Gumball Machine Candy Dish

For Princess E's Sweet Shoppe birthday party I wanted to make a decoration I could use on a regular basis and this is what I came up with; a gumball machine candy dish. 

This dish isn't just for gumballs, you can put any kind of candy in it. 


The materials needed for this project are: a small terracotta pot and dish, a round vase, a door handle (we already had these living in a junk drawer), some hot glue and spray paint (I used spray paint we already had living in the garage).

To start, spray paint the the terracotta pot and dish.

As soon as the paint is dry go ahead and glue the vase onto the pot and glue the door handle onto the dish.

Once the glue has dried, fill the dish with your candy of choice. We filled ours with gumballs and gummy bears.

This was a fun and easy project, and for only around $3.00 each  these little candy dishes really make a statement.

  

DIY Cupcake Stand

Birthday's just aren't birthday's without cupcakes. And putting cupcakes on a plain old plate isn't very fun. For Princess E's birthday party I wanted my cupcakes to be part of the decorations. I made these really easy and very inexpensive customized cupcake stands for only $3.00 each (minus the spray paint).


All of the materials needed to create these can be found at your local dollar store, with the exception of the spray paint and liquid nails, for these items I just checked my garage. 


To start you will need a set of burner covers, a small glass vase, and a candle holder. 

Spray paint the burner covers, vase and candle holder the colors you want. Don't be afraid to have fun with colors. 

Once the spray paint is dry, use the liquid nails to glue the pieces together.

As soon as everything is dry, place cupcakes on the stand, and you will have a whimsical focal piece for your dessert table. Guests will be amazed that you did it on your own, and that it only cost $3.00. 

Small Lollipop Decorations

Lollipop, lollipop oh lolly lolly...


No Sweet Shoppe themed birthday party would be complete without lollipop decorations all around the house.



Materials needed:
- Styrofoam circles (found at the dollar store in 2 packs)
- Wooden dowels (cut the dowel in half making 2 sticks per dowel)
- Colorful Tissue Paper
- Cellophane
- Ribbon
- Tape










Step 1: Cut your tissue paper so it will easily wrap around the styrofoam circle without being too bulky. And cut the sheets of cellophane in half. (1 half sheet will cover 1 lollipop.)

Step 2: Wrap the tissue paper around the styrofoam circle and secure with tape.

Step 3: Stick the dowel into the styrofoam circle.

Step 4: Cover the lollipop with cellophane and secure with a ribbon.

I made six of these lollipops for around $5.00 and they took less than 20 minutes to make.

These lollipop decorations are perfect for grouping together creating a bouquet, or sticking in plants to add a little whimsy. Ways to decorate with them are only as limited as your imagination. These fun little Lollipops were my favorite decorations at Princess E's party.

Large Lollipop Decorations

No our house wasn't taken over by Oompa-Loompas and we don't have to fear an old witch cooking us for dinner. Princess E's birthday party was a candy themed celebration and we wanted to spread the cheer both inside and out by welcoming our guests with a candy lane.  

This is an easy, inexpensive and slightly unique way to welcome visitors. 

To start all you need are: plastic plates in assorted colors, tape, cellophane, ribbon, and wooden dowels. All of these items can be found at your local dollar store.

Step 1: Choose your lollipop colors.

Step 2: Tape the plates together

Step 3: Push the stick in between the plates.

Step 4: Wrap cellophane around the plates and secure with ribbon.

I created six lollipops to line our walkway. This project took about 20 minutes to create all of them and only cost around $7.00.

The snow that filled the yard giving the whipped cream look, was all Mother Nature.

Princess E Turns One

I can't believe it's already been a year since our newest family member arrived. Princess E turned one this month. What better way to celebrate all of the many milestones in her short life, than by throwing a first birthday bash. 

My sweet little one year old had a candy/sweet shoppe themed party. Having a themed party allowed me to get my craft on and make a lot of the decorations and food. By making this a DIY party, I was able to throw this birthday bash for less than $100, and we had about 40 guests.

Homemade decorations included:

Lollipop decorations for outside - 6 of them for $7.00

Lollipop decorations for inside - 6 of them for $5.00

Cupcake Stands - 2 of them for $3.00 each, plus spray paint

Gumball Machines - 2 of them for $3.00 each, plus spray paint


All of these decorations were incredibly easy to make and didn't take a lot of time. The most time consuming step was waiting for the paint to dry. Everything, including baking and decorating the cake, took less than one full day. For less than one day of work and less than $100, I was able to throw one sweet party for my princess.


Instructions on how to make your own decorations to come...