This Mommy Got Crafty - Paper Bags

After my daughter's latest birthday party (May 2011), I became a DIY fan. Although there were very few DIY elements on her 2nd birthday celebration, the mere fact that I was able to pull it off gave me a sense of incomparable satisfaction. :)

Since then, I had been searching for ways on how to make DIY party decor. I have also been on a constant hunt for templates - for invitations, favor bags, and whatnot that I can use for parties. On the latter part of 2011, I found some templates online for paper bags (there's a lot here: http://melstampz.blogspot.com/) .

And no, not just your usual paper 'bags'. More like paper purses! :)

Here are some of the stuff I made:

my first take on paper purses. the one on the left is 'Christmas-inspired'. Hehe. 

My first ever paper backpacks

I made some more of the LV-like backpacks and made purse versions too! :) (Will post pics once I find them. They want AWOL on me. Hehe.)

I plan to dabble in more paper crafts this year, and would definitely make some more for my little girl's parties, and other little occasions we have too! :)

Balloonless Kiddie Parties: THE PAPER PINWHEEL

I was pretty curious too....

What exactly is a pinwheel? According to www.freedictionary.com, it's: A toy consisting of vanes of colored paper or plastic pinned to a stick so that they revolve when blown on.

I don't think that gives enough of a visual, so here you go:

Photo credits to:http://rubberstamping.about.com

 
Pretty isn't it? That's a paper pinwheel (and I think they enhanced the plain purple paper through rubberstamping, coolness. :)). Now what does this little 'toy' have to do with parties?

I used to think these rotating vanes of color were just decorative items for the garden, or simply just toys for the kids (and kids at heart) that they can play with during the summer. But then again, my fellow kiddie partyholics found a better use for it... as party decor!

And when I did my usual online search for kiddie parties, I found how creatively they can be used! Here are a couple of pictures from Kara's Party Ideas:

Photo from Kara's Party Ideas. A variety of ways to use pinwheels! :)

Photo from Kara's Party Ideas. Pinwheels as cupcake toppers! :)

Photo from Kara's Party Ideas. Pinwheels for a baby boy's party! :)

Ok, just looking at these three pictures, you'll see the maaany ways you can use pinwheels to decorate your kiddo's party. :)

I believe the first picture was for a vintage-themed pinwheel party, and I'm just in love with the patterns and colors, as well as the really creative ways they used the pinwheels! :) They were used to decorate the cake and were also given away as a party favor. On the second photo, you'll find how they were ingeniously used as cupcake toppers. Simply pretty way of accenting such a yummy treat!

The third photo is from a little boy's party, and I adore the color scheme! Pinwheels were used as accents for the table of goodies. See? Even your little man's party can make use of pinwheels as party decor, it's just a matter of choosing the right patterns and colors.

Now how do you make these cute little 'head-turners'?

I have not yet 'perfected' making one (but I hope to do so soon), so I don't have the confidence yet to put up my own tutorial here....BUT, there's a lot of them online that's pretty easy to follow. :)

Here's one that I used: http://asubtlerevelry.com/a-pinwheel-tutorial-the-easiest-ever, and here's another one that's pretty easy too (and with more basic materials) - http://www.kidsgamesandcrafts.com/paper-crafts-for-kids-1.html

And since I got so carried away with my amazement at these things, here are some really great templates you can use so you can make pinwheels with that extra oomph! :)

http://heatherbailey.typepad.com/links/FlowerPinwheel.html - For pretty flower-like pinwheels. 
http://www.firstpalette.com/tool_box/printables/basicpinwheel.html - - For plain and printed (think butterflies, stripes, etc.) templates that you can edit using Gimp or Photoshop to put in some color before printing. :)

By the way, I made a couple of pinwheels a few days ago with leftover cardstock paper here at home. I'll make sure to make more once I get my hands on more materials. My little kiddo's thrilled by the idea already! :)

My first attempt on making pinwheels. :)

My number one fan loves 'em! :)

Go ahead and make yours now! Whether you're having a party or not, making these paper pinwheels make for some fun bonding with your family, and I'm pretty sure your little ones will have the time of their lives just making them turn and turn. :)

My next post is definitely something to look forward to as well as I'll be featuring: BIRTHDAY BUNTINGS/PAPER STREAMERS! :)