Paper Garland

If you have stash of paper piling up and wondering what to use it for, here's an idea. Make paper garlands. So easy to make. Punch holes or shapes, then sew the thread to connect each using your sewing machine.

Our toddler enjoyed helping in both punching the holes and handing the paper to me for sewing. Not only was it delightful to see these delicate garlands adorn our windows, but seeing the delight in my boy's eyes from doing such a simple project was priceless.

We used regular copy paper and sewn two together. If you use scrapbook paper or construction paper, one each will be enough. These will be perfect as party decorations or just to bring cheers to any space. Mix different colored papers for a bright palette.

Hope you like it! If you happen to recreate this project, share the photos. I'd love to see it.

ABCs of a Tea Party

With clear skies and nice weather, summer is the perfect time for tea parties. I'm not talking about the political 'tea parties'. This is after all, an art blog.

I recently held a tea party for the kids in our family. I want to share with you my ABC's for preparing a budget-friendly tea party for the little ones and the kids at heart too. I marked the photo above for your reference.

a - For the table napkins, I bought 2 yards of linen fabric and hand drawn the leaf prints with fabric pens.

b - My favorite flea market find! Twenty two set of white and silver vintage china in perfect condition. I wanted my little guests (and the not so little) to have a genuine experience using real tea cups.

c - Set of wooden bowls from Goodwill. Tough and durable for little hands.

d - For my flower centerpiece, I plucked some Nikko Blue Hydrangeas from our yard and set it on vintage blue wine glasses (another flea market find!).

e - No tea bags for that day, only loose leaf teas brewed in IKEA cafe presses.

f - Freshly squeezed lemonade mixed with mango juice, for refreshment.

g - Perfectly warmed tea bread and pastries from our local bakery.

And since my little guests know I'm an artist, I gave them their own 'art kits' complete with sets of paints, paper canvases and brushes from the dollar store. We let them express their creativity painting whatever subject they fancy.

Do I think they had a great time? The smiles from my tiniest guests say it all.

There you go! Have fun hosting your own tea party. Share your photos, I would love to see them too.