DIY Mirror, Mirror

Add vinyl letters to a vintage mirror to create your own mirror, mirror on the wall. Perfect as Snow White party decor.

No ratings yet

Print Pin Rate

Course: DIY & Crafts

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 50

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Equipment

Cricut Machine
Cricut Standard Mat
Weeding Tools

Materials

Cricut Removable Vinyl
Mirror Mirror Cut File
Transfer Tape
Mirror

Instructions

Get the free Mirror, Mirror PNG file from our Free Resource Library.
Download it, and then upload it into Cricut Design Space. Adjust the size to fit your mirror.
Choose the "Make It" option. And following the prompts in Cricut Design Space, add you black non-permanent vinyl to the standard grip mat and load it into the Cricut. Choose premium vinyl as your material. Cut out the design.
Next remove your vinyl from the mat, and weed it using the weeding tools.
Apply the transfer tape to the vinyl.
Use the transfer tape to add the vinyl to the mirror.

Adding Cricut vinyl letters to transfer tape to make a DIY mirror, mirror for a Snow White themed party.

Adding vinyl letters to a vintage mirror for a Snow White inspired party.

I love this spooky addition to the party. Our mirror turned out great, all it needs is an evil spirit to dwell in it and tell us how the fairest in the land really is. This corner of the room has all the evil queen vibes now -including the little box with Snow White's heart in it from the woodsman (even if it is chocolate).

Snow White party decor inspired by the evil queen and mirror, mirror on the wall.

This DIY Mirror, Mirror is the perfect addition to our Snow White party decor!

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

Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Toolkit

How To Make Homemade Old-Fashioned Candy Apples

Jul 21, 2021 · 1 Comment

Homemade Candy Apples: easy to make delicious traditional fall carnival or fair style red hard candy coated apples.

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Candy apples are an old fashioned favorite. Not to be confused with caramel apples or toffee apples that have a soft caramel coating, candy apples traditionally have a hard red candy coating on them. The hard candy can be a little hard on the teeth, but is so yummy. This candy apple recipe is just like the kind you used to get at the local or state fairs or the carnival or a Halloween party when you were a kid. These are made with fresh apples that are dipped in a sweet candy coating that sets hard to make those shiny red candy apples.

We couldn't create a Snow White party without serving some {poison} apples. Well, we might have left out the poison part, and went with homemade candy apples instead. 😉 Read all about our Snow White Dinner and Movie Night here.

Homemade red candy apples on a wood cake plate.

When I was a little girl we would go to the fair once a year as a family, in the fall. We were allowed to get one special treat. It was always a hard decision to make, between candy apples and cotton candy. Candy apples always remind me of fall days as a child at the fair. They fill me with smiles and happy memories.

These are the old fashion candy apples. The candy coating on the outside is meant to be hard -like a lollipop. These are not soft homemade caramel apples -see our recipe for those here. These are easiest to eat sliced up, but traditionally are eaten off of the stick.

Red or Different Colors Of Candy Apples

I've made these candy apples in traditional bright red, but you can make them other colours by using first white food coloring and then different colored food colouring in any color you want. I made some pastel pink candy apples last Halloween -see how to make them here. And you could use the same concept and recipe to make candy apples in any color you like

Candy apples are easy to make, but you will need a candy thermometer to make them. These are inexpensive and available at any good kitchen store.

In addition, because the temperature of the candy is so hot, do be careful when you're dipping apples. If the candy begins to harden before you're done dipping your apples, you can re-heat it and then dip some more. This part is not for kids, definitely an adult only recipe.

Apples

What are the best apples to use for your making your candy apples? You can use any kind of apples that you like for making your candy apples. A common choice for best candy apples are green apples like Granny Smith apples because they're a little tart and pair well with the sweet candy coating. You do want to choose a type of apples that are a crisp apples for eating and not a baking apple for this recipe. Gala apples or pink ladies are a popular choice too.

Removing The Wax On The Exterior of Apples

Most apples sold in the grocery store come with a wax coating on them that makes them shiny and appealing in the store. The wax coating prevents the sugar coating from sticking well to the apples. If you can buy your apples directly at the apple orchard, they generally do not have the waxy coating and work perfectly for making candy apples. If you can only purchase the grocery store apples, you will have to remove the wax coating before you dip your apples.

To remove the wax coating on the apples, begin by bringing a large pot of water to the boil on the stove. Dip each apple in the hot water and then remove it using a slotted spoon. Next use a cloth to wipe them off. The water will melt the wax and you can remove it by wiping it with the cloth. Be careful not to leave the apple in the hot boiling water too long though because it will start to cook the apple and cause it to turn brown.

Candy Apple Sticks

Because the apples are quite heavy, especially when dipped in the candy coating, you want to use a sturdy stick. Popsicle sticks or lollipop sticks may be hard to work with. Candy apple sticks tend to be larger and more sturdy. Look for them with candy making supplies. We used a wooden stick for each of our apples. We cut them from a tree in the backyard and I love how rustic they look.

These candy apples are best eaten the same day they're made. They will lose their crunch if it's too humid, or if they are not stored in an airtight container.

These are so much fun to make a and great idea for the fall season. They're made from inexpensive and simple ingredients and everyone always loves them. They were the perfect non-poison apples for our Snow White movie night. They'd also be perfect for a carnival themed party. And if you're looking for a great party favor for any special get together, these candy apples would be a great choice.

Recipe

Homemade Candy Apples

Carnival style homemade candy apples with a hard candy coating.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20

Total Time: 20

Servings: -8 apples

Calories: 348kcal

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Ingredients

Instructions

We used small apples from an orchard that were not coated in wax. If you are using store bought apples that are coated in wax, you'll have to remove the wax to help the candy stick to the apples. For the stick for the apple, we used some sticks we cut from a tree branch. Cut them to about 6 inches. Twist off the apple stem and push the stick into the centre of the apple. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
Next, to make the candy, add the sugar, water, and corn syrup to a medium saucepan and combine. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce medium-high heat and add a candy thermometer to the mixture. Continue to boil until the candy reaches a temperature between 300-310 degrees or hard crack stage. Occasionally brush down the sides of the pan with cold water and a pastry brush to help prevent re-crystallization.
When the candy reaches 300-310 degrees remove from the heat, and add the food colouring. We added around a ½ teaspoon of red colouring to achieve the bright red color.
Finally, working carefully and quickly because the candy mixture starts to cool and set, tilt the pan and dip each apple individually. Coat the whole apple completely, and then let the hot candy syrup drip off slightly to avoid a large puddle of candy at the base, for the perfect candy apple. Place the dipped apples on the parchment lined large baking sheet to set. Take care working with the candy as it's very hot. Have a bowl of ice water standing by incase of any burns.

Nutrition

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

With homemade candy apples, life really is a party.

More Recipe Inspiration

You might also like How To Make Pink Candy Apples here.

Also check out How To Make Homemade Caramel Apples here.

Caramel Apple Recipe: Easy, homemade Caramel Apples, perfect for Christmas gift giving, or anytime of year. Add your favourite toppings.

You might also like Homemade Sponge Candy Recipe here.

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

Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Toolkit

Homemade Beef and Vegetable Soup Recipe

Jul 20, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Beef and Vegetable Soup Recipe: this homemade version of your favourite thick and chunky soup is delicious and easy to make.

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This beef and vegetable soup recipe is nice and thick and hearty. It's almost a stew. It reminds me of the canned Campbell's chunky soup my mom used to buy when I was a kid. This homemade version is easy to put together and the perfect meal with some delicious fresh bread. It's full of tender chunks of beef and mixed vegetables, and is sure to become on of your favorite soup recipes.

I was inspired by our Snow White themed dinner and movie night to make it -you can read all about it here. In the film Snow White finds the cabin in the woods and assumes it's the home of seven children, without a mother to cook and clean for them. Her and her animal friends set about cleaning and cooking dinner. The meal she makes them is a hearty soup boiling away over the fire in a large pot. We don't get to know what kind of soup it is, but I imagine it's something nice and thick and hearty like our old fashioned vegetable beef soup recipe.

Beef Broth Vs. Tomato

A lot of people add tomato paste to a homemade beef and vegetable soup like this, but I much prefer it with just the beef flavour and brown beef caramel color, so I'm sharing my beef and vegetable soup recipe without tomato paste, tomato juice, fresh tomatoes, or tomato puree. If you're looking for a tomato broth based homemade vegetable beef soup recipe, this is not the one for you. Our soup has a rich beef broth, that's almost like a rich gravy. Adding in the red wine helps add a real depth to the flavour of the soup, and a richness. And don't worry all the alcohol burns off as it cooks.

Beef

Any stewing beef will work in the this recipe. I used a outside round roast, and cut it up for my beef stew meat. Chuck roast would be a good choice too. I would not use ground beef for this recipe. Cut up the beef to about 1 inch cubes, and if you're not using a lean meat, trim the fat as well. The cooking time for this soup helps make for tender beef.

Veggies

We've used traditional carrots, onions, celery, potatoes, peas and carrots in our soup. We like to use loads of veggies. Green beans would be a good choice as well for this savory vegetable beef soup. This soup is perfect if you're looking for healthy recipes. As much as we love the canned Campbell's vegetable beef soup, if you're looking for easy soup recipes that use fresh ingredients and veggies and with less sodium, this is a great option.

Adding potatoes to this dish makes this one of my favourite one pot recipes, that has everything you need for a complete meal in it. This is a good soup to make if you're craving something hearty. It's also one of my favorite easy weeknight recipes. And if you're running short on time, you can make it ahead of time and reheat it.

If you have any leftovers of this soup, be sure to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and reheat to serve. This is everyone's favourite easy soups to make when you're craving a hearty dish.

This is sure to become your favorite homemade beef vegetable soup recipes. It is pure comfort food, hearty and delicious, and I'm sure you will love this great recipe. It's one of the ideal cold or rainy day recipes, because it's so comforting and warm.

Recipe

With a beef and vegetable soup recipe, life really is a party!

More Recipe Inspiration

You might also like Braised Beef Ragu Recipe here.

Braised Beef Ragu: rich beef dish is slow cooked in the oven until fork tender. Serve with pasta or mashed potatoes, perfect comfort food.

Also check out our Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff here.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Recipe -easy, perfect for a busy weeknight, made with all fresh ingredients (no canned soups), and delicious.

You might also enjoy our Recipe For Swedish Meatball Sauce here.

Snow White Party -Dinner and A Movie

Jul 19, 2021 · Leave a Comment

These Snow White themed dinner and party decor ideas, and Snow White printables are perfect for an at home movie night, or for a Snow White themed birthday party. Check out our Snow White menu taken right from the movie.

Snow White Party with themed food and party decor.

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Why We Love This Party

Snow White is such a classic!
There are lots of fun foods in the movie that are easy to make at home and really delicious.
The forest decor and animals for this party were easy to put together and so cute.
The scary evil queen area with the posion apples and hearts in the woodsmen box are the perfect dark addition!

I'm wishing, I'm wishing, for the one I love... to have a Snow White party themed dinner and movie night with!

Snow White is the second Disney Princess Themed Dinner and a Movie night. You can check out all the details from our The Princess and The Frog dinner and movie night here. You might also like our Frozen themed movie night, Beauty and the Beast themed movie night, Moana themed movie night and our Cinderella themed movie night. We're having so much fun creating these special family nights this summer. Any of these ideas would also be great for a special Disney date Snow White movie night with someone special, or as a Snow White birthday party.

Snow White party table with Snow White themed food and party decorations.

Snow White Party Decor

Forest Tablescape

For our special Snow White themed dinner we started out with putting together the decor for the night. I wanted to create a forest feel in our living room. I found the cutest forest creatures at the dollar store. They're meant as garden decor, but were the perfect scale for our party. I also picked up a few clip on birds at the dollar store, as well.

Snow White themed food on a forest decorated table.

To make it look like a forest I used a large branch and some wild flowers on the table too. The blue birds were perfect to clip on to the branch amongst the leaves.

I also used several wood cake stands -see how we DIY'd them here. To add even more of the forest feel to our food table, I added in some preserved moss, and a few acorns and pinecones too. I also had some ceramic mushrooms, that were the perfect touch.

Snow White party decoration of tree branches with a faux bird clip.

Snow White party decorations of faux squirrels, mushrooms and party food.

Evil Queen Party Decor

Our beautiful forest table, filled with friendly forest animals wasn't our only special spot for this party. I added a side table, but with a much darker feel. This area was inspired by the evil queen, and the poison apple.

For this area, the first thing I did was add in this large birch tree, that I had from some decor in the past. It's one that I cut down and used cement to make a base for in a bucket. It was perfect for adding the spooky forest feel from the film. I also had some curly willow branches that I used on the table.

Snow White evil Queen themed party decor and food ideas, with tree branches, lantern, and poisin apples.

Snow White evil queen inspired party decor with branches, moss, and mirror mirror, plus themed food.

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall

It wouldn't be a Snow White party, without the famous mirror, mirror on the wall. I used my Cricut to add the saying to our magic mirror with vinyl. You can find a full tutorial to make the Mirror, Mirror here, along with the free cut file for your Cricut.

If you don't have a Cricut, you could create a really similar effect with a dry erase marker. Just use the marker to to write out the phase "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?" on a mirror. After the party, just erase the phase.

Snow White Free Party Printables

My favourite addition to our Snow White party table was the gorgeous printables. We made a cute sign with the phrase "I'm wishing for the one I love" our favourite line to sing from the movie. We printed it on card stock and used it on our table, or you could add it to any picture frames.

Along with the sign we made a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs movie ticket. Print these out and give them to your kids, date, or friends in anticipation of movie night as party invitations.

Snow White party table with themed food, and forest decorations.

Printable Snow White printable movie ticket invitations.

We also made menus, food labels, straw flags, dessert picks, and water bottle labels to fit our theme and color scheme.

Snow White free printable pack for parties and movie night.

This is an easy way to add some more fun details to your Snow White party decorations. My favourite is the bottled water label. Just print, cut, and wrap around regular water bottles, attaching them with your glue gun. Our water's from the Wishing Well Water Company, "quenching thirst and granting wishes since 1938" (when Snow White was first released). I love adding little details like this that really take things to the next level.

Subscribe below for instant access to these and many other free printables in our Free Resource Library.

Snow White wishing well printable bottled water labels for a party.

Snow White Themed Foods

We love nothing more around here than a film and food pairing. It's so fun to create food inspired by the movie and enjoy it while watching. In the movie, Snow White comes to the cottage and makes the seven dwarfs dinner, giving us lots of different food ideas right from the movie. Their dinner is soup and bread, so that inspired our dinner as well.

Beef and Vegetable Soup
Bread
Wishing Well Water
Apple Dumplings
Poison Candy Apples
Apple Lollipops
Chocolate Hearts

Soup

I made a beef and vegetable soup, you can find the recipe here.

Bread Rolls

In the movie, there are also rolls on the tables that look like little miniature loaves of bread, so I picked some up at local bakery and added them to our table.

Snow White soup on a table with forest branches and mushrooms.

Snow White inspired food of soup, bread, and desserts.

Snow White inspired dinner of soup and bread rolls.

Apple Dumplings

When the seven dwarfs invite Snow White to stay she offers to cook for them each day and they ask for gooseberry pie, plum pudding, and apple dumplings. Apple dumplings are an easy favourite of ours, so we made them for our dinner too -find our apple dumpling recipe here.

Candy Apples

Of course we had to include some poison apples inspired by the red apple that the witch gives Snow White in the movie.

We made homemade candy apples, and they looked and tasted amazing for our princess party. You can find the recipe for our homemade candy apples here. To make them feel extra rustic, I clipped some branches to use as the sticks for them.

Apple Lollipops

I also found a cute glass apple bowl at the dollar store, and used it to hold some apple flavoured lollipops. This was a really easy detail add. These would also be a great addition to a goodie bag if you were hosting this princess Snow White party as a birthday celebration.

Chocolate Hearts

In the movie the evil queen tells the woodsman to bring Snow White to the forest and kill her. She also tells him to bring her heart back to the queen in a box to prove he's done it. The woodsman lets Snow White go and instead puts a pig's heart in the box to satisfy the queen.

I found a small wood box at the dollar store and used it to serve some chocolate hearts -for a delightfully gruesome detail for our princess party.

Snow White evil queen themed dessert table and decorations.

This party was so much fun. We had a great dinner together -and probably too many sweet treats too. The movie is a classic for a reason, and I'll be humming high ho, high ho, it's off to work we go for ages -along with all the other great songs from the movie.

With a Snow White themed dinner and movie night, life really is a party!

Frequently Asked Questions

What foods are in the Snow White movie?

Snow White makes the seven dwarfs a dinner of soup, and bread. When they ask her to stay they request gooseberry pie, plum pudding, and apple dumplings. The evil Queen gives Snow White a poison apple.

Can I make the candy apples ahead of time?

These candy apples are best eaten the same day they are made.

Where did you find the sticks for the candy apples?

We just used a branch from a tree we found in the yard. Cut them with some garden clippers to size.

Snow White Recipes and Craft

If you tried this Snow White 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!

Paper Water Lily

Jul 16, 2021 · Leave a Comment

DIY Crepe Paper Water Lily -make these lilies in any colours as beautiful candle holders, and perfect The Princess and The Frog party decor.

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This paper water lily is an easy to make and so beautiful as a candle holder. We used crepe paper to make ours. Crepe paper is really great for making any paper flowers, because it comes in many different colors and can easily be shaped.

Our water lilies were part of the the party decor for our The Princess and The Frog Dinner and Movie Night -you can read all about it here. They were perfect for adding a swampy feeling to our table. We added some simple lily pads made out of card stock in various shades of green. To make each lily pad, use scissors to cut out a lily pad shape from one piece of card stock and then scatter them on the table.

The princess and the frog party ideas with food and DIY decorations.

Candles

The candles we used were small glass votives. These yellow candles worked perfectly as the center of the flower. Since the flowers are made of paper, we took care to use a candle in a glass holder to help reduce the risk of fire. Battery powered tea lights would be a great choice too. Never leave a candle unattended.

Materials

white and pink crepe paper
hot glue
white and pink card stock
hot glue gun
scissors
large circle punch (optional)

How To Make A Paper Water Lily

We started out by cutting a 2-inch circle from card stock with a large circle punch, or scissors. This is the base of our flower and what we will glue all the individual flowers to.

Next we cut out 3 sets of 7 petals to make one water lily. These will be our overlapping flower petals. Using this many will create a nice full look to our finished flower. Make a petal shape with a slight point at the tip from crepe paper. Make each set slightly smaller than the last, so that there are 3 sizes of petals. Cut the petals so that the grain of the paper is running the length of the petals. This will allow us to shape the finished petals nicely.

To shape the cut out petals, form each petal with your fingers by gently pulling the ridges and making each petal slightly curved.

Now you're ready to assemble your flower. Use hot glue to attach the 7 largest petals to the circle around the outer edge.

Next you'll glue the middle sized set of petals in a smaller circle, inside of the first set of petals.

Lastly glue the set of 7 smaller petals as an inner circle of petals.

Place a small yellow votive candle or battery powered tea light in the centre of each flower as the centre of the flower. If you didn't want to use candles, you could make the centre with some yellow crepe paper.

Recipe

Paper Water Lily

4 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 1

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 16

Servings: Water Lily

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Equipment

hot glue gun
scissors
large circle punch

Materials

white and pink crepe paper
hot glue
white and pink card stock

Instructions

Cut a 2 inch circle from card stock with a large circle punch, or scissors.
Cut 3 sets of 7 petals, with a slight point at the tip from crepe paper. Make each set slightly smaller than the last, so that there are 3 sizes of petals. Cut the petals so that the grain of the paper is running the length of the petals.
Form each petal with your fingers by gently pulling the ridges and making each petal slightly curved.
Use hot glue to attach the 7 largest petals to the circle around the outside.
Next glue the middle sized set of petals in a smaller circle, inside of the first set of petals.
Lastly glue the set of 7 smaller petals as an inner circle of petals.
Place a small yelllow votive candle or battery powdered tea light in the centre of each flower.

These paper water lilies were the perfect touch for our The Princess and the Frog dinner and movie night. These would be a great addition to to any The Princess and the Frog party as decor. You can make them in any colours to match your party. They'e an easy and fun craft project, and the finished look is really pretty.

With these easy and beautiful DIY crepe paper water lilies, life really is a party! Happy crafting!

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

Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Toolkit

More Craft Inspiration

You might also like our Giant Paper Flowers here.

How To Make Giant Paper Flowers: see how to turn regular paper into beautiful and inexpensive flowers, from large to small in a video tutorial. This diy is perfect for a wedding, shower, or home decor.

Also check out DIY Paper Christmas Stars here.

You might also like our DIY Paper Feathers here.

Tiana's Beignet Recipe from The Princess and The Frog

Jul 15, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Make Tiana's beignets from The Princess and the Frog using a stand mixer or bread machine for easy, foolproof dough. These golden, fluffy New Orleans donuts are covered in powdered sugar and taste just like the famous ones from Disney.

Princess Tiana's homemde beignets on a cake plate.

Quick Look

📖Tiana's Beignets from The Princess and the Frog
⏱️ Time: 20 minutes prep, 20 minutes cook, 4 hours rising (4 hours 40 minutes total)
🍽️ Servings: 24 beignets
👩‍🍳 Difficulty: Easy -bread machine does all the work for you!
🍞 Method: Bread machine or stand mixer for foolproof dough
💡 Top Tip: Make the dough once and refrigerate for up to a week. Fry fresh beignets whenever you want them!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Bread machine option makes it foolproof. The bread maker does all the kneading work for you. Set it and walk away while the dough rises perfectly.
Make the dough once, fry fresh all week. Refrigerate your dough for up to a week and fry fresh beignets whenever you want them.
Perfect for entertaining. These are ideal for a Disney movie night, birthday party, or special brunch. Make a big batch and watch them disappear.
Simple ingredients you already have. No specialty ingredients needed. Everything is probably already in your pantry.

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We couldn't put together a The Princess and The Frog themed dinner and movie night without making some beignets! They're so good, and pretty easy to put together. We made our dough in the bread maker, so it did all the hard work for us. You can also make the dough in a stand mixer, or by hand if you prefer.

Love homemade donuts? You might also like our Homemade Honey Cruller Donut Recipe, Easy Bread Machine Jelly Donuts, and Easy Sour Cream Donut Hole Recipe. Or try our Fair Funnel Cakes Recipe.

What Makes Tiana's Beignets Special

We first tried beignets at Walt Disney World and loved them! If you're a Disney fan or annual passholders, you have to try them there too. But with our traditional recipe, you can also enjoy them at home.

Beignets are the official doughnut of Louisiana. They were originally brought to New Orleans by French settlers and none are more famous than the ones from Café du Monde in New Orleans Square. In the movie, Tiana is dreaming of opening her own restaurant, Tiana's Place, and serving her famous beignets. They're one of Tiana's specialties.

These are traditionally served covered in powdered sugar, and that's how we served ours. But if you're not opposed to breaking with tradition, try dipping these in a little jam or Nutella for a fun addition.

Princess Tiana's beignet recipe from the Princess and the Frog movie.

Princess and the Frog themed party food and ideas.

Ingredients

Full recipe card below with measurements and instructions.

Sugar: Feeds the yeast and adds a touch of sweetness to balance the powdered sugar topping.
Evaporated milk: Adds richness and helps create a tender texture.
Active dry yeast: Gives the beignets their light, airy inside.
Butter: Adds flavor and helps keep them moist.

Equipment

Deep fryer: These are relatively inexpensive and make frying so much easier. The built-in thermometer regulates the heat automatically for perfect, consistent results every time. If you're using a regular pot instead, you'll need a cooking thermometer to monitor the oil temperature and keep it as steady as possible for even cooking.
Bread machine: Makes the dough foolproof with no hands-on kneading. You can find them inexpensively at the thrift store often. If you don't have one, a stand mixer with dough hook works great too.
Pizza cutter: This little trick is the easiest way to cut clean, even squares. Much faster than a knife!

How To Make Beignets

Step 1: Layer water, sugar, salt, egg, butter and evaporated milk without stirring. Add flour, then yeast on top. Set to dough cycle and start. When done, place dough in oiled bowl, cover, and refrigerate 3 to 4 hours.

Step 2: Roll chilled dough on floured surface to ½ inch thickness. Cut into 3 inch squares with pizza cutter.

Step 3: Heat oil to 365 degrees F in deep fryer or large pot. Fry beignets in small batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown. Flip with tongs.

Step 4: Drain the fried donuts on paper towels or a wire rack. Dust generously with powdered sugar while warm. Serve immediately.

Storage

Beignets are best eaten as soon as they are fried. If you don't need a full batch, wrap the extra dough in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to a week. Fry the donuts fresh anytime you want them.

Tips for Perfect Beignets

Watch your oil temperature closely. Keep it at 365 degrees F. Too hot and they'll brown before cooking through. Too cool and they'll absorb too much oil and taste greasy.
Don't skip the chilling time. Cold dough is much easier to roll and cut cleanly. It also fries up better.
Work in small batches. Fry only 4 to 5 beignets at a time. Overcrowding drops the oil temperature and makes them cook unevenly.
Dust them while hot. The powdered sugar sticks better to warm beignets. Be generous! There should be a mountain of sugar on each one.
Use a thermometer. Guessing oil temperature leads to inconsistent results. A simple cooking thermometer is worth it.
Save extra dough for later. Keep any unfired dough in the fridge for up to a week. Fry fresh beignets whenever you want them.

Topping and Dipping Ideas:

Classic powdered sugar (traditional)
Drizzle with honey (like Tiana does in the movie!)
Serve with strawberry jam or raspberry preserves
Dip in chocolate sauce or Nutella
Dust with cinnamon sugar instead of powdered sugar
Serve with fresh berries on the side

Troubleshooting

My beignets didn't puff up: Your oil wasn't hot enough. Make sure it reaches 365 degrees F before adding the dough. Use a thermometer to check.
They're too greasy: The oil temperature was too low. They absorbed oil instead of frying quickly. Increase the heat and wait for it to reach the right temperature before adding more.
The dough is too sticky to roll: Add flour to your work surface, not to the dough. Dust your rolling pin and the counter generously. Cold dough from the fridge is easier to work with than room temperature dough.
They're browning too fast: Your oil is too hot. Lower the heat and let it cool down to 365 degrees F. Test with a small piece of dough first.
They're dense and heavy: You may have added too much flour during rolling. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky. Also make sure your yeast was fresh and active.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between a beignet and a donut?

Beignets are square shaped French pastries that puff up when fried and are topped only with powdered sugar. Donuts are typically round with a hole, have various toppings, and can be cake style or yeast raised. Beignets have a lighter, airier texture.

Can I make these without a bread machine or stand mixer?

Yes! Mix the ingredients with a wooden spoon until combined, then knead by hand on a floured surface for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

What oil should I use for frying?

Vegetable oil or peanut oil both work well. Choose an oil with a high smoke point. You'll need enough to fill your pot 2 to 3 inches deep.

Can I make the dough the night before?

Absolutely! In fact, chilled dough is easier to work with. Make it the night before and let it chill overnight in the fridge. It will keep for up to a week.

Why are they called Tiana's beignets?

In Disney's The Princess and the Frog, Princess Tiana makes beignets throughout the movie. They're her specialty and part of her dream to open her own restaurant. These beignets are inspired by the ones she makes in the film.

Can I make these ahead for a party?

Make the dough up to a week ahead and keep it refrigerated. Fry them fresh right before your party starts. They're best served warm and fresh, so don't fry them too far in advance.

More Donut Recipe Inspiration

If you make Tiana's Beignets or any thing else from the blog please leave a comment and rating below. Thanks for visiting Life is a Party today!

Recipe

Swamp Water Punch

Jul 14, 2021 · 1 Comment

This Swamp Water Punch is made with limeade, ginger ale, pineapple juice, and lime ice cream or sherbet. It makes a creamy and fizzy sweet swampy punch that the kids will love.

Easy green and foamy wamp water punch in a glass.

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Why We Love This Recipe

It really tastes great.
The ice cream adds a foamy cold creaminess that's really good.
It really looks green and swampy! It's the perfect balence of gross and delicous.

When we decided on The Princess and the Frog dinner and movie night for our first Disney Princess dinner and movie night, we knew swamp water punch would be the perfect addition. Much of the Princess and the Frog takes places in the swamp lands of Louisiana. The scenery is beautiful with fireflies, water lilies, mossy trees, and cat tails... along with green swampy water. This was the inspiration for our drinks.

This would be a great addition to any swamp themed party or for Halloween.

Swamp water green punch for a Princess and the Frog themed party.

Ingredients

See the recipe card below for ingredient measurements.

We wanted our swamp water drink to be the perfect disgusting swamp-green color and foamy so we added ice cream and pop for that fizzy, creamy swamp effect. It's also so yummy, and kids love it. It's one of my favorite easy recipes for a party

Limeade: The limeade helps create the green color, the pop adds the fizz and reacts well with the ice cream or sherbet to make the foam effect.
Pineapple Juice: helps add sweetness and flavour.
Ice cream or Sherbet: adds that swampy foam texture on the top and adds great taste too.

Swamp water green and fizzy punch in a glass with a straw.

Variations

Ice Cream/Sherbet: I had trouble finding lime sherbet where I live, but I did find lime ice cream at Baskin Robbins, which worked great and was delicious. If you can find lime sherbet, it would work great too. If you can't find either of these, you could substitute vanilla ice cream with some green food coloring as an alternative, or just add the ice cream plain but it won't create as green of a foamy layer on top.
Orange Juice: Some people like to use orange juice and make it an orange juice punch, including the orange juice pulp for more of the swampy effect. We liked the taste of the pineapple juice better, but orange juice is an option if you prefer.
Ice Cubes and Gummi Worms: try adding some to everyone's glass as a fun swampy garnish. Freeze the gummy worms on their own, or add them to the ice cube trays when you're making the ice cubes so that they're frozen into the ice cubes. Gummi bugs, frogs or spiders are a great option as a garnish too.

Using Dry Ice

You might even want to add some dry ice for a foggy effect. This would be especially fun for a Halloween party. To create this effect you will want to serve the punch bowl. Use two plastic punch bowls, one smaller than the other. Put the swamp water punch in the smaller bowl with a ladle for guests to help themselves. The small bowl will sit inside of the larger bowl. In the larger bowl add your dry ice. This will prevent your guests from accidentally having any dry ice in their swamp juice glass.

Do not add dry ice to the punch served in individual glasses as it it can be hazardous.

Be sure to use a clean rubber glove to handle the ice as it can harm your skin if in direct contact. To activate the ice for the party, just pour a little warm water on top.

Four glasses of green and foamy swamp drink punch.

How To Make This Recipe

1. This punch is really simple and quick to make. Just combine the limeade, gingerale, and pineapple juice in a glass.

2. Top with a scoop of ice cream or sherbet just before serving. Serve it with a straw for stirring in the ice cream or sherbet as it melts, and sipping.

Serving

We made our punch in individual glasses for our party, which worked great, and helped them stay fizzy.

For a larger group, you could also make a large punch bowl of the swamp water punch instead, and guests could help themselves, or make it in a large pitcher.

Expert Tip: Don't make your swamp water punch too far in advance of serving it, because the pop will lose it's fizz and the ice cream or sherbet will melt completely.

Swamp water punch in a glass with a label.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I can't find lime ice cream or sherbet?

You can substitute a different green colored ice cream or sherbet. I would not use mint chip because the flavors won't go will together. You could use vanilla ice cream and use food coloring to make it green.

Can I make this drink ahead of time?

You can prep this drink by mixing the juices in a glass or punch bowl ahead of time, but add the pop and the ice cream or sherbet right before serving so that the drink stays fizzy and the ice cream or sherbet isn't completely melted.

More Drink Recipe Inspiration

If you try this Swamp Water Punch 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

Swamp Water Punch

Easy green and foamy sweet drink.

4.34 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 2

Total Time: 2

Servings:

Calories: 603kcal

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Ingredients

▢ 1 cup limeade
▢ ½ cup gingerale
▢ ¼ cup pineapple juice
▢ 1 large scoop lime ice cream or lime sherbet

Instructions

In a glass combine the limeade, gingerale, and pineapple juice. Top with a scopp of lime ice cream, or sherbet. Enjoy!

Notes

Punch Bowl -8 x this recipe and serve in a large punch bowl for a party.

Tip: Don't make this punch too far in advance of serving it, or the pop will lose it's fizz and the ice cream or sherbet will melt.

Nutrition

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

Tiana's Chicken, Sausage, and Shrimp Gumbo Recipe

Jul 13, 2021 · 1 Comment

Chicken Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo Recipe: inspired by Disney Princess Tiana in The Princess and The Frog this gumbo is easy and delicious.

Chicken sausage and shrimp gumbo in a cast-iron pot.

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Tiana's Gumbo From The Princess and The Frog

We were inspired by Tiana from The Princess and The Frog to make chicken sausage and shrimp gumbo! It's so delicious and a great taste of New Orleans. This one was pretty quick and easy to bring together and so delicious. All the spices make it full of flavour, rich and delicious.

Love chicken recipes? You might also like our Butter Chicken Pizza Recipe, or Honey Garlic Chicken Wings. Or need a side dish, try our Zucchini Pancakes.

We had our gumbo as part of a special Disney Princess Dinner and Movie Night. We were inspired by the animated movie, and wanted to make our own swamp gumbo. You can read all about our The Princess and the Frog party here. We had so much fun making the food from the film, and enjoying it together as we watched the movie. We were transported to Tiana's palace in the Disneyland resort, or maybe to the New Orleans square.

how to make the gumbo from The Princess and The Frog Movie

But this gumbo isn't just for movie night. We love this hearty stew, and we can't wait to make it again and again.

Where Does Gumbo Come From?

Gumbo has its origins in southern Louisiana. Rooted in the cooking of black people enslaved from Africa, and based on a West African word for okra, the soup traditionally has okra pods in it as a thickening agent. Loved by the Cajuns and Creole, they both make it slightly differently, and season it slightly differently. Along with okra it often includes chicken, cajun style andouille sausage, seafood, and creole seasoning. It's one of the beloved foods of the bayou regions.

Finding The Ingredients

We had trouble finding spicy or mild andouille sausage and substituted it with kielbasa sausage, which was delicious. So don't let not being able to find authentic andouille stop you from trying this dish. The sliced okra was easy to find in the freezer section of the grocery store. And the cajun spice was readily available in the spice section.

Making The Roux

The hardest part about making gumbo is making a roux. A roux is a mixture of butter and flour that you cook at the beginning of the gumbo. The roux is the thickening agent in the soup, and really important to the dish. Things can go wrong if the roux is undercooked. You're looking for a nice dark roux, that will add nuttiness and richness to the soup, and not leave a floury taste. But, it's easy to take a dark brown color roux too far and burn it. You will want to take it to the colour of milk chocolate or a dark amber-brown. Once you get the roux made, the rest is pretty easy to put together.

What To Serve The Gumbo With

This soup is a thick mixture, but not as thick as a stew. It's often paired with rice, and crusty French baguette. The bread is perfect for soaking up the rich spicy cajun gumbo broth. Make simple white rice as well and serve the soup over it for the perfect combination.

How Spicy Is It?

New Orleans food is traditionally full of spice. There is a richness and layers of flavour that the combination of spices give to this dish. If you don't love hot food, you might want to cut back on the cayenne pepper in the dish. Also if you're serving this dish to kids as part of a movie night, you also might want to use less cayenne pepper. Serving the gumbo with rice or bread helps mellow the dish a little too. We didn't add tabasco sauce to ours, like Tiana did in the film, but if you like it hotter, feel free to add some in to yours. Adding your own hot sauce at the end is a good way to go. Make one large pot of not too spicy gumbo, and allow the spice lovers to add their own to their own bowl of gumbo.

Recipe

The Princess and The Frog Party -Dinner and A Movie

Jul 12, 2021 · 3 Comments

The Princess and the Frog Party -Dinner and Movie: all the party ideas, decor, recipes and printables for a themed family movie night or party.

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I'm very excited to be starting a new series here on the blog. I love a good movie night, and my favourite kind is a dinner and a movie. These food and film pairings are always so much fun. This summer I'm going to be sharing a series of Disney princess movie nights with a themed dinner menu to go with it inspired by the film. It should be a lot of fun. We had a fun family night for ours but these ideas would also be great for a Princess and the Frog birthday party too. Any little girl would love this themed party inspired by Tiana possibly our very favorite movie princess.

Our first movie is The Princess and The Frog. It's such a great movie and we had some really fun Princess and the Frog party ideas. I think I had only seen the movie once before working on this party. When my own princess girls were little they were really sensitive about scary movies and the voodoo in this movie was too much for them. So something to keep in mind if you have really sensitive kids or party guests too. I really enjoyed rewatching The Princess and The Frog and putting this party together wasn't too much hard work. The music and scenery were great, and it was an amazing film to pair with food, because food is so much a part of the movie.

The Princess and The Frog themed party with themed food and decorations.

The main character Disney's princess Tiana dreams of opening a restaurant, and there's plenty of scenes that revolve around amazing New Orleans cooking. So for our menu for the night, we chose to make gumbo, and beignets -which both figure prominently in the movie. And just for fun we also added in some "swamp water" punch.

Princess and the Frog themed party table with food and swamp decorations.

The Princess and The Frog Party Decor

For each film, I'm excited to set up a small coffee tablescape, so we can eat together casually in the living room while we watch the movie. If you were using these ideas for a larger birthday party, you could set up in a different area. For the Princess and The Frog theme, I was inspired by pictures of different scenes of the movie, and decided to go with a swampy mostly green color scheme. I wanted to create a beautiful swampy feel to the table, based on the scenes of them in the swamp together.

We started with making some simple and beautiful crepe paper water lilies. Find the full tutorial to make your own water lilies here. I made some in white and some in pink and used some yellow tea lights as the centres of the flowers. They were easy to make and so pretty, and a big hit. If you had younger guests, you could also use a battery powered candle with no real flame from your local craft store. They'd be a fun kid's craft to do as part of the party too.

The Princess and the Frog party decorations of twinkle lights and DIY water lilies.

In addition to the water lilies, I made some paper lily pads in different shades of green card stock that were perfect for the table and partly inspired by Tiana's magical flowing dress. I arranged them almost like a table runner. They were the perfect centerpiece for our adorable party.

princess and the frog diy decor decorations

Princess Tiana party ideas for food and decorations.

I also went to a swampy area near my home and cut some cat tails. These were such a fun and easy addition. In the movie, one of the characters is a Cajun firefly named Ray, between him, his large family and the stars at night there is lots of sparkle and twinkle in the movie. I used some simple fairy lights in some lanterns to add the same kind of feel to our little swamp inspired table.

The Princess and The Frog Free Party Printables

We also created some beautiful party printables for our movie night princess party or the birthday party theme. Whether you're planning a family movie night together, or a larger The Princess and The Frog party these printables are the perfect finishing touch. They are the perfect Princess and the Frog invitation.

Princess and the Frog party table with themed food and swamp inspired party decorations.

We started out with a movie night ticket. Purchase the printables and print on your home computer or at your local office supply store or print shop. The tickets are such a fun way to make your own Princess and the Frog party invitations to invite your kids, or little princess friends and help everyone get excited about a special night at a Princess Tiana party.

The princess and the frog printable movie ticket invitation and swamp water punch.

We printed this cute The Princess and The Frog movie quote poster on card stock and used it on our table. You could also frame it or hang it up, or tape it to your front door to greet guests.

the princess and the frog party printables

The printables also include themed straw flags to dress up your straws, as well as food labels that fit our menu, plus blank ones you could use with any food options you included, or as place cards in a tablescape. Lastly we made some cupcake toppers that you can print, cut, and then glue to a tooth pick and use in green frosting cupcakes, or frog cupcakes, or any other food. We used them in our homemade beignets here.

The princess and the frog printable movie ticket invitation.

Subsribe below for instant access to our Free Resource Library where you can find our Princess and the Frog movie night printables and more!

The Princess and The Frog Themed Food Ideas

Gumbo

Since this series is all about dinner as well as the movie, let's get to the food. The Princess and Frog begins with Tiana's early memories of making her favorite dish gumbo with her father, we also see her make swamp gumbo for her friends in the swamp, and then help Mama Odie get the seasoning just right.

So we knew we had to make gumbo! We made gumbo with chicken, sausage, and shrimp gumbo, you can find the recipe here. It was so good. We served it with white rice and French baguette, and it was a great meal. It was so well seasoned and flavourful. It was a little spicy. If I was making it for younger kids who weren't big fans of spices, I would definitely reduce the cayenne pepper and cajun spice.

The Princess and the Frog Party food ideas and DIY decorations.

Swamp Water

I thought it would be fun to make a swamp water inspired punch for the our movie night. It was such a yummy and fun addition! We used limeade, pineapple juice, gingerale and lime ice cream for the perfect green, and frothy swamp water. Find our easy swamp water punch recipe here. These drinks are a great addition to your favourite kid's recipes.

The Princess and the Frog themed party with decoration and themed food table.

Princess and The Frog Beignetts

We definitely could not do The Princess and The Frog and not serve beignets. They are the perfect treat to go with this movie, since like the gumbo, they make a few different appearances in the film, and they are quintessentially Cajun, and remind me of Tiana's place.

Tiana's Beignets on a cake plate with DIY paper water lily decorations.

The last time I had beignets was probably Mickey Beignets at the River Side Disney Resort in Disney World, quite a few years ago. We love them, and try to have them anytime we're lucky enough to stay at Disney World. But you don't have to go to Disney World -or New Orleans, to get them! You and your little chef can make them at home. Our easy bread machine recipe is so easy to make and so delicious. And if you don't have a bread machine you can make them in a stand mixer or by hand. They're definitely a favourite. Find our recipe for Tiana's Famous Beignets here.

How to throw a magical Princess and the Frog Tiana party with DIY decorations, printables and themed food ideas.

Gummy Frogs

One final small touch, that was easy and fun was to serve some gummy frogs. They were the perfect little candy treat to fit our theme, and I picked them up at the bulk store. They would also be cute party favors, tied in a cellophane goodie bags with curly ribbon.

We had so much fun having a The Princess and The Frog themed dinner and movie night. I hope some of these easy ideas and recipes inspire you to enjoy a The Princess and The Frog themed dinner and movie night too. And don't forget I'll be sharing more Disney Princess Dinner and Movie ideas all summer, along with a special package at the end that you can purchase with all 6 Disney Princess Movie Nights, that includes all the recipes and all the printables in one place -so stay tuned for that!

These fun ideas would also be great for wishing anyone a happy birthday, or even for a romantic Disney date, where you enjoy cooking the food together as a couple and then watch the movie together. Just my kind of party date.

With a Princess and the Frog movie night, life really is a party!

Summer Garden Party

Jun 21, 2021 · 4 Comments

Garden Party: Easy DIY Cricut garden party decor, with custom stickers, paper flower peonies, and a DIY cake topper.

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Summer days are perfect for enjoying with friends in the garden. I love entertaining in my garden when the weather is warm, and the flowers are blooming. There's no nicer backdrop for spending time with friends enjoying great food. I used my Cricut to create some beautiful garden party decorations, including paper peonies to decorate the table, a gorgeous paper cake topper, and custom made stickers.

I had a lot of fun creating this beautiful get together with a few fun Circut projects. The paper peonies were one of my favourite additions to this garden party. Even if you don't have peonies growing in your garden, you can enjoy the paper version.

Garden Party Table

I started with a white linen table runner, and then used white plates, and my favourite white and gold cutlery. I added pink linen napkins to each place setting and simple glass wine glasses. To decorate the table, we created a centrepiece of paper flowers, and beautiful sweet treats on milk glass cake plates. On each placesetting I added the custom stickers, which acted as a place card for the guests. I also layered another paper peonies, to bring the whole table together.

I love the way this tablescape turned out. The soft pink, and deeper rose look great together, and repeating the colours with the flowers, the stickers, the napkins, and the pillows on the chairs pulls the look together. I also love using the actual party food as part of the centrepiece. It looks beautiful and guests can help themselves throughout the party. My final tip for creating a beautiful, full looking tablescape is use a smaller table and add lots of elements to create interest and fullness.

Garden Setting

We set up our party in our white garden. It's a favourite spot full of white perennial flowers. We have a love seat and two matching chairs here on a pea gravel patio. It's a beautiful and comfortable spot perfect for a leisurely afternoon. I used a coffee table to create an intimate relaxed table, and added some indoor pillows to the space to match our party colours. Next to this seating area is a fountain, which creates a beautiful ambience.

DIY Garden Party Decorations

3D Paper Peony Materials:

Card Stock in Pink, White, Rose, and Green
Cricut Maker
Scoring Wheel Tip for Cricut
3D Paper Peony Flower Cut File in Cricut Design Space

How To Make 3D Paper Peonies

I used the 3D Paper Peony Flower Cut File in Cricut Design Space. To make the peonies, open the file in Cricut Design Space, and follow the prompts to make it. Start with the green card stock and the score wheel to cut out the leaves. Next cut the flower pieces in pink, rose, or white card stock.

Once all the pieces are cut out and weeded, use a pencil to curl the edges of the flower petals. Next, hot glue the large petals together where the slit on the bottom is to create 3d petals. Next hot glue the four outer petals to the green leaves. To create the inner flower, connect the long sections of petals together, using the slit in the paper to connect them end to end. Next roll up the long petals. Insert the rolled petals into the centre of the round petal piece, and attach with hot glue. Lastly, glue this section into the centre of the other four petals glued to the green leaves. Make some final adjustments to the petals to finish.

To create smaller versions of the paper flower peonies, choose to customize the 3D peony flower pattern in Cricut Design Space. Click select all, and use the arrow in the corner to shrink all the pattern pieces together. Next follow the same procedure as above to create your smaller peonies.

Bloom Cake Topper

To decorate the cake for the garden party, I made a really easy and beautiful cake topper. Life is a Party subscribers can find the free file in our Free Resource Library. If you are not yet a subscriber, subscribe below for free instant access.

To make it, download the Bloom Cake Topper file, then upload it to your canvas in Cricut Design Space. I used rose card stock to cut out the word. Next I used hot glue to attach some wood skewers to insert the word into the cake. As well as the Bloom cake topper, I added two paper peonies to the cake as well.

Custom Stickers

I used the print and cut feature of my Cricut machine to create custom stickers as a favour for my garden party.

Download the free Sticker png file from our Subscribers Free Resource Library. Not a subscriber yet? Sign up below for free.

Garden Party Food Ideas

We kept our garden party menu sweet and simple. The cake was a simple vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream, and raspberry jam. Made from a mix, and easy to put together, it was perfect for our garden party. Along with our cake we served some beautiful fresh strawberries, and cherries. As well we added in some vanilla macarons picked up at the bakery. Lastly we made some simple custard tarts with fresh berries on top. We also offered a choice of pink lemonade or rosé wine as the perfect accompaniment for all our sweet treats.

This party was so fun to put together, and to enjoy the garden. This is my favourite kind of summer entertaining -a beautiful settings, great food, and custom DIY decor. With a garden party like this to enjoy, life really is a party!

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

DIY Velvet Mushroom Craft

Jun 15, 2021 · 4 Comments

DIY Velvet Mushroom Craft: make your own Anthropologie inspired velvet mushrooms perfect as decor, or as an ornament.

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This DIY Velvet Mushroom craft is a fun, and quick sewing project. I was inspired by the Antropologie ones that were available this past Christmas. My version is quick project, and really fun to make. These DIY fabric mushrooms are beautiful as a Christmas tree ornament, but also pretty anytime of year.

You might also like our Toy Felt Cookies, or How To Make A PInecone Wreath.

Velvet Mushrooms

I made three of these sweet velvet mushrooms and used them to create a velvet mushroom garland that I hung in my tool shed. There's lots of fun ways you could use them. I thought that they'd be really sweet in the tool shed with some beautiful vintage mushroom botanical prints. It feels like the perfect spot to do a little computer work, or garden planning.

They'd also be gorgeous in the fall season as part of your fall decor. I've made mine pink, but you could create them in a variety of colors. They add a touch of whimsy to any season. Of course they're perfect for Christmas too. You might want to make the top of the your mushroom cap in the traditional red fabric for Christmas. My Christmas decor has had lots of pink the last few years, so these are perfect. That's one of the great things about making your own, you can choose any color to match your own decor.

I used some pink, white, and beige velvet to create these mushrooms. You could make them with velvet fabric in any colors. I went looking in my craft stash for these colors. The pink was actually upcycled from an old velvet blazer, which is a great tip. If you're out thrifting, keep an eye out for old velvet that you could reuse.

DIY Velvet Mushroom Materials:

mushroom cap pattern (free for subscribers in our Free Printable Library -subscribe below for access)
pink velvet
beige velvet
white velvet
white thread
needle
stuffing
beads
chopstick

How To Make A Velvet Mushroom

This soft velvet mushroom requires a little hand sewing. It's nothing complicated, and the sewing is easy enough for a beginner. It is a little bit fiddly, because the pattern pieces are quite small, but it is not complicated. The step-by-step tutorial with photos should make it a great project for any one at a moderate sewing skill level. It uses simple supplies, and you can make your own unique design by changing the colors, or beads.

Sewing The Mushroom Cap

Our mushroom top is made out of three different pieces. This helps create the curved dome. Cut three matching pieces of pink velvet to create the mushroom cap, using the pattern. Sew the three pieces together. Start with two matching pieces, back to back, with the velvet facing inward and sew halfway, stopping in the very middle. Next fold the top piece in half and add in the third piece, also with the velvet facing in. Continue sewing the top piece onto the third piece to finish the semi circle. Next sew the other two pieces together to finish the mushroom cap.

How to sew a mushroom cap for a DIY velvet mushroom.

To get the free mushroom cap pattern, subscribe here and gain instant access to it in our Free Printable Library.

Adding Mushroom Spots

Next, sew some small beads on to the top of the mushroom cap. We used small white glass seed beads for our small dots. You could use different sized or colors depending on the look you're after. Even sequins would work well. Or leave the beads off all together. Another option is to use embroidery floss and embroidery small french knots on the top of your mushroom cap for the mushrooms spots. Or choose to leave the mushrooms spots off altogether.

Making The Mushroom Gills

To make the inside gills of the mushroom, cut a strip of white velvet that's about 1 ½ inches wide. Sew a long running stitch on one side of the velvet strip, and slightly gather the material all the way along. Measure the gathered fabric around the outside of the mushroom cap to get the perfect length, and then cut it to length, and tie off the running stitch.

Sew the strip for the mushroom gills to the mushroom cap outer edge, with the good sides of the velvet facing each other. Finish it by sewing the side seam together.

Trim the excess fabric of the gill piece slightly, if necessary, so that the length is enough to nearly meet in the middle. Then stitch a running gathering stitch along the other white velvet edge, and gather it tightly to create the mushroom gills. Finish it by tying it off tightly, and trimming and loose threads.

This step is the most fidley. It requires a bit of adjusting as you go. It really creates a beautiful effect.

Making The Stem

To create the mushroom stems, cut a small piece of beige velvet into a rectangle shape. We're going to fold it along one side to create the stem tube shape. Stitch it together with the velvet sides facing in. Use a chopstick to help turn it right-side out. Stuff it with stuffing. Finally sew the unfinished bottom of the stem to the bottom of the mushroom cap.

Recipe

DIY Velvet Mushroom

No ratings yet

Print Pin Rate

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 1

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Equipment

Needle
chopstick

Materials

mushroom cap pattern free for subscribers in our Free Printable Library -subscribe below for access
pink velvet
beige velvet
white velvet
white thread
stuffing
beads

Instructions

Cut three matching pieces of pink velvet to create the mushroom cap, using the pattern. Sew the three pieces together. Start with two matching pieces, back to back, with the velvet facing inward and sew halfway, stopping in the very middle. Next fold the top piece in half and add in the third piece, also with the velvet facing in. Continue sewing the top piece onto the third piece to finish the semi circle. Next sew the other two pieces together to finish the mushroom cap.
Next, sew some small beads on to the top of the mushroom cap.
To make the inside gills of the mushroom, cut a strip of white velvet that's about 1 ½ inches wide. Sew a long running stitch on one side of the velvet strip, and slightly gather the material all the way along. Measure the gathered fabric around the outside of the mushroom cap to get the perfect length, and then cut it to length, and tie off the running stitch. Sew the strip for the mushroom gills to the mushroom cap, with the good sides of the velvet facing each other. Finish it by sewing the side seam together. Trim the gill piece slightly, if necessary, so that the length is enough to nearly meet in the middle. Then stitch a running stitch along the other white velvet edge, and gather it tightly to create the mushroom gills. Finish it by tying it off tightly, and trimming and loose threads.
To create the mushroom stems, cut a small piece of beige velvet into a rectangle shape. We're going to fold it along one side to create the stem tube shape. Stitch it together with the velvet sides facing in. Use a chopstick to help turn it right-side out. Stuff it with stuffing. Sew the end of the stem to the bottom of the mushroom cap.

Mushroom Art and Botanical Decor

These little mushrooms turned out so cute. They're perfect for my little tool shed. I was able to find some free printables for some vintage botanical drawings of mushrooms here. I printed them and pinned them up for the perfect backdrop for my DIY velvet mushrooms. You can read all about how we created this garden and built the little garden shed here.

This is one of my favourite little spots. Perfect for a little computer work.

These would be adorable in a kids room or nursery, or just as part of any botanical themed decor. The Anthropolgie version that helped inspire this craft were used as Christmas decorations, which would be beautiful too.

More Mushroom Craft Inspiration

Summer Decorating Ideas Home Tour

Jun 7, 2021 · 5 Comments

Summer Decorating Ideas Summer Home Tour: how to decorate for summer with lighter colours and fabrics, flowers and plants.

Home tours are always a favourite to share and this time around I've got lots of summer decorating ideas. I added lots of pretty green plants -real and faux, beautiful dried flowers and garden flowers, lots of wicker baskets ready for picnics, and touches of pink for an airy, easy style this summer.

As this summer kicks off we're still in a lockdown here in Ontario, but we're full of hope that as summer rolls on, and more and more people are able to be vaccinated, we'll hopefully soon be able to return to normal. In the meantime, we're spending more time than ever at home, so it's nice to add some summer touches for us to enjoy.

Simplified Decor For Summer

I wanted to simplify things a little for summer, with us spending so much time outside in the garden. It's nice for inside to feel easy, and airy, and bright. I removed doormats, and edited decor a little. We also lightened up the colours with lots of white, cream, and touches of pink. Despite my desire to simplify things though, I just can't get away from layering decor to make things feel interesting, and collected. It's my style. So even an edited version of things around here are still quite layered, and full -but a little less and more restrained than other seasons.

Summer Decorating Ideas Summer Home Tour: how to decorate for summer with lighter colours and fabrics, flowers and plants.

Summer Decorating Ideas in the Dining Room

In the dining room, the first room when you enter our house, there's a little console table beside the door. We've got some picnic baskets all ready for the season, and adding warmth to the whole space with the rattan, and faux rattan. I'm also using some dried and garden flowers this season, including some dried grasses. I think the pink bunny tails are my favourite.

I used a few glass cloches here, to accent a few plants and the prettiest purple rock. And on the letter board, "blessed are the curious for they will have adventures". It's the perfect summer inspiration we need to go out adventuring, and find even more treasures to display.

Into the dining room, and I've kept the dining room table really simple. I used a vintage wooden bowl and filled it with dried straw flowers. Summer is the season of flowers and this is a lovely way to include them. I'm growing some straw flowers in the garden this year for the first time, so we'll see if I am able to add to this collection.

On my little bar cart in the corner, it's looking more like a plant stand -and I love it. These handmade pottery plates and my favourite cutlery are ready for summer dinners.

Over on the other side of the room, we're ready to celebrate. The beautiful handmade banner is a new addition. The candle holder is one my sister and brother-in-law made for Christmas and it looks amazing here filled with pink candles. What are we celebrating? Summer of course. That's reason enough to celebrate.

This room is feeling perfect for summer and ready to make life a party!

The Living Room

There's another basket, and some vintage wool blankets ready for any summer picnic in this little spot between the dining room and living room.

On the fireplace mantel, I've kept things easy by repeating more dried grasses in these beautiful vintage water bottles and demi johns. Everything feels bright and airy and perfect for summer.

Lighter Fabrics and Colours for Summer

On the couch, I've added some cushions in light colours of white and cream, with touches of pink. The linen cushions feel so perfect for summer. And lots of green plants are perfect for summer.

On the coffee table, I've kept the airy and bright feeling with clear glass candle holders, and these pretty white porcelain mushrooms -reminding me to go on some adventures in the woods this summer.

how to decorate your coffee table for summer

And over on the other side, there's more of the same, light and airy white and pink.

Add Flowers and Plants

My favourite detail of my summer decor is this curtain of flowers. I used more beautiful pink dried straw flowers and threaded them onto white thread. I hung them in the pass through for the perfect summer flower addition.

The Kitchen

Into the kitchen, more touches of pink, flowers from the garden, and plants are the perfect simple summer decor. These snowball tree branches on the table are such a favourite of mine. They remind me of growing up, because we always had a large snowball tree, and my mom would always bring some in and put them on the table when they bloomed. They're a little messy, but it's the most beautiful mess. It's snowing tiny, perfect white flowers.

On the back wall, I've hung this beautiful picnic poster. My daughter designed it for me as a infographic for a recent post on what to pack for a picnic. I loved it so much I made it available as a free printable here. To display it, I printed it as an inexpensive colour engineer print, and it's perfect for summer. I styled it with a few more wicker picnic baskets, and garden flowers. See how I made the pink dip dyed tassels here.

Over on the other side of the room, a spot for some garden flower arranging.

garden flowers in a vintage glass bottle

Kitchen Open Shelves

And lastly, our open shelves. We re-did this area and made these DIY open shelves a few years ago -see how here, and they're always a favourite of mine to decorate. I haven't changed them much this summer. Most of the pink was there already and it's just so pretty that it needed to stay. 😉

The one new addition this area is my new white kettle, which I love, and the the coffee station. Read all about how I put together the coffee station here, including the DIY labels and "Freshly Brewed Happiness" sign.

I really like how airy and bright, and simple this decor is, It feels perfect for summer when we'll be spending more and more time outside enjoying the garden. With all these summer decorating ideas, life really is a party.

Free Picnic Art Printable

May 25, 2021 · 2 Comments

Free Picnic Art Printable: pink picnic art, perfect for your summer decor. Download and print as an 8 ½ x 11 or large 18 x 24 size.

Nothing says summer like picnics and this free printable picnic art is the perfect summer update to your decor. It's always fun to add a few special summer touches to your home. Printable art pieces are one of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to change your decor seasonally.

Colour Engineer Prints

I love getting large colour engineer prints at my local office supply store, because it's the most cost effective way to change art pieces in your home. You can download the art for free from our subscribers' library, by subscribing to Life is a Party below. Then just upload the file to your office print shop as a colour engineer print.

Hanging Options

To display the art, you can use a large frame. Or for a more inexpensive option, use simple wood strips stapled to the top and bottom.

I picked up the wood at a home improvement store. Look for "wood nailers", they're really inexpensive. You can have them cut to size at the store, or use a simple saw to do it yourself at home. Add a stain to the wood, or leave it plain. To hang the art, use a regular stapler to add the wood pieces to the top and bottom at the back of the poster. Next add eye hooks to the top, and use twine or string.

I first shared this picnic image as a part of my What To Bring On A Picnic post -see it here and all my tips on what to pack for a picnic. It was a fun infographic that my daughter designed to go with the post. But it's so cute that I thought it would be a great printable. Then I had the idea to make a poster size version and I love how it turned out. It's the perfect addition to my summer decor, and a great reminder that it's picnic season and we should enjoy it with lots of fun picnics this summer.

You can also print this poster a smaller 8 ½ x 11 size, both are available for download in the subscribers' free library. Subscribe below for instant access.

More Summer Printables

You might also like our Free Movie Night Printables here.

Free Movie Night Printables: free movie night ticket, popcorn banner, movie night snack and drinks signs, food labels, and cupcake pics.

Also check out our Free Summer Movie Night Printables here.

Summer Movie Night: use our free printable summer movie night ticket, popcorn banner, popcorn labels and cupcake picks to set up the perfect summer night.

DIY Garden Ideas On A Budget

May 21, 2021 · 2 Comments

DIY Garden Ideas On A Budget -decorate your outdoor spaces on a budget with these easy and inexpensive project ideas using your Cricut.

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Outdoor Spaces On A Budget

The weather outside is beautiful, and it's time to get into the garden. Today I'm sharing three DIY garden ideas on a budget to add a little life to your outdoor space without breaking the bank. These simple ideas are easy to make with your Cricut Maker, and add so much personalization to your garden space. I'll show you how to create easy garden art for your space, how to make personalized garden markers, and how to decorate your garden pots with fun says, all using your Cricut Maker. Don't have your own Cricut machine? In my area they're available for use at the local library in the makerspace, so that might be a great option for you as well.

How To Make Garden Art

We worked on this area of our garden last spring, and took it from a somewhat boring and mostly unused side yard to a beautiful portager garden that we love to spend time in. Read all about the progress of making this garden here. When I was creating this space, I knew I wanted to include a little seating area so that we could really enjoy the herbs, veggies, and flowers growing here.

Why Add Outdoor Art?

This little spot with the garden furniture has become a favourite for a cup of tea in the morning or a glass of wine in the evening. I wanted to add an outdoor art piece that could stand up to the weather all summer, and add a little more personality to this outdoor seating area. This is a great idea, if like me, you're dealing with a large privacy fence with wood boards as your background. The great part about a fence like this is that it adds walls to your outdoor room, and how do we treat walls indoors? We decorate them with art. So why not add outdoor art to the garden area too? It's a fun way to add a little interest to a boring fence without spending a lot of money. This would also be a great addition to large exterior walls that you wanted to add some interest to with DIY garden decorations.

Prepping The Board

We started out with some leftover MDF. We cut it to an 18" x 18" square size. You could use any wood you had on hand, like a board cut to size or a piece of plywood. You could even use old wooden pallets, by removing the pieces and nailing several together to make a large rectangle. Another inexpensive option is to look for an old wood sign at a thrift store and give it a makeover with a fresh coat of paint.

Next we painted it with some outdoor paint, to make it last longer outside. You want to find some outdoor paint for this project that's made for outdoor use. It will help the wood last longer in your outdoor area. We went with simple white paint to add some brightness. But you could choose a more vibrant color if you prefer to create a brilliant focal point.

For hanging, we screwed in two screws about ⅓ of the way from the top of the board, and strung some wire between them.

how to make outdoor projects with your cricut machine

Free Cricut Cut File for Garden Art

You can find my cut file for this sweet garden art here for free. I didn't want my art to look too country or dated, so I chose a font I thought was more up to date, and also set it in the corner for a more modern look.

We used Iron-on Vinyl for this project. You could also use the Premium Vinyl, or the Outdoor Vinyl if you prefer. That's one of the great things about the Cricut, there are lots of material options that work on multiple surfaces.

Remember when you're working with the Iron-on Vinyl to mirror your text before cutting out. Once the words are cut and weeded, refer to the Cricut heat guide to determine the settings for ironing on your Vinyl.

Once the piece is cool to the touch, remove the backing and enjoy your finished piece. The place where I hung my art is quite sheltered, but if the spot was more exposed I might add a clear polycyclic top coat to help protect it against the elements. I'll leave this artwork outside during the growing season, but store it indoors during the winter so that it will be protected from the elements.

I love how this simple DIY project turned out. It's one of the easiest ways to add a personal touch to this wonderful place and favorite spot.

DIY Budget Garden Markers

The next project I worked on for our DIY garden ideas on a budget, were these easy garden markers. They'd be great for veggies, herbs, or flower beds or use them in plant pots. We used them in our cut flower garden bed section. The seeds are all in and now we're just waiting for them to pop up. Here's how we made the DIY garden markers.

Materials:

wood garden markers
Premium Vinyl, permanent, black
Cricut Maker
label cut file here
Cricut Weeder
Easy Press
Easy Press Mat

How To Make Cricut Garden Markers

Garden Markers

I picked up some blank wood garden markers at the dollar store -making this a really budget friendly project. I chose to leave my garden markers as unfinished wood, but you could give the a lick of paint with some outdoor paint first if you wanted to. If you couldn't find any wood garden markers, old paint sticks would work really well for the garden project too.

Labels

I used Cricut Design Space to create the text for the garden markers using the font Cricut sans, font size 50, to fit my markers. Once you have all the plant names added to your file, you're ready to cut them out -grab my free cut file with the names here and edit it with your own plant names. Remember with Iron-on Vinyl to place it shiny side down on the cutting mat, and mirror the text before cutting.

Once the labels are all cut out, cut them into individual words, and weed them using the weeding tool.

Applying The Labels

To iron them onto the wood garden markers, follow the guidelines in the Cricut heat guide. The times vary based on your material, and also which easy press, and mat you're using. I preheated the wood for 5 seconds, then pressed the Vinyl for 40 seconds at 300 degrees F. Once the piece is cool enough to handle, remove the backing. It's also a great idea to add a sealer to these wood garden markers to help protect the wood from the elements and help them last longer.

I love how these garden markers turned out, and I think I might buy another pack of them to add even more labels around my garden and in some flower pots. They're really simple and easy to read from a distance and they look really professional. I also love that they were very inexpensive to make.

Personalized Garden Pots

I love adding pots of flowers and herbs to my garden space. It's so budget friendly to grow your own herbs to use in cooking too. I thought it would be fun to add a little more whimsy to the herb pots with these fun says.

We actually made these simple concrete pots ourselves with some leftover concrete from this DIY Outdoor Concrete Table project. We had a little left over concrete mixed up, and instead of wasting it we found a few old containers -like a bin some nails came in, an old food container, and used them as moulds for these pots. You could also use these fun sayings on some terracotta pots in different sizes.

Free Herb Pot Cricut Cut File

To personalize them I created the "mint to be" and the "tale as old as thyme" labels in Cricut Design space -click here of the free herb pot Cricut cut file.

For this project I used Premium Vinyl, since it would be too difficult to use the easy press for a curved surface..

After cutting out the sayings and weeding them using the cricut tools, use transfer tape to apply the Vinyl to the garden pot.

Choosing Your Pots

These will apply well to any smooth surface. They look great on the concrete, but would also work well on terra cotta, or painted terra cotta pots. This is a really easy way to reuse old items and give them a little new life.

These little pots are a great way to add a fun bit of whimsy to a small garden.

Last year I had some issues with my mint in my main herb bed. It's a pretty aggressive little plant and wanted to take over. I knew this, and had purposely planted it in the garden still inside its plastic pot to try and contain it. But it grew out the bottom drainage holes and managed to spread into my vegetable garden. This time we're not taking any chances. Hopefully growing it in a concrete pot with no drainage holes is the perfect way to keep it contained.

These three creative ideas on a budget, were really fun to make, and an inexpensive way to add some personality to the garden. I love how I can use my Cricut Maker to add personalization and character to my garden decor ideas in a wonderful way but on a budget. I hope they've inspired you to get creative with your own garden décor and they some of these budget garden ideas in your space.

With these easy DIY garden projects on a budget, 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.

More Garden Inspiration

You might also like our How To Make A Portager Garden post here.

How To Make A Potager Garden: create a beautiful French kitchen garden with flowers, herbs, and vegetables in raised beds, and garden she shed.

Also check out our DIY Stamped Spoon Garden Markers here.

You might also like our Cement Garden Markers here. Also check out our Teacup Fairy Garden here. You might also enjoy our Black and White Garden here.

You might also enjoy Teacup Fairy Village Gardens here.

Teacup Fairy Village Gardens -use teacups and teapots to create these whimsical miniature fairy gardens with polymer clay houses and mushrooms.

Free Movie Night Printables

May 19, 2021 · 3 Comments

Free Movie Night Printables: free movie night ticket, popcorn banner, movie night snack and drinks signs, food labels, and cupcake pics.

Free movie night printables including a free ticket, popcorn banner, food labels, and signs.

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There's nothing more fun than a movie night! Whether it's celebrating family time with a family movie night for the whole gang, a special date night, or a party you'll love our free movie night printables. We've thought of all the details to make your at home movie night extra special with a free printables including a movie ticket, and lots of fun labels and decorations.

Love movie nights as much as we do? You might also like our Halloween movie night ideas and free printables, Valentine's Day free movie night printables, and Christmas movie night free printables.

Free Movie Night Ticket

Build anticipation for the fun night be delivering your guests our fun free printable movie tickets for movie night as a free invitation. Print these from your home computer onto card stock, or print them at your favourite print shop. Then cut the out, ready to deliver.

If it's family movie night, how about slipping one under your kids bedroom doors, or presenting them at breakfast to family members to help build anticipation with the family movie night tickets. If it's for date night, leave one on your partners pillow, or slip it in their work bag to discover before friday night. And for a party, how much fun would it be to deliver to guests at their homes, or slip into their mailbox?

Another great idea is to use the back of the movie ticket to add a personal message, and perhaps the time or the name of the film, whether it's a new release movie or one of your old favorite movies. These would also be great as a invite to a movie marathon night.

Coffee Table Snacks

There's nothing better for movie night then a big comfy couch full of soft pillows, and cozy blankets to curl up in. Gather in your family room in front of the tv, or make things extra special with a movie projector.

Keep snacks near at hand for the entire family to enjoy by setting up treats on the coffee table as the perfect way to snack while you watch.

We used a light box with the words "Movie Night". More cool ideas include adding the name of the movie you're watching to a light box or a letterboard. As another fun piece of decor we added a disco ball as a fun way to add a little sparkle. You might even want to hang a few movie posters from different movies in the room as decor.

Drinks

We used small standing frames for our movie night drinks sign, which worked perfectly. For drinks we're serving up classic coke, with some themed printable circle labels attached with a straw. These circle labels work great as cupcake pics, glued to a toothpick, or to attached to the front of small paper bags for popcorn, or a popcorn box, or other treats. They'd also be great as party favor tags for a party.

Snacks

Our printable popcorn banner looks great across the front of the table to mark a family movie night concession stand, or hung up on a wall above a treat table, or to mark the food tent area. We also used a movie night snacks sign to match the drinks sign. I kept things simple with just snacks, but you could also include an easy dinner as part of your snack table with something like take out pizza or hot dogs.

We love popcorn as a movie night treat, and added a few of our favourite kinds in large bowls to create a really easy popcorn bar. The popcorn boxes are from the dollar store and a great way for everyone to help themselves, or even mix the different kinds.

The food labels are also part of the family movie night printables set, so that everyone knows what kind of popcorn you're serving. There are also blank labels that you can write on for any other food items. Make your own labels for more sweet treats, or a even a movie themed dessert table.

free printable food labels for movie night party

It wouldn't be a movie night without candy for every one who loves a sweet treat. We've got another food label for our candy selection, including classic liquorice and some of our favourite chocolate bars or junior mints. Include whatever your favorites are at the movie theater candy section.

If you're on a budget for your free family movie night, make your own popcorn at home and pick up candy at the dollar store, or serve small Halloween size treats to reduce extra cost.

All that's left to do is pick out a movie everyone can agree on -sometimes the hardest part, and enjoy!

To download all our free movie night printables, including the movie night ticket, popcorn banner, drink and snack signs, food labels, and circle labels subscribe below and you'll have instant access to printable pdf file as well as our entire free printable library as way of saying thanks for subscribing.

Make A Fun Movie Night Kit For A Friend

Another fun idea to use our free movie night printables would be to create a movie theme gift basket with them. Put together a family movie night party starter kit for friends to enjoy some quality time. Include everything you need for them to create their own movie party at home. Print the cute printables and include them, along with popcorn bowls, drinks, popcorn, and candy. You might even include a list of your favourite family movies for extra fun.

With free movie night printables to enjoy, life really is a party!

Get The Free Printables Here

More Movie Night Inspiration

You might also like our Top Family Movies.

Non Cartoon Family Movies: Best non cartoon family movies that parents will actually enjoy too for family movie night or anytime.

Also check out our Outdoor Movie Night post here.

You might also enjoy Summer Movie Night here.

What To Bring On A Picnic

May 14, 2021 · Leave a Comment

What To Bring On A Picnic: everything to pack, including lots of ideas for picnic food, activities and decor for the perfect picnic.

A wicker picnic basket sitting on a picnic blanket with cushions.

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Picnics are such a fun activity, but it can be hard to know what to bring on a picnic, or where to start when you're planning a picnic. We've broken down exactly what you'll need to think about to create the perfect picnic.

Picnics are such a great way to entertain and get together with friends. So often we worry that our homes aren't big enough, not decorated how we want them to be, or we're overwhelmed with getting our space tidy enough for company. Picnics are the perfect solution to all these problems and if you have any of these worries, picnics are the best way to entertain in good weather. Rain and picnics don't go together, so the first picnic essential is a sunny day. Be sure to check the weather forecast when your planning any outdoor picnics.

Picnic Infographic Free Printable

Picnics are such a favourite of ours. We put together this beautiful picnic infographic. Use as art in your home, or as a handy picnic checklist. Grab it as a free printable. It's in our Free Resource Library. To access it subscribe below for instant access.

Where To Picnic

The most popular setting for a picnic location is a favourite local park. A picnic spot near water is always a good choice too. Many parks have picnic tables which can be a nice option. Some parks even have bbq's that you can use for picnicking. If there's no picnic table don't worry, a picnic blanket on the ground is a great choice too for enjoying the great outdoors.

In some areas, if you have a big group of people for a large picnic, you may need to book a space in advance, but for small groups that's usually not necessary. You might also want to consider that in most public parks you can't drink alcohol. This can make your own backyard a great location too. If you have a backyard patio and table it makes things really easy to set up a beautiful backyard picnic.

Start With A Blanket

Even if you're lucky enough to be somewhere with a picnic table, a blanket for the seats and a table cloth for the table are always a good idea. You might also consider clips to hold the tablecloth in place, especially if it's a little windy.

If you're picnicking on the ground you might want a special picnic blanket that's waterproof on the back. Whatever blanket you use you might want to add a table cloth layered over top, or even some cushions to make things more comfortable and add to the decor. Faux fur rugs work great too.

We've also used an old pallet as a makeshift picnic table a few times. These are often easy to find near the garbage pile for retail stores.

Decor Ideas

The beauty of nature is the best decor of all, but it can be fun to add a few more pieces to really make the occasion feel extra special and festive. Think of adding some bunting to a tree overhead, or some balloons for a birthday. Another fun touch is always a vase of flowers. If you're picnicking on the ground sometimes a wood crate that you can use to carry supplies can be used as a little table in the middle of your picnic blanket and be the perfect spot for flowers and drinks so they don't get knocked over. These special touches are perfect for making your picnic feel like a special occasion. Get more eco-friendly party ideas here.

What To Pack Your Picnic In

Cooler

One of the first rules of picnicking is to keep cold foods cold. We don't want anyone getting sick from spoiled food. So if you're going to be in a hot car before hand, or not eating right away be sure to pack the food so it can stay cold with ice packs or in a cooler or cooler bag. Especially for picnic favourites like chicken salad, egg salad, or potato salad made with mayonnaise you will want to be especially careful to keep these perishable foods nice and cold. A cute bucket filled with ice is perfect for keeping drinks cold and looking cute. Likewise if you're serving something hot -like a cup of tea or coffee which is always so welcome at the lake after a dip in cool water, pack it in a thermos to stay hot.

how to keep your drinks cold on a picnic

Picnic Basket

Vintage wicker baskets are a favourite of mine. They look so great, and can often be found really inexpensively at thrift or antique stores. They add a really authentic feel to any picnic. They're not always the most practical though. Perfect if you are driving to a location and don't have to carry things very far.

Wood Crates

I also mentioned above that wooden crates can make great carry alls for picnics and can then be used as a little table as well.

Knapsack

If you do have to carry items any distance to your picnic site you might consider a knapsack, or picnic knapsack for it's ease. As well, if you're carrying things you might consider choosing a light and leak-proof container for your food containers and foregoing things like extra decorations, and cushions that would be too much to carry. Tote bags are good options too.

Of course no matter what you pack your picnic in, you'll want to put heavier items on the bottom, like drinks, and containers, and more delicate things on top so they don't get squished or crumble, like breads or desserts. Also, make sure liquids are well sealed.

Other Extras

You might also like to consider bringing some bug spray and sunblock, sun hats, and sunglasses. Another fun addition might be some outdoor games and sports equipment such as croquet, or bocce ball, or a soccer ball. Board games, or a pack of cards can be fun to bring along too. You might like to fly a kite, or swim if there's water nearby. Most picnics are improved with some music in the background so you might want to bring a portable bluetooth speaker. And don't forget a great book or magazine to enjoy for a lazy afternoon. You might also want to pack a small first aid kit, just in case you need it.

What To Bring On A Picnic To Eat

When you're choosing your picnic menu, you'll want to consider items that travel well, and can be served at room temperature or cold. The classic picnic foods listed below all fit that criteria.

If you love you to cook, you can make all your picnic foods ahead of time and pack them up. Another option is always to make some items, and pick up some items already make, like sweets from the bakery, or salads from the deli section of your grocery store. Take out is always another great option. And if you're choosing hot foods, or things that are a little harder to transport, then picking them up from a restaurant might be a great option.

Sandwiches

Simple sandwiches are the most traditional picnic fare. They're delicious and so portable. They simply travel so well that they're ideal for picnicking. Any kind of sandwich is a great choice for a picnic, so choose your favourite and bring it along, or bring the fixings for a sandwich and let everyone serve themselves at the picnic.

Charcuterie and Cheese Board

Charcuterie and cheese boards are also really great for picnicking. Bring a few different cured meats and at least two or three cheese choices. Add in crackers, baguette, and then some extras like veggies and dip, or fruit. You might also like some pate, or some nuts and nice jams or chutneys. The sky is the limit here. Charcuterie and cheese boards have become some popular lately that it's easy to find great additions at the grocery store. Remember to pack a cutting board and sharp knife for this option as well.

Fried Chicken

This is a picnic classic. Pick it up at the your favourite take out place the night before and serve it cold with salads for a really delicious and easy picnic option. Another great option is a rotisserie chicken, you can pick it up at the grocery store and serve it hot or cold.

Salads

Always popular at a picnic as great mix with any of the options listed above. You might consider potato salad, bean salad, pasta salad, green salad, or a fruit salad. The more the merrier. Just remember that these will need to be kept cold in a cooler.

Hot Dogs and Hamburgers

If you have access to a bbq or have a portable bbq these are always a crowd pleaser. Kids and adults alike love them. Remember to bring great buns and all your favourite condiments.

Fresh Fruit

Since picnics usually take place in the summer when fruit is in season and fresh and sweet, any fruit can be a great addition to a picnic. A bag of summer cherries, a fresh juicy peach, or a slice of watermelon are just a few great options.

Sweets

One thing to consider when planning a dessert for a picnic is what will travel well. Any kind of cookie or brownie is usually a great choice for a picnic.

We love these easy one bowl brownies -see the recipe here.

These homemade chocolate chip cookies made with shortening are also a favourite and the perfect sweet treats for a picnic.

Anything that you can bring in a mason jar makes them perfect for a picnic and easy to travel with. You might like our cupcakes in a jar -recipe here.

We also have a great recipe for Black Forest cake in a jar here, just remember to keep it in a cooler.

Drinks

Soft drinks and juices are a great choice. Bringing individual bottles and cans make them easy to serve. Always make sure to have some water bottles available too. If you're picnicking somewhere where you're allowed alcohol then a bottle of wine is a great option. Or you might enjoy bottles of beer or coolers. And don't forget to pack a bottle opener.

Serving Ware

A picnic can be elevated by using real china plates, cutlery, glasses and cloth napkins. There's something about using real dishes in the outdoors that feels extra fancy and special and you're sure to get bonus points from your friends for bringing them. Just pack them carefully and remember to think about how you'll bring them home dirty and include a plastic bag to tuck them into.

To makes things easier and less breakable though, consider using plastic. They make such beautiful plastic dishes, plastic utensils, and glasses now.

There's also always the option of paper plates and disposable. There are more and more environmentally friendly options now too in disposable dishes so look out for biodegradable options.

I also like using take out containers sometimes, things like paper boxes, or a Chinese takeaway box can be really fun.

Whatever dishes you choose to use remember that this is a chance to add lots of style and flair to your next picnic. Choose a colour scheme and mood for your picnic and choose things that coordinate for a really pulled together look.

It's sometimes fun to make individual picnic boxes for everyone, kind of like their own little packed lunch. You can use small cardboard gable boxes for this or individual paper shopping bags, or small picnic baskets from the thrift store would be a great reusable option too.

Each person will need a plate, cutlery, and napkins, and cup if you're not using canned or bottled picnic drinks. You might also like to add some salt and pepper, or any condiments that go with your menu.

Don't Forget To Bring Some Clean Up Items

Don't forget some hand sanitizer, and wet wipes or baby wipes for cleanup. A roll of paper towels is sometimes helpful too. You might also need some plastic wrap or ziplock bags for leftover food. You might also need some bags for garbage and recycling, so be sure to pack some plastic bags or trash bags for cleanup. Leave nothing behind.

Don't Over Think It

Don't over think what bring on a picnic. A picnic can be as simple as some takeout on a blanket at your favourite outdoor spot. It's fun to bring all the extras and make it really beautiful, but don't let it stress you out. Being with people you enjoy, eating yummy food outside in nature is all you really need on your picnic essentials list.

More Picnic Inspiration

French inspired lakeside picnic with real dishes, and a table full of food incluidng charcuterie, cheese, bread, fruit, and sweets.

How To Host A Tea Party

Apr 28, 2021 · 1 Comment

How To Host A Tea Party: ideas on what to serve at a tea party, including some recipes, and tips about hosting.

Tea party set up under an outside pergola, with place settings and flowers.

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Today I'm sharing tips on how to host a tea party at home. Tea parties are one of my favourite get togethers. They're full of delicious foods, lots of tea, and usually are a delightful way to spend an afternoon with good friends.

You might also like our Christmas Tea Party, Winter Tea Party, and Bridgerton Party Game.

What Is A Tea Party

Tea parties originated in England and were often referred to as high tea or afternoon tea. This light meal of tea and sweet and savoury snacks began as a way to bridge the gap between lunch and dinner, which was served later in the evening, as late as 8pm. Afternoon tea is traditionally served between 2 and 4 pm in the late afternoon, and is an elegant affair.

Today a full tea party usually includes tea, scones, savoury tea sandwiches, and sweets.

What To Serve At A Tea Party

Tea

Black Tea
Green Tea
Herbal Tea
Iced Tea

What is a tea party without tea? It's always great to start with a black tea. Look for a traditional Orange Pekoe, English breakfast, or Earl Grey. These teas are classics and always well received.

It's also nice to offer guests some other options, including herbal and decaf tea options. You might pick up an assorted box of tea bags and let guests choose their favourite from an assortment of teas.

In very formal tea party settings you would be served a pot of loose leaf tea, with an additional pot of hot water to add as needed, and usually a strainer for the loose tea.. In less formal settings a regular tea pot and tea bag will do fine, or you might even let guests steep their own cup by cup. Don't have a teapot. A thrift store is place to find an old one, and traditional tea cups too. You will also include milk, and a sugar bowl. Sometimes lemon and honey are also offered as an accompaniment to tea.

Another nice option for warmer weather, especially if you're outside in the garden is some ice tea options.

Scones

Plain Scones with Butter, Jam, and Cream
Flavoured Scones

Traditionally an afternoon tea menu will always include scones served with butter, clotted cream, and jam. Clotted cream is rather hard to find outside of England. You can find it sometimes in speciality stores. If not, try serving with whipped cream. Whipped cream is not quite as authentic, but certainly very delicious.

If you are serving only tea and scones this is called a cream tea. For a full afternoon tea you would serve scones, as well as other savoury and sweet options.

The most common jam to serve at high tea is strawberry, but any berry flavour is a great choice. You might also try some lemon curd, a great option for the lemon lover, and usually available with the jams at the grocery store.

The scones are best if fresh baked. Plain scones or raisin scones are traditional, but you can experiment with all kinds of flavours. My favourite easy scone recipe is our Easy Food Processor Scones -click here for the recipe. You don't have to make your own though, you can pick them up at a bakery if that's easier for you.

You might also like these chocolate scones for the chocolate lover -recipe here.

Crumpets

Along the lines of a scone course, sometimes you will be served a crumpet at a tea party. It's toasted with butter and usually served with honey or jam.

Savoury Tea Party Food Ideas

Tea Sandwiches

Tea Sandwiches -Cucumber, Tuna, Egg Salad, Chicken Salad, Ham and Cheese, Salmon
For Children -Peanut Butter and Jam, Cream Cheese and Jam

For an afternoon tea there is a course of savoury snacks served at a tea party, which includes a variety of options. The most classic of which would be tea sandwiches. These come in all kinds of varieties, but are usually dainty and small snacks. They often have the crusts removed and are cut into very small manageable pieces. Sometimes they are open faced as well. Try cutting each variety into a different shape -some square, some triangle, some rectangle for variety.

Small buns or mini croissants or toast cups are also an option for small sandwiches. These can be a great addition to add some interest to the selection.

what tea sandwiches to serve at a tea party

Cucumber Sandwiches are a tea party classic. You might also see egg, tuna, or chicken salad. Another popular choice would be ham and cheese, or salmon.

You might also like our Easy Turkey and Cranberry Mayo sandwiches recipe here. They're perfect for a tea party.

Also try our Chicken Salad cups recipe here. It's a favourite and guaranteed to impress your guests. Make the chicken salad ahead of time and store in the fridge until ready to serve. The toasts cups can be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container as well.

How To Keep Them Moist

Most tea sandwiches are best served the day they are prepared, but they will keep a few hours so that you don't have to do everything last minute. Just be sure to store the sandwiches in an airtight container so that the bread doesn't dry out. Buttering the bread will help ensure that the fillings don't make the bread soggy.

Don't feel like you have to overboard on sandwiches. Even two kinds will create a nice afternoon tea, when served with scones and sweets as well. And remember that for afternoon tea you could usually count on 4 individual portions of sandwiches per person.

Ideas for Children

For kids, peanut butter and jam are a great choice. You might try using a cookie cutter to cut the sandwiches in pretty shapes like flowers or hearts. Another sweet option is cream cheese and jam.

More Savoury Food Tea Party Options

Cheese and Crackers
Veggies and Dip
Quiche
Salad
Soup
Sausage Rolls
Scotch Eggs

Although finger sandwiches are the most traditional option for a tea party there are other savoury options. Think small bites like cheese and crackers or veggies and dip, or even quiche, salad, or soup. Sometimes you might find the addition of some British favourites like sausage rolls, or scotch eggs. If you want to make your tea more of a hardy meal these can be great additions. Feel free to adapt your menu to suit your needs. There's no real rules, and you're free to make your tea party as traditional or untraditional as you want.

Sweets

Everyone's favourite part of the tea party has to be the sweets! And there is usually quite a few delicious options at a traditional tea party. I like to include something for everyone, so I often think about having something kind of plain and vanilla, something for the lemon lovers, something with berries, and something for the chocolate lovers. These are just a general guideline. You don't have to have that many options, and if you and your guest prefer one thing or dislike another go with that. If everyone is a chocolate lover, how about a chocolate themed tea party?

A Vanilla or Plain Sweet
Lemon
Something Berry
A Chocolate Sweet

Keep It Small and Dainty

Like the sandwiches the sweets are usually small and dainty too. Often things are served in individual servings like tarts, mini cakes, and squares or cookies. You could also include a larger cake and serve slices, like a traditional Victoria sponge cake, but individual servings are dainty and easy for guests to help themselves.

Trifle

Another sweet that's sometimes included at tea time is trifle, because it's so characteristically British -and delicious. For a tea party, these are usually served as a single serving, in a small bowl or glass. Traditional trifle is a great addition or for something different, try a chocolate trifle -find my recipe here.

Cookies

Because shortbread is such a classic British cookie -or biscuit as they'd say it's often included at a tea party. These are easy to bake and can be made with so many different flavours. Another favourite for a tea party are these jam jam cookies -see your recipe here.

Try our classic shortbread favourite here.

Sugar cookies are a great addition too -find our favourite sugar recipe here.

Pastries

Rather than a pie, small tarts are best for a tea party. You might like our Brown Butter and Raspberry Tarts -find the recipe here.

Fancy peitete fours are often served at a tea party. These treats might be best picked up at the bakery. Or for a homemade version, cupcakes are always a great addition.

Although British, a tea party is a great time to serve fancy French pastries. Although not as traditional any macarons, eclairs, cream puffs, Madelines, or other fancy French pastry treats are another great addition. Try our homemade Pecan Madeline recipe here.

The Setting

A tea party is often served in the dining room, but how do you host a tea party if you don't have a dining room? A living room, or kitchen table is a great choice too. In fact you don't even have to be seated at a table for this meal.

A garden is a great setting for a tea party as well, if you the weather is nice. And a tea party picnic -like the one we put together here is a fun idea too. Find our Tea Party Picnic here.

We've even hosted a tea party at a camp site -check it out here.

If you don't have formal dining room don't worry.

Tea Party Decor Ideas

When you're considering how to host a tea party, you must think about the tea party decor. A tea party is a great excuse to get a little fancy with things like a table cloth, real cloth napkins, vintage tea cups, and teaspoons. But again, if you prefer more informal you can make it whatever you want it to be.

Vintage teacups and pots are an easy item to find at your local thrift store. If you don't have a matching tea set, don't worry. The teacups don't need to match, so it's a fun item to pick them up as you see them.

Most if not all of the foods at your tea party will be finger foods so there's usually no need for much cutlery. Guests may need a tea spoon for their tea, and knife to spread butter, jam, and cream on their scones.

Set each spot at thee table setting with a plate, or side plate and a tea cup.

Flowers

A centre piece of flowers on the table is always a nice addition. There isn't too much need for much else on the table, since the food and the tea are the stars of the show.

Three Tiered Tray

If you do love the old traditional feel, afternoon tea is traditionally served on a three tiered tray. The bottom layer is savoury and sandwiches, the middle layer is scones, and the top layer is sweets. In fancy hotels when tea is served is this way there's usually one or two people's servings per tray, and they each get one of each item. At home you can use this method also, or serve everything on platers or a cake stand so guests can help themselves. I usually find guests can eat a surprising number of those little tea sandwiches. 😉

Make Ahead

One of the great things about a tea party is that it's all usually made ahead and served all at once. So beyond making more hot tea as necessary, the host can enjoy the party too.

You can make many of the tea sandwich fillings and sweets the day before your party -or pick them up at the store. And, you can set the table the day before as well.

The morning of the tea party, make your tea sandwiches and wrap them tightly, and add flowers to the table.

After you're dressed and ready for the party, put out all the food on trays, and wrap with plastic wrap until the guests arrive. Right before your guests arrive, also fill your kettle and boil it. Have teapots ready with tea bags. When guests sit down to eat, serve everyone a cup of tea.

Make sure you have milk (milk is served with tea rather than cream) and sugar on the table for guest to help themselves. You might also include lemon wedges and honey as another option for guest to add to their tea.

As the tea party continues check that the tea stays hot and make fresh pots of tea as necessary.

Party Favours

Party favours are never necessary but always a nice addition to any party. A great party favour for a tea party would be a vintage tea cup to take home. Another nice option would be a box of your favourite tea, perhaps with a few homemade cookies with it. Any small item that goes with our theme of a tea party would be a lovely take home gift. These are especially nice if you're tea party is for a baby shower or a birthday celebration.

With all these ideas on how to host a tea party at home, life really is a party!

More Inspiration On How To Host A Tea Party

Home Coffee Station Ideas

Apr 26, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Home Coffee Station Ideas: set up a special spot at home for everything you need to make the perfect coffee -or tea!

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Today we're sharing home coffee station ideas. There's nothing nicer than having a DIY coffee bar at home, complete with everything you need to make the perfect cup of tea or coffee. We partnered with Cricut to create this space with some beautiful Cricut coffee station DIY decor including a Cricut coffee bar sign, customized canisters, and customized vintage tea cups.

What is a coffee station?

A coffee station is a spot to hold everything you need for coffee time. With everything all in one place it's easy to access anytime you want it. No looking for supplies in cupboards or drawers, it's all in one easy to find spot, where you can get it quickly and easily. It's perfect for any coffee lover. It provides easy access to all the coffee essentials in one dedicated space. You might want to also include items for tea, if you're also a tea drinker.

We love a designated coffee station in the kitchen. Choose a small space in part of your kitchen for all your coffee supplies like a counter space, on your open shelving, or even on a bar cart or small table. Set up your perfect spot somewhere that you can plug in your small appliances like your coffee machine, kettle, or coffee beans grinder.

This idea is also perfect for entertaining. Guests can easily help themselves to a coffee with all the fixings. It's amazing if you're thinking of hosting a DIY coffee shop at home party like we did.

What should you include in a coffee station?

ground coffee
sugar
tea
cups
coffee press
spoons
cookies

For our coffee station we started with the most basic supplies. We added some canisters of freshly ground coffee, tea bags, and sugar. These are the items we use everyday so we wanted them close at hand. You might consider also including flavoured coffees, different sugars (white, brown, raw), honey, decaf coffee, or different teas. It's totally up to you and what you use everyday, or what you think guests might enjoy.

how to make canister labels with your cricut

Labeling Your Canisters

We made custom labels for our different canisters to make finding all our coffee-making essentials really easy and convenient. The canisters are mismatched to add some interest design style to the space. I used Cricut premium vinyl to cut out the words for my labels with the Cricut Maker. After weeding the words, I used Cricut transfer tape to apply them to the bamboo container lids. Be sure to hand wash for best results.

Get the cut file for the canister project in our Free Resource Library. Sign up below for instant access.

Coffee Maker, Espresso Machine, or French Press?

Every coffee drinker will likely give you a different answer to this question. Some people love the convenience of a coffee maker as part of their coffee station, especially the single serve options that take the little coffee pods and are great for brewing a single cup of coffee. There's no question these are really convenient. Other's crave a more genuine coffee shop feeling with their own espresso machine, where they can froth milk, and make lots of different options. These machines come in all different options, some even grind fresh coffee grounds for each cup. These are such a great coffee station option if you have the space and want to take your at-home coffee to the next level and turn your own kitchen into your favorite coffee shop.

For a small kitchen at home coffee station though, I love the simplicity and the great taste of using a french press coffee pot, or pour-over coffee maker. With these options, you'll also need a kettle near by to boil the water. These options are both real favorites of many coffee lovers. I will always remember having French press coffee in Paris in our hotel every morning. They would bring a pot to the table, along with a pot of steamed milk. That's where I fell in love with a cafe au lait, and I've been enjoying them every since for my morning coffee. At home we usually just heat up the milk in the microwave and use a mini frother.

Whatever way you like your coffee, be sure to include it in your home coffee bar set up.

Can I have tea at my coffee bar too?

You can have anything you want at your coffee bar! So if you love tea, why not include it too. I have a canister of tea here. I'm not a huge fan of flavoured tea, but if you love it, be sure to add some of it to your own coffee station -or should we say hot drinks station? Some people like to include hot chocolate as well.

I love tea and had to include it here. We usually start the day with coffee and then switch over to tea, but honestly I love both!

Freshly Brewed Happiness Sign

It's always fun to include a few fun decor pieces in your kitchen coffee bar set up like this, and since I was including tea and coffee at my station I thought this "Freshly Brewed Happiness" sign was perfect for both. This little project was really easy to make on my Cricut machine and such a cute addition to the space as a fun focal point.

Materials:

acrylic picture frame
pink premium vinyl
black premium vinyl
transfer tape
Freshly Brewed Happiness cut file
Cricut Maker
Cricut mat

You can access the free pattern to make these on your Cricut in our Free Resource Library. Subscribers receive free instant access. Sign up below.

How To Make The Freshly Brewed Happiness Sign

1. To make this little sign I used a small tabletop frame from Ikea. It comes with clear acrylic, so it's works perfect to create a see-through piece with the vinyl stuck to it. Use removable vinyl if you want to be able to reuse it.

2. Use this cut file to make this project. Follow the instructions in Design space to cut out the pink (or whichever colour you prefer) floral backdrop. Then cut out the lettering in black.

3. Carefully weed the cut vinyl pieces to remove the vinyl around the pattern or words.

4. Use transfer tape, and stick it on top of your finished vinyl, then transfer first the floral backdrop, then the lettering over top, onto the acrylic piece of the picture frame.

Cups

It's fun to include a variety of different cups and coffee mugs to choose from. I love vintage items, so I thought it would be fun to include some vintage tea cups, and give them a modern makeover for our DIY coffee station.

I've noticed lots of pretty mugs lately that have a little bit of text on them that looks handwritten. I thought it would be fun to give some antique cups from the thrift store a makeover using my Cricut. We used a couple of sweet phrases for my cups including "I love you.... a lot." and "Good morning", you can find my free cut file to make these our Free Resource Library. Subscribe below for instant access, then upload into Cricut Design Space to use.

I cut these out with black premium vinyl and used transfer tape to add them to my vintage cups. One little tip: it can be tricky to make the writing look straight since you're adding it to a curved surface. Cut the phrases into individual words so that you can line them up on the cups more easily. Be sure to hand-wash these cups afterwards for the best results.

I love these little cups and how they have been modernized by these sweet phrases. This would also be really cute on regular coffee cups, if you wanted something larger than vintage teacups. Also be sure to include all your regular favorite mugs. Another fun idea is to change up the mugs seasonally to fit different holidays or occasions.

Cream or Milk

We love a little milk in our coffee and tea around here, but needed to keep it in the fridge. Some people like a flavoured creamer, or there's lots of non-dairy options too like oat milk, or almond milk. We keep ours in our large fridge, but a great addition to a coffee station that many people enjoy is a small bar fridge to keep these options close at hand. This is especially great if your coffee station isn't in the kitchen. If you have a little coffee nook set up in your home office, dining room, or your living room.

More Coffee Station Ideas

It's always fun to include some fresh flowers, and a candle. But you also might like to add something sweet. We made some fresh chocolate chip cookies and added them in a canister. Biscotti would be a great addition too. Really any cookie, wouldn't go amiss.

You might also like other coffee accessories like some flavoured syrups. These are so popular at coffee shops and lots of people really enjoy them in their coffees at home too. You can buy the bottles of flavoured syrups at home stores, or on-line, and get the pumps to make them really easy to use. I'm personally not a big fan of them, so I didn't include them here, but add it to your at-home coffee station if it's something you enjoy.

Some people also love a little sprinkle of cocoa or cinnamon on their coffee drinks. If you love that too, be sure to include a little container with a shaker lid to make topping of your drink easy. There's plenty of ways to make your coffee feel extra special.

All these DIY projects are an easy way to create a great spot to make your morning coffee -or afternoon coffee, or evening coffee! With all these at home coffee station ideas, 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.

More Inspiration

You might also like our Keto Ice Cap Recipe here.

Keto Ice Cappacino Recipe -you don't have to miss out on your favourite summer coffee treat, this keto friendly recipe is easy and delicious.

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 enjoy our White Hot Chocolate Buffet here.

Mushroom Swiss Burger Recipe

Apr 23, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Mushroom Swiss Burger Recipe: these homemade sliders are easy to make and a real crowd pleaser, the perfect combination of flavours.

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Try our Mushroom Swiss Burger Recipe. We love these mushroom Swiss sliders, because they're something a little different then your everyday burger. They are perfect for a party, and guests always love them. The juicy burger is covered in delicious sauteed mushrooms and onions, plus melted swiss cheese. These little sliders deliver tons of flavor in every bite. They're a burger dream come true. You will love this homemade mushroom swiss burger easy recipe made with simple ingredients.

Slider Size

My favourite way to make these is as mushroom Swiss sliders. They're a perfect few bites. Why is everything mini size just so much yummier? Enjoy a few mini burgers, or opt for the regular size. Either way they're burger perfection.

Perfect For A Party

We love these for a party. Unlike your average burger where everyone has their own preference of toppings, these guys come with the perfect combo of mouthwatering mushrooms, melty swiss cheese, and sauce so there's no need to worry about having to fuss with the ketchup, mustard, or relish. Leave the traditional condiments aside for these homemade mushroom swiss burgers. Not having to worry about everyone dressing their own burger makes this mouthwatering mushroom swiss burger recipe absolutely perfect for passing at a party. The whole family will love them. Add a cute cocktail stick to hold them all together and serve with mini containers of potatoes chips, french fries, or sweet potato fries for the perfect combo.

Easy To Make

We've kept these burgers really easy to make. You'll get all the benefit of a homemade juicy beef patty, in terms of taste and freshness, but none of the hassle. We're using a package of onion soup mix for all our spices and burger seasoning, and it's the simple short cut that makes these homemade burger patties so simple to make.

Make Ahead

If you're making them for a party make the hamburger patties up ahead of time and keep in the fridge until you're ready to cook them.

Choosing Your Beef

You can use lean ground beef, extra lean, or medium ground beef in this recipe, whatever your preferred ground beef is. Keep in mind that fat adds flavour. We choose a medium for ours and they made really delicious and moist homemade burgers.

Forming Your Patties

Making homemade burger patties results in great tasting burgers. They're fresh and delicious, and you will definitely notice a difference from store-bought frozen ones. They are worth the little bit more extra effort. Keep in mind when you're forming them that they will shrink slightly when they cook, especially if you use a ground beef with a higher fat content like medium. Make them a little larger than your hamburger buns for the best results, and don't make them too thick, or they'll end up looking more like meat balls rather than burger patties once they're cooked.

Mushroom Topping

This easy mushroom topping takes these little sliders to the next level. There's nothing complicated here to worry about, just tons of flavour!

We love the classic and inexpensive white button mushrooms for this recipe, but you can always experiment with different kinds of mushrooms here. Use your favourite, or try a combination of white mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, and portobello mushrooms. You can't really go wrong with fried mushrooms!

We love added some caramelized sweet onions to our mushroom mixture too. The sweet yellow onion adds some sweetness and so much flavor, and are a great addition.

HP Sauce

There's nothing like a great condiment to take a dish to the next level. Every great burger needs a little sauce to elevate it. We landed on classic HP sauce. It's so great used here to add a little tang. It's such a rich sauce that a little goes a long way. This sauce always reminds me of my childhood, since it was a favourite of my dad's growing up. There's a reason it's a classic it adds so much to these burgers.

Other Sauce Options

Looking for some other sauce options to add to the top of the burgers? Mayo is a great choice too. It adds some creaminess and would be a delicious choice. Even better would be a garlic mayo or garlic aioli. And if you wanted to add some spice, a spicy mayo would work well here too.

Another great option would be your favourite bbq sauce. Add smoke or sweetness to the burger with your favourite bbq sauce.

The Bun

We opted for brioche buns for our burgers and they're the perfect choice. They're soft and slightly sweet, and work really well for this recipe. Look for the slider size at the grocery store.

If you want to you could toast the brioche buns as well. Spread each side with a little butter and place on the grill for few minutes, or in a frying pan until just toasted golden brown and serve hot.

Cooking

A grilled burger is always a better burger. It adds that smoky charred taste that we love when we think about burgers. And if it's the right time of year, cooking the burgers on bbq will differently be a great choice for these. For the mushroom and onion topping, you can cook it ahead of time in a frying pan inside, use a side burner on your bbq if you have one, or use your frying pan on the grill. Whichever you prefer.

But if you don't have access to a bbq, feel free to cook these in a large skillet indoors on your stove. They will still be delicious.

These really are the perfect burger, if you're a fan of mushrooms and nutty swiss cheese. We love these gourmet burgers for entertaining. Be prepared for them to disappear fast.

Recipe

With these delicious Mushroom Swiss sliders, life really is a party!

More Burger Inspiration

You might also like our Burger Bar here.

Canada Day bbq with make your own burger bar set up.

Also check out our St. Patrick's Day Burgers here.

You might also enjoy our Heart Shaped Burger with Homemade Buns here.

Heart Shaped Burgers: recipes to make heart shaped hamburger patties and heart shaped burger buns in your bread machine or by hand.

Free Printable Easter Jokes

Apr 1, 2021 · Leave a Comment

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

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What holiday couldn't use a good joke? You'll love our free printable Easter Jokes to add a little laugher to your Easter holiday. These are one of our favorite things for having some Easter fun. Get the free printable jokes pdf at the bottom of this post.

Use As Non-Candy Egg Stuffers

You might be looking for an alternative to candy for your Easter egg hunts this year, or even with candy these funny Easter jokes are so much fun. Tuck them in with your jelly beans, a chocolate bunny, or chocolate eggs for a very happy Easter. Print and cut out our 12 jokes, fold them up and add them your Easter eggs to up the fun factor on your next Easter egg hunt. Any little girl or boy would love them.

Easter Joke Lunch Box Notes

These free printable Easter jokes also make perfect Easter lunch box jokes. Add your own personal message to the back of your favorite Easter joke, and send a smile in your child's lunchbox. These fun Easter jokes are sure to add a bit of fun and a good laugh to the lunch table, and are the best way to add a silly joke to your child's lunch time. School days just got better -and funnier.

Other Ideas

These printable silly Easter jokes will add a little fun to any Easter celebration. One idea is to use them as gift tags for your Easter basket or attached to Easter candy or other treats for the whole family. The first thing is to print on cardstock, and cut with a paper cutter. Then punch a hole, and attach with ribbon. Tie these onto an Easter bunny or a package of Easter eggs, or even a coffee gift card for a perfect small gift for neighbours, Sunday school teachers, teachers, or coaches.

You might also like to use them as an addition to your Easter table. Place one at each place setting and have fun cracking each other up during Easter brunch or Easter dinner. Share these Dad jokes with your Dad this Easter, or anyone else in your family that loves good Easter puns. Any smarty pants will love them.

The possibilities of how to use these sweet printable jokes are endless, so use your imagination and have fun with them!

How To Get Your Free Printable Easter Jokes

These and many other free printables are available to subscribers in our Free Printable Library. As soon as you subscribe below you'll receive instant free access to the free printable jokes as a thank you from us for subscribing. Or purchase the Easter jokes here. These are for personal use only.

Whether you're using these free printable Easter joke cards as the perfect way to fill your Easter eggs, or tucked in a school lunch box for your little honey bunny, or as a great way to spread some laughter around your Easter dinner table.

With free Easter jokes to help you have a great time and be a real funny bunny, life really is a party!

More Easter Inspiration

You might also like our Bunny Bait Easter Trail Mix Recipe and Printable here.

Also check out Easter Table Ideas here.

Easter Table Ideas: bunny plates and chairs made from dollar store bunny ears and tails add some whimsy to this pastel & iridescent table.

You might also enjoy 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.

Pink Outer Space Themed Party

Mar 26, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Pink Space Themed Party: "I love you to the moon and back" themed star and space party with pink, and iridescent celestial accents.

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If you're looking for a fun way to celebrate a little astronaut, then this pink space theme party is perfect. This would be an out of this world idea for celebrating a kids' birthday party or even a baby shower or engagement party. We used used the "I love you to the moon and back" to set the stage for space party decor and food. If you were celebrating a two year olds birthday change out "to" for "two"! This would also be so sweet as a first birthday party theme too. Our party was aged at teen girls and they loved it. You might have to make a few adjustments to younger guests.

Pink

I worked with Cricut to create all the party decor for this beautiful space themed party. I love stars, so I used lots of them in the decor. And, just to put my own spin on the space theme, it's a pink space themed party! We created the "I love you to the moon and back" banner, star table scatter, cupcake pics, customized juice bottles, and stardust party favors all using our Cricut Maker machine. It was fun to DIY so many of our outer space party supplies, and create them in our own custom colour scheme.

The colour scheme for the party was pink, iridescent, white and gold. I had so much fun adding all the pretty pink details. It's perfect for a pink lover! It was so fun to take a theme that can be very masculine and little boy oriented and give it a girly pink makeover. I love this theme for any mini astronauts, whether boys or girls. With the right decor, this theme is one of the prettiest parties ever.

The Space Themed Backdrop

I started out with the fun "I love you to the moon and back" banner, which I created on my Cricut Maker. It set the stage for the whole theme. You can find the cut file here. I cut it with gold glitter cardstock, and hung it with some thread. Just use clear tape on the back to attach the letters to thread.

Along with the pretty banner, I also added in some star balloons from the party store. The balloons are in our themed colours pink, white, gold and iridescent. This made the perfect backdrop for our food table.

Instead of flowers for this party, I added in some pampas grass for a fun boho touch. The grasses are in some vintage demi John bottles. This is such a great option when you can't do fresh flowers.

The Pink Space Party Themed Food Table

It's always nice to have some space-themed food snacks and treats. I made some food tent labels for the food on using my Cricut so everyone would know exactly what everything was. The food tent labels are so easy to make on the Cricut Maker, because it writes, scores, and cuts the cards all at once. You can find my cut file here to create your own, and modify the food names right inside Cricut Design Space.

Galaxy Chocolate Bark

The galaxy chocolate bark is so easy to make and one of my favorite ideas. Just melt some white chocolate and pink chocolate. Pour it out onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper, and while the chocolate is still melted run a knife through it to create the marble effect. Next, add sprinkles, including star sprinkles. My favourite addition was to finish it off with some edible glitter. I used iridescent and gold glitter to finish off our galaxy chocolate bark. Once it's set, break it into pieces and enjoy. This was such a yummy treat to enjoy at the party, but it would also make a great favor in a goody bag. Just add some to a cello bag and tie with pretty ribbon for gift giving at the end of the party.

Lemonade

To serve the pink lemonade, I used some upcycled juice bottles and gave them a little Cricut makeover. This was one of my favourite projects for the party.

I used iridescent removable vinyl to create the stars -find the cut file here. Cut out a sheet of the removable vinyl on the Cricut Maker. To add the stars for the party just peel them off the vinyl backing and stick them to the outside of the bottles, and then you can remove them after the party. I love the iridescent vinyl, and it adds such a fun space-y effect. Because this is removable vinyl, you could add them to any glassware, and just remove them afterwards. Although, they're so pretty, you might not want to remove them. It's the perfect way to add outer space décor to the party, using what you already have.

We also used some iridescent straws to match. I cut out some small stars from glitter cardstock and used a little hot glue to attach them to the straws. They matched our our of this world space-themed birthday party perfectly.

how to make party decorations with your cricut

Star Sugar Cookies

I used my favourite sugar cookie recipe -the one my Grandma used to make and cut them out in star shapes with star cookie cutter for our space themed party. We also made a few moons as well.

To create the marble effect I used a really simple and fun icing technique. Make a really runny icing with icing sugar, milk, and a little vanilla. Remove about a ¼ cup and use pink food colouring to make it dark pink. To create the marble effect, add a few spoons of pink to the white icing and use a knife to marble it, then dip in the cookie. Let set before serving. This fun idea is really quick to make and creates such a cool effect. I love how the stars turned out, but you could also use this method to make solar system cookies in fun shapes, with different planets and moon rocks.

If your party guests are old enough, cookie decorating is always a fun at a kid's birthday party. Set up a little table in the party venue for cookie decorating with the marble effect, or with piping bags and sprinkles and let guests make their our yummy treats.

Popcorn

Popcorn is always a fun addition to a party. I used some pretty iridescent paper cups to create single servings, perfect for a get together.

Cupcakes

We had simple vanilla cupcakes and created beautiful cupcake toppers using the Cricut. I cut out glitter cardstock in iridescent, pink, and gold, and also metallic gold cardstock. Some of the stars from this cut file I used on the cupcakes, along with a gold moon. After cutting them out, I used hot glue to attach them to wood stir sticks. They were a really fun addition to plain cupcakes and a great way to turn them into themed snacks.

I love using cupcakes for any special occasion. They're a great alternative to a themed birthday cake. Cupcakes are so much easier to serve, since you don't need to cut them, or supply forks, and they're usually much more inexpensive. They're perfect for little kids, or adults. I made my own, but you could also pick them up at the grocery store, and then add the cupcakes pics as the easy way to match the theme.

To decorate the food table I used some star table scatter that I also made on the Cricut. Using this star cut file, I added some of the stars to the table and used some as the cupcake toppers.

The Star Tablescape

I thought it would be fun to do a coffee table boho picnic tablescape for this party. This would work for kids or adults. I started out with the table and used lots of comfy sheepskins and pillows around it for seating in our party room. I used some white tulle as a table covering. It reminded me of the Milky Way and added that cool dreamy feel to the table. You can find it at the fabric store for a great price, and you don't need to sew the edges, so it's a fun option for a table.

We had some cute star plates that were perfect for the theme. The iridescent champagne flutes worked great for this table too. If you had younger party guests you could look for a plastic option.

I made the placards, using the same Cricut cut file here, that I used for the food labels.

You can edit the names in Cricut Design Space for your own party. I really love how easy these were to create, since the Cricut can write, score, and cut them out all at once.

I also used more of the star table scatter here that I made from the glitter cardstock. As a centerpiece on the table I used a collection of pretty iridescent candles that worked perfectly for them, and some star mini string lights. I thought the disco mirrored ball was a fun space-y addition too.

Star Dust

Another favourite project for this party were the little star dust bottles. They were a cute addition to the table and made a great party favors for guests to take home or add to a goodie bag.

Recipe

Small glass bottle filled wth glitter and labeled stardust.

Star Dust Bottles

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Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 15

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Equipment

Cricut Maker
Cricut Cutting Mat

Materials

cardstock
mini glass bottles
pink ribbon
star charm
iridescent glitter
glue optional

Instructions

Start by creating the star dust labels using this cut file in Cricut design space.
Add your card stock to the cutting mat, and load the mat into the Cricut. Select medium card stock as your material, and add the fine marker to the first clamp, as prompted in Cricut Design Space, then hit cut. Once the tag is all finished being written and cut out, remove the cutting mat from the Cricut machine.
To remove the tag from the cutting mat, gently bend the cutting mat slightly,and peel the card stock from it.
Fill each glass bottle with iridescent glitter. As an option, you might want to glue the lid onto the bottles after the glitter is added to avoid any messes.
Use the pink ribbon to tie on the star dust label, and a small star charm.

This party was so much fun to create, and couldn't be cuter! We made so many great projects for the party with the Cricut. It was a great way to customize and co-ordinate all our party details.

Star and Moon Cricut Cut File -here

Place Cards and Food Labels Cut File -here

Stardust Labels -here

Love You To The Moon And Back Banner -here

With a pink space themed party like this one, 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.

Free Vintage Easter Printables

Mar 24, 2021 · 4 Comments

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

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These vintage images are so pretty. The vintage Easter designs have the cutest graphics of Easter bunnies, Easter banners, colorful eggs, a hatching chick, and Easter eggs in an Easter basket. The soft pastel colors of the vintage Easter images are perfect for spring. These vintage Easter cards would be beautiful as part of your home decor for Easter and spring.

The History of Vintage Easter Postcards

I found these vintage cards at a little antique shop near my house. Unfortunately it has recently closed, but it had boxes and boxes of old antique postcards. Some were from travel, but there were also lots from different holidays.

In the days before long distance phone calls were common, when there was no email, or you not could send a text, people sent these little postcards for holidays and occasions. It was really common practise to send a greeting like this on special holidays. Families often lived a great distance from each other, and travel was more expensive, took much longer, and was quite uncomfortable. These little seasonal greetings were a great way to share with family that you were thinking of them on a special occasion and family celebrations like Easter weekend and send them some Easter blessings. Postcards were more common than cards. They were cheaper to send then a bulky Easter greeting card and envelope, and quick to write because of the small sizes of the writing space. Vintage postcards were often saved for their pretty vintage pictures, and put on display for the season as Easter decor. Several of these postcards have a postmark on the back, one dates to 1907, one was mailed in 1908, and another in 1914. It's incredible to think that they are over 100 years old. I would assume that they're all from around the same time period. Since these images are all over 100 years old, they're free from copyright.

Dating The Vintage Cards

Several of these Easter cards have a postmark on the back. One of them dates to 1907, one was mailed in 1908, and another in 1914. It's incredible to think that they are over 100 years old. I would assume that they're all from around the same time period. Since this Easter art is all over 100 years old, these Easter prints are free from copyright, and are now public domain images. Feel free to use these free images however you wish.

How To Use Them

There so many fun ways to use these. Send one as an Easter card with Easter greetings, or use them in Easter craft projects. The images make adorable gift tags. Use these printable cards attached to a Easter gift, with the recipient's name written on the back. These free vintage Easter cards would also make adorable place cards for your Easter party. These are also beautiful as Easter decorations. Use mini clothespins to clip them to a ribbon and make a printable banner with them for your dining or living room.

These would also be great to use in scrapbooking or in junk journals. These happy Easter images of Easter hares, and Easter eggs are the perfect addition to your Easter crafts. Another fun Easter craft would be to use cut out the individual images and mod podge them onto Easter eggs. These are great for all kinds of Easter crafting, because you're not cutting up or ruining the originals. You can download the free image, and print them on your home printer on card stock or paper and use them in so many different ways. That's one of the things I love about using digital images.

Since we all can't be so lucky as to find the antique ones, I thought it would be fun to share them as a printable. You can download them for free from our Free Resource Library. For instant access to the Free Resource Library, subscribe to Life is a Party below. As a subscriber you'll be sent the access code as a thank you for subscribing, instantly, right to your inbox.

I used the vintage Easter postcards as part of my Easter decor this year. They are a very pretty addition, displayed with some other Easter favourites. I love the vintage look and the cottagecore vibes. What's also great about these vintage Easter postcards is how easy they are to store, since they're small and flat. I can bring them out to decorate for one of my favorite holidays, year after year. Last year I used them as a banner, and this year I did something a bit different with them. They add a vintage feel to whatever you place them with.

With these beautiful free vintage printable Easter printables, life really is a party!

More Free Easter Printables

You might also like our Easter Bunny Bait, with printable label here.

Also check out our Pastel Easter Table here.

You might also enjoy DIY Bunny Treat Bag here.

Make your own bunny shaped treat bag sewing project for Easter.

Easter Table Ideas

Mar 22, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Easter Table Ideas: bunny plates and chairs made from dollar store bunny ears and tails add some whimsy to this pastel & iridescent table.

I had so much fun putting together this pastel Easter table full of fun Easter table ideas. It's really easy to create, and so pretty. It defiantly feels like spring with our bunny plates, and chairs. The pops of iridescence and mirrored disco balls make it feel fun and modern too.

Easter Bunny Ears and Tails

For this table, I started out with these fun Easter bunny ears and tails from the dollar store. They are the kind you buy for children, and really inexpensive. To create my tablescape, I added the ears to some white dinner plates, to turn each one into little bunny plates.

The ears also come with little bunny tails, and I added them to the chairs.

This was so easy to do and couldn't be cuter. These are sure to elicit smiles from kids and adults alike and perfect for any Easter or spring celebration, or family dinner.

Place Settings

Since I was using plain white plates to create our bunnies, I want to add little more colour with the other pieces of the place settings.

The iridescent accents for the whole table were inspired by the iridescent champagne flutes. Not just for champagne, they'd be great for sparkling water, or fizzy lemonade too. I also added some pretty purple wine glasses, because the purple worked so well for our pastel table.

I used some simple pink napkins and added all the cutlery to one side, on the napkin for a casual feel.

Easter Table Decor Ideas

I decided not to use any table cloth or runner on this table because I liked the contrast of the white plates and bunny ears against the dark wood. I did create something like a runner out of some beautiful decor pieces.

The colour scheme for the table was pastels and iridescent pieces. I added a vase of fresh tulips, which always feel like spring.

There are also several iridescent pieces, including some glass Easter eggs, and several candle holders.

I also included a large mirrored ball for a little sparkle. The mirrored balls inspired the mirrored ball Easter eggs that I found at the dollar store.

They're so pretty in their pastel colours. I used some like pink bowls to hold them, and added a few to the table.

Easter Treats

Easter Eggs In Vintage Teacups

It's always fun to include some treats on a table. I found a few vintage teacups in pastel colours at the thrift store. I added some mini eggs, which add some pretty pastel to the table as well.

Bunny Cupcakes

I also made some adorable and easy bunny cupcakes. I made simple vanilla cupcakes from a mix and iced them with some vanilla icing.

To turn the cupcake into bunnies, I made some ears from iridescent card stock. These were really simple to make with some scissors. I just eyeballed them. Be sure to make them a little longer than you want them to be, with a slightly pointed end on them, which makes it really easy to add them to the cupcakes.

Bunny Sugar Cookies

I made my favourite sugar cookies -using my Grandma's recipe here. To ice them I used a marble icing technique.

It's really simple to do, and quite quick too. To make them, create a really runny icing with icing sugar, milk, and vanilla. Remove a small amount from he icing and dye it pink. Place the white icing in a shallow bowl, and add dollops of pink. Use a knife to marble it together. Then dip the bunny cookie into the icing, and let the excess icing drip off. Rest the iced cookies on some parchment paper, and after they set a few minutes, run a knife around the outside to remove and dripping icing. Let them set completely before serving.

This pretty pastel Easter table was really fun to put together and feels perfect for any spring or Easter celebration.

With these great Easter table ideas to create a beautiful tablescape, life really is a party!

More Inspiration

You might also like our spring garden inspired Easter Tablescape here.

Also check out our Black and White Easter Table here.

You might also enjoy our Green, Black, and White Easter Table here.

Green, Black and White Easter Table: 8 different place settings to give you lots of inspiration for setting an extra special Easter Table.

Spring Decorating Ideas Home Tour

Mar 17, 2021 · 21 Comments

Spring Decorating Ideas Home Tour: lots of plants, and touches of pastel, boho macrame and iridescent touches for spring.

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Today I'm sharing lots of spring decorating ideas for our spring home tour. I've added lots of pretty pastel touches, some iridescent pieces, and lots of boho and plants for spring. Bunnies and Easter eggs help make it feel like spring.

Adding Spring Touches

It's hard to believe that it's been a year since the world turned upside down. I remember back then, we were wondering if a spring home tour was appropriate with everything that was going on -you can see last years spring home tour here. In the end we decided that there was nothing more appropriate than making our homes, where we would all be spending considerable more time, a place we love to be.

A year into this situation though, I confess that I was feeling a little down and struggling to come up with some spring decor ideas and the energy to decorate a few weeks ago. I pushed on though, and I'm so glad I did. Once it was all tied up and the boxes put away, along with the clock change, and the weather improving here, it's felt like a bit of a breath of fresh air. The colours and light, and plants have put a spring in all of our steps and I'm so glad I added some spring touches to my decor for my family to enjoy.

Entry Way

Let's start in the entry way. This table is always a favourite spot to decorate for each season. This spring I've added lots of plants to help it feel like spring. The glass domes help make each plant feel special -including the little African violet in an eggshell planter, see how I made it here. I've also added in a few pretty rocks in some different spots - the pastel colours seem perfect for spring. The grasses and the mirrored pieces add some boho charm.

The Dining Room

In the dining room, I've kept the dining room table simple with this gorgeous candleholder. My sister made it for me as a Christmas gift, and I love it. For spring I've used all pink and white candles and it's the perfect striking piece.

large candle holder wood DIY pink candles

In front of the window my little vintage bar cart is decked out with lots of plants for spring, and a few favourite pieces ready to set the table.

And at the other end of the dining room, our buffet has a collection of old glass containers sometimes called carboys or demijohns. I filled them with some dried grasses. I especially love the pink bunny tails for spring.

Spring Decorating Ideas In The Living Room

Into the living room, and there's more touches of pastels, plants, and iridescent to tie everything together. One of my favourite ways to make decor look coherent is to repeat some elements through all the rooms on my main floor. It helps tie things together, and feels pulled together.

At the bottom of the stairs between the living room and dining room I have room for a little vintage table. I've kept it quite neutral with a few pretty spring touches. You can see how I made the macrame stair garland here.

Into the living room, it's feel light and bring and ready for spring. I recently switched the couch and chair around and it's a been a nice change. The coffee table decor actually inspired my whole spring look.

I had the whole main floor in a mess, switching things around for spring, and piles of decor everywhere. I ended up with a rather pretty collection on the coffee table, of things I put together unintentionally there and loved. It's my favourite spot. I love the combination of the plant, the black lanterns to ground everything and help the pink and iridescent not read as too sweet. The disco ball adds some sparkle, and the iridescent and the glass with the pink pieces feel so perfect for spring.

Fireplace Mantel

Over on the fireplace, I added more plants, and spring touches.

You can see how I made the macrame bunting here. I also made some butterfly bunting out of some old book pages, and watercoloured a few of them green for spring. I also picked up some craft eggs at the dollar store and painted them with iridescent paint. The vintage trophies worked well as egg cups for these larger eggs -a fun spring decorating idea.

Over on the other side of the room, there's a few spring touches too. You might remember that I found this beautiful old tree branch out in the woods when I was getting Christmas greens. It's covered in lichen I hung it up here at Christmas with some pretty ornaments hanging from it. It was so pretty I didn't want to take it down. For Valentine's Day I added some hanging hearts. I'm still in love with it this spring, so I decided to add some hanging Easter eggs. You can see how I made the gold leaf Easter eggs here. I also made some iridescent eggs. I used craft eggs from the dollar store and added some iridescent paint. They're a really lovely addition.

The Eating Area

On the table I saved some of my favourites. The glass iridescent eggs were a recent Homesense find, along with the large candle. The mirrored Easter eggs are from the dollar store, and look sweet in a little pink bowl. The mushrooms are an old favourite and no longer available, they're a favourite for spring.

Behind the table, on our little cabinet are a few more pretty spring additions. The spring art work is available as a free download here. The birds nest is a real one I found years ago on a walk. There's more of the iridescent eggs I painted too.

The Kitchen

The open shelves in the kitchen are always a favourite spot of mine to decorate. The iridescent stemless champagne flutes were the first iridescent piece I found around Christmas. I thought they were so fun and added a few iridescent touches to my Christmas decor to match with them. This spring they worked so well with the pastels that I bought a few more pieces. They're so rainbow-y and remind me of my childhood in the 90's, they can't help but make you smile.

On the shelves I've added more butterfly bunting like the one on the fireplace. There's also lots of plants, and touches of pastels, bunnies and eggs for spring.

how to add spring touches to your open shelves

open kitchen shelves decorated for spring

Over on the other side of the kitchen, there's the my favourite Easter treat, hot cross buns. And beside the sink, on the little wood pedestal there are some more sweet bunnies. These look vintage but they were a HobbyLobby find a few years ago -back when we could still cross border shop. There's also a sweet little real quails egg. I found them in the egg section at my local grocery store and blew some out. This one got a coat of iridescent paint and it's such a sweet little addition. I always get caught up in the details. The iridescent tea light holder is a find from dollar tree, and I've used a few of them here and there.

And that's the tour for this spring. I hope it's given you lots of spring decorating ideas. Things like fresh green plants, and pretty pastels always make it feel like spring, and the iridescent touches are a nice fun addition.

With the house all decorated for spring, life really is a party!

Spring Mantel Ideas

Mar 10, 2021 · 7 Comments

Spring Mantel Ideas: inspired by spring picnics this mantel is decorated with vintage picnic baskets, and picnic art.

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Perhaps because we've all been home so long, or perhaps because it's spring and I can't wait for warmer weather to enjoy the outdoors, this mantel was inspired by the idea of a picnic. I hope it fills you with lots of spring mantel ideas.

A Picnic Inspired Mantel

I love picnics. What's not to love? Delicious food, beautiful outdoor setting, and great friends, who doesn't love a picnic? Well it's not quite picnic weather here, but it will be coming soon. And we can always start with a little inspiration indoors like this. I thought this was a fun idea for a mantel, and something a little bit different.

Story telling in decorating is always a great starting point, so I'm definitely thinking of picnic days with this decor. I was inspired by my picnic basket collection. These picnic baskets get used often when I'm styling picnics for the blog -check out all our past picnic posts here. I recently made over my storage area, and where they had been scattered around in any spot I could find for them in the past, in the makeover they were all grouped together. They looked so great, I thought they should be on display somewhere.

Vintage Picnic Baskets

Since I have a corner fireplace, I always have to use something like a backdrop for the large mantel. I usually use a mirror, or piece of art, but I thought it would be fun to stack up the baskets as a backdrop. They're beautiful and full of texture. That was my picnic inspired mantel starting point.

Picnic Art

I thought it would be fun to include some images of picnics. There is actually so much picnic inspired art. I found a few beautiful ones on-line.

Monet's Luncheon on the Grass is a beautiful one, and now public domain so you can download and print it. The beautiful greens are so pretty for spring too.

I also found this vintage black and white print called "A Picnic In The Park" from 1942. Their outfits and the setting is so charming. It looks great in a black and white frame. I loved looking at picnic art some much, that I will definitely be on the look for it in the future, especially at antique stores, and the thrift store.

More Picnic Inspired Decor

I actually fussed with this simple mantel for days, trying different versions of it. The picnic baskets and the texture they bring, are probably my favourite part. I also added in a vintage carboy in a wicker basket as well.

It made me think of homemade wine at a European picnic. I also added in some plants for the feeling of spring. All the plants are in grey containers to help tie them together.

Which Version Do You Like Best?

I tried layering the pictures, but they seemed like too much that way.

I added a green wine bottle to tie in with the wine at the picnic in the Monet painting.

Then, I tried a lighter bottle thinking there was too much green And, I thought the vintage trophy was a nice nod to picnic games of the past. I even switched out the plants, thinking the vine was pretty, but the crocus felt more like spring.

I'm not sure if I've landed on the final version yet, but I love the idea of a picnic inspired mantel to help me usher in picnic season. Part of decorating should always be playing, and giving ourselves permission to try different things. Which version do you like?

Easy Brownie Trifle Recipe

Mar 9, 2021 · 9 Comments

This brownie trifle recipe is the perfect no-stress dessert for chocolate lovers. Made in adorable individual servings with store-bought ingredients, it's easy to assemble, looks impressive, and tastes amazing and no messy scooping required!

Individual chocolate brownie trifle in a glass with gold spoons.

A Quick Look At This Recipe

📋 Recipe: Brownie Trifle (Individual Servings)
⏲️ Ready In: 20 min.
👪 Servings: 4 individual trifles
🔪 Difficulty: Easy
💭 Top Tip: Use individual glasses or jars for easy serving and gorgeous presentation.

Why You'll Love This Brownie Trifle Recipe

Individual servings make it foolproof -No worrying about clean slices or messy scooping, each person gets their own perfect portion.
Ready in 20 minutes -Simple assembly, and ready to serve.
Uses store-bought shortcuts -Two-bite brownies and instant pudding mean you're assembling, not baking.
Looks absolutely stunning - hose beautiful layers in clear glasses always impress guests.
Perfect make-ahead dessert -Actually tastes better after chilling overnight.
Endlessly customizable -Swap the candy bars, change the pudding flavor, or add your favorite toppings.

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These individual brownie trifles are always a crowd pleaser and really easy to put together. They're the perfect dessert for the chocolate lover.

The best part? Making these in individual servings means no messy cutting or scooping. Everyone gets their own perfectly portioned dessert that looks like it came from a bakery. Plus, they don't neen to set like a large trifle, so make them ahead or serve them right away.

If you're a chocolate lover you might also like our Chocolate Charcuterie Snack Board -another impressive chocolate dessert that's easy to make. Also check out our Easy One Bowl Brownies, and Easy Dirt Pudding Recipe. You might also enjoy Easy Individual Mini Trifle Cups and Caramel Apple Trifle.

Easy chocolate trifle made with store bought ingredients for chocolate lovers.

What is a Brownie Trifle?

A trifle is a classic English dessert made with layers of cake, custard, whipped cream, and often fruit or jelly. Traditional trifles are assembled in a large glass bowl so you can see all the beautiful layers.

A brownie trifle takes this concept and makes it even more indulgent by swapping sponge cake for rich, fudgy brownies. Instead of custard, we use chocolate pudding (so good!), and we layer it all with fluffy whipped cream and crunchy candy bar pieces.

Ingredients

Find a full list of ingredients with measurements in the recipe card below.

Brownies: Two-bite brownies are a great store bought easy option or use your favorite homemade brownies cut into bite-sized pieces. Our One Bowl Brownie Recipe would be perfect.
Pudding: We used instant pudding made with milk, but you could also use already preprated chocolate pudding, or homemade chocolate pudding.
Whipped Cream: We used a few shortcuts for this recipe, but the whipped cream isn't one of them. We love homemade whipped cream. It only takes a few minutes to make and tastes so much better than a substitution like cool whip, but you can use whatever you prefer.
Chocolate Bars: In Canada, we call these Skor Bars, but any hard toffee bar covered in chocolate would be perfect. Or substitute your chocolate bar of choice.

Variations

Peanut Butter Cup: Love peanut butter cups? Substitute them for the chocolate bars and add a peanut butter touch. You could also add some real chopped peanuts as well for a little crunch.
Turtle Chocolate Trifle: If you're a lover of turtles chocolates, substitute them in for the chocolate bar pieces. You might also add some caramel sauce and/or chocolate sauce as an extra layer, or add a layer of butterscotch pudding too, and some chopped pecans.
Chocolate Covered Strawberry: Love chocolate covered strawberries. Why not omit the chocolate bar pieces and substitute yummy layers fresh cut strawberries to create a wonderful chocolate covered strawberry version of this treat with fresh fruit.
Black Forest Brownie Trifle: If you love Black Forest cake, add a layer of cherry pie filling to your chocolate trifle and substitute chocolate curls and chocolate shavings for the chocolate bar pieces. You could even use chocolate cake instead of the fudgy brownie bites.
For The Holidays: Add colorful red, green, and white sprinkles for Christmas, star sprinkles and sparklers for New Years, heart sprinkles for Valentine's Day, or broken up mini eggs for Easter.
Gluten Free: Substitute gluten-free brownies for the brownie chunks. Use a gluten-free box of brownie mix to make the brownies. The pudding, skor bar, and whipped cream are all gluten-free.

How to Make Individual Brownie Trifles: Step by Step

Step 1: Prepare Your Containers Use 4 individual glasses or small jars to make individual chocolate trifles. You can also double this recipe for one large trifle in a large bowl or trifle dish. Clear containers show off those gorgeous layers beautifully!

Step 2: Create the First Brownie Layer Slice 1 ½ or 2 of the two-bite brownies into quarters, and create a brownie layer on the bottom of each of the four glasses with the brownie pieces.

Step 3: Add the Pudding Layer Prepare the chocolate pudding according to the package directions, and add about ¼ cup of pudding on top of the brownies in each glass, as the pudding layer in the trifle.

Step 4: Add the Whipped Cream Layer Whip the cream with sugar and vanilla, and use a big spoon to add about ¼ cup as the next layer.

Step 5: Add the Candy Topping Chop the chocolate bars, and sprinkle over the top, as the final layer.

Step 6: Repeat All Layers and Chill Repeat all the layers again in each glass, starting with the brownies, then the pudding, the whipped cream, and finishing with the Skor bar pieces on top of the trifle. Once the whole thing is put together, chill in the fridge for a few hours before serving.

Completed individual brownie trifle with layered chocolate and cream.

The longer they chill, the better they taste! When ready to serve, you can add a final sprinkle of candy or a drizzle of chocolate sauce if you want to make them extra special.

Expert Tip

Make the layers visible: If you want those picture-perfect layers, spread each layer all the way to the edge of your glass so people can see the stripes from the outside.

Make-Ahead

Make them the night before: Perfect for party prep - they taste even better after sitting overnight.
Add final candy topping just before serving: This keeps the candy crunchy if you're making them more than a few hours ahead

Storage

Store the individual trifles covered (plastic wrap works great) in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. After that, the brownies can start to get too soft and the whipped cream may start to deflate.

Can You Freeze Them? I don't recommend freezing these trifles. The whipped cream doesn't freeze well and will become watery when thawed. The pudding texture also changes after freezing.

More Chocolate Desserts

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make one large brownie trifle instead of individual servings?

Absolutely! Double the recipe and layer everything in a large trifle bowl or glass serving dish.

What size glasses should I use for individual trifles?

I use 8-12 ounce glasses or small mason jars. You want something tall enough to show off the layers but not so big that it's too large of a portion. Anything from a juice glass to a small dessert cup works great.

Can I use homemade whipped cream or Cool Whip?

Either works! Homemade whipped cream tastes better in my opinion and only takes a few minutes to make. But if you're short on time, Cool Whip or any frozen whipped topping is a perfectly fine shortcut.

How far in advance can I make these brownie trifles?

You can make them up to 24 hours in advance and store them wraped in plastic wrap in the fridge. The flavors meld and improve after sitting for a little while.

My pudding seems too thin. What should I do?

Make sure you're using instant pudding mix (not cook-and-serve) and let it sit for the full 5 minutes after mixing. It should thicken to a spreadable consistency. If it's still thin, pop it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.

If you try these Brownie Trifles 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

Easy Chocolate Brownie Trifle

Creamy chocolate and brownie dessert. Perfect for a chocolate lover.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20

Total Time: 20

Servings:

Calories: 893kcal

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Ingredients

▢ 280 g package Two-bite Brownies
▢ 113 g package Instant Chocolate Jello Pudding
▢ 2 cups milk
▢ 191 g package Skor minis chocolate bars
▢ 473 mL Whipping Cream
▢ 2 tablespoon Sugar
▢ 1 teaspoon Vanilla

Instructions

Use 4 individual glasses, or small jars to make individual chocolate trifles, or double this recipe for one large trifle in a large bowl or trifle dish. To begin with, slice 1 ½ or 2 of the two-bite brownies into quarters, and create a brownie layer on the bottom of each of the four glasses with the brownie pieces.
Prepare the chocolate pudding according to the package directions, and add about ¼ cup of pudding on top of the brownies in each glass, as the pudding layer in the trifle.
Whip the cream with sugar and vanilla, and use a big spoon to add about ¼ cup as the fourth layer.
Chop the chocolate bars, and sprinkle over the top, as the final layer.
Repeat all the layers again in each glass, starting with the brownies, then the pudding, the whipped cream, and finishing with the Skor bar pieces on top of the trifle. Once the whole thing is put together, chill in the fridge for a few hours before serving.

Notes

For one large trifle: Double all ingredients and layer in a large trifle bowl or glass serving dish. Will need 4-6 hours chilling time (or overnight).

Make it your own: Swap pudding flavors (try caramel or vanilla), use different chocolate bars, or add a drizzle of chocolate or caramel sauce between layers.

Storage: Store covered in refrigerator for up to 2 days. Best enjoyed within 24 hours for optimal texture.

Gluten-free: Use gluten-free brownies. All other ingredients are naturally gluten-free.

Nutrition

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

Easter Tablescape

Mar 8, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Easter Tablescape: a DIY moss table runner, spring bulbs, eggs, nests, blues, greens and purples create the perfect woodland spring table.

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This Easter tablescape is perfect for celebrating spring. It's the prettiest table I've set in a long time, and just love all the blues, greens and purple flowers. There's nothing like bulbs blooming to bring the smell and feeling of spring! This table is perfect for your Easter celebrations this year, and sure to impress your guests. We partnered with Giant Tiger to put it all together.

The Place Settings

I fell in love with these pretty striped dinnerware when I saw them. The blue stripes reminded me of vintage Cornish ware. And the colour made me think of beautiful blue birds eggs in nests -could there be a more spring like image? So they were my jumping off point for the entire Easter tablescape.

I thought it would be fun to do an entire table in shades of blue, green, and purple, so I stuck to that end of the colour wheel. The table's rich colours are so full of life, and feels especially perfect for spring.

On top of each plate, I added a little nest and some faux eggs, to make my original vision come to life. I used some green glasses, pretty gold cutlery, and dark linen napkins to complete the place settings.

The Easter Tablescape Centrepiece

What could be more spring like than spring bulbs? I found the pretty flowering bulbs in-store at Giant Tiger. There's a combination of tulips, crocus, hyacinths, grape hyacinths, and primroses. I also added in an ivy and some ferns. Giant Tiger has a great selection of live plants, and their prices can't be beat.

Moss Table Runner

I decided to make a table runner of moss down the centre of the table. To create it I started by adding a layer of plastic cellophane to the table, just to protect it from the damp moss. My sister is a florist and gave me the tip of soaking the moss from the craft store in a sink of water before working with it. You can work with the dry moss, but it tends to crumble and break easily and isn't very flexible. After dipping the moss in water, and gently squeezing the water out, it's really flexible and easy to work with. I pieced the moss I had together to form the table runner, and then made holes to set the plant pots in.

To tie the look all together, I removed the wrappers from the plant pots and then topped each one with more moss. The brown and green pots worked well with my moss. Don't forget that you can plant the bulbs outside afterwards, and enjoy them next spring coming up in your garden.

I love the rustic woodland look of the moss and all the live plants. To elevate the look, I added some beautiful gold candleholders from Giant Tiger. The candle holders help add a little sparkle to the table, and tie in really well with the gold cutlery.

Last week I made the eggshell planters our of real eggshells and some grape hyacinth bulbs. You can find the whole tutorial to make the eggshell planters here. They were a really fun touch to this table. I also added in some birds eggs here and there, and some white mushrooms that worked so well with our spring woodland look.

An Easter Dessert Table

On the little side table I set up dessert. It's great to have it available and not have to worry about setting it up after dinner, and it looks great as additional decor. To match our table I added some more spring bulbs and plants. I was lucky enough to find a real nest and it's such a cute addition.

Everyone loves chocolate and candy at Easter. We picked up lots of delicious Easter treats, and goodies at Giant Tiger. They're perfect for your Easter egg hunt, or added to dessert like we did here. I used some glass vases to serve them in, and they're not only delicious, but add to the decor as well.

The beautiful mirrored tray is also from Giant Tiger. It's holding the Chocolate Trifles, we'll be sharing the recipe for these tomorrow. They're perfect for Easter, since everyone loves chocolate, you can make them ahead, and they're really easy to put together. Find the easy no-bake recipe for the Chocolate Trifle here.

Beautiful Backdrop

I've been thinking about adding some soft billowy curtains to soften the shutters on the back door for a while. I picked up these pretty sheer curtains and this adjustable curtain rod at Giant Tiger. I love the idea of opening the patio doors on spring days and seeing the curtains on a sunny spring day.

With a beautiful Easter Tablescape like this to celebrate with, life really is a party!

More Inspiration

You might also enjoy our Green, Black, and White Easter Table Ideas here.

Also check out our Easter Finger Foods Brunch here.

Easter Finger Foods Brunch: the perfect, no fuss Easter brunch menu with breakfast finger foods and Easter table decor ideas.

You might also like our Black and White Easter Table here.

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

Easy DIY Eggshell Planters

Mar 3, 2021 · 4 Comments

Use regular eggs to create your own mini eggshell planters. They're perfect for spring decor, or as an Easter decoration.

DIY eggshell planter with spring bulbs arranged in a ceramic egg holder.

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Why We Love This Project

Is there anything more perfect for spring or Easter than eggs and spring bulbs? They're so cute!
This project is inexpensive since we upcycled our egg shells.
When you're done you can plant the bulbs in your garden for next year and compost the eggshells.

Mini African violet in an eggshell planter.

Spring is one of my very favourite seasons. Living in Toronto, the winters can seem long, and they're pretty cold and snowy, so spring is always so welcome when it finally arrives. And even if the weather is still cold outside, we can make spring come a little early with a few spring projects inside.

You might also like our Easter Bunny Breakfast, How To Make a Light Bulb Flower Vase, How To Make Rainbow Baby's Breath, or How To Make Fake Plants Look Real.

Mini spring bulbs planted in quail eggs inside a vintage silver basket.

Spring bulbs are such a great way to welcome the new season. I thought it would be fun to use some real eggs as little bulb planters.

Materials:

Regular Eggs -save your eggshells. Try to crack them about ⅔ up from the bottom if you can. Just rinse them out with some warm water and let them dry.
Quails Eggs -I found these at the grocery store in the egg section, they may have been a special Easter product. You can also look for them on-line in your local area. They're sometimes avaiable at farm stores, or farmer's markets.
Spring Bulbs -we used spring bulbs in most of our eggshell planters. Keep in mind that they need to be small enough to fit into the eggshells so look for things like grape hyacinths, mini daffodils, or crocus bulbs.
Mini African Violets -we also used a mini African violet. These come in lots of pretty colors. Look for one in blub, with lots of buds so you can enjoy it for longer.
Garden Soil -all purpose garden soil is fine for this project.

Variation:

These would also be really beautiful made with brown hens eggs, or if you were lucky enough to find some blue hens eggs.

You could also dye the eggs to create your own soft blue eggs. Any pastel colour would be beautiful for this project. Pinks, and greens and blues and yellows would all be lovely. I like the simplicity of the white too.

I was lucky enough to find fresh quail's eggs at my local supermarket and they were such a fun way to add some variation to this project. Just remember that the quail's eggs are really tiny, and you will need very small bulbs to fit inside. We used the grape hyacinth bulbs for the quail's eggs.

We used bulbs and plants in our eggshells, but you can also try using cut flowers and use them as eggshell vases. They look so pretty for spring. This would be a great option for the quail eggs especially because they're so small. Just be sure to look for tiny flowers for them, like baby's breath or other flowers often used as filler in bouquets.

How To Make An Eggshell Planter

1. To begin with, use the back of a table knife to crack the egg ⅔ from the large end of the egg. Then use your fingers to remove the top, and empty the yolks into a bowl. If the opening isn't large enough, you can use your fingers to break off a little more of the shell to widen the hole and make it large enough for the bulb.

2. Rinse the egg shells with some water to clean to them off.

How to crack an egg to use as an eggshell planter.

Eggshells that are washed in an egg container to be used as eggshell planters.

Removing A Date Stamp

3. Some of the eggs we used had some date stamps on the eggs in pink ink. We used some nail polish remover on a cotton ball to remove it. It didn't come off completely, but lightened enough to not be noticeable.

Removing pink date stamps from eggshells with nailpolish remover.

4. Next, remove the grape hyacinths from the pots and slowly and carefully knock off as much dirt as you can, and use your fingers to untangle the roots and gently pull them apart.

For the African violet for planting, remove it from the pot. Use your fingers to gently remove enough soil from the roots so that it's small enough to fit into the empty eggshells.

We found one grape hyacinth bulb was about the perfect size for a chicken egg planter.

Spring bulbs with green tops and roots with the dirt removed.

For the African violet, we had to remove a lot of the soil around it to fit it inside, so be sure to look for quite small ones.

Removing excess dirt from a mini African violet plant.

5. Now you're ready to plant the plants in the eggshell pots. Add a little of the soil that you removed from the pots earlier into the bottom of the eggshell. Add the plant into the egg planter, working carefully to make sure the roots are all tucked in.

Fill in any spaces around the plant with more soil. For the grape hyacinth bulb you can use something small like a very small spoon, pencil or wooden skewer to help push the soil in around the bulb.

Planting grape hyacinth bulbs inside of an eggshell.

Planting a spring bulb inside an eggshell planter.

Planting a spring bulb inside an eggshell.

Watering Your Plants

Water your bulbs occasionally, or use a spray bottle to mist the bulbs.

Displaying Your Eggshell Planters

Display your eggshell planters in an egg carton or egg cups. They're the perfect addition to your spring decor for a natural look.

Mini grape hyacinth bulb planted in an eggshell, inside of a vintage glass egg holder.

Replanting Your Bulbs

After the grape hyacinths bloom, you can save the bulbs and plant them in your own garden and they will flower again in your garden the following spring. Be sure to compost the eggshell and soil.

Spring bulbs planted in an eggshell planter, and in a quail eggshell.

This is a fun project for the whole family to enjoy making together. It's great to do anytime in the spring, as an Easter display or as part of your earth day projects.

With these easy DIY eggshell planters, life really is a party!

how make an eggshell planter Easter centrepiece

More Spring DIY Craft Inspiration

Frequently Asked Questions

Where did you find the quail eggs?

They were in my grocery store egg department around Easter time. You can also find them sometimes at Farm shops, or Farmer's Markets. Look on-line to see if they're available in your area.

What bulbs are small enough for the quail's eggs?

We used grape hyacinths in the quail eggs. Look for a pot of them with many bulbs and choose the very smallest ones for the quail eggs.

How long do these last?

The bulbs should flower for about a week. If you're making it for a party or get together ahead of time, be sure to choose bulbs that aren't fully open. And remember to water or mist them occasionally.

If you try making these Eggshell Planters or any other ideas on my blog please let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting today!

Recipe

Eggshell Planter

Make a planter for spring bulbs or miniature plants out of eggshells.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 15

Servings: Eggshell Planters

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Materials

6 eggs
5 grape hyacinth bulbs
1 miniature African violet
egg carton or egg cups
Optional: quail eggs and nail polish remover

Instructions

To begin with, use the back of table knife to crack the egg ⅔ from the large end of the egg. Then use your fingers to remove the top, and empty the yolks into a bowl. If the opening isn't large enough, you can use your fingers to break off a little more of the shell to widen the hole and make it large enough for the bulb.
Rinse the egg shells with some water to clean to them off.
If your eggs have a date stamp on the shell, use some nail polish on a cotton ball to remove it.
Next, remove the grape hyacinths from the pots and slowly and carefully knock off as much dirt as you can, and use your fingers to untangle the roots and gently pull them apart. For the African violet for planting, remove it from the pot. Use your fingers to gently remove enough soil from the roots so that it's small enough to fit into the empty eggshells.
Now you're ready to plant the plants in the eggshell pots. Add a little of the soil that you removed from the pots earlier into the bottom of the eggshell. Add the plant into the egg planter, working carefully to make sure the roots are all tucked in. Fill in any spaces around the plant with more soil. For the grape hyacinth bulb you can use something small like a very small spoon, pencil or wooden skewer to help push the soil in around the bulb.

Video

Mini spring bulbs planted in real quail eggs, inside of a silver basket.

Notes

Remove the date stamp on white eggs with some nail polish remover.

Look for quail eggs in the egg section at the grocery store around Easter time. Or look at farm shops, or farmers' markets.

Use the smallest grape hyacinth bulbs you can find for the quail eggs.

Remember to water or mist your planted bulbs.

Once the bulbs are done blooming, replant them in your flower beds for next year and compost the eggshells and soil.

Free Spring Printable Art

Feb 24, 2021 · 3 Comments

Free Spring Printable Art: decorate for spring with this inspiring free printable available in large 18 x 24 inch or letter size.

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It's always fun to add a few special touches for spring, like this free spring printable art. Spring is always a season of renewed hope and rebirth, especially for a gardener. This great quote is a perfect reminder of the joy that spring brings.

This quote is a favourite of mine. I found it a few years ago and shared it on a letter board. I liked it so much, that I thought it might be nice to make a more permanent version, and turn it into an art piece.

Inexpensive Engineer Prints

I love getting art printed on as large engineer prints at my local office store. It's really inexpensive and easy to do, and has so much impact. I just uploaded the file the to the office store on-line and picked it up in a few hours when it was printed.

I think that now matter how old or infirm I become quote

Simple DIY Wood Art Hangers

You can display this large piece in a frame. Or add some wood strips to the bottom for hanging like I did. I picked up the wood pieces at a home reno store. They're called "nailing strips" and in the lumber section. They're less than a dollar each. Have them cut at the store, usually for free for just two small cuts, or use a little hand saw at home to cut them to length.

I used some stain I had on hand for this one, then screwed in two simple small eye hooks, and attached some twine for hanging.

To attach the paper to the frame, just line it up and use a regular stapler to attach it to wood from the back.

I love using this method. When I ever I feel like changing it up, I get something new printed, and remove the staples, and reuse the wood strip pieces on a new piece of art. I have a collection of the prints rolled up with an elastic, so I can reuse them as well.

Free Spring Printable Art In Letter Size

I also made this free spring art available in a smaller letter size version. It's perfect for a clipboard or a frame. It will add a little touch of spring and hope to any spot.

It doesn't feel too much like spring here yet. There's still snow on the ground. Decorating this one little spot has been such a nice little boost to my mood. I can't wait to add more touches of spring here, and coax it to come!

Free Printable Library

If you would like to download this free printable art, just subscribe to our newsletter, and we'll give you instant access to our entire free printable library, including these free spring art prints in the large 18 x 24 inch size, or the smaller letter size. Subscribe below for instant access.

With a beautiful free printable for spring like this, life really is a party!

Heart Shaped Hamburgers

Jan 27, 2021 · 1 Comment

Heart Shaped Hamburgers are the perfect way to spread the love! Makes these heart shaped hamburger patties and heart shaped burger buns in your bread machine or by hand.

Heart shaped hamburger on a plate with fries.

Why We Love This Recipe

Everyone loves a hamburger so it's perfect for celebrating -with kids, family, girlfriends or a significant other.
Nothing says love like heart shaped food.
Burgers and these heart shaped buns are easy to make and look and taste fantastic.

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What could be more fun and delicious for Valentine's Day, than heart shaped burgers? Yesterday I shared our fun at-home Valentine's Day dinner -with our heart shaped hamburgers, homemade fires, and milk shakes. It was pretty much the perfect Valentine's Day dinner.

Check out all the details for our Valentine's Day At-Home dinner, 20 At Home Valentine's Day Ideas, and our Valentine Breakfast Board. You might also like our Pumpkin Shaped Dinner Rolls for fall.

Today I want to share the recipe for the easy heart shaped hamburger buns. We made our homemade heart shaped hamburger buns in our bread maker (but you can also make them without) and heart shaped hamburger patties for a delicious Valentine's Day.

Heart shaped hamburger bun and pattie with homemade fries.

Use Your Bread Machine Or Make By Hand

These buns are really easy to make in a bread machine -just add the ingredients and set to the dough setting. Come back in 2 hours and your dough is ready to form into hearts. These are super simple and pretty much foolproof. But you can also make them by hand if you don't have a bread maker, and they're still pretty easy to put together.

They do take a little while to make, whether by hand or in the bread machine. So make sure you give yourself enough time. Maybe start the process in the morning if you can. They take about 3 hours to complete, plus cooling. And they smell amazing as you're baking them.

Homemade heart shaped buns on a cooling rack.

If you'd like to make the heart shaped burger buns without a bread machine then follow the instructions in the recipe below.

How To Make Heart Shaped Hamburgers

1. If you are using a bread machine, layer all the ingredients into the bread maker. Starting with the butter, then warm water, sugar, 1 egg and salt. Next in the flour and lastly add the yeast. It's important to add the ingredients in order. And do not mix. Set your bread maker to the "dough" setting.

Freshly made hamburger bun dough in a bread machine.

If you are making your dough by hand, in a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1 cup of warm water. Let sit for about 10 minutes, until the mixture is foamy. Add in the butter, sugar, 1 egg, salt, and flour. Mix by hand or in a stand mixer until the dough comes together. If using a stand mixer with a dough hook, continue until the dough is smooth and elastic. If mixing by hand, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a large bowl, sprayed with oil, turning once to coat the top and cover with plastic wrap. Place it in a warm place to rise until it's doubled in size, about 1.5 hours.

2. When your dough is finished, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead to remove any air bubbles. Then divide your dough into 4 oz. pieces, it make 7 buns.

Shape each piece of dough into a ball, then make into a tear drop shape or chicken drumstick shape with your hands. Cut a slit in the larger side, and turn the cut sides down to the parchment to form your heart shape. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.

Collage of four step by step pictures showing how to shape hamburger buns into a heart shape, starting with a tear drop shape, cuting a slit in the top, and rounding those two top pieces to form the top of a heart.

Place the heart shaped buns on a parchment lined baking sheet and cover them with a clean tea towel to rise. They should double in size. It takes about 30 minutes.

Heart shaped hamburger bun dough raising on a baking sheet partly covered with a tea towel.

3. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the remaining egg with 2 tablespoons of warm water, and whisk together. Brush the buns with the egg mixture before baking.

4. Cook for 20 minutes or until the hamburger buns are golden brown and sound hollow inside when taped on the bottom. Cool before slicing.

5. To make the hamburger patties combine the ground beef with packages of onion soup mix. Form into 7 heart shaped patties about the same size or slightly larger than the heart shaped burger buns. The patties will shrink slightly as they cook.

Raw heart shaped hamburger patties in a frying pan, with heart shaped hamburger buns in the background.

6. Cook the hamburger patties in a frying pan over medium heat, flipping halfway through. Add cheese slices for cheeseburgers.

7. Cut the cooled buns in half and top with your heart shaped burger and toppings of your choice.

Heart shaped hamburger buns and hamburger patties on a plate with french fries.

Serving Suggestion

We served our heart shaped burgers with fresh cut fries and vanilla milkshakes. You can see our whole Valentine's Day party set up here, including our beautiful Valentine's Day table.

Storage

These hamburger buns are best eaten the day they are made. Store any extra heart shaped hamburger buns at room temperature in a sealed container. Store any leftover hamburger patties in the refrigerator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are my burger patties so small?

Depending on how much fat is in your ground beef, the patties will shrink quite a lot as they cook. Be sure to make them slightly larger than you want your finished patties to be.

Can I use something to shape the burger pattie?

Yes, feel free to use a cookie cutter to help shape your heart shaped hamburger pattie.

What if I don't have time to make these from scratch?

Make a simple version by using a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut a regular store-bought hamburger bun into a heart shape. For the pattie, use a frozen hamburger pattie and cut it with the heart shaped cookie cutter after it's cooked.

More Valentine's Day Recipes

If you tried this Heart Shaped Hamburger 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

At Home Valentine's Day Ideas

Jan 26, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Staying home for Valentine's Day doesn't mean sacrificing romance, fun, or that special celebration feeling. Whether you're looking for cozy date night ideas, family activities, or ways to celebrate with friends, these at-home Valentine's Day ideas will help you create a memorable celebration without ever leaving your house.

Quick Look

💕 Occasion: Valentine's Day at home for couples, families, kids, friends, or solo
🎉 What You'll Find: 20 tested celebration ideas from romantic dinners to family activities
👥 Works For: Couples, families with kids, single parents, grandparents, friend groups
⭐ Difficulty: Mix of quick easy ideas and more involved celebrations
💡 Top Tip: Most ideas are budget-friendly and use things you already have at home

Why You'll Love These Ideas

No expensive reservations or crowded restaurants. Celebrate on your own terms without the pressure of going out.
Works for everyone. These ideas adapt beautifully for couples, families with kids, friend groups, or single parents.
Budget-friendly options. Most activities use ingredients and supplies you already have at home.
Creates real memories. The best celebrations aren't about spending money, they're about meaningful moments with people you love.
Flexible and adaptable. Make them as simple or elaborate as you want, and customize them to fit your style.

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20 At-Home Valentine's Day Ideas

Whether you're avoiding crowded restaurants, watching your budget, or just prefer celebrating in your pajamas, these ideas make Valentine's Day special on your terms.

As a trained celebrant with over 15 years of party planning experience, I've used these celebrations to create memories with my own family and partner. From pillow fort movie nights with my kids to quiet fondue dinners after bedtime, these are the activities that have filled our home with love and laughter over the years.

Take what works for you, adapt them to fit your family, your budget, and your time, and make them your own.

1. Have a Valentine's Tea Party

A Valentine's tea party works for almost any group. Set out your prettiest teacups, make finger sandwiches and scones, and create a beautiful tablescape.

Perfect for: Girlfriends, mothers and daughters, couples, families with grandparents

Why it works: The formality of tea makes even a casual afternoon feel special and elegant.

Make it happen: Check out our complete Valentine's Day Tea Party for menu ideas, decor inspiration, and setup tips.

2. Plan a French-Inspired Dinner Night

Travel to Paris without leaving your living room with a French-themed dinner.

What to serve:

Crusty baguette with butter
French onion soup
Coq au vin or another French main
Cheese and charcuterie board with wine

Why it works: A theme makes the evening feel like an event and gives you a reason to try new recipes.

Make it happen: Our Valentine's Day in Paris French Themed Dinner Party has the complete menu, tablescape ideas, and atmosphere tips.

3. Throw a Valentine's Fiesta

Head south of the border for a colorful, flavorful celebration that feels playful instead of formal.

What to serve:

Tacos, enchiladas, or fajitas
Margaritas or festive mocktails
Bright decorations and papel picado

Perfect for: Families who want something fun, couples who love bold flavors

Make it happen: Our Valentine's Day Fiesta includes games, menu ideas, and decorating tips.

4. Set Up a Movie Night with Special Treats

Turn a regular movie night into something Valentine special with themed snacks and a little extra effort.

What makes it special:

Free printable movie tickets as invitations
Snack bar with popcorn varieties and Valentine candy
Cozy viewing area with blankets and pillows

Perfect for: Date night with romantic comedies or family night with love story movies.

Make it happen: Our Valentine's Day Movie Night has free printables, snack ideas, and movie recommendations.

Complete Valentine's Day movie night setup with printables and festive decor.

5. Create an At-Home Spa Experience

Transform your bathroom into a relaxing spa for couples or a fun spa party for kids.

What to include:

Candles and soft music
Face masks and bath bombs
Fluffy towels and robes
DIY scrubs or treatments

Why it works: Everyone loves being pampered, and it feels luxurious without spending a fortune.

Make it happen: Check out our Valentine's Day At Home Spa for treatment ideas and atmosphere tips.

6. Make Heart-Shaped Burgers, Fries, and Milkshakes

Elevated junk food is sometimes the best celebration food, and homemade burgers beat takeout every time.

What to make:

Heart-shaped burger patties
Crispy homemade fries
Thick milkshakes

Why it works: Kids get excited about the heart shapes, and it's a playful option for couples who don't take themselves too seriously.

Make it happen: Our Heart Shaped Burgers post shows you exactly how to shape them plus our favorite toppings and sides.

At home Valentine's Day dinner for two with heart shaped hamburgers, fries, and milkshakes.

7. Cook a Special Valentine's Breakfast

Start Valentine's Day with a beautiful breakfast that sets a loving tone for the whole day.

What to serve:

Breakfast board with heart-shaped waffles, fresh fruit, and pastries
Heart-shaped pancakes and hard boiled eggs
Pink hot chocolate

Perfect for: Families celebrating together, couples starting the day special, treating yourself

Make it happen: Check out our Valentine Breakfast Board for styling ideas and our Valentine's Day Breakfast Ideas for more menu options.

Valentine breakfast board with heart waffles, eggs, bacon, sausage, berries, and lattes for two.

8. Have a Pizza Party

Pizza is universally loved, easy to customize, and feels like a celebration without being fussy.

What makes it special:

Heart-shaped pizza dough
Topping bar so everyone builds their perfect pie
Caesar salad and garlic bread on the side

Perfect for: Family dinners, casual couple's night, any group with picky eaters

Make it happen: Our Valentine's Day Pizza Party includes dough recipes, topping ideas, and presentation tips.

Valentine's Day pizza party with heart shaped pizza, and "you stole a pizza my heart" party banner.

9. Set Up a Love Potion Hot Chocolate Bar

A hot chocolate bar is pure magic for kids and surprisingly fun for adults too.

What to include:

Test tubes filled with toppings (marshmallows, sprinkles, chocolate chips, crushed cookies, candy)
Hot chocolate in pretty mugs
Fun labels for each topping

Why it works: The presentation makes it special, and it's an activity that doubles as dessert.

Make it happen: Our Valentine's Day Love Potion Hot Chocolate Bar shows you the complete setup with labeling ideas.

Love potion Valentine's Day hot chocolate buffet.

10. Plan a Fondue Night

Fondue is one of the most romantic dinner options because it's interactive, indulgent, and meant to be lingered over.

What to serve:

Cheese fondue with bread, vegetables, and apples for dipping
Chocolate fondue with strawberries for dessert

Why it works: The intimacy of sharing food from the same pot makes it perfect for couples, but it's also a fun fancy family dinner.

Make it happen: Our Fondue Date Night includes both recipes, a shopping list, and timing tips.

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

Chocolate fondue and platter of dippers on coffee table.

11. Bake Something Sweet

The process of creating something sweet together is often more meaningful than the finished treat.

What to bake:

Heart-shaped Peanut Butter and Jam Cookies
Chocolate Brownie Trifle
Chocolate Pavlova
Easy Donut Strawberry Shortcake

Why it works: Your house smells amazing, you spend quality time together, and you have delicious results to enjoy.

Make it happen: Try our Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies with heart centers, Chocolate Brownie Trifle, Chocolate Pavlova, or Donut Strawberry Shortcakes.

Filling peanut butter thumbprint cookies with raspberry jam.

Heart shaped chocolate pavlova with strawberries and gold leaf.

12. Create a Valentine's Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt adds adventure and surprise to your celebration at any age.

How it works:

Hide clues around the house that lead from one spot to the next
Each clue reveals the location of the next
Final destination has a small gift, love note, or special treat

Winter twist: If you have snow, try a frozen heart hunt. Freeze water with red food coloring in heart molds, then hide them around your snowy yard for kids to discover like a winter treasure hunt.

Perfect for: Kids who love treasure hunts, couples when clues include memories and inside jokes

Make it happen: Our Valentine's Day Scavenger Hunt shows you how to create frozen hearts for an outdoor winter hunt, and you can adapt the concept for an indoor clue-based version.

13. Build a Pillow Fort

Never underestimate the power of a good pillow fort for making everything feel more special.

What to do:

String up blankets between furniture
Pile in pillows and cushions
Add fairy lights or flashlights for ambiance
Watch movies inside, read stories, or just enjoy the coziness

Why it works: There's something about being tucked away in a fort that makes everything feel more intimate and fun.

Make it happen: Check out our Pillow Fort guide for building tips and activity ideas.

DIY pillow fort in living room with white blankets, throw pillows, and star decorations.

14. Have a Fireside Picnic

Spread a blanket or pull the coffee table up in front of your fireplace and bring the romance of an outdoor picnic inside.

What to include:

Picnic basket with finger foods
Cheese, crackers, fruit
Wine or sparkling juice
Your favorite take out

Why it works: The change of scenery from your usual dining spot makes it feel special, and the fireplace adds natural warmth and romance.

Make it happen: Our Valentine's Day Romantic Night In includes ideas for creating this cozy atmosphere.

15. Make a S'mores Board

Take the classic campfire treat to the next level whether you have a backyard fire pit or just your fireplace.

What to include:

Graham crackers in different flavors
Variety of chocolates (milk, dark, peanut butter cups, caramel)
Regular and flavored marshmallows
Fun add-ins and toppings

Why it works: It's interactive, delicious, and brings out the kid in everyone while looking beautiful.

Make it happen: Our S'more Charcuterie Board shows you how to style it with topping ideas you might not have thought of.

S'mores charcuterie board with graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate for summer entertaining.

16. Have a Wine and Cheese Tasting

Create your own tasting experience at home without the expense of going out.

What to include:

Three or four different wines
Variety of cheeses to pair with each
Crackers, fruit, nuts, and accompaniments
Tasting notes to discuss what you like

Why it works: It feels sophisticated without being pretentious, and you can take your time savoring everything at your coffee table.

Make it happen: Learn how to make the perfect cheese board and exactly what to include.

Wine and cheese tasting board on wooden table with various cheeses, crackers, salami, olives, fresh fruit, and small vases with flowers.

17. Plan a Game Night or Work on a Puzzle with a Chip Charcuterie Board

Sometimes the best way to connect is through play and casual snacking.

What to do:

Set out board games, card games, or a challenging puzzle
Create a chip charcuterie board loaded with different chips, popcorn, and dips
Spend the evening playing together or working on the puzzle

Why it works: The casual snacking keeps everyone at the table longer, and friendly competition or teamwork brings you closer.

Make it happen: Our Board Game Night has ideas for making it special, and our Chip Charcuterie Snack Board shows you how to make casual snacks look impressive.

Chip charcuterie board with different chips, and salty snacks.

18. Have a Bridgerton Viewing Party

With the new season arriving around Valentine's Day, this is the perfect time for a Regency-era celebration.

What to include:

Bridgerton inspired cocktail and snacks
Romantic period drama on screen
Regency aesthetic and decor
Play our Bridgerton bingo as you view and give the winner a prize!

Perfect for: Friend groups, couples who love the show, solo indulgent evenings

Make it happen: Our Bridgerton Themed Viewing Party has menu ideas, decor inspiration, and ways to embrace the Regency theme.

Bridgerton themed party table with lace tablecloth, flowers, candles, cake,and teacup charcuterie.

19. Get Crafty Together

Whether you're spending Valentine's day with kids, girl friends or your partner, making something with your hands gives you beautiful results to display or gift while spending quality time together.

What to make:

3D origami hearts from book pages
Fuzzy yarn-wrapped hearts
Paper heart garland
Custom Valentine cards with a Cricut

Why it works: The process of creating together is meditative and fun, and you end up with handmade decorations or gifts.

Make it happen: Check out our tutorials for 3D Origami Hearts, Yarn Hearts, Book Page Heart Garland, and Cricut Valentine Card.

Table with balls of yarn in white and pink and a grouping of yarn hearts.

20. Plan Your Future Together

One of the most romantic things you can do is dream together about what's ahead.

What to plan:

A summer garden you want to plant
Your next travel destination
A home renovation or decorating project
Goals and dreams for the year ahead

Why it works: Planning your future together reinforces that you're a team working toward shared happiness. It's intimate, forward-thinking, and reminds you why you're celebrating love in the first place.

How to do it: Curl up with a glass of wine, open your laptops or get out magazines, or seed catalogues, and just start dreaming and talking together.

Setting the Scene

The activities matter, but so does the atmosphere you create. You don't need to buy elaborate decorations to make your home feel special for Valentine's Day. Simple touches make the biggest difference.

Start with lighting. Dim the overhead lights and use candles, string lights, or Mason Jar Oil Lamps for a soft, romantic glow. If you want something really special, try a Fresh Flower Chandelier hanging over your dining table for a stunning focal point.

Music sets the mood. Create a playlist ahead of time so you're not fumbling with your phone during dinner. Pick what fits your celebration: jazz for sophisticated evenings, love songs for romance, or upbeat music for family fun.

Keep decor simple and intentional. A few scattered rose petals, a vase of fresh flowers, cloth napkins instead of paper, or heart-shaped items mixed into your regular table setting go a long way. The goal is to signal that this is a special occasion without making your home unrecognizable. For more decorating inspiration, check out our Neutral Valentine's Day Decor Ideas for a home tour and DIY projects.

Valentine's Day Is For Everyone

Valentine's Day isn't just for couples, it's for love! Celebrating with your whole family is a wonderful way to make memories together. Most of these ideas work beautifully whether you're a family celebrating with kids, a single parent creating special moments, inviting the grandparents over, or a couples enjoying time on your own or after putting the kids to bed.

Tips for Making Your At-Home Valentine's Day Memorable

After years of planning celebrations, here's what actually makes them memorable.

Plan ahead but stay flexible. Decide on your activity a few days before so you can shop and prep, but don't overschedule the day. The best celebrations have breathing room.
Involve everyone in planning. Let kids pick the movie or help choose pizza toppings. Ask your partner what sounds good to them. People are more invested when they have input.
Capture a few photos. You don't need a full photo shoot, but take a few pictures of your setup, your decorated space, or everyone together. You'll be glad you did when you look back.
Mix homemade with shortcuts. Make the one thing you really enjoy making from scratch, and buy the rest. Nobody cares if the dessert came from a bakery if you put love into the meal.
Create a tradition. Pick one thing you do every year. Maybe it's heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast, or watching a specific movie, or making the same recipe. Traditions create continuity and something to look forward to.

The point isn't perfection. It's showing up for the people you love and creating a moment that feels special and makes memories.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are good at-home Valentine's Day ideas for couples?

For couples, fondue night, wine and cheese tasting, a French-themed dinner, fireside picnic, or spa evening all create intimate, romantic experiences. Movie night with special treats or planning your future together also make meaningful date nights without leaving home.

What can families do for Valentine's Day at home?

Families love pizza parties, hot chocolate bars, movie nights, baking cookies together, building pillow forts, making s'mores, and Valentine's scavenger hunts. Tea parties work wonderfully when grandparents join, and craft projects keep kids engaged while creating decorations or gifts.

How can I make Valentine's Day special without spending a lot?

Focus on experiences rather than purchases. Cook a special meal with ingredients you have, build a fort from household items, have a game night, or do crafts with paper and supplies on hand. Setting the mood with candles and music costs nothing but makes everything feel special.

What food should I make for Valentine's Day at home?

Popular options include heart-shaped burgers, Valentine breakfast boards, fondue for dinner, pizza for families, and themed dinners like French or Mexican. For dessert, try peanut butter thumbprint cookies or homemade treats.

Can you celebrate Valentine's Day at home with friends?

Absolutely! Tea parties, Bridgerton viewing parties, wine tastings, game nights, and craft sessions all work beautifully for friend gatherings. These Galentine's style celebrations are perfect for showing appreciation for the friendships in your life.

What are romantic at-home date night ideas for Valentine's Day?

The most romantic at-home ideas include fondue by candlelight, wine and cheese tasting, fireside picnics, couples spa evenings, cooking a French dinner together, or planning your future over wine. The key is creating uninterrupted time to focus on each other.

More Valentine's Day Ideas

Celebrating Valentine's Day at home gives you the freedom to create exactly the experience you want. Whether that's an elegant tea party, a cozy pillow fort movie marathon, or an intimate fondue dinner, the most important thing is spending quality time with the people you love. Pick the idea that sounds most fun to you, add your own personal touches, and make it a celebration worth remembering.

If you use any of our At Home Valentine's Day Ideas or any other ideas from the blog, please let us know in the comments below, and thanks for visiting Life is a Party today!

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