For many of us, the meaning of Thanksgiving includes a large feast with friends and family, an extended weekend, probably some football, and quite possibly a last look at “normal” life before Christmas decorations cover every nook and cranny of the world. This wonderfully busy holiday is, somehow, already here—just one week away! As hostesses of the festivities, it is our job to make sure that people are fed, happy, and generally having a good time. Doing all of these things while keeping everyone mindful of what they have to be grateful for is no easy feat. And then, because we are also the family historians, or memory keepers, we will want to scrapbook the whole experience afterward.
Challenge accepted!
Since we can’t come over to each of your homes to assist in meal preparation (or the aftermath!), we came up with a printable to help with the gratitude portion of the holiday.
As your guests arrive, or whenever it naturally fits during your celebrations, ask each of them to fill out one of these cards. During a designated time, a lot of people like doing this sort of thing before dinner, have everyone share their thoughts. Make sure to keep the cards so that later you can use them to scrapbook about your evening.
Another fun way to use these printables is within your own family. Have each family member complete one of the cards and then create a banner to display in your home as a reminder of all the wonderful things you have to be grateful for.
Even though Thanksgiving is right around the corner, it is not too late to add some personal touches to your plans! For additional free Thanksgiving printables, including conversation starters and thank you cards, make sure to revisit our post from a couple of years ago, here.
What are some ways that you keep the spirit of gratitude during Thanksgiving? Let’s help each other out—the more ideas we share the better! 🙂
There’s no better way to enjoy your favorite TV shows than by throwing a watch party with your family and friends! It might be a Super Bowl party, a girl’s night to watch the Oscars, or a get-together for the Olympic Opening Ceremonies. Whatever you’re getting together to watch, the point is you are getting together, having fun, and making memories—which you should definitely include in your memory keeping!
Sometimes our watch parties become a family tradition, like the one featured in this layout. Include photos of the people that were there, but don’t forget to also add shots of the snacks, decorations, and any other happenings that mark the event. The sights, sounds, and tastes are all part of the experience and make those memories special. These pages use our All-Star Complements with Basics Fundamental and the Stargazer paper packets, creating a simple layout highlighting a family Super Bowl party worth remembering.
Sometimes, watch parties include activities before or after the actual watching. These may seem like everyday events to you, but in the long run these moments are what life is all about. The little every day things we do that make us, and celebrate, who we are. In the page above, we share some inspiration for the upcoming winter games. Stargazer Dots and All-Star Complements pair perfectly for whatever team you’ll be rooting for during the next few weeks.
As you prepare to throw your own watch parties, check out this video, where our very own Jill Broadbent shares theme party ideas for tomorrow’s Opening Ceremonies. Complete with décor, food, and crafts, all you need to do is take a quick trip to the grocery store and get out your favorite Close To My Heart paper and cardstock.
Preserving what matters most includes the traditions we create with friends and family. With the Oscars in a few short weeks and a royal wedding in May, there are plenty of memory making watch party opportunities heading our way!
How do you celebrate these, and other, TV milestones? Share with us, in the comments below!
We’ve got an extra special treat for you today! We’ve paired up with Sunny Hintze, owner of Sunny Days Cakes and winner of Food Network’s “Cake Wars,” to bring you some inspiration for throwing a unicorn-themed birthday party!
Unicorn birthday cakes are all the rage right now, and we currently have a unicorn-themed paper collection called Little Dreamer…so it was a match made in heaven! 🙂
Sunny took inspiration from our Little Dreamer collection to create her incredible cake: The colors match our Little Dreamer color palette, the multi-colored horn looks just like the horns on our little unicorns, and she even created edible pieces that look like our Complements! See the little banners and glitter hearts and flowers? It’s amazing!
And if you think this cake looks magical, let us tell you, it tasted magical, too! An amazing cake is absolutely essential for any birthday party, and Sunny hit this one out of the park!
What’s another party essential? Great decorations, of course! To mix up your banner game, try layering a circle banner above a pennant banner, like we did here. This works especially well when you have a large blank wall to decorate.
Another party tip is to give your young guests something to play with that ties into the theme of the party, like these magical wands. Simply cut stars out of white glitter paper using your Cricut® machine, and then hot glue them onto long sucker sticks with some ribbons. The soft colors from our Whimsy ribbon pack make a great match for the Little Dreamer collection.
An easy way to add some accents to your party set-up is to frame our pocket cards. The Little Dreamer paper packet comes with two sheets of 3” x 4” and 4” x 6” pocket cards that you can cut apart for pocket scrapbooking. Framing a few of these cards is an easy way to add cute accents to your table, and they already perfectly match your other party décor—it’s a win-win!
Whatever goodies you choose to make available, try adding cute little tags to your jars and containers. You can label them if you have multiple foods for guests to choose from, and really, tags just make everything a bit more magical! 😊
And as one last final tip, spice up plain paper treat baggies with some patterned paper and matching Complements and gems! To make your baggies look especially polished, attach zip strips to the tops of the baggies.
What other tips do you have for throwing a stellar birthday party? Tell us in the comments below!
Sunny Hintze is located in Eagle Mountain, Utah. She is also going to launch a line of unicorn cake kits soon—how awesome is that? For more information about Sunny Days Cakes and her unicorn cake kits, visit her Facebook page.
These printables are generic enough to use year-round, but they’re also really fun for your Thanksgiving dinner.
You can see a fun way to use the conversation starters in the paper pumpkin above. To create the pumpkin itself, we cut 12 pumpkin shapes from our Cricut® Artistry collection, folded them in half, and attached them together to create an accordion effect. Then we looped some Fern ribbon together, tied it together with Fern twine, and attached it to the top with glue.
We also have this dinner party thank you card. Again, it’s generic enough to use for any formal dinner party, but it adds a beautiful, personal touch to your Thanksgiving place settings.
We hope these printables make your Thanksgiving one to remember! Click on the links below to download and print these free printables!
There’s nothing quite like good crafting and good food to bring everyone together. We had a blast!
After making our cards, we wanted to put them to good use—so we asked everyone to do an act of kindness for someone else and snap a picture of it. Here’s what we’ve got so far!
Someone’s gotten a good “snicker” from leaving candy bars and cards around the office…
…and one team decorated their manager’s office to welcome her back from vacation.
The kindness has spread beyond the office as well:
A daughter found a note from mom in her lunchbox.
Grandma got a balloon and handwritten card from her granddaughter.
A card-lover got more cards to add to her stash.
Friends got surprised with sweets and an equally sweet note.
And neighbors received extra produce with a little extra thoughtfulness.
We hope these acts of kindness show you how a little kindness can make someone feel special in big ways. These little cards are the perfect reminder that no act of kindness is too small to make a difference.
Show us how you’re creating kindness by sharing your photos using the hashtag #createkindness on social media. Together we can create a whole lot of smiles!
Looking for a quick dessert for your summertime parties? We’ve got you covered with this fun s’mores bar!
Nothing beats the smell of roasting marshmallows on a warm summer night, and if you don’t have a fire pit in your backyard, this is the perfect solution!
Simply purchase some Sternos (what you put under buffet food to keep it warm), and place them in a metal tin with some pebbles. Then your guests can roast their own marshmallows with wooden skewers.
There are a few great things about a s’mores bar:
You don’t have to actually make a dessert
You can customize your bar however you want with different marshmallows and chocolates
Your guests can eat dessert however and whenever they want!
It’s a win-win for everyone!
And of course we’ve got great ideas for dressing up your treat table, too! Create some cute cards to label your chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallows. Here, we used some stickers from the Magical Complements to give the cards a little something extra.
And no party décor is complete without a banner. This one is strung up in a picture frame to let guests know they can help themselves to seconds (and thirds!).
No matter what type of event you’ve got going on, adding a s’mores bar is a great way to satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth.
Now we want to hear your ideas! How would you customize your s’mores bar? Tell us in the comments below.
Recipes
Have S’more Banner
X7209B Magical Paper Packet, X5770 Glacier Cardstock, 1386 Black Cardstock, Z1375 Kraft Cardstock, X7209C Magical Complements, Z3216 White Twine, Z3089 Grey Enamel Gems, Z3170 Cricut® Artiste Collection, Z3171 Cricut® Artbooking Collection
Room for S’more Frame
E1033 My Acrylix® Inked Alphabet, B1484 My Acrylix® Jennifer’s Hand, Z2105 Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, 1385 White Daisy, Z1375 Kraft Cardstock, X7209C Magical Complements, Z3089 Grey Enamel Gems, Frame
*Created in Cricut Design Space™. Use Real Dial Size setting if not using Design Space.
All these products are available through one of our Independent Consultants. To find a Consultant near you, visit closetomyheart.com and click on “Find a Consultant” in the top right corner of the page.
The fun thing about mini albums (besides the fact that they are mini!) is that they’re so versatile—you can tackle all different sizes of jobs with them! Today, we want to share with you 10 reasons to make a mini album that maybe you haven’t thought of before.
1. Thank a Hostess
After someone throws you a party, a shower, or invites you over for dinner, create a mini album with pictures of the event and give it to the hostess as a unique thank you gift.
2. Watch Your Love Grow
Put your wedding picture in the front of a mini album. Then, snap a photo each anniversary and add it to your mini album. Years down the road, you’ll be able to see how much you both change with each year of renewed love and commitment.
3. Entertain Your Kiddos
Have young children or grandchildren? Create an interactive “Quiet Book” for them to play with when you’re at the doctor’s office, at church, or anywhere else where they need to be quiet. Our hook & look dots, which feature Velcro-like material, are perfect for creating shapes that can be removed and attached.
4. Give Some Lovin’ to Your Pet
Create a mini album to celebrate your furry friends (and other pets!). You’ll love looking back on the many memories your pets have shared with your family.
5. Create a Personalized Recipe Book
You make homemade food—so why not make a homemade recipe book? Use our Cricut® Artbooking collection to create tabbed dividers. This would be a fun gift for a bridal shower, high school graduation, or for sharing family favorites with neighbors and friends.
6. Get Inspired
Create a mini album filled with things that inspire you: pictures of beautiful places, your favorite patterns, inspiring quotes, photos of loved ones, dried flowers, etc. Use it for creative inspiration or simply for relaxing when you’re stressed.
7. Remember a Loved One
Create a memory book to honor a loved one who has passed away. In addition to the peace this album can bring, it will also help your children and grandchildren get to know their family members who passed away before they were old enough to remember.
8. Thank a Teacher or Coach
Create an end of year album with pictures from class activities, recitals, or games from the past year. Give it as a gift to those who mentor your children or grandchildren.
9. Capture Kids’ Silly Phases
When it comes to scrapbooking, it’s easy to focus on events—we went here and did this. Some of the things you don’t want to forget though are the quirky phases your kids or grandkids go through, like the phase when they insist on wearing their Spiderman costume everyday! Create a book dedicated to capturing what makes them unique each year of their lives, such as their height, likes, dislikes, words they mispronounce, interests, and other silly quirks.
10. Help Your College Student Remember Home
Create a mini album filled with pictures of family, pets, and your home for your college students to take with them to school. That way, they never really leave their family behind!
Which mini album do you want to create? Tell us in the comments below!
Also, most of the mini albums pictured in today’s post are available at a discount though our Flash Sale! Head on over to your Consultant’s online business address (OBA)! The discount is only good until 3:00 pm today or while supplies last!
CC1136 My Creations™ Mini Album Bundle
CC1129 Mini Book Bundle (2-pack) Recipes
Thank a Hostess Mini Album
CC1136 My Creations™ Mini Album Bundle, C1625 My Acrylix® A Thousand Thanks, X7210B Calypso Paper Packet, Z3076 Gold Glitter Paper, X5760 Cotton Candy Cardstock, X5773 Pixie Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, 44751 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, Z2068 Ranger™ White Super Fine Embossing Powder, Z1956 Hip Pics Album, Z2013 Sequins Silver Assortment, Cricut® Artistry Collection
All these products are available through one of our Independent Consultants. To find a Consultant near you, visit closetomyheart.com and click on “Find a Consultant” in the top right corner of the page.
Happy Cinco de Mayo, amigos! Today’s a day filled with bright colors, fun activities, delicious food, and lots of family—so yeah, it’s basically a day we really love. 🙂 To get you in the fiesta mood, we’ve got two adorable cards that capture the spirit of this festive day!
With a fringe skirt and gold accents, this card is ready to party! The fringe you see on piñatas inspired the ombre fringe on this card. The papers used in the colorful fringe came from the Happy Times paper packet, and we used scissors to turn them into fringed strips. For the sentiment, we simply cut out the letters on White Daisy cardstock using Cricut Design Space™. We then backed the piece with a gold foil stripe—also from the Happy Times paper packet—so the letters would shine.
We also love this mini piñata card—there’s that Happy Times gold foil stripe again! This stamp from our new Seasonal Expressions 2 idea book was made for just this type of occasion, and we’ve made it extra colorful by painting it with our new small round tip waterbrush. Overall, we think this card is pretty smashing. 🙂
Do you have fun plans for Cinco de Mayo? Tell us below! And don’t forget to get the Happy Times paper packet before the end of May. You can even get one free with a qualifying purchase. Talk to your Consultant to learn more!
For more Happy Times artwork inspiration, check out this video:
Recipes
7″ x 5″ Fiesta Fringe Card
CC1063 Happy Times Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z3170 Cricut® Artiste Collection
Cricut® Shapes*: Artiste
30 pt. <font> “You’re gonna need a after this”
35 pt. <font> “siesta”
42 pt. “fiesta!”
3″ x 3″ Piñata Card
M1141 My Acrylix® Pinata Hooray, CC1063 Happy Times Paper Packet, X5769 Thistle Cardstock, Z3146 Watercolor Paper, 44751 Archival Black Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3132 Watercolor Paints, Z3224 Waterbrush—Small Round
Banners
CC1063 Happy Times Paper Packet, X5769 Thistle Cardstock, Z3216 White Twine, Z3169 Cricut® Artbooking Collection
Cricut® Shapes**: Artbooking
2″ Shift+Overlay <D> (cut in half, p. 60)
April showers bring May flowers—and though April may be winding down, some “showers” happen all year round. We’re talking about baby showers of course! What better way to celebrate the promise of new life than with a shower-themed baby shower? This post is just bursting with great artwork ideas for making your next shower a truly inspirational one.
Every good party starts with a stellar invitation. There’s nothing quite like getting fun snail mail, especially if it’s a handmade invitation!
The umbrella and cloud shapes you see are all courtesy of the amazing Cricut® Artistry collection—but the invitation is just the beginning! We used many of the same shapes to make perfectly coordinating decorations that we know you are just going to love:
There are so many fun elements of this party to talk about, but let’s start with the banner. Donning cute mini umbrellas and bright springtime colors, our “Oh Baby” banner helps set the stage for showering the mother-to-be. Above the table, we created a cloud of balloons with paper raindrops streaming down. Take a closer look:
These 3-D shapes are simple to create with your Cricut® machine and create such a unique backdrop. We used a similar technique in this video showing how to make a sweet baby mobile. They’ll be the talk of the party!
Of course we want the food to play into our theme, which is why we went with these white, fluffy cupcakes. And the cloud-embellished paper straws behind add some fun to our jars of lemonade.
A “cloud” of fresh baby’s breath fits right in, and we just had to embellish with these delicate little butterflies.
When the festivities are over, send your guests home with a raincheck—oh, we mean a party favor! A colorful paper pouch filled with goodies or gifts is just the thing. We chose a pattern from one of our newest paper packets, Calypso, which will be available starting May 1!
We know there must be lots of other great ways to tie in the rain shower theme to a baby shower—or to other parties, too! Let the comments pour in! 😉
