Party Favor Favorites

While I do not enjoy being the hostess, I do enjoy a good party. You may recall that a few months ago I mentioned that my cousin and aunt like to have parties; I think I need to show them these ideas. Project Inspiration: Party Favor Favorites has some great ideas for a circus themed party and we will learn how the popcorn boxes and invitations shown on page 110 of the CTMH Spring/Summer 2014 Idea Book were created.



Today's video, Project Inspiration: Party Favor Favorites has the CTMH Corporate description "Use small party favors as invitations to a celebration! Watch the video to learn how to make your own perfect party favors using Cricut®-cut shapes and the My Acrylix™ Big Top stamp set from Close To My Heart."

Products used in the video:

• My Acrylix™ Big Top Stamp Set (C1580)
• Cricut® Artiste Collection (Z1790)

Some of the tips mentioned in the video:

• the popcorn box is from the Artiste cartridge; it is the 3D object on the m/movie night key found on page 67 of the handbook
• the handbook shows cutting the box at 4 inches, but the box in the video was cut at 6 inches
• start with White Daisy cardstock (1385) as your base and create as many popcorn boxes as you need, but do not assemble them yet, you will assemble them after applying the "circus strips"
• the "circus stripes" on the popcorn boxes were created by cutting additional boxes in the colors of your choice then using the scallops as your guide to mark the strips (see about 2:30 minutes into the video for the demo); you will not be able to use the entire box cut from colored cardstock because you are cutting straight strips and will be recycling every other strip you cut; you will need about 12 strips for each popcorn box
• attach the strips with Tombow® Adhesive (1514) then assemble the box
• to complete the popcorn box as shown in the Idea Book and online - the "sun ray" label and the "A Celebration" stamp are from the Big Top Stamp Set and are stamped on additional die cuts from the Artiste collection; you will find them on pages 77 and 58 of the handbook; cutting sizes are listed on the stamp carrier sheet and in the Recipes for the Spring/Summer 2014 Idea Book (this link is a PDF that will open in a new window)
• the invitations are stuck on the top of a toothpick; they are the "Card" (with and without shift) on the m/movie night key; the exact size used was not noted in the video, but you will find cutting sizes and a list of supplies used in the Recipes; although you may want to make the invitation larger or smaller depending on your theme and how much information you need to provide to guests
• the "You're The Tops" box shown at the beginning of the video appears to be the 3D Object from page 34 of the handbook, I believe the "roof" of the box was created similar to the "circus stripes" on the popcorn box (except on this box the paper stripes are graduated) and the "pompom" at the peak was created from Baker's Twine, it also appears the Scallop Border Punch (Z1851) was used to create the trim where the box starts to peak, I believe the "belly band" was created with the In The Background Stamp Set (D1540)
• the dumb bell cupcake topper was created using the 3D Object from page 62 of the handbook (see page 40 of the Assembly Instructions guide), they might have cut a slit in the top to "anchor" the elephant that was stamped with the ball and cut by hand from cardstock; unfortunately I do not have the Big Top Stamp Set to try recreating the topper exactly

Here is my attempt to cut the box to create the dumb bell cupcake topper (the one in the video with the elephant and ball on the top). I am sorry the photo is not great, but it shows the shape and the height, which I definitely want you to see.

I cut the dumb bell at the recommended 2" in the handbook, but I think if I were creating these for "normal" sized cupcakes I would probably cut these at 0.75 or 1 inch; the size printed in the handbook would overwhelm even a jumbo cupcake. Please note: if you are using Cricut Craft Room, when setting the default height (found at the bottom of the window) to 0.75 in, do not be surprised when under Shape Properties the size is listed as 3.569 (width) by 1.819 (height).

I think these favors could be adapted for other party themes as well. For an Oscar Night or a movie themed party I might use Reel Life (B1431) and mask the wording (or use the retired stamp set with a film strip - as soon as I remember the name I will post it). If you were hosting a baby shower the animals in Wild Wonders (C1558) would be adorable on the cupcake topper. For a group that enjoys video games, you could use Tech Speak (C1566). Just look though your stamps

I hope today's post inspired you to create your own party favors for your next gathering. If you are ready to place an order the Show Now button will take you to my Online Business Address.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.