Making Memories

Take-home treats

It’s been a fun birthday week and hopefully you’ve enjoyed creating the invitations, decorations, party favors and hats we’ve shown you over these last few days.  Sadly, it’s time to bring the party to a close – but we don’t want to send you away empty-handed.  To wrap up the birthday party week festivities, we’d like to leave you with one last idea: take-home treats. 

Despite the massive amounts of candy, cake and ice cream that children (and sometimes adults) can consume at a party, there always seems to be room for more.  To keep the party going, send your guests home with cookies, cupcakes or another fun treat topped with a decorative toothpick or tag.  These cupcakes use Making Memories tags and Just Chillin’ paper.

Here’s a simple recipe for vanilla cupcakes that you might want to try:

Ingredients
• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 large eggs

Easy Cupcake Recipe Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Add shortening, milk, and vanilla.  Beat for 1 minute on medium speed.  Scrape side of bowl with a spatula.
3. Add eggs to the mixture.  Beat for 1 minute on medium speed.  Scrape bowl again.  Beat on high speed for 1 minute 30 seconds until well mixed.
4. Spoon cupcake batter into paper liners until 1/2 to 2/3 full.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. Cool 5 minutes in pans then remove and place on wire racks to cool completely.
7. Once cupcakes are completely cooled, frost with your favorite frosting recipe or decorate as you desire.

Create Your Own Party Hat

Wilna created a video to help you create beautiful party hats.
Check it out.

Party Attire

Can’t find anything to wear for the party?  We’ve got you covered!  Well, your head, that is.  It’s time to bring back those good old-fashioned party hats.

Why spend money on an overpriced, cheap cardboard hat when you can create something much more fashionable on your own?  Try using paper that goes along with your party’s color scheme if you really want to impress your guests.  Here’s an example from the Just Chillin’ collection.

Party Favors by Laura

Here are quick and easy party favor ideas from Laura Vegas.

How Many Jelly Beans?

It’s not “Pin the Tail on the Donkey,” but here’s a different game for you to play for our “Birthday Week” celebration.  Tell us how many jelly beans are in the jar (don’t count the ones on the table). The first person to guess the correct amount will win a prize from the Making Memories Just Chillin’ collection.

Party Favors

Remember those cellophane bags with the crazy straws, kazoos and other cheap plastic toys? The best parties are the ones that give out party favors.  These party favors were created using the Making Memories Just Chillin’ line. 

If you’re looking for a way to entertain the kids, have them create their own favors for an activity.  All it takes is a few small paper bags, some Making Memories ribbon trims and a few tags.  You can always add stickers and other embellishments if you so desire, but keep in mind that the children will probably care more about what’s inside of the bag. 

Party Decor

Okay, you have the invitations, so now it’s time for the next step: decorations.  If you’re tired of the same old crepe paper, streamers and balloons, try mixing it up and doing something a little different.

These little paper fans are easy-to-make decorations that you can hang from the ceiling or scatter on a tabletop.  All you need to do is take a strip of Just Chillin’ paper (if you want to continue with that theme) and make accordion folds all the way down.  When your folds are complete, staple the middle of your paper.  Unfold the edges and staple them together to create a paper fan.  If you’re feeling creative, you can add a tag or sticker to the center of your fan.

*Tip: keep in mind that thick paper and small folds will be difficult to staple.

Party Banner by Wendy

One of Making Memories' designers - Wendy Anderson - created a birthday party banner using Making Memories' Just Chillin' collection.

Check it out.

Creating Party Invitations

One of Making Memories' project designers, Maggie Holmes, is showing us how to create simple, yet adorable party invitations. Since Maggie has a household of adorable little boys - and one girl :) she created an invitation using the boy papers and embellishments from Just Chillin.

Giveaway Prize: Desktop organizer

Here is your first chance to win one of our daily giveaway prizes in celebration of Birthday Week. Today’s prize is the new Making Memories desktop organizer.

To win the desktop organizer, post your answer to the following question: What’s the most creative invitation idea you’ve seen?

RULES: You have one hour to post as many times as you want, after which your name will be entered into a drawing.