DIY Harry Potter Wands

There are tons of fun versions of DIY Harry Potter Wands on Pinterest, so I was inspired to make a batch for my son's 8th Harry Potter-themed birthday party.  Today I am sharing a tutorial for my easy and inexpensive version.

My version is made from inexpensive dowels that you can buy at any dollar store or craft supply store.  You'll need dowels, hot glue and a glue gun, brown paint and a paintbrush, and inexpensive "gems" for the ends.

Here's how you create the magic:

1)  Use hot glue to make a design on the dowels, and allow them to dry completely.  {I stuck the wands in floral foam to allow for easy drying}.

2)  Use brown acrylic paint to completely cover the dowels.  {I painted the tops, allowed them to dry, and then painted the bottoms.}

3)  Use got glue to attach a "gems" to the bottom of the wands.

That's it!  Aren't they cute?

They were definitely a hit at my son's Harry Potter party.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

12 Months of Handprint Art

I love handprint art, don't you?  I think artwork created from little handprints is adorable, and the finished products make fantastic keepsakes.  Today, I am sharing 12 months worth of handprint art ideas.

So.... do you want to make these masterpieces with your child?  Just use handprints and palm prints to create the basic shapes, and then add details with markers (where necessary).  Here is the breakdown by month:

January - snowflake
February - heart
March - leprechaun
April - umbrella
May - flowers
June - butterfly
July - fish
August - sun
September - apple
October - pumpkin
November - poppy
December - Santa

The artwork pictured above was created by my six year old, and his teacher turned it into a calendar that he gave to my husband and I for Christmas.  I absolutely love it!  Which one is your favorite?

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

7 Unique Valentines {for kids to share}

My boys love giving Valentines to their friends, but I am never really happy with the store bought cards.  I have always tried to come up with fun and unique Valentine ideas, and today I am sharing 7 unique Valentines we have made.  {Click on the links for additional details.}

1) Teddy Bear Treats - Bag up some teddy bear crackers, and add adorable "I am beary happy to have a friend like you" gift tags. And you can find another fun "BEARY" tag option here.

2) Cookie Pops - Make cookie pops or other yummy treats, and add notes that say "someone thinks you are really sweet".

3) Star Wars Valentines - Create adorable and unique picture valentines with glow stick light sabres.

4) Bookmark Valentines - Make DIY bookmarks for kids to share with their friends.

5) Berry Treats - Add "I am berry happy to have a friend like you" tags to a bags of candy (or real) berries.

6) Photo Valentines - Take a picture in front of a dollar store tablecloth backdrop and add suckers to each photo.  You can also add other treats to photo Valentines.  You can find some fun options here.

7) Crayon Valentines - Recycle some old, broken crayons into totally cute Valentines.

Which is your favorite?  Do you have a unique Valentine idea or do you prefer to go with a store bought Valentine?

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

*PS... If you are concerned about sugar and allergies, you can check out 10 {easy and inexpensive} CANDY FREE options HERE.

10 Wonderful Winter Activities for Kids

Being a kid in winter can be a lot of fun, and today I am sharing a wonderful collection of indoor and outdoor winter activities.  Here are 10 of my family's favorite winter activities.

1)  Make paper snowflakes.

2)  Drink hot chocolate with marshmallows or whipped cream.  (And it will taste even better out of styrofoam cups or homemade snowman mugs.  Click on the link for more info.)

3)  Read a book about snow.

4)  Make snow ice cream.  (Click on the link for more info.)

5)  Make a snowman craft.  (Click on the link for 10 fantastic snowman crafts and activities.)

6)  Have an indoor picnic or go "indoor camping" on a cold day.

7)  Cuddle under a blanket and watch a movie.

8)  Go sledding or skating. (You can even get instructions for making a duct tape sled here.)

9)  Build a snowman or snow fort.

10) Paint on snow.  (Click on the link for more info.)

What is your favorite winter activity? The winter can be long... but it can be a lot of fun with these wonderful winter activities.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Super-cute Party Favor {Breakfast for Tomorrow}

Here's one last post for 2013... a really quick party favor... breakfast for tomorrow.

I filled a plastic cup with cereal, added a colorful plastic spoon, and tied it up in a clear loot bag with some ribbon and a cute tag.  (You can download the tags here.)  Isn't it sweet?  

It is a great favor for a New Year's Eve party, but I think it would be adorable for a sleepover too!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

New Year's Eve Party Favor {Midnight Kisses}

How cute is this {midnight kisses} New Year's Eve party favor?  It's easy, inexpensive, and totally fun!

All I did was fill dollar store champagne flutes with Hershey's kisses and add a "midnight kisses" tags.  You can download the Midnight Kisses Tags {for free} here.  The tags are set up as 4X6 photos, so you can send them for one hour processing and save the ink in your printer. 

Didn't our New Year's Eve party favors turn out cute?  I can't wait to share them with our guests!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS... and if you are looking for some last minute decor, I have some {matching} 4X6 photos you can print and attach to paper straws or craft sticks.  You can download them here and here.

5 Ways to Celebrate New Year's Eve With Kids

New Years’ Eve is a great time to plan a celebration with kids. I like to stay home and ring in the new year as a family, but if you have “grown up” plans, an earlier party with the kids is fun too. Here are 5 ways to celebrate New Year's Eve with kids:

1)  Countdown bags -  I like to fill eight bags with different treats or activities, and every hour, my boys are allowed to open one of the bags.  You can find all the DIY details here.

2)  Year in review questionnaires - Last year I created a year in review questionnaire for the kids to fill out, and I have updated it so that we can do it again this year.  It's a fun activity, and it makes a nice keepsake too.  You can download the questionnaire I designed here.

Update: find a 2021 version here.

3)  DIY party favors - We like to craft party hats and signs (which you can read about here), and we like to make our own noisemaker (which you can read about here).  I also think it would be fun to bake muffins with my boys and send our guests home with "breakfast for 2014" or "midnight kisses" party favors.

 4)  Special treats - Milk in wine glasses (rimmed with sprinkles) and chocolate chip cookies are perfect for a "midnight toast".  You can find our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe here.

5)  Fun themes - I think it's fun to pick a theme for the decorations, food, and activities. I am considering a “clock” theme (including a cake shaped like a clock face), a movie night (with lots of glow sticks and a “milk and cookies” snack bar), or a “pancakes and PJs” dance party.  Or, you can keep things simple by picking a fun color scheme to tie everything together.

However you choose to celebrate, I hope you and your family have a very Happy New Year, and I wish you all the best!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)