Apartment Blog

Going along with our ‘Homemade Valentine’s Day Cards’ blog, we thought we’d give you some ideas to make your Valentine’s Day gifts this year.  Even if this isn’t your main gift, doing something creative and from the heart means everything to your loved one!

Here are a few craft ideas from About.com:

Conversation Heart Frame

Materials needed:

• Cardboard
• Paint
• Glue
• Candy Conversation Hearts
• photo
• Tape

Instructions:
Cut a rectangle shape out of the cardboard. The size you make the rectangle will depend on the size of the photo you are using. Cut a hole in the center of the rectangle where you will display the photo. Paint it red (or whatever color you desire). Set aside to dry.

Once the paint is dry, glue the candy conversation hearts all over the frame. Set it aside to dry again.

Once the glue is dry, tape the picture in the opening you cut in the center of the heart frame. Cut a small triangle out of the cardboard and attach behind the picture to make a stand, or you can even add a strip of magnet to the back!

Valentine’s Heart Jar

Materials Needed:

• Mason Jar
• Spray Paint
• Acrylic Paint
• Old Paint Brush
• Ribbon or Raffia
• Stencil Cut-Out of a Heart

Instructions:
Wash jar clean with vinegar, let it dry. Place newspaper under project to prevent making spills with paint.

Make a heart-shaped ’stencil’ and tape it onto the front of the jar. Spray jar with the spray paint and let dry. Spray a second coat and let dry. Once dry, take another type of paint and old toothbrush, and splatter paint around your heart design. Let dry.

Pull stencil off gently, tie ribbon or raffia around the top of the jar and secure with bow. Place a candle in the jar or fill it with candy, and it makes a real cute gift!!!

Another way to do this is have multiple stencil hearts for each color paints. Place that stencil around the jar and gently blot it with the old toothbrush and paint. Let dry and repeat process with another color paint-overlapping when possible.

Valentine’s Day Dinner:

And of course there is always that saying ‘the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,’ so why not find a yummy recipe to cook for dinner that night! It would be especially nice if you set the mood with music and candles. And made place setting cards out of construction paper! Finish it off with a delicious dessert too.

Change it up:

Does your significant other have a favorite cartoon? You can take whatever cartoon he/she likes and take out the verbiage from the cartoon (by putting white out over the words), then insert your words or a conversation that means something to the both of you (i.e your first kiss or the first time you said ‘I love you’).  Copy the cartoon on a copier machine (so the words you inserted look like it’s in the actual cartoon-instead of just being written over white out). Feel free to color it and/or matte it or frame it for your loved one!

Or, how about you take a poem from his/her favorite author? Or a childhood author? I’m actually doing this for my boyfriend’s Valentine’s Day gift, taking a poem from Dr. Seuss and changing the words (keeping the tempo the same) to make it applicable to him. It’s something very memorable and can showcase all the time and effort you put into it. To make it more decorative, you can use construction paper to add a punch of color or give it the ‘lovey-dovey’ feeling. I also plan on framing it for him as a one of a kind piece of art!

Valentine’s Day can be one of the most stressful holidays of the year. It’s marked as the day to express your love for those you care about most. However, there are so many questions as to what to buy, what he/she will think of it and whether or not it’s appropriate.  We’ve all gotten bad gifts on Valentine’s Day so to help you on your hunting expedition here are a few items NOT to get your Valentine this year!

For Him:

Anything he has to take care of. I.e. Flowers, a plant, an animal, etc.

Boxer shorts. Now I am guilty of this one, I’ve bought my boyfriend boxers many times before. I guess there really isn’t anything too exciting about opening up a gift with those bad boys inside!

Any type of soap, lotion, etc. He won’t be excited

For Her:

Anything that even remotely implies that her body has imperfections. I.e. gym memberships, Botox, diet plan subscriptions, self help books and the like.

Any type of appliance.  Just because she says, ‘I need a new….’ does not mean you should be the one to buy it for her! Trust me!

Any type of candles. Candles are boring and come on; everyone knows that you give candles when you can’t think of a gift.

Anything from the gas station on the way over. Cute flowers with the price sticker on it and a cheap box of chocolate screams ‘last minute’ which shows you didn’t really put much thought into it!

And the worst possible gift would be…….Nothing at ALL! Come on guys, even a card has to be done on this day! (Even if she says she wants to ‘skip’ Valentine’s Day, you know she doesn’t really mean it)

If you’ve got a story to tell with the worse Valentine’s Day present, feel free to share here….

Thinking about throwing a holiday get-together? ‘Tis the season for elusive, ugly and tacky Christmas sweater parties!  Tacky sweater parties are a perfect theme for a fun yet festive party. Follow these tips to throw a successful tacky Christmas sweater party this holiday that is cost effective.

1. Send Invitations: Send out an evite to all of your guests and have the image be a picture of you or your grandparents in their favorite holiday sweater. Be sure to provide all of the details (especially the fun ones like the games and prizes included).

2. Find the Best Tacky Christmas Sweater: The best part of the party is OBVIOUSLY the sweater. Here are some ideas on places to find these fabulous outdated fashion statements: Garage Sales, Family Members (aka. Grandma and Grandpa) and Thrift Stores.

3. Don’t Forget Accessories: Accessories can often times make the tacky sweater that much tackier! Go to your local drug store and look for lighted pins, reindeer antlers, Santa hats, tinsel and more!

4. Make a Centerpiece: Creating a neat centerpiece that can actually be devoured is ideal. Make a ginger bread house with candy and icing to use as a centerpiece for the food table. Something tells me that this will be eaten after tip #9.

5. Provide an Award: Have a trophy personalized that says “Tackiest Sweater Award 2008″. After all of the guests have arrived, simply have them write on a piece of paper who they think should win and then count up the votes.

6. Food: Select a potluck style that will work best for you and your guests. For example: (1) appetizers only, (2) bring your favorite dish, (3) assign each guest to bring an appetizer, main dish, or dessert, or (4) as the host, you will provide the main dish (a turkey, ham, etc.) Try and coordinate this in advance so you don’t have duplicate dishes.

7. Beverages: There are a variety of factors to consider when selecting your beverages for your party. It’s important to have something available for everyone’s likes and dislikes. Be sure to have a variety of mixers on hand as well as non-alcoholic drinks. Having a pre-made themed beverage also saves time and money while still being festive.

8. Keep the Bathroom Line Entertained: All those beverages can certainly call for a long line at the restroom. Decorate your bathroom door with wrapping paper, ribbon and a bow and have people sign the door and write a message on the wrapping paper. The messages are bound to be great conversation starters and ice breakers.

9. Play Games: Set up a scavenger hunt with two teams. Create a checklist of all the items to provide to each team. Each team is then responsible for taking a picture of each checklist item as proof. Here are some checklist ideas: Find a street name that has a Christmas theme, take a picture with your team in your sweaters in a 7-11, sing a Christmas carol to a stranger as team, Find a Santa and sit on his lap, kiss someone under a mistletoe, find something showing one of the 12 days of Christmas etc…) This is absolutely hilarious.

10. Give Prizes: The winning team of the scavenger hunt or games that you play can receive prizes. Some good prize ideas are DVD’s, gift cards, candles, books etc… Wrap them up and put them under your tree. You could always go the gag gift route as well.

Best of luck with planning your next Tacky Christmas Sweater Party. Do you own a festive sweater that makes your friends laugh/cringe? Send it my way, and it may appear on our blog. (Please include your name, city and a brief description of the photo.)  

 As you get ready to decorate your apartment this holiday season, be sure to incorporate a few key items. These items traditionally help bring in the holiday spirit year after year!

1. A front door wreath

2. A Christmas tree

3. Stockings

4. The color RED!!

5. Presents

6. Holiday inspired centerpiece

7. The color GREEN!!

8. Candles

9. Outdoor Holiday Lighting

10. Christmas music

11. Home baked goods!

12. Nutcrackers

With all of these elements, your apartment will be ready for the holiday season. You could invite your friends over for a little get together or throw a holiday party!

With all the festivities surrounding the planning of your Thanksgiving feast, it’s no wonder you have forgotten one very important detail-the centerpiece! No worries, I’ve complied five easy and quick ways to make your centerpiece perfect for your family gathering.  The best part….most of them can be found at your local grocery store or right in your own home!!

Pumpkin Patch Centerpiece

For this masterpiece you’ll need pumpkins in a variety of sizes; one being large. Place the large pumpkin in the center of the table and arrange the other-sized pumpkins around it. To add a little bit more of décor, also add a few leaves and/or twigs.

Pumpkin Candle Centerpiece

For this Thanksgiving centerpiece, you’ll need a medium sized pumpkin, a 6 inch pillar candle, twigs, berries, and/or leaves. Cut the stem off of the top of the pumpkin. Place the pillar candle on top of the pumpkin and trace around it. Take a sharp knife and cut the circle out with about a 3 inch cut into the pumpkin and discard. Put the pillar candle inside the hole, place the twigs, leaves, and/or berries as an accent next to the candle.

Fall Bowl

With entertaining this Thanksgiving extra bowls will be sparse, as they will most likely be used for the mash potatoes, sweet potatoes and green beans. I would just recommend serving one of the sides in another shape serving ware and use the bowl for the centerpiece. For this creation, you’ll need leaves, twigs, pinecones, a pumpkin and a vibrant color ribbon.  Place the pumpkin in the middle of the bowl, tie the colored ribbon around the pumpkin (recommended colors would be red, orange or yellow). Then arrange the leaves, twigs and pinecones around the pumpkin.

Mini-Pumpkin Place Card Holders

For this table ornament, you won’t be doing one centerpiece as much as you’ll be doing several; in fact, you’ll be doing one for each guest. However many you plan on entertaining is how many little pumpkins you’ll need. Now, if this truly is a last minute project you can substitute some of the mini pumpkins for other fruits, i.e. apples and oranges.  You’ll need paper, a pen and toothpicks. Cut the paper into small square pieces. Write the names of your guests on one piece of paper. Then stick that name, with a toothpick, to the pumpkin, apple or orange. Set in front of a place setting. If you’d rather not designate seating, place these items inside a basket with leaves adorning it.  

Cake Plate Pumpkin

If you haven’t already used your cake plate or (tiered) fruit tray then save it for your beautiful centerpiece. Place the cake/pedestal plate or fruit tray in the center of the table. Arrange mini-pumpkins, a variety of fruits, leaves, twigs, or whatever you can find on top. This really is the ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ type of décor.

On our site we’ve provided you some tips for your Thanksgiving feast , décor, and now your centerpiece, we truly hope this Thanksgiving will be a pleasant experience. For more centerpiece ideas check out About.com and Bhg.com.