Easy Pineapple Garland DIY

A few weeks ago, I did a Michael's party supplies haul and I picked up some awesome tropical party supplies! Did you see those decorative straw balls and wonder what they can be used for? Well, wonder no more! I've created a super cute and super easy tutorial for a pineapple garland made from those kooky straw balls you see everywhere. The best part? This is a super easy and super affordable project that anyone can do! 

*Contains affiliate links

 For this project, you will need:

Spray paint (here)
Green felt (here)
Faux Suede cord (here)
Straw balls (similar here)
Tweezers
Scissors (here)
Glue gun 

Step 1: Spray paint the balls yellow. You can also use paint but it's harder to get the inside of the balls

Step 2: Cut pineapple toppers out of the green felt. To do this, I cut a long rectangle out of the felt, then cut 2 triangles out the middle. Finally, I angled the sides so that it was long and narrow. This helps you have enough surface area to glue it down. 

Step 3: Find the front of the ball by picking the part that looks most oval. Be sure there is a good spot to glue the topper on. 

Step 4: Put a thin line of glue on the ball and place the topper on. Hold a few seconds until it dries. 

Step 5: Thread the faux suede through the ball in the area near the topper. Use tweezers to carefully pull the end through the holes. 

Step 6: Hang up and enjoy!

This is a super cute and easy DIY project that's perfect for summer. I think this project would also be adorable if you made the pineapples in all kinds of colors too! 

Dying to make more garlands? Check out my Pinterest board! 

TGIF 90's Themed Slumber Party

Thank God it's Friday, amirite guys?! Fridays have always been one of my favorite days of the week, but I think they were better back in the 90's. You know, back when you were in school and Fridays meant you didn't have to come home and immediately do homework so you felt like a real kid? And what was the best part of Fridays? Watching TGIF and having sleepovers! I remember disliking any Friday evening plans that interfered with watching my favorite shows on TGIF. Didn't these people understand that I had to know if Sabrina discovered the Spellman Family Secret?! 

*This post contains affiliate links.

To recreate some of the magic (hah, see what I did there?) I decided to throw a 90's TGIF themed slumber party. This party is chock-full of the fun stuff you were obsessed with as a 90's tween, therefore generating the maximum amount of nostalgia. 

Sleepovers are more fun with friends, but if you want to do it alone and binge watch Boy Meets World while eating Cosmic brownies and guzzling kool-aid, I won't judge you. I'll probably be doing the same thing! 

Since sleepovers mean staying awake until the sun comes up, you have to make some sleep masks to be able to get some beauty rest. They're super easy to do with this tutorial by Aww, Sam.

Another thing we loved to do at slumber parties was talk about boys. Since we were way too shy to actually talk to the boys we liked, MASH was extremely helpful in discovering which one was destined to become our husband. There was nothing better than laughing with friends as we predicted the future together- even if it meant that we would live in a shack with that guy in class that picked his nose. 

I loved taking quizzes to find out which tv character I was most like. I was also intrigued by these cootie catcher fortune things, so I combined them into one SUPER handy apparatus. Because how can you consider your slumber party a success unless you know if you are more like Feeny or Topanga? 

I've also created this handy shopping list so that you'll be sure to have the full TGIF menu.

And this handy dandy banner to spice up your life. To make the pompom garland, all you need is a needle and some embroidery floss. Easy peasy!

I also HAD to make this Dunkaroos recipe from Eat Yourself Skinny!

Every slumber party needs a goodie bag! How amazing are these pouches from Target's dollar section?! They're so very 90's. What goes in these beauty pouches? Bonne Belle chapstick, roll-on glitter, a mani-pedi kit, stationary, and ring pops, duh.

Want to up the ante? Try some of these awesome tutorials! 

90’s Pun Valentines because we always LOVED cutting things out of magazines and making collages.

Barbie Pushpins and Pink Corkboard so your desk can be awesome too!

Spice Girls Rainbow Spa Slumber Party so you can pamper yourself AND spice up your life in the process!

Polly Pocket Iron On Tee which comes with FREE printables! Just have everyone bring a t-shirt.

Don't forget your inflatable chair!

Looking for more party ideas? Check out my party inspiration Pinterest board!

What was your favorite part of sleepovers? I've gotta know! Is it crafting, makeovers, movies, eating!? Let me know in the comments below.

Party Supplies Haul- Michael's

Can I be honest? Sometimes I just don't have the time or desire to go to every single store in search of the perfect party supplies. There- I said it! To prove that you don't have to go all around town shopping, I've created a new series where I'll be showcasing my favorite party finds with one-stop shopping. And the best part? It doesn't even necessarily have to be a party supplies store to provide you with a complete set of adorable party supplies!

Party Supplies Haul

First up in this series is Michaels. For all intents and purposes, Michaels is a craft store. You'd usually go there for craft supplies, seasonal decor, and baking/cake making supplies. Lately, however, they've been branching out and offering much more home decor, party supplies, and even gifts! The bonus of shopping at Michael's is that you can find some easy DIY projects to go along with your theme. 

Scope Out:

Dollar section by the register
Party supplies section
Clearance aisle
Seasonal decor (often has sales!)
Featured collections

The Loot:

Drink napkins
Appetizer plates
Paper fans
Decorative straws
Fancy disposable utensils
Banners
Straw balls
Snow cone cups
Wrapping paper

Dream up a Theme: 

Hawaiian Luau
Ladies' Happy Hour
Tropical Oasis
Mexican Fiesta
Sunny Palm Springs
Tropical Rainforest

Level Up:

Tropical Pineapple Margarita by Whole and Heavenly Oven
Pineapple Boat with Sorbet by The House That Lars Built
Pineapple Honeycombs
Flamingo Pinata 
Pineapple Cups

Psst! Hosing a Mexican Fiesta? Check out my Pinterest Board for more ideas!

Be sure to follow my Party Inspiration Pinterest Board for TONS of fun party ideas!

So, what do you think? What's your favorite place for party supplies?

Wedding Wednesdays- Just 14 more months!

Welcome to Wedding Wednesdays! Once a month I'll be doing an update to show where we are in the wedding planning process and hopefully give some advice along the way. 

I have some AMAZING news this week that I can't wait to share!

Date and Location- chosen!

We have chosen a date for our wedding! Ahh! We decided on Labor Day weekend 2017, and will be getting married in Hawley, PA, just a few hours away from home. This is a huge sigh of relief. We decided to do a "weekend away" type of thing so that we could have more time to spend with our family and friends. Weddings seem to fly by, so it'll be great to be able to actually chat with everyone before and after the wedding!

Wedding Website- Started 

I chose Squarespace to create our wedding website.  It's also what I use for my blog site, and I can't recommend it enough! It's so easy to use, even for a tech challenged gal like myself.

Wedding Theme- Formulating

I have narrowed down the wedding theme I think that I want to use and have started pinning some ideas on my secret Wedding Ideas board. I'm super excited about the direction it's going, but I don't want to finalize a theme until I pick my dress.

Engagement Party "Thank You" cards- Sent

This was an outstanding task on my to-do list that I am happy to say I completed. Since my fiance writes like a child (hah!), he didn't want to hand-write any of the cards and so I had to do them all.

Needs to get done:

Save the Dates- Now that we have a date, I'd like to let everyone else know about it! I'm hoping to get these planned out so I can send them by the end of the summer so people can start saving up for the resort.

Wedding Dress- Trying on wedding dresses has been one of the most fun and most terrible things. There are so many gorgeous dresses out there, but I don't feel like any of them speak to me. I've liked 2 so far, but something holds me back from making a decision. I'm thinking that means there's an even greater one out there for me, but it doesn't make the process any less stressful! I want a fancier dress so I look like the bride, but at the same time I'm having trouble envisioning these dresses as anything other than wedding dresses. I feel like I stepped out of a catalog, and I want a dress that doesn't just look nice, but also makes me feel special.

Vendors research- We need to start researching vendors in the area so that we can make decisions on who we would like to use for our photographer, florist, DJ, etc. I'm also hoping that we can afford a videographer so that we can watch our wedding "tape" with our kids for years to come.

Well, this is a pretty short update but I'm sure as time progresses I will have WAY more to say about this stuff.

Be sure to check out my Colorful Wedding Ideas Pinterest board for more wedding ideas and party planning tips!

Are you getting married? What's the #1 thing you're focusing on?

Nautical Notecard Birthday Banner Tutorial

This weekend, I went into Michaels on a mission to find some cute party supplies and projects. When I saw these ADORABLE note cards in their dollar section, I couldn't resist getting them! They're part nautical, part 4th of July, and 100% perfect for summer. I made them into a birthday banner that can also double for Independence Day, and can be kept up all summer long. This is a quick and easy DIY you can make in just minutes, for only $6! Any note cards can be used for this tutorial, but I think you should run on over to Michael's and grab a set of these before they run out!

*Contains affiliate links

How cute are these cards on their own as well?! Each pack comes with 5 cards of the same design, so even after you've made your banner, you can send some fun notes to your friends or use them as invitations. And the best part? Each pack is only $1.50!

And now, onto the directions!

For this project, you'll need:
Notecards (similar here)
Paper Cutter (similar here)
Scissors (here)
Ribbon or Twine (here)
3-Hole Punch (here)
Shaped Paper Punches (similar here)
Tape

Step 1: Unfold your note card and cut off the back, making sure to cut before the fold to create a nice smooth surface. I prefer to use a paper cutter for this instead of scissors to ensure a straight line.

Step 2: Take the back of the card and cut off the excess paper around the drawing, making sure to leave enough of a border to create an even circle.

Step 3: Using your round paper punch, center the drawing and cut it out. I used a 2-inch circle punch for this.

Step 4: Using a handheld hole punch, make a small hole at the top of your circular drawings. If you don't have a handheld one, use your 3-hole punch. Just be sure to remove the hole "catcher" if yours has one so that you can flip it over to center the hole.

Step 5: Let's get back to the front of the card. Using your 3-hole punch, line up the card to make two even holes. Repeat for all the cards.

Step 6: Weave the notecards onto the ribbon, passing the string through the back to create a clean design in the front. Alternate between the circular drawings and the notecards in an appealing pattern.

BONUS: If you want to get even more fun out of your cards, punch some small circles and stars out of the back of the cards and tape them onto twine for a playful garland!

And that, mateys, is how you make an awesome nautical birthday banner for only $6!

Hung up on the need for more banner tutorials? Be sure to check out my Garlands and Banners board on Pinterest!

How do you plan to use your banner? Tag me in your Instagram photos!