Friday, January 25, 2019

Birthday Boy Party Ideas


Since I'm going to be busy this weekend with a special little boy and his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle birthday party, Im posting a little earlier than usual.  I thought it would be fun to take a look back at the different themes I have used for his family parties and I'm sharing a list of those today.

Take a look and maybe borrow a few ideas for your own celebrations:




Most of the decor for this party consisted of my son's wooden Thomas The Train toys, but I did put together this little 'train' after seeing the idea on Pinterest.




Quite possibly my most favorite kids party ever (I love pirates!) I used toy swords, faux coins, wooden chests, foam bones and various other details to create a swashbuckling soiree




For this theme I went with high visibility orange on the tables (safety first!) topped with blueprints, toy work vehicles and an assortment of hardware and tools.



Hunting Theme

Natural colors for the table lines, fall foliage, shed antlers and spent ammunition made this party a hunter's haven.


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I hope you enjoyed this party idea post and maybe got a few ideas of your own, thanks for stopping by!
-Jennifer



© Studio 27 By Jennifer Adams 2019

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This post was added to the Silver Pennies Sundays link party.

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best of the weekend link party


This post was also added to the Best of the Weekend link party at both of the following blogs:


Calypso in the Country
B4 and Afters

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Saturday, January 19, 2019

Make Your Own: TMNT Paper Faces





How cute are these little turtle faces I put together for our upcoming TMNT birthday party?  They were super easy to make to, check it out:

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Disclosure - This post contains affiliate links.  If a purchase is made through an affiliate link then (at no additional cost to you) I will receive a commision.  Affiliate links are noted below.

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Supplies

For this project I used standard white printer paper, blue, purple, red, orange and green printer paper, scissors, a glue stick, a pen and a black sharpie.



Cut out the Faces

After sketching out a template, I used it to trace the shape of the turtle faces onto green paper and then cut them out.  It's totally up to you how many faces that you cut out, but if you want to create the full set of TMNT turtles, you'll need at least four faces.

Not wanting to create a template?  No problem, I've got one here that you can snag for free:

TMNT Face Template

Right click on this photo and save the image to your pc.  Print the image at  8" X 10", or a little smaller, to fill out a standard size sheet of printer paper.  

Tip:  Adjust your printer settings to black and white only before printing.  This will prevent your machine from using an enormous amount of ink to create the grayish white background



Cut Strips

Using the red, orange, blue and purple paper I cut strips that were about 8" in length (the short side of the printer paper) and about 1" in width.  These strips will create the turtle masks in a bit.

Red - Raphael
Orange - Michelangelo
Blue - Leonardo
Purple - Donatello



Attach Strips

In order to create the turtle's  mask, glue one strip of colored paper across the face (top picture).  Then flip the turtle over to trim the excess paper away (middle picture).  I find it easier to get an accurate cut after flipping because then I can see the green paper that I'm cutting around.  Hang on to the colored strips that you have just removed, you'll need those again in a minute (bottom picture).



Masked Ninjas

Here is what your turtles should look like with their masks in place.



Adding the Eyes

Using a white sheet of printer paper and the lid to the glue stick, I traced out enough circles to create eyes for each turtle.  Glue these into place directly on top of the masks.



Mask Tails

Remember those scraps of paper left over from trimming the masks?  Take two and glue them to the back of the turtle face to create the tails of the mask.  It doesn't matter which side of the face you do this on, I just happened to choose the right side.



Add Details

Lastly, I used a black Sharpie to add a smiling mouth and details to the eyes.
And now you have a set of absolutely adorable turtles to help decorate!

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Need supplies to create this project?  Check out the Amazon (affiliate) links at the bottom of this post.  I added a few to some really cute TMNT party decor as well 😊

I hope you enjoyed this how-to post, thanks for stopping by!
-Jennifer



© Studio 27 By Jennifer Adams 2019

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This post was added to the following link parties:

Wonderful Wednesday (Oh My Heartsie Girl)
Wonderful Wednesday (Penny's Passion)

Saturday, January 12, 2019

Bookshelf Turned American Girl Dollhouse





Hello everyone!  Today I want you to meet Isabella Madison (Izzy for short).  Izzy is my daughter's American Girl Doll that she received from her grandparents a couple of years ago.

Izzy has managed to acquire quite a bit of furniture and accessories and was in need of a place to store them, as well as a proper home.  Since I just ripped through the entire house with my New Year cleaning and organizing, I decided to tackle this problem by creating an easy to replicate Dollhouse/ storage solution.  

Now you can certainly find ready made dollhouses that work for American Girl and other 18" dolls, but I wanted something more versatile.  In other words, something that could be easily repurposed in a couple of years or so when Izzy is no longer being frequently played with.  (I'm looking at you, Lalaloopsy dollhouse, I'm looking at you....😁)

So without further ado, here is how I managed to put together a bookshelf dollhouse:

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Disclosure- This post contains affiliate links.  If a purchase is made through an affiliate link then (at no additional cost to you) I will receive a commision.  Affiliate links are noted below.

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Empty Standard Bookcase

When beginning a project I always like to start with a blank slate and this time my 'slate' is a standard 5-shelf bookcase.  I love these shelves because 1) they are affordable, 2) they come in a white finish that blends with the rest of my decor, 3) the laminate finish is easy to wipe clean and 4) the shelves are adjustable so I can switch things around as often as I want.  There are also tons of ways to upgrade and decorate this type of shelving, but that would be an entire separate blog post (think crown molding, wallpaper backing, etc...)


Similar bookcases can be found on Amazon.
Click the following (affiliate) link to check out the many different finishes available:

South Shore 5-Shelf Storage Bookcase, Gray Oak


Note:  Though I described this as a 5-shelf bookcase, you can see in the photo that only 4 shelves are in place.  That's because the furniture made for 18" dolls is often on the taller side and some pieces need quite a bit of room.  I find that by removing a shelf I'm able to get the space that I need quickly and easily.

Tip:  Just because I left my shelving plain doesn't mean it has to stay that way.  A bookcase like this could be completely customized with a little bit of scrapbook paper.  Think wallpaper, brick, wood flooring...any pretty paper could be attached with adhesive to decorate the separate 'rooms'.  Also, who says you need to stop at one shelf?  Put two or more side by side to create a larger home with plenty of extra space 😉



Larger Pieces First

I think the easiest way to organize any space is to start with the largest items first.  I grouped the furniture into rooms; bathroom, kitchen, office, garden...and began placing the rooms where they fit the best.

As I look at this photo I can imagine how much nicer Izzy's 'house' would look with a second bookshelf in place....think of how I could spread everything out a bit better....  I mean, those extra dining chairs would look way better combined with the dining set, right? 😎

Note:  My kids are older and past the climbing stage, so I don't worry about shelving tipping over anymore.  But if you have any concern at all I would not recommend putting heavy toys at the top of a bookcase.  Even with the shelf anchored to the wall (follow the instructions that are included in the shelving package), it's still not worth the risk.  I also suggest having a rule about how the toys are played with.  The reason I call this a storage solution in addition to a dollhouse is because some of the furniture (like the bathroom) simply can't be played with in their current place.  When it comes time to play, we move the shower, vanity and bathroom accessories to the floor to avoid any accidents.



Add Accessoires

Once the larger items were in place I got to play, I mean organize all of the smaller household items that Izzy has collected.  Not even going to try and hide it, this was so much fun! 😉

Here are close-up pictures of each room:



Bathroom



Laundry Room



Kitchen



Office



Garden



Bedroom

Due to the size of the bed and (rotating) closet, I opted to create a bedroom space on the floor in front of the shelving.   I'm sure that if you wanted to though, you could find pieces that are sized more suitable for this type of shelving.

And speaking of finding pieces, I went ahead and collected my favorite Amazon options for 18" dolls:
Just click the (affiliate) links and shop until your heart's content 😍


Bathroom:
My Life as 18" Doll 17 Pc Bathroom Playset - Light up vanity, Flushing Toilet

KidKraft Little Doll Vanity


Laundry:
My Life As 6 Piece Laundry Room Play Set, for 18" Dolls


Kitchen & Dining:
Our Generation Gourmet Kitchen Sets for 18" Doll

Real Wood Toys 18 Inch Doll Furniture- Wooden Table and Chairs Set - (18" White Floral) Fits American Girl Dolls


Office:
myLife Brand Products My Life As 18" Doll Desk Play Set Multiple Accessories


Garden:
Flower & Vegetables Garden Playset - 32 Pieces - Fit 18 inches Dolls


Bedroom:
Badger Basket Trundle Doll Bunk Beds with Ladder (fits American Girl dolls)

KidKraft Lil’ Doll Armoire


Living Room:
Playtime by Eimmie Furniture Set - Sectional Sofa with Doll Accessories - Furniture Set for 18 Inch Dolls


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And there you have it: an easy dollhouse/ storage solution for any 18" doll and a personally curated Amazon shopping list.  I hope you enjoyed this how-to post, thanks for stopping by!
-Jennifer



© Studio 27 By Jennifer Adams 2019



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This post was added to the Silver Pennies Sundays link party.

This post was also added to the Best of the Weekend link party at both of the following blogs:


Calypso in the Country
B4 and Afters

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Saturday, January 5, 2019

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Party Invitations



Happy New Year everyone!

I'm back today with a quick and easy invitation tutorial for my son's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle birthday party.  Check it out:



Supplies

For this project I used a few sheets of colored printer paper; green for the invitation background and red, orange, blue and purple to create the ninja 'masks'.  I also printed out the invitation text separately on white paper, but you'll see that in a bit.

Red - Raphael
Orange - Michelangelo
Blue - Leonardo
Purple - Donatello



Step 1

First cut your green paper to the size of your choice.  I like to be able to fit my completed invites into standard size letter envelopes so I go with an elongated rectangle, but any shape will do.  Once your background is ready, cut strips from the remaining red, orange, blue and purple sheets.

Note:  If you adjust the size of your invitation background (the green sheet) then you will need to change the size of your mask strips as well.



Step 2

When it came time to create the invitation wording I kept it simple with the 'cowabunga dudes' phrase in colored font followed by the party details.  At the request of my son I changed the location from our address to say 'sewer' instead 😆


In case you can't read the text from the photo, here it is:

COWABUNGA DUDES

(Child's Name) IS TURNING 5!

Let's Party (Date & Time)

At (Location) 

-Lunch and dessert to be served-


Step 3

Once the wording was in place I glued the red, orange, purple and blue paper strips diagonally at each corner of the invitation.  Now is also the time to trim the excess from the paper strips 😉



Step 4

Using a standard hole punch, I punched out several circles using plain white paper.  Glue a set of two onto each 'mask' (top) and use a marker to add dots for the eyes (middle).  Once complete follow up with the marker again to add eyebrow detailing (bottom).




And there you have it, a quick and easy party invitation for any TMNT fan!

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Want more from this party?
TMNT Party Baking

I hope you enjoyed this how-to post, thanks for stopping by!
-Jennifer



© Studio 27 By Jennifer Adams 2019