Melon Ball Punch

In my last post I shared the coffee filter bow I made for a co-worker's baby shower gift. Another exciting thing that came from the baby shower was the discovery of this amazing Melon Ball Punch, which I was assigned to make.

I can't take any credit for the recipe because it came directly from Divas Can Cook. So you should just click on that link right there to check out the full recipe and a nice little how-to video. 

The purpose of my post is just to share the pretty pictures of my successful experience making this fabulous punch. Not only is it delicious, it's also beautiful. A total crowd-pleaser in looks and taste!

DIY Coffee Filter Gift Bow

This week we had a baby shower for a co-worker, and I wanted to coordinate my gift packaging with the decor which was kind of pastel and vintage-y. I got some mint & white striped wrapping paper from Hobby Lobby (using a 40% off coupon of course). The paper doesn't have a message so it can also be used for birthdays, weddings, etc... I'm all about versatility!

To dress up the gift, I sought inspiration from my recent coffee filter floral wreath project. Now that I'd been enlightened to the crafty potential of coffee filters, I figured there had to be a way to make some sort of bow with them.  And as it turns out there was--except I don't have a step-by-step tutorial for it since I was experimenting on the fly. 

Basically I just folded several coffee filters into halves (twice), then bunched them together, and tied some jute around the bunched-up bottoms very tightly. (So technical, right?) Then I scrounged around my craft stash for some scraps of lace and wrapped this around to cover the jute. Add just a dab of hot glue to secure the lace.

To give the gift more of a rustic feel, I used jute instead of regular ribbon, and then tied the coffee filter bow into the middle. For as randomly as it was constructed, I was pretty happy with the final outcome. It's more like a flower/bow combo, really.

And bonus, the bow didn't fall apart when the guest-of-honor unwrapped the box, which I was a little afraid might happen. So I must have done something right.

This pretty packaging would also work great for a bridal shower or wedding gift. If you're the slightest bit crafty, you can easily make your own bow just like this (or probably better)!  And coffee filters are stupid cheap -- like 100 for $1 -- so it's a very cost-effective method too.

Have you ever created your own gift bows?

DIY Coffee Filter Floral Wreath

You guys. I am so stoked about this project. (Does anyone used the word stoked anymore?) In fact, I’m just going to glaze over the fact that it’s been five months since my last blog post, and dive right into this masterpiece.

I’ve been wanting to make a fun, spring/summer indoor wreath and had seen several coffee filter wreaths on Pinterest. So this was the perfect excuse for a good ol’ DIY evening. It really is an easy project and doesn’t take a whole lot of skill – just a lot of coffee filters, time, and patience (and maybe a couple glasses of wine if you’re so inclined). But it’s worth the end result if you ask me.

Aside from the coffee filters (which only cost $1 for a package of 100), I got all my supplies at Hobby Lobby:

Coffee filters (2 packs)
12” wreath form
Sewing pins (box of 325)
Faux flowers (on clearance!)

Total cost: About $10