Crepe Paper Swirlers

These crepe paper swirlers are kind of addicting to make - plus you can use up scrap papers from your stash. I can't wait until New Years Eve to have these at my party for guests to twirl around. See the full instructions on Oh Happy Day.

Silver and Gold Piñatas

I watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer almost every Christmas, so I couldn't help but make these silver and gold mini piñatas to celebrate this year. Fill them with anything silver and gold and use them as party favours at your holiday party this year! The full post is over at Oh Happy Day.

Birthday Candle Christmas Crackers

Do you know anyone who has a December birthday? Try your hand at these birthday candle shaped Christmas crackers! See the full tutorial over on Oh Happy Day.

Paper Forest Advent Calendar

It's hard to believe that Christmas is right around the corner - have you started preparing yet? This year I had the opportunity to craft this paper forest advent calendar for MoPa's holiday issue. You browse the entire beautiful magazine here and my tutorial can be found on page 19.

Paper Suitcase Garland

My youngest sister has been away backpacking in Europe but she comes home next week. With the holidays coming up, I suspect a lot of you have friends and family returning home to visit. Why not make this paper suitcase garland to welcome them? The full instructions are over on Oh Happy Day.

Paper Boat Decorations

Over the past little while I've grown more and more attracted to nautical designs, so these paper boats were a lot of fun to make! Check out the tutorial (template included!) over at Oh Happy Day!

Paper Flower Lights Garland

This crepe paper flower garland may start with Christmas lights, but that doesn't mean you can't keep them on display year round! I like that this garland can be made for a party but after you can keep them up as fun home decor. See the full tutorial over on Oh Happy Day!

Walnut Turkey Placecards

Thanksgiving was a few weeks ago here in Canada and I only wish I had made these little guys in time for it. If you're in the United States though, you've still got time! Check out the full tutorial over on Oh Happy Day!

Dinosaur Party Invitations

When I first heard about Dinovember, I was so excited to come up with a craft to help celebrate. Over the summer Target had some plastic dinosaur figurines in their Dollar Spot and may or may not have bought a ton of them in anticipation. I made these dinosaur party invitations for Oh Happy Day - check them out here!

Haunted Village Surprise

I love it when I can make a craft that includes a little surprise. These paper haunted houses can be used as Halloween decorations but also will hide small treats for party guests. See the full post here at Oh Happy Day.

Mid Century Straw Decor

Here's a secret: straws are one of my favourite craft supplies. They come in so many colours and sizes, I can't resist them. This time around, I used them to make some mid century party decor. So easy! See the full instructions over on Oh Happy Day.

Halloween Cupcake Toppers

Do you have Halloween on the brain yet? I keep trying to think up a genius costume, but so far I haven't had any ideas. I did make these Halloween cupcake toppers though - as usual, super easy but lots of fun. The full instructions are over on Oh Happy Day.

Candy Garland

If you haven't guessed by now, I have a huge sweet tooth. When I can do something crafty and candy related I'm over the moon. Take a look at this DIY candy garland I made for Oh Happy Day - I covered cut up toilet paper rolls with tissue paper. I left mine empty, but you could totally fill them with wrapped candies and hand them out as party favours! See the full post here.

CRAFToronto: Value Village

Do you love Value Village as much as I do? I couldn't help but make it the first store visit for my new series CRAFToronto where I'll be sharing what I've learned about art, craft, and party shopping in Toronto. 

One of the best (and sometimes worst) things about Value Village is that you never know what you're going to find. You literally can't count on anything for sure, even things you've seen there every other visit. Not only does the selection change day by day, but I've found that the variety in different locations can vary quite a bit as well. For this post, I visited the Value Village near Bloor and Lansdowne which I've been told is one of the best stores in the city. After checking it out a couple times, I agree that the turnover there is quick, but the location near Victoria Park and Finch has a better glassware department (which is where I always dart to). Get to know the different locations in your area - likely each one will have better or worse departments. 

Keeping that all in mind, if you're looking for vases, glasses, jars, platters, dishes, or similar for your next party I would definitely recommend checking out Value Village before heading to a department store - you might just get lucky! Chances are you won't find 12 matching glasses that you love, but if you are having a smaller party, want to mix and match, or are looking for individual items then your chances are good. Aren't the gold dipped glasses above gorgeous? I'm already regretting not buying them.

You can almost always find glass mason jars at Value Village. I like looking at the jars here because if you want to mix and match for a more interesting look, you aren't forced into buying a huge group of identical jars like at department stores. You can also find unusual sizes and some gorgeous vintage jars as well. If you do want a huge group of identical jars, don't expect that at Value Village - go to a department/hardware/grocery store and buy a tray there (the price per jar will likely be better too).

Another one of the fun sections in Value Village is the miscellaneous housewares wall. It can be overwhelming at first, but if you have a bit of time of your hands you're almost guaranteed to find a treasure. Because the items are grouped in plastic bags, you might end up buying something you don't want to get the thing you do - I found a box of used tea lights grouped with a pricey scented candle I'd seen in store a few months back, all for $1.99. You can sometimes find craft supplies too - like the candle wax pictured above, fake flowers, candles, party supplies, paper supplies, knick knacks, sewing notions … you never really know.

Value Village also has a section of table linens, which (like everything else) can be hit or miss. Before buying anything, check carefully for stains or tears. If you're looking for vintage fabric, you can also look in the bed linens section for sheets with unique designs. Keep in mind that most fabric items have that uniquely Value Village perfumey smell, so if that isn't something you want to deal with then stay away from the fabric items. (I've almost always been able to get the smell to go away after a few washes though.)

Some Value Villages even have a small craft section. In my experience it's usually made up of yarn, outdated sewing patterns, and knitting needles. Once I did get really lucky and score a linocut carving tool  for just a few bucks though, so I always check it out just in case.

I hope this first CRAFToronto post has been helpful! If you have any questions or comments about it, I'd love for you to comment below! And what have been your best art, craft, and party finds at Value Village? 

Introducing a new blog series

It's probably pretty obvious that I have a huge collection of craft and party supplies. It didn't happen all at once; the growth has sped up since I started this blog and contributing to others. Since shopping for art, craft, and party supplies is now a part of my job description, I've been learning lots about where it's best to buy certain things. More and more I get asked by friends where the best place to buy craft supplies are, so I thought it would be a lot of fun to start a local series that I'm calling CRAFToronto.

CRAFToronto will focus on art, craft, and party supply stores all in the Toronto area and share helpful tips and tricks that I've learned. Some of the shops I'll write about will be independently owned while others will have lots of locations nationwide. Of course, in-store stock and product availability is changing constantly so while this series may not remain 100% accurate forever, as the months and years pass I think it will be a good starting point.

Do you live in Toronto and have any craft supplies you'd like tips on? Or maybe you have a favourite store to recommend? Comment below - I'd love to hear from you!

Back to School Wrapping Paper

I hate to be the one to bring it up, but back-to-school season is drawing nearer! I used to love shopping for school supplies (I'll admit it - I'm still hooked even though I've been out of school for ages!) so this little DIY wrapping paper project is a fun way to dress up your back-to-school necessities. See the full tutorial over on Oh Happy Day!

Favour Cup Paper Flowers

You may have noticed that one of my favourite things to do is repurpose supplies in unexpected ways. For these fun paper flowers I decorated a bunch of favour cups - the same ones you put ketchup in for your french fries! See the full post over on Oh Happy Day.

Foil Space Mobile

I love using everyday things is unusual ways, so this space mobile was a lot of fun to make. I cut up disposable foil cookie sheets to make the clouds and stars! Check out Oh Happy Day for full instructions.

Spinning Carousel Centrepiece

I'm not sure exactly why, but I've had circus and carnival crafts on the mind lately. This spinning carousel centrepiece I made for Oh Happy Day was a lot of fun to make, and I love that it's functional too. If I keep making circus-themed party crafts, will you get sick of them? I hope not - click here for the full tutorial.

Sandcastle Place Cards

Confession time - until this project, I haven't really used glitter before. It always just seemed so messy and I worried that I'd have glitter on me for days. But after making these glittered sandcastle place cards for Oh Happy Day, I'll admit that I'm no longer afraid of glitter! Check out the full instructions here.

Geometric Garland

I love it when decorations can be simple, quick, and make a big impact. The geometric garland I made over on Oh Happy Day is a great way to decorate a big space. See the full instructions here.

Beach Cake Toppers

I think that if you turn anything miniature, it's nearly impossible for it to not be cute. These DIY beach chairs and umbrella I made for Oh Happy Day are a great way to celebrate summer (it's almost here!). Check out the full post here.

Jumbo Popsicle Garland

I had a lot of fun with the pool noodle garland I made for Sugar & Cloth last year - I had some leftover noodles though, so I thought of a new way to use them! Check out the full tutorial on Oh Happy Day here.

Bon Voyage Party Invitations

Invitations can be so much fun to make and receive - I love spending a little extra time to catch guests attention right off the bat. If you're throwing a going away party, these invitations I made for Oh Happy Day are just what you need. Check out the full post here.

Paper Flower Party Hats

Wouldn't it be fun to host a April Showers Bring May Flowers Party? Read more about how to make these paper flower party hats over on Oh Happy Day!

Mini Cactus Piñatas

Remember last year when I made a giant cactus piñata? This Cinco de Mayo, I made these mini ones instead! They're super quick and easy - pop over to Oh Happy Day to see the full instructions.

Spring Craft Night

I'm so excited to tell you that Snowdrop & Co held it's first craft event last night! I invited a few of my good friends over to make these Easter egg hot air balloons that I shared with you last week. I had so much fun hosting the craft night and I can't wait to do more of these in the coming months!

Click through to see more!

DIY Honeycomb Birds

Lately I've been loving vintage honeycomb decorations - there are some really sweet ones out there! Inspired by what I've seen, I made these springy honeycomb birds for Oh Happy Day - see the full post here!

Easter Nesting Three Ways

Easter colours are so much fun to play with, so I had a lot of fun making this Easter nesting post for Oh Happy Day. Check out the full post here.

Easter Egg Hot Air Balloons

I've been on a bit of a hot air balloon kick lately - it's been so cold here that I'm very ready for spring and everything that comes with it. Easter is less than two weeks away, so I thought these Easter egg hot air balloons would be a perfect way to celebrate both spring and Easter! Because a hollow plastic egg is used as the balloon, you can fill it up with candy and give them away as little Easter presents for your friends and family!

Click through to read more!

Jelly Bean Garland

I love jelly beans. Full disclosure, I made this garland while I had a toothache from needing a root canal and I still managed to eat a few. Check out Oh Happy Day for the full tutorial!

Shamrock Money Cakes

I haven't had a money cake in forever - my grandma used to make them for our birthdays when we were little. I put a little Saint Patrick's Day spin on them this week over on Oh Happy Day - take a look here.

DIY Circus Party Hats

I love party hats - they're such a fun way to involve the theme of your party in every photo taken! Take a look at these circus party hats I made for Oh Happy Day - the full instructions can be seen here.

Matchbox Birthday Card

I had lots of fun crafting and photographing my most recent project for Oh Happy Day - and not just because I ate the cupcake after! Repurpose a matchbox and a birthday candle to create a playful birthday card. See the full post here.

DIY Paper Net Garland

Lately I just can't get enough of vintage craft books - some of the ideas are pretty silly, but others have so much potential! This garland was inspired by Christmas decorations in an old girl scout craft book. See the full post over at Oh Happy Day!

Nautical Valentines

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, most stores are full of festive decorations, toys, and treats. While at my local dollar store, I was surprised to see they already have summer beach toys available! Even though the summer is still a few months away, I thought it would be fun to repurpose some toy boats into these cute Valentines.

Bing Photo Backdrop

I'm so excited to be at Altitude Design Summit in Salt Lake City this week! I've never even been to the US before, so it'll be a totally new experience for me. I was given the amazing opportunity to help create a backdrop for Bing's photo space at Alt, and had a blast putting it all together.

Below is a quick little tutorial if you want to make your own pinwheels for a photo backdrop at your next party. They're so simple, and you can use whatever colours you like!

Supplies: Assorted paper/vellum, ruler, bone folder, clear tape, scissors, glue stick, string.
Step 1: Use your ruler and bone folder to make the first fold on your paper (the paper picture is 12" square).
Step 2: Keep folding back and forth, accordion-style.
Step 3: If you reach the end of the paper and are left with an uneven edge, don't worry! Just trim off the excess.
Step 4: The same goes for the ends - if they are uneven, simply trim them.
Step 5: Fold the accordion in half. Because I used a 12" square paper, I then repeated step 1 to 4 on another identical paper. If you are using wrapping paper or other large paper, you can instead start with a piece that is twice as long as it is short.
Step 6: Use clear tape to attach both accordions together (if using two papers).When taping the pieces together, it's easiest to match them up if the neighbouring accordions look like WW or MM. Trim off an extra fold if necessary.
Step 7: Use string to tie a knot in the middle of the fan. This is how you can attach it to the wall later.
Step 8: Tape the remaining loose sides together, being sure to tape only on the back.

 You can also cut edges and patterns into the accordion before you tape it together to create fun patterns - kind of like a snowflake!

Take a look at the finished backdrop here and here! This post was sponsored by Bing.