Easy Food Processor Scones

Apr 1, 2020 · 8 Comments

These Food Processor Scones are easy and quick to make. They're flaky and delicious and perfect for a tea party, breakfast, or snack. We love their crusty outside and soft tender inside.

Scone on a plate with jam and cup of tea.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

These easy food processor scones are an old favourite of mine. They are my go-to scone recipe. I've made them so many times, so I'm very confident in telling you they're easy and they're delicious. If you're a fan of scones you will love how simple these are to make, and how delicious they are.

Many, many years ago I lived in England for 18 months. During that time I discovered scones. I went for many "cream teas" which is a pot of tea, served with fresh scones, butter, jam, and clotted cream.

Clotted cream is a little hard to come by where I live, but these scones are delicious served with butter and jam, and you can substitute whipped cream if you want to make your own cream tea at home.

These are absolutely perfect to serve at an afternoon tea party for adults, a Fall Tea Party, or a Christmas Tea Party during the holidays. Make them the morning of your tea party for the best taste. A good scone is kind of crusty on the outside and nice and soft in the middle.

These aren't just for afternoon tea. I love these buttery scones for breakfast too. And they're a go to recipe for Mother's Day.

Ingredients

See the recipe below for exact measurements.

Cold Butter: You want to use cold butter to make these scones, not softened butter. The cold butter creates air pockets in the mixture and when they cook they melt and create the flakey texture we love.
Heavy Cream: The heavy cream adds richness to the scone with it's higher fat content, and also contributes to its flaky texture.
Cream and Sugar Topping: We like to top these scones with a little cream and sugar sprinkled over the top just before baking. The sugar adds a lovely little sweet crust to the top of the scone, and the cream helps the scone brown on top.

Variations: Scone Add-Ins

I sometimes like to add raisins to this base scone recipe. You can not add your favorite mix-ins to the dough while it's in the food processor, because the blade would chop any add-ins into tiny pieces.

If you want to add anything to the dough, you'll have to take the dough out of the food process, and as your last step before shaping the scones, you can add in anything you like. Place the dough and the add-ins in a large bowl and use a wooden spoon to combine. I add ½ cup of raisins.

You can also try adding other ingredients to this basic scone recipe like dried currants for currant scones. You might also like to try adding cranberries, fresh blueberries, chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips.

Scone on a plate with jam, and a cup of tea.

Food Processor

Scones are traditionally made by hand, but making them in your food processor is a real time saver. When using your food processor for baking there is always the danger of overmixing. Overmixing scones means they will come out tough and chewy, instead of the tender crumbly texture we're going for.

To avoid this problem just be sure to only run the food processor until the dough comes together, and then stop once the dough forms, before overworking it.

You can also make this recipe by hand if you prefer, but the food processor method is much quicker. If you're making these by hand you can use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter, and then mix the dough together and work with a spoon and your hands.

How To Make This Recipe

Dry ingredients of scone recipe in a food processor.

Step 1: Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor.

Cold butter cut into small pieces and added to dry ingredients in a food processor to make scones.

Step 2: Add in the cold butter cut into small pieces and blend until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.

Egg and cream mixed in a small bowl ready to add to food processor scones.

Step 3: In a small bowl beat the egg and stir in the heavy cream.

Scones fully combined in a food processor.

Step 4: Add to the flour mixture in the food processor and pulse until it's completely combined and comes together to form a dough ball. Be careful not to over mix.

Scone dough is ready when it holds together when squeezed in your hand.

Step 5: Dough is ready when it holds together when squeezed in your hand.

Scone dough formed into a large bowl, ready to roll out.

Step 6: Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and form into a ball.

Scone dough divided in half and flattened into a disk.

Step 7: Cut the ball in half. Form each half into a flat disk about ¾ inch thick.

Scone dough formed into a disk and cut into 6 wedges.

Step 8: Cut each disk into 6 equal wedges. Brush the top of each scone with more heavy cream and sprinkle with some sugar.

Step 9: Bake at 425 F degree oven on a large baking sheet in the middle of the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the tips of the wedges start to turn golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack.

Tip: Shaping The Scones

I really prefer cutting the scone dough into wedges instead of using a round cookie cutter. If you use a cookie cutter, you will have to re-roll the leftover dough, and this can lead to overworked tough scones. By cutting the wedges you avoid having to overwork the dough and make more tender scones.

Storage

These scones are best eaten fresh the day they are made. When they're fresh they have a perfect crust on the outside, and are soft in the middle. You can store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature, but like most baked goods they lose the outer crust when they're not freshly baked.

You can freeze the dough and bake it fresh when needed. To do this prepare the scones and put on a baking tray and put the baking tray uncovered in the freezer. Once the scones are frozen individually you can store them in an airtight container in the freezer for several months. To bake them remove one, let it defrost on a baking sheet and then bake according to the recipe.

Scones served with jam and a cup of tea.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the scones ahead of time?

These scones are best eaten the day they are made. You can store them for up to 3 days. When they are fresh they have a crusty outside and tender inside. You lose the crust after a day, but they're still delicious.

Can I freeze scones?

Yes, freeze the dough before baking and bake them fresh whenever you want them. Or freeze the baked scones.

Why is my scone dough crumbly?

Depending on the humidity and weather when and where you're baking the dough might be a little crumbly. If this happens add a few more tablespoons of cream to the food processor until the dough comes together nicely.

More Recipes You Might Like

If you try this Food Processor Scones 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

Easy Food Processor Scones

Tender and sweet scones, easy to make in your food processor.

4.80 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: British

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 20

Servings:

Calories: 189kcal

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Ingredients

Instructions

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor.
Add in the cold butter cut into small pieces and blend until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
In a small bowl beat the egg and stir in the heavy cream.
Add the cream and egg mixture to the flour mixture in the food processor and pulse until it's completely combined and comes together to form a dough ball. Be careful not to over mix.
Dough is ready when it holds together when squeezed in your hand.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and form into a ball.
Cut the ball in half. Form each half into a flat disk about ¾ inch thick.
Cut each disk into 6 equal wedges. Brush the top of each scone with more heavy cream and sprinkle with some sugar.
Bake at 425 F degree oven on a large baking sheet in the middle of the oven for about 8-10 minutes, or until the tips of the wedges start to turn golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack.

Video

Notes

Feel free to add raisins after you remove the dough from the food processor to make raisins scones.

These are best eaten the day they're made. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Nutrition

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

Spring Home Tour

Mar 18, 2020 · 7 Comments

Spring Home Tour: pretty pastel rainbow colours, butterflies, mushrooms, and crepe paper flowers create the most beautiful spring home tour.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Welcome! Sharing home tours are my favourite kind of posts to share. It was so much fun putting a spring touch on my home this year. I hope this spring home tour makes you feel inspired to add a few spring touches too.

The Dining Room

Console Table

Our home opens up to our dining room. There is a little white console table right beside the front door. I added a fun lamb print for spring.

Also, I added lots of faux mushrooms for spring and used them in all different ways. You find a tutorial for how I made these mushrooms out of air dry clay here.

I used my large antique glass jars to make little terrariums with a little moss and the mushrooms.

I love how simple they are and how they turned out.

DIY terrarium with faux mushrooms and moss

Plant Cart

I usually have this vintage cart set up as a bar cart, but I changed it up for spring into a plant cart.

Spring Home Tour: pretty pastel rainbow colours, butterflies, mushrooms, and crepe paper flowers create the most beautiful spring home tour.

There's a combination of real and faux plants, so hopefully I can keep the real ones alive.

I repeated one of the antique glass jars here too with some twinkle lights in it.

I added a few eggs, and the lamb for a real spring feel.

Dining Room Table

I kept things really simple on the dining room table with just one big bowl of faux mushrooms.

Spring Flowering Branches

We recently created this green feature wall, you can read all about how we did it here.

For spring I wanted to add spring flowering branches to our vintage glass bottles. But it's still quite early for spring branches here in Toronto, so I made these faux ones out of paper.

DIY crepe paper flowering branches spring flowers in vintage jars

The flowering branches are made from tissue and streamers glued to real branches. They were really fun to make.

I made the forsythia branch out of yellow crepe paper.

DIY crepe paper flowers forsythia branch

These cherry blossoms are made from Kleenex and I used the Happy Happy Nesters tutorial. They turned out so great.

DIY paper flowers tissue Kleenex cherry blossoms

The magnolia flowers are a favourite of mine. I had to adjust them a little since I couldn't find crepe paper and had to use streamers to make them. I was inspired by the Craftberry Bush tutorial, and the Happy Happy Nester tutorial.

Lastly I created these Japanese quince flowering branches out of pink streamers.

DIY crepe paper flowers Japanese quince pink

I really love how all the crepe paper flowers turned out. They look so great with these old bottles against our green feature wall, and they'll last all spring.

DIY flower branches for spring crepe paper flowers

On the other side of the white buffet, I used my letter board and light board. I actually added these to this spot in January thinking of new beginnings. It seem more than appropriate to leave them for spring, especially as Easter turns our thoughts to resurrection, and spring re-births and new beginnings.

The Living Room

Inbetween the living room and the dining room I have this little white table and little house shelves filled with white pottery.

On the table is my DIY Spring Letter Board Bunny -see how I made it.

In the living room I'm already enjoying these brighter and longer days that spring is bringing.

On the coffee table I used more mushrooms, including some that are made of paper mache. I created the base from tinfoil, did the paper mache with old book pages. They look really cute for spring on some log pieces and with some moss.

There's also a few of my air dry clay mushrooms. The have a wire base sticking out of the bottom. To add them to the logs I just drilled some small holes and stuck them in which worked really well.

dit faux mushrooms on a log with moss centrepiece

Over on the other side of the room things are pretty simple, but feel bright and springy with some large faux plants.

The Fireplace

For the mantel I did this fun rainbow of paper butterflies. You can read all about how I made them here on this Spring Mantel post.

The macrame banner is an easy DIY -find out how I made it here. And layered on top I used my sewing machine to stitch together more of the paper butterflies into a cute banner for spring.

spring mantel pastel colours and butterflies

On the mantel there's more of the mushrooms and moss.

The Kitchen

I wanted to repeat the crepe paper flowers in the kitchen. Here I used a vintage tray and some vintage bottles and added them to the kitchen table. To make the daffodils I used the Design Sponge tutorial. I experimented a little to come up with the crepe paper Lilly of the valley, and crocus. Maybe I'll experiment a little more this spring and see if I can create some more.

spring centre piece with diy crepe paper flowers

Above my little sideboard I added some DIY Engineer Print Art -just like I did in this tutorial. It's so fun to change this art seasonally, especially for under $10.

See how to make the DIY Miniature Sheep here.

Now over to the open shelves in the kitchen.

Rainbow Shelves

kitchen open shelves rainbow decor for spring

I love these rainbow shelves. In fact this idea was the first thing I did, and the spring board for adding the rainbow butterflies, and using pretty pastels throughout my main floor this year for spring.

Pastels are really traditional for spring, but it's been a few years since I've used them. I love how happy and cheerful they feel. See our Green Spring Home Tour here, and our Black and White Spring Home Tour here.

The shelves were really simple to put together, I just did one colour for each shelf using pink, yellow, green, and blue, and shopping my house for what I could find in those colours.

I shopped my house for pretty much everything I used in this whole tour this year. The rainbow butterfly garland is made out of the watercolored book page butterflies sewn together on the sewing machine in repeating rainbow order. I love the touch of whimsy they bring.

Over on the other side of the kitchen I'm playing with some tulips and there's a cup of tea and some cinnamon raisin biscuits waiting for me when I finish.

One more cute spot I used the air dry clay little mushrooms in a tea cup with some moss. It's the perfect spring touch beside the sink.

With the house all decorated for spring, I'm ready for warmer days and sunshine.

Butterfly Spring Mantel

Mar 11, 2020 · 4 Comments

Butterfly Spring Mantel: DIY pastel clay mushrooms, and watercolour rainbow butterflies made from old book pages make a magical spring mantel.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

This spring mantel is full of rainbows and butterflies and mushrooms... there's everything but fairies and they might show up any minute! This butterfly spring mantel was so fun to put together, and full of easy crafts and DIYs. This is the perfect little project for a maker this spring.

DIY Mushrooms

The starting place for this mantel was the fun pastel coloured mushrooms. I made them from air dry clay and painted them. There is a full tutorial on how to make them in this Spring Mushroom Wreath post, where I used them as well.

Once they were dry, I drilled small holes in the wood pieces and stuck them in. This worked really well. Then I added some moss to the wood stumps as well.

There are also a few other mushrooms tucked in, including some paper mache ones that I made a few years ago. I used a tin foil base for them and then paper maced them with old book pages.

A Rainbow of Butterflies

I also made a rainbow of butterflies for the mantel. My cricut worked great to cut out some water colour paper -find my cut file here. I made three sizes of butterflies. Then I cut some out of old book pages.

I used watercolours in different shades of pink, yellow, green, and blue (to match my kitchen shelves that you'll see on my spring home tour next week). Be sure to paint them on both sides so that the book pages don't curl up.

Once the butterflies were dry I hung them on the blackboard with simple tape rolls. I tried to fold their wings up a little to give them a little dimension.

I love how they turned out. This project cost me next to nothing because I had all the materials already and I'm so pleased with it.

Macrame and Butterfly Bunting

I thought it would be fun to bring the butterfly themed down to the front of the mantel too, so I layered a little butterfly garland on top of the macrame bunting. See how I made the macrame here.

To make the butterfly garland I used more of the watercolored butterflies and sewed them on my sewing machine.

This spring butterfly mantel feels so perfect for spring, and I really did have fun crafting all the elements for it one weekend.

You might also like this Spring Mantel post here.

Spring Mantel: How to use layers, repeated colours and materials, and different heights to create a beautiful boho spring mantel with lots of plants.

Also check out our Butterfly Spring Wreath here.

BookPage Butterfly Spring Wreath: this simple and inexpensive DIY wreath is made by cutting your own butterflies out of old books.

Mushroom Spring Wreath

Mar 4, 2020 · 5 Comments

Mushroom Spring Wreath: DIY mushrooms made from air dry clay and painted pastel colours for spring on a moss covered wreath.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

The days are getting brighter here, and spring is on its way. This Mushroom wreath is the perfect way to celebrate the arrival of warmer days.

Materials:

air dry clay
acrylic paint
wire
foam wreath form
moss
hot glue
ribbon

How To Make A Clay Mushroom:

1. The first step to putting the wreath together is to make the mushrooms. I used some air dry clay to make mine. It was an open package that had been open a long time and was a little on the dry side, so I just submerged it in a little water, and worked it in my hands until it was pliable again.

2. Cut a small piece of wire to form the base of the mushroom.

3. Working on a piece of parchment paper, or wax paper, wrap a small piece of clay around a piece of wire, rolling it on a flat surface or in your hands to form the long cylindrical shapes of mushroom stems. You want the wire on your own clay mushrooms stem to extend past the top so that it can poke into the mushroom cap, and extend past the bottom, so that it can be poked into the wreath.

4. Then make the mushroom cap shape for the top using your fingers to smooth it and form a dome. Dip your fingers in a little bit of water and smooth out any small marks to create a smooth finish. Real mushrooms come in endless varieties of shapes. Some have tall pointy caps, some have a flat circular shape, and everything in between. Use a google image search to look at pictures a real mushroom as inspiration for the mushroom top shape and mushroom stalks. I also liked doing a variety of sizes, from quite tiny ones to larger ones.

5. If you want to, add some gills to the bottom of the mushroom top using another piece of wire to make indents.

6. Attach the top of the mushroom cap onto the mushroom stem, taking care that the wire at the top of the stem doesn't poke through the mushroom dome. If the top is loose after it dries, add some glue to reattach it.

Use a block of floral styrofoam to poke the stems of the mushroom clay sculptures into so that they can dry overnight.

7. Once the mushrooms are dry, use craft paints to paint them. We used different colors of pastels for spring, and added tiny white dots with white paint to resemble the polka dots on red caps.

I liked the matte finish of the paint, but if you wanted to add a little shine, you could give them a coat of mod podge with a paint brush.

Moss Wreath

8. To create the wreath, start with a styrofoam wreath form from the craft store, and a couple bags of preserved moss.

Use a hot glue gun to attach the moss to the wreath. Feel free to leave the back plain, if it won't show when it's hung.

how to make a moss covered spring wreath

9. Once the clay mushrooms have had enough drying time, poke the wire that's coming out of the bottom of the stem of the mushrooms into the moss covered styrofoam wreath to attach them. Feel free to add a little hot glue to the wire if you're worried about them wobbling.

10. Tie a ribbon around the top to hang the wreath.

I love how the mushrooms turned out and the spot of whimsy they add to the wreath. One of the best parts about this easy craft is that you can be really creative with all the different mushrooms, making each on a unique size, shape and color.

For Indoor Use

Keep in mind that the clay mushrooms not waterproof -if you were hanging the wreath in an exposed outdoor space, polymer clay mushrooms might be a better choice than the air dry clay ones. You could make them in the same way, but using polymer clay and baking them. Or add a layer of mod podge, or spray sealer to help protect them. The polymer clay version would also be a fun addition to a fairy garden, or poked into a real plant.

More Variations:

You could also add a string of battery powered fairy lights to your wreath as a great way to add a touch of whimsy.

I've also used these mushrooms as decor. Drill a small hole in a piece of wood, and slot the wire into the hole to make a mushroom growing out of a piece of wood. Or put some floral foam into a bowl, teacup, or vessel and cover in moss and tuck some of the clay mushrooms into that.

Christmas Wreath

To make this wreath for Christmas, I painted the mushrooms in some deeper shades. Red would be great if you like traditional colors for Christmas. I then added some faux snow to the mushrooms and glitter for a snowy effect.

Christmas Ornaments

You could also make mushroom Christmas ornaments. Just make the wire shorter so that it's not poking out of the bottom of stem, and add an eye pin to the top for hanging. Once they're dry, add in some white spots with the end of a paint brush. You might also want to add glitter or glue some faux snow on top of your own clay mushroom ornaments. You can also add a ribbon to the top of your Christmas mushrooms to add them to your Christmas tree.

With a new Mushroom Spring Wreath, life really is a party!

More Inspiration

St. Patrick's Day Table

Mar 2, 2020 · 3 Comments

This St. Patrick's Day tablescape brings together vintage charm and budget-friendly finds for a table that's perfect for entertaining guests. Mix thrifted treasures with modern touches, add shamrocks and lots of green, and you've got a festive St. Patrick's Day table that guests will love.

Quick Look

☘️ Project: St. Patrick's Day Tablescape
⏲️ Time to Style: 45 minutes
👪 Serves: 6-8 guests
⭐️ Difficulty: Easy
💭 Top Tip: Start with your vintage pieces first, then fill in with budget finds from thrift stores and dollar stores!

Why You'll Love This St. Patrick's Day Tablescape

Budget friendly. Most pieces are thrifted or items you already own. Total cost for this table was under $50.
Mix of vintage and modern. Combines timeless treasures with fresh touches for a collected, personal look.
Easy to style. No complicated centerpiece or fussy place settings. Just beautiful layers.
Reusable for spring. The green plants and neutral linen transition perfectly to spring entertaining after St. Patrick's Day.
Conversation starters. Vintage postcards and music box figurines give guests something to talk about.
Stress-free entertaining. Set the table the day before and you're ready to welcome guests.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

I've been setting tables for parties and celebrations for over 15 years as a celebrant, and one thing I've learned is that the best tablescapes tell a story. This St. Patrick's Day tablescape started with two adorable Irish music box figurines I found at the thrift store. They set the tone for the whole table, and everything else fell into place from there.

What I love about creating a St. Patrick's Day table is that you don't need to spend a fortune or have matching sets of everything. In fact, the mix of vintage finds, thrifted treasures, and modern pieces creates that collected, personal look that makes guests feel welcome. The shamrock plants will last long after the holiday, and the vintage postcards become little keepsakes your guests can take home.

Let me show you how to create a beautiful St. Patrick's Day table that's both festive and budget friendly.

You might also like our St.Patrick's Day free printables. And if you're setting a beautiful table like this, you will need a delicous Irish themed dinner to serve at it. Check out our Steak, Guinness, and Mushroom Pie recipe, or our Irish Ploughman's Lunch.

St. Patrick's Day Tablescape Inspiration

Color: The color palette for this table is simple: lots of green with touches of gold. The green comes from plants, glassware, and napkins. The gold accents (flatware and figurines) remind me of that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, which feels perfect for St. Patrick's Day.
Vintage: I wanted this to feel vintage inspired but not dated. That meant mixing old treasures (the music box figurines, vintage postcards, antique books) with fresh, modern elements (the plants, rustic pottery plates, simple linen runner).

How to Create This St. Patrick's Day Table Setting

Step 1: Start with Your Foundation

I used a scrap piece of linen as a table runner. Irish linen is such a classic choice for St. Patrick's Day, and I love the frayed edges and crumpled, casual look. You could also use placemats, a full tablecloth, or even leave your table bare if it's beautiful wood.

The foundation sets the tone for everything else, so choose something that matches the mood you're going for. Since I wanted this to feel relaxed and collected (not formal), the casual linen runner was perfect.

Vintage Irish inspired music box figurines

Step 2: Create Your Centerpiece

Figurines: The star of this St. Patrick's Day tablescape has to be the Irish couple figurines that are music boxes. I found them at the thrift store for $8 total. They're not in perfect condition, but they look great on the dining room table and play the sweetest Irish tune. These figurines set the whole direction for the table. If you can't find vintage figurines, look for anything with Irish or St. Patrick's Day charm. Antique shops, estate sales, and online marketplaces are good places to search.
Real Shamrocks and Plants: I added shamrock plants around the figurines. Real shamrocks are a nice alternative to cut flowers because they last much longer (if you have a green thumb). We'll all be looking for that lucky four-leaf clover! Four-leaf clovers are considered lucky in Irish folklore because most shamrocks have three leaves. Finding a four-leaf clover is rare, so that's why it's thought to be lucky. The shamrocks, ivy, and small succulent create a lush, green feeling without blocking sight lines across the table.
Vintage Books for Height: To add different heights and visual interest to the centerpiece, I used vintage green books stacked at varying levels. The books are perfect for creating layers in your centerpiece. Stack them in different heights throughout the arrangement to give dimension and draw the eye around the table. The green color ties into the St. Patrick's Day theme while adding that collected, vintage look.
Vintage Cabbage Sugar Bowl: I planted the succulent in a vintage cabbage sugar bowl (another thrift find for just $3) and stacked it on top of the books. Since there was no matching creamer for the sugar bowl, it didn't cost much. This felt like a fun nod to corned beef and cabbage, a traditional St. Patrick's Day dish.

The layers of plants, vintage books, and vintage pieces create visual interest and give the centerpiece personality without being fussy or complicated. Keep your centerpiece low enough that guests can see each other across the table - conversation flows so much better when people aren't straining to talk around tall arrangements.

succulent in a vintage cabbage sugar pot for St. Patricks Day

St. Patrick's Day Table: a mix of vintage and modern touches with lots of green for the perfect St. Patrick's Day table decorations.

Ivy and a vintage St. Patrick's Day card

Step 3: Layer Your Place Settings

St. Patrick's Day tablescape with vintage Irish figurines, shamrock plants, green glassware, and rustic linen runner.

At each place setting, I used:

Rustic Pottery Plates: (these work year-round) and are the perfect base to our placesetting.
Gold flatware: The gold reminds me of the pot of gold.
Green Glassware: They key to layering is colors and textures, these glasses add both.
Green Napkins: We used more green here, and tied them in a loose knot for a casual look.
Vintage St. Patrick's Day Postcards: I found the vintage St. Patrick's Day postcards at my favorite antique shop. These used to be common to send for specific holidays back when phone calls and texts weren't possible. They have beautiful graphics of pots of gold, leprechaun hats, Irish flags, and four-leaf clovers. They're perfect conversation starters and double as little favors guests can take home. I added one postcard to each plate and sprinkled the rest around the table. Can't find them at the antique store? Use these free printable Vintage St. Patrick's Day Postcards printed on to cardstock and cut out to add to your own table.

Vintage St. Patrick's Day card at a place setting

Style a St. Patrick's Day Side Table or Sideboard

Don't stop at just the dining table! A sideboard or side table is the perfect place to add more festive touches and create a cohesive look throughout your entertaining space.

DIY Shamrock Garland: This garland is so easy to make and costs almost nothing. I folded brown paper (kraft paper works great) like you would to make paper dolls, drew a shamrock shape on it making sure it connected edge to edge, then cut them out. The shamrocks stay connected and create a charming garland you can hang anywhere. It took about 10 minutes to make and adds such a sweet handmade touch.
"I Feel Lucky" DIY Art: I created simple St. Patrick's Day art using an inexpensive dollar store canvas. You can find the full tutorial for this DIY "I Feel Lucky" St. Patrick's Day art here. It's a quick project that adds personality to your display and can be used year after year.
DIY Miniature Sheep: Our little sweet miniature sheep are another DIY -find the turorial to make your own here, brings Irish countryside charm to the table. They're sweet, whimsical, and surprisingly simple to make. They look perfect grouped together or as part of your centerpiece.

The combination of the shamrock garland, DIY art, and little sheep creates a collected display that ties the whole room together. It shows guests you put thought into the celebration without spending a fortune or hours decorating.

"I Feel Lucky" DIY St. Patrick's Day art

Budget Breakdown: St. Patrick's Day Table Decor

Let me be honest about what this table and sideboard decor actually cost:

Table:

Music box figurines: $8 (thrift store)
Vintage postcards: $12 for a set of 8 (antique shop)
Shamrock plants: $4 each x 3 = $12 (grocery store)
Vintage cabbage sugar bowl: $3 (thrift store)
Green napkins: Already owned
Linen runner: Fabric scrap from another project
Plates, flatware, glassware: Already owned
Ivy plant: Already owned
Vintage books: Already owned
Small succulent: Already owned

Sideboard Decor:

Brown paper for garland: upcycled grocery bag
Canvas for art: $3 (dollar store)
Supplies for sheep: $5 (craft supplies on hand)

Total new purchases: $44

Everything else was either thrifted, already owned, or made from supplies I had on hand. That's the beauty of creating a vintage-inspired tablescape. It's all about working with what you have and finding creative ways to display it.

Styling Tips

After 15 years of planning celebrations, here's what I've learned about creating tablescapes that actually work for entertaining:

Keep centerpieces low. Guests need to see each other across the table for conversation to flow. Nothing kills party energy faster than everyone feeling isolated.
Set the table the day before. One less thing to worry about when guests arrive. Just add any fresh elements (like water glasses) right before everyone sits down.
Think about traffic flow. Make sure people can get to their seats easily. Leave space behind chairs.
Use what you have first. Look through your cabinets before buying anything new. Green glassware, white plates, gold accents - most people already own pieces that work.
Shop thrift stores seasonally. I found these St. Patrick's Day postcards in February when antique shops were putting out spring inventory. Shop a month before the holiday for best selection.
Make it personal. The best tablescapes include pieces with stories. That's what makes guests feel welcome and gives them something to talk about.
Extend your theme beyond the table. A sideboard or side table styled with coordinating decor creates a cohesive look throughout the room. Simple DIY projects like the shamrock garland and sheep add personality without requiring perfect crafting skills. Guests notice when the whole space feels intentional.

Where to Find Vintage St. Patrick's Day Decor

Based on my experience hunting for party decor:

Thrift Stores: Check weekly in late January through early March. Items get picked over quickly, so frequent visits pay off. This is the cheapest place to find treasures, but sometimes take persistance.
Antique Shops: Often have vintage postcards, figurines, and Irish collectibles. Look for them around St. Patrick's Day, but also be willing to shop out of season if you find something you love. And make sure you grab it when you see it. If you leave it, it might be gone when you come back for it.
Estate Sales: Great for finding complete sets of green glassware or vintage linens. Check online for listings in your area.
Online marketplaces: Etsy, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace work well for specific items. Search "vintage St. Patrick's Day" or "Irish collectibles."
Dollar stores: Perfect for supplementing vintage finds with budget napkins, or simple serving pieces.
Grocery Store: Look for potted shamrocks and other plants at a great price.

How to Transition This Table to Spring

One of the things I love about this St. Patrick's Day tablescape is how easily it transitions to general spring entertaining:

Swap the vintage postcards for botanical prints or seed packets
Keep the shamrocks and add tulips or daffodils
Use the same green glasses and plates
Add pastel napkins instead of solid green

Frequently Asked Questions

What colors should I use for a St. Patrick's Day tablescape?

Green is the signature color for St. Patrick's Day, but you don't have to use only green. This table mixes green with gold accents and neutral tones (linen, wood, cream plates). Other popular combinations are green and white, or green and silver. Choose what works with your existing dishes and the mood you want.

Can I create a St. Patrick's Day table on a budget?

Absolutely! This entire table cost $44 for new items. Start with pieces you already own (white plates, glassware, napkins), then add a few budget finds. Thrift stores, dollar stores, and your own garden (for greenery) are your best friends. Focus your money on one or two statement pieces like the figurines.

What should I use for a St. Patrick's Day centerpiece?

Shamrock plants are my favorite because they're authentic, affordable ($3-5 each), and last long after the holiday. Other options: white flowers with green accents, moss elements, gold candlesticks, vintage Irish figurines, or DIY topiaries. Keep it low enough that guests can see each other across the table.

Where can I find vintage St. Patrick's Day items?

Check thrift stores weekly starting in late January. Antique shops often carry vintage postcards and Irish collectibles. Estate sales are great for glassware and linens. Online: Etsy, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace.

How do I make my St. Patrick's Day table look elegant instead of kitschy?

Mix vintage pieces with modern elements, stick to a simple color palette (this table uses green, gold, and neutral tones), and avoid plastic decorations. Use real plants instead of fake shamrocks, choose quality linens, and layer textures (pottery, glass, metal). The mix of old and new creates a collected look that feels sophisticated.

More St. Patrick's Day Ideas

If you use any of our St. Patrick's Day Tablescape ideas please let us know in the comments below. Thanks for visiting Life is a Party today!

Spring Letter Board Bunny

Feb 26, 2020 · 6 Comments

Spring Letter Board Bunny: If you're looking for spring letter board ideas you'll love this. Non-permanent bunny ears and a tail are perfect for spring.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

I love adding little touches for spring. If you're looking for spring letter board ideas, this one is so simple and easy to make. I think you could just about add bunny ears and a fluffy tail to anything for spring and it would be adorable.

some bunny loves you spring letter board

Materials:

small letter board and letters
white yarn
brown Kraft paper
white chalk
tape

How To Make A Spring Letter Board Bunny

1. Start by cutting out two bunny ears from your brown Kraft paper.

2. Use the white chalk -or pink would be cute too, to add some colour to the middle of the ears.

3. Fold the ears slightly at the base to give them a little more dimension and tape them on to the board, hiding the tape at the back.

4. Make a pom pom out of yarn, and tape it to the side of the board for a bunny tail.

5. Add a cute spring saying to the letter board. I used "Some bunny loves you."

spring letter board with bunny ears and tail

This project is so cute and easy. It only takes a few minutes to do, but it adds a really sweet touch for spring or Easter. We didn't use hot glue for this project so that it isn't permanent. After Easter just remove the taped on ears and tail, with no damage to your letter board.

Some bunny loves you letter board for Easter

With spring letter board ideas like this one, life really is a party!

More Inspiration

You might also like our Nail Polish Marbled Easter Eggs here.

Nail Polished Marbled Easter Eggs: easy water marbling with nail polish is the perfect modern touch to your Easter eggs.

Also check out our Spring Home Tour here.

You might also enjoy our How To Make Cement Easter Eggs post here.

Hot Chocolate Valentine with Free Printable

Feb 10, 2020 · 4 Comments

Hot Chocolate Valentine: use our free printable valentine card and hot chocolate label to create beautiful classroom Valentines.

hot chocolate valentine and free printable

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Sharing Valentine's is such a fun tradition, and this hot chocolate valentine is a wonderful way to share a treat with someone special. We've turned hot chocolate into "Love Potion" and included the cutest "Valentine We've Got Chemistry" card with it. Last post I shared my amazing Love Potion Hot Chocolate station. If you loved the idea but would like to do it on a slightly smaller scale, then this version is perfect for you.

These would be a really fun sweet treat to use as a classroom valentine treat, or to make a gift for your kids and maybe include in a Valentine's Day love basket. These test tube hot chocolates are like a simple version of hot chocolate bombs. We did a little play on words to make them like they're love potion. To make it even cuter we instructed the recipients to mix the hot cocoa powder with hot H2O instead of just saying hot water. We've included a printable label for the test tube, as well as a printable gift tags Valentine cards to go with it.

Free Valentine Printable Card

Use our free printables to create these fun Valentines. During these cold February days of winter, a hot chocolate treat is perfect to warm anyone up. These chemistry inspired ones could not be any cuter. The cards are in our Free Printable Resource Library, subscribe below for instant access.

Test Tubes

We used glass test tubes for ours and I found them at the craft store. They came with corks on the end and worked really well. If you're making these for kids to use in classroom Valentine exchange, you might want to look for test tubes that are made from plastic. Also look for ones with a screw cap to make them even more secure. These are easy and inexpensive to find online.

Hot Chocolate

Each test tube holds enough hot cocoa mix to make one cup of hot cocoa when mixed with hot milk or water. You can use your favourite store bought hot chocolate mix, or even make your own from simple ingredients. Find our hot chocolate mix recipe here.

Marshmallows and Sprinkles

We used mini marshmallows for our hot chocolate Valentines in a test tube. For ours we did a combination of white mini marshmallows and pink for Valentine's Day. We found the pink as part of the Tutti Frutti mix. Another great option would be to use dehydrated marshmallows.

We also added some really cute Valentine's Day sprinkles. Look for hearts, X and O's or just regular sprinkles in red, white, and pink. Another option might be to include some mini white chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips at the top of the test tube as well.

Materials:

free Valentine printable card and love potion label
test tubes
hot chocolate mix
Valentine's Day sprinkles
mini marshmallows

How To Make Hot Chocolate Valentines:

1. Subscribe to Life is a Party below to access our free Valentine printable cards and labels below.

Print them at home or an office supply store, then cut them out and glue the love potion label onto the test tube. We glued ours on using a simple glue stick. Another option is to print them onto sticker paper, and then skip the gluing step.

We used glass test tubes, but if you were making these to hand out as classroom Valentines for kids then plastic test tubes would be a safer option.

Love Potion Hot Chocolate Valentine with free Valentine printable card

2. Then, fill up your test tube with hot chocolate mix, some Valentine's day sprinkles and some mini marshmallows. Do this in layers to create a cute effect. Use one serving of hot chocolate mix power per test tube.

Love Potion Hot Chocolate Valentine: Sweet Hot Chocolate Love Potion in a Test Tube with a Free Printable label and We've Got Chemistry Valentine card.

3. Tie on the Valentine card, "Valentine We've Got Chemistry" with a little ribbon -and giggle at how clever it is. Then, give it to someone extra special.

This is a fun gift idea for anyone and something the whole family would enjoy receiving. These are very similar to hot cocoa bombs, but so much easier to make. These hot chocolate treats are especially perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth. They're there the perfect way to say Happy Valentine's Day to someone special.

With a hot chocolate Valentine that's this cute, life really is a party!

Access Our Free Printable Valentine Cards

Access our free printable library for the "Valentine We've Got Chemistry" card and "Love Potion #9" label by subscribing to Life is a Party below.

More Valentine Inspiration

You might also enjoy our Valentine's Day Pizza Party here.

Valentine's Day Pizza Party -DIY decorations, heart shaped pizza, mocktails, and a dessert pizza recipe make this the perfect family celebration.

Also check out How To Make 3D Origami Hearts here. These make perfect Valentine's Day decor, or a special heart to give someone special this Valentine's Day.

The Ultimate Board Game Night With Candyland Inspired Snacks

Feb 7, 2020 · Leave a Comment

Board Game Night: enjoy a board game night with free printable invitation and banner, and ideas for a Candyland themed Dessert Table.

Board game night party with candyland dessert table and decor.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

This Board Game Night is sure to be loads of fun! We've got free printable invitations, a printable banner and the best snack table ever. It's the perfect way to get through these long winter months. We've set it up board game night for the whole family. It would also be great for a birthday a party, or just a get together with friends for your next party.

The Games

I picked up some great games at the thrift store for our board game night. We had some classics and some family favourites -including Candyland which inspired our snacks!

The thrift store is the perfect place to pick up fun board games at a fraction of the price of a new board game. And when you've had enough of them, or your kids have outgrown them, be sure to donate for the next family to enjoy.

Game Stations

If you have larger groups for game night, it's a good idea to set up different game stations, and rotate through different games, since some games require smaller groups. Set up your coffee table, into a station, your dining table, and possibly set up some folding tables and chairs to make more stations. Just keep in mind that some are a quick game and others take longer. Strategy games like settlers of catan for example, might take all night to play. There's so many different games to choose from.

We went with what we thought were the best games. Old board games are fun and nostalgic for many. You can also include dice games, and card games if you want to.

A word of caution: remember that some people will be there more for the social aspect of the evening, while others take their games very seriously. The main objective of a successful game night is for everyone to have a good time. Make room for people to opt out of a round or two games and socialize too. It could be a nice thing to have a puzzle set somewhere for those who don't love competitive games. We want everyone to have a great time.

Minute To Win It Style Games

Minute To Win It style party games have become very popular too. You might consider having at least some of this style of games for your game night too. These are great for larger groups, or as family games where younger and older kids can all join in with grown ups and even grandparents. You might consider adding even a few of these fun to your next awesome game night party.

Large Group Games

Another great idea is to play some larger group games all together. This is fun to bring large groups together. For these types of games you can break larger groups into teams and have team members work together, or have some people play while others watch. Think of old game shows for inspiration, or the kind of funny games you can go watch on a cruise ship for inspiration.

Prizes

We love the idea of playing games just for fun, but you can also have prices if you wish. You may have to work out a way to keep track of points and wins if you're doing lots of different games. You might want to create some old school ribbons or trophies. Look for these at the dollar store and then customize them. Or a great prize is always a small gift card. Everyone loves coffee, ice cream, or fast food gift cards and can always use them. You could even have your guest list contribute to a grand prize for the evening with everyone chipping in $5 to a pool that goes to the winner.

Most people will be happy though just to get together, enjoy some fun games, great food and socialize for the evening.

One Big Game

One more great option is to just play one long game all evening as a group. You don't have to worry about stations, rotations, or setting up a scoring system if you're all just playing one big game like monopoly or settlers all evening. If you do go this route, make sure it's a game that is long enough to last a few hours.

Board Game Night Invitations

Use our free printable game night invitations. We made them look like a ticket for the night, and included a blank spot where you can add details of the time and place for your party. Perfect for inviting friends over. They'd also be great for a family game night. Fill in the place as your living room, add a meet up time, like 7 pm and slip them under your kids bedroom doors, or in their lunch box for a fun way to invite family members.

Access our free printable library by subscribing to Life is a Party below. You'll have instant access to all our free printables.

Board Game Night Banner

We also created a new printable Board Game Night banner. The colors and font were inspired by classic board games. One of my favorite family game night ideas to make things extra special with a few easy decorations like this one. Just subscribe below, then download and print on card stock for a the perfect board game night decor.

I also used a few game board pieces to create some simple decorations at the side. The letters are from Scrabble and you could use them to spell out any fun saying for game night.

Candyland Dessert Table

Game night is a lot of fun and lots of people will say that playing the games themselves are their favorite parts of the night, but for me it's always going to be in competition with the snacks!

The star of this party is the Candyland dessert table. We were inspired by the our favorite board game itself, and all the places pictured in this fun game are represented with candy! This is the perfect game night snack idea!

We wanted to make the board game come to life so we included:

Peppermint Pass
Cupcake Commons
Ice Cream Slopes
Gummy Hills
Gingerbread House Mansion
Licorice Lagoon
Chocolate Mountain
Lollipop Woods
Candy Castle

I picked up most of the candy at the dollar store and a few things at the bulk store. It was a lot of fun putting it all together.

My girls helped be bake some of the items too. Making the Candy Castle was the most fun.

Here's how we brought it all together. We started out with setting up the classic board game on top of the board's box in the centre of the table. We wanted to give the game a little height as the centerpiece. Then we arranged all the candy and sweets near where it was pictured on the board. This works best as a large table grazing board, so be sure to set it up where you have enough space to add all the different elements around it. We wanted it to look like the board game was coming to life, and all the candy was overflowing from the picture onto the table. It really created a cool effect.

There a few different versions of this board game available, where the pictures are slightly different so keep that in mind when your choosing your Candyland game.

Peppermint Pass

For peppermint pass we just used some peppermint candies.

Cupcakes Commons

Cupcakes Commons was made up of mini and regular sized cupcakes made from a cake mix and decorated with vanilla and chocolate icing, candy and sprinkles. Having the two different flavors and two different sizes helps add interest. Instead of baking these, you could also just pick them up at the grocery store.

Ice Cream Slopes

For Ice Cream Slopes I debated using ice cream, but was worried about it melting so we used some mini marshmallow ice cream cones, and then some chocolate dipped cones, and sugar cones filled with cotton candy. It looked great, and you could also offer some real ice cream scoops to guests while guests are helping themselves to the dessert board.

Gummy Hills

Next was Gummy Hills. The smell of all these gummy treats was amazing!

We used an assortment of gummy treats, but my favourite were the tiny mini gummy bears we found at the bulk store. There was also fuzzy peaches, Swedish berries, lifesaver gummies, and some gummy hearts.

Gingerbread House Mansion

For Gingerbread House Mansion we used some mini gingerbread houses we had from Christmas and a gingerbread men kit. Instead of decorating them for Christmas though, we used bright coloured candies to make them fit our candyland theme.

Since we were making the large Candy Castle we didn't want a large gingerbread house too, so these mini gingerbread houses worked out perfectly.

Licorice Lagoon

Next up was Licorice Lagoon. We're not huge licorice fans so I just got a couple different red ones. We used the traditional long red licorice pieces, and then the shorter red ones as well. If you or your guests like black licorice, that would be great to include here too.

Chocolate Mountain

Chocolate Mountain was a lot of fun to put together, and we might have gone slightly overboard, but hey, who doesn't love a mountain of chocolate? To create our mountain I wanted to create a bit of height in the middle so I started with a stack of brownies which were easy to make from a mix.

Then I added all kinds of our favourite chocolate treats like

chocolate covered pretzels
mini peanut butter cups
chocolate covered almonds
Hershey bars
Skor bars
Coffee Crisp bars
Kit Kat bars
chocolate cookies
Ferrero Rocher chocolates

Look for small quantities of these at the bulk food store. It's more fun to have lots of small options, rather than more of just a few different things. Buying at the bulk store is a great way to get a little of everything.

Lollipop Woods

Next was the Lollipop Woods where I used an assortment of lollipops, included one giant one for fun.

Candy Castle

Lastly we made our Candy Castle. It was so much fun to put together and the star of the show!

Rice Krispie Base

We started out with two batches of Rice Krispie squares in two 9x12 baking dishes. I cut up the squares using one batch to make the front of the castle and one to make the back part.

We used thick icing to put everything together. I did find that over time the rice krispies started to lose their shape a little. I put the castle together the day before the photo shoot and had to take it apart and lay it flat overnight and then reassemble it the day of the shoot. So I would suggest making it the day of the party. It will hold up fine for hours and hours, but maybe not overnight.

Candy Decorations

We made the front door out of a Hershey's bar decorated with sprinkles and candy, and the front path is wafer cookies and gum balls. We were inspired by the illustrations on the board game.

candy land's candy castle made from Rice Krispies and candy

The castle turrets are all made of different ice cream cones and candy decorated with icing.

candy land candy castle made from Rice Krispies and candy

Birthday Party Idea

The Candy Castle was the star of the Candyland Dessert Table and so much fun! Everyone loved it. If you were doing a Candyland dessert table as part of a birthday party, another great option would be to make a candy castle birthday cake. Start with a cake base, and add candy and ice cream turrets and decorations just we like we did with our rice krispie castle.

After everyone admired the rice krispie castle, we used a knife to slice pieces of the rice krispies into squares for serving.

Goodie Bags

The candyland dessert table was everyone's favorite part of the evening and it was so fun to make a great game like this come to life! It was also a lot of food, and a lot of sugar, but perfect for big groups. It might also be a great idea to have some empty goodie bags, so guests can help themselves to the candy to take home with them. If you were having a smaller group for your game night, you could make a smaller version of this board, with less options, but follow the same idea of making the board come to life.

Salty Snacks

A few salty snacks would be a great idea too. Feel free to add bowls of chips, nuts, popcorn or items like these to the table so that snackers can help themselves as they play. You might want to add in a change for players to revisit the dessert table and refill glasses between their rounds of games.

This party was so great to put together, and would be so much fun with friends, family, or extended family for a special night.

We set up our dessert table in the kitchen, and then played the games in the living room, which worked out perfectly.

Subscribe to Life is a Party and gain instant access to our free printable library including the Board Game Night banner and ticket invitation. Subscribe Below.

Game night is the perfect excuse to get out your favorite games and invite some friends over for a night of good games and great snacks. A classic game night is so much fun, quite easy to put together, and such a perfect way to spend quality time together.

With a special Board Game Night to enjoy, life really is a party!

More Inspiration

You might also enjoy Backyard Pizza Party here.

Backyard Pizza Party: A gas outdoor pizza oven and a pizza charcuterie board for nibbling and to make-your-own-pizza is perfect for summer entertaining.

Also check out our Make Your Own Pillow Fort post here.

Pillow Fort -make a magical pillow fort with fairy lights and starry decorations, and even star themed snacks. Perfect for family fun or date night.

You might also enjoy our Pasta Bar Party here.

Easy Bread Machine Jelly Donuts

Jan 30, 2020 · Leave a Comment

Bread Machine Jelly Donuts: mini heart shaped jelly donuts, with an easy to make bread machine dough. Perfect for Valentine's Day dessert, or anytime.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

These Jelly Donuts are the perfect Valentine's Day treat….or any other occasion treat…maybe just the perfect treat in general. If you've never made homemade donuts before, this is the recipe for you, because the hard part is all done in the bread machine. These bread machine donuts are really easy to make.

And trust me, no one will ever know, they'll be too busy saying things like "you made donuts…you are amazing, the donuts are amazing, you and the donuts are amazing."

You might also like our Honey Cruller Donut Recipe and our Fair Funnel Cakes Recipe.

I've made donuts a few times -like these Homemade Honey Crullers, the kind of tricky part is deep frying them. But these weren't even made in a deep fryer, I just used a little pot of oil on the stove and oil thermometer. When you taste them, you will think it was worth the trouble. Trust me.

bread machine donuts cut into heart shapes for a Valentine's Day dessert

Easy Bread Maker Donuts

So start out with your trusty old bread maker machine. Set it to the dough cycle setting and let it do all the hard work. All you have to do is layer the ingredients into the bread pan. Once your basic dough is finished you remove it from the machine, roll out your dough and cut out with a donut cutter, let the dough rise and fry. This is the easiest way to make donuts.

heart shaped mini jelly donuts for Valentine's Day

heart shaped mini donut dough for Valentine's Day dessert

Hearts for Valentine's Day

I thought it would be fun to make these into mini hearts for Valentine's day. And, it was. They were so, so cute. You could of course form these into regular round donut holes, or larger donuts.

mini heart shaped jelly donut in a bowl of sugar

Special Jelly Donut Filling Tip

I did try once before to make jelly donuts and I had a little trouble getting the jelly inside. This time I was prepared and picked up a #230 tip for my icing bag. It's long and thin, and perfect for poking into the donut and squeezing in the jam. Using this special tip is the easy way to fill jelly donuts.

If you're going to make these I highly recommend picking this little guy up first. I've tried in the past with a ziplock bag, and a regular icing tip on an icing bag, but it's too hard to get the jam pushed all the way inside the donut. This special tip worked perfectly.

Filling and Topping Options

We filled our donuts with raspberry jam, which is a favourite around here. You could use jam or jelly of any flavour to fill yours. You could also choose to fill them with lemon curd, or another options is nutella, or even pastry cream.

We choose to roll our donuts in regular white caster sugar. You could also choose cinnamon sugar, or powdered sugar to roll the donuts in. You could also choose to make this recipe into regular glazed donuts and not fill them. For regular donuts our favorite toppings would be to make a glazed donut with a powdered sugar glaze, or even chocolate glaze, made with cocoa powder.

heart shaped mini donuts getting filled with raspberry jam

These, like any donuts, are best eaten as soon as you make them.

Make the Dough Ahead

You can however, make the dough ahead of time. I saved half my dough, wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge overnight, and it still worked great the next day.

So, if you were thinking of making these for your sweetheart for breakfast, you could make the dough the night before, then bring the dough out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature, roll it out and let it rise and fry them in the morning. And then your sweetheart will love you even more.

Recipe

Bread Machine Mini Jelly Donuts with raspberry jam

With homemade heart shaped jelly donuts, life really is a party!

More Donut Inspiration

You might also like our Honey Cruller Donuts here.

Also checkout our Nutella Mini Donuts here.

You might also enjoy our Mini Brownie Donuts here.

Mini Brownie Donuts: the perfect little mini donut made from a brownie mix, with the perfect homemade glaze -super easy.

Vintage New Years Cards Free Printables

Dec 17, 2019 · 5 Comments

Vintage New Years Cards: enjoy these eight free printable vintage New Years cards -just download and print. Post marked 1911 -1917.

Vintage New Year's Eve Cards free printable

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

I want to wish you a Happy New Year. It's almost hard to believe that we're about to be celebrating New Year's.

These days New Year's Eve is the big celebration. When I was a kid though, we didn't really celebrate New Year's Eve at all, we had a big dinner with extended family on New Year's Day. Celebrations sometimes change a little over time. Today I hardly get any Christmas cards anymore. I'm sure I've never received a Happy New Years card. I guess that about 100 years ago, it was common to send a New Year's greeting postcard like these ones. These are all post marked after Christmas, 1911-1917.

Vintage New Years Cards: enjoy these eight free printable vintage New Years cards -just download and print. Post marked 1911 -1917.

I was lucky to find them at my local antique market this past week, and thought they'd be really fun to share for this New Years blog hop. I made mine into a really simple banner to display them.

New Years Banner

To create your banner just download the Free New Year's cards from our Free Printable Library. To gain instant access sign up for free to be a subscriber below.

Use mini clothes pins to attach them to some pretty ribbon, I used some gold twine.

Hang up your New Years banner and enjoy.

More Ideas On How To Use The Vintage New Years Cards Printables

I think these cards could be really fun at each place setting for a New Year's Eve table as well. Or as invitations to a party. The possibilities are pretty much endless.

More NYE Inspiration

Want access to these free printable plus lots more? Subscribe to Life is a Party below and receive access to our entire Free Printable Library instantly as our thank you.

You might also enjoy our New Years Eve Table post here.

Also check out our Blackberry Sparkler recipe here.

Blackberry Sparklers: fresh blackberries are pureed for this drink, make it with alcoholic, or without for a non alcoholic version -perfect for ringing in the New Year.

Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tarts

Dec 10, 2019 · 4 Comments

Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tarts: an easy and delicious appetizer for entertaining.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

These caramelized onion and goat cheese tarts are so delicious. They're fancy, but quite easy to make since they use frozen puff pastry as the base. They're the perfect appetizer to impress. The flaky puff pastry and sticky sweet caramelized onions go perfectly with the creamy tangy goat cheese in these little tarts. These are sure to be your new favorite holiday appetizer.

Caramelized Onion and Goats Cheese Tarts: an easy and delicious appetizer for entertaining.

These are a crowd pleaser and always go quickly at a party. They'll make a great addition to your appetizer selection. They can be served hot or room temperature. I know we'll be making some and serving them this Christmas, or anytime. They're great as an alternative to the traditional cheese board, when you want an all in one bite, that's easy to serve.

Pastry

We've made these Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tarts with puff pastry, but you can make them with regular pie pastry too and they're delicious. The frozen puff pastry though is a great short cut, and equally delicious.

These appetizers are perfect for the holidays, and your guests are sure to love them. They're the perfect little bites. Any goat cheese fan is sure to adore these. We love the pairing of the textures of creamy goat cheese, sweet onions, and the flaky puff pastry crust.

More Options

To add a little more to these you do have the option of adding a light drizzle of honey right before serving, or topping them after their baked with a little fig jam, or even a little balsamic glaze over the top of the caramelized onion and goat cheese tart.

Recipe

Caramelized Onion and Goats Cheese Tarts

Flaky pastry and sweet caramelized onion with goats cheese.

4.50 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizers

Cuisine: American

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 30

Servings: Tarts

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and saute the onion slices over low heat until softened. Add the brown sugar and cook 5 minutes more. Next add the wine and some salt and black pepper to taste, and continue simmering the onions on low stirring regularly for about 5 minutes more, until the onions are sticky and caramelized.
Roll out the puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface and cut the sheet into 16 equal squares. Use a knife to score small squares inside each piece, without cutting through the pastry to create a ¼ inch border. Separate the pieces and transfer squares onto a parchment lined baking tray and cook for 10 minutes.
Remove the pastry from the oven and use the back of a spoon to push down the centre of the pastry. Then fill each one with caramelised onion and about 1 teaspoon of goats cheese on top. Return them to the oven for another 10 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Serve hot or room temperature.

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

With Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tarts, life really is a party!

More Great Recipe Inspiration

You might also like our recipe for Stuffed Mushrooms.

Also check out our Homemade Flatbread Crackers here.

You might also enjoy our Cheese Straws recipe here.

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

Rustic Christmas Table

Dec 9, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Rustic Christmas Table Decor: wood pieces make a rustic centrepiece with pinecones, candles, and faux snow for a little Christmas magic.

Christmas dinner is a special meal, and I love to set a special table to enjoy it at. I love our rustic Christmas table decor this year. Wood logs, pinecones, and faux snow bring the beauty of the outdoors in. It's the perfect spot for Christmas dinner with the family. In our family we have Christmas breakfast with my husband's family and Christmas dinner with some of mine. We're so lucky to have lots of family near by.

This year's rustic Christmas tablescape is really bringing the outdoors in. There are a few special pieces that helped me bring it all together.

Gauze Cotton Napkins

I'm excited to be partnering again with Natures Sweet Creations. The beautiful napkins are made of organic cotton double gauze in the colour charcoal.

I love the feel of them, and their natural and un-ironed look.

Placesettings

The other treasures I used as part of the rustic Christmas table decor this year are the vintage brass Christmas tree napkin rings. I was lucky to find a set of 10 at the thrift store.

I used my new everyday dishes -love their irregular, rustic shape. And for the glasses, I thought these tree ones were perfect for this table, and the little bit of grey in them ties in well with the napkins.

I also used my gold cutlery to tie in with the napkin rings.

Rustic Christmas Table Decor Wood Centre Piece

For the centre of the table I layered a knit runner with some wood stump pieces.

I was lucky enough to get some help with this from an arborist who let me pick out some pieces from his wood pile and cut them to length for me. On some of the smaller pieces, I painted the tops green to match my new dining room feature wall -read about how we did it here.

I mixed different heights of wood pieces to create interest, and also added in some birch candles. I love the forest feel.

On top of the wood pieces I added a combination of moss and faux snow, with some sparkly stars thrown in for a little holiday magic.

There's also lots of pinecones, and a little fresh pine, along with some decorative mushrooms, and more candles.

I can't wait for Christmas dinner at this pretty table. And don't worry, I know there's no room for the food. 😉 I usually serve up dinner on the kitchen table, and guests help themselves buffet style.

If you wanted to do something like this and have room for the serving dishes, you could of course make the centre piece a little smaller.

how to set the table for Christmas dinner

With a rustic Christmas table all ready for the big day, life really is a party!

You might also like our Thrift Store Christmas Table and Thrift Store Tips here.

Thrift Store Christmas Table and Thrift Store Tips: beautiful Christmas table put together with thrift store finds, and 9 tips for thrifting.

Also check out our Merry and Bright Christmas Table here.

Merry and Bright Christmas Party Set: these party printables include menus, place cards, straw flags, conversations starters, cupcake picks, and a banner.

You might also enjoy our Rustic Snowy Table here.

Christmas Living Room

Dec 8, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Pastel Christmas Living Room: Inspired by Anthropologie, with bottle brush Christmas trees, mercury glass, vintage ornaments, macrame, and pastel colours.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Our pastel Christmas living room is feeling so cozy and fun for Christmas. It's always a favourite spot over Christmas for movie watching, gathering with friends, and opening presents on Christmas morning. Our comfy leather sectional has lots of seating so it's perfect.

This year I've added a little colour with pretty pastels and I love it. Lots of white and neutrals too, but some touches of pink, turquoise, and green too. I was inspired by the Anthropologie look I've seen so much this Christmas. Things like colourful bottle brush trees, mercury glass, macrame, pompoms, pampas grass, and pastel colours. I hope you like it too.

Pastel Christmas Fireplace Mantel

I started off with the mantel, which I shared in more detail here. The colourful pastel felt ball garland inspired the colours used.

I used lots of pretty trees, including some older mercury glass ones that I hadn't used in years.

Anthropologie inspired colourful pastel Christmas decor

Colourful Pastel Christmas family room decor

Christmas Coffee Table

On our toy box coffee table, I included our antique wood dough bowl full of some of my favourite vintage ornaments.

vintage Christmas ornaments in a wood bowl

A lot of the ornaments are ones that I've collected at thrift stores over the years, and real favourites of mine.

Anthropologie colourful pastel Christmas decor

I also included some more trees, and a new collection of mercury glass candle holders.

Anthropologie bottle brush Christmas trees

On the couch I used a combination of cozy white pillows, and added in a few pink and turquoise to add some colour.

Colourful Pastel Christmas family Room Inspired by Anthropologie

Pastel Glitter House Christmas Tree

On the tree this year I decided to use my collection of glitter houses. Years ago one Christmas I made this whole collection and some for my family and friends too. It was long before I owned a Cricut machine, and they were all cut out on my kitchen table with an exacto knife and out of cereal boxes I saved for months. You can read all about how I made them here.

Christmas tree with miniature glitter houses

On the tree I also added a homemade garland of pompoms, and some more vintage ornaments.

The tree turned out really cute and I love that it's a bit different.

Over on the other side of the room, is a favourite chair, with more trees on the side table.

And behind this chair, against the back wall at the bottom of the stairs is another cute little vignette.

The art piece is one of the colour engineer prints that I made a hanger for -you find the tutorial on how to make it here.

This is a collection of some of my favourite vintage pieces, and more trees to tie it in with the rest of the decor down here this year.

Anthropologie inspired bottle brush Christmas trees

The living room is feeling so cozy and fun, and all ready for Christmas.

Anthropologie inspired Christmas decorations

With a colourful Christmas Living Room, life really is a party!

You might also like our Thrift Store Christmas Table here.

Also check out our Merry and Bright Christmas Party here.

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

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

Cozy Christmas Bedroom Tour

Dec 7, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Cozy Christmas Bedroom: Linen and chunky knits, Christmas tree, candles, and a Christmas gallery wall help create a cozy space for Christmas.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

This Christmas I wanted our master bedroom to feel extra cozy. So I kept the word cozy in mind as I planned our bedroom Christmas decor this year. I'm imagining snuggling up here with a book, or a Christmas movie during the holiday season. We're taking two weeks off together over Christmas and I cannot wait.

The color palette this Christmas season is white and cream, with some natural elements like fresh pine. It's perfect for creating a cozy, calm feel this time of year. I'm not a big fan of traditional colors for Christmas. I don't like bright reds. For me a neutral space like this is the perfect relaxing festive feel, like a snowy winter wonderland.

A Tree In The Bedroom

I loved having a tree in our bedroom for Christmas last year, so I put this one up again this year. It hasn't got any decorations on it, just the pretty white lights and some yarn I used as a garland. I love how the yarn adds to the cozy, snuggly feel in the room. An undecorated tree with no Christmas decorations on it, and just lights in an easy way to add the holiday spirit to the room. The Christmas lights are perfect at night, with all the other lights out.

The Bed

On our bed I added in some cozy chunky knit accent pillows, some sheep ones too and our favourite chunky knit throw blanket at the end of the bed. The color scheme here is whites and creams, with our regular white bedding, and feels very winter wonderland. Our linen duvet cover and pillow covers have such a cozy texture. The knit and sheepskin throw pillows help with all the festive spirit and hygge vibes on a cold night. No need for Christmas bedding, when neutrals work so well year round.

The tv is on the opposite wall -let the relaxing begin! What's better than a cheesy Hallmark movie to enjoy snuggled up in bed, by the light of the Christmas tree?

Bedside Tables

On the bedside tables I added my DIY Fair Isle Sweater Candle Lanterns that I made last Christmas -you can find the tutorial here. They're so cute with some faux snow in them for a festive touch. They look great all winter long, and the candle light is always nice. And behind you can see a pretty cream knit stocking waiting for Santa to fill it Christmas Eve.

Bedroom Chair

And on that same side of the room our chair is looking cozy too, with extra pillows, a cozy throw, and a sheepskin rug, a faux fur rug would work great here too. And the presents are starting to pile up too! This is the perfect place to read a good book.

Above the chair, I added in one of the art pieces from our Etsy shop -you can find it here. The sentiment is perfect for this space. It's layered with some homemade star garland, cut out of old books for texture, its the perfect holiday decor. It's layered with a pretty pompom garland in cream and wood, reminding us that neutral bedrooms can still look festive.

how to decorate your bedroom for Christmas

Christmas Gallery Wall

Over on the other side of the room our gallery wall art got a little festive love too.

I changed out a few of the really summer-y pieces of art -you can see what it normally looks like here. I just printed a few pieces from one of my favourite free photography sites unsplash. And then I hung a little more diy garland. The snowy art is a great addition all winter long, and can be easy swapped back out in the summer months.

On The Dresser

On the dresser there are more candles, and a fresh branch from one of the pine trees that grows in the forest behind our house. Fresh evergreen garland always makes a mess, but having some in a vase like this with fresh water doesn't shed nearly as much. It's a great way to add that fresh real tree scent.

Over on the other side of the dresser I made some fun little winter snow-globe-ish displays in these glass apothecary jars.

I added some faux snow, a few little ceramic houses, fairy lights, and a white miniature Christmas tree. Bottle brush trees are a favorite of mine, and this is a great idea to display them. Also on the dresser are a few birch sticks, because I love to include natural elements as part of my Christmas ornaments, and also some pretty gold string lights, that look so pretty at night.

Bedside Table

We've worked our way around the room and we're back to the bedside table on the other side. This vintage alarm clock collection is one of my favourites and looks great any season.

I'm looking forward to some relaxing days and nights over the holidays here in this perfect spot.

And many, many cups of tea in my new Santa mugs, along with Christmas cookies, candy canes, and chocolates snuggled up here with my bed tray, and my favourite people, and doggy.

With these cozy Christmas bedroom decorations, life really is a party! Merry Christmas.

More Christmas Inspiration

You. might also like our Cozy Christmas Family Room here.

Also check out our Christmas Home Tour here.

You might also enjoy Little Girl's Christmas Bedroom here.

Christmas Home Tour -Green Christmas Decor

Dec 5, 2019 · 6 Comments

Christmas Home Tour: Rustic Scandinavian Christmas Home Tour, with some modern boho touches and green Christmas decor.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

This Christmas Home Tour is probably my favourite post of the year. I love decorating for Christmas, and I can't wait to share with you what I've come up with this year. I'm embracing the rustic Scandinavian look again this year -it's my favourite and also lots of green Christmas decor. I love the emphasis on bringing the outdoors in. I've been out foraging and it's feeling a little like a forest in here -but in the best possible sense. 😉

Rustic Scandinavian Christmas House Tour, with bit of modern boho.

Rustic Scandinavian Christmas Home Tour, with bit of modern boho.

Come on in, this front console table sits by the front door and it's dressed up for Christmas with a print from our Etsy shop -you can find it here. I also added in a few vintage pieces. The ornaments have been collected over years of thrifting.

Green Christmas Decor In The Dining Room

The dining room is the first room in our home.

The Green Feature Wall

I recently changed our accent wall -you can read all about our DIY green stencil feature wall here. It feels so Christmas-y, but will be great all year round.

Rustic Scandinavian Christmas Home Decor with green Christmas decor

I decorated the buffet with some thrifted glass bottles -old water bottles and demi johns I've collected. I thought they'd be beautiful for Christmas with some fresh greens in them, and I added a few homemade tassels.

Rustic Scandinavian Christmas Decor, with a bit of modern boho.

Vintage glass bottles with fresh Christmas greens.

Dining Room Table

For the dining room table, I used wood stump pieces to create a centre piece.

Christmas table scape with wood logs and candles and green decor

I'd had this idea in my mind since last year, but wood pieces can be a little hard to come by. Luckily my sister had a friend who is an arborist and helped us out. I love how it turned out, and you'll see I repeated it throughout the main floor.

Christmas centre piece with rustic materials and green Christmas decor.

I painted a few of the tops different shades of green in the dining room and it's a fun way to tie the colour in.

Bar Cart

Over on the other side of the room I have a little bar cart ready for some Christmas cheer.

Another element I repeated in my Christmas decor this year is glass bottles full of fresh greens and this year with lots of green Christmas decor, the green glass is perfect.

Vintage green glass bottles with evergreen pieces.

This is one of my favourite elements, this green vintage trough that I picked up at an antique fair this fall, filled with vintage bottles and more fresh greens I collected on a few winter walks.

vintage glass bottles with Christmas greens

vintage glass bottles holding Christmas greens

Now into the living room, but first the stairs.

Rustic Scandinavian Christmas Home Tour, with some of modern boho touches.

The Stairs

This was a fun idea inspired by Scandinavian decor, where they often use paper ornaments, like the classic stars. I used honeycomb party balls and I love how it turned out. Here's the view from the other side.

Rustic Scandinavian Modern Boho Christmas Home Tour

I was lucky to find an independent dollar store that had the honeycomb balls. I tied them with clear fishing line to start. Next I layered in some fresh pine boughs, and used a little more fishing line where I need to.

I kept mine neutral. I used mainly white, but added a little black and grey for some depth.

Green Christmas Decor In The Living Room

The stairs are right beside our corner fireplace.

The Mantel

The paper trees tie in well with the paper balls on the stairs. And I also repeated the wood stump pieces and the vintage glass bottles with fresh greens. I went out into the woods and found some grapevine and twisted it into a nice big wreath for here, and then added some fresh greens. The bells are a great addition.

I also layered this macrame bunting I made -DIY macrame bunting garland -see how I made it here, with some green wood beads and felt ball garland. The beads were the perfect way to tie in my green Christmas decor theme for this year.

Advent Calendar

At the bottom of the stairs there's a little table that has our advent calendar on it. It's a wooden one, with a tree that you add a little wooden animal to each day. It's so cute, and every little animal is delightful.

Neutral Woodland Christmas advent calendar

This collection of trees is so pretty here. And my little house shelves got dressed up with more trees, this time white mini bottle brush ones.

In the living room I added more green Christmas decor with lots of cozy pillows.

This is the perfect spot to curl up for a Christmas movie. I am in love with this cozy new Charcoal Muslin Throw With Fringe from Natures Sweet Creation. It's so soft and perfect for snuggling up with. Everything in Melissa's Etsy shop is beautiful and so well made. I know we'll enjoy this beautiful piece for a long time.

Christmas Tree

Over on the other side of the room is our Christmas tree.

I love a sparse Scandi style of tree and this one is a beauty.

The pretty paper ornaments help to tie in with the stair decorations. The beautiful old fashioned Christmas tree candle holders are something I've been thinking about adding the last couple years and was lucky enough to find at the thrift store this year. I won't light them of course, but even un-lit they are so beautiful.

The tree decorations are very simple. Just the paper ornaments some glass and white balls, paper pinecones, the candles, and some pompom fringe garland. I should perhaps add a paper star to the top.

vintage demi John bottles with Christmas lights

And more glass bottles, with these fun lights.

Havanese dog in front of a Christmas tree

And Oscar always seems to want to be in on the home tours, so since he kept getting in my shots I asked him to pose.

Coffee Table

On the coffee table more wood pieces and faux snow. I love these little pinecone lights, they're a fun dollarama find.

Pass Through

In the pass through I hung a beautiful fresh pine branch. And then I added some bells.

The bells are from the Target dollar spot from a little cross border shopping trip and I love them.

Green Christmas Decor In The Kitchen

And that leads us into the kitchen. We gave our kitchen a facelift a few years ago. We took down our cupboards and added open shelves and subway tile -you can read all about it here. Now I love decorating our shelves for each season.

Open kitchen shelves decorated for Christmas with green decor

Open Shelves With Green Christmas Decor

These shelves have to work hard since we have quite a small kitchen, and no pantry. All our everyday dishes are here, but there's still room for some fun seasonal touches and this year some green Christmas decor.

The vintage finds are so fun.

Christmas Home Tour: Rustic Scandinavian Christmas Home Tour, with some of modern boho touches.

Over on the other side we have a coffee and tea station set up.

The large plastic Santa is a new thrift store find, and I kind of love him.

I also found a few Santa mugs a few years ago, but I'm definitely on the hunt for more vintage ones.

And this little ceramic tree is a new one made to look old and it even lights up. So cute.

Kitchen Open Shelves with green Christmas decor

This little spot on the counter is looking cute and ready for Christmas baking.

Christmas baking station with green Christmas decor

And the baking is already well underway here. My daughters have already made gingerbread houses and cookies and they're adorable.

Rustic Scandinavian Modern Boho Christmas House Tour

holly and pine in a vintage glass bottles

I love these new mugs too. Another cross border shopping find at Walmart, and so inexpensive. I got a whole set for my hot chocolate station.

Hot Chocolate Station

Rustic Scandinavian Modern Boho Christmas Home Decor

My girls love having a little hot chocolate station set up here. It's often a treat for them after school, and then they take it with them and sip it while they work on their homework.

The poster is another one from our Etsy shop -you can find it here. It's from that old Christmas special Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. I love how the message of the show is that there is a place for all the "misfits". It's such a fun reminder of that message.

Kitchen Table

On the kitchen table I repeated the wood again, but this time incorporated some other elements. I used cloches and little paper houses my daughter made, along with moss, pinecones, and mini lights.

Rustic Scandinavian Christmas centre piece

The paper houses were a quick Cricut project, you can find the pattern for them here.

I used a white chalkboard marker to add some snowflakes and "let it snow" to the cloches. It will wash off afterward.

Rustic Scandinavian Modern Boho Christmas Tour

And there ends my tour. Thanks so much for hanging in with me through all these pictures. I hope you enjoyed them and found a little inspiration. My biggest tips are to repeat elements to make the whole area feel cohesive, and to bring the outdoors in. It's so good to get outside collecting, and the price is always right too. 😉

More Inspiration

You might also like our Christmas Family Room tour here.

Colourful Christmas Family Room: Inspired by Anthropologie, with bottle brush Christmas trees, mercury glass, vintage ornaments, macrame, & pastel colours.

Also check out our Cozy Christmas Bedroom Tour here.

Cozy Christmas Bedroom: Linen and chunky knits, a Christmas tree, candles, and a Christmas gallery wall help create a cozy space for Christmas.

You might also enjoy A Boho Christmas Tour here.

Boho Christmas Decor: decorated for Christmas with black and whtie boho including lots of texture, tassels, pom poms, brass, wood, and twinkle lights.

Green Feature Wall

Nov 27, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Green Feature Wall: the perfect shade of green paint, and the hand drawn chevron stencil create the an amazing feature wall.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

This green feature wall is my new favourite thing. It's amazing how one wall, one new paint colour, one stencil, and one weekend can make such an amazing change.

Feature Wall

I decided a few years ago -has it really been that long? to make this wall in to a feature wall. I remember feature walls in the 90's and jumped onto their return. This black and white buffalo wall feature wall was a triumph -see the whole tutorial on how to create it here. It too was a weekend project and I actually still loved it. But, it was time for a bit of a change.

I was inspired by some simple and inexpensive changes I made in the dinning room for fall. I swapped out my curtains for these velvet green ones. And I removed my homemade drop cloth slip covers -see how I made them here. I wanted to make the room a little more rich and moody with some darker colours added in. There was still plenty of white to keep it bright, but the new darker elements added some depth to the space.

Green Feature WallValspar's Billiard Room 5005-6C

The green curtains inspired the idea of a green feature wall.

The Perfect Green

The colour is amazing. It's Valspar's Billiard Room 5005-6C It's the perfect dark green. It's not to blue-ish or teal, it's not too olive. I just love it.

Because we were covering over our buffalo check wall, I did a bit of light sanding first. The check had different layers of paint so I sanded off the edges of the strips. I also had a few holes to fill. After that I applied Valspar's primer. It did a great job of covering and prepping the wall.

paint and primer for a green feature wall

I painted two coats of the Billiard Room. The coverage was great, especially for such a dark colour.

The Stencil

After we had our amazing green base, it was time for step two. I was inspired by Sweet Domicile's kitchen -check out her amazing instagram account here. Nicole used the Cutting Edge Stencils Chevron stencil in her apartment as an alternative to wallpaper and it turned out so great.

My friend came over on a Saturday morning and we worked away with the stencil. It's the Hand Drawn Chevron Wall Stencil. We used the foam roller that came in the kit and craft paint per their recommendation because it dries quickly and has good coverage, and it worked great.

The edge pieces that come with the stencil worked great too to finish off the design at the ceiling. We had very little bleeding with the stencil overall. Because the design we used is so free hand looking we left the little bit of bleeding we had and found it just blended in and added to the handmade quality of the over all look. There were a few tricky spots around the thermostat -oh dreaded thermostat. But we were able to bend the flexible stencil around it and also do a few spots free hand.

The stencil was time consuming but very easy to do. Not complicated at all. I highly recommend roping your best friend into it so you can just chat the afternoon away as you work. 😉

Green Feature Wall: the perfect shade of green paint, and the hand drawn chevron stencil create the an amazing feature wall.

I love how the wall turned out. It adds so much to the space. I love the green and the stencil creates so much interest. I also love that this was a fairly quick weekend project, and changes the room so much.

It's perfect for Christmas, but I think it will have a lot of staying power after that too.

This post is sponsored by Valspar Paint and Cutting Edge Stencils. As always all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Life is a Party possible.

You might also enjoy our post on How To Paint A Buffalo Check Feature Wall.

Also check out our Black and White Office Makeover here.

Black and White Boho Office Makeover: whimsical wallpaper, a wood bead chandelier, art, drapes, and lots of plants give this office the perfect boho vibe.

You might also enjoy our Laundry Room/ Mudroom Makeover here.

Laundry Room / Mudroom Makeover Reveal: From a chaotic and messy space to an organized and beautiful one with built-in lockers and storage solutions, shiplap, concrete, leather, brass and wood accents.

Christmas Fireplace Mantel

Nov 26, 2019 · 6 Comments

Christmas Fireplace Mantel: Colourful pastel with a boho vibe, this Anthropologie inspired mantel is so much fun!

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

This year's Christmas fireplace mantel is fun and colourful, and inspired by the Anthropologie look I've been seeing everywhere.

I actually did something very similar to this mantel last year, but it was all in black and white -you can see it here. This year we added a little colour with all the pretty pastels! And I have to say that this mantel feels so cheerful and happy. It's really making me want to be in this room more than usual. What could be better than decor that makes you want to linger because it's so joyful?

paper mâché deer head with yarn wrapped antlers for Christmas

Deer Head Makeover

I started out with my deer head. It's a paper mâché piece that I've had for years. When I first got it I spray painted it white. Last year I added some yarn to the antlers for a little texture and a little bit of that boho vibe. I loved it.

So this year I swapped out the grey and black I used last year and added some pink, green, and turquoise. And then, just for fun we gave him a pom pom nose as well.

faux deer head over Christmas fireplace mantel

Adding Some Colour

The colours for the deer head were inspired by the felt ball garland. I found it at Homesense, and loved how fun it was. The retro inspired colours really appealed to me.

I layered the felt ball garland with some fringe trim, and this fun "fa la la la la" metal garland. Everything is hung up with some command hooks. I love how easy they are to work with and that they leave no marks when you remove them.

bottle brush Christmas trees and mercury glass tree

A Forest Of Trees

The colours in the garland inspired me to pick up a few colourful trees, and pull out some that I haven't used in years. I bought the mercury glass trees years ago and it was nice to pull them out again. I didn't want the mantel to be too colourful, so I grounded it all with lots of white, and neutrals too.

colourful pastel table top Christmas trees on a mantel

We also added a few pretty knit stockings. I love the texture they add to the mantel.

DIY Fresh Pine Wreath

And the last element I added was a fresh pine wreath. Adding in some greenery helps to tie in with the Christmas tree, and a wreath around the deer head seemed like a fun way to do it. I used some fresh pine I cut in the forest and just an old wire coat hanger as a free wreath frame. It was a quick and easy project, and adds more texture, and that great smell of fresh pine.

This mantel was really easy to put to together, and I mostly shopped the house for it which is always nice. My only purchases were the felt garland, and some yarn in co-ordinating colours that I also used to make pom poms for the Christmas tree that I'll be sharing soon. I hope it inspires you to dig out something you've had for awhile and maybe use it in a different way.

More Inspiration

You might also enjoy our Christmas Living Room Tour here.

Also check out our Boho Christmas Tour here.

You might also like our Christmas Mantel.

Christmas Mantel: beautiful paper honeycomb ornaments, balls, and Christmas tree decorations, combined with eucalyptus garland and twinkle lights.

Thrift Store Christmas Table and Thrift Store Tips

Nov 22, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Thrift Store Christmas Table and Thrift Store Tips: beautiful Christmas table put together with thrift store finds, and 9 tips for thrifting.

I love setting a pretty table, especially for an occasion, and there is no better occasion than Christmas! I found lots of the things for my table today at the thrift store. They always have great finds in their houseware department.

A Love Of Thrifting

I started thrifting when I was in University out of necessity. Money was tight and I found a few thrift stores near the apartment I rented with my friends. One of my best thrift store finds back then was a vintage bowl that I filled with vintage ornaments -also found thrifting. I loved it, and in fact I still have the bowl and the Christmas ornaments to this day. It was then that I discovered the thrill of the hunt.

I had so much fun shopping for this beautiful Christmas Table. Let me share some of my thrifting tips -things I've learned over many years of thrifting.

1. Look For Seasonal Items Out Of Season

Look for seasonal items out of season. Anything Christmas is a hot item right now, so if you see treasures like vintage ornaments, or antique Santas out of season make sure you grab them. It's a general rule of thrifting that you need to get it when you see it or it will be gone, and it's even more true of seasonal items.

2. Go Often

Go often. Try and make regular quick trips to the Care and Share. New inventory is coming in all the time. And new inventory is being put out on the floor all the time. Best to pop in often, since you never know when something you love will be put out.

3. Mix and Match

Mix and Match. When setting a table for an occasion like Chrsitmas it might be challenging to find a complete set of something. Feel free to mix and match. For example mix a couple different designs of dishes or glassware or jars but look for something that they have in common, like colour to tie it all together.

4. Think Outside The Box

Think outside of the box. Use teacups to hold Christmas trees, string lights as a garland, use a vintage enamelware teapot to hold a Christmas tree. Sometimes thrifting requires a little bit of imagination. Try and think about things beyond their obvious use.

5. Plan Ahead

Plan ahead. It might a few trips to the thrift store to find all the elements you're looking for. Give yourself time to look on different occasions so you can find what you need.

6. Be Flexible

Be flexible. Try not to go to the thrift store with a plan set in stone. You never know what you'll find -or won't find, so be open to changing direction depending on what you find that day.

7. Shop Your House

I always shop my house for a tablescape. I was looking for pieces to use at the thrift store, but also always keeping in mind what I already owned and what I could mix in with my thrift store finds.

8. Mix Vintage With Modern

I never want my table to look quite like it was my Grandmother's, or all from the antique shop so I always try to mix my vintage treasures in with modern pieces to create a nice balance.

9. Donate Items Back To The Thrift Store When You're Finished

If you love setting tables as much as I do, you have probuably run into the problem of storage. One great solution is to donate items back to the thrift store when you're finished with them. If you need to buy extra dishes for a big get together for example and don't want to store something that you'd use so infrequently, feel free to donate them back when you're done. The prices are so great, and the money used for so much good that you can pick up some more if you need to years from now instead of tying up space.

Christmas Table

Vintage Pieces

This table was so much fun to put together. I started out with the enamelware collection. It came in while I was shopping and it was the starting place for this table. When I saw it I thought it would look so pretty with little trees in it.

I also spotted the Christmas record and couldn't resist the pink and red together. I didn't buy it to play the record, I thought it would be really fun as a graphic decor piece. My other real find that day was the large vintage plastic Santa. It's actually an old piggy bank, and such a cute vintage piece.

When I set up the table I knew these pieces would be great as background. I also mixed in one of my printable art pieces -which you can read all about and how to make the hanging frame here.

The Table

For the table itself, I decided to repeat the Christmas trees down the middle of the table. While I was thrifting I also picked up a mix of mason jars. They've been used to hold assorted Christmas candy on the table.

I also found the pretty gold and white teacups while at the thrift store. They would be lovely for hot chocolate at this table, and great with all the marshmallows, candy canes, and chocolates on the table too.

I put some little bottle brush trees in each one. They look so cute.

Placesettings

Most of the rest of the placesetting is from items I already had. I shopped my house. I also love to mix vintage with modern pieces and the black cutlery, pottery plates, and fun napkins add a bit of an updated feel to the table.

Gingerbread Houses

One of my favourite elements on the table are the cute little gingerbread houses. If you didn't have glass cloches like mine vintage champagne flutes would be really pretty too.

I picked up the little gingerbread houses at the dollar store -or make your own, and surrounded them with mini marshmallows for a bit of snow globe effect. Just a little ribbon added to them helps tie them back to our colour scheme.

This table was so much fun to put together. And I hope these thrifting tips are helpful too.

With a pretty thrifted Christmas table, life really is a party!

More Inspiration

You might also like our Rustic Christmas Table here.

Also check out our Black and White Christmas Table here.

You might also enjoy our Rustic Snowy Table here.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Nov 21, 2019 · 1 Comment

Pumpkin Bread Pudding: this recipe is easy and delicious, perfect for Thanksgiving and the holidays.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Perfect for Thanksgiving or the Holidays

This pumpkin bread pudding recipe is the perfect easy pumpkin dessert. Don't bother messing around with pastry, or other complicated pumpkin desserts. This easy pumpkin bread pudding is pure comfort food, and so delicious. It would be a great addition to your Thanksgiving and holiday baking lineup. Or it makes an impressive dessert for a dinner party for lovers of all things pumpkin.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with custard sauce

Secret Ingredient -Bread Options

I'm a big fan of bread pudding recipes in general, but this pumpkin version is the perfect twist for the holidays. It's pumpkin-y and creamery, and so, so good. And bread pudding is really easy to put together. This pumpkin bread pudding is taken to the next level by using egg bread.

We have a little family run bakery nearby that sells fresh egg bread each day. It's the kind of place that bakes each morning and sells out each afternoon. They aren't the cutest building and I have to admit that if someone hadn't told me to go there I probably would have passed it by. Since discovering it a few years ago we seriously go just about every week. Egg bread can be a little tricky to find, but it adds a richness to this dish that can't be beat. If you don't have egg bread available you could try this recipe with challah bread, or French bread, or any crusty bread to make your cubed bread. You could also try it with cinnamon swirl bread.

Bread pudding is an early nineteenth century England creation, as a way to use up stale bread. Homemade bread pudding is easy to make and a great way to use up old bread or leftover bread, and turn it into a wonderful dessert. Our delicious pumpkin bread pudding version has plenty of warm spices like a traditional pumpkin pie, but without all the effort. You'll love this dish as a great make-ahead dish, especially when entertaining this fall season. It's the perfect dessert for fall flavors.

Pumpkin Puree

When shopping for your pumpkin puree, be careful not to purchase pumpkin pie filling by mistake. The canned pumpkin pie filling already has sugar and pumpkin pie spices mixed in. You want to use pumpkin puree, which is canned pumpkin only.

You could also make homemade pumpkin puree if you prefer. Use small pie pumpkins to make your puree for the best and sweetest flavor.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with warm custard sauce

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. Just typing it up and seeing the pictures again has my mouth watering and makes me want to make it again soon. This is a great recipe if you're a pumpkin lover.

What To Serve With It

I served this at a dinner party the night I took the pictures. In fact, I was finishing up the pictures just as my guest were arriving. We had a lovely cheese board, and some amazing pasta with braised beef, Caesar salad and garlic bread. But you know what everyone was just waiting for? The dessert they saw and smelled when they arrived. After waiting all evening for it, finally they were able to report it was worth the wait!

I served the pumpkin bread pudding warm with warm custard sauce. You can make your own, or look for the canned version at the grocery store. It would also be delicious with a bourbon sauce, or your favorite caramel sauce. This dish has great pumpkin flavor and is wonderful served with vanilla ice cream. The warm bread pudding is so good with a scoop of ice cream, which starts to melt and tastes delicious. But you can also serve this dish at room temperature.

Looking for a dish for crowd? Feel free to double the recipe and bake in a larger baking dish, and increase the baking time slightly.

If you love pecans, you could add roasted chopped pecans to sprinkle over the top of pumpkin bread pudding for a little crunch.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding thanksgiving dessert

This is the perfect dish this time of year, and the best bread pudding for pumpkin lovers. It's the best way to finish off a meal, or even Thanksgiving dinner. It's sure to become a family favorite. If you love easy recipes that are also delicious, you love this easy bread pudding.

Recipe

With Pumpkin Bread Pudding for dessert, life is really a party!

More Inspiration

Love pumpkin recipes. Check out our Pumpkin Cream Puffs here.

Pumpkin Cream Puffs: A cream puff filled with pumpkin pastry cream, whipped cream, and topped with warm caramel sauce for the perfect fall dessert.

Also check out our Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treats recipe here.

You might also like our Pumpkin Blondies here, they're a family favourite!

25 Christmas Projects You Can Make With Your Cricut

Nov 20, 2019 · Leave a Comment

25 Christmas Cricut Projects: inspiration and ideas for all your Christmas crafting with your Cricut machine.

25 Christmas Cricut Projects you can make for gift giving and celebrating.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

One of my favourite crafting tools has become my Cricut machine. It's so versatile. You can make so many amazing things with it. I especially love it around the holiday season when I can personalize gifts and decor. Whether you have a Cricut joy, explorer, or maker, there are so many amazing Cricut craft ideas you make for the holidays.

Today I'm sharing 25 Christmas Projects you can make with your Cricut to get you inspired for all your holiday making! There's so many great gift ideas for all your family members. There's also cricut Christmas crafts for your holiday decor, advent calendars, cute ornaments, Christmas cards, Christmas stockings and more. Put your Cricut cutting machine to good use this and create everything you need for this festive time of year. There's so many great ideas that you will be inspired for the whole season.

Number one on my list is the Christmas Favourite Things Christmas pajamas we made last week. I asked my girls for a personalized list of their very favourite things about Christmas and made them personalized pj tops. It's so fun to be able to make the perfect gift for the whole family.

The Creative Possibilities Are Endless

Last year we made personalized pj's too. I used the iron on to add my girls nick names to their pjs. We made them together on Christmas Eve, so that they could pick the fonts and designs. Not only was it the perfect personalized gift, but it's the sweetest memory now of making them together.

One of my very favourite things about the Cricut Maker is just how very versatile it is. It cuts so many different materials -the only end to the things you can make is your imagination!

Christmas Cricut Projects

1. Christmas Favourite Things Pajamas from Life is a Party. This years homemade Christmas gift of pajamas for my daughters turned out great. We were inspired by the favorite things song. You could personalize these for anyone you know with a list of their favorite things, or use the actual song lyrics.

DIY personalized Christmas pyjamas made with a Cricut machine.

Christmas Sign

2. DIY Believe Sign from Polka Dot Chair. Use Cricut Design Space to personalize a sign like this one with a family last name for the perfect personalized holiday home decor.

Metal Engraving

3. Engraved Charm Bracelet from Laura's Crafty Life. The perfect way to personalize a gift. This step-by-step tutorial will have you making these easy gifts for everyone on your list!

Santa Letter Sign

4. Personalized Letter To Santa Wood Sign from Tried and True. One of my favorite things to do with kids for Christmas is to write a letter to Santa. This sign is so adorable to personalize and bring out every Christmas to decorate.

Santa Sign

5. DIY Sign for Santa from Lemon Thistle. We love handmade signs and this Christmas one is so sweet! The cute design is perfect for leaving Santa a note on Christmas Eve, and you can personalize it too.

Personalized Sign

6. Personalized Christmas Sign from 12 On Main. This personalized sign is perfect for the holidays for a personal touch. This is an easy craft that is a fun way to give a personalized gift to someone special.

Advent Calendar

7. DIY Advent Calendar from Kaleidoscope Living. I love the tradition of an advent calendar and this one couldn't be cuter. The best part about this one is that you can use it year after year. It would be so much fun to open a new drawer every morning this December. This is one of my favorite Cricut Christmas ideas.

Christmas Countdown

8. Wooden Advent Calendar with Everyday Party. This Christmas countdown is so sweet. Use heat transfer vinyl on wood to create this for your own home.

Coasters

9. Black and White Modern Christmas Coasters from Crafted Sparrow. These gorgeous coasters make a great gift. Make them the easy way with infusible ink.

Leather Project

10. Embossed Leather Travel from All For The Memories. How cool is this DIY Christmas gift? Did you know you could emboss leather with your Cricut machine? Check out the blog post for all the instructions.

Pillow

11. Personalized Pillow from Sustain My Craft Habit. Personalized DIY Christmas decor is the cutest! This gives me a ton of inspiration for grandparent gifts this Christmas.

Coasters

12. Personalized Coasters from Love Create Celebrate. More great DIY Christmas gifts. Your friends would love opening up these and enjoy their inspiring messages. The holidays are the perfect time for sending a little encouraging message like these.

Gift Wrap

13. Personalized Foil Gift Wrap from Proper. How about making your gifts extra special this year with personalized wrapping. Use foil board in a variety of colors and the debossing blade for this fun project that's perfect for wrapping homemade gifts.

Gift Tags

14. Leather and Wood Personalized Gift Tags from Missy Briggs. I love these reusable Christmas gift tags. They're perfect for decorating packages or gift bags.

Oven Mitts

15. Christmas Baking Set with Hey, Let's Make Stuff. This personalized oven mitt is the perfect gift idea for the baker or chef in your life. Even Cricut beginners will love this project, with just one material to use to create these great gifts.

T-Shirt

16. Coffee Lovers Gift from Over the Big Moon. A personalized t-shirt for the coffee lover on you list! This project is perfect for gift giving this Christmas season.

Makeup Bag

17. Monogramed Makeup Bags from Small Stuff Counts. I love this idea, especially for hard to shop for tween and teen girls. They'd love this personalized makeup bag.

Santa Sack

18. Personalized Santa Bags from Something Turquoise. What a great idea this is. Perfect for gift giving on Christmas morning and reusable too. Sure to save some elves a lot of wrapping time.

Metal Sign

19. Engraved Metal Sign from Woman In Real Life. You can use your Cricut to engrave on metal. What a great way to make a personalized gift for someone special.

PJs

20. Personalized Christmas Pyjamas from Weekend Craft. I love homemade gifts, but especially when they're this cute! How adorable are these for Christmas photos too. You could even do matching ones for the whole family. Look for inexpensive matching pjs in everyone's size and then customize them with everyone's name for the perfect handmade gifts.

Tea Set

21. Baby It's Cold Outside Tea Set from The Best Of This Life. How cozy is this idea. Use adhesive vinyl for these handmade Christmas gifts. Pair them with cookies and tea for a great gift for anyone on your list.

Baking Set

22. Baking Gift Idea from The Idea Room. Turn regular tea towels, pot holders, and aprons into great Christmas gifts with some iron-on vinyl.

Tea Towel

23. Personalized Christmas Tea Towel from Southern Couture. How about a personalized tea towel for a hostess gift this year?

Christmas Village

24. Christmas Town from Fawn. One of my favorite Christmas Cricut ideas is this cute little holiday village. Cricut Christmas projects like this village are so fun to create and add to them year after year.

Ornament

25. Baby's Fist Christmas Ornament from It Happens In A Blink. DIY Christmas ornaments are so much fun, especially when they're personalized to mark a special occasion like this one. Use your Cricut for all your DIY ornaments this year and have the cutest Christmas tree decor. Handmade ornaments like this one become a keepsake for years to come.

I hope these amazing Christmas craft ideas have inspired you to get creative with your Cricut this Christmas making Cricut Christmas decorations, trying all the Cricut Christmas gift ideas.

With homemade personalized gifts, life really is a party!

More Christmas Cricut Projects

You might also like our Cricut Fa La La Pillow here.

Also check out our Cricut Fair Isle Candle Holders here.

You might also enjoy our Cricut Wood Feather Ornament here.

Coal Rice Krispie Cookies

Nov 19, 2019 · 5 Comments

Coal Rice Krispie Cookies: This recipe and printable gift tag is the perfect treat for anyone who is on Santa's naughty list this year.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Do you have someone on your gift list this year who's been naughty? This is the perfect gift for them. These Coal Rice Krispie Cookies are adorable and delicious. If you have to get a lump of coal in your Christmas stocking this Christmas, you certainly want it to be the rice krispies treats kind. 😉

The Perfect Gift For Someone On The Naughty List

Many, many years ago when one of my daughters was almost three she was worried she was on the naughty list. Those were our Dora the Explorer years...anyone else remember those? There was a Christmas episode about how Swiper was on the naughty list. She had done a few naughty things in a row, which was very unlike her, and was worried that she might not make it on to the nice the list in time for Christmas. I remember taking her to visit Santa and asking him to reassure her. It's been a long time since anyone around here was sincerely worried about which list they were on. Hopefully because we're all so nice. 😉

Coal Rice Krispie Cookies

This recipe is for oreo lumps of coal really easy to put together -only 5 ingredients. The cookies get their black colour in part from the addition of Oreo cookies. These coal cookies taste like a delicious combination of oreo balls and Rice Krispies -yum! They're super quick to make, and a great no bake recipe for the holidays. This oreo Christmas coal recipe uses simple ingredients, you might already have in your pantry.

This super cute treat is so yummy, even people on the nice list will want them. They are perfect for gift giving this time of year. These make a fun gift for a holiday party. They would also be fun as a stocking stuffer for family members. Or they'd make a really cute holiday gift for a teacher, coach, bus driver, neighbour. It's always nice to have a little something to add to a gift card, and this would be a great choice. Or use this coal candy as a delicious gift for neighbors to wish them a merry Christmas.

The printable tag really makes it, and is available for free. Just subscribe to Life is a Party below, and then you can access our free printable library and print the gift tags to add to your cookies for gift giving. Put your oreo coal cookies in an airtight container, or a cellophane bag for gift giving.

These krispy treats are not only adorable, but they're also delicious and so much fun. Guaranteed to give anyone who receives them a smile. ;). These small cookies are also a great dessert idea, and a really fun addition to holiday cookie trays, especially for the rice krispie treats lover.

Recipe

Coal Rice Krispie Cookies

Delicious Rice Krispies with the flavor of Oreos.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

Servings:

Calories: 33kcal

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Ingredients

Instructions

Put the oreo cookies in a food processor and pulse with the blade attachment until they are ground to a fine crumb. If you don't have a food processor, make your crushed oreos by putting your oreos in a ziploc bag, and rolling with a rolling pin until they're all finely crushed. Set aside.
Measure 4 cups of rice krispies into a mixing bowl and set aside.
Prepare a surface for the finished cookies by spreading a piece of parchment paper or wax paper on a table, and having two large spoons and a glass of cold water ready.
Place butter and marshmallows in a large saucepan. Cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally until all the marshmallows are melted and combined. Turn off the heat.
Add enough black food colouring to make the marshmallow mixture black. Add in the oreo crumbs, and rice krispies and stir until completely combined and black. If needed add a little more food colouring.
Using two spoons dipped in cold water to help prevent the cookies from sticking, take a spoonful of the hot cookie mixture, and use the second spoon to help remove it onto the parchment paper and create misshapen balls of the cookie mixture.
Let the cookies set and cool slightly, but while still warm, use your fingers to compress the cookies slightly and make them look like lumps of coal.
Let cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Nutrition

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

Coal Rice Krispie homemade Christmas gift idea

With Coal Rice Krispie Cookies for your whole family to enjoy, life really is a party!

Free Printable Gift Tags

Coal Rice Krispie Cookie free printable label

Get your free printable gift tags to go with these cute cookies here. Just subscribe to our newsletter and gain free and instant access to our printable library as our thank you.

More DIY Gift Idea Inspiration:

You might also like our Gingerbread Extreme Milkshakes here.

Gingerbread Extreme Milkshake Freakshake: Recipe for gingerbread syrup and gingerbread extreme milkshakes. Perfect treat for the holidays.

Also check our our Homemade Caramel Apples recipe here.

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

You might also enjoy our Homemade Caramel Corn recipe here.

Printable Christmas Gift Tags

Nov 15, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Printable Christmas Gift Tags: these funny Christmas tags come in blue, black and white, red and green, or a colourful muliti-color set.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

These printable Christmas gift tags should put a smile on your face. If you have anyone on your list who is difficult to shop for these are the gift tags for you.

Printable Christmas Gift Tags: these funny Christmas tags come in blue, black and white, red and green, or a colourful muliti-color set.

Unfortunately I was raised with a mother who had a bad poker face and was hard to please when it came to gift giving. To this day she often doesn't like her gifts on Christmas. The refrain from the giver as they were being opened was often "I have the receipt for it if you want to return it." It makes me laugh. And has lead to many funny moments between my mom and sister and I. And so these tags were made thinking of her. ;). I hope they make you giggle too.

Home For Christmas Ebook and Printable Toolkit

No Christmas Toolkit would complete without a set of great gift tags. Our collection is designed to have everything you need do the holidays well, so these were an important addition. The Home For Christmas Ebook and Printable Toolkit came about when our readers told us that their biggest holiday struggle was time. We thought that if we could put everything you might need in one, inexpensive, big bundle you might be able to spend less time preparing this Christmas, and more time actually celebrating! You can buy the gift tag set on its own here. Or purchase them as part of the Home For Christmas Ebook and Printable Toolkit here.

Printable Christmas Gift Tags in Different Colour Options

Since it's always nice to coordinate your gift tags to your Christmas decor colours, we made 4 different colour sets. We hope there's one that's perfect for your colour scheme this year.

Blue

If you love blue the gift tags are available in this pretty blue colour with snowflakes.

Black and White

If you love the black and white look, these gift tags will be perfect for you.

Black and White Funny Printable Christmas Gift Tags

Red and Green

If you love the traditional red and green colours for Christmas then you will love this colour option.

Colourful

I made this set to match our Merry and Bright Party Set. If you love colour, then this colourful set is perfect for you.

I had a lot of fun putting these together. It's fun to be funny. When given the choice to laugh or cry, especially at Christmas, always choose laugh. 🙂

Purchase the gift tag set -which includes all the colours here for just $1.99 here. Or purchase the entire Home For Christmas Ebook and Printable Toolkit here and have everything you need for Christmas all in one spot.

With these funny printable Christmas gift tags, life really is a party!

More Inspiration

Want more gift wrapping inspiration? Check out this Christmas Wrapping Party.

Also check out our DIY Wood Grain Faux Bois Wrapping Paper here.

You might also enjoy our DIY Book Page Paper Feathers here.

Merry and Bright Christmas Party

Nov 14, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Merry and Bright Christmas Party Set: these party printables include menus, place cards, straw flags, conversations starters, cupcake picks, and a banner.

Merry and Bright Christmas party printable set.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

This Merry and Bright Christmas Party printables set is so much fun. It's bright and colourful and and feels a little bit retro in all the best ways. As soon as your guests arrive at a party like this their eyes will light up and the fun will begin!

Home For Christmas Ebook and Printable Toolkit

The Merry and Bright Printable Party Set is available for purchase in our Etsy shop here. Or buy it as part of our Home For Christmas Ebook and Printable Toolkit and save. We asked our readers what is the biggest challenge you face when it comes to entertaining and the holidays. The number one answer we received was time.

So we created a our Christmas Printable Package so that you'd have everything you need to celebrate the whole season all in one place, for one low price. We included 5 different sets for entertaining -including this one, as well as gift tags, advent activity printable cards, gift card holders, Christmas art, and Christmas joke lunch box jokes. We bundled them all up to save you over 60%. Purchase the Home For Christmas Ebook and Printable Toolkit here.

We're hoping that this year you can spend a little less time preparing, and more time actually celebrating the holidays!

Merry and Bright Christmas Party Printables Set

If you love colour this is the perfect party set for you. We included lots of fun details, in such pretty colours.

Place Settings

Christmas place setting and blue candy cane

Let's start with each place setting for our table. We designed 12 different fun conversation starters to get things rolling over dinner.

Printable Christmas Conversation Starter Cards

There are also tent folding place cards that you could also use for food labels in coordinating colours.

We also created the cutest Menu Cards, that you can print out and fill in with a marker.

There are also some fun straw flags. Just print them out, cut them, and glue them on to paper straws for a festive look.

Centre Piece

For this table I started with a fun ombre table runner -you can see how I DIY'd this runner here.

Next we layered on some playful paper honeycomb balls and diamonds. And then I added some fresh greens all around them.

Christmas Table Setting with vintage ornaments

We added some tall candles for a little sparkle, and then the best party -vintage ornaments.

I've been collecting vintage Christmas ornaments for years. A few are from antique stores, but mostly I pick them up at thrift stores when ever I see them. They aren't in abundance, and they're very saught after, so you've got to pick them up whenever you see them.

This table was so much fun to put together. And when my dinner guests walked into it, they literally squealed with delight.

Over on the buffet we hung our lovely "Merry and Bright" banner.

And then we used more honeycomb balls, and diamonds. There's a little dessert over here to. I originally shoot this party on a rather dark day, so you might notice that there's two different desserts. The day I had this party it was much brighter so I re-shot it, only problem was we had already eaten the cupcakes. ;). Luckily I had a little cake for that night.

Here you can see how adorable the cupcake picks are, and how they can dress up some plain cupcakes for a party.

But they also dressed up this little store bought cake beautifully too. I think they'd look pretty adorable stuck in just about anything. They would also be adorable as gift tags or as favour tags. The possibilities are pretty much endless.

This party was so much fun to create. I hope it inspires you for some of your get togethers this Christmas.

You can purchase the Merry and Bright Party Set on its own here. Or order it as part of our Home For Christmas Ebook and Printable Toolkit here.

With a pretty, colourful, festive Christmas party printables set like this, life really is a party!

You might also like our Thrift Store Christmas Table here.

Also check out our Holly Jolly Woodland Christmas Party here.

Woodland Christmas Party: This red and green woodland animal printable party package includes kids activity placemats and everything else for your party.

You might also enjoy Christmas Fondue Party here.

Cricut Maker Christmas Favourite Things Pajamas

Nov 13, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Cricut Christmas Pyjamas: use your Cricut Maker and Infusible Ink to create personalized Christmas favourite things pjs.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Today I'm sharing these adorable Cricut Christmas Pajamas. Every Christmas I love to give my girls a special pair of new Christmas Pajamas on Christmas Eve. It's been a tradition that we've always done for them.

Last year I made them a special pair with my Cricut Maker and added their nick names to their pj tops. This year I'm using my Cricut Maker again and infusible ink to create a Christmas favourite things pj top. My Cricut Maker has turned into one of my favourite crafting tools. It's so versatile. I love all the different materials it can cut, like fabric, paper, vinyl, leather and even wood. Check out the wood feather decorations I made last Christmas with my Cricut maker here.

Cricut Christmas Favourite Things Pajamas:

Christmas Favourite Things Pajamas: use your Cricut Maker and Infusible Ink to create personalized Christmas favourite things pajamas.

I was inspired by this Christmas art work I made a few weeks ago -check it out here, and thought how fun it would be to personalize the Christmas favourites list for everyone in your family and make it special to them. For my youngest daughter Maddie, I asked what her very favourite things about Christmas were. This is the list she came up with. My older daughter came up with her own different personalized list, and I'll be making her a special pj top too.

Then I thought how fun it would be to make one for myself and my husband too. It's such a fun idea to really personalize a gift, and share a few inside jokes about everyones particular favourites. My list might include a puzzle, and my husband always upgrades our computers over the Christmas break so his list might include that and a few of our favourite Christmas treats like chocolate covered almonds. Once you start thinking about it the list could go on and on. And you can imagine the reactions surprising your family with these on Christmas Eve. It would also make for some pretty cute Christmas morning pictures with everyone in their personalized pjs. I bought matching pj bottoms too. Here's how I made it.

Materials:

For this project you will need

Cricut Maker
Infusible Ink T-shirt Blank
Infusible Ink Transfer Sheet -Black
Cricut Standard Grip Mat
Cricut Tool Set
Cardstock
Butcher Paper
EasyPress 2
Lint Roller
EasyPress Mat
Christmas Favourite Things Pattern in Design Space

How To Make Your Infusible Ink Cricut Christmas Pajamas:

I began by creating the cut pattern. You're welcome to use my pattern, find it here. You can edit it to personalize it for whomever you're giving it to.

When you're ready to cut it out, hit continue. Be sure the "mirror image" is on.

Choose Cricut Infusible Ink Transfer Sheet as your cutting material.

Next, apply your Cricut infusible ink transfer sheet to a regular cutting mat ink or colour side up, and cut out your infusible ink transfer sheet.

Once the infusible ink transfer sheet is cut out, remove it from the cutting mat and weed it using your Cricut tool set. I love storing my tools in the compartment of my Cricut Maker, it's such a handy storage area.

To apply the infusible ink to the t-shirt, preheat your Easy Press 2 to 385 F and set the timer for 40 seconds. To prepare the t-shirt to receive the infusible ink transfer sheet, layer your Easy Press mat, and the t-shirt, with card stock inside. Next, use the lint roller to make sure the t-shirt surface is completely lint free.

Use the Easy Press 2 to preheat the t-shirt for 15 seconds. Now apply the infusible ink transfer sheet to the t-shirt, taking care to line it up in the middle.

Next, place a piece of butcher paper on top of the infusible ink transfer sheet. Place the Easy Press 2 on top with light pressure, and without moving it at all for the 40 seconds. Remove the Easy Press. Allow the transfer to cool slightly, and then remove it to reveal your beautiful personalized Christmas Favourite Things t-shirt.

The Perfect Gift

I really love working with the infusible ink, it really creates the most professional finish. I can't wait to share these Christmas pjs with my girls on Christmas Eve - and maybe I'll even get busy and create a set for my husband and I too.

With personalized Cricut Christmas pyjamas, life really is a party!

You might also like our 25 Christmas Projects You Can Make With Your Cricut post here.

25 Christmas Cricut Projects: inspiration and ideas for all your Christmas crafting with your Cricut machine using paper, fabric, metal, leather, and more.

Also check out our Cricut Fair Isle Candle Holders here.

You might also like our Cricut Wood Feather Christmas Ornament here.

Free Printable Advent Calendar Activities (60+ Ideas for Families)

Nov 13, 2019 · Leave a Comment

These free printable Christmas advent activity cards are perfect for adding to your activity advent calendar this year. With over 60 different family friendly activities to choose from, pick 24 and make some special memories with your kids this year.

Printable Christmas Advent Activity Cards in green with forest animals on them.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

A Quick Look

📋 What You Get: 60+ printable activity cards
🎨 Design Options: 3 beautiful styles to choose from
⏲️ Activities Range: 5 minutes to special outings
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Best For: Families with kids ages 3-12
🎁 Cost: Completely free for subscribers
💭 Top Tip: Make a master calendar for yourself so you remember what's planned and have supplies ready!

Why You'll Love These Advent Calendar Activities

Over 60 activities give you tons of choice to customize for your family.
Three beautiful designs so you can pick the style you love (yellow stars, pink/blue Santa, green woodland animals).
Mix of simple and special from 5-minute activities to memorable outings.
Free printables ready to download and use immediately.
Tested by real families these are activities kids actually love.
Flexible planning swap activities based on weather, schedule, or mood.

The best Christmas memories aren't about the presents under the tree. They're about the moments spent together. These free printable advent calendar activities help you create 24 days of intentional family time, with over 60 activities to choose from so you can customize your countdown to fit your family perfectly.

I started making activity advent calendars when my girls were little because I wanted them to remember more than just gifts. Each December day brought a small surprise activity we'd do together. Years later, those are the memories they treasure most. The Christmas picnic under the tree. Painting their fingernails red and green. Calling grandparents to sing carols. Simple moments that became our family traditions.

If you love advent traditions, you might also enjoy our DIY Christmas Story Book Advent Calendar for daily reading, our Little House Advent Calendar tutorial, or our Cricut Advent Calendar with Free SVG for crafters.

Advent Calendar and printable activity cards

Inside Your Free Printable

When you download these printables, you'll get everything you need to create a meaningful activity advent calendar.

60+ Activities to Choose From

With over 60 different activities included, you can pick the perfect 24 for your family. The variety means you'll find activities that fit your schedule, budget, and family's interests.

Three Beautiful Design Options

Choose from three festive designs that match your Christmas decor:

Yellow Star Pattern - Classic and cheerful with gold stars on cream background
Pink and Blue Santa Pattern - Playful and colorful with cute Santa illustrations
Green Woodland Animals - Natural and sweet with forest creatures

Printable Christmas Advent Calendar Activities: with over 60 different activities to choose from pick 24 and make some special memories with your family this Christmas.

How to Plan Your Activity Advent Calendar

Creating your calendar takes just a little planning upfront for smooth sailing all December long.

Choose Your 24 Activities

Look through all 60+ options and select the 24 that work best for your family. Consider your schedule, budget, and what your kids would genuinely enjoy. You don't need to use activities you dread or that don't fit your life.

Mix it up: Include a variety of simple and elaborate, at-home and outings, active and quiet. This balance keeps things interesting without overwhelming anyone.
Consider ages: Toddlers and preschoolers do great with sensory activities (bubble bath, hot chocolate, Christmas music). Elementary kids love crafts and baking. Tweens and teens appreciate experiences and outings.

Printable Christmas Advent Activity Cards

Make a Master Calendar for Yourself

This is my biggest tip from years of experience. Create a master calendar listing which activity happens which day. This prevents you from forgetting what's planned and helps you prepare.

Why this matters: You'll remember to buy hot chocolate for that day, pick up craft supplies ahead, and know when you need to schedule the tree-cutting outing. Nothing worse than opening a card that says "bake cookies" when you have no ingredients!
Two approaches: Either fill your calendar completely at the start of December, or fill it the night before day-by-day. The second option gives you flexibility to choose activities that fit each day's reality.

Balance Simple and Special Activities: Not every activity needs to be elaborate. In fact, the simple ones often become the most treasured memories.
Save elaborate for weekends: Big activities like gingerbread houses, tree cutting, or ice skating work best when you have time and aren't rushed.
Use quick ones for school nights: Five-minute activities like wearing Christmas socks, drinking from special mugs, or lighting a candle are perfect for busy evenings.
Include things you're doing anyway: If you have a school concert, make that an advent activity. Already planning to get your tree? Put it on the calendar. This takes pressure off while still creating special moments.

Age Considerations

Ages 3-5: Focus on sensory activities, simple crafts, and short experiences. They love hot chocolate, Christmas music, special snacks, and simple decorating.
Ages 6-9: Can handle more complex crafts, baking projects, and longer outings. They're excited about traditions and love being helpers.
Ages 10-12: Appreciate meaningful activities like acts of kindness, special outings, and family traditions. They can handle advanced baking and crafts.
Teens: Focus on experiences, giving back, family time, and traditions. They might roll their eyes but secretly love it.
Mixed ages: Choose activities everyone can participate in at their level. Older kids can help younger ones with crafts.

Ways to Display Your Calendar

Once you've chosen your activities and printed your cards, you need somewhere to put them.

Refillable Advent Calendars

Wooden or fabric advent calendars with little pockets or drawers work perfectly. Add your printed activity card to each day's pocket. You can include a small treat too if you wish, but the activity is the main event.

Envelopes or Paper Bags

Number 24 small envelopes or paper bags and place one activity card in each. Hang them on a string with clothespins, arrange on a bulletin board, or set them in a basket. or clip them to some garland. This is budget-friendly and customizable.

DIY Calendar Projects

If you're crafty, make your own display. Our Little House Advent Calendar tutorial shows how to create a paper house village where each house opens to reveal an activity. Our Cricut Advent Calendar offers a different DIY option with free cut files.

Handmade little paper house advent calendar village

Simple Display Ideas

Clip to ribbon -Hang ribbon on the wall and clip cards with mini clothespins
Hang from branches -Attach cards to a decorative branch in a vase
Advent tree -Create a small tree just for activity cards
Magnetic board -Use magnets to attach cards to a metal board
Pocket chart -Repurpose a classroom pocket chart for home use

Our Family's Favorite Activities

After years of activity advent calendars, certain activities became beloved traditions my kids still remember.

Christmas picnic under the tree -We'd spread a blanket under our Christmas tree and eat dinner picnic-style with Christmas lights glowing. Think picnic food like hotdogs. Simple but magical.

Wearing Christmas socks -This sounds so basic, but my girls loved this simple tradtion. Easy win for school nights.

Painting fingernails red and green -A five-minute activity that made them feel festive and special. Perfect for a quick weeknight.

Special bubble bath with Christmas music -Bath time became an event with Christmas carols playing and extra bubbles. They felt pampered.

Calling grandparents to sing carols -Grandparents loved this surprise, and my kids giggled their way through "Jingle Bells." Created connection across distance.

Hot chocolate bar -We'd set out toppings like marshmallows, whipped cream, and candy canes. Each person customized their perfect cup.

The elaborate activities like making gingerbread houses were fun, but honestly, these simple traditions are what they remember most. The activities that became "ours."

Tips for Advent Calendar Success

Learn from my years of trial and error. These tips will help your advent calendar be a joy instead of a stress.

1. Keep It Simple

You don't need to create Pinterest-perfect moments every day. Simple activities done with presence beat elaborate activities done while stressed. If you're exhausted, choosing "wear Christmas socks" is completely valid.

2. Use Easy Activities on School Nights

Save the time-intensive activities for weekends when you actually have time. School nights deserve five-minute activities like listening to Christmas music during dinner or lighting a special candle.

3. Include Things You're Doing Anyway

If you're already planning to cut down a tree, see lights, or attend a concert, put those on your calendar. No need to invent 24 brand new activities when you're already doing festive things.

4. Be Flexible and Swap as Needed

Weather changes plans. Kids get sick. Work emergencies happen. Give yourself permission to swap activities around. If Saturday's ice skating gets rained out, do a cozy at-home activity instead and save skating for another day.

5. Don't Try to Do It All

You have 60+ activities to choose from, but you only need 24. Save favorites for next year. Rotate different activities each December. This keeps things fresh and takes pressure off.

6. Let Go of Perfection

The gingerbread house will be messy. The snowflakes will be crooked. The caroling will be off-key. That's the whole point. These are real family moments, not magazine photoshoots.

How to Download Your Free Printables

These printable advent activity cards are free for Life is a Party subscribers. Sign up below for instant access to our free resource library where you can download and print them.

After subscribing:

Check your email for the access password to our free resource library.
If you don't see it, check your junk mail.
Enter the library and search for "Advent Calendar Activities".
Download the PDF with all three designs.
Print on cardstock or regular paper.
Cut out your favorite 24 cards.
Add them to your calendar display.
Make memories with your kids all Decemeber long.

Printing tips: Cardstock makes sturdier cards that last for years. Regular printer paper works fine if you're using envelopes or pockets. Print at home, at a copy shop, or your local library.

With Christmas Advent Activities, life really is a party!

Frequently Asked Questions

How many activities are included?

Over 60 different activities are included in the printable download, giving you plenty of options to choose the 24 that work best for your family.

What ages are these activities appropriate for?

Most activities work well for kids ages 3-12, with many suitable for the whole family including teens and adults. Choose activities that match your children's ages and interests.

Do I need all 60 activities or just 24?

You only need to choose 24 activities for your advent calendar (one per day from December 1-24). The extra options let you customize and choose your favorites, and things you think would work best for your family.

Can I reuse these printables next year?

Absolutely! Print on cardstock for durability, store in an envelope after Christmas, and reuse every year. Many families rotate different activities each year to keep things fresh.

What if an activity doesn't work for our family?

That's exactly why there are 60+ options. Skip anything that doesn't fit your family, budget, schedule, or interests. Choose only the 24 you'll actually enjoy.

Can I share these printables with friends?

Please direct friends to this post to download their own copy through the free subscriber library. This helps support the blog and lets them access all our free resources too.

More Advent Ideas

If you use these Advent Calendar Activities or any other ideas on my blog, please let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting today!

Mushroom Christmas Ornament

Nov 13, 2019 · 10 Comments

Wine Cork Mushroom Christmas Ornament: up-cycle an old sparkling wine cork to make a Christmas ornament with craft paint, book pages, and glitter.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Can you guess what we made our magical little fairy mushroom Christmas ornaments out of? It's an up-cycled sparkling wine cork. So you'll have fun making this project -one way or another. ;). These DIY mushrooms are so easy to make and really fun upcycle project. These Christmas tree ornaments are the perfect addition to your holiday decor to add a touch of whimsy. The supply list for this DIY is short, and these are simple enough to make with kids.

UpCycling A Wine Cork

For me it's not Christmas without a few crafts, and this is a really simple one. I had collected these corks awhile ago, thinking I might use them in a fairy garden as mushrooms and forgotten about them. When I first saved them I thought that they really looked like a mushroom shape, with the bottom of the cork resembling the bottom of the stem of a mushroom, and the bulbous end of the cork resembling the top of the cap of a real mushroom. When I found them in my craft stash the other day, I thought how cute they would be as Christmas ornaments.

Christmas Mushrooms Tradition

Perhaps including mushrooms as Christmas ornaments is more of a European thing... I always see Christmas mushrooms on Instagram accounts from there and love them. We also notice them every Christmas at Ikea but they're always red...not my favourite colour. So making them is the perfect way to create them any colour you like. Of course if you're a fan of traditional red and white polka dot mushroom top, you can make them like that with the addition of a little red and white paint on top.

Easy Materials

These were really easy to make and I used craft supplies I already had around the house, so no need for a trip to the craft store. They are adorable.

Recipe

Mushroom Christmas Ornament

DIY mushroom ornaments made from a sparking wine cork.

No ratings yet

Print Pin Rate

Course: Christmas Crafts

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 10

Servings: Ornament

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Materials

sparkling wine corks
white craft paint
old books
mod podge
glitter
small eye hooks

Instructions

Begin by painting the whole cork white and letting it dry.
Next, pull out some pages from an old book and cut them into small strips.
Paint the top of the cork with mod podge, and then decoupage the book page strips on to the top of the cork to create the cap of the mushroom. Paint another coat of mod podge on top to seal the book pages.
While the mod podge is still wet, dip the top of the cork into glitter.
After the mushroom is fully dry, screw one of the eye hooks into the top for hanging on your Christmas tree, or leave it as is to place on a stump

Nature Inspired Christmas

I love a Scandinavian inspired Christmas look. And part of that look is always bringing the outside in. So I've got them sitting with some logs, pinecones and greens. These are the perfect magical element to add in. And when I get my tree up, I may add my DIY mushroom ornaments there as well.

Colorful Options

This little craft was so easy to put together. It would be a great one to do with kids. You could also use different colours. These would be really cute in pastels, or if your a fan of the traditional red that would be cute too. You could add polka dots with paint to the top as well. Before adding glitter, leave the mushroom stem white, and add a very thin coat of acrylic paint or water colours to the top of the mushroom cap, so that you can still see the book pages through the paint. Then use end of a paint brush to add some paint polka dots on top.

Ornaments, Gift Toppers, or Napkin Rings

These are such unique Christmas ornaments. They would also be really cute as gift toppers. Just tie a little bit of ribbon through the hook on top of the mushrooms and tie it on to a Christmas present to decorate. You could even use these mushroom ornaments as napkin rings for a pretty Christmas table setting. There are so many different ways you could use these during the holidays. They turned out so cute and add so much fun to your tree, gifts, or table this holiday season.

With a magical Mushroom Christmas Ornament, life really is a party

More Christmas Ornament Inspiration

Want to make air dry clay mushrooms? Check out our DIY Mushroom Wreath here. There's a full tutorial on making mushroom clay sculptures, that you could easy turn into your own clay mushroom ornaments.

You might also like our Felt Mushrooms here. See how to make your mushroom pattern to make DIY fabric mushrooms with red and white felt.

DIY Felt Mushrooms: easy to sew red and white polka dot mushrooms with felt, and cork and wooden spool stems. Perfect for your spring decor.

You might also enjoy our Mini Macrame Christmas Ornaments here.

Mini Macrame Christmas Ornaments: Easy DIY Macrame Ornament tutorial, perfect for the beginner. No macrame experience required.

Scandinavian Inspired Trees Christmas Party Printable Set

Nov 12, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Scandinavian Inspired Trees Christmas Party Printable Set: rustic, minimal, and with varying shades of green this printable set of conversations starters, napkin rings, straw flags, and more will have you party ready.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

This is the perfect party set for some one who loves the Scandi look. It was influenced by the fact that I'm using green as an accent colour this Christmas. I think this will probably be the set that I use for my Christmas dinner. Every year we have family over on Chrsitmas day. I cook a big turkey and my mom and sister bring other dishes. We sit around our dining room table, eating and making merry. It's the perfect ending to my favourite day of the year. I like to make the table special, and this year this set will be perfect.

Scandinavian Inspired Trees Christmas Party Printable Set

Home For Christmas Ebook and Printable Toolkit

This set is part of our Home For Christmas Ebook and Printable Toolkit. Our readers told us that their biggest struggle with the holidays was time. So we made a great big package that has everything you'll need to make life a party this Christmas. We hope that having it all in one place will mean less time preparing this year, and more time for you to actually celebrate. You can buy the Scandinavian Inspired Trees Christmas Party Printable Set individually here, or as part of our Home For Christmas Ebook and Printable Toolkit here in our brand new Etsy shop.

Scandinavian Inspired Trees Christmas Table

I love the rustic, cozy vibe of Scandinavian decor, especially in the winter. Hygge is still going strong. This party set has lots of Christmasy ever green trees on it, in the prettiest shades of green. I put together a whole set of everything you need to set a beautiful table, and create a beautiful party setting.

We created a simple Christmas centre piece with some real evergreen branches, pinecones, antlers and brass candlestick holders.

To continue the woodsy feel, I also used some wood slice chargers.

At each place setting I used one of the trees, printed on card stock and cut out, along with the Merry Christmas flag.

There are five different designs of trees in the set, and this is just one fun way to use them.

At each spot we also added a place card with a pinecone place card holder. These are the one sided place cards, but there are also tent style folding place cards in the set too. They're great as food labels as well.

I also thought it would be fun to include a menu card. You can print the menu card out, and then use a marker to fill it in.

They would be really cute tucked into the napkins at each place setting too.

At each spot we also included a fun conversation starter card. Each one is different and there is a set of 12.

Treat Table

Over at the treat table we hung our two banners that come with this collection -the trees and our "Merry Christmas" one. These banners are so cute they'd look great as part of your Christmas decor all season long too. We strung ours up with some bakers twine and washi tape.

Our coordinating straw flags look adorable in these little bottles, and perfect for party time.

We also included cupcakes with the adorable cupcake picks. Just print out and use a large 2-inch circle craft punch to cut them out really quickly and easily, then attach to a wood tooth pick with tape or hot glue. These are perfect to dress up some plain cupcakes. They'd also be really cute as favour tags, or gift tags, just write the name or message on the back, and hole punch to add some ribbon or twine to attach them.

One of my favourite details from this party was using the trees as cake picks. I cut out the same trees that I used for the napkins and glued them to lollipop sticks and they created the most beautiful little forrest on this simple store-bought cake.

Treat time is the best time.

I hope that if you like things a little more minimal and rustic that you love this party set as much as I do.

You can purchase this Scandinavian Inspired Tree Christmas Party Set here. Or buy it as part of our Home For Christmas Ebook and Printable Toolkit here .

With a beautiful Christmas table like this one, life really is a party!

You might also like our Merry and Bright Christmas Party here.

Also check out our Christmas Fondue Party here.

You might also enjoy our Christmas Dessert Party here.

Christmas Jokes Lunch Box Notes

Nov 11, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Christmas Jokes Lunchbox Notes: add a smile and a note to your child's lunch with these printable lunchbox notes for Christmas.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Who won't want to give their little one a smile in the middle of the school day? Our Christmas Jokes Lunchbox Notes are the perfect, easy way to spread a little holiday cheer this season.

Buy them as part of our Home For Christmas Ebook and Printable Toolkit or on their own here. We designed the Home For Christmas Ebook and Printable Toolkit when our readers told us that their number one struggle around the holidays is time. We put together everything you need to celebrate the season well all in one place. So you can spend less time preparing this Christmas and more time actually celebrating!

These fun little notes are the perfect to tell your little one you're thinking about them while they're at school. Just purchase, download, and print at home. Keep them with your school lunch supplies and use them to add a sweet note to your kids lunch leading up to Christmas.

These joke would also be great for homemade Christmas crackers. They're not crackers without a joke. 😉

These would also be really sweet to include in an advent calendar. If you're using one with little drawers, or pockets to fill add in these jokes with your other special treats.

Or use these Christmas jokes at each plate for a Christmas dinner to help everyone get the laughs started at the table.

No matter how you use them, they're guaranteed to create some smiles -and maybe a few groans too. 😉

With Christmas Joke Lunchbox Jokes, life really is a party!

Want more Christmas inspiration?

Check out our Top 10 Family Christmas Movies here. Perfect for family movie night around the holidays.

Also check out our Nutcracker Christmas Tea Party here. Such a special holiday tradition to begin.

Nutcracker Tea Party: ideas for themed foods and decor

You might also enjoy our Christmas Movie Night here.

Christmas Hot Chocolate Bar Ideas with Free Printables

Nov 8, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Create a beautiful Christmas hot chocolate bar that looks magazine-worthy but is actually easy to set up. Includes free vintage-inspired printables, comprehensive topping ideas, and budget-friendly display tips.

printable hot chocolate bar buffet labels and decor

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

A Quick Look At This Post

📋 Party Idea: Christmas hot chocolate buffet with free printables
⏲️ Setup Time: 30-45 minutes (once you have supplies)
🎄 Best For: Holiday parties, family gatherings, or everyday Christmas season enjoyment
🎨 Difficulty: Easy -anyone can create a beautiful hot chocolate bar
💭 Top Tip: Use mason jars in different heights to create visual interest and make toppings easy to access, and storage of leftovers easy.

Why You'll Love This Christmas Hot Chocolate Bar

Beautiful and Functional: Your hot chocolate bar will look magazine-worthy while actually being easy for guests to use.
Free Printable Labels Included: Skip the DIY design work with our vintage-inspired printable labels, posters, and banners.
Works for Parties or Everyday: Set it up once and enjoy it all season long, or create a special station just for your holiday gathering.
Budget-Friendly: - Mix thrifted finds, DIY touches, and strategic purchases to create the look without breaking the bank.
Frees Up the Host: Self-serve stations mean you can enjoy your party instead of serving refills all night.

A Christmas hot chocolate bar is one of my favorite ways to add festive charm to any holiday gathering. After years of hosting parties and creating seasonal celebrations, I've learned exactly what makes a hot chocolate station both beautiful and functional - from choosing the right containers to organizing toppings so guests can easily help themselves.

Whether you're setting up for a big holiday party or creating an everyday station your family can enjoy all season long, this guide has everything you need including topping ideas, free printable labels, and step-by-step setup tips.

If you love this Christmas hot chocolate bar, you might also enjoy our Christmas Tea Party, Christmas Cookie Baking Party, or Christmas Movie Night ideas for more festive holiday entertaining inspiration.

What You Need for a Christmas Hot Chocolate Bar

Before you start setting up, gather your supplies. Having everything on hand makes the process so much smoother.

Serving Vessel:

Large thermos: look for these at thrift stores!
Slow cooker or Crock Pot: keeps chocolate hot for hours, great for a party.
Coffee Urn: another great option for very large parties.
Kettle and Container of Hot Chocolate Mix: this is perfect for an everyday set up, so your family can boil the kettle and help themselves anytime.

Display Items:

Serving boards or trays (wood cutting boards work great)
Cake stands or pedestals (create height and visual interest)
Tiered serving stands

Containers:

Mason jars in various sizes (tall for cookies and straws, short for toppings, mini for sprinkles)
Small bowls or dishes
Vintage containers or tins
Pretty serving dishes

Accessories:

Ladle (for serving from slow cooker)
Small scoops for toppings
Tongs for cookies and large items
Stirring spoons (wood spoons are cute and budget-friendly)

Mugs and Plates:

Festive Christmas mugs
Plain white mugs with our printable labels added
Disposable coffee cups with sleeves (for larger parties) and our labels added as stickers
Santa mugs, snowman mugs, or other holiday designs
If you're adding cookies and treats, you might like to also include some small plates, disposable are great for a large party

Labels and Decor:

Small Christmas decorations (mini trees, pinecones, fairy lights)
Printable labels (I've got you covered with free ones below!)
Baker's twine for tying labels
Hole punch for label attachment
Washi tape for hanging banners

Toppings & Add-Ins

The toppings are what make a hot chocolate bar so fun and special. Here's a comprehensive list of ideas - choose your favorites or go all out!

Marshmallows & Whipped Cream:

Regular marshmallows
Mini marshmallows
Jumbo marshmallows
Flavored marshmallows (peppermint, chocolate)
Fresh whipped cream
Canned whipped cream
Marshmallow fluff

Candy & Chocolate:

Candy canes (large and small)
Crushed peppermints
Peppermint bark pieces
Chocolate chips (milk, dark, white, or peppermint)
Hershey's Kisses
Mini Reese's cups
M&Ms (regular or peppermint)
Andes mints
Toffee bits
Butterscotch chips
Chocolate truffles

Cookies & Baked Goods:

Pirouette cookies (hazelnut rolled wafers)
Biscotti
Mini gingerbread cookies
Shortbread cookies
Milano cookies (especially peppermint)
Oreos
Wafer cookies
Bear claw pastries (like our Old Fashioned Bear Claw recipe)

Stirrers & Mix-Ins:

Cinnamon sticks
Peppermint sticks
Chocolate spoons
Peppermint chocolate stirring sticks
Rock candy sticks
Chocolate-covered pretzel rods

Syrups & Sauces:

Caramel syrup
Chocolate syrup
Peppermint syrup
Vanilla syrup
Hazelnut syrup

Crunchy Toppings:

Crushed graham crackers
Cookie crumbs
Coconut flakes
Chopped nuts (pecans, almonds)
Toffee bits
Sprinkles (Christmas colors!)
Coarse sea salt

Special Additions:

Fresh grated nutmeg
Cinnamon sugar
Cocoa powder for dusting
Mini chocolate chips
White chocolate shavings

Most of the toppings I include can be found at the bulk food store, which makes it easy to buy small quantities and offer lots of variety without spending a fortune or having tons of leftovers.

How to Set Up Your Hot Chocolate Bar

Setting up your hot chocolate bar is easier than you think. Here's the simple process I follow every time.

Choose Your Location: Pick a spot that won't interfere with kitchen use. A side counter, bar cart, or buffet table work perfectly. For everyday stations, choose your "non-busiest" counter so it can stay up all season. Make sure you're near an outlet if using a slow cooker.

Create Height and Visual Interest: Start with your hot chocolate serving vessel as your anchor. Consider adding cake stands, pedestals, or a large tray as your base.

Arrange Your Toppings: Use mason jars in varying sizes. Tall jars hold cookies and cinnamon sticks, medium jars work for marshmallows and candy canes, small jars are perfect for crushed peppermints and sprinkles. Cluster similar items together and put the most popular toppings (marshmallows, whipped cream) front and center.

Add the Finishing Touches: Place small scoops, tongs, or spoons in each jar. Set out napkins and position mugs near the hot chocolate without blocking topping access. Consider tucking in some fresh evergreen clippings, scattering pinecones, or adding fairy lights for a cozy glow.

Free Christmas Hot Chocolate Bar Printables

This is where your hot chocolate bar goes from nice to wow. Our free printable package includes everything you need to create a cohesive, polished look.

Circle Labels: The set includes over 20 different circle labels for all your favorite toppings - marshmallows, mini marshmallows, whipped cream, candy canes, peppermint, chocolate chips, cinnamon sticks, cookies, sprinkles, caramel, and more. We included blank labels too so you can add any toppings we missed or write guests' names on cups.

Print them at home and use a 2-inch craft punch to cut them out quickly. Hole punch at the top and tie onto mason jars with baker's twine. For cups, use a glue stick to add them and wash them off afterward super easily. For disposable cups, print the labels on sticker paper and add directly to the cups for a customized coordinated look.

Christmas party hot chocolate bar station

Posters and Banners: The set includes a sweet Santa logo poster and two bunting options - hot chocolate bunting and "Ho Ho Ho" bunting. We used simple washi tape to hang everything without damaging walls. These are so cute they might stay up all Christmas season!

The square logos also work as cupcake picks - just cut them out, glue to toothpicks, and use to top coordinating cupcakes. And we used the small square logos on our cups too.

Get Your Free Printables: All of these printables are available for free in our subscriber resource library. Sign up below to get instant access to this Christmas hot chocolate bar set plus dozens of other free party printables, seasonal decorations, and entertaining guides.

Styling Your Hot Chocolate Bar

I love the vintage feel of our hot chocolate bar with its pink and turquoise color scheme. This aesthetic runs through our Holly Jolly Woodland Party printables too, so you can mix and match for a cohesive holiday look.

Quick Styling Tips:

Stick to 2-3 main colors (pink and turquoise, red and green, or silver and gold)
Use similar containers throughout (all mason jars, all white dishes, or mix vintage finds)
Wrap baker's twine around jars for a coordinated touch
Add pinecones, fairy lights, or fresh evergreen clippings between jars
Use brown kraft paper or a pretty cloth as your base

Budget-Friendly Ideas:

Shop thrift stores for vintage containers and mugs
Look for inexpensive mason jars and containers at the dollar store
Use kitchen items as decor (cutting boards as risers, vintage books for height)
Buy a few new items on sale
Pick up free evergreen clippings at Christmas tree farms

The beautiful thing about a hot chocolate bar is it makes your whole kitchen look festive, even though it only takes up a small section of your countertop.

Hot Chocolate Serving & Display Options

For Parties: A slow cooker on the warm setting is perfect - keeps chocolate hot for hours with no effort. Use a ladle for neat serving.

For Smaller Parties: A large thermos works great for family stations. Look for these at thrift stores for just a few dollars.

For Large Crowds: A coffee urn keeps chocolate accessible for big groups.

For Your Family: Set up a hot chocolate station at home on your kitchen counter. For the hot chocolate include a container of hot chocolate mix, and a kettle for boiling water.

Party vs. Everyday Setup: For parties, go all out with 15-25+ toppings. For an everyday station you leave up all season, choose 5-8 favorite toppings in lidded mason jars to keep things fresh. Both approaches work beautifully -it just depends on your needs and space.

You might love our Homemade Marshmallows as a special topping - they're easier to make than you think!

Frequently Asked Questions

How much hot chocolate do I need for a party?

Plan for about 1-1.5 cups per person. For a party of 20, make 20-30 cups of hot chocolate. Most slow cooker recipes yield 15-18 cups, so you may need to make a double batch for larger groups. Remember, not everyone will want hot chocolate, so err on the side of slightly less rather than way too much.

Can I set up a hot chocolate bar the day before?

You can set up your display, containers, and toppings the day before, but wait to make the hot chocolate until the day of your party for best flavor and texture. Wrap any open containers with plastic wrap, or use mason jar lids to keep toppings fresh.

What's the best way to keep hot chocolate warm for a party?

A slow cooker on the warm setting is ideal for parties. Or choose a large thermos. Make sure to stir occasionally if using a slow cooker to prevent a skin from forming on top.

What are the most popular hot chocolate toppings?

Marshmallows (regular and mini), whipped cream, candy canes, chocolate chips, chocolate spoons, and peppermint pieces are always the first to go. Start with these essentials, then add fun extras based on your preferences and budget.

Can I make this nut-free for allergies?

Absolutely! Skip any nuts, peanut butter cups, or products made in facilities with nuts. Most candy, marshmallows, chocolate chips, and cookies can be found in nut-free versions. Always check labels if you're serving guests with allergies.

Do I need to include everything on the topping list?

Not at all! Choose 8-12 toppings for a simple setup, or go bigger with 20-25 for a really impressive display. Pick what your family or guests will actually enjoy and don't feel pressured to include everything.

Final Thoughts

Setting up a Christmas hot chocolate bar is one of the easiest ways to add magic to your holiday season. Whether you're hosting a big party or just want to make December mornings more special for your family, a hot chocolate station creates those warm, cozy moments we all love about this time of year.

The best part? It doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. With some mason jars, your favorite toppings, and our free printable labels, you can create something beautiful that everyone will enjoy.

More Holiday Entertaining Ideas

If you try this Christmas Hot Chocolate Bar or any other ideas on my blog, please let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting today!

Christmas Gift Card Holders

Nov 7, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Christmas Gift Card Holders: this set of six printable gift cards holders help take your gift card giving to the next level. Purchase, download, and print.

These Christmas gift card holders are the perfect way to dress up a gift card for giving to teachers, coaches, bus drivers, Sunday school teachers... the list goes on and on.

Teacher, Bus Driver, and Coach Gift Ideas

I was once a teacher. And let me say that taking the time and money and thought to send any gift with your child is really a lovely gesture and I always appreciated it no matter what the gift was. But, teachers do only need so many mugs, candles, and boxes of chocolate, you know what I mean? I always feel like the gift of a gift card is one of the most appreciated. It doesn't have to be for a huge amount, it really is the thought that counts. A small gift card to Tim Hortons or Starbucks really is a great thought gift. And here's the perfect way to dress it up a little. Along with some other gift card ideas.

Home For Christmas Ebook nd Printable Toolkit

It's also Day Four of sharing our Home For Christmas Ebook and Printable Toolkit. We asked our readers what is your biggest struggle with the holidays and they overwhelmingly agreed it was time. We put together this huge bundle of printables to save you time this Christmas. We've got everything you need for celebrating this season well all in one place. So you can spend less time preparing and more time celebrating this year.

There are 10 sets of printables in the Home For Christmas Ebook and Printable Toolkit. We've already shared a blog post on our Christmas Movie Night Printables, Christmas Printable Art, and our Holly Jolly Woodland Christmas Party Set. Stay tuned here as we share a different set each day.

Christmas Gift Card Holders: this set of six printable gift cards holders help take your gift card giving to the next level. Purchase, download, and print.

The gift card holders are part of the Christmas Printable Package which is our best value at an over 60% savings, or you can purchase just the set of Christmas Gift Card Holders here. Purchase our PDF files and print the cards on card stock at home on your printer and you'll be all set for gift giving.

There are six different designs in this set.

Starbucks

We have a Starbucks gift card holder that says "Thanks a latte".

Tim Hortons

Our Tim Hortons card says "Coffee Eat Teach Sleep Repeat" and make the perfect teacher's gift.

Visa

This one should bring a smile to your face. It says "I scoured Pinterest looking for something amazing for you. I almost made you a homemade glitter covered macrame tie dyed oven mitt. Then I came up with this." Ha, ha. The gift everyone really wants, a visa gift card. 😉

Movies

This card is great for a movie theatre gift card, or a Netflix gift card. It says "Merry Christmas to all and to all a movie night." It also would be fun as part of a movie themed gift basket with a DVD, cozy socks, popcorn and other snacks.

Amazon

Here's a fun way to give to an Amazon gift card. The gift card holder says "Wishing you an Amazoning Christmas". Amazing.

Apple

And last but not least another teacher gift idea. This gift card holder says "This Christmas...an apple for the teacher."

I hope you like this Christmas Gift Card Holder Set -puchase the set of six here, or the as part of the entire Christmas Printable Package.

With these great Printable Christmas Gift Card Holders, life really is a party!

You might also like our Christmas Joke Lunch Box Note printables here.

Christmas Jokes Lunchbox Notes: add a smile and a note to your child's lunch with these printable lunchbox notes for Christmas.

Also check out our Christmas Gift Tag printables here.

You might also like our Vintage New Years Cards Free Printables here.

Holly Jolly Woodland Kids Christmas Party

Nov 6, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Woodland Kids Christmas Party: This red and green woodland animal printable party package includes kids activity placemats and everything else for your party.

Christmas party printable set Holly Jolly

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Today is Day Three in sharing our Christmas Printable Package and we have the cutest kids Christmas party to share with you. This is the first set we made for this package and it is so, so cute. If you love a little woodland at Christmas and traditional red and green then this is the party set for you.

Home For Christmas Ebook and Printable Toolkit

Our Home For Christmas Ebook and Printable Toolkit is a whole set of 12 different printable sets that contains everything you need for the holidays. There are 7 different party sets, as well as lunch box jokes, gift tags, gift card holders, advent activities, and Christmas art. Our readers told us that their biggest struggle when it comes to celebrating the holidays was time. So we put together everything you need all in one place to save you running around and gathering it all. All you have to do is purchase and print at home or upload to your favourite office supply store and print there. This year spend less time preparing and more time celebrating.

Each individual set is available in our Etsy shop, or purchase the whole package here. Our way of saying Merry Christmas.

Kid's Table

For our party we set up the sweetest kid's table, but this set would be lovely for a playful family party too.

To add a little Christmas feel to the chairs we tied on some simple red and white stripped ribbon. I love how little inexpensive details like this can add so much to a party.

For this party set we created these activity placemats.

Formatted to print on legal size regular paper, they're perfect as placemats.

kids printable Christmas activity placemat

We added some pencil crayons to the table so the kids could work on all the little activities. This would be perfect to keep little ones happy and occupied at a family party.

On the table we used the little juice bottles that have been painted with gold paint at the bottom, along with our printable straw flags, and a candy cane.

Drinking bottle with a paper straw and candy cane

There are also some printable place cards in the set, or you can use them as food labels, or both like we did.

Woodland Christmas Party Animals

We also added some animal friends to the table. Inspired by the cute little creatures on the printable, we added in some toy ones. And since it's Christmas everyone got a their own teeny tiny Santa hat too.

To make the hats we used some red card stock and mini white pom poms.

Just cut out a cone like shape, and then hot glue the paper into a hat shape and add the pom pom on the end. To attach the hats to the animals we used a little more hot glue. When the party's over, just pop them right off and the glue should leave no mark at all.

Treat Table

We also set up a little treat table at the side for this party. Over the table we hung our beautiful "Holly Jolly" banner that's part of the printable set. Just print on card stock, cut out and use a hole punch to make some holes, then string on to baker's twine.

On the sweets table we served up some cupcakes with cupcake picks from the printable set. I love how they take plain cupcakes to the next level.

There's also some more of our little creature friends.

And we made more Santa hats for the party, but these ones are for eating.

These were so simple to make and such a huge hit.

Start with regular size marshmallows for the base, cutting off about a third of one. Place them sticky side up on a serving plate, and then layer on a strawberry that you've trimmed the stem off of and made flat. For the top of the hat, trim a tiny slice off of a mini marshmallow so that it's sticky too and stick that part to the strawberry. The sticky marshmallows should hold everything in place.

And since it's a Christmas party, we had to include more candy canes.

This party set up couldn't be any cuter, could it? How about creating something magical for the little ones in your life this Christmas with this beautiful printable set.

Christmas party treat table dessert table red and green

You can purchase the Holly Jolly Woodland Christmas Set here.

Or go for our best value and purchase the entire Christmas Party Package at only $24.99 and have everything you need to celebrate the whole season at your finger tips.

You might also like our Christmas Movie Night here.

Also check out our Christmas Fondue Party here.

You might also enjoy our Christmas Storybook Advent Calendar here.

Storybook Advent Calendar: Wrap up 24 Christmas story books, and let your children pick a new one each to read together at bedtime.

Christmas Art Work

Nov 5, 2019 · 7 Comments

Printable Christmas Art -large and inexpensive printable engineer prints and a DIY wood hanger makes the perfect Christmas Art Work on a budget.

This modern printable Christmas art work is so much fun, and really inexpensive to DIY the hanging frame. It's the perfect fun addition to your Christmas decor this year.

It's also Day 2 of sharing printables from our Home For Christmas Ebook and Printable Toolkit. My readers told me that their biggest struggle with the holidays was time, so I put together a huge bundle of Christmas printables, so you'd have everything you need in one place and can spend less time preparing and more time celebrating this Christmas.

Engineer Prints

Today's items in the Christmas Printable Package are these beautiful large format art pieces. Download them all or just one from our Etsy shop and have them printed at your local office supply store.

I feel like printers have a secret and it's that you don't have to order expensive posters, you can order inexpensive engineer prints. The quality is a little less, but for word art like this it looks great.

Engineers prints are so much cheaper. For me they cost $2 for black and white and $5 for colour for the 18 x 24 inch size.

You just upload your file to the office supply store on-line and pick up in the store. And another secret...I never pay extra to have it ready by the next day, but it almost always is. 😉

Printable Christmas Art Work on a budget.

Hanging The Art

Once you have your inexpensive, large, beautiful art, it's time to hang it. You can of course use a frame. This one above is from Ikea and looks great. But if you're looking for a cheaper option then these wood strips are perfect and they look great too.

Materials:

Art print
nailing strip
sandpaper
wood stain (optional)
stapler
eyehooks
twine or ribbon

How To:

Start by purchasing nailing strips in the lumber section of the home improvement store. These are really inexpensive -like .88 inexpensive. Bring the nail strip to the cutting section of the store. They will do 2 free cuts on any wood purchase so ask them to cut the strip into two 18 inch sections.

Supplies to make a DIY frame for hanging posters

Give the ends of the wood a slight sand to remove any splinters. If you like to, at this stage you can add stain. We did some with a dark stain to play off of the dark black type. Once the stain dries you're ready to attach it to the art piece.

Begin by adding two small eye hooks to the top piece of wood. Space them evenly from the edges, about 2 inches.

Next lay out your art and line up the wood at the top and bottom. Working from the back, use a stapler to attach the wood to the paper. Start in the middle and work outward, making sure it's straight and taunt.

Lastly tie some twine, or ribbon to the eye hooks to hang it.

We had so much fun coming up with our word art. The reindeer names are so fun, choose between the plain list, or with & signs. The favourite things list reminds us of all the reasons that Christmas is our very favourite holiday. And lastly the list of characters from that old TV Christmas special we all watched as kids, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer just might be my very favourite. It so cute and retro, and cool at the same time.

Buy The Prints and More

You can purchase our art pieces here for just $1.99 each or check out this post for free sources of images. We have our pieces available for download in 18 x 24 or 8.5 x 11

Why not purchase our entire Home For Christmas Ebook and Printable Toolkit. Get all the art shared here in all the sizes, plus 5 complete Christmas party sets, as well as gift tags, advent activities, gift card holders, and lunch box jokes. You'll be all set for a season of celebrating.

More Inspiration

Also check out our Modern Boho Christmas Wreath here.

You might also enjoy our DIY Wood Christmas Art here.

Christmas Movie Night Free Printables

Nov 4, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Set up a Christmas Movie Night with our snowflake themed Christmas or winter movie night free printables. We've included a popcorn banner, labels, water bottle wraps, straw flags and movie night tickets. These are perfect for a wintery movie night with family, kids, date night, or to invite friends over.

Christmas movie night printables, tickets, decor, labels

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Why We Love This Party

Is there anything better than a festive movie night with snacks?
We love the themed printables that make the evening feel extra special.
The movie ticket is the perfect invite.

There's something about Christmas movies that makes them feel extra special. Perhaps it's because watching movies together as a family feels like a tradition.

If you love movie nights too, check out our Free Movie Night Printables for any time of year, Valentine's Day Movie Night, Summer Outdoor Movie Night, and Halloween Movie Night.

We set up our Christmas movie night in the living room, with lots of cozy blankets and pillows for lounging.

Tickets Please

These free printable movie tickets could not be any cuter.

Give them to your kids before movie night, slip one to your husband for a romantic movie night date for two, or use these as an invitation to invite friends over.

Snack Station

We set up a really fun snack station for our movie night, because what's a movie night without great snacks?!

For drinks we had bottled water with cute printable wraps to match the party. Just download them, print them on regular paper, cut them out and tape them on to really dress up a water bottle.

And the cute straw flags are the same. Cut them out and use a glue stick to add them to paper straws.

We also served some cupcakes. Bake them yourself or pick them up at the grocery store. They'll coordinate perfectly with the party with our cupcake picks. Use a 2 inch circle punch from the craft store to punch them out really quickly and then hot glue or tape them to a toothpick to make the cupcake picks.

My favourite part of this party was the popcorn!

The popcorn banner is part of the set and strung on some baker's twine and taped up with some washi tape.

We served buttered popcorn, caramel corn, and white cheddar popcorn, but there are some blank labels included in case you add some different varieties.

The little paper bags were dressed up for the party, too with one of the cupcake picks taped onto the front. So simple and so cute.

Decorative Touches

We added a letter board filled with our favourite movies to set the scene. And we spelled out "Christmas Movie Night" on our Lightbox.

What are some of your favourite holiday movies?

I hope this party is inspiring you for some cozy nights in with your favourite people celebrating the season this year.

How To Get The Free Printables

Our free printables are available for instant access to subscribers in our Free Resource Library. Just subscribe below and check your email for the password for access.

With a Christmas Movie Night, life really is a party!

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I get the free printables?

These printables and tons more are free for subscribers in our Free Resource Library. Just subscribe for instant access. Don't see them in your email? Check your spam or junk folder.

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

You can print these at your local office supply store, or check your local library, most have a color printer you can use for a very minimal charge.

If you try these Christmas Movie Night Free Printbles or any other ideas from the blog please let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting today!

More Christmas Entertaining Inspiration

DIY Large Inexpensive Art -Colour Engineer Prints

Oct 22, 2019 · 1 Comment

DIY Large Inexpensive Art -Colour Engineer Prints: Sources for free images, and instructions on printing and hanging colour engineer prints.

how to make your own large inexpensive art

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

This art work is so inexpensive to make and has so much impact in a room. I love it so much, I find myself changing it out for a new one every season. For less than $10, you'll want to create some large, beautiful art for your home too.

Colour Engineer Prints

These prints are so inexpensive because they are large colour engineer prints. It feels like the secret your printer doesn't want you know. In Canada the 18 x 25 size is less than $5 to print, and even less in the US. You can easily order it on-line and pick it up in-store from you favourite print shop. It's quick, easy, and inexpensive -ticking all our boxes!

It is printed on very light weight paper, and it's not really crisp and high quality. For the first print I had done, I was a little nervous that it wouldn't look very good. But because these are so large, they actually look just fine printed at this quality. And you just can't beat the price. If you wanted something a little more permanent and higher quality you could of course pay more for it. For our purposes though, the colour engineer prints are the perfect low cost high impact solution.

The first thing you'll need to do is find a large image to print. I have used a few different sources that I really like.

Free Images

The first time I tried it I wanted to create the look of vintage botanicals for a fall home tour. I stumbled upon the Biodiversity Heritage Library. It's like a treasure trove of vintage botanicals, including all kinds of plants, animals, and insects. All the images are free to use.

I recently created another vintage one, also found for free at Biodiversity Heritage Library. This one is a poster of different insects from this year's fall home tour.

Free Vintage Botanical Bug Insect Poster

They have so many amazing images and they're all free to use. There's lots of pretty flowers, and leaves as well. The hardest part is choosing which one to use.

Another amazing source of free images is the website Unsplash. The beautiful photography is free for personal use. There are so many amazing images. I've found myself changing it out each season. Here is one of my very favourites, from last years Christmas home tour. This deer in the snow was the perfect piece to go with my decor.

Last Christmas I also printed this adorable Christmas tree and hung it in the study.

And one final piece from last year's Christmas tour is this one hung with a vintage clothes hanger in the mudroom.

For the spring I added this rabbit to the kitchen, and it was perfect.

There are so many amazing images at unsplash it is hard to choose. One thing to consider though is if you want your images in portrait or landscape mode. I've done all of mine in portrait. One time I really liked a landscape mode one though, so I just edited it and cropped it to change the orientation.

To Hang The Print

To hang the printed images I usually use a really inexpensive method. I attached some small wood strips to the top and bottom of each image.

The wood is from Home Depot. It's called 1 x 1 x 4 Nailing Strip and is just .86 per piece. You can get it cut right there -usually free, but I think $1 per cut if they charge you. Get it cut to the width of your image. You can add a little stain to the wood, or leave it as is like I did. You might need to give your cut edge a little sanding.

To attach your image, just staple the wood to the back of the image.

And then to hang it, add two simple screw in eye hooks to the top and attach some twine. Easy peasy. Want to see exactly how I did? Check out my Instagram Story highlights in my profile for video.

I'm about to order some new prints to use in my decor this Christmas.

With Inexpensive Large Art, life really is a party.

Kids Thanksgiving Table

Oct 11, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Kids Thanksgiving Table: a leaf mobile, painted pumpkins, velvet pumpkins, and leaf crowns create a special spot for special guests.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Holidays are all about getting together with friends and families, if you're lucky there will be some kids on your guest list this year. I've set a special kids thanksgiving table today; just their size, just for them.

We did our table with a colour scheme of pink, mustard yellow, and plum. Navy blue would also be a great addition to this colour scheme too.

Leaf Mobile

We started out with making our branch mobile to hang over the table.

The felt leaves were cut out on the Cricut Maker -you can find our cut pattern here. We used Cricut felt and it turned out great. You could, of course, use scissors to cut out felt leaves too. Or instead of felt, you could make the leaves from scrap book paper. We also made some pom poms and tassels out of some yarn in coordinating colours. To create the mobile, we strung different leaves, pom poms, tassels and wood beads on to yarn with a darning needle and then tied the strands onto the branch.

Branch mobile with felt leaves, pom poms, tassels, and wood beads

We used a hook in the ceiling to hang our branch over the kids table, and it turned out great. It's so pretty that it would make great kids decor in a bedroom or nursery.

Leaf Crowns

We also created some sweet little leaf crowns out of felt leaves. I started with a basic crown shape in pink felt, and added the leaves.

The leaves were pinched together slightly in the middle to give them some dimension. Because I wasn't exactly sure how big they needed to be for my guests, I stitched some ribbon on the back so that they were adjustable. They look so sweet on each chair, just waiting for a little leaf fairy princess to wear them.

pink, mustard yellow, and plum table scape

Painted Pumpkins

There were a few leaves left over from our crafts so we used them on the table around our centrepiece.

For the centre piece we painted some real baby boo mini white pumpkins with our pink, mustard yellow, and plum colours. I love how they look. It would be really fun to get the kids to help make these, and I think they'd love to see their pumpkins used on the table.

Fall Candy

We also added a few sorted candies to the table for nibbling. We went with chocolate covered peanuts, mini peanut butter cups, and pumpkin spice covered almonds.

Gummy pumpkins, candy corn, fall coloured smarties, m and ms, or jelly beans would also be a great option. I used some mini mason jars, since they're nice and strong, and they'd be no worry of breaking them.

Velvet Pumpkins

The pink velvet pumpkins are also a fun addition.

They're so soft and fuzzy. I think they'd a be a fun addition to the kids play kitchen for fall too. I used real pumpkins stems on mine, but little sticks would work great too.

over head view of a kids thanksgiving table

Place Settings

At each place setting we used a paper napkin, wooden plates, and cute little bottles.

These bottles are some up-cycled juice bottles that we masked off with masking tape, and painted with gold craft paint to create the dipped look. And the bottles have some cute pink paper straws in them.

Kids Thanksgiving Table: a leaf mobile, painted pumpkins, velvet pumpkins, and leaf crowns create a special spot for special guests.

This table will hopefully be a really inviting and special spot for any kids coming to your Thanksgiving celebration. It's nice to create a special spot just for them, at just the right size.

kids thanksgiving table mustard yellow, pink, and plum

With this Kids Thanksgiving Table, life really is a party!

More Thanksgiving Table Inspiration

Want more Thanksgiving Table Inspiration? Check out our Black and White Modern Farmhouse Thanksgiving Table

Black and White Modern Farmhouse Thanksgiving Table: White pumpkins, black cutlery, and DIY macrame napkins rings make the perfect Thanksgiving table.

Our Dark and Moody Thanksgiving Table

Dark and Moody Thanksgiving Table: purple leaves, dark dahlias, and plums, red pears, apples, pomegranates, and blackberries create the perfect centrepiece.

The Fall Leaves and Pink Pumpkins Thanksgiving Table

Fall Leaf Thanksgiving Table: Hanging pressed fall leaves, and pink heirloom pumpkins, ombre leaf cookies, and cloths pin place cards make a beautiful table.

A Vintage Botanical Scientific Thanksgiving Table

Vintage Botanical Scientific Thanksgiving Table

Oct 10, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Vintage Botanical Scientific Thanksgiving Table Ideas: scientific glass, old books, a microscope, and lots of botanical specimens create a beautiful table.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Visual Story Telling

This Vintage Botanical Scientific look has long been a favourite of mine. And I thought it was perfect to inspire some Thanksgiving table ideas for your celebration this year.

It was only fueled by a recent visit to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I was delighted by the scenery, and the extraordinary details -things like large mystical animal skeletons in Hogwarts main hall, books, and scientific instruments and in the darker area of Diagon Alley all the potion ingredients. It was very inspiring. It made me excited about the art of visual story telling -and how to do it on a table.

The story I'm telling with my tablescape today is of a Victorian woman who is a hobby botantist. She collects leaves, and flowers, and elements of nature, and brings them home to study them and classify them. I imagine her working, until it's requested that she clear the table for dinner, and in response she pushes everything to the centre and sets the table around her work.

Thrift Store Finds

I told the story using lots of vintage and thrift store pieces. I'm excited to be working with Stouffville Care and Share, a part of MCC Thrift. One woman's trash is truly another woman's treasure. Along with keeping unwanted items out of landfill, and finding treasures at great prices, MCC thrift stores use the money they raise to do so much good with locally, nationally, and internationally in social justice, domestic abuse, towards ending poverty, and working for peace -just to name a few.

The look of the table is full of thrifted treasures. It is full and rich. It's the opposite of minimalist, it's maximalist. I've corralled all my items down the centre of the table on a dark runner. The main colour in the table is green, so where I could I used green elements.

Vintage Botanical Scientific Pieces

I created the scientific feel with the use of lots of scientific glass filled with flowers, leaves, and grasses to be studied, as well as dry seeds.

There's also a mix of thrifted bottles holding more specimens. I also added an old microscope, look for these in the office section of the thrift store. I also included several plants and some glass cloches.

To make the table feel like fall, I used pumpkins, pressed leaves and seeds all of which could be collected this time of year.

There's a few special elements on the table -a vintage magnifying glass for further inspection, our botanist's spectacles left on the table, antique ruler for measuring specimens, and a compass so she doesn't get lost in the woods.

There is a special section of Stouffville Care and Share Thrift Store where antique finds are available through silent auction. Be sure to check it out for extra special finds.

The vintage books used on the table are also thrift store finds. I looked for ones with green covers to fit our colour scheme -be sure to peek under the covers.

Place Settings

At each place setting I've used thrifted vintage silverware. I love the look of the mismatched sets, and add so much character to any table.

I also used some thrifted vintage green goblets -one of my favourite finds of late. To make each place setting extra special, I've added a little pumpkin and a favour.

To make the favours I used some new test tubes -beware of using old scientific glass for food as it might have been used for chemicals or inedible substances. I filled each test tube with chocolate covered peanuts and added a vintage looking Botanical label to use as a place card.

You can download the Botanical label for free if you're a subscriber to Life is a Party. Subscribe below and download the free printable in our Free Printable Library.

This table was so much fun to put together. I hope it inspires you to do some visual story telling in your table settings and start shopping at the thrift store. Be sure to check out our Facebook Live and IGTV all about the table too.

With a Vintage Botanical Scientific Thanksgiving Table Ideas, life is really a party.

More Thanksgiving Table Ideas Inspiration

Want more Thanksgiving Table Inspiration? Check out more of our tables.

Black and White Modern Farmhouse Thanksgiving Table

Dark and Moody Thanksgiving Table

Fall Leaves and Pink Pumpkins Thanksgiving Tables

Fall Leaf Thanksgiving Tablescape

Oct 9, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Fall Leaf Thanksgiving Tablescape: Hanging pressed fall leaves, and pink heirloom pumpkins, ombre leaf cookies, and cloths pin place cards make a beautiful table.

Fall leaf themed thanksgiving tablescape.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

This Fall Leaf Thanksgiving Tablescape was inspired by all the beautiful leaves that are turning colours outside right now. We're lucky enough to live on the edge of a forest, and the colours out our window are gorgeous.

Thanksgiving table with pink pumpkins and fall leaves

Fall Leaves and Pink Pumpkins

The first thing I did to create this table was to go for a walk and collect leaves. Then I pressed them in a some books for a few days, so they would dry nice and flat.

I used some simple white thread to hang them from my light fixture.

They're so pretty and it's such an easy, and inexpensive idea that has so much impact.

fall leaves and pink pumpkins rustic thanksgiving tables cape

I knew I wanted to use these amazing heirloom pink pumpkins on the table, so as I was searching for leaves I looked for yellow, burgundy, and peachy-orange. These pink pumpkins are a real favourite of mine. I love the colour, but also the amazing shape of them -they look like something right out of a fairytale.

I layered the pumpkins on a vintage pink tablecloth, used as a runner on the table. It's a great way to use a vintage cloth if it has a few stains on it. Around the pumpkins I layered more of the pressed leaves. For candles I used these inexpensive church candles from dollar tree. I thought that with our leaves hanging down that the glass canister would make it a little more safe.

Place Settings

For the place settings, I started with my favourite handmade pottery plates from France. I just love these and they are like a little bit of art for the table. Their organic shape is perfect for our earthy vibe.

thanksgiving place setting with fall leaves

On top of that, I layered some wood plates, that also have the organic shape to them.

The napkins are some made from some unfinished linen fabric. They've been washed a few times and have a beautiful frayed edge.

On the napkin I added another pressed leaf with a simple clothes pin. These clothes pins have been spray painted gold, and then I used a fine point sharpie to add everyones name and use them as place cards. Love this simple, but special and personalized touch.

I also added a pretty sugar cookie. I used my Grandma's sugar cookie recipe, and cut them out with a maple leaf cookie cutter.

peach ombre sugar cookies in a leaf shape

To make the icing in an ombre effect, we divided the cookies into five piles, and then started with adding just two drops of yellow food colour and two drops of red food colouring to create a beautiful soft peach. For each pile of cookies we added two more yellow, and two more red drops of food colouring to the icing. I love the result, and these cookies looked beautiful with our table. And everyone loves a little sweet treat at their spot. 😉

I used my gold cutlery and some amber glasses to finish things off.

We Were Together

In the background I added one of my favourite quotes "we were together, I forget the rest", and few more fall leaves.

This is such a pretty table, and I love how it's the traditional fall colours -almost. This is also one of the more simple tables, but it still feels really special.

If you'd like more ideas on how to set a pretty table, and a printable checklist so that you don't forget anything, be sure to sign up for our Free Dinner Party Challenge. It's a 3 day free course delivered right to your inbox that will help you prepare for having guests over with lots of free printable worksheets and checklists. Sign up below.

With a pretty Fall Leaf Thanksgiving Table, life really is a party.

Want to see a video all about the table -check it out on Facebook or IGTV.

More Thanksgiving Tablescape Inspiration

Check out our Black and White Modern Farmhouse Thanksgiving Table.

You might also like our Dark and Moody Thanksgiving Table.

Also check out our Kids Thanksgiving Table here.

Halloween Ghost Rice Krispie Treats

Oct 9, 2019 · 13 Comments

These ghost rice krispie treats are the perfect easy recipe for a special Halloween sweet treat on a stick for your little ghouls and goblins. They're easy to make, and so yummy.

Halloween ghost shaped white chocolate covered Rice Krispie squares

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Why We Love This Recipe

Rice Krispie Squares are a classic because of their great taste and how quick and easy they are to make.
Adding chocolate makes these even better!
Turning these into Halloween treats by making them into ghosts is so cute.
They're perfect for all your Halloween celebrations and parties.

These sweet little ghost rice krispie squares are the perfect treat for your little ghouls and goblins this time of year.

Ghost Halloween Rice Krispies Treat

Rice Krispie Squares are a favourite at our house, and such an easy dessert with simple ingredients, so I thought it would be fun to make some special ones for Halloween. And there are no cookie cutters required for this simple treat.

These would be great for a party like our pink Halloween party, or classroom celebrations, or so much fun tucked in a lunch box for a special treat. Or make them part of a ghost themed snack board, Halloween Smores, as part of a Harry Potter snacks board, or for a Halloween movie night. They're quite easy peasy to make, and the kids can help out too.

Simple Ingredients

I also love that Rice Krispie cereal treats only have a few ingredients, and they're pretty much foolproof. Who doesn't love easy halloween treats? They also seem to be everyone's favorite recipe for a no-bake dessert.

White Chocolate: Wilton candy melts work well for the chocolate coating, you can find them in the baking aisle at a craft or baking specialty store. Or you can also use white chocolate chips. Remember white chocolate burns very easily, so be sure to melt it carefully.
Popsicle or Lollipop Sticks: We used popsicle sticks for our ghost rice krispies treats, but another great option is to use a lollipop stick, or leave them plain with no sticks as regular cookies.
Coconut Oil or Vegtable Shortening: If you find that the melted white chocolate is too thick to dip easily, try adding in a little bit of coconut oil, or vegetable shortening to make it a little runnier. Don't add too much at a time though, or it won't set properly.
Ghost Eyes: We used chocolate chips for our ghost eyes, but you could use candy eyeballs instead.

Storing

The layer of white chocolate coating on these festive halloween rice krispie treats will also make them last a little while longer -that is if you can keep people from eating them! Store these fun halloween treats in an airtight container at room temperature for the best results. Or wrap these cute halloween treats in plastic wrap or individual cellophane bags for holiday treats.

How To Make Ghost Rice Krispie Treats

See exact ingredients and steps below in the recipe card.

1. Prepare a 9 x 12 baking dish by spraying with non-stick spray or coating in butter. Set aside.

2. In a large pan over medium heat melt the marshmallows and butter, until all the marshmallows are melted. Stirring the whole time.

3. Remove the melted marshmallows from the heat and stir in the vanilla and rice cereal into the marshmallow mixture. Quickly place the mixture in the prepared pan while it's still hot. Use a spoon dipped in cold water to smooth them out. Allow them to cool.

4. Once cool, cut the rice krispies into small rectangles.

5. To create the ghosts, use a sharp knife to cut the edges of the top of a rectangle to make it into a ghost shape. .Or, if you have one you could use a ghost cookie. Then insert a popsicle stick into the ghost shapes.

6. Melt white chocolate in a double boiler or microwave safe bowl. Use a spoon to help cover the ghost in white chocolate. Place on parchment paper or wax paper and add milk chocolate chips for eyes. Allow to harden and enjoy! Store your batch of rice krispie treats in a sealed container.

This fun halloween treat is are perfect for any halloween celebrating. Your whole family will love this great recipe for a no bake halloween dessert. These ghost chocolate rice krispie treats are especially fun for a school halloween party. These delicious treats are guaranteed to be a huge hit for a classroom party. Move over Halloween candy, candy corn, and peanut butter cups, classic rice krispie treats just got a new fun twist with our Halloween makeover!

With these Ghost Halloween Rice Krispy treats as a spooktacular treat, life really is a party! Happy halloween!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a cookie cuter to cut the ghosts out?

Yes, but the method we used creates less waste, is easy, and we think it looks great.

Can I make these ahead of time?

Yes, these keep really well. The added layer of chocolate keeps them fresher longer than regular Rice Krispie treats. Feel free to make them a few days ahead of when you need them.

Can I make them without the lollipop sticks?

Yes just leave the out for regular ghost shaped Rice Krispie squares.

If you try this Ghost Rice Krispie Treats 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!

More Fall Recipe Inspiration

Recipe

Ghost Halloween Rice Krispies

The perfect Halloween treat of Rice Krispies covered in white chocolate.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Recipes

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 5

Total Time: 10

Servings:

Calories: 252kcal

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Ingredients

Instructions

Prepare a 9 x 12 baking dish by spraying with non-stick spray or coating in butter. Set aside.
In a large pan over medium heat melt the marshmallows and butter, until all the marshmallows are melted. Stirring the whole time.
Remove the melted marshmallows from the heat and stir in the vanilla and rice cereal into the marshmallow mixture. Quickly place the mixture in the prepared pan while it's still hot. Use a spoon dipped in cold water to smooth them out. Allow them to cool.
Once cool, cut the rice krispies into small rectangles.
To create the ghosts, use a sharp knife to cut the edges of the top of a rectangle to make it into a ghost shape. .Or, if you have one you could use a ghost cookie. Then insert a popsicle stick into the ghost shapes.
Melt white chocolate in a double boiler or microwave safe bowl. Use a spoon to help cover the ghost in white chocolate. Place on parchment paper or wax paper and add milk chocolate chips for eyes. Allow to harden and enjoy! Store your batch of rice krispie treats in a sealed container.

Nutrition

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

Dark and Moody Thanksgiving Table

Oct 8, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Dark and Moody Thanksgiving Table: ideas for thanksgiving table using dark purples, and red leaves, flowers, and fruit to create the perfect centrepiece.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

This Thanksgiving table is Dark and Moody and full of ideas for your thanksgiving table. It was inspired by fall fruits like apples, red pears, pomegranates, grapes, and plums.

It kind of reminds me of when I was little and made a paper mâché cornucopia horn at school. I can remember my mom making it the centrepiece of the Thanksgiving table full of fall fruits and vegetables. This is a slightly more sophisticated version. 😉

I started out with a dark runner down the centre of the table and added my paint dipped brass candlesticks, see how I made them here. Next I started layering the centre piece.

Dark purple and red leaves layered down the centre of a table

Materials:

sand cherry branches
Japanese maple branches
purple kale leaves
Northern sea oats ornament grass
Japanese painted fern
pomagranates
red pears
red delicious apples
red and black grapes
plums
blackberries
sedum autumn joy flowers
dahlias

To Make the Dark and Moody Centrepiece

First I added some beautiful dark purple sand cherry branches, and Japanese maple branches. If you didn't have these, any dark leaves would work, including red maple. Then I layered in some purple kale leaves, Japanese fern, and some grasses. I love the delicate texture of the fern and the grasses, in contrast to the other leaves.

Next I layered on the fruit. Starting with the large pomegranates, red pears, and apples, grape clusters, and then adding in the plums, and finally the small black berries. Figs would be lovely too if you could find fresh ones.

My final layer was to tuck in some flowers. I started first with the sedum, and then adding in the final finishing touch of the dark dahlias.

Because I just layered all the florals on top of the runner, and they don't have a water source this arrangement won't last too long. But there is a certain beauty in creating something in the moment to be enjoyed in the moment. Do it in the afternoon and it will be lovely for dinner, but don't do it the night before.

If you did want it to last longer you could use floral water tubes for each individual bloom or arrange these in vases, or a long low container with floral foam. This method is much easier, but not too lasting.

Place Setting Ideas for your Thanksgiving Table

The place settings are quite simple. I started with my everyday white plates, and then layered a dark linen napkin and a black side plate. On each side plate there is a piece of Japanese painted fern and a red pear or apple -I alternated for interest. I used black cutlery, but gold would have been pretty too, to tie in with the brass candlesticks. And finally I had some pretty purple glasses.

This table was so fun to put together, and I loved being able to forage for a lot of the materials in my own yard. I think this dark and moody look is going to be on the rise, and it feels especially perfect for fall.

With a pretty Dark and Moody Thanksgiving Table, life really is a party!

More Ideas for your Thanksgiving Table

You might also like Vintage Botanical Scientific Thanksgiving Table here.

Also check out Fall Leaf Thanksgiving Table here.

You might also enjoy our Rustic Neutral Thanksgiving Table here.

Black and White Modern Farmhouse Thanksgiving Table

Oct 7, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Black and White Modern Farmhouse Thanksgiving Table: White pumpkins, black cutlery, and DIY macrame napkins rings make the perfect Thanksgiving table.

Black and white farmhouse style thanksgiving table.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

This Black and White Modern Farmhouse Thanksgiving Table is perfect for the neutral lover. The white pumpkins make it still feel like fall, despite the absence of the typical orange, yellow, and red. I'm sharing this table as the first one, in our whole week of Thanksgiving table inspiration. Be sure to check out the blog everyday for a different Thanksgiving tablescape. You can also follow along on Instagram, and Facebook and see exactly how I put each table together each day.

The Centrepiece

For this table I started out with a runner made from old book pages. It was super simple to do.

I just ripped out the pages from an old thrift store book and placed them down on the table to create a runner. I love how this adds another layer of interesting texture to our table.

When decorating with neutrals it's always important to use lots of different textures to add interest and help keep the look from being boring.

White Pumpkins Modern Farmhouse Tablescape

Next we layered on some white pumpkins as a centre piece. Look for different varieties, and different shapes, and shades of white to make it more fun. I also wove in some led mini lights. You could use these or candles for a little sparkle at night.

Lastly I snipped some eculptus from my garden and tucked it around the pumpkins. You could find this easily at the store, or try using some green leaves, like oak leaves for a similar look.

Place Settings

For the place settings I used my favourite everyday white dishes. I love using these for big dinners because they can go in the dishwasher with no worries, and it makes clean up so much easier. I also layered on my "give thanks" side plates. These are a DIY from a few years ago -see how exactly how I made my DIY Give Thanks Plates here. They're done with a special marker for ceramics that you bake in the oven to make food safe, and dishwasher safe. I love bringing these plates out at Thanksgiving.

I love the black cutlery here. It adds another element of black. I always say that interesting cutlery is like jewelry for the table.

The napkin rings are another quick DIY. I'll be working on getting a tutorial up for them soon. They were really simple, just a lark's head knot to attach the rope to the rings, and then a few square knots. These would be easy enough for even a first timer at macrame. I love how they add more texture to the table.

This simple table was quite easy to put together and I hope it inspires you. Remember, we'll have a different idea everyday here all week long leading up to Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend.

With a pretty Black and White Modern Thanksgiving Table, life is really a party.

You might also like our Fall Leaf Thanksgiving Table here.

Also check our Boho Thanksgiving Table here.

Boho Thanksgiving Table: Elements of Boho Style like macrame, plants, natural elements, colour, and global influence to help you create a boho tablesacpe.

You might also like our Kids Thanksgiving Table here.