Party Crafts | A Joyful Riot

12 Gorgeous Ways to Incorporate Fall Leaves in Your Next Party

October 13, 2016 ·

At about this time of year I start to freak out that the gorgeous colors of fall will leave before I get to fully enjoy them. And fall is too pretty to not fully enjoy! I try to go on as many pretty drives as I can, visit pumpkin patches and apples orchards every weekend, and go on many walks. And every time I take a walk I make sure to keep an eye out for pretty fallen leaves to take home and incorporate in my next project. Today I am showing you 12 of those projects that can be added to your next party to give it an added dose of autumn beauty. So whether it is a baby shower, brunch, dinner party, or the main event at Thanksgiving there should be something for everyone.

1. Fall Leaf Backdrop – stunning as a photo backdrop but it would also work behind a treat table.

2. Glitter leaf garland – add glitter to anything and it is instantly better!

3. Copper leaf garland – copper spray paint + leaves make for a gorgeous garland.

4. Autumn leaf geronimo balloons – I’d be remiss if I didn’t include one of our favorites from last year!

5. Autumn leaf fairy lights – I definitely want to make these and keep them up in my living room all fall.

6. Gold Dipped Leaf place cards – I think these simple place cards might just be the perfect thing for this Thanksgiving.

7. Autumn leaf backdrop – Ok, maybe I am sharing more than one of our own posts but who can blame us? All you need to do for this one is tape leaves on a wall!

8. Leaf photo display – how cute would this be at a bridal shower or birthday party to display photos of the couple or child?

9. Painted leaf place settings – another perfect addition to a fall dinner table.

10. Branch and leaf escort cards – these would also work as place cards or even your invitations.

11. Hanging leaves – just stunning above the table.

12. Leaf confetti – this idea is pretty amazing.

Lightbox Cake Topper DIY

September 26, 2016 ·

These itty bitty cinema lightboxes are the perfect cake topper because you can make it say whatever you want! From birthdays to weddings, these little lightbox cake toppers are the perfect fit.

Our birthday is on Thursday!! Woohoo!! We love to celebrate here on AJR by coming up with some fun birthday-related DIYS. And this one might just be my very favorite one ever!!

We recently shared a tutorial for making your own light box. These things have made quite the entrance onto the social media and blog scene this last year. And I have a serious crush on them! When I was whipping up my larger one and had all these materials on hand, I of course thought of doing an even mini-er one. I love tiny things (who doesn’t?) and even though the popular boxes are technically already a mini version of business and cinema signs, I thought we could go even smaller!

So I did! And what better place to put an endlessly interchangeable little sign than on top of a cake? Not only is it a great size for cakes, but it can literally be used for every single occasion ever! Birthdays. Showers. Retirement parties. Graduations. Even weddings! Oh I would LOVE to see one of these on a big, beautiful wedding cake. The great thing about the minimal look is that it goes with every kind of decor or party theme!

Not only is this little cutie infinitely customizable, but it also lights up! YAY! Click through to see how to make the most useful cake topper ever with us!

DIY Gilded Gemstone Napkin Rings

August 22, 2016 ·

Quickly jazz up some simple napkin rings with gorgeous gemstones like geodes, crystal or amethyst and a little gold paint!

Last year, I found these napkin rings at a restaurant supply store by my house for 25 cents each! I just knew I’d have a use for them someday and I’m actually surprised it took me so long to come up with one. I guess I just don’t use napkin rings all that often!

But I finally found the perfect opportunity, which there is a little sneak peak of here! I will share the whole party at the beginning of September. Until then I’ll share a few DIYs that I used in that final event. Starting with this easy and pretty gemstone napkin ring upgrade!

Donut Tray Printables and Free Template

August 1, 2016 ·

Donuts are the perfect party food! They’re adorable, single serving cakes that everyone likes. They’re also great for gifts for your neighbors or teachers. But, housing them in a donut tray is a lot cuter than on a plate, right? Plus, with this free printable you can save money on plates and serving dishes cus all it requires is a piece of paper! Also, easy-peasy clean up! I know there is like eighteen zillion donut crafts flying around the internet these days. Which isn’t a bad thing by any means! But I’ve never seen such a cute and simple way of displaying or handing them out as these trays!

You know what is so weird about me and donuts? I don’t even really crave them until I’m trying really hard not to eat them. Particularly when I’m trying not to eat anything unhealthy, like on a Whole30. The other treats that I tend to like better on a regular basis aren’t even as appealing to me as donuts are when I’ve cut it all out. Isn’t that strange? I don’t know what it is about healthy eating that suddenly makes these treats so appetizing to me!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m always a fan of donuts. I mean, I’ll definitely eat one any day of the week if you put it in front of me. And I always LOVE those little hostess ones. The “donettes” you know? Especially the powdered sugar ones. And also these new ones they put out this summer that are summer berry flavor, mmmm! But! The point is, a half hour drive out of my way to stop by Dunkin’ Donuts is never at the top of my mind. Until I cut sugar completely out and them I’m like “UGH! Bring me all the sprinkles!”

In case you’re wondering, Dunkin’ Donuts is actually my favorite. Their strawberry frosting is just the best and they always have a fun new flavor that is like WOW! I guess I’m just a donut-chain kind of girl. Although, to be fair, Utah really doesn’t have a great selection of independent donut joints. The most exotic flavor you can find here is maple bacon and, let’s face it, once a donut is sold in the bakery section at Smith’s, it’s not really a gourmet flavor anymore.

Regardless of how often I actually buy and eat donuts, they are a delightful party food and they are just plain cute! So if you’re looking for a way to share this beloved treat with friends and family, look no further! I’ve made FIVE free printable designs that easily fold into the sweetest little trays ever. They perfectly house 2-3 donuts, depending on the size of your treats, and they make everyone super happy. Especially little ones:

These girls even happily smiled for several cute photos before digging into their donuts! I’m telling you, these trays are just pure happiness!

Making them doesn’t require any special tools and can be done in just a few minutes! So head right here to find all the designs and whip up some happy little donut trays for yourself.

Potty Training Piñata (DIY Toilet Piñata)

July 21, 2016 ·

Stella is about to start potty training, ah! I really didn’t think I was going to attempt it until after her baby brother comes, but she’s been sending out lots of signals that she is ready so I don’t want to ignore that. Plus, if this newborn is anything like Stella, I’m not getting the daunting task of potty training done for at least the first six months. I felt like I could barely even look at my phone for the first month of her life. And adding even one more thing to my daily list within that first year felt absolutely impossible. I hope this baby is an easier adjustment for me. I think he will be since it’s not all so new and unknown and our life roles are not changing so drastically. Plus, I already have another kid to take care of, so I kind of have to be able to do more, I don’t have a choice!

But, regardless, potty training is not one of those things I really want to take on at that point. No matter what, babies are a lot of time and commitment and I know I’ll do a better job with Stella if I can really focus on it beforehand. So anyway, that’s the plan! We have a couple of little weekend trips coming up this month and then I think we’re going to hit it hard.

So far Stella is pretty great at sitting on the little potty I got her so I think that’s a great start but I don’t really know! Two things I do know is that prizes are fun and piñatas are the best so I decided to make her one filled with prizes to join us on our potty training journey!

I’ll admit I haven’t yet read much up on potty training (so any tips you may have are SO welcome!). But it does seem a common theme I’ve seen is that reward systems are encouraged. So I knew I wanted to try and have prizes, etc for Stella. I think a drawer of prizes is just great but I also couldn’t resist making the system that much more fun by crafting up this pinata to house those rewards!

And I thought it would be funny to make the piñata look like a toilet! I also thought that incorporating toilet imagery in fun places (like as a treasure trove of prizes) might make toilets less scary for her and something she’s excited to see.

This toilet piñata was so fun to make and I know it could be useful for many more occasions than just potty training. Maybe a practical joke at someone’s party about their life going down the toilet? Or for April Fools day next year? Maybe you just know someone who loves to make potty jokes and this would be perfect for their birthday? There’s so many occasions it would be fun and funny for!

But for us, I plan to let Stella choose out a little prize each time she has a successful potty experience and then I’ll string it up and let her break it open when I feel that she has mastered potty training!

I decided that little toys would be the best option for us as I didn’t want to fill the whole thing with treats or candy. I also knew that if I put in some treats and some toys, she would be disappointed when all the treats are gone. I want this piñata to be fun every time she looks in it! So I found a few simple and fun toys like crayons, necklaces, and small games to fill it with while only spending a few dollars.

Tips for where to find prizes like that as well as all the step-by-step instructions and photos to make this piñata can be found at ehow.com by clicking here!