Tuesday 26 February 2008

Popcorn Versus Potpourri

By Anne Clarke

I remember when taking a long string and making popcorn garland was one of my family's favorite holiday crafts. In addition to it being a very inexpensive way to add ambiance in our tree-decorating adventures, it was something the family enjoyed doing together. However, there are downsides to a popcorn garland - it is fragile, a little greasy, and the dogs go after it. So we decided to upgrade by making our own ornaments with scented potpourri. It was a hit right away, and best of all, our living room had the soothing, lingering smell of pine needles instead of popcorn.

Now it is our new tradition to make these lovely scented balls of colorful potpourri to decorate our Christmas tree every year. Here is how it works:

You will need:

Clear glass or plastic ornaments
Edging lace
Ribbons for bows and for hanging
A hot glue gun and plenty of hot glue
Small dried flowers or artificial flowers
Glitter
Pine essential oil, vanilla oil, or your choice of scent
Colorful potpourri

With these simple instructions and ingredients, you can make a statement with a new twist on holiday decorations that are perfect for the occasion. It does not have to be expensive, and it can even become a craft the whole family will love. Potpourri tree ornaments are not even an expensive undertaking. And they are certain to brighten the room and to make the air fresh and fragrant.

Prepare your potpourri however you like, whether this means just picking out a colorful potpourri, or even adding a safe, colored paint to the pieces of potpourri. Perhaps you will want to add to or strengthen the fragrance with scented oils. However you go about making it ready, after preparing your potpourri, fill each ornament about one-third of the way full with the potpourri mix. Then sprinkle a bit of glitter into the ornament. If you prefer, you may want to mix in the glitter when you prepare the potpourri, to make it simpler. This will also assure that you do not spill or overfill the ornaments. Remember, glitter is messy, and you don't need much, so be careful. If you have plastic ornaments that open wide enough, it is beautiful to have a whole flower in your ornament, resting on the potpourri.

Use the glue gun to set your ornaments tightly, as well as to decorate your ornaments with ribbon, bows, lace, and flowers, as well as to set the hooks (if your ornaments have hooks), or make loops of ribbon from which your ornaments can hang. You will love the wonderful aroma, the bright décor, and the new ambiance of your Christmas at home with simple, inexpensive decorating changes. Experience Christmas in a different way by experimenting with all kinds of different new and creative ways to decorate your home both indoors and outdoors. Brighten your own holiday for you and for your guests this year with crafty decorations like potpourri ornaments.


Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching, gardening, and fashion. For more of her useful articles about home decor, please visit http://homedecorworld.com/, supplier of fine Dining & Kitchen supplies, Garden & Patio decor and more.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anne_Clarke



http://www.halloweenmania.co.uk/ http://www.santaspostbag.co.uk/

Garden Art Ideas - How to Make Your Planters Into Beautiful Garden Art


By Anne Clarke

Garden stores have so many different types of garden art for your to choose from – there are beautiful water features like ponds and fountains, as well as statues, wind chimes, birdhouses, and so much more. But why not go ahead and make your own garden art? Why not make sure that your garden fully reflects your own personality, and nobody else’s?

When it comes to making your own garden art, there are so many different possibilities as to what you can do that it can almost be overwhelming. That is why I am going to focus on just one type of garden art in this article: planters. Check out these fun and unique ideas for your garden pots and planters:

The Spilt Planter

Add a little humor to your garden with a “spilt planter.” Find an ordinary pot or barrel and tip it on its side in your garden. Fill the planter part way with soil, and then spread the rest out in front of it as though it has spilled out. Choose a few of your favorite flowers and plant them in the spilled-out soil. Warning: this fun and whimsical idea is one that may have do-gooders coming up and trying to fix the spill… until they see that the plants are actually planted in the ground.

Bathtub Planter

Find a bathtub (a clawfoot tub, preferably) at a thrift store, garage store, or even from your remodeled bathroom. Fill her up with good soil and then plant a small garden! It can also be fun to use a bathtub as a pond. It is even possible to find a way to hook your garden hose up so that you can have water coming out of the bathtub waterspout.

Thrift Stores Gems

There are many other things that plants can be planted into (besides planters and pots… and bathtubs). Why not go to an antique shop or a thrift store and see what you can find! You can plant a pair of cacti in a pair of cowboy boots. Why not plat a snapdragon in a tea cup? You can use vases, pots and pans, tires, helmets, and so many other things as planters. You may not know what item can double as a perfect garden planter until you go out and find it.

Pottery By Your Own Hand

Why not sign up for a pottery class and make your very own planter! Granted, you may make a pot that is only large enough for one petunia, but it is so much fun to create your own shapes and to glaze your pot in whatever color you want. Homemade pots with a flower in each make excellent gifts, as well.

Pot makeovers

If you already have a pot that you like, why not just dress it up a bit? Go ahead and glue a ribbon around the rim or even add sequins, buttons, scrabble letters, or other items! You can also completely makeover a pot – you just need some Mod Podge (a wonderful, glue-like substance) and some magazines. Cut or rip out some favorite pictures from magazines (or use photographs, newspaper, brown paper bags, tissue paper, etc.) and Mod Podge them all over your pot. Use a weather-proofing finishing spray to top it off. (If you are using a terra cotta pot or another pot that breathes and is not glazed, be sure that you heavily coat the pot with Mod Podge before you add your pictures, and consider placing another planter inside the pot to keep the magazine pictures from puckering when you water your plant.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on gardening and garden art, please visit Garden Art.


Vampire Bat Cake

By: S Roberts

Ingredients
2 tbsp cocoa
3 tbsp boiling water
225g/8oz soft margarine
225g/8oz caster sugar
4 eggs
225g/8oz self-raising flour
2tsp baking powder

For the Filling and Topping:
Strawberry jam
50g/2oz soft margarine
175g/6oz icing sugar, sifted
1 tbsp milk
A bar of Cooking Chocolate




Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and base line 20cm/2x8in sandwich tins with greased greaseproof paper.

2. Blend the cocoa and water in a mixing bowl then leave to cool slightly. Measure all the remaining ingredients into the bowl and beat well until thoroughly blended. Divide the mixture evenly between the tins and level out.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until well risen and the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly pressed with a finger. Leave to cool in the tins for a few moments then turn out, peel off the paper and finish cooling on a wire rack.

4. To make the butter cream, blend together the margarine, icing sugar and milk until smooth. Keep one of the pieces of sponge cake whole to form the base. Spread a thin even layer of jam on the cake base, and add half the icing and spread this out over the top of the jam.

5. Take the second piece of sponge and with a large round pastry cutter, cut a circle in the middle of the sponge. Now cut two more circles, one above and one below the centre hole. The two big cake halves left form the bats wings, stick them on top of the base of the cake with the scalloped shaped edges sticking outwards. (see picture)

6. Take two of the three circles that were cut away when making the wings. Stick the two circles together with jam and icing and stick them in one of the triangle shapes between the wings to form the bats head. The final circle should be cut in half and stuck with icing above the bats head to form the ears. Bats have large ears you know.

7. Melt the cooking chocolate in the microwave for a couple of minutes - stiring half way through. Melt the cooking chocolate in the microwave for a couple of minutes - stirring half way through. Spread the chocolate evenly over the bat's wings, head and ears. Give the Bat a face with some icing and red jelly sweets for spooky eyes.

http://www.halloweenmania.co.uk/vampie-bat-cake-halloween-recipe.php
http://www.halloweenmania.co.uk/live-ghost-cam.php

Tuesday 19 February 2008

Tea Cosy Knitting Pattern – Skull



S. Roberts

Not even the teapot can escape the Halloween festivities if you make this Halloween Skull tea cosy. The Skull tea cosy is made from double thickness yarn for extra insulation.

This tea cosy was designed by TeaCosyFolk.co.uk

To make the (White) Skull tea cosy you will need...
5.5 mm, UK size 5 or US size 9 knitting needles,
50g White Double knitting wool,
25g Black Double knitting wool,
And the Skulls face pattern which can be printed off at the link below

Divide the Black and White balls of wool into two balls so that the yarn can be used as double thickness but knitted up as a single strand.

The Back
Using size 5.5mm knitting needles and double thickness white yarn cast on 28 stitches and work 4 rows in straight garter stitch (Knit each row)

Then work 22 rows of Stocking Stitch (one row knit, one row purl)

Leave the stitches on a spare needle until later.


The Front
Using size 5.5mm knitting needles and double thickness white yarn cast on 28 stitches and work 4 rows in straight garter stitch

Then work 20 rows from the pattern to create the skulls face.

Row 21: K
Row 22: P


Shaping the top...
Using Red wool as a double yarn proceed to knit across the tea cosy front and then tea cosy back as Follows...

Shaping the top Row 1: *K5, K2 tog* repeat to end
Next and every alternate row Purl.
Row 3: *K4, K2 tog* repeat to end.
Row 5: *K3, K2 tog* repeat to end.
Row 7: *K2, K2 tog* repeat to end.
Row 9: *K1, K2 tog* repeat to end.
Row 11: *K2 tog* repeat to end.


Thread the end of the yarn through the remaining stitches and through the loop of the yarn itself and draw up the knitting tightly and Finnish off.

With the front and back right sides together, sew about 9.5cm from the finishing off point down the side seam towards the cast on edge.

At the bottom of each side seam, sew about 3cm upwards. The holes are left for the teapot handle and spout.

Finish off all the ends inside the tea cosy left over from knitting the face.


For the free print out of the skull face please click here http://www.halloweenmania.co.uk/skull-tea-cosy-knitting-pattern-halloween.php
The Skull tea cosy was designed by http://www.teacosyfolk.co.uk/ – Tea cosies with character.

Homemade Chocolate Truffles Recipe

By Melanie Mendelson

Ingredients:

16 oz dark chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp liquor (optional) (if using, coffee liquor goes really well here)

Directions:

Break up the chocolate into small pieces.

Heat the cream just to the point of simmering. Watch it the whole time, since boiling cream can overflow the pot! Remove from heat right away once it starts to simmer.

Stir in the chocolate and liquor, and keep stirring until the chocolate has melted completely. Let cool, then put in the refrigerator.

Check the consistency of the truffle mixture after 5 hours in the refrigerator. You should be able to scoop it with a spoon and roll balls from it. If it's too soft (impossible to roll into balls), put it back in the refrigerator and check again after 1 hour.

Line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Once the truffle mixture is the right consistency, use a spoon to put some of it on your hands, roll into balls and put the balls on the parchment paper.

Note: at this point, you can also roll the truffles in chocolate crumbs (to make chocolate crumbs, just grind an additional small chocolate bar in a food processor). This step is optional, I only do it when presentation is important, since the truffles in chocolate crumbs look more professionally done then plain truffles :)

Put the baking sheet with truffles in the freezer for at least 1 hour. After you remove them from the freezer, take the truffles off the parchment paper and put on a plate. Store the truffles in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Melanie Mendelson has been making a living on the Internet since 2002. Get her step-by-step Internet Business Blueprint FREE at http://www.goforyourdreams.com/

Learn To Make Crochet Flower - Beginner Crochet Tutorial On Flower Crocheting



By Jennifer Walter

What come to your mind when you hear the word flowers, yes splendid colors mixed in one and refreshing to say the least. Be it real flowers that grow in your garden on the the neighborhood park or even artificial ones that are available in multiple colors and also prints.

With all the different colors and aura they come with can help lighten the mood of the most distressed too. Flowers lighten my mood too. And the fact that I know crocheting it allows me to make stupendous craft things with flower theme like fashion accessories for my beautiful daughter, which she can wear outdoors, and hat pins as well. Such designer flowers are rather easy to craft provided you have knowledge of Crochet.

If you can find time to surf the net you will be able to find website that provide online tutorial for easy crochet flower. There are many websites or blogs out there on the internet which should provide you great content and tips on this subject alone.

Here I shall teach you how you can make a simple yet attractive crochet flower.

You can start with a plain crochet hook and 2-3 colors of yarn. Why yarn? This thing can be made with threads too but I simply prefer yarn. Ensure that the dimension of the yarn is fitting well with hook size. Take your first color and use chain six.

Revert to chain number one and do a dc and next go to chain two. Do this time and again and put all these into chain number one. You have eight spokes in hand. Attach the circle with sl st in chain number 3 at your left (this is chain 3 from first spoke) Now build (sc, ch 1, 2 dc, ch 1, sc) and then attach all arches you have made. In this way you learnt to make a petal.

Do this in all eight arches and this will give you your 1st flower. Attach a sl st with 1st sc on the 1st petal. Rotate the flower. Pick another color of your choice, and then create a slipknot and place a crochet hook beneath the color spoke and then draw the 2nd color yarn through.

You are left with two stitches on the hook, draw the hook besides to create one. Chain number six & work a dc through subsequent spoke, chains number three. Redo this dc, chain number three on every spoke. Now create a sl st through 3rd chain of the 1st row that you have already done.

Now turn it to its flip side on right hand side. Place the 1st color petals a little ahead and then do (sc, chain 1, 3 dc, chain 1, sc) above every arch. Put together sl st through 1st sc. Cast off.

With this your flower is prepared. Applying similar steps you can create 2,3,4 or even 5 with have different or similar colors. With every new whirls the flower size will grow bigger. So make one the way that you really want to do.

Find great deal of free information on how to create crochet pattern and tutorials on how to crochet a simple afghan at http://www.beginnercrocheting.com, the most popular crocheting portal by expert author and crafter, Jennifer Walter.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Walter

Wednesday 13 February 2008

How to Make a Real Cup of English Tea

Since the rise of the humble teabag which was introduced to the UK by Tetley Tea in 1953, the art of making a real cup of English tea has been on the decline, with many ‘tea drinkers’ choosing to mash their tea in a mug. Of course back in the Victorian times, taking tea was more of an event; with the ‘tea maker’ even mixing a blend of tea leaves them selves. Interestingly, the first tea bag recorded was in around 1908. Introduced by a gentleman called Thomas Sullivan, from the USA. The Victorian connoisseurs of tea must have rejected the idea. After all, the Victorians enjoyed the whole event of tea drinking and chattering – why would they want to speed up the process?

To make a real cup of tea you will need…
A quality blend of tea leaves. Loose tea is best, however a good brand of tea bags will suffice. (Remember if the tealeaves were cheap – the tea will taste accordingly) If you choose to use leaves you will also need a tea strainer.

You will also need a kettle full of boiling water, a teapot, a teaspoon, a china mug or cup and saucer, milk and sugar to taste.

First pour around a quarter of a pint of the boiling water into the teapot. Put the lid on the teapot and swill the hot water around inside the teapot before pouring the water out of the spout and down the sink. This is called ‘Warming the Pot’.

Warming the teapot ensures that when the teapot is filled with water for making tea, that the water will remain hot and wont loose any heat tot he teapot. Keeping the tea water hot not only keeps the finished tea at an optimum temperature for drinking, but also helps with the tea brewing itself. Piping hot water aids the tealeaves to effuse.

One the teapot is hot, you should add the tealeaves. The general rule is to add a teaspoon of loose tea or a teabag for every person who will be taking tea, plus ‘One for the Pot’. Therefore, if five people are taking tea, you should add six teaspoons of tealeaves or six teabags to the teapot.

Now pour on the boiling water. You should add enough water to fill everyone’s teacup. Put the lid on the teapot to retain the heat. Leave the teapot to stand for two minutes.

Then remove the teapot lid and stir the tea with a spoon. Replace the lid and again leave it to stand two more minutes. The tea is now ready for pouring.

China cups are best for drinking tea from, which is why the Victorians chose to drink from beautiful china tea sets. It just makes the tea taste better.

Controversy has arisen as to when the milk should be added to tea. Some people saying that the milk should be poured in first and others saying that the tea is poured first. Obviously as a nation we have got used to brewing tea in a mug. This way the tea is always added first. However, to make a real cup of English tea the milk is always added to the cup first, followed by the tea.

Sugar is than added last to taste. A sugar bowl is necessary because it largely depends on the size of the cup as to how much sugar you will take in your tea. The larger the cup or mug the more sugar you may need. Of course with just a small china cup you need far less sugar.

When the tea has been poured, the teapot should be again filled with boiling water in readiness for a second serving. Stir the tea and replace the lid and cover the teapot with a tea cosy to keep the tea piping hot. By the time you have drunk your first cup of tea, the second batch of tea will be ready for pouring.

We should bring back the art of tea making. It’s a relaxing social event that everyone young and old can enjoy. Funny isn’t it how we buy little girls pretty little tea sets to make imaginary tea for their dollies, and yet as adults we have removed the fun and we just sling a teabag in a mug. Join the campaign and dig out your teapot and treat yourself and your friends and family to a real English cup of tea and a chat, today.

Visit http://www.teacosyfolk.co.uk for quality, hand knitted, woollen, character tea cosies. Tea Cosy Folk tea cosy designs are exclusive to http://www.teacosyfolk.co.uk and not only look charming but also keep the tea piping hot ready for the second cup of tea.

How to make a Pinata - Step by step instructions




Weather you decide to buy one or if your are looking for step by step instructions of how to make a pinata your self, pinata's are a great addition to any party.Here are simple step by step instruction on how to make a pinata - This is what you need -



Flour


Water


Newspaper


Balloons


Glue


Cord


Crepe paper for decorating


And a Pen or a Crayon


How to make a Pinata


1. Make your papermache Cut the newspaper into long strips . Mix the flour and water to make a smooth paste.Inflate a balloon.(which ever shape you wish to use)
Dip each paperstrip in the flour water mixture and stick it over the balloon form.Cover the entire balloon with paper strips and let it dry. Cover the balloon with atleast 2 layers of paper and let it dry completely atleast for 12-24 hours.Thats your paper mache ready.


2. Getting the Pinata ready for decorating Cut an opening on the top of the pinata form to insert candy in it. Make 2 spots at the top on the opposite sides and pass a thread through it so you can hang your pinata.


3. Now for decorating the pinata...If you are looking at making a pinata of simple form, you can use 2 or different color crepe paper and cut strips right across the length of the paper and use it to decorate the pinata. Spread glue and stick the strips horizontally making layers of different colors appear.And you have a pinata ready for your party.....


Yogi Shinde is a busy Mum and a web master of a kids games website featuring fun games kids can play
You can find more articles on step by step method of how to make a pinata of different shape at Play kid games
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Yogi_Shinde

No More Ties! Homemade Father's Day Gift Ideas

By Adriana Copaceanu

If you are like me, you never know what to get dad for Father's Day. Well, today, you'll get a few ideas that will get you out of a bind any time.

Wallet Memories - Cut a business card size rectangle out of poster board. Decorate both sides with stickers, photographs, small messages, or drawings (for kids). Laminate it, and give it to dad. He can keep the card in his wallet - a reminder of your kind gesture.

Daddy Cake - Your child will love creating this Father's Day cake. Bake a cake and then get busy decorating. You can create a golf scene for the golfing dad, a briefcase for the businessman, or simply, just a smiley face. Oh, what fun!

Short story - Write a short story where the hero is your dad. Don't forget to mention some of the things you've always taken for granted, and never thanked him for. This will be a great keepsake for him. An alternative to this would be to write a poem for your dad and frame it for him.

Father of The Year Banner - design a father of the year banner and post it in the front yard before dad gets home on Father's Day.

Breakfast in Bed - we always do this for mom, but this time, make dad's favorite breakfast and serve him in bed. Better yet, make breakfast for 2 and leave him and mom alone to enjoy it.

Scented Pillow - sew a small pillow and fill it with cotton and a few drops of either clary sage, marjoram or ylang-ylang, or a combination of them, for an anti-stress effect. If you like, you can also hand-embroider some sweet saying like "World's Best Dad".


Adriana Copaceanu provides people with creative gift ideas that don't blow the bank. If you are looking for Father's Day Gift Ideas, look no further. Want regular reminders on gift-giving? Sign up for her free monthly newsletter, Gift News
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adriana_Copaceanu

Fathers Day Crafts

Father's Day crafts are a perfect way for kids to show their love to their fathers without spending a huge amount of money. Father's Day crafts are articles made out of material available around the house and fashioned into cute gifts by kids. Father's Day crafts are especially popular with girls.

The greatest advantage of Father's Day crafts is that they can be prepared by children as young as three or four years old, thereby giving them a chance to know the true meaning of the celebration.

There are various examples of items and articles that can be created by children out of materials like glue, cardboard, crayons and other simple materials found commonly in households. Hand-made cards are good examples of simple father's day crafts.

The various materials used for making Father's Day crafts include cardboard, felt, paper, glue, Popsicle sticks, crayons, markers, scissors, papier-mâché, construction paper, shoe boxes, cereal boxes and juice containers.

Some examples of crafts are given below:

Business Card Holders, using Popsicle sticks, craft paint, glue and various decorations.

Pad Holder, using Post-It Pads, cardboard, markers and crayons, glue, scissors and a magnet if the pad holder has to be magnetic.

Billiards Clock, using felt paper of various colors, black marker, glue, scissors, corrugated cardboard and a set of clockworks.

A Party Pot, which is basically any material of pot painted and then glued with decorative paper.

Cute bookends with personal messages of photos can be created out of cardboard cartons, newspapers, papier-mâché, paste, and painting material.

Door knobs and wall hangings can be made from cardboard, decorations and crayons.


Fathers Day provides detailed information on Father's Day, Father's Day Cards, Father's Day Crafts, Father's Day Gift Baskets and more. Fathers Day is affiliated with Mother's Day.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Marlborough

Thursday 7 February 2008

Hooting Halloween Owl Cakes

Ingredients
280g butter, softened
280g golden caster sugar
200g self-raising flour, minus 1 rounded tbsp
1 rounded tbsp cocoa powder
6 medium eggs

For Icing and Decoration
200g butter, softened
280g icing sugar, sifted
1 tube orange ready-to-use icing
1 small bag Maltesers
1 tube choco M&Ms minis (use just the brown sweets) or Cadbury's mini buttons
1 tub jelly diamonds (just the orange ones)




Method
1. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with brown muffin cases. Beat the first 5 ingredients to a smooth batter and spoon between the cases, almost filling them to the top. You may have a little left over. Bake for 20-25 mins until risen and spongy. Cool on a rack.

2. Beat the butter and icing sugar until smooth. Slice off the very tops of the cakes and cut each piece in half. Spread a generous layer of icing over each cake.

3. Working on one cake at a time, squirt a pea-sized blob of orange icing onto two Maltesers and use to fix a brown M&M on each. Sit the eyes, two pieces of cake top (curved edge up) and a jelly diamond on the icing to make an owl.

Click Here for a Vampire Bat Halloween Cake
Spookiness from http://www.halloweenmania.co.uk

Wednesday 6 February 2008

Sources of Free Invitation Templates - How to Choose the Best One

There are tons of online sites that offer free invitation templates for birthday celebrations. If you're not that creative when it comes to words, you can always go to the Internet and look for ideas from party-planning sites, paper printing resources and even art-related sources. Whatever the occasion might be, the Internet can provide you with a lot of ideas and suggestions on how to go about composing those invitation words.

For the busy organizer, printing free invitation templates might be the best option. These free templates can be found in party sites and there are probably hundreds of them. Some of these are PartyCat, Gatsby and Paper Alchemy; just to name a few. You can either print the free materials or copy them and incorporate them into your personally-made designs. Sources are unlimited, but choosing the best one is another matter.

Since sites that offer such services are numerous, you might get a bit lost when it comes to choosing the appropriate template or words for your invitations. To help you choose the best one, here are some pointers.

1. What kind of party will you be holding? Is it formal? A child party? A party for a friend? Always consider the type of party for which the invitations are being made. Is it a black tie dinner? An outdoor event? A kiddie party? Whatever the case may be, your search will be much easier if you knew what kind of celebration you will be holding.

2. The age and personality of the celebrant. Of course, you cannot choose poetic and emotionally-laden invitation words if you are inviting kids, they just would not understand them yet. Select templates that best describe the celebrant's personality. If he or she is a fun-loving person, choose funny messages that highlight the celebrant's sense of humor. However, make sure that you don't go beyond being funny to being insolent. If you are not sure what is funny and what is tactless, forget about funny messages and stick with standard invitation words.

3. Make sure that the templates suit the invitation design. Poetic and serious messages do not suit a disco party-themed invitation, just like funny messages will not be appropriate for invitations for a formal dinner party. The best thing to do is to decide what design you will have for your invitation. This, of course, should reflect the theme of the party. Once you've selected your design, choosing the words will be much easier.

4. Use more than one template if the guests are diverse in terms of age and their relationship with the celebrant. A particular message might appeal to the celebrant's closest friends, but might not be appreciated by those whose connection with the birthday person is more formal and more professional. You can avoid the risk of offending anyone by using one set of message for one set of guests and a different one for another group of invitees. Just make sure that you can identify who's who in relation to the celebrant.

Free invitation templates make the job of creating invitation messages much easier. For the busy organizer, the answer to your dilemma is just one mouse click away.
Find loads of birthday invitation information and advice, articles and free invitation templates at your #1 Birthday invitation resource: http://www.birthday-invite.com/

How To Make Paper Tissue Flowers


Learning how to make tissue paper flowers is an easy and creative way to spend your time. I was unfortunately involved in a horrific accident a while ago and bed ridden for months as a result of this accident. With all this time on my hands, I decided to read up on different ways to express myself through the art of making them. This hobby is so relaxing that I recommend it to anyone, no matter what their age or creative ability.

There are only a handful of items that are needed to create a paper tissue flower and most of them can be found right around your house. You need some tissue paper and a pipe cleaner, a pencil, a pair of scissors and a ruler. Then you will have everything needed to start and complete your project.

You can begin by folding each sheet the width of a pencil (accordion or fan style). Then lay all the sheets on top of each other making sure all the creases meet. Then fold the whole thing again, and put the pipe cleaner in the middle of the accordion. Now wrap the pipe cleaner two times around the accordion and fold down the top of the pipe cleaner and twist. Then, you will carefully cut off each of the ends of the accordion, making the corners round. Then carefully fan out all the sheets so none are stuck together until a fluffy flower appears.

Whole flower bouquets can be made in a broad range of sizes and colors. The petals can be folded or cut at any size imaginable. You can make larger or smaller flowers depending on your taste.You can use many different types of colored tissue paper when designing these flowers. This will create multi-colored blossoms that will be one of the main topics of conversation at your next house party. Tie-dye or colored splashed tissue paper flowers can be used to bring some color to a dull, dreary room or to cheer up a sickly person.

A couple of months ago, I was visiting a dear, old friend in the hospital when I realized that tissue paper flowers would lighten, and cheer up her room drastically. Because she was deafly allergic to real flowers my tissue flowers were the key. The next day I returned to the hospital and brought a vase full of my multi-colored flowers and gave it to her. She was so happy that she began to cry. Thirty plus years I have known this lady and I never saw her so happy, and it gave me this feeling of warmth all over my body that is unforgettable.

There is nothing better than the feeling you get when you look at the finished product. I cannot begin to explain the satisfaction you will get from this inexpensive old pass time. Our great grandmothers, and their grandmothers made these flowers and now we can enjoy this sensational hobby also.

As I said before, its an inexpensive hobby with numerous amounts of paper tissue flowers that can be created. It very therapeutic process that is used in most nursing homes today. It helps to loosen up the fingers of patients with joint pain problems while keeping their minds working and learning. There are no limits on what the imagination can visualize and the rewarding challenge of making these flowers is one of the ways.

I hope you will consider mastering a skill that is just simply amazing to have. You will be thankful you did.


Erich Simko is an avid and enthusiastic Paper Flower creator, Origamist and Arts and Crafts buff. Learning How To Make Paper Tissue Flowers in particular has helped him through difficult times in his life and he believes it will bring much joy to your life as well.

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