FREE St. Patrick's Day Party Printables

These free St. Patrick's Day party printable's are courtesy of How Does She?  If you're hosting a celebration this weekend you can easily print these out just in time for the festivities.  Designed by Chickabug, this collection will set the perfect mood.  Enjoy!

St. Patrick's Day Ideas

I think St. Patrick's Day is one of the most fun celebrations of the year - right up there with Mardi Gras!  It's a time to throw a party just for the pure pleasure of having food & cocktails with friends, and it's acceptable to get a little 'cheeky' with decor and details!  I've put together some ideas here that you can implement for your own gathering.  With lots of green, a rainbow, and a "pot of gold" you're guests are sure to have a good time...

Set the table with a green tablecloth, vases, and party ware.  I like the cool flowery napkins shown here - they remind me of a stylized shamrock.  Green spider mums in dried split peas is an easy but attractive centerpiece.  Make an Irish flag banner with felt, fabric, or paper cut into triangles and hot glued to ribbon.

Serve a buffet of bite-sized foods consisting of traditional fish-n-chips, mini shepherd's pies, and mini reuben sandwiches.  Wash it down with a "Pot of Gold" cocktail with flecks of real gold from Goldschlager.  Set up your cocktail bar with rainbow colored streamers hanging as a backdrop, and place a sign that reads, "A 'Pot of Gold' at the end of the Rainbow."  Have some glasses already filled and lined in rows.  Scatter gold coins around the bar top and around the glasses.

For dessert and favors, set up a Sweets Table with candies, cupcakes, and green rice crispy treats, along with decorative take out boxes.  Be sure to have Irish Coffee available too.

Sources:
flower in split peas, tablescape, cupcakes, invitation, popcorn, cupcake toppers
candy display, take-out box, rainbow streamers, fish-n-chips, mini shepherd's pies, mini reuben sandwiches, Irish coffee, Pot of Gold cocktail, rice crispy treats.

Black & White & Glamorous Sweets Table

I designed this mini dessert table to coordinate with my Holiday-Glam Tablescape.  It's great for an intimate dinner party, and serves up small bites so guests can sample a little bit of everything.  

For the dessert area I used the acrylic beaded curtain as a backdrop - a great way to tie two areas together is to use the same elements but in a different way.  The food and decor are all done in black and white and silver, and most items were found locally.

On the menu are chocolate whoopie pies, brownie bites topped with whipped icing and silver edible glitter from Sweet Baking Supply, and shimmering bonbons from Bedazzle My Bonbons.  I like the idea of choosing one or two designer desserts to shine, and then dressing up purchased items or homemade items to round out the table.

To wash down the sweets, milk shots are served with cookie "straws."  You could also serve eggnog in these as well.  For this table I did serve spiked eggnog and irish cream shots in chocolate cups - a fun festive addition!  So that guests would know the difference between the two, I sprinked nutmeg on the eggnog shots.

In sharing this with you, I hope to show that you can have a beautiful, stylish dessert table without spending a fortune.  It just takes a little thoughtful detail and creative display!  Bon Apetite!

Black & White & Silver Holiday Table

I designed this Holiday-Glam table for The Party Dress' Holiday Table Challenge.  I wanted it to be glamorous and neutral enough to translate into other celebrations throughout the year (anniversary, special birthday, small wedding).  What could be more glamorous than black & white & silver & shimmer?  With elements such as fluffy marabou boas, white hydrangeas, and shiny mirrors, there is a winter wonderland effect, while shimmery ornaments add a Christmas-y touch. 

The table is topped with an acrylic beaded curtain which acts as a runner.  A mirrored centerpiece is filled with silver pillar candle holders, ornaments, and fluffy hydrangeas.  Each plate is topped by a mini martini glass full of shimmering bonbons by Bedazzle My Bonbons (which taste AMAZING!).   The edge of each glass is rimmed with edible glitter by Sweet! Baking Supply, and another acrylic droplet hangs off the side.

One of my favorite parts of this design are the balloons floating above.  Each napkin is tied with ribbon and attached to a black balloon to raise the eye and create a party atmosphere.  Visit this post for a must-see coordinating dessert table with more shimmer and glamour!

Glass Vase Snowman

Isn't this little guy cute! I made him in a jiffy with just a few simple items: faux snow flakes, 2 mini fish bowl vases, felt fabric, adhesive gems, and googly eyes.

Simply fill each vase with the snow flakes and stack one on top of the other. Cut a small triangle from orange felt, for the nose, and a long strip from another color of your choice for the scarf. Cut fringe into the ends of the scarf and wrap it around where the vases connect. Use double stick tape to adhere the nose and to keep the scarf in place. Finally, use adhesive gems to create a mouth and buttons and apply googly eyes with double stick tape.

A great project for the kids! Make several using different color scarves and line them up on a mantle or down the center of a dining table.  Happy Holidays!

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

This recipe from Kraft looks & sounds delicious...and easy to make!  It may just be on my Thanksgiving menu!

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

38 NABISCO Ginger Snaps, finely crushed (about 1-1/2 cups)

1/4 cup  finely chopped PLANTERS Pecans

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

4 pkg.  (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 can  (15 oz.) pumpkin

1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp.  vanilla

4 eggs

HEAT oven to 325°F

MIX crumbs, nuts and butter; press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 9-inch springform pan.
BEAT cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add pumpkin, spice and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour into crust.
BAKE 1 hour 20 min. to 1 hour 30 min. or until center is almost set. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours.

Thanksgiving Tablescape

This Thursday I'll be appearing on our local morning news show, Virginia This Morning, sharing ideas for Thanksgiving entertaining.   To help bring the ideas to life I created tablescapes using some of the ideas I'll be sharing.  The look is easy to re-create using glass vases and organic items such as dried lentils, rice, pine cones, acorns, mini pumpkins, and a few craft store items.

(To view larger, click on images)

I've re-purposed the manzanita branch so many times but it's always the perfect accent.  This time I attached it to an open frame to be used as seasonal art.  I'll also be using it on the kids table for tomorrows post.

The table is covered with orange fabric and a burlap runner that I wove yarn through to add a little stitch detail.  The yarn was also used to wrap around a couple of vases as well as tie up the favor pouches.  

I created name cards and displayed them on a small wood pedestal made from a pruned tree branch in the back yard.  Wine glass stems were tied with thin strips of fabric remnants. 

I wanted to set up an appetizer table to hold some light nibbles to snack on while you're waiting for the turkey to finish cooking.  Nothing too heavy, just crudite served in individual bread cups, small nut cones, and goat cheese & olive tapenade canapes.  

The tall frame serves as the centerpiece and holds the dinner menu so guests know what to expect.  The small bale of hay is the perfect base to hold the nut cones - just stick a wooden skewer in the hay and up through the tiny hole in the bottom of the cone, to hold it upright. 

I was finally able to incorporate the hanging buffet idea I shared here.  I simply used the pole & drape system I designed here, and hung a wire basket from it to hold the canapes.

To continue using fabric as I did with the glass stem ties, I used one of the patterns to wrap the wine bottle, frame out the menu, and to add color and interest to the tree branch candle holders.   I have to admit I thought the branch candle detail was pretty cool & clever!

To end the day, send guests home with a small burlap pouch filled with candy corn.

There you have it - at least 14 ideas to help you host Thanksgiving in style and on a budget.

Cheers!

Fall And Halloween Printable Collections From The Celebration Shoppe

Have you seen the new Fall & Halloween collections from The Celebration Shoppe?  Kim has been busy desiging, styling, and photographing some amazing printables for the season upon us. 

The Harvest collection offers an eclectic mix of Autumnal prints and patterns perfect for September through November. 

The Candy Corn collection combines the classic candy motif with a bit of spooky fun, that accomodates both young "gouls" and "groan" ups alike.  I love the traditional combination of orange and black.

Kim also created an "add-on" set perfect for the Spooked Pumpkin, or Martinis and Mayhem collections (set will be added to each collection this week).  The little witches with 3-D hats are too cute, and the circles on top of the un-iced cupcakes is the perfect presentation for a decorate-your-own cupcake station.

You can also find more great party ideas on The Celebration Shoppe blog.

The Celebration Shoppe is a sponsor of this blog.  If you would like to know more about becoming a sponsor, please email me at celebrationsathome@gmail.com