It’s been ages since I last blogged, but I promise you I’ve been beavering away running craft parties and coming up with new designs and themes for you (not sunning myself in the South of France …sigh).
First up is the superhero cuff. Of course, boys like crafting too and I’m keen to include lots of party options for them. Keep an eye out for my Superhero ‘Capes, cuffs and masks’ party option which is coming soon, but for the meantime, the cuffs have been added into the Craft Mania Party. If you’ve a mix of boys and girls you could choose to have a mixed activity of crowns and cuffs.
I’d also like to introduce my Catching the Sun and Casing your Dreams party. Sun catchers are a lovely option for craft parties, especially in the summer. I’ll provide all the beautiful materials to produce a masterpiece that can be treasured for years to come. The children will be able to add pom poms, tassels and ribbons to their creations to give them extra wow.
So that’s a taster of some ideas I’ve been working on, I hope you like them. What would your child choose to make if they had a craft party? I’d love to hear from you and discuss your party needs, you can contact me at lexy@madebymeparties.co.uk
In truth, I’m not much of a sewer. In my head I’m amazing and I have a fabric stash that makes my husband’s eyes roll up to the sky and a bookcase full of gorgeous sewing books that sit on the shelf gathering dust. Sadly, in reality I have a go at making something, do an ok job and then put it all away and forget all the skills.
I’ve made a blind, a skirt, half a dress (I know, I know!), taken up jeans and made a boat load of reusable shopping bags (Christmas presents one year). But each time I start a new project, my confidence seems to have left the building.
I love pattern, I love design, I love clothes and bags and I love fabric. So when I had a chance to enter a competition with Hillarys Blinds, I grabbed the chance to stroke some pretty fabric and make something useful. My first challenge was deciding which fabric to use, there were 4 to choose from and all equally delicious. I opted for Safi Turquise as blue is one of my favourite colours.
The second challenge was deciding what to make. Usually I decide what to make and then buy fabric (unless I see fabric that is too gorgeous to pass up of course!). So I delved into that dusty bookshelf to seek inspiration and now I have a list of things to make as long as my arm (oops!).
I decided on making a tablet case for my Samsung Galaxy as the fabric from Hillarys is so soft and quite robust. Here’s how I did it and how I got on!
If you want to know how I made it, here are some brief instructions (bearing in mind the measurements are for a Samsung tablet).
I measured out 2 pieces of the Safi Turquiose fabric for the outside measuring 24.5cms x 66cms and 24.5cms x 22.5 One piece of lining fabric (I used a blue/grey polycotton) Wadding measuring 24.5cms x 57cms
1. Fold a 1.5cm hem on the bottom (short end) of the smaller outer fabric and iron and then repeat the process again and sew a 1cm hem. 2. Put the 2 remaining larger bits of fabric right sides together and pin, then sew a 1 cm seam allowance along the top. 3. Open out the pieces from step 2 and place the wadding on the wrong side of the lining, pin in place and sew a straight line into the wadding 1 cm away from one from step 2. 4. Fold the outer fabric over so that the right sides are facing out with the wadding in the middle. 5. Place the outer fabric facing up and the stitched end of the fabric nearest you. From the stitched end, measure 27.5cms and put a pin on each side at this measurement (as a guide) and then pick the stitched end up and fold it so the fold is where the pins are and then pin the top in place. 6. Put the smaller piece of fabric on top, right side down and line up with the top edge. Pin in place. 7. Sew round the three edges with a 1cm seem allowance (the remaining side is a fold, so no need to sew that). 8. Trim the corners at 45 a degree angle. 9. Turn the whole thing inside out (a magical moment!) 10. Complete the project with some sew on velcro to secure the flap at the top.
Finally I added decorative button from my stash of pretty things! Et Voila! I’m insanely pleased with how it turned out and our tablet is now nice and snug in it’s new home! (It also seems to make an excellent sleeping bag for teddies and dolls!).
I had a great time experimenting and re-discovering my love of fabric and sewing. You can check out the other competition entries here. Everyone has done an amazing job!
Since I started up Made By Me Craft Parties it’s amazed me how many people want something a little bit unique and special for their celebration events. I thought it would be nice to share some of my commissions and inspire you lovely people!
First up, and quite possibly my favourite so far is my pin wheel commission. The Students’ Union at Bournemouth University contacted me about designing and making something special for their centrepieces for an awards ceremony. This is what I came up with; it’s fun, fitting for an awards ceremony and reflects the seaside location too! These would also look fabulous at a wedding in pastel colours.
Bunting seems to have struck a cord in many people’s hearts for a while now and I’ve made up lots of bespoke paper bunting this year.
My mini bunting makes a perfect party bag gift and has been a best seller. It comes beautifully packaged and can be personalised and themed however you want.
I really enjoy pulling whole parties together, this spectacle themed party was one of my most challenging briefs to date, but I think it works beautifully. I sourced a cake and balloons before creating paper bunting and this gorgeous photo booth prop jar. I bet hours of fun was had with the beards and glasses!
I do love a good party and I’m looking forward to my next challenge! If you would like me to create bespoke party decorations for a party you are planning, please get in touch with your ideas at lexy@madebymeparties.co.uk.
Planning a party can be a stressful and expensive business and the choice of themes and activites out there is mind boggling! A craft party gives people a chance to bond, relax and create something a little bit different to take home.
So, who am I? My name is Lexy and I’m a crafty (not like a fox!), mother of 2, a born planner, organiser and fun loving too. I’ve made my own greetings cards since I was a child and have tried my hand at loads of different crafts; I’ve sewn, beaded, painted, stuck, cut and glittered my way through life and have loved every minute!
A Made by Me craft party is all about having fun and creating something fabulous! I can teach a new skill or create craft activities to fit a theme of a party, for example decorating a castle for a princess party or making hot air balloons for a balloon party.
So who are the parties for?
My aim is to spread the love of crafting and my parties can be tailored to fit any age and ability. Children’s birthday parties are an obvious choice, but lets be honest, adults love to get creative too, so I offer activities for team building events, hen parties and baby showers. Or how about keeping the kids entertained at a wedding or as part of the entertainment at a summer festival?
What crafts can we do?
The craft parties include crafts such as pencil case decorating, tote bag decorating, decopatch (decorating paper mache shapes), tutu making, castle decorating, card making, paper bunting and bird boxes, notebook decorating, crown and mask making, ceramic money box painting and the list is always growing! I can match the activities to any theme and colours.
What’s included in a Made By Me Craft party?
I want your experience to be as stress free and enjoyable as possible, I will run a craft party to suit your interests, needs and theme and make it age appropriate.
I can also do a mixture of party games, face painting and crafts for younger children.
I’ll bring all the craft materials, aprons for the younger children and a table cloth.
I’ll clean up afterwards and make sure everyone goes home with something to be proud of!
You can even use many of the craft items your guests produce as part of the party bag/favour. How about filling the decorated pencil cases or tote bags with a few sweets or a small notebook and pen?
What makes Made By Me special? The reviews and testimonials I’ve received speak for themselves, but you can count on me to listen to your needs and requirements and create a bespoke service just for you. If you can’t see what you want on my website, just ask me if I can help.
I think attention to detail makes all the difference, so I’ll make sure the art materials are laid out beautifully and the party will have a bespoke welcome sign too.
How can I book a party or a service offered by Made By Me? Simply call me on 07779 870183 or email me at Lexy@madebymeparties.co.uk with your party date, requirements and theme (if you have one) and we can take it from there!
Thanks for reading and I hope I can create a crafty party for you soon 🙂
For my daughter’s fifth birthday we held a Frozen themed garden party for a few friends and family. I spent many hours scouring Pinterest for the best Frozen party ideas and there are a lot to choose from!
I handmade most of the party decorations and might have gone a teensy bit crazy, but you’re only 5 once right?
Frozen Invitations
I wanted to give a feel for the Frozen colours without using the characters. Consequently, to set the theme, I designed these frosty invitations and added a bit of subtle sparkle on the snowflakes after printing. Canva is a great place to design your own free invitations and you’ll find lots of templates to choose from.
Frozen Party Favours
I adore the handmade touch and made these cute foam Elsa crowns for each of the guests. I found a free crown template on My Sister’s Suitcase blog and added gems and glitter.
The Olaf favour thank you tags matched the invitations in design. The bags contained sweets to build your own snowman. Each bag contained; large and small marshmallows, raisins, orange jelly bean noses and chocolate matchsticks.
Frozen Party Decorations
I transformed the party venue into a beautiful Frozen wonderland! There were touches of handmade icicles, meters of bunting, balloons and snowflakes throughout. This pom pom bunting is so cute and can be used for all sorts of different themes. If you’d like to make your own pom poms, you can follow my tutorial here.
I was also really pleased with how the foam icicles turned out. Furthermore, they were easy and cost-effective to make and looked great!
Finally, our playhouse was crying out to be turned into Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post and the conservatory looked perfect with meters of handmade blue and sparkly silver garlands, balloons and a homemade castle. (Which we decorated as one of the activities).
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed my Frozen party ideas post. Contact me at Lexy@madebymeparties.co.uk and let’s chat about how I can help you at your next event, by entertaining the children with a craft party.
Here at Made By Me Craft Parties, we’re all about making parties special and unique! A new customer asked me to come up with a craft activity for a balloon themed 6th birthday party for her little girl.
So, Made By Me came up with the answer and the children had a lovely time ‘decopatching’ some hot air balloons which then became the party favours at the end of the day! I’m so pleased with the result and the children had a ball!
Decopatch is about covering a small box or shape with layers of petty paper and glue. The children then personalised their balloons with lots of gorgeous embellishments. Take a look at these happy faces and their fabulous creations!
Don’t just take my word for it, I’m thrilled to say that the party girl’s mum had this to say about the party ‘Lexy is professional, friendly and a great organiser. The children all went away with a unique and personal gift from the party and I would certainly recommended Made by Me Craft Parties to anyone needing a crafty touch to their event.’
Do you have a special birthday or event coming up that needs the wow factor? Contact us with your requirements and we’ll provide a unique and bespoke service. Contact Lexy at Lexy@madebymeparties.co.uk for more details.
‘Do you wanna build a snowman?’ My daughter (Izzy) certainly did! So for her 5th birthday party, we put on a Frozen extravaganza for 14 of her friends! Planning the Frozen party games was such fun, and of course, it was even more fun running them!
Castle Decorating
The party kicked off with a ‘Decorate Elsa’s castle’ activity. We did a spot of reusing and recycling to make the castle and Mr Made By Me (hubby Martin) did a grand job! I’ve found a great supplier for super glamorous cardboard castles for any future Made By MeCraft Parties. This activity was more popular than I had imagined and the girls kept going back to add a few more jewels and embellishments throughout the party.
Frozen Party Games: Do You Wanna Build A Snowman?
Next up was ‘Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?’ We split the girls into teams and asked 4 unsuspecting parents to be our victims (er … I mean, Olafs). Each team had a roll of toilet paper, 3 buttons, a carrot nose and a scarf and they had to dress up their adult as Olaf. Cue lots of laughter and fun!
‘Making It Snow’ Balloon Popping Game
I thought it would be amazing if we could make it snow for the party. So I took an idea I’d seen on Pinterest and changed it up to suit our Frozen needs. We filled balloons with some Christmas chocolate snowballs, silver sequins, some tiny cotton balls and also a party guest’s name on a piece of paper (so we knew whose turn it was next to pop). We hung the balloons from our conservatory roof and each girl got to pop a balloon. It was a bit like pass the parcel with a bang!
The party was in September on one of those unexpectedly hot days and my cunning plan went a bit melty! I hadn’t factored in the hot conservatory and the chocolate … there were a few chocolate smears as a result. Oops!
It’s also worth noting, that it’s a good idea to check with parents about whether their children are OK with loud balloon popping noises! There were a few children who covered their ears.
Pin The Nose On Olaf
We finished up the party with some quieter games of ‘Pin the Nose on Olaf ‘and ‘Frozen musical statues’.
If you would like me to run a Frozen themed craft party for your child, contact me for details at lexy@madebymeparties.co.uk
Thanks for reading! If you would like more Frozen party inspiration, check out my Frozen party decorations blog post. I had so much fun making them!
