Posts tagged diy

Caravan is a shop full of digital downloads created by Alma and Mike Loveland and Melanie Burk. And they’ve just made all of their printable stationery free! Find notecards for teachers, grads, birthdays, and more right here, including a bunch of chalkboard-style designs which are super trendy right now. Save yourself a trip to the store!

Materials used:

1. Flowers
2. Ribbon of your choice 
3. Flower Shears
4. Floral Tape

Step 1: I started off at a local flower shop. I didn’t really have a good idea in mind and didn’t know how many flowers I needed to get. I just knew a general idea of color and kind of went from there. I picked out one central large flower to be my focus flower and color, a few accent flowers and some greenery.

Step 2: Once I got home, I trimmed off the excess leaves and stems that I didn’t want on my bouquet and quickly saw what I felt was enough flowers dwindle down to half the original size.

I have to say, I was quite pleased with the bouquet and it was quite refreshing to know that I would be capable of making one. Though I think if I were to make my own, I’d definitely get twice as many flowers. This was a wonderful learning experience that I’d recommend experimenting with prior to your wedding if you’re planning to create your own bouquet. It really helped me visualize and plan!

I know it might be a little taboo to say that I love something that has been done a hundred times but I can’t help myself.  I LOVE this ombre cake. It would be so cute for a bridal shower or even a birthday cake.

Covering cake with Fondant

When it comes to covering the cake with fondant, is was actually quite easy. 

Hint: Buy premade fondant, don’t try to make it yourself!

ONE: roll out the fondant to about one eighth inch thickness using powdered sugar to keep the fondant from sticking to the rolling pin. 

TWO:  loosely roll the fondant up on the pin to carefully unroll it over the top of your cake.

THREE: very gently smooth the edges of the fondant.  Your hands’ heat will help to relax and smooth the fondant. 

FOUR: cut around the base of our cake with a sharp knife.

Now that you have a fondant covered cake, you’re ready to ombre! 

I used icing dye by Wilton icing coloring in the ‘rose’ color.  I just barely dipped my clean paint brush into the dye and the diluted it in water. You can use the fondant scraps to test the color prior to painting on the cake.  I started with the most diluted color on the top, and then worked my way down with less and less diluted coloring.

If there is any mess- up, you can just stick your brush into the water and lightly even out the dye. It was quite easy!

* Design & Photo Credit: House of Ernest

 This garland is an easy DIY and all you will need are:

• Prints of the pink & gold heart Free (Download Below)
• Scissors
•  Pastel or gold metallic thread
• Sewing machine

I used one printed PDF for each strand on a letter weight printer paper (rather than card stock), but you can make yours as long or short as you like. Below is the tutorial for the garland and at the end of the post you will find the button to download and print the pink and gold hearts.

* Credit: Elli Blog

If you’re looking for an excuse to start collecting those adorable vintage jello molds, I’ve got one for you. They are ridiculously easy to turn into candles. Once you’ve gathered all your supplies, you can make these in 15 minutes or less!

Supplies:

* Microwavable soy candle wax (available here)

* Lavender essential oil (available here) 

* Candle wicks (wicks with the metal anchors work best—available here)

* Vintage tin jello molds

How to:

Clean and dry your tins.

Follow the instructions on the soy wax packaging to melt the desired amount of wax in the microwave. 

Stir the lavender essential oil (1 ounce of oil per 1 pound of wax) into the melted wax. Add a little extra oil if you prefer more strongly scented candles. Pour the wax into your tins.

Carefully center the wicks in each tin of hot wax. Allow the candles to cool. Then, trim the wicks if necessary.

Enjoy and remember not to leave burning candles unattended!

Doilies and silk ribbons combine to make graceful garlands to be draped over pews at the wedding ceremony or festooned along reception tables.

Size: 6.25” x 5.5”

Share your exciting news to all your friends and family members with free wedding party invitations. These free printable invitations can be used for your engagement party, rehearsal dinner, bridal shower or bachelorette party. These printables are nice to pair with A6 vellum envelopes. Have fun!

* Photo & Design Credit: Love vs. Design

A great way to get your guests involved in your special day is to have them fill out advice cards with tips for a happy marriage. I love this wedding idea because not only will you receive great advice but you can collect the cards as keepsakes to remember your wedding day.

Simply click on the link below to download the free template. Print on heavy cardstock and trim out each using an X-acto knife or paper cutter. The card measures 4 7/8″ x 3 1/2″ and fits a standard 4-bar envelope.

*Photo and design credit:  Elli.com 

What a great way to dress up a package, a bottle of wine or any gift: a hand-crafted paper bow in this crisp red or yellow chevron pattern. Below you will find a link to download and print both the red and yellow paper bow templates. Once you have opened the pdf, simply print onto your everyday printer paper (not card stock). There is also a pdf download for a template so that you can print that on card stock, cut it out and use it as a template for  your own paper.

Once you have printed your paper bow templates,
follow the step-by-step guide below to make your packages pop!

Photo Credits: ellinee.com

You can use your marbled paper for so many things! I choose to make some cute little name cards as well as some little stir sticks.

Supplies

• Cardstock
• 4 Colors of Acrylic Paints
• Wooden Dowels
• Mini Clothespins
• String
• Water
• Liquid Starch (you can buy it right near the spray starch at the store)
• Alum (found in the spice aisle, used in pickling)
• Dishsoap

Step 1: The preparations

ONE mix together 2 cups of liquid starch with 1 teaspoon of alum and pour in the bottom of a cake pan.

TWO water down a little paint so that the paint is just slightly thinner.  Add a tiny drop of dish soap to it, this helps the paint to float on the starch. mix well.

THREE construct a ‘comb’ with wooden dowels cut to 2 inches, or with toothpicks.

FOUR using a paint brush, shake drops and splatters of paint onto your starch. Do this with all colors you’d like to include.

FIVE using your comb, comb the entire pan in one direction. 

SIX Then repeat in the perpendicular direction.

Carefully place your cardstock onto the top of the paper.  Lay it down starting at one corner instead of straight down so that air bubbles don’t get trapped underneath. Once the paper has made full contact, lift by one of the corners and remove from the paint/starch mixture.

Dunk the swirled paper into another pan of clean cool water (don’t worry!  The paint will stay on). Then hang on a string with clothespins over newsprint to dry.

* Photo & Design Credit: House of  Earnest

I like these simple, modern thank you cards, a free download from Love Vs. Design. They look cool printed on kraft paper, too!

Check them out here and download your own set.

(Source: zazzle.com)

Guest Blog: Erin Souder

It’s no secret that I love gold, and you know I could use a good cocktail on a Friday. I made these little gold confetti tumblers after seeing so many similar versions in the market. These aren’t too intense, but are pretty easy and are oh-so-cute!

Fill them up with a little pomegranate juice, some Zonin prosecco, and basil and you’ve got yourself a perfect treat.

Directions:

ONE tape off the bottom of a glass with blue painters tape and stick some dots onto the bottom, more concentrated at the top and less concentrated toward the bottom.

TWO cover the top of the glass with a sandwich bag and tape it down on the same tapeline as before.

THREE spray paint the bottom of the glass with a bright gold spray paint.

FOUR using a gold leaf pen, carry the dot motif up onto the top of the glass.  More concentrated at the bottom and sparse toward the top.

I think they’re so fun and sure do look festive for spring, right?  Grab just a few ingredients, have a cocktail and Happy Friday!

So, as a disclaimer, I am using spray paint on food and beverage item which isn’t recommended for food contact.  I felt like being on the outside of the glass I was comfortable with that, but if you’re not, please use your discretion. 

* Photos & Design by House of Ernest

Guest Blog: Summer

When I was first teaching myself to work with fondant, I found one of the hardest parts was actually covering the cake and having it look smooth. I struggled with pleats around the bottom, cracking and tearing fondant and corn starch or powdered sugar spots all over the fondant.

I looked at pictures and instructions, watched youtube videos and read forums. While there is a lot of good information out there, I felt like there was a lack of good suggestion all in once place or the videos went by so quickly. I watched adept hands make quick work of covering a cake with no issues and I struggled to figure out what they were doing.

I’m going to take you through my biggest tips and pointers for getting a nice finish so you can learn to cover your cake without pleating, tearing, holes, or any other frustrating issues that have you beating your head against the counter. This is good for those new to fondant as well, however, I will say that watching videos does help immensely so combine my information with some other videos and information out there.

Tip 1: Start with the right fondant

I originally used marshmallow fondant. While it’s easy to make and I’ve seen other people achieve professional-looking results with it, I found it sticky and hard to work with and I had issues getting it the right consistency. I started making fondant from scratch and the best recipe and the one I use all the time is Michele Foster’s Fondant recipe. A half batch (what I usually make) will cover up to one 10-inch round and it’s actually not all that hard to make.

One thing I found that really helped me was to buy a package of pre-made, high quality fondant to see what the consistency was like. That way I could better achieve the correct consistency when making it at home. I bought a container of Satin Ice, but I’ve heard good things about FondeX. Just avoid the Wilton stuff, okay? (Ick!)

Tip 2: Get your icing as smooth as possible

 The icing on your cake (under the fondant) should be as smooth and hard as possible. For this reason, many people really like working with ganache under fondant. You can get it as smooth as glass and it sets up as hard as a rock. I like ganache, but it’s really rich and expensive so I mostly work with meringue buttercreams under my fondant which also provide a nice smooth surface. I use metal bench scraper and an icing spatula to get my buttercream smooth before I apply my fondant.

Tip 3: Knead your fondant in pieces

 I divide my fondant into several pieces to knead it. Then I zap each piece in the microwave for two 5-second increments to soften it slighty (no more than 5 seconds per zap or you’ll melt it!) and then I work it on the counter. I keep the other chunks wrapped in plastic wrap so that they don’t get dry and crusty while I work.

While I’m kneading each section, I add a dollop of shortening and a dollop of glycerine to soften the fondant and make it smoother and more pliable. The shortening also helps the fondant to be less sticky. That way, you can use less corn starch (or powdered sugar) when you’re rolling. Corn starch and powdered sugar leave white stuff everywhere and can dry out your fondant.

Once you’ve gotten all the chunks kneaded individually, put them together and knead the fondant until it’s warm, soft, smooth and pliable. Remember silly putty? It should be a lot like that in consistency

Tip 4: Put away the spray bottle

 I had always read that you should spray the cake with water (after frosting) before putting the fondant on. This never worked properly for me. The coverage was always uneven, with some spots too wet and some too dry, and the fondant was always slipping around and gooey. What a mess!

Then I watched someone apply piping gel with a pastry brush on youtube. Ding! I don’t generally have piping gel on hand, but the pastry brush works perfectly. I generally use water with a small amount of tylose powder dissolved in it (which is what I use to adhere pieces of fondant or gumpaste together when making my figures or applying them to the cake). But water works, too. The coverage is nice and even and you can apply it pretty thinly. It also helps do some final smoothing on your cake. Win!

Tip 5: Use your corn starch or powered sugar sparingly

 Less is more. My preferred anti-stick is corn starch. Really, you don’t need much corn starch to keep the fondant from sticking to your counter and rolling pin. I dust just a slight amount on my slightly flattened disc of fondant, rub it around, flip and do the same on the other side. Then I sprinkle a small amount around the countertop where I’ll be rolling.

As I roll, I put my hands under and all around the edges to make sure it isn’t sticking to the counter. If need be, I sprinkle just a bit underneath and rotate the fondant slightly to distribute.

Tip 6: Roll it out bigger than you think it needs to be

 Measure your cake across the top and sides. Got that added up? Great, add another 2 inches to the dimension. So if you measured 10 inches across the top and your cake is 3 inches tall, that’s 16 inches of cake total. Roll out the fondant to at least 18 inches. I actually like a little more. More fondant along the bottom means you have more to work with when it comes to lifting and smoothing around the bottom and less opportunity for pleating and folding along the bottom.

Tip 7: Roll it up

 When you’re ready to put it onto the cake, roll the whole thing back onto your rolling pin. Don’t try to lift it with your arms or your hands and put it onto the cake. You’ll get more air bubbles if you try to do it like that. The rolling pin method allows you to roll it slowly over the top of the cake.

Tip 8: Secure the top edges first

 Once you’ve rolled it onto the cake, secure all around the very top first. This will prevent the weight of the fondant from pulling away from the edge and tearing your fondant. The other thing that helps prevent fondant from tearing and breaking is the glycerine and shortening you added when you kneaded the fondant earlier as well as using a scant amount of corn starch (or powdered sugar).

Tip 9: Lift up and in

 Now you’re going to work your way down from the top, smoothing out the fondant. Work your way around the cake, smoothing a half inch to an inch at a time all the way around, then keep going around until you get to the bottom. Sounds easy, no? This is the moment of truth. The trick? As you smooth with one hand, use your other hand to lift up the excess fondant on the bottom and push in towards the cake just slightly. It sounds completely counterintuitive, but just try it. Up and in. All that excess will help you with this. Keep lifting as you smooth down.

Tip 10: Cut, smooth, cut

 Once you’ve smoothed it all out with your hands all the way around, cut off all the excess with a pizza or pastry cutter.

Then use a fondant smoother to smooth it all down. Push in and move it up and down all around the cake. You’ll end up with a little bit more along the bottom edge. Use your cutting wheel to cut it again as close as you can to the bottom edge.

Tip 11: Use a butter knife to get a clean edge

 Are you always putting something around the bottom of your cake to hide that ragged edge? I take a butter knife and work my way around, using it to gently remove and/or tuck in any excess underneath and create a nice smooth edge. 

If there’s still a lot you didn’t get, use the pizza cutter again. If it’s just a tiny bit stuck to the cake board, you can scrape it off with the butter knife. If there’s some that is uneven, use the butter knife to press it gently up into the cake. 

That’s it! Now you have a smooth cake with no folds or pleats and a nice clean edge along the bottom. Now you don’t have to worry about positioning your decorations to cover up your mistakes!

*Photo Credits: Sugar Coated Chronicles

I love a fun gift topper, and these little accordion hearts are both fun to receive and fun to make. I think the three dimensional aspect of it is what makes it stand out – literally.

Materials:

• Construction paper
• String
• Accordion-heart-template (Download)

ONE: trace the template on a half piece of paper

TWO: fold it – accordion style – with a fold at about each half inch.

THREE: tie the bundle right in the middle with string to secure.

FOUR: fan out each end and tape with double stick tape.

Tie or stick it onto the wrapped package of your choice and you’re ready to wow!

*Credit: House of Ernest

These twig napkin rings are almost as easy as they come and they add a beautiful touch of nature and whimsy to any table.

All you need is a pair of wire cutters and one artificial blossoming branch.  Cut each stem off, twist it around a napkin and you’ve created something that brings a new life to your table.

Sometimes it’s the simplest things that can make your guests feel special.

*Photos: House of Earnest