{FREE} Easter Printables for Operation Shower - Part 2

I hope you all are enjoying the FREE Easter printables download I designed to raise money for Operation Shower. To find out a little more about Operation Shower, just take a look at my post from Part 1 yesterday. Amazing how raising only $250 enables them to throw a full, fabulous baby shower with gifts for a military mom to be whose spouse is deployed. How wonderful!

I thought I'd post a few more photos today of these super sweet designs, perfect for all of your Easter brunches, egg hunts and parties.

I hope that once you download the FREE printables, you'll be sure to

1. Check out Operation Shower’s website to find ways to donate or volunteer.

2. Tell your friends, family, and neighbors about Operation Shower and the Give Thanks project.

3. Facebook/Tweet/Blog about this FREE EASTER DOWNLOAD to help spread the word Operation Shower.

4. Donate to Operation Shower here.

Our military families have made so many sacrifices for us. I hope we will all join together in supporting them and this worthy cause!

Linked to: Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Skip to My Lou, Craftomaniac, Tater Tots and Jello, Skip to my Lou, Under the Table and Dreaming, Blue Cricket Design, Someday Crafts, Fireflies and Jelly Beans, House of Hepworths, Somewhat Simple, Tidy Mom, Romantic Home,Shabby Nest, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Finding Fabulous, The Girl Creative,Tater Tots and Jello, Be Different Act Normal, Funky Junk Interiors,Today's Creative Blog, Tip Junkie, The Idea Room, C.R.A.F.T., Today's Creative Blog, Between Naps on the Porch

{FREE} Printables for Operation Shower

I'm so excited to reveal a project that I've been working on for a great cause, Operation Shower. What's Operations Shower, you say? Here's a great description from the source!

Operation Shower is about celebrating and honoring military families. Operation Shower is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides joyful baby showers for military families to ease the burden of deployment.

For military families who are expecting a new baby and are experiencing or have recently experienced deployment, we accomplish our mission through:

• hosting amazing baby showers
• providing baby showers-in-a-box
• delivering high-quality products and parties
• creating a shared experience
• partnering with organizations to provide value-added services, such as health-related information

To help achieve their mission, Operation Shower started Operation Give Thanks, a nation-wide fundraising campaign to support these wonderful parties. So in an effort to raise money for this worthy cause and to support those who do so much for our country, Shindig Parties TO GO is providing a FREE full Easter Printables Collection. And it's a big one! Cupcake toppers, bunny silhouettes, cross silhouettes, water bottle wraps, napkin wraps, tent cards, favor tags, candy bar wrappers, Easter signs, flags, a banner and more!

I hope that once you download the FREE printables, you'll be sure to

1. Check out Operation Shower’s website to find ways to donate or volunteer.

2. Tell your friends, family, and neighbors about Operation Shower and the Give Thanks project.

3. Facebook/Tweet/Blog about this FREE EASTER DOWNLOAD to help spread the word Operation Shower.

4. Donate to Operation Shower here.

Would you like to see what's included in the set? There are lots of really cute printables for lots of Easter fun from brunches to Easter egg hunts, Sunday School parties and sweet favor tags for friends and teachers, too!

We are asking people across the nation to host a party between now and the end of the year to raise money for Operation Shower. What a wonderful way to express your gratitude and thanks at this special time of year.

Our long-term goal is to reach every military base in the nation. Our short-term goal is to raise $50,000 through Operation Give Thanks to enable us to shower over 200 more moms-to-be ! That’s right, if you raise $250 for Operation Shower, that enables us to throw a full amazing baby shower with gifts for a military mom to be whose spouse is deployed!

If you decide to host a party, please email us at lena@operationshower.org or amy@operationshower.org and we will help guide you as well and provide more information!

Thanks everyone for supporting our military families!

Linking up to: Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Skip to My Lou, Craftomaniac, Tater Tots and Jello, Skip to my Lou, Under the Table and Dreaming, Blue Cricket Design, Someday Crafts, Fireflies and Jelly Beans, House of Hepworths, Somewhat Simple, Tidy Mom, Romantic Home,Shabby Nest, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Finding Fabulous, The Girl Creative,Tater Tots and Jello, Be Different Act Normal, Funky Junk Interiors, Today's Creative Blog, Tip Junkie, The Idea Room, C.R.A.F.T., Today's Creative Blog, Between Naps on the Porch

Easter Cake Ideas

I thought I'd share some fabulous ideas for Easter cakes that I've been seeing around the web. Best of all, for those of us that don't want to bake from scratch, all of these cakes could be made by embellishing a purchased grocery store or bakery cake. With a few simple steps and a few Easter candies, these cakes could be pulled together in no time at all.

The first is from That Winsome Girl. Take a simple chocolate cake, shave some chocolate pieces on top to resemble a nest and add a few malted Easter eggs.

What a simple idea with fantastic presentation!

Using a store-bought cake, Country Living shows us how to make this

sweet bunny cake using sugar cookies.

This one from Cindy's Cakes could easily be made by asking your local bakery to make a basket weave cake and piping green icing on top to resemble grass. Then you could add the chocolate bunnies and malted Easter eggs yourself.

This idea from Birthday Cake Party is similar in concept to the one above.

Family Fun has a cute Easter basket cake -- how simple would this be! Just add a basket handle from a Dollar Store Easter basket, some ribbon and Easter candies.

This gorgeous cake from Sweet Cuddle Cakes shows simplicity at its best!

Adding some chocolate shavings to resemble a nest around the cakes and a few pretty plastic Easter eggs on top and you're done. So pretty!

Cupcake Wrap Easter Basket Favors

Easter is just around the corner and I can't wait to share some fun ideas I've been seeing around the web. So many creative girls out there!!

Today I thought I'd share a simple little tutorial of Easter basket favors made from the cupcake wraps and party flags from my EASTER PRINTABLES COLLECTION. How much fun are these! And so simple to make, too.

Here's what you'll need:

- Mini Robin's Eggs (Whoppers brand malted eggs)
- Green Easter grass
- Paper Nut/candy cups (find on cake decorating aisle of craft stores)
- Printable cupcake wraps and straw flags (or some scrapbook paper of your choice)
- Hot glue and gun
- Scissors
- Scotch tape
- Easter suckers (mine are from the Dollar Tree - $1.00/6pieces)
- Piece of green florist foam or styrofoam

Step 1: Print and cut your cupcake wraps and toothpick flags out.

Step 2: Assemble cupcake wrap by wrapping around nut cup and securing with tape.

Step 3: Now take your straw flag piece and hot glue one edge inside the cupcake wrap.... then glue down the other side to create a basket.

Step 4: Cut small pieces of green florist foam or styrofoam into squares and hot glue to the bottom of your paper nut cup.

Step 5: Stick Easter egg sucker into your florist foam and add a few robin's egg to weigh down the cup so it won't tip over.

Step 6: Add Easter grass and robin's eggs.

Step 7: Dab a small bit of hot glue to the back of your sucker where it meets the handle of your basket and adhere the sucker to the handle. This way the sucker will stay in place.

You're done -- that's all. EASY! If you'd like, at this point, you could wrap each basket in some cellophane and tie it up with a sweet ribbon and favor tag to give to classmates, teachers or Sunday School classes.

I hope you enjoyed this simple little Easter project. More to come soon! Have a wonderful weekend!

Linking up to: Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Skip to My Lou, Craftomaniac, Tater Tots and Jello, Skip to my Lou, Under the Table and Dreaming, Blue Cricket Design, Someday Crafts, Fireflies and Jelly Beans, House of Hepworths, Somewhat Simple, Tidy Mom, Romantic Home,Shabby Nest, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Finding Fabulous, The Girl Creative,Tater Tots and Jello, Be Different Act Normal, Funky Junk Interiors, Today's Creative Blog, Tip Junkie, The Idea Room, C.R.A.F.T., Today's Creative Blog

Birthday {EASTER} Printables!

After releasing Shindig Parties TO GO's Easter printables set last week, I've had quite a few requests for BIRTHDAY packages. What a wonderful idea! Do you have a little one with an April birthday? An Easter egg hunt party is the perfect theme!

So I'm happy to announce that I've put a BIRTHDAY EASTER PRINTABLE set in the shop this morning. It's super cute and includes a personalized invitation and a thank you note, too! Just take a look at some of the files below:

It also includes these cute bunny topper silhouettes, cupcake wraps and flags that you can make cute paper Easter baskets from for favors, drink wraps, cupcake toppers, candy bar wraps and more!








And at only $25.00 for the SET, with all the personalization of the invitation and other printables included, it's affordable, too!

Linked to: Blue Cricket Design, Someday Crafts, Fireflies and Jelly Beans, House of Hepworths, Somewhat Simple, Tidy Mom, Romantic Home,Shabby Nest, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Finding Fabulous, The Girl Creative, Tater Tots and Jello, Be Different Act Normal, Funky Junk Interiors

{UNDER $100} Easter Dessert Table

As much as I've always loved parties and all the details involved, I must say that I am quite the cheap-skate. Which means I get a bigger thrill from saving money than spending money. So how do I keep my eye for all those beautiful party decorations and yummy goodies in check with my wallet? Well, I set a budget..... I plan early and do my research (which usually means stalking the Dollar Tree and dollar bins at Target)..... and most of all, I decide to do a good amount of the work myself (which is is sort of fun in a crazy, sadistic kind of way).

For the Easter dessert table I designed to showcase my new Easter Printables Collection, it was especially important to set a budget since I had just hosted my daughter's 10th birthday the week before and was running a little tight on money.

So $100 it was.....

And best of all, I actually did the table in a day by pre-purchasing virtually everything on the table and having a plan.... that little plan I mentioned earlier. Want to take a look?

Isn't it cute? Printables are such a simple way to add a little pizzazz to a party table. They are inexpensive, easy to use and great for carrying out any party theme. With this Easter Collection, there are so many fun and versatile pieces like the Easter egg cutouts and the sweet bunny silhouettes, centerpiece signs, cupcake toppers, drink wraps, a banner and so much more. And at only $10.00 for the full collection, it leaves you lots of money left over for all those Easter sweets!

Trying to stay within a budget also motivates me to take a look around the house for decorative items that I can use for party decor. The wooden bunnies, the teapot silk flower arrangements and all of the dishes came from my house as well as a few other items on the table such as the ribbon, tablecloth and all of the white fabric.

I was also a little strained for time and needed to purchase most of the food items instead of making them myself. And as much as I love those gorgeous decorated sugar cookies that you can order online, at $3.50-$4.50/each plus shipping you can wreck a tight budget in no time at all. So lately I've found the grocery store to be a wonderful source for simple, fun party foods such as these pink Snoballs, chocolate chip cookies, white wedding cookies, and various Easter candies. They are inexpensive and what's easier than opening a box?

Here's a list of my expenses: (rounded for simplicity)

- $2.50.............white wedding cookies

- $3.00............Snoballs

- $5.00............Jordan almonds

- $2.50............marshmallow cookies

- $5.50............candy bars (Cookies 'n Cream bars I found on clearance - Yay!)

- $5.50............Orange Crush soda bottles (we drank the Orange Crush and then I made a pink lemonade to fill the bottles to match the party table)

- $3.00...........large malted eggs

- $2.50...........small malted eggs

- $6.00...........M&M's

- $3.00...........chocolate chip cookies

- $2.00...........white chocolate bunny

- $4.00...........pastel mint drops

- $3.00...........chocolate bunnies (for favors)

- $3.00...........decorative sheep sugar cookies

- $6.00...........rock candy

- $3.00...........non-pareil cookies

- $6.00...........cupcakes

- $1.00...........Easter egg suckers

- $1.00...........pudding

- $1.00...........whipped cream

- $1.50...........can of frosting

- $10.00........tulips

- $2.50..........Easter grass

- $3.00..........cake stands (made using thrift store finds & my own eyelet trim)

- $2.00 ........basket (thrift store find that I spray painted white)

$89.50 TOTAL

Add in about $10.00 for the photo paper I used in printing all of the printables, and there you are..... $100.00 Budget Met!

I hope you all enjoyed the table.... I'll be posting more photos and some quick tutorials and details soon.

Linking up to: Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Skip to My Lou, Craftomaniac, Tater Tots and Jello, Skip to my Lou, Under the Table and Dreaming, Blue Cricket Design, Someday Crafts, Fireflies and Jelly Beans, House of Hepworths, Somewhat Simple, Tidy Mom, Romantic Home,Shabby Nest, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Finding Fabulous, The Girl Creative,Tater Tots and Jello, Be Different Act Normal, Funky Junk Interiors,Today's Creative Blog, Tip Junkie, The Idea Room, C.R.A.F.T., Today's Creative Blog, Between Naps on the Porch

{ NEW } Easter Printables!

Hippity Hoppity..... Easter's On It's Way!

I'm so excited to give you a few sneak peeks of my brand new EASTER PRINTABLES Collection..... Adorable Easter printables for all of your Easter parties, brunches and of course, Easter Egg Hunts!

There are so many cute items for food toppers like these 2" designs featuring a cross,

a silhouette of a bunny, an Easter egg and "Happy Easter."

The drink wraps feature pastel polka dots with multi-color bunny silhouette....

here I also used some of the lavender polka dot papers that come with the collection

to create a scalloped border around the drink wraps.

To add a little whimsy, I love using the striped flags that come with the collection to wrap around straws, toothpicks or even various desserts such as cookie, cake or marshmallow pops.

One of my favorite items are these bunny silhouette cutouts which are so versatile.

Here I've hot glued them to a toothpick and added a cute white pom pom for a bunny tail.

I love them as sweet food toppers such as for these marshmallow cookies, but they could also be used as tags on favor bags or for Easter crafts.

Here I used the pastel polka dot cupcake wraps and the striped flags that come with the collection to make an easy Easter basket favor for the kids. These would be sweet wrapped in cellophane and given to preschool or even Sunday school classmates.

First, I glued a small piece of styrofoam to the bottom of a nut cup (you can buy these at the craft store on the cake decorating aisle). This is for anchoring the Easter suckers (Dollar Tree). Next, I wrapped a cupcake wrap around the nut cup and secured it on the back with a piece of scotch tape. Then I used the striped straw flags as a basket handle and glue it in place. I filled the nut cups with green shredded Easter grass and added a few chocolate Easter eggs.

The "Happy Easter" banner that comes with the collection has cross, bunny and Easter egg

end pieces which makes it perfect for any kind of Easter celebration. And how fun

are these Easter egg cutouts that could be used for cupcake toppers as in the photo above

or for crafts and favor tags, too.

Wrapping yummy Easter cookies and adding this "Happy Easter" favor tag would be

the perfect send off for your Easter guests.

The collection is in the SHOP now at 60% OFF for only $10.00

and includes 31 Easter printables files!

So grab your set today and get a jump start on your Easter celebrations!