Cupcake Wrappers

June 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment

We decorate everything—our food included—so we love adding a few festive frills to bakery-bought cupcakes in the form of wrappers cut from patterned papers. Wrapping paper, scrapbook paper, and wallpaper scraps all do the trick! You can even try heavily starched fabrics for a different twist. Use this handy template to help you cut out your own custom wrappers. Simply, cut, wrap, and secure with a glue dot or a bit of clear tape.

Pick up a copy of our summer issue for more colorful, easy projects!

Filed Under: DIY Projects, fresh style Magazine, Summer 2013, Templates & Instructions Tagged With: , , ,

On Our Bookshelf: In Celebration of Dad

June 14, 2013 By Leave a Comment

In celebration of Father’s Day this weekend, we bring you this crazy, fun new book (Made by Dad: 67 Blueprints for Making Cool Stuff) full of dad-made and kid-approved projects like an “Alien Abduction Mobile” and a “Slingshot Car Launcher.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a sneak peek at what you can expect:

Check out a couple more of our favorite maker dads:


Jim’s Pancakes
His tagline is “just trying to make some cool pancakes for my daughter,” and that he does! From the Star Wars “AT-AT” to 3-D beehives, Jim has cooked up some fantastic creations. (He’s not crafting as many edible sculptures these days, but you can still scroll back through some of his amazing archive!) If you want to make your own, you can pick up his book full of recipes and how-tos.

 


Lunch Bag Art
This super cool dad draws amazing things on his kids’ lunch bags and posts them on Tumblr. He even takes suggestions from readers!

 


Bonus! This isn’t technically just for dads, but with all the ingenuity (and duct tape) floating around on There I Fixed It, he’s sure to appreciate these solutions!

Filed Under: Blogs, Books, Just for Fun, What We're Reading Now Tagged With: , , , , ,

Bonus Idea! Seashell Pendant

June 10, 2013 By Leave a Comment


Give your beach finds a bit of pizzazz with playful patterns. Wash and dry a seashell. Draw decorative designs on the shell, using fine-tipped permanent markers. Seal your finished piece with a quick coat of polyurethane, and allow it to dry. Use a drill fitted with a 1/16-inch bit to drill a hole at the top of your shell. Attach the shell to a chain, using jewelry findings.

Tip: This method is best used on shells with a smooth or lightly textured surface.

Pick up a copy of our summer issue for more easy ideas with shells!

Filed Under: DIY Projects, fresh style Magazine, Summer 2013, Templates & Instructions Tagged With: , , ,

Happiness Is Two Kinds of Ice Cream

June 6, 2013 By 1 Comment

Nothing says summer like a dish of homemade ice cream. (Bonus points if the dish itself is homemade, too!) Here are a few of our staff’s favorite flavors:

Ann (Art Director): OK, I’m really boring; I like vanilla with caramel topping. (editor’s note: we like to call it “classic.” J)
Kathleen (Associate Editor): Around the holidays, my go-to’s are peppermint or Blue Bell’s Pumpkin Spiced Pecan. But any other time, it’s all about chocolate. (My favorite is peanut butter-chocolate or Brusters’ s’mores.) My topping of choice is usually dark chocolate syrup.
Becky (Editorial Coordinator): As soon as school is out, ice-cream-making season begins at our house. My son loves to make mint chocolate chip, but my favorite is honey ice cream. It takes me back to my favorite ice-cream parlor on the lake where I grew up; it was the place to go after a long hot day! For toppings, I love hot fudge and strawberries—sometimes I skip the ice cream and just eat the hot fudge and strawberries!
Nancy (Copy Editor): I, of course, don’t make any of this myself, but I love fresh (homemade) peach ice cream with pizzelles.
Tracey Runnion: I love chocolate chip mint with hot fudge. Yum!
Faith (Assistant Editor): I try to have a diet filled with greens, so I eat mint chocolate chip ice cream. (Chocolate comes from beans too, right?) And they say you’re supposed to eat colorful meals, so I put sprinkles on my ice cream.
Haley (Editorial Assistant): Easy! Swiss chocolate ice cream with toffee bits and sliced almonds.

We’ve got the scoop on a few of our favorite fun ice-cream-themed products that are sure to put the cherry on top of your summer celebration.

1. “You’re so sweet!” Thank-You Card Set: Ruche, 2. Malt Time Favorite Top: Mod Cloth, 3. Andy Warhol Ice-Cream Poster: All Posters
4. Purple Ice-Cream-Cone Pincushion: Etsy, 5. “You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy ice cream.” Illustrated Card: Etsy, 6. Ice Cream Mirror Stud Earrings: Yes Style
7. Popsicle Coin Purse: Kate Spade, 8. Soft-Serve Temporary Tattoo: Tattly, 9. Champion Ice-Cream Shoes: Keds
10. Ice-Cream Stiletto: Far Fetch, 11. Cool-Pop Spatula: Sur la Table, 12. Popsicles Temporary Tattoo: Tattly
13. Ceramic Ice-Cream Cone: Anthropologie, 14. Ice-Cream Cones Throw-Pillow Cover: Society 6, 15. My Ice-Cream and Your Ice-Cream Spoons: Etsy

 

Filed Under: Just for Fun, Product Pick, Product Roundup Tagged With: , ,

Before & After: Flower Filled Chair

May 30, 2013 By Leave a Comment

This elaborate antique metal chair may have lost its floral print cushion, but the metal grate underneath provides the perfect framework for a profusion of potted annuals. Simply insert a pot into each opening of the grid to create a luscious summer look.

 

Filed Under: Before and After, DIY Projects Tagged With: , , , , , ,
« Older Posts
Hoffman Media