Stars and Stripes Party

Happy 4th of July! Our stars and stripes party felt like summertime in a cone! The main feature on the dessert table was cupcake cones. I went a little crazy and made two different types: soft serve and sundae. All my hard work paid off when the kids at our party and even some of the adults thought that they were actual ice cream cones. They were a huge hit and not as messy as real ice cream cones or even traditional cupcakes. I was inspired by the sundae cupcake idea from And Everything Sweet. I borrowed the pie in a jar idea and free printables from Simply Creative Insanity. I used my own apple pie recipe and canned cherry pie filling. I love the way they turned out! I'm convinced that you can stick any old dessert in a jar, tie on a ribbon and a spoon, and you have something almost too cute to eat. They were perfect take-home favors and tasted great warmed up in the microwave (without the lid, of course!).

My favorite detail of this party was the teeny tiny little clothespins I found at the dollar store. Don't they look adorable holding the favor bags on the line of twine? The favor bags were filled candy necklace supplies: a string of red, white, and blue yarn; a bag of Cars cereal (red and natural colored); and a few strings of sour candy rope.

Ladies Night Bling Party

Everything sparkled at this fabulous party: the food, the crazy clothes, and even the swagger!

My Little Sunshine Party

I made the invitations using packages of flower seeds from the dollar store (6 for $1), burlap fabric cut into squares, and ribbon. I customized the "You Are My Sunshine" printables I purchased from Dimpleprints for displaying the party details.

I made the tissue pom poms using super easy instructions from Martha Stewart.

It's so easy to throw a party on a budget if you give yourself a few months to shop for your theme. I found the large pinwheels and sunflower fly swatters at the dollar store, and I found the orange flower pots, yellow watering can, and frilly yellow garland from the dollar bins at Target. I prepared the fruit kabobs and made my favorite fruit dip recipe. I also prepared the veggies and used veggie dip from the store. Putting them in individual-size containers that I found at a party store made them so cute. I prepared and assembled the sunshine mix favors. I love the way they turned out in the little burlap sacks. I found the large pinwheel lollipops at Walmart for $1 each! The smash cake was from the grocery store and and the cupcakes were made by a local bakery, Cocoa Bean Cupcake Cafe. I made everything else: the banner, name sign, cake bunting, cupcake toppers, party hats, centerpieces, drinking jars, and favors using the printable package from Dimpleprints.