A Forest Frolic

Diaper Cake Tutorial

Like promised...this is how you make a really simple diaper cake.

For a two-tier (like this one), I usually use about 60 or so newborn or size one diapers.  

Roll each one (with the design facing out) and then wrap a little hair rubber band around it, to secure each one.  Now, the first diaper cake I made...I didn't do this and I just kind of banded them all together.  It turned out really cute but wasn't as stable as this one.  

This part is so simple...even the kiddos can do it...

 

...so, when you end up with a big pile like this...

...take a baby bottle (I like to fill it with ice-cream flavored jelly bellys...the mommies-to-be LOVE it :)

Then, take a bigger rubber band and wrap it around the bottle and fill the diapers in...

I do three layers around for the bottom...

...two layers for the middle, and if you are doing a third layer, just do one layer around.  I use a cardboard circle just to transport it but when on display, I'll put it on a cute cake stand!

Then, wrap some ribbon around each layer and secure with glue dots...

For a girl cake, it's always fun to embellish around the ribbon with flowers...but for boys, I usually keep it fairly plain.

And I always top it off with a cute stuffed animal for the baby.  I use the little hair rubber bands to secure the legs of the animal to the top of the bottle too...

    

This isn't the greatest picture but I had bad lighting and was in a rush to get to the shower, tee hee!  I love to procrastinate :)

But you get the gist...these are super cute, super simple and make a great present or centerpiece for a baby shower.

If you make one, please share pictures...I always love to see other diaper cake ideas!

 

Jamie :)

Spooky Halloween Wreath Tutorial

I LOVE making wreaths!  The Fall wreath on my door I made a couple of years ago was faded and totally didn't match the spooky decor we put up this year.  Soooo, I thought, why not make a Halloween wreath and hopefully inspire someone to make one too?

I promise, it's not hard!  It just takes a little imagination, creativity and a few minutes at the craft store to pick up some supplies...

 

I chose a grapevine wreath, Styrofoam skulls, a little metal sign, some black leaf garland, and purple glittered black roses...but you can chose from a variety of items.  A garland of some sort and a couple of focal pieces usually works well, as you don't want it to be too busy.

I plugged in the hot glue gun and inserted wooden dowels in the base of the skulls while waiting for it to heat up.  If they are too long, cut them short enough to not stick out of the back of the wreath...

Then, hot glue around the dowel where it meets the skull to give it extra hold.  When in doubt, add hot glue (but not to your finger ;-) tee hee...

I decided to add black glitter to the eye sockets to jazz it up a bit...but of course adding glitter is always optional.  I prefer Martha Stewart's glitter and glittering glue but you could use any kind.  So, paint the glue first...

Then, pour the glitter in (I am never shy with it as you can see ;-)

Now, it's time to move on to the wreath itself. 

Start by hot gluing the end of the garland into the back of the wreath.  Please do this over a covered surface, so that if the hot glue drips through, you don't burn yourself or ruin furniture...

Then, you summon your nifty little studio helper, tee hee!  Yes, I do that whenever I can...so I can't take credit for the whole wreath, it's true. 

She winded the leaf garland around and around trying to space it out a bit until it reached the starting point...and then I hot glued that end the same way I did the other one...

It's time to add those spooky little Skelly's you made! 

Just pop the dowels through the bottom of the wreath and hot glue them really good in there.  I kind of pull the wreath apart a wee bit to fit in the tip of my hot glue gun...again, being careful the glue doesn't drip through to the front...

I found these purple glittered black roses that were perfect to add a splash of color!  So, I just cut off the stems...

...and popped them in around the wreath like I did the wooden dowels, hot gluing along the way...

For a final touch, I added the 'Ghosts were people too,' sign, by sliding it onto an broken branch and hot gluing it really good.  Then I covered it with a black leaf so you couldn't see any glue...

 

There were a lot of cute Halloween signs but I thought this one suited the purple and black skull theme!  Better yet, make your own little sign...oh, I should have thought of that earlier, tee hee.

Sooooo, here is the final Spooooky wreath...

I will say...if I were to do this one again, I might spray paint the grapevine wreath black before adding all the decor.  I think it would make it a little more spooky...oooh, and maybe sprinkle some purple glitter on it too ;-)  Glitter is a girls best friend...isn't that the saying?  Oh, wait...no, that's diamonds, tee hee.  Well, not this girl...I LOVE glitter!

So, I hope you've been inspired to try making your own wreath.  They are so fun and fairly easy to make.  Not to mention much cheaper than buying one already made (not that there's anything wrong with that because I've seen some really cute ones on Etsy ;-)  But, I think this cost me about $15 to make, yay.

Jamie :)