The scent of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, molasses, chocolate, vanilla, and peppermint have been swirling around my kitchen for the past week. Dozens of cookies baked, packaged, and given out as gifts. One of the recipes I made was Chocolate-Peppermint Cookies. A wonderful chocolate cookie topped with a sprinkle of crushed peppermint candies. It’s a basic chocolate cookie recipe that could easily be changed for other occasions by replacing crushed peppermint with toffee, peanut butter morsels, white chocolate chips, or other toppings.
Jell-O layered with berries, whipped cream and a little bit of chocolate sprinkles is a simple sweet dessert. The theme is red, white and blue for the 4th of July. This is something I haven’t made in a long time as evident from the expressions and comments made by my kids and Bill. I have always enjoyed Jell-O especially when it has been mixed, layered, or combined with other things. This recipe is basic and straight forward, the only decision you have to make is how to layer the four ingredients then top it off with chocolate sprinkles.
Two quick and easy packaging ideas for Halloween using
plastic test tubes and paper bags.
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SUPPLIES
plastic test tubes {Martha Stewart craft supplies}
decorative tape {Washi tape}
double-sided tape
“specimen No 3” label & more at Paging Supermom {print here}
treats {M & Ms}
DIRECTIONS
Fill a test tube with treats and close it up with a cork. Attach a piece of decorative tape {about 3 1/2- 4 inches long} at the top of the cork and down the sides of the plastic test tube to prevent the cork from coming loose. Repeat the process until all the treats or the test tubes are gone. Take the label and attach it with the double-sided tape on the container for the test tube treats.
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SUPPLIES
glassine bags {4″ x 6 3/4″}
small chevron paper bags {2 3/4″ x 4 1/2″}
black twine
decorative tape {Washi tape}
treats & toys
DIRECTIONS
Fill both bags with treats/toys, fold the openings over and tape them up. Stack the small bag on top of the large bag and tie them together with twine.
These mini paper pumpkins are adorable and easy to make. I will be showing two similar methods with a slight variation using crepe paper or crepe paper streamers. This came about when I couldn’t find crepe paper at the local stores but they all had crepe paper streamers available. Eventually I got it, just had to drive a little further. If you don’t need it right away, order it online for the best color selections, or spend less money and use crepe paper streamers. Both methods worked great and as a result I wanted to share them with you.
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SUPPLIES
crepe paper / crepe paper streamers
green floral tape
white paper cupcake liners/cups
double-sided tape
ruler
scissors
pencil
paper plate {9″-10″diameter}
sweet treats
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step 1
Cut 4 long strips of crepe paper streamers {10 inches in length each}. On a flat surface, place one paper streamer down and stick a piece of double-sided tape on top and at the center. Take the second crepe paper streamer and place it on top of the first one to make a criss-cross pattern. Press the two middle sections together. Repeat the process with the third and fourth crepe paper streamers to form a circle.
step 2 Attach a paper cupcake liner to the center of the crepe paper streamers using double-sided tape. All the pieces should be attached to each other at the center of the circle {see step 2 image}.
steps 3 & 4
Fill the paper cupcake liner with treats.
To form the pumpkin, take two paper streamer ends opposite each other and bring them to the center above the paper cupcake liner. Hold them in place and repeat this process with the other paper streamers to form a loose ball-like shape.
step 5
To form the stem, twist the crepe paper ends together with one hand to enclose the treats in the paper cupcake cup. Use the other hand to gently squeeze and shape the body of the pumpkin while holding it in place.
step 6
Cut one 10″ long piece of green floral tape
steps 7 & 8
Start at the base of the stem, twist the floral tape several times around in the same direction as the twisted stem. Gently pull on the floral tape while twisting it around to make it stick together and to tighten the loose stem. Once the base is secured, start twisting the floral tape in a spiral up the stem to cover the orange paper streamers.
steps 9 & 10
To finish the pumpkin, take a pencil and wrap the stem around it to give the pumpkin a little curl.
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step 1
Place a paper plate on top of the crepe paper and trace around the outer edges with a pencil. Cut out the crepe paper circle.
steps 2 & 3
Place a piece of double-sided tape at the center of the crepe paper circle and attach a paper cupcake liner to it. Fill the cup with treats. Gather the outer edges of the crepe paper and bring it to the center above the paper cupcake cup to form a loose paper ball shape.
note:the stem on this pumpkin will be a little thicker than the pumpkin made from
crepe paper streamers.
step 4
To form the stem, twist the crepe paper edges together with one hand to enclose the treats in the paper cupcake cup. Use the other hand to gently squeeze and shape the body of the pumpkin while holding it in place.
steps 5 & 6
Cut one 10″ long piece of green floral tape
Start at the base of the stem, twist the floral tape several times around in the same direction as the twisted stem. Gently pull on the floral tape while twisting it around to make it stick together and to tighten the loose stem. Once the base is secured, start twisting the floral tape in a spiral up the stem to cover the orange paper streamers.
steps 7 & 8
Finish the pumpkin, take a pencil and wrap the stem around it to give the pumpkin a little curl.
These Valentine treat bags are quick, simple and inexpensive to make from regular school notebook papers.
step 1 SUPPLIES: notebook papers (one sheet will make 2 treat bags), glue stick, scissors and stickers
step 2 Cut one sheet of notebook paper in half horizontally. Each piece will measure 8″w by 5 1/4″ h (approximately).
step 3 Along one of the two short sides, make a fold about 3/4″ in from the edge and apply glue in that small area from top to bottom.
step 4 Bring the opposite edge of the paper to the folded line and fold over the sticky glue section of the paper.
step 5 To make the flat bottom of the bag, make a fold about an inch from the edge, forming a crease. Open the base to reveal two triangles opposite each other. Press down and flatten them.
step 6 See picture as to where to apply glue (along the long open edges of the triangles and just one of the two bottom edges of the paper between the two triangles.
step 7 Starting with the bottom edge without the glue, fold about a half inch in towards the opposite edge.
step 8 Repeat step 7 on the other bottom edge that has the sticky glue on it. They will overlap each another about a quarter of an inch. At the top of the bag trim it using decorative scissors.
step 9 Fill the bag with treats, fold the top over and seal it with a sticker.
