diy party decor

A Palm Springs Bachelorette

| mel@apeaceofcreativity.com

My sister said YAAAS! So we took her and her friends to Palm Springs and rented the cutest, happiest, mid-century modern home for her bachelorette.

Do you recognize these banners? We used them for her Metallic Garden Bridal Shower!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small compensation if you make a purchase using the Amazon links below.

As soon as my sister Emily and I saw this living room, we knew it was the perfect house for Sara, the soon-to-be bride.

The decor was so great on its own that we decorated very strategically and minimally. Gold confetti balloons hung from the chandelier and the lamp.In the entry, hung the custom doily and her “I said yes!” bridal sash that I made using my Cricut and gold foil iron on. I made it a little differently with thicker ribbon just in the front and a woven cream and gold, thin ribbon in the back. We also scattered colorful, metallic balloons around the room. Don’t they look great against this rug?!I brought supplies to make custom pins out of shrink plastic. Of course I did! How cute is this palm leaf Sara made to remember the occasion. Also, a close-up of her sash.My favorite piece of decor is this very “Palm Springs” party banner which I made from these awesome icons by Valerie Thompson from the modern flâneur. So much fun.




You know what else was fun? These drink floaties!!!Everyone loved the aqua vintage fridge and we stocked the counter with drinks and the party favors: rainbow tumblers I customized with holographic vinyl , geometric shapes, a mini cactus and the “S+C”.

The tumblers worked perfectly for the long days we spent lounging and floating in our own pool!

Not only were the living spaces adorable, but so were each of the bedrooms.


Emily and I knew Sara would not be into the matching shirts, sashes, and hats for all of her friends to wear out, so instead we decided to have everyone wear felt flower pins in different colors. Emily picked the Mermaid Lagoon palette from Benzie Design and I had Sara give me a tutorial because she is the felt flower master. She had no idea I was learning it for her own party though!Cocktails and tapas at Azucar in the La Serena Villas resort to end the trip!Perfect weekend? Check! Happy sister? Check!!!

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A Metallic Garden Bridal Shower

| mel@apeaceofcreativity.com

My sister Sara is getting married! The bridal shower kicked off all of the wedding festivities so Emily, our youngest sister, and I wanted to make sure we set the tone right. Not gonna lie, the tone was really hard for me to get a handle on as I kept wavering between a lot of different themes and looks to the shower. Emily set us on the right track when she sent me a color palette that she thought really resembled Sara’s tastes. From there, I was able to base almost every decor decision on that color palette.

TIP: When planning an event’s decor, find one or two inspiration pieces (a color palette, a swatch of fabric, a paper print, a piece of home decor, a bouquet of flowers, etc.) that will be your guide. Measure each decor decision on those inspiration pieces and you will have a cohesive look to your party!

I love decorating my front door for events. For one, it let’s your guests know they have the right house and I think it just adds to the party atmosphere.  Sara’s taste is a sort of classy, minimalist with just a touch of pop whether that be metallic or floral or color. She loves clean lines and simple design and I tried to tailor the look of that in her invites.

The entry way is always a fun place for me to decorate. Emily inspired my cherry blossom banner and doily cut-outs in her suggestion to use circles in the decor. And we found this AMAZING letter board on sale the day before the shower.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small compensation if you make a purchase using the Amazon links below.

The favors were handmade, scented gem soaps, made by Ems! (Tutorial here) Each color was a different scent, rosemary, tea tree, eucalyptus and lavender!

As with any design aspect of our party, the favor packaging was very important. We needed the outside to match the amazing soap inside. I was introduced to Cream City Ribbon and the beautiful ribbons they make. They were the perfect addition to the favors as Sara has a deep love and appreciation of artisanal work and these are made on machines from the 1920’s!  See more here!

The only instruction Sara told me and Ems was “No cheesy games!” LOL! Is there anyone out there that actually likes those cheesy shower games??? If so, I have not met them yet. Sara and Cole love to eat and cook and as Cole is vegetarian, they could always use more options of meals they can enjoy together as a couple. Recipe cards were sent out in the mail with the invite and we asked that they write down their fav dish (veg appreciated) and bring it to the shower. Our other activities included a date night idea jar and the ring game! Aren’t those rings adorable? They are erasers believe it or not! You can find them here.

All of these floral handkerchiefs belonged to our grandmother who passed recently and it was a nice way of having a part of her there.

My favorite party drinkware are the glasses from the dollar store! The best part is that they are all plastic. The little “love” swizzle sticks completed the picture.

In typical brunch fashion, there were a lot of cute, little bites to eat: mini pancakes, egg souffle, cut fruit and mini yogurt parfaits… with the centerpiece being my paper leaf and metallic octagon chandelier. Tutorial here!

Our local Spudnuts donut shop not only has the best tasting donuts but they do custom decorations! They were able to swash these with light strokes of metallic edible paint for me and they could not have been more perfect. Especially with their glitter gem toppers.

Have I told you guys how much I love my Cricut? I mean, look what it does for me! If you have the vision, it can make it!

Custom cut doilies, leaves and metallic octogans hung from the patio lights and decorated the tables.

TIP: Use your Cricut “weeds” or the cut-out parts you are not going to use, as confetti!

Last, but not least, there is a wall in my dining room that I always like to use as a photo wall. See my other photo backdrop here.

TIP: A photo wall not only adds more decor to the event but is a great reminder to take photos!

I covered the painting that was already hanging there in craft paper and Emily found the most perfect colored streamers (teal, peach and grey) and hung them as a backdrop.

Happy to say, that despite the 100 degree weather, the event was a complete success just based on seeing our sister’s face and hearing her reaction when she walked in the door and I hoped she felt very loved! Stay tuned for the next event, the Palm Springs trip!


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Craft Night – Yarn Wall Hanging

| mel@apeaceofcreativity.com

You guys! I had my very first craft night and I can honestly say that it was a huge success. I wanted to give you all the details as well as some tips if you are looking to put on one of your own!

I have wanted to put on my own craft night ever since going to the one put on by my girl Desiree from Heirloom Paper. It was such a fulfilling creative outlet, a fun night out with friends and a great way to meet others who love/aspire to be more crafty. More than 2 YEARS (!!!) later, it finally seemed like the right time to jump in and do it and the yarn wall hanging was the perfect first craft.




TIP: When picking a craft, make sure to teach something you have done before. I know this seems like common sense, but you really don’t know how involved it can get or how long something will take until you have tried it for yourself. I doubt you or your guests want a 6 hour craft night or something too hard that it becomes frustrating.

The yarn wall hanging I made was on display and since this was my first (aka tester) craft night, I wanted to give a special thanks to all of my guests with these handmade pom pom & tassel keychains. (Tutorial here!)

Upon receiving everyone’s RSVP, I made sure to ask if they had a preference on yarn color. I really wanted this to be something they would love and want to display proudly in their homes. There were also inspirational photos sent out a couple days before the event and up during the night.

TIP: Give your guests lots of ideas and different ways to make the craft their own. Not everyone has the same style, so it is important to give your guests options. I know that if I am tasked with a new craft, I need to see what other’s have done first before deciding on what I want mine to look like. Give them enough time to see some options and make sure to have them available at your event.

Can I tell you how happy all of these colors make me!These next few photos should speak for themselves really. LOL! My secret: good ol’ Trader Joes.

TIP: Have food and drink ready! Now, I love throwing parties, so your spread does not have to look like this, but I do feel like going the extra step just adds to the ambience of the whole night. If you are having a craft night, there is not usually time or set-up available to add dinner in there, so I would suggest light apps and/or desserts.  Just make sure to warn your guest to eat their meal beforehand!

P.S. Check out those adorable (and disposable!) wine and water glasses! See how I made them here.






For the crafting areas, a layer of kraft paper served to protect the tables but also to give the space a more uniformed look. Each seat had a set of tools needed and if you need your guests to share, just put them in the middle for them to take turns. 

TIP: Have seating assignments. I know, I know…this can be somewhat “controversial.” But seating always gives me a little anxiety if I don’t know where to sit and if your guests know their seat is saved, there is no need for them to hover around their area or claim their spot before the event begins. The trick to this is to make sure to place groups that come together next to each other!

After some mingling, drinking & eating time, there was a quick intro by me and a short tutorial to get everyone started.

TIP: Make a somewhat loose schedule for how you want your night to go. This will help you to keep the night on track and to get your guests started doing what they came to do!

I was so happy to see how everyone got straight to it! Some knew exactly what they wanted to do first and the others that didn’t took time to wander around, look at the inspiration pieces or to see what others were doing until they got their spark. I LOVED seeing people ask others for suggestions or opinions and making crafting a communal and social activity. No one was afraid to try anything and if they didn’t like it, they took it out and started again.




TIP: If you are hosting/teaching, make yourself the non-official expert/consultant for the night. This does not mean that you have to know how to do everything. Believe me, I could not remember for the life of me how to macrame that night and I have done it a couple times before! But you should be available to help your guests figure out what to do by giving them options or talking out their ideas with you.

This was one of my favorite parts: being able to help someone fulfill their vision!

Craft Night

Most of all, I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVED seeing everyone’s makes. They were all SO different and so much like the person that made them. I cannot say enough how impressed I am by how they turned out, especially from those that have expressed to me before that they are “not crafty.” Yea… I don’t think they can tell me that again!

Aren’t they amazing!!! The wall hangings and the women that made them! Not like there was much doubt before, but I am definitely doing more of these in the future. I even have the next couple crafts picked out, so make sure to follow along!





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Sparkle Wine Charms

| mel@apeaceofcreativity.com
This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small compensation if you make a purchase using the links below.

Wine, glitter and unicorns.  Really, what’s not to like??? I know, I know, you don’t really want to hear about another unicorn anything, or do you? I have to admit, I am actually not much of a unicorn lover but I love all of the rainbow color combos that are coming out of it.  In honor of the unicorn craze, here are my unicorn sparkle wine charms.

You will need:

I love glitter but it can be such a mess. Line a baking sheet with foil and line up your pendant bases. I love the feminine scallops on these.  They remind me of unicorns. To scoop the glitter out of the tube, I used a seafood scoop/pick.  It’s the perfect size to reach into the tube and it picks up just the right amount of glitter. Carefully cover the base with glitter.  I sprinkled a larger size glitter on top but you can experiment and mix with other colors as well! Once you’ve covered the bottom, make sure it is leveled out as best as possible. The seafood scoop worked great for this. Now add a thin layer of your enameling resin.Once you’ve covered them all, pop them into the oven at 325 degrees for only a couple minutes or until you see the resin has cleared.  Once cooled add another layer of resin and repeat in the oven. Continue to do this until it is smooth and completely covered.  After the first cycle, don’t worry if you see craters in the glitter when you take them out. Fill those areas with more glitter as needed to cover the base, but I would only do this after the first cycle.

The resin will harden almost immediately and give you a smooth surface while letting the glitter sparkle through.

With a pair of needle nose pliers, attach the jump rings to the pendants and then attach the charm rings.

And that’s it! Invite all of your unicorn friends over for that glass of bubbly and make sure to follow me on Instagram. I will be giving away a set of Unicorn Sparkle Wine Charms and details will be posted today!

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A Balloons & Bubbly Sprinkle

| mel@apeaceofcreativity.com

On my husband’s side, between him and his two sisters, there have been 6 grandkids born in 4 years! With the next making her grand appearance this summer, we wanted to celebrate my sister in law and our new niece with a little sprinkle and the theme was Balloons & Bubbly! Two things that are very hard not to love and to decorate for. Needless to say, I was excited to help plan it and my inspiration: rose gold, blush and champagne. The drink and the color!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small compensation if you make a purchase using the links below.

In the entryway, I borrowed a gorgeous gold sequined table cloth from a dear friend to cover the console table. (Remember A Rustic, Glam Wedding?) Yes, it was gorgeous! It was the perfect place for the favors: bottles of rose champagne and rose gold goodie bags with personalized handwritten tags.

Going with the theme, goodies for the guest included everything that “pops”: bubbly, bubblegum, blow pops and popcorn!

A big thing right now is metallic cutlery and I was able to find these rose gold plastic forks, just perfect to eat the mini blush cupcakes with pearl sprinkles.

I used white melting chocolates to lighten up the pink ones to a very light blush color as well and decorated them with pearl white and gold sprinkles.

Using chiffon and tulle fabric strips, I strung them across the fireplace for a whimsical and feminine tassel garland.  TIP: To give your fabric garland a more modern feel, try to keep each strip a uniform length and thickness. Also cut away any loose strings or frayed edges.

For parties and events, I love creating my own floral arrangements.  I picked up a bunch of blush and light green roses and a bouquet of mixed white and green flowers.  I always have a bunch of different shaped vases in the house and even use my tealight holders for the cutest mini arrangements.

Can you believe these champagne glasses are from the dollar store??? Since the party was on the smaller side (about 12 people), I wanted to personalize the glasses and decided to make custom initial charms.  See the tutorial here!

Hanging over the dining room table, were diamond honeycomb decorations that I added rose, blush and champagne colored ribbon to. TIP: If you purchase decorations, try to find ones in basic solid colors or shapes that can be reused at other events.  Small elements like ribbons can personalize it to the event’s theme.

To go with the bubbly theme, I used lots of clear balloons. I strung some and put them over the sliding doors and windows and also made a balloon wall where guests could take pictures. See how I made it here!

Since it was a “sprinkle” we wanted most of the time for my sister in law to visit with her close friends and family.  We did include a small activity where guests could write endearing and funny messages on diapers for those rough midnight changings.

Honestly, I never really understood the concept of the “sprinkle” as I always thought that having another shower, which is basically what a sprinkle is, was a faux pas.  But now, having had 3 kids, I really think it is not a shower but more of a last hurrah before the baby comes.  A reason to throw a party and celebrate with all of the people closest to you before you become twice (or more!) as busy as you were before!

 

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Balloon Photo Wall

| mel@apeaceofcreativity.com

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small compensation if you make a purchase using the links below.

I have always wanted to make one of those super full and bubbly balloon arches and the Balloons & Bubbly Sprinkle was the perfect opportunity to try it. Did you know that you can actually purchase balloon decorative strip just for making balloon arches?  I decided to save the $7 and work with my good ol’ butcher’s twine instead.

You will need:

If you have ever tried blowing up a water balloon, it is nearly impossible! I suggest the party balloon pump for the smaller balloons.  It will save your cheeks! After blowing up the white balloons, tie them to the string anywhere from 3-5 inches apart. It really depends on how full you want your garland to be.

After all of your “base color” balloons are tied on, in my case clear, attach it to the wall in the shape you want it. It will be easier to place the other colors and sizes in the exact places you want them. My balloon garland was used to accent this foil “love” balloon.Roll a piece of clear tape and stick it to the side of the other balloons.  Find the spot you want it to go and stick it to one of the base colored balloons. Some may need more than one piece of rolled tape just to make sure it stays in place.




Continue on with all of your different colors and sizes!

Your wall is ready and just waiting for photos to be taken. Here is the guest of honor and her family of 3 soon to be 4!

Did you see the Champagne Glass Charms for the Balloons & Bubbly Sprinkle? See the rest of the party HERE!




Champagne Glass Charms

| mel@apeaceofcreativity.com

If you are anything like me, at parties you lose your glass.  Sometimes, I spend a good 2-3 minutes circling the room looking for my drink, so thank goodness for charms! I know this one is mine!

I found these beautiful plastic champagne glasses for the sprinkle I was helping to throw for my sister-in-law but did not have enough wine charms for all of them. I wanted to reuse them so permanent marker was not an option. That’s when I decided to make my own.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small compensation if you make a purchase using the links below.

You will need:

  • Scrapbook paper (cardstock thickness)
  • Circle cutter or paper punch
  • Wine glass charm rings (these are not the ones I bought but are similar)
  • Pearl seed beads
  • Scrapbooking letters

Using the letters, I personalized each circle with the guest’s first initial.  These letters added some extra glitz with the sparkles.

If you have two people with the same first initial, I added a small cursive last initial. If you have two with the same first and last initial, you can always add a distinguishing feature like a small star or sticker embellishment. After stringing the charm hoops with the seed pearls, I punched a hole at the top of each of the circles and attached the hoops.

Annnnnnnnd, that’s it! Perfect for the Balloons & Bubbly theme.

Did you see the Balloon Photo Wall for the Balloons & Bubbly Sprinkle? See the rest of the party HERE!

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Crepe Paper Tassels

| A Peace of Creativity

I love banners and pennants and garland and bunting for party decor. The tissue paper tassels are adorable, but to me, they are a pain in the butt! Sometimes it’s worth it, but having to cut strips of the tissue over and over again can drive a person insane. If you feel the same as I do, I would highly suggest trying these crepe paper tassels!

You will need:

  • Crepe Paper Rolls
  • Scissors
  • Tape
  • String

  1. I cut three (or more!) 4 foot strips of the crepe paper but depending on how long you want your tassel to be, you would simply have to double that amount.
  2. After gathering them together, find the middle and twist until you can make a loop.
  3. Wrap tape around the bottom of the loop.
  4. Cut the strips in half. (or more!)
  5. You’re done!


For the tassels inside, I used 3 strips of crepe paper, but for outside I used 6. Depending on how full you want them to be, you can increase the number of strips.

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I loved seeing them move in the breeze and they really added a lot to the patio. The best part, how much time was saved!

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See more from A “Press Here” Birthday Party.
Have you tried these? If so, I would love to hear from you!

Inspired Peace

How adorable are these crepe paper tassels for a Hawaiian inspired first birthday party!

 

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A “Press Here” Birthday Party

| A Peace of Creativity

 

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small compensation if you make a purchase using the links below.

Our little girl turned four.  One of my very first posts was her Totoro party when she turned 2 and then her Lava party last year. I love her what interests her and she always makes it fun for me to work on a party theme. Her favorite book is “Press Here” by Hervé Tullet.  It is such a simple yet really clever book and perfect for her fourth birthday.

Our home has huge windows throughout. We made each set of windows a page of dots from the book using tissue paper and a circle cutter to make the dots.img_4739img_4732img_4723I love the look and idea of the paper straw, but I don’t like using them as a straw.  Strange, I know, but I hate the feeling of the paper getting soft in the drink. I found a great tutorial from Oleander + Palm on straw bunting. Super easy and I love the minimalist look!img_473320170319-ellie4thparty-002My greatest discovery this time around: CREPE PAPER garland! I might never make another tissue paper garland again! Tutorial here!img_4729img_4750Love love love helium balloons, but they can be expensive if renting a tank and a bit of a pain if your order and have to pick up the day of the party. ***TIP*** Order them for the day before with hi-float and they will last 3-4 days if not longer! Also, if you feel the space is a bit cluttered already for balloons, try putting them in the corners of the room. (A tip from the hubs, believe it or not!)img_4751Great discovery #2! PUNCH BALL BALLOONS! Most, if not all of my party decor was from the dollar store including these punch ball balloons. Blow them up and hang them from the ceiling! Since they are shaped a bit differently from regular balloons, you can even hang streamers or ribbon from the bottoms as well!img_4744img_4737img_4752The highlight of the party was definitely the cakes. I am not an experienced baker, but Once Upon A Pedestal made this polka dot cake extremely manageable with a cake pop maker, food coloring and boxed cake mix!img_4753My sister made this four-tiered adorable chocolate mini cake just for Ellie, complete with her own banner and homemade white chocolate nonpareils.img_4731Since we decided to have a small party this year, I knew there would not be many kids her age present as Ellie is the oldest cousin.  I wanted something fun and interactive for her, so we made these “Press Here” inspired cards for her to play.img_4527Our whole family was great sports in each picking out a card and wearing it so Ellie could go up to them and play her game. (Left says “Smell this dot.” Right says “Poke Me!”.)img_4754

I think Ellie had the best time. I know we did.  I can’t wait to see what she is interested in next year!

 

 

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GUEST PEACE: A Gold, Glam, and Fab Bridal Shower

| A Peace of Creativity

My dear friend, Yadira, is engaged to be married next month and she recently had her bridal shower hosted by Linda and family.  This fam could open their own event planning business with talents in multiple areas! Needless to say, they threw a gorgeous bridal shower.  Here is a peek into her gold, glam and fab shower!

A re-purposed wood sign and thrift store wire screen painted gold by Linda’s daughter and the bride-to-be’s BFF, Katie. Photos hung on the screen by Jordan Hazel.Linda’s husband, Reid and craftsman extraordinaire, painted and put together the posts surrounding the main banquet table.Outdoor bar cart complete with a hand stenciled “Bubbly Bar” sign and lots of rose!Gorgeous floral centerpieces by Linda’s friend, Elizabeth: roses, lisianthus, ranunculus, stock, coffee bean and geranium leaves

The gold containers were spray painted gold by Reid and complimented by paper goods purchased from Etsy and Cake Girls.Catering by Linda’s son, Daniel: smoked salmon, parmesan crisps with a goat cheese mousse, chicken salad on wonton skins, toasted points with micro greens and vinegarette, bruschetta, mini eggplant sandwiches, and mixed greens with carrots, cucumbers, and grilled chicken with a ginger citrus dressing.Linda’s daughter, Sarah, made the naked cake from scratch to accompany the mini eclairs and cream puffs.Custom photo backdrop complete with an old painted bench by Reid, tissue paper tassels, and gold frames.Katie spray painted old wine and beer bottles to place as accent pieces around the garden.Favor bags: pink tea bag with a pink rock candy stickWhite lanterns and glass and gold tea light holders hung from the poles above the table for a dreamy and romantic feel.The beautiful bride-to-be and her flower crown by Elizabeth.  We can’t wait for you and Mike to tie the knot!

Linda is a Southern California native and a passionate party planner in her spare time. Every event she holds is perfected down the the smallest detail.  She has a beautiful eye for color and shabby-chic, rustic decor. She is a loving wife, mother of 6 and has 8 grandchildren!  That’s a lot of parties!

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