Whether you’re throwing a big surprise party, or just a small birthday dinner, whipping up these masks of the guest-of-honor will make for some unforgettable photos! I happened to have this great photo of my friend, Jeff, from our wedding. I enlarged it in full color on card stock and cut it out with an Exacto blade. Then, I simply taped some bamboo skewers I had from my kitchen onto the back and placed one on each place setting at his birthday dinner party table. It got me thinking…imagine walking into your own surprise party and seeing your shocked expression on 40 other faces…amazing!! 
Tag Archives: DIY
Quick and Dirty DIY: A Surprise Party Favor
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Throw A Themed Holiday Party!
A vintage themed party for the holidays takes the pressure off of making elegant, time-consuming food. Retro treats always tend to be quicker and cheaper to make unless, of course, you’re using Gourmet magazine from 1962 instead of something kitschy. We modeled our holiday party on a gem my mom gave me from the 70’s called “Christmas Idea Book”. 
The photos were so hilarious we couldn’t resist trying to recreate that vibe in our modern loft. We encouraged guests to dress up in “festive 70’s attire” and set up a photo booth against a decorated wall to capture their hilarious duds. We spruced up the food a little, because we are foodies after all, but mostly it was cheeky, retro fare straight from some old cookbooks. 
The Menu
- Brie Fondue with Crunchy Breadsticks and Pears
- Beer and Cheddar Fondue with Bread and Green Apples
- Endive with Goat Cheese, Walnuts and Figs
- Maple Glazed Ham
- Orange and Sage Turkey Breast
- Sweet Potato Bonbons
- Sherry Brussel Sprouts
- Green Bean Casserole Mushrooms
- French Onion Soup with Gruyère Croutons
- Pig in Herb Blankets
- Boozy Eggnog Jello Mold
- Cornflake Wreath
- Burnt Almond Torte
- Inside-Out German Chocolate Torte
- Winter White Sangria
- Hot Buttered Rum
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Winter Projects: Gingerbread Shop
I had never made a gingerbread house before, so this was a pretty scary project, but I love how it turned out! I modeled it after a Brooklyn store front and used some of my old theater model making skills to put it together. This shape is particularly easy because it’s just a big decorative box, so you could make it any size you want. Continue reading
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Booze Makeover
When my good pal, Arthur, sent me this project, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it for my own bar! Like him, I also hate looking at ugly food labels on things exposed in my kitchen (which is why I’ve transferred all of my flour and grains into matching glass containers). Aesthetics aside, his bar-bottle-makeover-project is brilliant for another reason too. No one will ever have to know how cheap your alcohol is! Here are his instructions, with my own side bars (hee hee) in red.
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Beef Jerky: A Gruesomely Delicious Project
I knew something was wrong when my brother sent me a terrifying photo of hanging, dripping meat strips in his oven and my mouth watered. Homemade beef jerky completely appeals to my love of the pioneer spirit, practical DIY projects, and a desire to get into the holiday spirit! Click here to see how we our own heaping pile the tasty, peppery snack and Happy Halloween!!
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Our Picnic Wedding
Here they are…the official photos of our big day! To read more about our DIY wedding year, click here. We are selling some of our wedding components on Ruffled and links to buy that stuff and all of our vendors are listed at the end of the post. We hope you enjoy the photos as much as we enjoyed the day!
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Our Brilliant Wedding Photographer
I am very lucky to call Channing Johnson, our amazing Boston-based wedding photographer, a friend for 15 years. I think we all knew he’d do something special with his life (he was that cool, aloof guy that had a car and a license before the rest of us), and he has certainly lived up to that. Because he was trained as a photojournalist, his wedding photography feels raw, real and unplanned. Somehow, even the staged portraits seem like they were captured without us knowing. 
In fact, Jeff and I couldn’t even remember seeing him anywhere until 7pm, when he asked if it was cool to put the camera down to join the party. Somehow, he had blended effortlessly into the action, all the while snapping the most beautiful photos we have ever seen. Thank you Johnson.
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DIY Wedding: Welcome Bags
Set aside a little time to make welcome bags for each room in your wedding block because there is nothing better than getting those special little treats when you check in at the hotel as a guest! We saved money by using left over linen and twill tape from our invitations, but you can always buy bags, chinese take out boxes or tins for yours. I stitched the simple bags together quickly and we stamped each with a picnic basket. 
We chose to roll the edge and staple it, like a brown bag lunch, instead of spending a ton of time adding drawstrings to each. We are filling ours with water, chips, sweets and a map of the area but you can fill welcome bags with anything you’d like, just remember to be generous because your friends and family have traveled far to be there on your big day!
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