December 18, 2012 | by
jenny
by Jenny Batt
Goody, goody gumdrops do I have a fun DIY project for you! A simple ornament that so fun on your tree or would also make a fabulous hostess gift or little token of affection for anyone you know who is especially sweet. The best part is, except for a few steps in the middle, the little ones can help, too!
Supplies -
First up, mix the plaster per the directions on the box, usually 2 to 1. I used 12 oz of plaster powder and 6 oz of water. Mix well. Pour into the brownie mold, being careful to stop before the inner ridge, you don’t want to have a line on the side of your gumdrop. Let dry in the mold overnight.
When the plaster is completely dry, pop it out of the mold and using a sheet of sandpaper, rub the bottom flat. Then, drill a hole in the top of each gumdrop. Mix the epoxy according to the directions on the label. Using a bamboo skewer, carefully fill the hole. Work one at a time for this step. Once each hole is full, poke the skewer into the hole to release any air bubbles and to make sure it is full. Wipe away excess with a paper towel. Insert screw eye hook and let it dry overnight to set up completely.
Once the epoxy and screw eye hooks have dried hard, paint each gumdrop a sweet shade with craft paint and allow them to dry. Then, simply paint on a coat of white school glue and sprinkle with clear glitter. Add twine or ribbon and hang!
As an equally sweet idea, you could also make these into glittery gumdrop place cards that will absolutely delight your guests! All you have to do is add a small loop of wire instead of the screw eye hooks.
Sweet! (Get it?) All done I told you that was easy! Psst…if you don’t want to make ornaments, just skip the drilling part and decorate them. Use the plain gumdrops to scatter around the mantel or coffee table. They’ll look adorable however you decide to rock them this holiday season!
{Photos by Hank + Hunt for The Sweetest Occasion.}
The fine print: Please link with love! As with all of our posts, DIY projects featured on The Sweetest Occasion may not be copied, distributed or reproduced without express written permission. Love and links are always appreciated! If you’d like to share this post, please link to this post directly for the DIY tutorial and do not include the instructions in your own post. Thanks so much! xoxo
December 17, 2012 | by
cyd
Year after year, I love seeing the glittery holiday parties the amazingly talented Kate Martin of Beautiful Days has up her sleeve. Showcasing her beautifully styled celebrations has become a bit of a tradition! (See what I’m talking about by checking out just a few of my past favorites here, here, here, here and here.) This year, Kate hosted her fifth annual ladies-only holiday party, full of gold, sparkle and loads of holiday cheer. Throw a room full of giggling gals, photos from Brea McDonald, a prosecco bar, tequila punch and a whole bunch of pretty decor together and you’ve the makings of one festive celebration. Need proof? Here it is!
{Event + floral design by Beautiful Days | Photos by Brea McDonald.}
December 17, 2012 | by
cyd
A very berry Christmas. Get it? Sometimes I like to throw out a pun or two, you’ll have to bear with me here. At any rate, I’m clearly all about the berry tones lately, but I’m not hating it one bit. There is something so festive and, well, merry about this color palette. It reminds me of drinking bubbly loaded up with berries and twirling around in my favorite party dress. Not that I’ve spent any time lately spinning circles in a party dress, but it’s definitely something I think I should get on the schedule, ASAP. Anyone game for twirling with me?
{Photos, from top: Going Home to Roost / Beth Retro / Coastal Living.}
December 14, 2012 | by
cyd
Let’s talk about the kiddos today, shall we? Shopping for the littles in my life is definitely one of my favorite parts of the holiday season. When rounding up my gift picks, I went with a good combination of keepsake gifts, colorful toys to stimulate the imagination and a few essentials like an awesome electric toothbrush and the perfect winter hat. The only problem for me? Knowing when to stop! Spoiling the kiddos is absolutely something I love to do. Don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest where I’m sharing all of my favorite holiday finds, and also check out awesome stocking stuffers, the perfect gifts for her, my favorite gifts for guys and my picks for hostess gifts!
1: Wooden dump truck, $8.99 | 2: Crayon necklace, $10.50 | 3: Rainbow stacking cone, $50 | 4: Alice in Wonderland, $17.99 | 5: Boys’ pom-pom beanie, $16.95 | 6: Crayola toothbrush, $64.95 | 7: Wooden bull, $12.95 | 8: Hot pink deer, $5.50 | 9: Little boy bow tie, $19.50 | 10: Building blocks, $29.99 | 11: Girls’s gem hat, $9.99 | 12: Floral headband, $16.50 | 13: Radio Flyer inchworm, $54 | 14: Love tote, $5.85 | 15: Bunny, $11.99
December 13, 2012 | by
cyd
I am so excited to announce the winner of the 24 Merry Days giveaway! Remember? That awesome opportunity to win a $250 gift certificate from the amazing crew over at Cloud9 Living? Well, yup. One lucky lady is walking away the prize. Congratulations, Andrea! (Please note, the winner has already been contacted via email.)
Andrea may have scored the win, but don’t forget Cloud9 Living for all of your thrill-seeking adventures! Have someone impossible to shop for on your list? They seriously have the most amazing gift ideas this holiday season. (I absolutely love the cool video they put together with totally awesome gift ideas for guys!) So just because you didn’t win doesn’t mean you shouldn’t treat yourself to that hot air balloon ride, which, not surprisingly, is what so many of you wanted to do if you won!
{Design by Little Baby Garvin. Available as a free printable art print, too!}
If you didn’t win this one, remember there are incredible prizes being given away every day as part of 24 Merry Days! For instance, today Gloria of Little White Whale is giving away two awesome prizes from Diament Jewelry and Umbra. So pop on over and enter for your chance to win and keep visiting 24 Merry Days every day to see what goodies the next giveaway has in store. Bon chance!
