fourth of july

Who says a backyard BBQ can’t be a fun and elegant event?

Glue Dots asked me to create summer party decorations and while that idea was bouncing around in my head, I found this paper by My Mind’s Eye. The rest, shall we say, was serendipity. I love the juxtaposition between formal and playful created in this table setting.

I have directions for each piece, so you might want to grab a cup of coffee before reading …

First is the place mat. I used one sheet of 12×12 paper for the middle. Then, I cut 2 4×12 strips for each side.

I applied Continuous Line Glue Dots to the front of blue pattern so 1 inch of the paper ended up behind the middle piece for stability. The final size is 18×12.

Finally, I used Memory Book Glue Dots to attach strips of paper and cut outs from My Mind’s Eye to the front. Simple and cute!

Candy’s Tip: When working with punch out die cuts, use a sanding block (I love the one by Tim Holtz) to take off the little paper nubbies where the die cut was attached to sheet of paper.

For the place card, I used a leftover piece of paper, folded and scored. I then used one of the labels from the die cut sheet by My Mind’s Eye, attached with Memory Book Glue Dots, along with a portion of the die cut border, attached with Mini Glue Dots, and a star attached with a Pop Glue Dot for extra dimension.

For the napkin ring, I tied raffia around the napkin. Then, I punched out one of the die cuts from My Mind’s Eye. I added a brad to the center and then attached it to the raffia with a Craft Glue Dot.

The jar is my favorite part of the collection. It started life as a mini milk jar filled with Prima flowers. I cut a strip of paper that would fit the jar, applied Glue Lines to one edge of the paper and then carefully wrapped it around the jar, securing with more Glue Lines at the end. I used the same technique to add the red star border.

For the decorative edge, I attached Mini Glue Dots at each of the red dots and then wrapped it around the jar. I added a few stars from the cut-out sheet as well.

Finally, I took another cut out, added a few brads and attached with Craft Glue Dots.

I filled the jar with some decorative rocks left over from another project.

And now, the pinwheels.

I wanted them to be able to spin in the breeze, so after a bit of online research and trial and error, this is what I came up with …

Start with a square of double-sided paper. I made mine with two different size squares.

Then cut a diagonal line from each corner almost to the center. Put a Craft Glue Dot on every other corner and then attach it to the middle, but don’t crease it. You want it to be rolled rather than folded so it catches the wind.

Then, put an eyelet in the center of each one.

Next, I used a QuicKutz (Lifestyle Crafts) die cut to cut out two stars for each pinwheel. I poked a hole in one and threaded a bit of wire through it. Then, I folded it 90 degrees and added Craft Glue Dots, topping it with another star to make a sandwich.

Next, I poked a hole in a straw. Then, I picked up my star/wire sandwich and put a bead under the star, then the pinwheel, then another bead (or two if you have a larger pinwheel) and then stuck the wire through the straw. Finally, I wrapped the remaining wire around the straw and they are ready for a breeze!