Pom Poms, Streamers (and everything in between!)

Good morning everyone! Here in the office, when it comes to decorating our parties, we are always on the look out for new and exciting ideas. The post today will focus on a few of my personal favourite decorations to hang up, as well as a couple of links to online tutorials to help you make your own. 

Pom Poms

Pom poms are a very popular choice when it comes to styling our parties. With so many different varieties  of colours, materials and styles, these can look very effective regardless of theming, age or gender. The trick is to be patient with them, and take the time to 'fluff' them out properly for their full effect.

Tulle (or netting) pom poms are probably my favourite, because of their delicate appearance. These decorations would be perfect for a garden party or little girls 'princess' or 'ballerina' themed party.

Tissue pom poms are the most commonly used and are incredibly easy to make. For detailed instructions please click here.

I have yet to use wool pom poms to decorate a party (these are usually slightly smaller so for a party would be best in a garland), however I have just finished making some for my home and thought it would be a shame not to include them!

Bunting

Bunting is another great way to add something extra to your party with very little cost involved. Bunting can easily be transformed into a banner for a personalised backdrop, or simply hung to give your party a pretty, vintage feel.

Whether you are after a country style garden party..

..a shabby-chic birthday or a simple backdrop.

Japanese washi tape is also great to use to create mini bunting.

Balloons

When thinking about ceiling decorations, balloons will not be the first thing that pops (ha!) into your mind- however if you are looking for a cheaper option to a hanging lantern, or just something different, this could be it.

 Simply place a marble inside a balloon and attach some ribbon or string and you have yourself a very pretty decoration! With so many different options of balloons available, it would be a shame not to experiment.

Lace Lanterns

I recently bought myself a whole load of vintage lace doilies with the idea to make this next suggestion for my living room, however- if you have a little time on your hands it could also be used as a very pretty party prop. 

 Once assembled, simply place a battery light candle inside from a lovely warm atmosphere at your next party. (Full instructions here)

Streamers

Although sceptical at first (I thought they were a little tacky...) with so many different possibilities, if done properly, streamers are an excellent and beautiful way of decorating your party. 

Whether your using as a backdrop,

creating a chandelier 

or hanging from the ceiling

streamers have the ability to be that 'wow' factor that your looking for.

I hope you have enjoyed this post, please continue to send me questions or suggestions for my next post,

speak soon!

Zahra xxx

Love is in the art...

Valentine Crafts

Valentines day is finally upon us. If you have been following my previous posts your house will be decorated and your party food will be prepared (perhaps..) and now your wondering how to entertain the kids, keeping in mind the traditional game of 'spin the bottle' may not be best appropriate.

Valentines day, for me anyway, is always associated with craft projects. Theres nothing like saying 'I Love You' by creating something unique and personal for your loved ones, something that money can't buy. Below I have explained a few projects for children to enjoy, and then a couple more tricky ones for you...

Beautiful, handmade, valentines bunting. With a little help from a grown up, this could make a fun Valentines day activity. Extremely cheap to create, and easy to do and once finished, your child will be extremely proud to hang this in their bedroom.
The simple instructions

Cookie Decorating.  A great party activity for your children to get creative. A sprinkle of Icing sugar,  a dash of food colouring and some small sweeties such as jelly tots, millions or chocolate drops work best on top for small children. Of course you can cut a few corners and buy plain heart cookies from any of the leading supermarket stores or you can bake your own using a heart cookie cutter.
Delicious sugar cookie recipe

Button cards. So easy to create, but really effective. Have a raid through your old sewing box and collect as many unusual buttons as possible. 

The kids can get stuck in stirring, and pouring  this sweet-smelling mixture and with just a few simple ingredients, they make a lovely little gifts for classmates!
Handmade soap recipe 

A few crafty ideas for the grown ups...

These beautiful ribbon-laced cards from Martha Stewart would make a beautiful card, or display if framed for around your home. Slightly more tricky, so I would keep this one for the grown ups.

Transfer your favourite photo onto a block of wood for a different take on popular canvas hangings. It does take a little while to do, however i managed to reduce a 6ft 6 man to tears with mine last year so I know from experience it is a great present! (see mine below)

There are plenty of written instructions on how to do this, but the easiest one is in the form of a video tutorial, 

I hope you enjoy!

Video tutorial 

I hope this entry has inspired you to get creative this Valentines day! No matter how you choose to spend it, I hope you all have a wonderful day and please let me know if you try any of my suggestions, I would love to see them! 

Lots of love and speak soon, 

Zahra xxx