Shark Week Sugar Cookies

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Shark Week is almost here (August 4th)!  Make a splash with these cookies, which were created because of our failure to plan.  We were supposed to make shark-shaped sugar cookies over the weekend but failed to order or even make an attempt to buy a shark cookie cutter.  Our oversight and complete lack of professionalism made us scramble to come up with something cute and simple that still gets the idea of sharks across... and oh yes, tastes good too.

` shark fins and waves

in simple, make-yourself shapes

we even opted for the good old-fashioned frosting method too... you know, with a butter knife and a pile of buttercream frosting

look how cute the plain little fishies look... too small to frost, so we are calling them dippers (just add a small bowl of extra buttercream frosting)

printable shark fin and waves


Soft and Puffy Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter
4 cups flour
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons soda
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream butter and sugar.  Add milk, eggs, and vanilla until combined.  Add already-mixed dry ingredients.  Chill dough for at least 30 minutes.  Roll out, cut out, and bake at 350 degrees for 6-9 minutes, depending on cookie size.

Buttercream

1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch



Homemade Luau Party Collection

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Click HERE for instructions on how to make your own Luau Party invitation.

` nothing says great party decorations like brightly-colored paper lanterns!
Click HERE for paper lantern tutorial.

Now for the fun part...
` nothing says great party decorations like brightly-colored paper lanterns... oh wait, except for this brown one that looks strangely like a tiki!  
Click HERE for special instructions on this tiki-version of the paper lantern.

` sprinkle these gems, ahem, paper flowers, all over your party... again, same bright scrapbook paper colors!  
Click HERE to learn how to make these adorable paper flowers for your Luau Party.

` homemade tiki totems help set the perfect luau party mood, AND they can be a super-fun kid project
Click HERE for free printables of these tiki guy parts, and of course, more details about how these tiki guys are made from brown paper bags.

Okay, we lied... THIS is the FUN part!
` shark week-inspired cocktails with the cutest little accessories
Click HERE to learn how to dress up your Shark Colada.
  
Look how cute all these homemade paper goods look as part of your tablescape with a matching tray, layered runner, and cloth napkins!
Click HERE for more party details.

They are fun on your wall too!  Who knew brown wrapping paper could be so exciting... well, I guess WE did, and now YOU do too!
Click HERE to spruce up your wall even more, like with signage.

Feels like the only thing missing from this party setup are some sugar cookies...


Homemade Luau Party

Monday, July 22, 2013

Aloha!  The series is over, but the party is just beginning.  Watch what happens when we put it all together.  Welcome to our Luau Party!


` layer table runner and cloth napkins for your homemade luau party tablescape


` use some homemade paper lanterns and paper flowers to make up your budget-friendly centerpiece


` use a tray to hold napkins, silverware, cocktail accessories, and a couple homemade paper flowers
` remember to choose paper to match your home, so your tray will automatically coordinate with your party colors


` use old wrapping paper for a fun party backdrop to display the rest of your homemade paper lanterns and paper flowers


` string homemade paper lanterns together with fishing line


` we love Loctite FUN-TAK mounting putty for securing our wrapping paper to the wall and our homemade paper flowers to the wrapping paper


` make your own party sign with an unused picture frame, scrapbook paper, and a dry erase marker






Homemade Luau Party Shark Week Cocktail

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Ladies and possibly gentlemen, the Shark Colada!  This is the last individual post before the Luau party.  We thought it was appropriate to combine our love for theme parties in the summertime AND Shark Week, which by the way, is happening August 4th.  

` take your favorite summery cocktail, okay, we mean ours, and turn it shark

` accessorize your cocktail

` place cute shark stickers onto punches of scrapbook paper

` add a coordinating, patterned scrapbook punch to the back so someone sitting across from you has a nice view too

` hot glue mini clothespins onto backs

See?

Ahh.









Homemade Luau Party Paper Bag Tiki Guy!

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

This is no joke.  Here is the fourth part of our Luau party series... 
drumroll please........... AND it's kid-friendly too........... the tiki guy, or lady, if you please!  That's not all.  Our next post might be, no wait--will DEFINITELY be, something that contains alcohol!

` make your own tiki guys with brown paper bags and scrapbook paper

tiki guy parts in simple shapes and a variety of colors
(create your own or feel free to use our printables at the end of this post)

they can be used as gift bags

they are cute centerpieces

` kids can make them too... fun party project!

they stack neatly to make a tiki totem




printable tiki guy parts





Homemade Luau Party Paper Flowers!

Friday, July 12, 2013

For the third part of our Luau party series, we will remind you how to make your own paper flowers, Hawaiian-style, of course.  See how they kind of look like a Hibiscus?  Keep checking back.  Still more Luau party posts to come... up next might even be the design sprinkle version of a tiki guy!

` original paper flowers in fun, new luau colors
Click HERE for paper flower tutorial. 

There is one small difference from the original paper flower.  We only made one layer of petals, instead of two.  Easier, right?  Now your inexpensive scrapbook paper will carry you even further!





Homemade Luau Party Paper Tiki Lantern!

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Paper and tiki lanterns are the second part of our Luau party series.  Please don't think that the party stops here.  Hold onto your leis... more Luau posts to come!  

` original paper lanterns in fun, new luau colors
Click HERE for paper lantern tutorial.


It will be hard to keep you from doing the limbo when you see this new twist on the paper lantern.  Behold... the paper tiki lantern!


` paper tiki lantern... it's like the other lanterns, only cooler

STOP!  This is the most important step!
` FOLD before you cut your paper
Everything else is the same from here on out.





This is a lengthy post for us, so if you need to revisit the original paper lantern tutorial, click HERE.

Homemade Luau Party Invitation!

Thursday, July 4, 2013

This is the first of a many-part Luau series... more posts to come... paper decorations and a special shark week cocktail, so stay tuned!

` choose scrapbook paper that complements your home

` create lanterns on your invitation by placing 1 1/2 inch-diameter punches over top of smaller-sized squares (eyeball the size of the square)

` double-sided tape works great for mounting lanterns and matting invitation onto coordinating solid paper

` put together your guest list, and start printing!

printable luau invitation




How to fill out this invitation (we tried to make it simple, which may have made it more confusing in hindsight):



join us:
date and time
at:
address
address
rsvp to:
your name and contact

design sprinkle. All rights reserved. © Maira Gall.