When my daughter’s friend’s mother hired me to run crafts at her daughter’s party, we chose two fun princess party crafts for them. One was spot-on for that age group, and one was a bit challenging, but still fabulous. I’ll give a bit more specific guidance and feedback, but first the two crafts:

1. Decorate your own crowns and
2. Princess poke art

Both follow my main rules for party crafts: they need to have zero or almost zero dry time, include a take-home that will double as a party favor (though in this case, she did have full favor boxes available), and it needs to be something functional that they can use.

Decorate your own crowns Princess Party Craft

Our first craft was fabric princess crowns that we decorated with gems and rhinestones. This craft was such a hit, and as you can imagine, the kids wore it for the rest of the party.

This was our main “original” craft. It was the first choice for the party and it was a good one.

Why we chose it

Open-ended decorating with stickers is one of my favorite party craft types. Give kids gems and they can really sit for a long time with them.

We did gem decorating activities at A’s birthday, with the same group of kids, and they sat with it for a long time. They were mesmerized, carefully placing each gem, and feeling so proud of their work. You really can’t go wrong with this one.

We LOVE party crafts that include wearables because the kids take such pride in it, and wear it for the rest of the party. It doubles as a party hat and kids wear it for the rest of the day. When they go home, it goes into their dress-up box for continued use.

The crown base is a fabric one, with an elastic, so it’s a costume-quality craft.

How it went

The kids loved it. It was a similar crowd to A’s party when we also did gem decorating and they really went with this one too. I did add in foam stickers to change things up a bit, and the kids enjoyed both.

The crown pictured on A is the one that she actually made. Adding the foam stickers DID shorten the time that the craft occupied, because the kids felt like their crowns were full earlier.

As with any party craft, some kids will finish earlier than others. It’s good to be prepared with something extra for them to do in that time.

Alternatives and tips

With this kind of open-ended party craft, it really is a good practice to have lots of options for kids to choose from. I personally don’t think I’d put out foam stickers next time, but I might do what I did with our sleep mask craft – that is, provide a big initial or some other focal piece, but allow kids plenty of surrounding space to get detailed with their gems.

You can definitely pull out other decorations for this but I really recommend you stick to self-adhesive no-dry-time ones. Some examples:

• Decorative patches (small ones)
• Flower rhinestones
• Smaller foam embellishments
• Self-adhesive pearls – we had some mixed in with our stones, but I’d definitely provide more as its own decoration next time
• Lace washi tape

Test supplies in advance to make sure they really work (the only ones I really tested are foam).

Princess Poke Art Party Craft

The second one we did was princess poke art. These are printed foam princess figures that have notches in them. Use a stick to poke little bits of fabric into the holes to look like a ruffly dress.

This princess party craft was a bit less successful. It’s still a cool craft, though, or I wouldn’t be sharing it. I WILL share with you what we should have done to make it more of a success.

Why it’s such a cool party craft

The reason we chose this to begin with is for the cool effect factor: kids are fascinated by the fact that they are creating a ruffly dress. They enjoy playing with and displaying the dolls after.

In fact, they even come with little acrylic stands to display the princesses. And since they come with sticker jewelry there is even more crafting value.

How it went

I’ll be honest: most of the kids didn’t finish it. And a few even got a bit frustrated, though they were very determined to finish it. There were a couple of older kids (6-8 years old) there who really spend a very long time on it and finished the whole thing.

The age listed on the craft was 4+ and most of the kids were age 4.5 to 5. I tested it on A, who was the oldest in the group (besides for the two big kids) and she did fabulously. But… she’s a bit of an advanced crafter.

The kids loved it. Some asked to bring home their sticks and some extra fabric and finish it at home. Even the ones that just poked in a few were very proud of their work. It’s a bit harder to learn and a bit more fine-motor-skills focused, which is why we still love it. It’s a real fine motor challenge, and is great for pre-writing skills.

What we’d do different next time

So what would we change to make it more of a success?

The biggest thing is: I’d do it first. The kids need to be fresh, with all their patience intact to really enjoy this. We had chosen this as an extra time-filling project, but it really needs to be a main project. The kids need to have their focus and be shown properly how to do it.

On that note: another thing I’d change is to really walk around the room and one by one show the kids how to poke it by finding the hole and poking it in.

Two Fun Princess Party Crafts to Make

Here’s a quick breakdown of everything I purchased and included in these activities beyond the basic kits, as well as how we ran the workshops (I did have one teenage assistant to help).

For both crafts, we used acrylic bins and containers spread out on the table for the supplies. This way it’s fully contained, but kids can clearly see what’s inside each.

We also brought gallon sized Ziploc bags and a Sharpie, and immediately gave each kid a bag with their name on it to store the craft in.

Craft Number 1: Decorate your own crowns

Supplies Needed

• Base crowns
• Gems
• Foam shapes – only include very small ones

Process

1. Right when you get the crowns, test the elastic. Some were a bit loose. A bit of hot glue or a second in the sewing machine fixes it, but you’re best off doing that in advance rather than finding broken crowns at the party.

2. Stick on gems and foam bits! That is really all. Some kids worked within the frame work of the pattern on the crowns, and others totally ignored it.

Now kids can wear their princess crowns proudly!

Craft Number 2: Princess Poke Art

Supplies needed

• Princess poke art kit: note – we only used the princesses, and not the larger wraparound ones. Consider this when buying your kits.
• Extra sticks. They’re basically scratch art sticks – like a larger, thicker toothpick. The kit came with two – check your kit details.

Tutorial

1. Proper instruction is key with this princess party craft. Point out to kids how the holes have a center.

2. Kids should place the fabric over the hole, roughly centered. Show them this detail. It doesn’t need to be perfect but they should know that it should be over the three-prong shape in the middle of the fabric.

Then they need to poke it in that shape (they can see it through) all the way to the table.

3. They can keep going, playing with different colors until all the holes are filled – or as many as they’d like to fill.

4. They can finish it off with the jewelry and tiara stickers if they want. And then they can display it on one of the stands (or rather, take one home to display it with).

I hope you enjoyed these princess party crafts! Comment if you have any to add to the list.

The post 2 Fun Princess Party Crafts – DIY Gem Tiaras & Poke Art! appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

I’ve been sharing different ideas from A’s second birthday party over the past couple of years, and I wanted to sum it all up in one skimmable post so that you can see it at-a-glance!

Some of these farm party ideas already have their own dedicated posts, and for some I’m sharing it for the first time. If I’ve already written about it, it’s because I felt that I had so much to share on it, that I had to go over it more thoroughly. Those I’ll go over quickly now and link to the post for further exploration if you’d like to learn more.

The ones that I haven’t yet shared, I’ll be sharing in depth.

Farm Party Ideas for Decor

When setting the scene for your farm party, you can take a few different approaches. One of those is the cow print approach, another is a general farm theme. I primarily took the first approach as you’ll see below.

Color Scheme

One of the key ways to create an atmosphere with a party is to choose a good color scheme. For our farm party, I treated black and white cow print as its own color, and complemented it with solid pink and green.

This theme was repeated throughout – with all pink and greens representing as solids, and the only black and white being the cow print.

The impact was fantastic – it was cheerful, on-theme and fun enough for a toddler. And it looked fabulous enough for the adults in the room.

Here’s a quick overview, but you can learn more about our cow party decorations here.

Room Decor

More specifically, I set things in three layers: background, foreground, and table level.

• In the background, behind the table, we had lots of balloons. I got a mix of pink and green balloons, plus cow print latex balloons, and set the stage with those. A cow pennant banner hung between the balloons.
• Over the table, I had a big number two balloon. I get a 40 inch number balloon for each birthday to use as a milestone photo prop, and use it as decor as well. We also had two mylar cow balloons hanging on either side.
• And finally, in the foreground, we kept it simple with more cow-print pennants.

Notice how in the three tiers, the background had the most. This keeps the actual space where people are mingling uncluttered while still filling the room.

Table Settings

We continued the theme on the table with a cow print tablecloth serving as a backdrop for pink and green paper goods. I also got cow print napkins but those weren’t necessary.

And as a really cool final touch, a bouquet of pink roses with green leaves made the space feel festive and feminine.

Farm Party Food Ideas

While I don’t always theme food to the party, this theme was begging for appropriate foods! We focused on keeping things in a farm fresh theme, and it was a healthy, wholesome approach.

You can read more details about our farm party food ideas here, or check out y quick overview below.

Brunch

When I throw a younger kid’s party, we usually have lots of families who stay and mingle the whole day – kids and adults. It’s more the vibe of this type of party.

For that reason, I like to serve something that feels a bit more like a meal and can actually fill people.

We did lots of farm themed foods here, including:

• Deviled eggs
• Corn salad
• Romaine-based salad loaded with veggies
• Green veggie sticks (hot house cucumbers, celery, green beans) served upright in a dish to look like grass

Drinks

Some themed drinks include chocolate milk and orange juice, and while I don’t even remember if we served those, they are a fabulous idea as part of a brunch at a farm party.

Treats

Again, treats don’t need to be themed, but cow print cookies are totally easy if you are okay with them looking very homemade. Just use black cookie icing to make black splotches on a regular cookie. Chocolate chip cookies can also do the trick.

The cake topper

As usual, instead of a birthday cake, I crafted a cake topper that’s on theme. A cow print background and pink text was all we needed for this one. We stuck it into a babka because babkas are awesome.

Activities & Crafts Farm Party Ideas

I absolutely love setting up craft tables at parties. Kids LOVE coming home with something that they made and it gives them something to do. Even family get-togethers in our house usually have an independent craft table set up somewhere.

In fact, I love it so much, I started doing craft parties professionally! You can grab the full list of farm party activities here, or scroll through for the quick overview.

Puppet Making

I’m a big fan of paper puppets because they’re super easy to make (just color, cut out, and stick on a stick) and I designed this set special for this party. I put out crayons to accommodate the toddlers in the room, and placed double sided tape on the sticks in advance.

Stickers, Stickers, Stickers…

Toddlers do great with stickers, and older kids do too. I got some foam farm themed stickers as well as some build-a-farm-animal stickers to put out alongside sheets of plain paper. The kids spent time on it, and mixed it up with the crayons from the other activity too.

More Ideas

While I didn’t do it at this particular party, I also have some fun craft stick farm animals on the blog, as well as these farm puppets (just print, cut, assemble – no coloring) that can be included in your farm party ideas too.

Farm Party Favor Ideas

To finalize things for our farm party, let’s talk favors! I createdthese adorable cow favor bags that double as puppets. Of course, you can also just add spots to a white bag, or get cow print bags.

I try to put things that are as playable as possible in party favors. For this one, I got cow bracelets, cow bath toys (I’d ditch this next time), more of those build-an-animal stickers (big win) and circle farm animal stickers, plus cow shaped crayons.

It’s really easy to find favors for this theme so look for usable items you’d like to give, and find them in a farm theme.

Got any farm party ideas to add to the list? Comment below!

The post Farm Party Ideas – For a 2 Year Old’s Epic Birthday Party! appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

When I was a kid, I used to take piles of hair ties and loop them together different ways. I made all sorts of things with it – my favorite was actually bracelets. But when I saw braided hair tie headbands all over my social media feeds, I knew it was time to revisit that!

Today I’ll be sharing FOUR fun ways to make these braided hair tie headbands. You’ll see presented in the photos and tutorial and another one in the embedded video tutorial. I just ran out of hair ties so I had to dismantle one to show you the last style!

That’s what’s so cool about theses hair tie headbands. There’s no gluing – it’s just looping. They are addictive and relaxing to make. They are inexpensive and look so cute with the different braids you can assemble. And you can even repurpose the hair ties a limited number of times (they do stretch out eventually).

Trying different methods of making braided hair tie headbands

I played with a few different methods of looping these. I wanted to show you just how much you can do with just two supplies. Yes, that is all you need. Two supplies and you have some really cool headbands with literally nothing else – not even glue!

1. The basic braid – front and top

The basic braid is the one that you may have seen the most. It requires a very basic looping method, where each hair tie is looped through the one next to it. You can make the braid portion (that’s formed by the looping hair ties) face forward or face up. We turned ours upward but I actually think it looks pretty cute facing forward, especially on hair that has more texture or volume.

2. The Cobra Braid – 2 Color

The Cobra braid looks like the classic cobra knot that I showed on these Gimp bracelets. They form the “braid” on both the front on the back, and on top you have a zipper-type look just like a Cobra knot would form. I like doing it with two colors – and specifically two shades of a single color – but you can definitely bring in more colors!

3. The Three Color Layered Braid

This method works best with three colors. You want an odd number so that you can cross over to the other side and get that criss-cross effect. And more than three will need to stretch too far.

Do it by looping each one with the next color, positioned on the opposite side of the headband.

4. The 3 Color ZigZag Braid

This one is pictured in the video only – I didn’t have enough ponies and wanted to try the style above as well so I did dismantle this one.

It’s accomplished by placing the ponies in two directions and looping each one over the next consecutive one on the other side for a zigzag braided effect. I did it with three colors but it can be done with any numer.

The best supplies to use for braided hair tie headbands

While there is some flexibility in the materials you use to make braided hair tie headbands, here are some pointers and key features for success.

Your pony holders

Your ideal pony holder is a no-crease small sized cotton pony holder that’s thick. This gives you good coverage while allowing for a tight “braid”.

While you CAN play with others (especially for the layered braid) you’ll want it to have these qualities.

The base headband

The base headband should be a rigid headband with a bit of width. While you can use metal headbands for this, you’ll need to go for a nice, wide one. My ideal headband for this is a rigid plastic one. You can also use satin covered ones.

I don’t recommend using one with teeth. It’ll be harder to move things around if you need to, and you’re anyway covering the teeth.

How to make braided hair tie headbands step by step tutorials

Supplies needed

• 32-35 hair ties per headband
• Rigid headbands

Watch the video

Watch the full-length video on YouTube if you prefer to learn that way! Or scroll down for written instructions with photos. The video shows four ways, the photos show three.

Process Breakdown

Method 1: Basic Braided hair tie headband

1. Wrap your hair tie around the headband in the spot where you want your braid to start. The headband should not go through the hole – you’re folding the hair tie in half over the headband.

2. Pull one side through the loop formed at the other side.

3. Pull through till it’s tight.

4. Continue adding hair ties this way until you reach the end of where you want the braid to be. All hair ties should be in the same direction for this style.

5. Start “braiding.” Pull your second hair tie through the loop of the first.

6. Grab the third and pull it through the loop of the second.

7. Continue doing this until you pull the last one through the loop of the second to last.

8. Pull that one over the end of the headband to sit next to the rest of that pony. Your “braid” is complete.

9. I find that when I make this style, I naturally make it along the side of the headband. This can look cute – it’ll face front when worn. But you can also turn it to sit on top of the headband.

Your basic braided hair tie headband is complete!

Method 2: two-color Cobra braided headband

1. Start looping ponies onto the headband in the same way. Only this time you’re alternating between two colors and alternating directions.

2. Keep going until you’ve covered the area you want your “braid” to cover.

3. You’ll be connecting the loops the same way you did above, only this time you’ll be doing it one side/one color at a time.

Finish it off the same way too.

Your cobra-style braided hair tie headband is complete!

Method 3: The Three Color Layered Braid

1. On this one, you’re alternating directions again, but alternating between three colors.

2. Work one color at a time and loop only the same colors together, zigzagging across the headband. Keep in mind that the first color you “braid” will show the least, and the last one will show the most, so choose which colors you want to be the most and least dominant.

Your layered braided hair tie headband is complete!

I really hope you enjoyed watching how to make braided hair tie headbands using these three easy methods! It’s such a fun addictive craft – perfect for sleepover parties, birthday parties (no dry time!) and just everyday accessory making.

If you enjoyed this, you can check out this DIY tiara headband tutorial too!

The post Braided Hair Tie Headbands – 4 ways! appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

A’s big brothers often have sleepovers, so when we were looking for a theme for A’s fifth birthday, a “sleepover” theme was the perfect choice! This unslumber party (or “sleepunder” party) was an absolute hit and such an adorable party.

The primary activity as well as party favor was sleep mask decorating with kids – we made this easy sleep mask craft that doubled as a party favor too.

This is a hit both as a party craft but also as something for kids to make at home, at sleepaway camp, or anytime this is a fit!

The kids absolutely loved it. It was very engaging, and they spent much longer on it than anticipated. In fact, they spent so long on it that I didn’t even have time to do all the planned activities!

And they wore them for the rest of the party, and some kids even wore them to school the next day (the kids ranged from 4-5 years old).

In this post, I’ll be sharing with you how to make this sleep mask craft (which isn’t much of a tutorial – it’s self explanatory) but also my tips for decorating them with kids and setting it up as a party activity.

Tips for sleep mask decorating with kids at a party

This makes such a good party activity because:

• There’s no dry time
• It’s open-ended – kids can really be creative
• It’s special – it requires specific supplies that are more affordable in bulk and isn’t just another thing they can make at home any time
• It doubles as a part favor.

Activity Setup and Guidelines

I decided to get a stick-on varsity initial to make it special and personalized for each kid. Make sure to get enough letters for each participant (I needed two packs of initials). You can purchase letters individually.

I also got a big pack of stick-on gems. These stuck really well and did make for a semi-permanent application (kids can pull them off but they won’t come off on their own.)

When the kids arrived, they each had a plate set up with their name, a mask, and the initial on it. The gem sheets were scattered across the table. Be generous with your gems – I regret not getting two packs. They’re great for other crafts too and inexpensive, and that way kids have more choices.

I find that having an open-ended (unguided) craftivity set up for kids right when they arrive is a great way to warm them up for an at-home birthday party. It helps them jump right in when they’re stil feeling a little shy and makes them excited about what’s to come.

Since everything is effectively a sticker, the kids just jumped right in and got VERY busy. They did not need any instruction at all. They were hypnotized by the activity, dedicating themselves fully to blinging their sleep mask crafts.

Just a quick seating tip: I seated the two friends who weren’t in her class next to A and the classmates together, just to make things less intimidating for those two.

Make sure to have a sample on the table for kids to follow (the upside down w “M” one you see was my sample).

Sending them home as favors

Especially when the activity doubles as a favor like by this Dog Man party – but even when it’s just a craft-heavy party – I like to have bags prepared in advance with the kids’ names.

That way, as they complete their crafts, I can simply slip it into their bags. Most of the kids wore their masks after but I did get bags for them regardless. The masks came in bags, but most of them tore when I took the masks out so I recommend getting separate bags.

Each bag was prepared with this laser heart keychain, and two scrunchies, and had plenty of space for the sleep mask crafts and the bookmarks they created (which I’ll share at a later date).

When they finished decorating the masks, they went to the reading corner (again, I’m going to share all the details in a later post) and I collected any masks that were left behind to put in their labeled bags.

The sticker was a Canva design (the same one I used for the invitation), printed on sticker paper.

You can see that the favor bags and labels were really inexpensive. While the sleep mask craft was a bit pricier, it was balanced out by savings in other areas, AND it was both the primary entertainment and the primary favor.

More tips for making a sleep mask craft

Whether you’re crafting this at home, at camp, at a party, or for any other occasion, I figured I’d share some tips and tricks for making this.

Embellishments and ideas

The only embellishments we provided were:

• An adhesive initial per person
• Sheets of adhesive gems.

That WAS enough, but if you’d like to offer more, here are some more ideas. Some are suitable for parties, and some should only be done in a one-on-one crafting scenario.

• Adhesive shapes – many initial sets come with more chenille style stick-ons. Those can be fun too, but you’ll still only want 1-2 per person.
• Adhesive patches – again, unless doing this at home, stick with adhesive, but you can get loads of embroidered patches for a cool look.
• Glue-on gems – you can do larger glue-ons but again, you’ll need more supervision with this and it’s best for when you’re just crafting at home.
• Buttons – bigger kids can sew on fun buttons.
• Paint markers or fabric markers – kids can color and decorate their sleep masks. Just test the markers in advance of the activity.

Favorite occasions and themes to make this craft

IF you spotted this craft not for a specific occasion, but just while browsing, here are some fun times to make them, besides for an unslumber party!

• An actual sleepover party
• A sleepover with one or two friends – you can get more detailed if you have an adult handling the hot glue gun.
• A take-home activity at a larger gathering, such as a school event
• This is so cool as a get-to-know-you icebreaker at sleepover camp
• Or if you’re having an overnight for day camp
• It’s cool for pajama day at any school or camp

How to assemble this sleep mask craft

The assembly process is very basic, but you’ll enjoy seeing the kids actually putting theirs together!

Pay close attention to my guidelines for the materials to use.

You’ll need

• Sleep masks: good quality satin ones make a big difference, especially if it’s a party favor. HOWEVER, the ones I got were adult sizes and too big for preschoolers. I did run them through the sewing machine for a second to take in the elastic at the back. You can also get adjustable ones.
• Gems: get enough gems in a good mix of shapes to go around – at least 2-3 sheets per kid. You’ll have extras for another project, but you want the kids to be able to choose.
• Initials: one for each kid. Double names still got one.

Tutorial

1. Stick the initial in the center of the mask.

2. Decorate with gems.

That is all! No dry time, just stickers. The kids had a blast! I hope you enjoyed!

The post Sleep Mask Craft – Decorating with Kids appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

It’s amazing to me that I haven’t even finished sharing my daughter’s dress up party from last year (you can see our dress up station here) and I’m already working hard on sharing her next birthday – a sleepover party! I designed this heart keychain laser file as a fun and inexpensive party favor to hand out, however, I figured I need to share it in time for Valentine’s Day because it’s perfect for that!

These are so quick and easy to engrave, cut, and put together and they use inexpensive basswood plywood sheets. And yes, you can also use acrylic! But I’m getting ahead of myself – let’s go through the details of this heart keychain laser file so you’ll know how to use it well!

How to Use This Heart Keychain Laser File

Laser Cutting them

These are designed for laser engraving and cutting. I used myLaserPecker LX2 – my full-sized Diode laser engraver. You can read my full review of the LaserPecker LX2 here and of course, I’ll share full tips for how to do it below. Use code momsandcrafters at checkout at LaserPecker’s shop for an extra 5% off your machine!

Ultimately, laser engraving these gives you a ready-to-go result. You just pull them off the engraver, assemble them in minutes, and you have a finished product. It’s the best way – but not the only way to use this heart keychain laser file.

Cricut Crafting Variations

You CAN Cricut craft these! If you have a Maker, use the knife blade to cut it from wood. You can use a pen to draw the design right onto wood (I share how to do this in this or balsa wood Cricut tutorial). The design an outline so it’ll go over the whole thing twice – which will make it nice and bold.

Cricut cutting wood is quite inefficient but doable, so definitely opt for a laser if you can!

Some more ideas for how to Cricut craft this heart keychain laser file:

• Engrave leather bookmarks with the details, and cut them from leather. You may want to mirror the design as well to make it two-sided for added sturdiness.
• Cut the design from vinyl and attach them to round acrylic keychain blanks. You can make a two layer design with the details. You will need to remove the hole.
• Slice the details from the base design and make it from vinyl on a keychain blank. You’ll once again need to remove the hole.
• Same as the above – but try it from stiff felt and glue it onto a wooden keychain base.
• Engrave the design using your Cricut on an acrylic keychain blank (learn how to engrave acrylic on the Cricut here.)

There are so many ways you can use this heart SVG – you’ll just need to be a bit more creative!

More ways to finish them off

I added tassels that actually came with my acrylic keychain blanks to these. They are simple leatherette tassels – and yes, you can make your own leather tassels too!

Some more ways to finish this off and make it polished:

• Paint the wood before cutting and engraving. Use basic acrylic paint. I kind of regret not doing this.
• You can stain and/or seal your keychains after as well. If painting, use a thin wash and make sure it doesn’t fully color the insets.
• Leave it unfinished and let recipients color it themselves with paint markers (this is great if you’re making this for a party!)
• Use fun colorful keychains.
• Add hanging beaded charms to the keychians.

I made this on a whim with what I had but you can absolutely craft it cooler than I did!

Cutting this Heart Keychain Laser File on a Laser Engraver

I used my LaserPecker LX2 to engrave and cut these and I have so many tips for how you can do this. I used this laser as the best suited for the job, because it has a large bed, and as a gantry laser, you get good smooth cuts. In addition, the air assist feature helps minimize charring that often happens on wood.

Which type of laser can cut these?

Any Diode, CO2, or UV laser can cut wood. If crafting from acrylic, Diode lasers work beautifully on many shades of red and pink (read: which colors acrylic can a Diode laser cut for more tips on doing this).

A gantry style laser (the kind with a large bed and a module that moves around on a track) is better suited to cutting jobs than a galvo (the more compact kind where the laser moves around using mirrors – like the LaserPecker LP5 I reviewed here) because you get a straight-down cut, vs. the angled cut on a galvo.

It’s small enough that you CAN cut it on galvo lasers, and there are no parts that need to fit together. So it’ll cut very nicely on both types, although more efficiently on a gantry.

More cutting tips and tricks

While I made some mistakes on earlier rounds and did better on later rounds, I figured I’d offer you feedback on how to better cut this. If you’re new to laser engraving, I recommend you read my tips and guide for engraving wood with a laser where I share so much advice.

Meanwhile, here are some pointers:

• Score don’t engrave – on my earlier ones, I engraved the design. On later ones, I scored it. This moved so much faster and made a better line, while still retaining all the detail. Since the details are quite fine, it didn’t look outlined.
• Air assist – I sometimes forget to turn on air assist. If you have that feature, it can get you such a fabulous, clean finish, without charring.
• Secure your wood – If cutting multiples, it’s always worth taping or clamping down the wood you’re working with, just in case it shifts.
• Paint first – as I mentioned above, I regretted not adding a couple of coats of paint to the wood before cutting and engraving.
• Mask your wood – If you don’t have air assist, masking the wood with masking tape sheets first can help get you a cleaner cut. You may need to adjust your settings a bit to get the result you want through the tape.

How to make your keychains using the Heart Keychain Laser File SVG

This tutorial is based very specifically on how I crafted it. Of course, adjust for any of the variations I shared above.

Supplies Needed

• 3mm Basswood Sheets
• Laser Engraver (I used the LaserPecker LX2)
• Keychains
• Pliers
• Tassels

Process

1. Upload your file to your laser software and resize it to the size you want. Set the outline and hole to cut. Set the internal design to score.
2. Prep your wood as needed, load your wood, preview, and make sure that your environment is safe – properly ventilated, no laser light leak, etc. Engrave and cut your wood.
3. Remove your cutouts. Attach a tassel and keychain.

Your heart keychains are complete! I hope you enjoy this FREE heart keychain laser file and SVG!

Download your free heart keychain laser file

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Our four-year-old, one-and-only girl among boys is such a little Diva (so much for nurture vs. nature) that we just HAD to throw her a fancy dress-up party for her 4th birthday!

It was SUCH a fun and easy idea that pretty much planned itself – I honestly was not in the mood for going all out there. It was much more shopping (add to cart) than crafting, although we did craft a little.

And the coolest part of it is that it wasn’t consumables – a lot of things we still have to pull out as needed!

One of the biggest hits of the party was the dress-up station. This was essentially a table with different spots that partygoers could dress up in. We focused more on things that are easy to throw on over clothing, and kept things fancy. A still loves playing with all the elements, and some of them even still serve as toys for her.

I’m going to take you through the dress-up station bit by bit. I recommend starting with what you already have (if you do) and then filling in. I’m going to share links to what we used as much as possible, but if you have a dollar store near you, DEFINITELY hit that up too!

The Dress Up Station Signs

Did I mention that I was not in the mood and keeping things easy? Yet still, I decided to illustrate some dress-up station signs for no good reason at all. But the good news is that you can just use mine – no extra decorating needed.

About the Signs

The signs were digitally illustrated by me (that’s when you actually draw it with a stylus, but instead of on paper, you do it in your device. So it’s “hand drawn” but digitally.)

I kept things feeling playful and artsy with hand-drawn chalk/crayon finishes.

The signs are letter-sized in their full-size format; however, you can also treat them as a photo and print them two to a page (half-size). I did that. You simply use your photo printer software (on Windows: select all, right click, more options, and print… It’ll open the photo viewer where you can choose size, layout.)

I laminated them so that they can stay intact for the duration of the party.

Get the signs

This is a premium download, available in my shop or on Etsy. Your purchase helps keep this blog alive and the tutorials coming.

Setting up the Dress Up Station

I set the party up on a table. There are so many other ways that you can do this. You can have a series of card tables with a basket for the larger things. You can have a clothing rack for the larger items. But I did it on a folding table, so I’ll share my ideas for that.

Basic Setup Supplies

Hopefully, you have some of these in-house already, but I’ve linked recommendations for those you don’t. Even if you need to stock some of these, they’re mostly basics you’ll want to have around anyway!

• A folding table (or two)
• A mirror metallic tablecloth to set the vibe
• For ambiance, I used a mini LED lamp – it’s cordless – a must for this setup! This style looks so chic and fashion-forward. You can plan better (I did it on a whim) and tack on decorative trim temporarily.
• The signs (print them here), laminated (optional but recommended)
• Dress up stuff, which I’ll list below!
• Optional: I kind of regretted not pulling out some acrylic organizers to bundle things together and keep them neater!

Putting it Together

Cover your table with the metallic tablecloth. Add the light in the center. This gave it a fancy dressing room vibe.

You’re going to create zones for each thing. Start by laying out your signs, guesstimating which categories need how much space.

Lay out relevant items around the signs neatly, laying them out in rows. I do recommend having acrylic containers to put things together, like the necklaces, bracelets, sunglasses, tiaras, gloves, etc. Acrylic won’t take away from the super glam look – it’ll just add to it.

Invite everyone to come and dress up!

Not shown: I also have a bonus basket with additional tutus and costume props. I added some slightly less fancy, more boy-friendly costume accessories there, too – they didn’t fit with the aesthetic, but I wanted everyone to feel comfortable grabbing a costume!

Some boys attending were good sports and did humor the birthday princess and pile on that bling!

Section-by-Section Breakdown of our dress-up station

Here’s the list of what we had out. Some we had, most we bought. I recommend starting with what you have, hitting up the (used to be) Dollar Store, and even Temu for what you can find for cheap!

Tip: Allow guests to bring home the cheaper items that you don’t need so much of in lieu of party favors. I’ll outline below what I sent home with guests. I’ll also point out that my nieces were in attendance and I passed on some duplicates to them, too :).

Get Dressed Up

We mainly put tutus and fairy wings in this category. We did have a few additional princess dresses and tutus in a basket nearby as well.

Accessorize

The accessories category possibly had the most. We had filled crown headbands (which my daughter has been enjoying since), tiaras, and crowns. We put both cardboard glasses and fun kids’ sunglasses, which she’s also been loving since.

We tossed in a few fun pairs of fancy dress gloves, some masks, and even a few hair extension headbands in fun colors!

Add Some Bling

We totally could have done more with the bling, but what we put out was still a huge hit. For bracelets, I just put out a lot that I had made recently.

You can also get piles of stretch bracelets, plastic bangles (or even cheap metal bangles) that people can then take home – or you can enjoy them after!

We also put out piles of Mardi Gras beads – these participants should definitely go home with! and I got a tray of rings, which we shared some of, but A is still enjoying what was left.

Do Your Nails

And finally, one of the biggest hits of the dress-up station: Do your nails! We put out a kids’ nail polish set with loads of colors and a nail dryer.

This was a party with parents – all the guests were family friends and family. I told the parents about this in advance so that they can be on top of it.

If you’re doing this without parents present and want to have a place to do nails, I recommend having someone in charge of doing it rather than just setting it out. It really made things so much fun, but it does require supervision, and you’ll have enough on your hands.

I hope you enjoyed hearing all the details of our dress-up station at A’s party! If you have any to add – just comment below! Just a reminder, you can get the signs here.

The post Dress Up Station – Birthday Party Activity appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

When I designed baby J’s one cake topper SVG, I actually put together a few styles. I chose the one that said “one” for that event, and laser cut it from plywood as I had planned.

But then, for A’s fourth birthday, I decided to make this Happy Birthday cake topper! The number on the balloon is added externally, so that you can do it for any age group. I’ll share more details below.

Get the Happy Birthday Cake Topper SVG files

This is a premium download, available in my shop and on Etsy. Your purchase helps keep this blog alive and the tutorials coming.

About the Happy Birthday cake topper

The party theme

A’s fourth birthday was done in a dress-up theme. She’s a fancy dress kind of girl, so we made a fancy dress kind of party!

While I did not go with a solid color scheme, I did incorporate lots of gold, pink, and other metallics, just because she loves that. So I crafted the cake topper in those colors.

I also added some pearl beads in the form of a “pearl necklace” pennant banner on the bottom to fit with the theme.

Why cake toppers?

We have a family tradition that is relatively new to have a “birthday babka” instead of a birthday cake. It’s just that babkas are delicious – much yummier than birthday cake, much cheaper than birthday cake, and look pretty with a cake topper!

The simple babka really lets the topper shine.

Cake toppers really “crown off” a cake, and allow you to incorporate a theme without getting a custom cake (or making one yourself).

I like toppers because I’m more of a crafter than a cake decorator, so if you’re the same way, you may prefer it too.

Crafting the Happy Birthday cake topper

While I did not record a proper tutorial (this is a “make it to suit YOUR event kind of craft), here are some general crafting guidelines.

Materials you can use

Wood is one of my favorite materials to use for cake toppers. However, I decided to make this one from cardstock so that I can use my Cricut to cut it.

I chose glitter cardstock and metallic poster to go with the theme. If you’re making yours from cardstock, definitely use straws or skewers as the sticks – don’t rely on the spokes in the template. But your file does have spokes in case you’re using acrylic and want it to be in one piece.

Assembling the basics

Your file comes in a few layers, ready to cut however you’d like. I used a hot glue gun to connect the parts, and straws to place it in the cake.

When sending the file to your machine to cut (whether it’s a laser cutter or blade cutter like I used), you can add and attach, or slice elements to the balloon. Type the number of the birthday, add a first initial, or even try attaching a name to the bottom of the “Happy Birthday” portion.

Making it your own

You’ll want to tie your Happy Birthday cake topper into the party theme. Choose papers to match. For me, it was going all glam with the fancy dress theme.

You can choose patterned scrapbook paper to match your theme, and include it only on the smaller parts. For example, get leopard print paper for a safari theme and use it on the balloon only. Then use it in more of your party decorations too.

If you’d like, you can also dangle a banner, like I enjoy doing on my cake toppers. Try a beaded banner or a pennant-style one. On this one, I used glass pearls to give it a dress-up vibe.

If you haven’t yet, you can download the Happy Birthday cake topper right here!

The post Happy Birthday Cake Topper appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

I love throwing affordable and doable birthday parties for my kids, and for that reason, I often do a lot of themed parties. I try for those where I can DIY the theme as much as possible, or those with easy dollar store decorations, but sometimes a kid wants a party that is just such a good idea – but I need to do or buy a little more than I’d like.

When Y asked for an art themed birthday party for his eighth, it was just such a good idea! M had asked for a dog man birthday party for the same, and while that was super cool too, I was a bit over all these characters…and it lent itself to such good activities.

It’s also unusual to see a boy ask for an art themed party, it’s more of a girl theme, for no good reason, so I was happy to be able to meet this challenge and throw more diverse art party ideas into the world.

And yes, it lent itself to some fabulous activities. But for the art party decoration ideas, I did have to be a bit more creative. And since I was on a serious time crunch on the prep end of things, I had to just go ahead and buy things.

This actually might be the last “real” party he’s had, where he invites his whole class for a bit themed bash. It was so overwhelming (though it was quite a success) that I decided that I might be getting too old to keep entertaining large classes of young boys.

I started making an offer to my kids: they can choose from a large class-wide party in the house (like this was) or a day off of school with me! Yes, I spend a whole day with them. Y just celebrated his 9th birthday (I’m late writing this) and chose the day off. We went to the Lego store to choose his birthday gift, went out for Sushi, went thrift shop hopping, and went to the grocery together so that he can pick out snacks for a small at-home celebration (unthemed) with family.

It was really nice. So birthday parties definitely have their place, especially for younger kids, but we’re phasing them out for the older set – unless they choose otherwise!

Art Party Table Decoration Ideas

My first thing to do with every party is to choose a color scheme. I usually like to keep the palette relatively simple (like I did for baby J’s neutral first birthday party and Y’s 7th video game party). Withthis I totally failed, and in part because I didn’t DIY it all.

It’s therefore not quite picture perfect. I’m sharing anyway, because I might as well share valuable feedback, better strategy, and what you can do to make it better.

In addition, because we had a crawler in the house, I outlawed the usual balloons that set the scene.

My best birthday party decorating tip: pick up some balloon ribbon, balloons in the simple color scheme of your party, and a hand pump and you’ll create a cheerful party spirit on a budget, filling the space with the decor.

Instead, to set the art party theme, I set the table initially with a “spilling paint bucket”. This is done by taking a small garbage pail (or specially purchase an empty paint can) and some colored tablecloths spread out to look like paint in primary colors.

This created a really cool effect that filled the space on the table.

I used coordinating primary color tableware – plastic cups, flatware, etc. but then I went ahead and purchased adorable paint palette plates!

This already broke from the simple color scheme. I also realized quite quickly that I needed some more decor to take the place of balloons…

The hanging decorations

I could have gone with streamers, I could have gotten a mylar balloon banner, but no, I had to complicate things further…. So I went ahead and purchased from Amazon a paint party decorating pack in completely the wrong colors…

Now, had I started with that, I would have matched the table stuff to it, but I didn’t…

Anyway, it was fun and easy, and allowed me to fill the room a bit, with minimal effort. Just don’t ask how long it took us to take those decorations off our light fixture…

More art party decoration ideas around the house

Again, I have more art party decoration ideas to share from around the house, that you might do better to coordinate and stick with a great color scheme.

Just because my overall look wasn’t perfect, doesn’t mean the ideas themselves weren’t great.

Paint Splatters All Over

One cool idea that I partially implemented and could have done fully for a cooler effect was to cut paint splatters (using a Cricut or by hand) out of removable vinyl. I put some on the floor right where kids entered and they were fooled by it for a second.

You can do this all over – on walls, etc. But just make sure to test it first to make sure it’ll come off nicely.

The games double as decor

Lots of the activities really can double as decor. For example, our huge “pin the paint splat on the palette” served as a poster as well.

The same went for our “the floor is lava” game (see all these art party activities here.)

The Number Balloon

A new tradition we have is to get a 40 inch number balloon for each birthday to photograph the kid next to.

It’s a great way to take “milestone” photos beyond the baby ones, and to track their growth relative to something consistent in size.

Got any art party decoration ideas to add to the list? Comment below!

The post Art Party Decoration Ideas appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Today I’m sharing the next post in a series featuring the different things I made for Baby Jay’s first birthday party! First, I shared a DIY felt birthday crown for babies and then I shared a 1st birthday photo garland that was so meaningful.

I’m all about the garlands, and this one is great for any birthday party. In fact, once you learn how to make tassels from tissue paper, you won’t want to stop! It’s such an affordable and easy party decor idea that’s classy too.

Tissue paper comes in virtually any color of the rainbow, which means that you can match a tissue paper tassel garland to basically any party you’re planning. And since you get at least two tassels per sheet of tissue paper, it’s affordable to make too. A little bit goes a long way!

I made these 2-4 to a sheet of tissue paper. You can make full sheet tissue paper tassels and cluster them together hanging individually from string at different heights instead.

You can also make these as graduation decor, whether you’re making jumbo graduation caps or just looking for themed decor!

Try making these as holiday decor too, in whichever colors you’re decorating for the holidays. You’ll even be able to use the leftover tissue paper for wrapping gifts!

For Baby Jay’s birthday, I stuck to a beige and sage green color scheme, with some gold touches. I did a soft “grow with me” theme. By soft, I mean the theme, not just the colors. I didn’t make the theme “in your face” – it just seemed appropriate to accompany the “watch me grow” banner with gentle botanicals.

I always like to layer my garlands, and this one goes fabulously with flower pom poms from tissue paper, sewn paper garlands, and even a fabulous happy birthday banner!

What you’ll need

• Tissue paper sheets in your party theme colors. How many you need depends on how big you’re making them, but you can definitely make two from a sheet.
• Scissors
• Good quality washi tape
• Twine or ribbon to string up a garland

Watch the YouTube Video

Watch the full-length video on YouTube if you prefer to learn that way! Or scroll down for written instructions with photos.

How to make tassels from tissue paper

We’re going to be making two tassels at a time.

1. Take a sheet of tissue paper and fold it in half the long way – it’s probably the way it came packaged. Cut it in half on this fold.

2. Stack both halves, and then fold them in half the long way.

3. Fold in half the other way, shortening the length.

4. You can fold it again the same way to shorten it further, so you’ll need to make fewer cuts.

5. One side should have all folds and one should have all open ends.

Cut fringe into the side with all open ends.

Leave about an inch from the top (at the fold) to form a loop at the end. How wide you make your fringe depends on your preference, but don’t leave it too wide – it won’t look nice. Too narrow and you’ll accidentally be cutting fringe off.

Cut fringe like this all the way across.

6. Unfold your fringed tassel.

7. Unfold it the other way and separate the two sheets.

8. Make sure your tissue paper is on your work surface with the wrong side face up. Fold it in half so that you have fringe on the right and the left. This step isn’t strictly necessary but it makes the next step easier.

9. Start rolling up your fringed tissue paper from the bottom until you reach the end.

10. Hold it in the center.

And then twist the center to secure it.

11. Fold the center into a loop.

12. Secure the loop around both sides of your tassel with washi tape.

13. String the tassels into a garland.

You’ve successfully learned how to make tassels from tissue paper! What will you be using yours for? Comment below!

DIY Tassel Garland from Tissue Paper

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Difficulty: Beginner

Print

Materials

• Tissue paper sheets in your party theme colors.
• Scissors
• Good quality washi tape
• Twine or ribbon to string up a garland

Instructions

We're going to be making two tassels at a time.

1. Take a sheet of tissue paper and fold it in half the long way - it's probably the way it came packaged. Cut it in half on this fold.

2. Stack both halves, and then fold them in half the long way.

3. Fold in half the other way, shortening the length.

4. You can fold it again the same way to shorten it further, so you'll need to make fewer cuts.

5. One side should have all folds and one should have all open ends.

Cut fringe into the side with all open ends.

Leave about an inch from the top (at the fold) to form a loop at the end. How wide you make your fringe depends on your preference, but don't leave it too wide - it won't look nice. Too narrow and you'll accidentally be cutting fringe off.

Cut fringe like this all the way across.

6. Unfold your fringed tassel.

7. Unfold it the other way and separate the two sheets.

8. Make sure your tissue paper is on your work surface with the wrong side face up. Fold it in half so that you have fringe on the right and the left. This step isn't strictly necessary but it makes the next step easier.

9. Start rolling up your fringed tissue paper from the bottom until you reach the end.

10. Hold it in the center.

And then twist the center to secure it.

11. Fold the center into a loop.

12. Secure the loop around both sides of your tassel with washi tape.

13. String the tassels into a garland.

You've successfully learned how to make tassels from tissue paper! What will you be using yours for? Comment below!

Did you make this project?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

The post How to Make Tassels from Tissue Paper appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Try one of my favorite birthday party decorating hacks at your next event: buy a pack of tissue paper in colors to match your party decor, and see how many decorations you can make with it!

Today, I’m going to show you how to make flower pom poms from tissue paper – and yes, I have more coming.

I made these for Baby J’s first birthday party, which had a neutral theme, with forest and sage green, beige, and gold – and hints of eucalyptus.

How to make any size flower pom poms from tissue paper

These tissue paper pom poms take minutes to assemble the base for, and since it’s one of those things that still require a lot of assembly after purchasing (they come accordion folded and flat), you might as well buy them! Tissue paper comes in a wider variety of colors than the pom poms, so you can really match up anything while saving a few bucks and making an impact!

This is the kind of decoration that really fills a room, kind of like balloons, only without the danger of popped balloons floating around your one-year-old’s house after!

And the coolest part: you can make them in virtually any size!

My tutorial shows how to make half-sheet flower tissue paper pom poms. You can make whole sheet ones – just use more layers. Do quarter-sheet ones with fewer layers.

You get my drift!

Mine are hung at various heights at either side of a garland (tutorial coming soon) to really frame out a room.

Where to use your tissue paper pom poms

We used this at a first birthday party for a soft but neutral look. More ideas for where to include tissue paper pom poms in your decor:

• Baby shower – this is so perfect for that because of how soft and calming they are
• Bridal shower
• Kids party – while balloons might be more fun, getting these in the right colors can fill that same spirit
• Dorm room – if you’re looking for fun, cheap decor for your bedroom or dorm room, these are a fabulous choice.

How to make flower pom poms from tissue paper – Step by Step

You’ll need

• Tissue paper to match your party
• Scissors
• String
• A marker
• A ruler

Video Tutorial

Watch the YouTube video below for a step-by-step tutorial, or scroll down for photos.

Photo/Written Tutorial

1. Take four sheets of tissue paper, and fold them in half (how they’re usually packaged). Cut off that fold line near the edge so you have eight sheets.

2. Place the stack vertically on a flat surface. Start from the bottom. Accordion fold your tissue paper with about 3/4 inch folds.

4. Use a bone folder to smooth the creases as you go along and when you reach the end.

5. Shape your edges. You can definitely play with different shapes! On your first try, I recommend cutting a pointy edge by cutting off the corners. On this one, I did a rounded end.

6. Mark the center. This won’t show and can be permanent.

7. Cut a long piece of string – 2x the length you want it to hang, plus about 6 inches. At the halfway point of the string, fold it in half, and slide the fold under the center point of the folded tissue paper.

8. Slide your string ends through that loop and pull it closed.

9. Wrap the two sides of your string around that center and knot them together.

10. Fan out the sides of your accordion fold to form a bow.

11. Gently peel back a layer at a time, fluffing it out. Do this for half your layers on the right and left sides.

12. Flip over and repeat with the remaining layers.

You’ve successfully learned how to make flower pom poms from tissue paper for your next party! Now try it in more colors and with different edges!

Hang it from that long bit of string you left behind.

Which occasion did you decide to learn how to make flower pom poms from tissue paper for? comment below!

The post How to Make Flower Pom Poms from Tissue Paper appeared first on Moms and Crafters.