Proverbs 31 Canvas Wall Art for Girl Room

DIY Large Wall Art + verses for the bedroom

When we moved into our new home, we dedicated it with bible verses for each room of the house. I’ve been dreaming of this Proverbs 31 canvas wall art  for Eve’s bedroom for some time now, but when I recently realized I already had the materials, I got moving.

I had a thrift store canvas that I’d previously tried (and failed) to artistically repurpose, so I painted it using a paint sample I already had on hand. Besides the price, the best part of repurposing a canvas is that you get fabulous texture under your new creation.

I used my Silhouette SD to cut the verse onto clear contact paper. I make so many mistakes that I’ve found this to be a cost saving way to use the Silhouette. I used a slightly imperfect font that would give me grace should the painting not go as I hoped.

Proverbs 31 canvas art | Five Marigolds

After spending way too long placing the many pieces of contact paper on the canvas and lining it up just so, I spray painted it with my favorite Rust-Oleum metallic gold spray paint.

I was worried it would get under the contact paper. but as long as I made sure the paper was adhering around the letters I had absolutely no trouble.

To build the frame, I used a similar technique as with Dub’s  big kid room wall gallery, but I used wood that wasn’t quite as deep, since I wanted this particular frame flush with the art.

I used Minwax stain in Early American, which is lighter IRL and gives it the right amount of color and rustic vibe.

Proverbs 31 Canvas Art using clear contact paper and Silhouette SD. Stain is Minwax Early American. | Five Marigolds

I debated (and am still debating) taking a tiny bit of wood stain on a rag and dry rubbing the canvas for a subtle shabby chic look.

I’ve also considered dry rubbing a tiny bit of the white paint over the frame very lightly for the same reason. But, at this point I’m afraid to ruin it!

Proverbs 31 Canvas art | Five Marigolds

I’m so happy with how this Proverbs 31 canvas wall art  turned out. I love the contrast of metallic gold and ivory against the rustic frame, and the sweet reminder my little girl will wake up to each day.

I’m already dreaming of how I might create a variation for Belle’s room 🙂

Additional bible verses that would be great for the girls’ bedrooms include:

God is with her; she will not fail. Psalm 46:5

He fills my life with good things. Psalm 103:5

I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 134:14

He calls me beautiful one. Song of Solomon 2:10

She is far more precious than jewels. Proverbs 31:10

Proverbs 31 Canvas wall Art.. | Five Marigolds

Details:

  • Lamp – Anthropologie (old)
  • Curtains – Simply Shabby Chic
  • Quilt – Handmade by grandma 🙂
  • Paint color – Behr Seed Pearl

Interested in more upcycled DIY Wall art? Check out my other projects here:

DIY Canvas Wall Art for Baby Nursery: I Love You Through and Through | Five Marigolds

I Love You Through & Through Paired Canvases

DIY Engineer Prints for Big Boy Room | FIve Marigolds

Framed Engineer Prints Wall Gallery

Industrial Boy's Bedroom Design. | Five Marigolds

Monogrammed Pallet Art

DIY Chalkboard Art with Rust-Oleum Chalkboard Paint | Five Marigolds

DIY Chalkboard using Garage Sale Frame

 

Big Boy Room Custom Engineer Prints

engineering prints = Inexpensive large wall art

Engineer prints are a great way to design a boy bedroom, bringing custom touches through large photo prints on a budget.

I’m very slowly beginning the process of decorating our new home, and focusing on the areas where inspiration strikes me the most. Dub’s room is the one I have the most concrete vision for, and I knew exactly where I wanted to start when I saw this idea for engineer prints for a boy’s room.

I immediately set out taking images of the things most important to Dub. He loved being able to be a part of it in this way.

He loves Legos, video games, and the Wilson brand holds special inside meaning for us

I was able to order the engineering prints online by sending  the images to the FedEx Kinkos copy store.

I ordered 18×24 engineer prints. DIY Engineer Prints for Big Boy Room | FIve Marigolds

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Tutu Birthday Party for my Two year-old

What could be better than a tutu birthday party for your little ballerina’s two year-old birthday?

For baby ‘Belle’s party, I wanted to do something that conveyed her love of dancing and tutus and looked special, but that was simple and inexpensive to put together.

First, for my $3 backdrop, I took 3 white plastic tablecloths from the dollar store for my backdrop.  I simple folded them in half length wise, then began rolling them up toward the fold. Once the cloth was rolled approximately 10″ from the fold, I began cutting the rolled tablecloth in strips approximately 3″ apart. Easy!Tutu Ballerina Birthday Party | Five Marigolds

I finished it off with the vintage bunting we re-use for the girls’ parties each year. I love how this small investment adds something special to every party we have for them.

Next, I layered the table with two tablecloths, sandwiched with some tulle. I had planned to make this an inexpensive “tutu tablecloth” but it didn’t quite turn out that way! No problem though – I still love the effect of the pink tulle as the focal point of the table. To finish it off, I placed the tablecloth over the top and bustled it at the center to better highlight the tulle.

Tutu Ballerina Birthday Party. | Five Marigolds

Finally, I placed a trifle bowl upside down and I placed her own baby tutu around the bowl. Then, I just placed the cake on top. Tutu Ballerina Birthday Party. | Five Marigolds

I’d ordered a the cake to looks similar this:

Frilly Cake

So, I was a little disappointed in the finished result from my local Target bakery.However, I really can’t complain for such an inexpensive cake…and really it looks so cute when it’s all propped out with this gold “2” candle and bunting.

Tutu Ballerina Birthday Party. | Five Marigolds

We served ballerina punch, pink Jelly Bellys and dipped marshmallows for a birthday-worthy sugar buzz.

I hope you like ‘Belle’s tutu party fit for a two year-old ballerina. Thanks for stopping by!

Tutu Birthday Party | Five Marigolds

Minecraft Steve Lego Birthday Party Favor

For Dub’s birthday this year, he wanted everything Minecraft. He also loves Legos so, naturally, Lego Steve from Minecraft seemed like the perfect party favors.

I did a lot of research trying to find an easy way to do this. To be honest, I was hoping there would be a sale of Minecraft Lego lots on ebay that would allow me to phone this one in, but it was not to be.

So, I ended up making a Minecraft Lego Steve myself using the Lego Pick-A-Brick feature.

Minecraft Steve Lego Favor | Five Marigolds

While you can do this in-store if you have a Lego retail location near you, they have a varying selection, so I saved myself the trip and did my shopping online. I wanted to be able to have all the pieces I needed for Minecraft Steve! This is where I insert my Lego PSA – I found out after I placed my order that Pick-A-Brick orders can take up to 18 business days! That’s almost a month! So, this Lego Minecraft Steve favor only really works if you are planning out by at least a month to ensure your Bricks get to you in time.

Here’s what I ordered to make 15 favors:

Item#, color  – quantity

  • 300423, blue – x30
  • 4113915, yellow – x15
  • 4155708, yellow – x15
  • 4163696, light blue – x15
  • 4179833, light blue – x15
  • 4211210, brown – x15
  • 4243821, green – x15
  • 4271949, brown – x15
  • 4579260, yellow – x15

For the pick axe, I had to go to Ebay where I got a great deal paying $1.47 total for 15 axes. That brought the total to $26.21 for 15 favors, or $1.74, each. (I didn’t see any swords or pick axes in the Pick-A-Brick section when I was ordering. They do have a “mini Fireman’s axe” or a “warrior weapon,” though.)

Then, I went to work making  a face for Minecraft Steve in PhotoShop. I measured it to the size of the 2×2 Lego and then I printed it on Avery label paper. Removing the paper backing first,  I cut down each face sticker to the exact size and then replaced it on a small square of the paper backing to place in the favor bag.

Steve Lego Face Free Printable | Five Marigolds

I took a photo of the complete Lego Minecraft Steve to include with all the kits. The kids had a lot of fun putting Lego Steve together while they were still at the party, and had a great time showing off their new toy when they were done.
Minecraft Steve Lego Favor Insert Printable web| Five Marigolds

I placed the Legos in a small jewelry ziplock bag. Then, I made a simple tag that I stapled to the top of the sealed bag as a finishing touch.

Minecraft Lego Steve Favors | Five Marigolds

This was a huge hit among the 6 and 7 year old crowd!

While this Lego Minecraft Steve party favor does take a bit of advanced planning, you and your child will will have so much fun sharing these unique and fun activities for the kids to do!

Thinking of making a Lego Steve for your Minecrafter’s party? You can get a head start by downloading Steve’s face here (compatible with Avery 5260* labels), the finished Steve image inserts here, and the favor tags here.  Enjoy!

MORE FREE MINECRAFT PRINTABLES: Like these printables? Be sure to check out my other free Minecraft Printables here and here.

Find my other Minecraft Birthday Party posts here:

Minecraft Birthday Party on a Budget | Five Marigolds

DIY Minecraft Birthday Party

Minecraft Birthday Party Tinsel Tassel Banner Tutorial | Five Marigolds

Minecraft Tinsel Tassel Bunting Tutorial

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minecraft Birthday Party

This year, Dub wanted his party to be all about Minecraft. I didn’t want our home to look like it threw up Minecraft-licensed decor, so I went with something that we all could get excited about. We weren’t having a big celebration at home either, so I wanted to keep this simple and fairly inexpensive. Minecraft Birthday Party | Five Marigolds

First: the centerpiece du jour: his Minecraft cake. Kind of a boring concept, but this is a representation of THE pixelated cake featured on the video game. I was more than happy to outsource this portion of the party and Dub was in love with how it turned out. It was exactly what he wanted!

Minecraft Birthday Party Cake | Five Marigolds

Next, I created the theme using a brown dollar store tablecloth and some tissue paper “grass.” Super inexpensive for one package to cover this table, and the kids were fascinated by this!

I created a simple and inexpensive tissue paper bunting that added some visual interest in the party theme color (tutorial here).

Finally, I like to decorate with party favors, because it’s the decoration that cleans itself up as the guests leave.

I bought some green lunch bag sized paper bags and cut felt into the shape of a Creeper face. Really, this would have been so much easier with black construction paper and my Silhouette SD, but black felt was what I had on hand so that’s what I used.

Minecraft Birthday Party Favors | Five Marigolds

I filled the bag with goodies like gold and silver ore, Mike & Ikes, a growing green bug, and I repurposed my Minecraft Valentine printable to wrap boxes of Nerds candy.

The highlight of the goodie bags was a Lego Steve creation I made with the help of Pinterest and the Lego Pick-A-Brick tool.

Minecraft Birthday Party Favors. | Five Marigolds

*This post contains affiliate links. Please read the full disclaimer on the right sidebar. Thank you for your support!

Find my other Minecraft Birthday Party posts here:

Minecraft Birthday Party Tinsel Tassel Banner Tutorial | Five Marigolds

Minecraft Tinsel Tassel Bunting Tutorial

Minecraft Lego Steve Favors | Five Marigolds

DIY Minecraft Lego Steve Favors

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tutorial: Tinsel Tassel Party Banner

I absolutely love the look of these tinsel tassel banners for party decor. Even better? They’re super easy and inexpensive to make.

Dub really wanted a Minecraft-themed birthday party, but I didn’t want a licensed decor explosion, so I began thinking of ways to decorate with color. With lots of Pinterest inspiration, I decided I wanted to give this a try. However, I was surprised to find there aren’t a lot of tutorials out there so I am sharing a quick and dirty tutorial of my own.

I set to work on this particular banner with four colors of tissue paper, green, lime green, chevron and silver metallic (I linked to some examples because I initially had a hard time finding these).

1) First, I took a stack of 8 sheets of tissue in each color and cut them the short length of the pre-cut sheets (approximately 20″) and cut them about 8″ wide.Tinsel Tassel Banner Tutorial | Five Marigolds

2) I then folded the stack of sheets in half and began cutting them in 1/4″ strips, stopping about 1″ from the fold. I used a rotary cutter and mat to make quick and more precise work of this, but regular scissors will do.

Tinsel Tassel Banner Tutorial | Five Marigolds

Tinsel Tassel Banner Tutorial | Five Marigolds

3) I then unfolded the papers and, taking 2 sheets at a time, began rolling them tightly at the center. Once each set of 2 was rolled at the center I began gently twisting the rolled portion. Once it was lightly twisted I folded it in half and began twisting the rolled portions together. When you’re done it will look something like this. Perfectly imperfect.Tinsel Tassel Banner Tutorial | Five Marigolds

4) Thread the tassels through a string or ribbon. I made a single simple knot at each tassel to keep them in place.

Tinsel Tassel Banner Tutorial | Five Marigolds

All in all, this was a pretty quick and easy project that took me maybe 20 minutes total to complete. I also love that if you source your papers from the dollar store, you could complete three of these banners for just $4! (meaning, each banner is just over $1, with plenty of paper to spare for favors or gifts). I have a feeling various themed tinsel banners will be showing up at more parties around here!

Dub’s party is not for a few more weeks, so I’m letting it hang on our mantle for St. Patrick’s Day. How’s that for multi-purpose party decor?

Find my other Minecraft Birthday Party posts here:

Minecraft Birthday Party on a Budget | Five Marigolds

DIY Minecraft Birthday Party

Minecraft Lego Steve Favors | Five Marigolds

DIY Minecraft Lego Steve Favors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easy, Inexpensive Favor Bags

Paper Bag Party Favors | Five MarigoldsDress up a common paper lunch bag to be something extra special!  EClaire needed to take favor bags to school for her half birthday (summer birthday problems!). I had a few awkwardly shaped items so I needed a decent-sized bag, but I didn’t want to spend much.

As usual, I headed to the Dollar Tree fro some paper lunch bags and doilies. Then, I secured them with these tiny craft clothespins that you can get at Hobby Lobby or here on Amazon. I love how these turned out, and you can make 40 for just $6. Next time, I love the idea of trying these for birthday party favors with colorful doilies and clothespins.

These would be great for Valentines, Birthday parties or even for quick and easy gift wrap for small gifts.

Paper Bag Party Favors | Five Marigolds  Paper Bag Party Favors | Five Marigolds Paper Bag Party Favors | Five Marigolds


Free Valentine’s Day Printables

44I just love Valentine’s Day! Such a fun day for kids to express friendship to one another. Dub loves tearing open the goodies, but EClaire really loves to see the creativity of the Valentines and read the messages from her friends.

Today I’m sharing printables and ideas for Valentine’s Day.

Candy Necklace Valentine

Candy Necklace Valentine Printable | Five MarigoldsI designed these for EClaire’s princess party this summer, and adapted them again for Valentine’s to be more inclusive of boys in her class.  Just print these out, cut two slits,  add the candy bracelet (I get mine at Dollar Tree 10/$1) and sign the back. Find the original post and download here!

 

Be Minecraft Valentine

Be Minecraft Valentines Printable | Five MarigoldsDub is obsessed with Minecraft! So, I created this “Be Mine (craft)” printable to wrap a box of Conversation Hearts for an inexpensive Valentine. Just seal with some stick glue and sign the back.  Find the orignal post and download here.

Straw Valentine

This Valentine by Paging Super Mom was a hit among the preschoolers Dub gave this to years ago – and their parents who loved the non-sweet Valentine. I used the heart shaped curly straws from Hobby Lobby (10/$1) and signed his name on the printable in PhotoShop. Super cheap and easy.

Kool-Aid Valentine

Kool-Aid Valentine Printable | Five MarigoldsLast year EClaire had so much fun putting these Kool Valentines together! Simply download the printable here and affix to the back of Kool-Aid packets with a heart sticker. I digitally added her name, but you can sign yours for a more personalized touch.

Candy Buttons Valentine

Valentine Candy Buttons | Five MarigoldsI absolutely loved the candy button favors I made for EClaire’s princess party this summer, so I recreated them for some homemade and very inexpensive Valentines. The kids think this is such a novelty that it’s always a hit! Find the full instructions here.

There you have it, just a few of the Valentines we’ve given over the years. What do you think? Will you be using any of these this year? Please take a moment to tell me about it, below!

Free Valentine's Day Printables | Five Mariolds

 

In addition to being featured in the fab blogs shown on the buttons to the right, this post was also featured on Huckleberry Love.

Candy Necklace Valentine’s Printable

Remember the Princess Candy Necklace favors i made for my daughter’s birthday? Well, I’m all about upcycling my work, so I made a few modifications so we can use them for EClaire’s classroom Valentines. The party favors have been such a hit among all my readers, so I’ve decided to offer these up as a free Candy Necklace Valentine printable, as well.

Princess Candy Necklace Party Favors | Five Marigolds

Just print these out, two-sided, on some card stock, cut a slit on either side of the card and finish with a candy bracelet!

Candy Necklace Valentine Printable | Five Marigolds

>>Download your free

Candy Necklace Valentine Printable here<<

Candy Necklace Valentine Printable | Five Marigolds

Click here to get the princess version, perfect for birthday party favors!

If you love these and plan to use them for your Valentines, please take a moment to tell me about it in the comments!

get more free valentine’s day printables!

Looking for more great Valentine’s Day printables like this? Try my other popular free options:

          

 

Candy Necklace Valentine's Day Printables

These are so adorable! Printable candy necklace birthday party favor cards.

Family Growth Chart for less than $15

We recently made the decision to sell our “starter” home and build a new home that better accommodates our growing family. We bought this home just months before our wedding, had three babies here and many, many precious memories as a family. We’re ready for the next chapter, but this sentimental mom is feeling a bit emotional about it, as well.

The moment we signed the papers to build our new home I was immediately motivated to take on a project I’ve been meaning to for a long time – make a family growth chart that we can take with us – wherever we go. Our former growth chart was done the old fashioned way – with pencil on the wall of our kitchen (that I still can’t bring myself to paint over even since I’ve made this beautiful new chart).growth chart2

I’d once tried my hand at an embroidered chart that was supposed to be  cute and charming, but didn’t end up looking quite as polished as my inspiration. I also  found that I was too lazy to embroider once a year. My laziness factor is high.

So I moved on to those cute reclaimed signs I’ve seen all over Pinterest.

I started with a 3/4″x7″x8′ piece of cedar lumber that I purchased at Home Depot for less than $9. First, I enlisted Dub to weather it for me. I gave him chains and a hammer and let him have at it. I stained it with leftover stain that I used on our stairs for our garage makeover.

From there, I had to get measuring – my least favorite part. Our family is really tall, so I cut my board to 6′ tall and painted 1′ white stripes using leftover paint from the garage makeover. These are some terrible progress photos, but you get the idea.

Family Growth Chart for Less Than $15 | Five Marigolds

I actually liked the way this looked when I was done, but I went ahead and sanded it to give it a more distressed look.Family Growth Chart for Less Than $15 | Five Marigolds

Family Growth Chart for Less Than $15 | Five Marigolds

Then, I used my silhouette to create the measurement marks. I barely use my Silhouette but I used it for this, figuring it would make the measuring much easier for me. I measured it on the computer, cut it out on the Silhouette and then used transfer paper to stick it right on the board without having to re-measure.

Family Growth Chart for Less Than $15 | Five Marigolds

I’m super happy with the way that it turned out! I can’t wait to hang this measurement chart in our new home next year. I can see keeping this chart in our home forever, and measuring little grandbabies someday.growth chart2_1

Postscript: after completing my chart, I stumbled upon this cute version by Handmade Charlotte

growth-chart6-handmade-charlotte-powerofpaint-dot-net

If I had to do it over again, I think her way of painting the numbers would be a lot cheaper and easier. However, I’d still want to make the measurement marks so that I could tell visually exactly how tall the kids are. Everytime they get measured they want to know EXACTLY how many feet, inches and centimeters tall they are. Because that matters to 4 and 6 year olds.

What do you think? Do you have a family growth chart in your home?


Shop your kids’ closets for Halloween

Shop your kids' closets for Halloween | Five Marigolds

Shop your kids’ closets for Halloween | Five Marigolds

Shop your kids' closets for Halloween - Luke Skywalker| Five Marigolds

Shop your kids’ closets for Halloween – Luke Skywalker| Five Marigolds

Make a tooth pillow for the Tooth Fairy using upcycled baby clothes | www.fivemarigolds.com

Tooth Fairy Pillow Using Upcycled Baby Clothing

Looking for a  way to upcycle those baby clothes you can’t part with? When Dub lost his first loose tooth, I decided to use his baby clothes to create a tooth pillow – a tradition my parents started with me. The concept is that the tooth pillow makes it easy for the Tooth Fairy to find baby teeth and deposit money (I’ve heard she hates to loose those first baby teeth!).

To make the pillow, I combined a chambray shirt and a little plaid shirt, with snap button pockets, that Dub wore as a baby. He actually helped me dig through his baby clothes to find just the right combo.

Tooth Fairy Pillow Using Upcycled Baby Clothing | Five Marigolds

Here he is at just 3 months old sporting one of the shirts.

Tooth Fairy Pillow Using Upcycled Baby Clothing | Five Marigolds

My mom used her fancy sewing machine to embroider some letters and voila! An easy, free tooth pillow that he absolutely loves.

Do you have any Tooth Fairy traditions?

 

Princess Party Favors: Candy Necklace Cards

Planning Eve’s birthday party each year is always so much fun coming up with new themes. And this year we’re doing a Princess Birthday Party. Making adorable decorations and favor bags has been a blast. Get all the details on how to make these Princess party favor candy necklace cards for your next party!

Princess Party Ideas

There are so many princess birthday party ideas flooding the internet. After wading through endless princess stuff, I decided to use more of a traditional princess theme rather than a Disney princess party. I knew I wanted some custom party favors, but I didn’t really find anything out there I loved for purchase, so I decided I needed to create my own.

First up was the princess crown Candy Button favors. I love the nostalgic feel of the old-fashion candy combined with ultimate princess accessory.

Next up, candy necklace cards. These cute candy cards were the hit of the party. The girls just couldn’t love them more. Who wouldn’t love candy jewelry, right?

Princess Candy Necklace Party Favors | Five Marigolds

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Sweet Treat: Easy Homemade Candy Buttons

There’s just something about Candy Buttons. These nostalgic candies are surprisingly easy to make, and are perfect for birthdays, party favors, or just a fun sweet treat.

To make Candy Buttons, all you need to do is prepare a simple royal icing recipe. You can use the recipe listed on the can of Meringue Powder, but I used the following recipe, inspired by Sweet Sugarbelle:

What you’ll need:

  • 1 lb. confectioner’s sugar (4 3/4 cups)
  • Meringue powder (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1/3-1/2 cup water
  • 1-2 tablespoons flavored extract (I used almond extract because it’s what I had on hand, but there are tons of fruity flavors at the craft store that would be fun to try!)
  • Food coloring
  • Electric mixer
  • Freezer paper
  • Icing bag and small round tip (or a resealable bag with a tiny corner cut off would work in a pinch)supplies

To prepare:

  1. Whisk the dry ingredients together.
  2. In a separate measuring cup, mix the flavored extract into the water.
  3. Slowly begin pouring the liquid mixture into the powder mixture while it mixes.
  4. Mix the frosting on medium-high speed until the frosting forms stiff peaks (around 7 minutes)
  5. Add food coloring to achieve desired color. (I first made pink frosting, and later added a few drops of blue to make purple to get two colors out of one batch.)

Next, tear off a sheet of freezer paper – large enough that you can fit a large batch of buttons on (you won’t cut the paper until these are dry).

Fill your pastry bag (I used my Pampered Chef Decorator Bottle Set*) with frosting and twist the top, removing excess air. Now, simply pipe evenly sized dots across the paper. If possible, print a template in advance and place it below the freezer paper. Be sure that the design will fit into your final packaging. If you’re using pretzel bags for your packaging, your design will need to be approximately 2.15 x 5″ to fit the pretzel bags I would be placing them in.Candy Button Crown Template | Five Marigolds

Candy Button Heart Crown Party Favors _ Five Marigolds_45mLet the Buttons sit overnight to dry. Any excess frosting will keep in a resealable bag refrigerated for two weeks.

Now for the fun! Once the Buttons have set up overnight, you can begin cutting the freezer paper to your desired shapes.Candy Button Heart Crown Party Favors _ Five Marigolds_35m

Package your Candy Buttons for the occasion. I placed them in Wilton pretzel bags that I got at JoAnn’s for $1.37 using my 40% off coupon. Think of the possibilities! Birthday party favors, Valentines, and more!Candy Button Heart Crown Party Favors _ Five Marigolds_15m

Valentine's Candy Button Hearts _ Five Marigolds5m

Valentine Candy Buttons

 

In addition to being featured on the fab blogs listed on the right of this blog, this post was also featured on Huckleberry Love.


Inexpensive, Easy Chore Chart for Kids

This summer is the first summer I’ll be at home most days with the kids since I started my freelance adventure last fall. My 6 and 4 year old are bright, exuberant kids and I knew I’d have to add structure their days if I wanted any sanity. However, with my freelance work I don’t have the ability to be there every moment to guide their day (and who would want to?). It’s also great for fostering their independence as well.

I went to work trying to find chore charts, but none of them were quite right. My 4 year old can’t read the text chore charts, and many of the picture charts were geared toward very little children, or had unattractive graphics.

After doing some research I landed on four requirements:

  • I wanted a photo chart that my four year old could understand and interact with on her own;
  • I didn’t want to spend much money;
  • I wanted the flexibility to change their days up, but I also didn’t want to have to print a new one each week; and
  • I needed something I could mount to the fridge somehow – I didn’t want a chart that required wall space.

I landed on the concept of a magnetic chart with two categories: “Doing” and “Done.” I saw a few examples that I liked and got to work emulating those based on my needs. However, I needed clip art. It was SO hard to find cute clip art that would work for this! That’s when I stumbled upon Audrey Schilaty‘s blog. She had the exact chart I wanted – for free! Really, it’s the nicest free resource I’ve found. She offers both personal care and chore images, and I used a small combination of both (sad but true: I forget to have my children brush their teeth all to often).

I made it my own with a few modifications:

  • I drafted my own simple “Doing” and “Done” text document and used just the images I needed from her selection, so it would all print on one page, saving me money.
  • I printed it on a glossy sheet of photo paper that I had on hand, and then just placed it on an 8.5×11 sheet of adhesive magnet. You can buy packages of adhesive magnet sheets at office supply stores, but I found the most inexpensive option for heavy sheets – I got mine for just $3.59. I cut the small pieces to size, added them to the fridge, and voila – a clean, easy and inexpensive chart.

Magnetic Chore Chart | Five Marigolds

The kids woke up the first day and had moved two magnets over before I had a chance to remind them about it! So far, it’s been a great success.

DIY Magnetic Chore Chart | Five Marigolds

I encourage everyone to check out Audrey’s great blog. And, if you’d like a copy of the 1-page version of the printable I used to create my chart using her images, just click the image below!

Chore chart printable | Five MarigoldsThere you have it – a chore chart for just $3.59. What are your tips for keeping the kids structured in the summer? Let me know in the comments below.

 

*This post contains affiliate links. Please read my full disclaimer on the right sidebar. Thank you for your support!


Baby Girl Bow Birthday Party

My baby girl just turned one and because her birthday is exactly a week after Dub’s, I’ll admit I ran out of steam on the party planning. However, I wanted to do something special and celebrate as a family, and was able to put together a cute Bow Birthday theme really inexpensively.Baby Girl Bow Birthday Party | Five Marigolds

To keep birthday party planning expenses manageable, we buy a few essentials that we reuse year after year.

These include:

  • Bunting (similar here and here)
  • Centerpieces
  • My Special Day chair covers that we reuse for birthdays, first days of school, and any day we want to recognize and celebrate each child individually.

Baby Girl Bow Birthday Party Chair Cover | Five Marigolds

Additionally, we always save leftover party supplies such as napkins, plates and plastic cutlery and every few years we find we don’t have to buy these supplies at all because of that stash. That was the case for baby ‘Belle’s party.

For the cupcakes, I whipped up a batch of vanilla and chocolate cupcakes and frosted them in pink and white buttercream frosting. I wanted them to carry out the bow theme, but because I’m lacking in fondant skills I purchased these toppers. You can find similar fondant bows here and here.

Baby Girl Bow Birthday Party Pink Cupcakes | Five Marigolds

Baby Girl Bow Birthday Party Pink Bow Cupcakes | Five Marigolds

We served homemade vanilla ice cream and a simple punch using 7-Up and raspberry sherbet.

With just two inexpensive plastic tablecloths from the dollar store, I made this impressive table centerpiece by using one tablecloth as usual, and using the other as a decorative sash by draping it across the front and simply pinching it in the middle. I actually unfolded some of the party napkins and fashioned a bow out of them – one napkin for each side of the bow, and two for the tails. Surprisingly beautiful, easy and inexpensive!

Baby Girl Bow Birthday Party | Five Marigolds

Next, I made bow napkin rings – I love how these turned out! I bought rectangle shaped napkins, but you could also do this by folding traditional napkins in half. Simply pinch them in the middle, place them on top of your cutlery and wrap a small band of paper around the bow, secured with tape.

Baby Girl Bow Birthday Party Napkin Ring

Baby Girl Bow Birthday Party Napkin Rings

As I mentioned earlier, I used leftover napkins to make the bow you see on the front of the table to carry the theme through.

I took a little photo shoot of baby ‘Belle sporting her birthday bow. I’d say the cupcakes were a hit!5m bow birthday cake smash

Like the ideas you see here? Be sure to follow my birthday party inspiration board and subscribe below to keep partying with me!

Looking for more inspiration? You might like these parties:

DIY Peppa Pig Birthday Party | Five Marigolds

Peppa Pig Party

Malibu Barbie Pool Party Birthday Infographic.2 | Five Marigolds

Malibu Barbie Party

Princess Birthday for $20

Princess Birthday for $20

https://fivemarigolds.wpenginepowered.com/2014/08/04/eves-princess-party/

Star Wars Birthday Party, Part II Party Favors

Growing up, we didn’t really “do” favor bags. I suppose that’s why I’m really into them when planning parties for my kids. Presents for everyone, just for attending?! I wish grown-up parties would adopt this practice!

I wanted to do something fun for these Star Wars birthday favors, with at least a few items that would get used beyond the ride home from the party. But, of course, I didn’t want to spend a lot of money.

I created these goodie bags for around $3 each, total.Free Printable Star Wars Birthday Party Storm Trooper Favor Bags | www.fivemarigolds.com

Free Printable Star Wars Birthday Party Storm Trooper Favor Bags | www.fivemarigolds.com

To create the actual bag, I used inexpensive white paper bags from the grocery store. I searched for the keywords “storm trooper silhouette” and found an image I like. I downloaded this free Star Jedi font and added the words “You’re a trooper” to the 5.5″x10.5″ template I created in PhotoShop. Read to the end of this post for the free printable!

I printed the image directly on the bags. To do this, you need to go into your printer settings and create a custom paper size and paper texture. I used a small piece of painter tape to secure the base flap to the bag so it wouldn’t jam in the printer.  It took some trial and error before I felt like they were printing a clean image, without a lot of extra printer ink. I was going for inexpensive though, so despite a few rough printouts, these captured the look I was going for.

Here are the bag contents:

Star Wars Lego Birthday Favors | www.fivemarigolds.com

Knowing all the boys are really into Legos at this age, I really wanted to include some. I explored a lot of avenues, but almost everything was going to be a budget buster. I’ve heard of some creative moms creating their own little sets using the Pick a Brick section at the Lego store, but at $14.99/bucket, it was going to be a little more than I wanted to pay, and I wasn’t even sure if I could really build a believable spaceship.

I found my solution on ebay and Amazon: there are tons of people looking to unload Star Wars Advent Calendar kits or individual toys. I was able to score a lot of 11 for $1/each including shipping. Even better, each little kit came with building instructions – far better than what I would have been able to do myself using Pick a Brick. For those of you who have messaged me about being unable to find these deals on ebay, you can still find them here for less than $2 per favor!

I created my own hangtag using the same Star Wars font with a message from Yoda, “Do or do not, there is no try” along with a thank you message.

Star Wars Lego Advent Calencar Birthday Party Favors with Printable Tags| www.fivemarigolds.com

In addition to the goodie bags, we had a Jedi Training academy. We gave each little guest a Jedi vest made with an unused bed sheet we didn’t need and clothesline rope.

Star Wars Birthday Party Jedi Costumes | www.fivemarigolds.com

We also created the pool noodle lightsabers that are all the rage on Pinterest. We cut pool noodles in half using a serrated bread knife and decorated the ends with black and silver duct tape. Each little guest was given one to defeat some balloon storm troopers and then take home.These were the biggest hit of the party (literally, there was one bloody nose incident!).

Star Wars Birthday Party Jedi Training Course with Balloons and Pool Noodles | www.fivemarigolds.com

No party is complete without a little craft, so we also had a Build A Droid work station that they seemed to enjoy. But not quite as much as the pool noodle light sabers, of course.

Star Wars Build a Droid R2D2 Craft | Five Marigolds

Build a Droid Star Wars Craft

I had a lot of fun creating a fun party all the kids would enjoy. Planning a Star Wars party for someone special? I’m sharing the free printable Storm Trooper Favor Bag Design to my subscribers!

Free Printable Star Wars Storm Trooper Favor Bags | Five Marigolds

 

Star Wars Lego Birthday Party Favor Bags | www.fivemarigolds.com

UPDATE: Due to so many requests, I’m making the Storm Trooper Party Favor Bags available as a free printable: Download Storm Trooper Favor Bags Template

Are you planning to use them for your upcoming party? Please take a moment to tell me about it, below!

See also:

R2D2 Star Wars Cake | Five Marigolds

Star Wars Birthday Party, Part I

Star Wars Darth Vader Invitation | Five Marigolds

Star Wars Part III: Custom Invitations and Thank You Postcards

Super creative ideas for Star Wars Birthday favors with Legos

Shop your own closet for these 5 DIY Halloween Costumes

DIY CLassic HALLOWEEN LOOKS FOR FREE

Looking for last-minute Halloween costume ideas?  Here are 5 inexpensive DIY Halloween costumes you can shop your own closet for.  Or, follow the links to shop these exact looks for yourself!

Where’s Waldo

waldo

Bank Robber

robber

Holly Golightly – Breakfast at Tiffany’s

breakfastattiffanys

Mary Poppins

marypoppins

Sheldon and Amy from The Big Bang Theory

bigbang

I think my favorite is the “Shamy” couple costume from one of my favorite shows, “The Big Bang Theory.” Which is your favorite?

LOOKING FOR MORE LAST-MINUTE HALLOWEEN COSTUME INSPIRATION? FIND MORE IDEAS FOR SHOPPING YOUR OWN CLOSET HERE AND HERE.

Halloween Costume: Where’s Waldo (for her)

Last-minute Halloween party? The dreaded “costume required” work day? Or, headed to a social event where you’re not quite sure everyone will actually dress up? Never fear. I’ve come up with whole list of costumes that are totally festive, but not in that “Hey everybody, look at me!” kind of way. You know what I mean.
Introverts unite.

Where’s Waldo Costume

Where’s Waldo is perfect for any of those awkward Halloween social events. Just normal enough that you’ll be totally comfortable, but recognizable enough that you get full points for dressing up.
Better yet? Most people can find most of these things right in their own closet.
waldo
However, if you don’t happen to own a red stripe shirt or beanie, I’ve got you covered there, too. It’s super cheap to pull this outfit together online, and have it delivered to you in two days or less.

Shop your own closet for this Where’s Waldo Halloween costume! Or, you can shop the look here:

Or, just go out and buy a Where’s Waldo costume – they’re pretty inexpensive!

Looking for more costume ideas like this? Head over to my round-up, here:

Shop your own closet for free and fabulous costumes this Halloween! Love this bank robber costume idea.

And here:

Shop Your Closet: 5 Free and Fabulous Halloween Costumes Pokemon Ash Ketchum, Suicide Squad Harley Quinn, Game of Thrones Shae and Khaleesi, Happy Love Cat Emoji | Five Marigolds