Paper Scraps and Crafts {Party Ideas and Decoration Inspiration}

We always have tons of paper and ribbon scraps leftover from all out jobs, so I have often tried to think of project for getting rid of them in an effort to stay green and recycle or upcycle... here are a few ideas I thought I could share with you!

These potted paper flowers we found at Hostess with the Mostess would make the perfect centerpiece for your next birthday party. I'm actually considering using a similar design for my daughter's baptism reception. They're so eye catching and beautiful. And you can really make the design match any theme or color combination you choose.

I love the idea of homemade wrapping paper. It's just so much more personalized than the stuff you buy at the store. So when I saw these adorable map bows on How About Orange I knew I could try my hand at them with the paper scraps we have laying around as well. Wouldn't this look amazing on top of that perfect gift?

And how gorgeous are these flowers we found at lushlee? They'd be great just laid out on a tablescape like confetti. Or used to accent a napkin ring at a table setting.

These cute hearts also found at lushlee could serve as Valentine's Day decorations or you could use them at another event celebrating love.

Paper garland is so simple and easy to make. And there are so many different variations (as shown on Oh Baby!'s blog). These would be great for a bridal or baby shower. You could even use them for a children or adult's birthday party. They'd work well for themed parties such as Cinco De Mayo festivities and St. Patrick's Day celebrations. You just match the colors to the theme and start stapling, taping or gluing away!

DIY ribbon pomanders are a fabulous idea we found at Project Wedding for the DIY bride. They're a great alternative to flower pomanders for your flower girls to carry down the aisle. They'd also make great aisle or pew decorations as well and you would be able to make them ahead of time.

We found inspiration in paper flowers from Pepper Design Blog. Paper flowers are always a great alternative to real flowers and bridal and baby showers. And they're great for more than one reason. You don't have to buy them within a certain time frame since they keep forever and you don't have to water them! You can find DIY instructions on how to make your own flowers here on the Martha Stewart website.

If you're interested in more paper flower ideas check out these whimsical paper flowers by Emmaline Bride. They are all so very cute and really inspire us to think outside the box the next time we see those bits of scraps left over from our next project. What are your favorite ways to reuse scraps?

Will You Be My Valentine? {Ideas & Inspiration}

Ah, Valentine's Day is just around the corner. What better way to celebrate it than gorgeous tablescapes and cards. I've seen many different crafts and ideas to celebrate this Hallmark holiday and love the color schemes that seem to pop up everywhere. Valentine's Day isn't just deep reds and light pinks anymore. Throw in some silver, greys and creams to balance out the reds and pinks and you have yourself a great palette to work with.

I love simplicity when it comes to celebrating this holiday. Nothing too elaborate or over the top. A beautiful card with words of endearment along with some sweets and a nice dinner is the perfect way to celebrate. And by adding some small touches to this simple plan you can create the perfect evening. Just like this tablescape from Brenda's Wedding Blog.

Last year I used my son's footprints and some red paint to make a heart on some card stock. I wrote "I love my Daddy" all around the footprints in order to define the heart a bit more and framed it. I'm pretty sure my husband enjoyed this little sentimental gift a lot more than a store bought item. And now he'll always remember how small our son's feet really were.


If you plan on making (or buying) cupcakes then you could use cute flags to decorate them like these here on Hostess with the Mostess. You could even top them with something as simple as berries. And if you use strawberries you can trim them in the shape of a heart. If you or your child plan on giving away sweets like cookies or candy you can use a cute personalized tag to tie the bag. I also love homemade cards. Especially the ones children help design. The grandparents go gaga over this kind of stuff!

And for those who completely missed out on sending out holiday cards, Valentine's day is the perfect holiday to send out Valentine's to those who you would normally greet at Christmas. Some people forego Christmas cards altogether now and just send out Valentine's. It definitely decreases the to-do list around the holidays!

If you have an idea for Valentine's day decorations and need someone to whip up the coordinating paper goods contact us and we can work on creating the perfect design for your party!

Photos - top: Gladys Jem via Brenda's Wedding Blog, middle: Danielle Simmons, bottom: Custom Programs, LLC

Christmas Weddings

I think Christmas is my favorite time of year...I am not sure what it is about it..... but I love the feeling in the air as Christmas gets closer...here in California it is still 70 and 80 degrees so it is hard to get the holiday spirit. I can't wait for this weekend when we will finally get some cold weather (in the 50's) and some snow in the nearby mountains - and with rain predicted too, we will have the washed, clean, crisp air soon too!

I spent last weekend checking out one of the largest Christmas trees in the nation at Newport Beach's Fashion Island Mall at 115 ft it was a trick to even get the photo!

And we also visited the fabuolus Christmas shop at Rogers Gardens across the street in Corona Del Mar - if you haven't ever visited this upscale nursery I highly recommend it - so many great things to walk though and see - and great ideas for wedding and table deocrations too! There are fountains, waterfalls, rows of colored flowers and plants, the Holiday Shop and of course Santa Claus! Yes, Santa is visiting on weekends - from noon to 6 each day - bring your family and a camera for this free and uncrowded opportunity to meet Santa!. Here are a few pics I took during the trip...and one lucky girl getting to sit on Santa's lap! Enjoy!