All Our Paper Flower Tutorials

Brittany

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May 11, 2022

Blooms for Bouquets

There are so many things you can do with paper flowers, but you need to make them first! Mix and match these flowers for bouquets or let them stand alone. Either way, you can’t go wrong!

Find paper flower tutorials here: Sunflowers, Parrot Tulips, Peonies, Poppies, Morning Glory, Hydrangeas, Eden Rose, Daffodil, Paper Flower Bells, and Narcissus.

Lots of flowers have stamens, and here you can make your own floral stamens for paper flowers.

Bouquets

I’m a big fan of paper wedding bouquets because they are long-lasting reminders of your big day. There’s no wilting here! I have loved making paper flower tutorials for all these bouquets.

Find tutorials here: Spring Wedding Bouquet, White Peony Bouquet, Royal Wedding Inspired Bouquet, and Cinco de Mayo Inspired Bouquet.

Paper Flower Accessories

Flowers add delicacy and magic to your fanciest events, but I’m all for wearing them in between big parties, too! These paper flower crowns and this corsage will have you searching for events because they’re so fun to wear! You can find paper flower tutorials for the accessories below.

Find tutorials here: Shamrock Flowe r Crown, Paper Flower Bridal Hairpiece, Flower Girl Crown, Spring Paper Flower Crown, Paper Flower Corsage, Paper Flower Graduation Tassel, and Paper Poppy Pin.

Home Decor Flowers

Wreaths

When I started adding paper flower wreaths to my doors, I made a huge discovery. Coming home to something beautiful makes a big difference! So add paper flower wreaths to your doors and start feeling OVERJOYED when you get to your home. I promise, it works for me!

Wreath tutorials here: Daffodil Wreath, Lemon and Blossom Wreath, Wallpaper Floral Wreath, Rainbow Flower Wreath, Paper Poinsettia Wreath, Palm Leaf Wreath and Pink Paper Blossom Wreath.

Chandeliers and Mobiles

I absolutely love what chandeliers and mobiles do to fill the empty space in a room. And come on, they look adorable. So do yourself a favor and hang one over your new baby’s crib! It will surely give you and baby some much needed delight amidst the lack of sleep.

Mobile tutorials here: Paper Maidenhair Fern Mobile, Paper Flower Chandelier, Scandinavian Paper Mobile and Midsummer Dala Horse Mobile.

Centerpieces

Another way I love to incorporate flowers is through centerpieces. Because isn’t having company over the perfect excuse to make something with paper flowers?

Centerpiece tutorials here: Paper Flower Branch Candelabra, Spring Tulip Centerpiece, Rainbow Paper Flower Tablescape

Potted Paper Flowers

I love me a good potted paper plant. These little beauties are the perfect addition to any room, so what are you waiting for?

Find tutorials here: Paper Orchids, Paper Foxgloves, Easter Lily, Christmas Cactus, Medinilla Plant, Pansies, Hollyhocks, Paper Flower Bells and more Paper House Plants.

Parties!

Cakes

Another impeccable excuse to incorporate some flowers, do yourself (and your guests) a favor! If I had to guess, I’d say these flower-centric party decorations will do the trick perfectly.

Cake topper tutorials here: Floral Number Birthday Cake Topper, Paper Flower and Kumquat Cake Decoration, Midsummer Pole Cake Topper and 3D Paper Flower Gift Toppers.

Backdrops

Backdrop tutorials here: Crepe Paper Peony Backdrop, Tropical Leaf and Hibiscus Backdrop, Paper Daisy Backdrop, Paper Tulip Backdrop and Paper Poppy Backdrop.

Garlands

Isn’t spring the perfect time for a floral garland? Well, for your convenience, we have some lovely options that transition right into summer, too!

Garland tutorials here: Paper Flower Garland and Summer Flower Garland.

And don’t forget this Daisy Party Hat tutorial!

Holiday

Holidays are the perfect time to get making a few flower-centric decorations. To help you out, here are our favorites:

Valentines Day

Wear this Valentine Flower Wreath on your head or decorate your door with it. Either way, you’ll be feeling festive and ready for the spring blooms that will pop up not too long after Valentines Day with this wreath!

Halloween

Chrysanthemum Mom and Kid Costume

Hannukah

Paper Flower Menorah

Christmas

This Christmas you can make holly large or small, as well as these really exciting poinsettia blooms.

Poinsettia, Crepe Paper Holly, Giant Paper Holly Decoration and Amaryllis.

More From Our Shop!

Find more floral Lars materials on our shop. Here’s our Flowers Coloring Book, this sticker sheet, a whole collection of floral art prints, and more!

Our Learn To Draw Flowers Course

And don’t forget about our learn to draw flowers course! It’s the perfect companion piece to all these paper flower tutorials. And the great thing is, if you don’t have all the materials handy to make the tutorials right now, you can learn to draw them first! By the time your materials come in the mail, you’ll be a pro at drawing flowers and will be all ready to start making them.

Inspired by Cinco de Mayo

Brittany

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May 5, 2022

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Nadia Aguilar Cates

Last year I talked to my friend Nadia Aguilar Cates about Cinco de Mayo and some of her plans to celebrate it. She explained that “Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday that commemorates the battle of Puebla. It’s not Mexico’s Independence Day but a common celebration in the United States.” –Nadia Aguilar Cates, @Casa_Palomi

Last year Nadia and I worked together to make a COVID-safe drive-by Cinco de Mayo party. This party was complete with cardboard mariachi instruments for kids and a giant papel picado backdrop. If you missed it last year, it’s not too late to get ready for this year’s festivities!

We also interviewed Nadia last Fall. Everything she does to preserve and celebrate her Mexican heritage is so inspiring. Check out her interview here! Oh and definitely keep an eye on Ella Rises, the organization Nadia created to empower Latina youth.

History of Cinco de Mayo

As Nadia said, Cinco de Mayo commemorates an important Mexican victory in the Battle of Puebla, which took place on May 5, 1862 in the city of Puebla. The battle, in which the Mexican army defeated French troops, marked a turning tide in the fight for Mexican sovereignty. It also signaled Mexico’s strength to the rest of the world, which tended to underestimate their power.

Because The House that Lars Built is located in the United States, where anti-Mexican racism is still a pervasive problem, we’re using Cinco de Mayo to reflect on the importance of listening to and celebrating Indigenous and Mexican stories. In true Lars fashion, this means I’m highlighting some of my favorite Mexican artists and designers!

Lars Loves Mexican Artists

Frida Kahlo

Where would we be without our Queen, Frida Kahlo? She’s probably one of the best-known Mexican artists, and for good reason! Her work explores her Mexican Indigenous heritage in bright colors and with psychologically rich symbolism.

If you’re looking for more Frida in your life, check out our Great Artists course for kids, which will teach your little one (and you) more about Frida’s work. You can also look at these DIY projects inspired by Frida and this roundup of Frida Kahlo-inspired decor.

Luis Barragán

Luis Barragán was an incredible Mexican architect and designer, whose geometric buildings are breathtakingly colorful. His iconic San Cristobal Stables was one of the most memorable parts of my trip to Mexico City a few years ago.

Michelle Franzoni Thorley

Michelle Franzoni Thorley is a local-to-me painter and family historian whose work explores her Mexican heritage and the power of knowing about our ancestors. She also is an anti-racism educator and all-around powerful human being. So make sure you follow her on Instagram @florafamiliar!

A painting of women in mountains, a desert, and a cemetery holding onto a red ribbon that connects them. — Ancestresses by Michelle Franzoni Thorley

Cinco de Mayo in the Archives

Paper Fan Garland

Along with last year’s drive by party, I wanted to share more Cinco de Mayo inspiration from years gone by. One of my earliest projects was this paper fan garland decoration.

Honeycomb fruit

Another early project was this collection of DIY honeycomb fruit ornaments.

Cinco de Mayo Bouquet

I was also inspired by vibrant Mexican design when I made this Cinco de Mayo paper wedding bouquet! You don’t have to be a bride to make this, though! Putting together this bouquet would be such a great way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo while simultaneously gearing up for Summer blooms.

Fiesta

If you’re looking for full-on Cinco de Mayo party inspiration, look no further than the fiesta I threw a few years ago! You can find great decor, lots of delicious recipes, and links to tableware that will make your party a true fiesta!

Mexico City Travel Guide

Maybe I’m getting carried away, but I also want to share my travel guide from Mexico City. In 2018 I went to Mexico City and it was absolutely dreamy. In my Mexico City guide you can find my favorite places to go and things to see, as well as (perhaps most importantly?) where to eat. I can’t wait until I can go back and experience even more of Mexico City, because it’s truly a magical (and huge!) place, with so much to do and see.

I came home from Mexico City feeling so inspired by the color and design that I put together a roundup of fashion and design that reminded me of my trip! I’m itching to go back, but looking through these travel-inspired objects is satisfying a bit of my wanderlust…for now!

Viva México!

More Inspiration

Looking for Cinco de Mayo decorations, or just some spring decor to freshen up your home? Look no further than our shop for the templates to get you going! Try the Cinco de Mayo bouquet template and e-book to make it a lovely centerpiece. Also, here’s the template for those Cinco de Mayo streamers we mentioned. You’ll probably also love this paper flower garland or this boutonniere! You may want to check out this house plants e-book as well, along with our flower and leaf garland e-book.

Spring Tablescape with Retro Florals

Brittany

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April 21, 2022

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Our New Spring Tablescape

Tablecloth

There are so many components of our new spring tablescape that we’re absolutely over the moon about! Let me start by talking about the tablecloth. For past tablescapes, our go-to has been Spoonflower, of course. This time was no different, except that instead of using someone else’s design, we used our very own retro florals! If you haven’t heard yet, we have a whole library of designs to choose from, many of which are based off our popular Casetify phone case designs. It turns out retro florals looks amazing in more ways than just a phone case!

Tableware

As we mentioned earlier, our tableware came from the one and only Year & Day. Wow, are we in love. It’s absolutely perfect for this season and goes amazingly well with the retro florals tablecloth. We opted for blush pink plates, bowls, and napkins, as well as classic gold flatware. Can you say dreamy? Oh, and perfectly unpredictable and unique with our custom tablecloth twist.

Other Decorations

We also couldn’t help but use our handy cricut to cut out some simple retro floral designs! We scattered them on the table and attached them to straws to use in little vases by Year & Day. Oh, and don’t forget the colored candles and candlesticks!

More Inspiration

Liked this tablescape and more ideas? We think you’ll also love these other tablescapes! If you want something plant-themed and springy, we’d recommend When Life Hands You Lemons, Easter runner tablescape, rainbow flower tablescape, and Paper Plant Tablescape. Then there are these tablescapes that are appropriate at any time of the year: Bauhaus inspired tablescape and Chanel Inspired tablescape. Oh, and these Thanksgiving tablescapes, which are festive for Thanksgiving but also lovely long before November, too!

Easter Activities for Kids

Brittany

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April 12, 2022

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Easter Baskets

Every child needs an Easter basket! It’s one of our favorite Easter activities for kids. But have they ever been able to help make one themselves? For older kids, this Rope Easter Basket is a great option that requires absolutely no sewing. Just twist and glue and you’re done!

Our Paper Easter Basket is a perfect option for kiddos who aren’t quite up to the rope Easter basket level yet, but still want to try their hand at making an Easter basket. Just print, cut and assemble and you’re ready for that Easter egg hunt.

What to Put In Your Easter Basket

A fun activity that doubles as the perfect addition to your child’s Easter basket, try these carrot treat boxes! Fill them with treats and they also double as party favors for a spring or Easter themed party.

If you’re in need of other things to fill your child’s Easter basket with, here’s a post all about activity-filled Easter baskets. And here’s an Easter basket choose your own adventure! All out of time? These last minute Easter printables are sure to save the day.

Egg-centric Activities

It wouldn’t be Easter without some egg-centric Easter activities to keep your little ones busy. The bonus is that these activities appeal to adults and kids alike!

Egg Dying

Egg dying is a classic Easter activity for kids. We have lots of egg dying ideas for you to choose from, like our Naturally dyed Easter egg tree or our Easter Egg runner tablescape. For something a little more in-depth (ideal for older kids), these Ukrainian Pysanky Eggs, Nesting Easter eggs, pressed flower eggs and Botanical Easter eggs are stunning, and you can use to redecorate with for years to come.

Once you’ve dyed your eggs, you’ll need a way to display them. Try our Easter egg holders!

Slip a few of the lovely eggs you’ve dyed (or painted) into the grass for an Easter egg hunt. Let your kids find them using one of the Easter baskets above or this carrot shoulder bag!

Spring Birthday Activities

While not restricted to just a birthday activity, this Easter Scavenger Hunt with anagram balloons is a great one to add to the list if your child has a birthday at this time of year! And of course, no birthday required for a fun Easter scavenger hunt.

Speaking of spring birthdays, this Easter Tablescape Party Suite is the perfect way to celebrate. The best part is all you have to do is print and cut and you’re all done!

Coloring Pages

Another great option if you’re looking for good Easter activities for kids is coloring. Try our Ukrainian Easter Coloring Pages or our Easter coloring pages. If your child loves to color, you’ll also definitely want to check out this Flowers coloring book, as well as the rest of our coloring pages and books in the shop!

Dress-up and Play

What kid doesn’t like a little dress up? It’s a perfect Easter activity for kids. For the littlest of them all, this Baby bunny bonnet is adorable, not to mention a great way to keep their tiny scalps from getting sunburnt. For toddlers and children of all ages, these DIY bunny ears, Bunny party hats, and Easter printable crowns are fun and festive.

Need more activities? These Easter egg coupons will give you endless ideas of activities to do with your kids this Easter! Bonus: you can put them in their Easter eggs to avoid a sugar rush and keep them excited all the same.

You also won’t want to miss our springtime activity kit, or our springtime printable activity pack, which includes spring-themed coloring pages and paper dolls for your kids to have fun with.

Baby Animals

What child doesn’t love a cute animal? Even better, what about a bunny in honor of Easter? Make your own or buy one from our shop and keep your kids happily playing all afternoon!

From our shop, here’s a template for our DIY sewn bunny, or this Floppy bunny doll, if you’re not in the mood to sew.

Here are some more options to peruse:

Gardening

Have a budding gardener on your hands? Help them plant some lovely spring flowers! It’s a great way to capitalize on that warmer weather. Here are some supplies to get you started:

Budding Chef

Is your child interested in learning to cook? We have the perfect Easter treat and activity to try: Resurrection rolls for Palm Sunday!

Don’t forget the kitchen essentials for your kids to use:

More Inspiration

Need more ideas for things to do this Easter? Try this post on Easter crafts, or these Easter decor ideas. Happy crafting!

Easter Crafts

Brittany

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April 5, 2022

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Our Favorite Easter Crafts

We have so many Easter crafts that we’re just thrilled to share with you this year. Many of them are brand new, too! Need a new Easter Basket? We’re here for you. How about a fresh spring wreath? We’ve also got you covered in that department. Without further ado, here’s the list of our favorite Easter crafts!

Wreaths

I love a good wreath. And spring wreaths are some of my favorites! They’re a must have when talking about Easter crafts. This year we have a brand new Palm Leaf Wreath you’re sure to love. It’s delicate, colorful, and festive. Just the thing to celebrate Palm Sunday, Easter and spring all in one go! If you’re feeling more into eggs, try our ever popular Easter egg wreath, or this sweet Honeycomb Easter wreath. Both are lovely and sure to put a little spring in your step. Also, you can’t go wrong with a simple floral theme. This Daffodil Wreath is very appropriate for the season, as is this Lemon Wreath!

Easter Baskets

You can’t have Easter crafts without Easter baskets! And we have a brand new one for you to try this year. It’s our DIY Easter Basket, and the best part is that it doesn’t require any sewing. Another clever no-sew Easter basket is this Paper Easter basket. Just download, print, cut and assemble, it’s that easy! If you want to sew an adorable bag that doubles as an Easter basket and will be around for years to come, try this carrot shoulder bag! The bonus is it packs up easily and is equally cute.

If you’re looking for inspiration on what to fill your basket with, look no further than this Easter Basket choose your own adventure. We help guide you through the steps to picking your perfect Easter basket, along with everything to put inside it, like this Paper carrot treat box, or this DIY stuffed bunny. You can also make some of these Danish Easter letters to tuck inside.

Eggs

As it so happens, we have a lot of Easter crafts that have to do with eggs. Are you really that surprised? I mean, what’s Easter without at least one little nod to an egg or two. Just yesterday, we release the most lovely nesting Easter eggs! We love the little twist on original nesting dolls. Also try these Easter egg columns, which are a lovely way to decorate your home this Easter. Don’t forget about these Honeycomb Easter eggs, either! Make them into a wreath or decorate with the individual eggs. Either way they’re lovely!

Another fun variation on decorating Easter eggs are these dried flowers on Easter eggs, as well as our Pysanky Easter eggs (here’s the E-book of the Pysanky eggs, the profits of which will be donated to the Ukrainian relief effort). If you’re into more decorating, try our DIY pom pom Easter eggs! Or if you’re having a party, you’ll definitely want to take a look at our Easter egg name tags, Easter egg cupcake toppers, and Easter egg runner.

For Kids

If you have kids, you’ll love these Easter-themed toys, accessories, and activities. First stop: these fun bunny party hats. Having a new baby this spring? You won’t want to miss these adorable DIY Baby bonnets! Need a craft to do with your kids to keep them busy and happy? You’ll love these Easter Egg coloring pages, the profits of which will be donated to the Ukrainian relief effort. Then there’s our DIY stuffed bunny, which is a sweet little Easter toy. Plop it in your child’s Easter basket and you’re all set!

Valentine’s Day Garland

Brittany

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February 10, 2022

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Valentine’s Day Garland

What better to bring in love day than a festive Valentine’s Day garland? Not much, in my opinion. It also goes perfectly with that festive gradient heart wreath we made a week ago! So do yourself a favor and take the decorating beyond your front door. Featuring a variety of Valentine’s Day appropriate shapes and fun pops of color, this garland is the perfect solution for cold, brown February.

How to Make Your Own Valentine’s Day Garland

Making this Valentine’s Day garland is seriously so simple. I mean, you don’t even need scissors if you have a Cricut maker! And if not, the shapes are simple enough that scissors are a good second best option. You do need a sewing machine, though it’s simple enough that even the most novice of sewers should be able to handle it.

Here’s how to make your own Valentine’d Day garland:

Prepping the Paper

First, download the garland template found here.
Upload the template into the Cricut design space.
Now, using the paper colors of your choice, cut out the shapes using your Cricut maker. For thicker cardstock, we find it works best to use the glitter cardstock setting. We used anywhere from 50-80 shapes on each strand.

Sewing Your Garland Together

This part is so easy! To start, just leave a 10″ tail of thread, then sew the paper pieces together.
Leave a 10″ tail of thread at the end.
Repeat steps 1-2 for each shape in your garland.
All done!

How to Style Your Valentine’s Day Garland

One of the things I love about this sweet garland is how versatile it is! You can hang it from practically anywhere, and customize how long you’d like it to be. Put it in a window, against a wall, over the table, along a mantle or a bannister. We love the way it looks hanging from the ceiling over a table setting! It’s so simple, but looks so bold, bright and colorful once its hung. It’s the perfect addition to a Galentine’s Day party, too, if you ask me. Just add some table games and party favors to your table and you’re all set!

More Inspiration

Remember, if you want even more ideas of how to host a Galentine’s Day party, consult our Valentine’s Day Activities post! Speaking of ideas, if you need DIY valentines crafts, check out these easy DIY valentines, this adorable valentine box, or this paper heart wreath. Need valentines? We just released some brand new Harry Styles ones, along with these delicate doilies. And here’s a whole host of printable valentines from our shop! Oh, and here are two Valentine’s Day gift guides, one for men and one for women.

How To Host a Galentine’s Day Party

Brittany

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February 9, 2022

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How To Host a Galentine’s Day Party

A few weeks ago, we wrote this post on Valentine’s Day Activities. We included some fun ideas for Galentine’s Day, too! But we couldn’t let Galentine’s Day come and go without some more details on how to host a Galentine’s Day party. More specifically, here’s how to host a Galentine’s Day party with Arlos cookies!

Arlos Cookies

As you may be aware, this isn’t the first time we’ve partnered up with Arlos Cookies. In fact, if you want to learn more about the founder, Luna Ellis, read this post! Luna’s helped make some fantastic projects happen, like these cookies inspired by our printable cookie boxes. We also partnered up to make these Valentines Gift Boxes featuring lovely, matching cookies. Well this year we get to feature her lovely cookies with some of our own printables that are perfect for hosting your Galentine’s Day party!

Galentine’s Day Table Games

The perfect way to host a Galentine’s Day party is with some table games. We have some very cute, Valentine’s/Galentine’s Day themed versions of a variety of games, including bingo, would you rather, and tic tac toe. All you have to do to make the magic happen at your own Galentine’s Day party is print them off, then find some cookies! We, of course, used Arlos. And can you believe it?! Luna made us the cutest little x’s and o’s you’ve ever seen for our tic tac toe board. They even match! We also took it upon ourselves to go ahead and use the cookies as markers for the other table games, and they worked splendidly. So wondering how to really wow your guests this Galentine’s Day? Printable table games with Arlos cookies!

Conversation Heart Cookie Boxes

Now, it wouldn’t be right to tell you how to host a Galentine’s Day party without party favors. And we were just thrilled to be able to use Arlos cookies yet again to fulfil that need! A few years back, we made some conversation heart cookie boxes. Arlos made some sweet little cookies to go inside! We’re in love. These little boxes are the perfect little packages to send home with your guests. Something cute and tastes good? Yes please!

More Inspiration

Remember, if you want even more ideas of how to host a Galentine’s Day party, consult our Valentine’s Day Activities post! Speaking of ideas, if you need DIY valentines crafts, check out these easy DIY valentines, this adorable valentine box, or this paper heart wreath. Need valentines? We just released some brand new Harry Styles ones, along with these delicate doilies. And here’s a whole host of printable valentines from our shop! Oh, and here are two Valentine’s Day gift guides, one for men and one for women.

DIY New Year’s Crafts

Brittany

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December 28, 2021

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New Year’s Tablescape

This year, we have a brand new New Year’s tablescape that we released just last week! It’s the perfect solution if you’re wanting a way to feel like you’re in New York City for the Ball Drop. We instantly fell in love with this DIY New Year’s craft. We’re so excited about it–fresh, fun, and new, it’s just the thing to bring in the new year with a bang. The best part about it is it’s printable, so if you’re short on time it’s a great solution for a smashing party that (unbeknownst to your guests) takes only a minute to complete! Here’s the full lowdown on our New Year’s tablescape.

New Year’s Crowns

Next on our list of DIY New Year’s crafts is New Year’s crowns. You can’t properly welcome in the new year without a festive crown to help you fit the part! You can tell we love crowns here at The House that Lars Built because we have more than a few options for you to choose from. Each is unique and perfect for whatever style of New Year’s party you’ll most likely be attending (or hosting).

Wrapping Paper-Inspired New Year’s Crown

We love this fun, printable paper crown that was inspired by our very own wrapping paper. It’s bright, cheery, and just the thing to combat the freezing cold January that will be here before we know it. You can find the full feature of our wrapping paper inspired crown here. The best part about it is all you have to do is print, cut and glue, and it’s ready to go!

Skyscape Crown

Another more subdued version of a printable paper crown is this lovely, black-and-white skyscape crown. If you’re feeling a little more mysterious, this crown may be for you! Dreamy and reminiscent of the night sky, it’s the perfect crown to give you that extra touch of class and elegance this New Year’s Eve.

New Year’s Eve Star Crown

Also on our list of DIY New Year’s crafts is this dazzling New Year’s Eve star crown. This crown is more than a printable, so if you’re looking for a fun DIY activity, this fits the bill perfectly! It’s easy and quick, so you don’t have to stress if you have more than a few of these to make for a party, by the way. Everything you need to know is included in our tutorial.

New Year’s Tabletop and Art Deco Crowns

If you’re hosting a party this year for New Year’s, this next DIY tabletop idea is for you. Complete with decorations and crowns that match, we love this fun New Year’s tabletop’s Art Deco vibe! The electric citron, gradient blues and pale pinks help invite that nostalgia right in. You can visit the full post here to learn more about how to recreate this stunning New Year’s tablescape, decorations and matching crowns.

DIY Sparklers for New Year’s Eve

Fireworks are a classic element of celebrating the new year. But sometimes it’s not always ideal to light a real, burning sparkler in the middle of your kitchen. That’s why these DIY paper sparklers are the perfect solution! They still add that sparkling pop of gold, but the bonus is you can be inside, and they can be styled in a myriad of ways. Use them as a cake topper, give them to your kids to play with, or use them as an element of your New Year’s tablescape, these sparklers practically do it all. And they do it without burning anyone or anything–a definite plus. Click here to see how to make your own DIY sparklers!

Printable New Year’s Eve Invitation

Okay, we’re obsessed with this New Year’s Eve party invitation! It just so happens to pair perfectly with that skyscape crown we mentioned just a bit ago. When you’re throwing a party, it does help set the mood when the invitations give the guests a sneak peak at what lies ahead! So, take our advice and pair these sweet, classy little invitations with the lovely skyscape crown. You won’t regret it. Here’s more info on these easy, printable New Year’s Eve invitations!

DIY Chinese New Year Ox

We couldn’t end this list without a nod to Chinese New Year! This DIY Ox is the perfect thing to celebrate with. We know Chinese New Year is a bit later than January first (It starts on February first, this year, to be exact), but hopefully this will get you thinking ahead. The fun doesn’t have to end with your New Year’s Eve celebration, you can have round two in just a month! Here’s the link to our tutorial on how to make your own DIY Ox for Chinese New Year.

We would love to know: what are you doing New Year’s Eve?

New Year’s Eve Tablescape

Brittany

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December 21, 2021

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Bringing the New York City Ball Drop to You

The inspiration for our New Year’s Eve tablescape theme was, naturally, the iconic New York City Ball Drop! It just seemed like the perfect theme for our New Year’s tablescape. I mean, who doesn’t love that Ball Drop? The problem is, not all of us can travel to New York City to watch it in person. That’s why we wanted to bring the New York City ball drop to you through this nostalgic, bite-sized rendition.

Our New Year’s Eve Tablescape

We’re thrilled with the way our New Year’s Eve tablescape turned out! There’s something about those vibrant colors against the bold white and blacks of the buildings that’s so joyful, hopeful and indicative of the wonder to come in the new year. And we all need a little hope, don’t we? This tablescape is the perfect way to celebrate fresh starts, anticipate the good to come, and enjoy the warmth of loving relationships.

Centerpiece

For the centerpiece of our New Year’s Eve tablescape, we decided to go with a show-stopping printable cityscape, complete with the Ball Drop. Our designer, Garet, is to thank for the amazing cityscape design. Those vivid colors contrasted with the stark, New York cityscape was a bold choice, and one that had a dazzling effect when paired with that sparkling ball. You can find the template for our cityscape centerpiece here! We also added a little flair with our 2022 signage–that shimmering glitter paper was the perfect thing to highlight 2022. Numbers glinting in the light, they added just the touch of pizazz we wanted.

Making this amazing New Year’s Eve tablescape centerpiece is simple. Here’s how:

How to make the centerpiece

Download our centerpiece printable found here.
Once you’ve downloaded the printable, go ahead and print it off.
Now, cut out the pieces.
Using a hot glue gun, mount the paper pieces onto foam core (cut out the foam core with a craft knife) so they’re a little more sturdy.
The last step is to attach a small triangle as a support to the back of each building.

Tablecloth

We wanted our tablecloth to help you feel as if you were in the city with this New Year’s Eve tablescape, so we decided to go with a simple, black and white windowpane print (something like this should do the trick). The grid of the tablecloth paired perfectly with the striking colors and bold brushstrokes of the tablescape. We loved that this tablecloth was minimal, yet distinct, hinting at a city-like grid of streets that stretch in every direction.

Plates, Cups, Napkins, and Flatware

Our plates, cups, napkins and flatware added another bright pop of color to our New Year’s Eve tablescape. We went with a variety of colors: pink, yellow, green and salmon for the forks, vivid, royal blue for the plates, and confetti-speckled salmon napkins (you may have to go with plain salmon if you can’t find patterned ones you’re happy with–we had a hard time finding them for you). To top it off, we added silver paper cups. Can you say fun?! The reflection of all the colors in the tablescape against those shiny cups tied in the sparkling ball perfectly and made it feel like the warm celebration we were all craving.

Place Cards

Yet again, we had to repurpose our mini taxi place cards in our New Year’s Eve tablescape. You may recognize them from our Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade tablescape last year, and in 2017. These cute little cars are the perfect way to really solidify the feeling that you’re in New York City for the big event. What feels more like New York than those mustard yellow taxis, honking as they whiz by? Your New Year’s Eve tablescape won’t truly be complete without them.

How to make the New Year’s ball

For the iconic Ball Drop element of our New Year’s Eve tablescape, you’ll just need a few simple things: (see our materials list above for reference) a 3 inch diameter styrofoam ball, a 1 inch diameter styrofoam ball, a metal pole (or painted wooden dowel), Mod Podge, hot glue, fake craft jewels, gold glitter, and silver glitter.

Preparing the balls

First, apply a coat of Mod Podge to the larger styrofoam ball. Then, roll the ball in gold glitter, coating it thoroughly. Work quickly so the Mod Podge doesn’t dry before you apply the glitter!
Next, do the same thing with the smaller styrofoam ball, this time using silver glitter.

Attaching the balls and pole

Now, take the metal pole and gently skewer the large ball through the middle so it can slide up and down.
Your next step is to attach the small ball. Dab some hot glue on one side of the ball, then stick the pole into the ball on top of the hot glue, about 1/4 inch to secure.

Finishing touches

Lastly, add a little extra sparkle to that ball. Apply a dab of hot glue to the craft jewels and cover the larger ball in jewels.
Done!

How to Style Your New Year’s Eve tablescape

The great thing about this New Year’s Eve tablescape is that it can double as a New Year’s decoration for your mantlepiece, shelf, or anywhere else you want to put it, for that matter! You can even hang it, rather than setting it on a surface. I never feel like there are enough New Year’s decorations out there, so this is a spectacular one to add to your repertoire. And the nice thing is, you can always repurpose it for years to come, because it packs away pretty easily.

We would love to hear: what are you doing New Year’s Eve? And please, show us what you do with your New Year’s Eve tablescapes!

More Inspiration

If you loved learning how to make your own New Year’s Eve tablescape, you’ll most likely have fun with these other holiday-themed tablescapes. Our Christmas tablescape is a classic and is the perfect addition to your holiday table. Then there’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade tablescape, which will take you back to New York in an instant. And while you’re perusing Thanksgiving ideas, don’t forget about our fun Thanksgiving Table Decor options! If you’re excited about those warmer months, check out our When Life Hands You Lemons tablescape. You’ll probably also love our Easter Egg Runner Tablescape.

Christmas Tablescape

Brittany

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December 15, 2021

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Christmas in the Studio

We spend pretty much all of our time in the studio here at The House that Lars Built. That means we certainly draw a lot of inspiration from each other, here on the team, as well as the many lovely bits of potential on the walls, floor, ceiling, etc. If it’s in the studio, you can bet we’ve probably mused about all the things we can use it for. So we got to thinking, if we’re in the studio so much, why not make a studio Christmas tablescape that highlights the things we love about our studio?!

Tablescape Inspiration

This Christmas tablescape’s inspiration came straight from the heart of Lars, triggered by our collaboration with the one and only Spoonflower. We knew we wanted it to feel festive and bright, so naturally, we picked a lovely checkerboard pattern of reds, pinks, and oranges to pair with the light, bubblegum pink of the studio floor. From there, we brought in a smorgasbord of golds and greens for the centerpiece and flatware. We topped it off with a backdrop featuring our charming poinsettias, greenery, and a smattering of what we’ve been working on in the studio! You can’t get more Lars than that.

How to Recreate Our Christmas Tablescape

You may be wondering, how can I recreate this Christmas tablescape? Step right this way. What I love about this tablescape is that it’s so magical, yet feels so real and down to earth at the same time. The best part is, it’s simple and totally doable to recreate!

Here’s how to recreate your own Team Lars Christmas Tablescape:

The Tablecloth and Napkins

As I always say, the tablecloth and napkins are the key to creating a successful tablescape. They draw you in and set the tone for the entire occasion. That means it’s imperative that you be happy with them, first and foremost! Well, to say we were happy with our tablecloth and napkins would be an understatement. Spoonflower blew us away! The bright colors, together with the fun, checkerboard pattern were just the things we needed to get the inspiration flowing for the rest of the tablescape.

We found our tablecloth and napkin fabric pattern here, along with other options we were considering. We went through a lot of options, and it was so hard to settle on just one. Feel free to peruse the options; Spoonflower has so many great ones.

As a note, we had some fun with our napkin folding for this tablescape. If you haven’t seen our full napkin-folding post, check it out here! It’s amazing what a fancily-folded napkin will do. We used the simple accordion fold for these napkins.

The Flatware, Glasses, and Plates

Target was our go-to for flatware, glasses and plates. We chose a classic gold for the flatware, glasses flecked with gold, and a dark cyan for the plates. The contrast between the dark, cool, cyan and the brighter reds, pinks, and oranges of the Spoonflower tablecloth and napkins was striking and eye-catching.

Tablescape Centerpiece and Decorations

For our Christmas tablescape centerpiece, we wanted something that felt Christmasy and would contrast nicely with the tablecloth and napkins. We decided to go with our tried-and-true crepe paper bottlebrush trees in various green shades. Then we added in some sparkling, gold accents and confetti. For the mantlepiece behind, we gathered pine boughs and some of our lovely paper poinsettias. Those elements, paired with some other inspiration we picked up around the studio fit amazingly with the rest of the tablescape.

Oh, and did I mention the pink floor?! It was one of those moments where I knew we’d made the right decision on that pink epoxy flooring, as tricky as it was. Naturally, not everyone has a pink epoxy floor for their tablescape, but that’s okay! Luckily, a rug like this, this or this can help complete the look in a similar way. Just try to pick something that won’t detract from that amazing Spoonflower tablecloth or napkins.

Shop the look

Here are just a few of the options we were considering. There are so many beautiful ones, we would love to see what you choose!

More Inspiration

Loved this post on our Lars Christmas Tablescape? Looking for more tablescape ideas? Here are some great ones you’ll probably love (bonus: many of them feature some lovely Spoonflower fabrics!). Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Tablescape, When Life Hands You Lemons Tablescape and Care Package, and Thanksgiving Table Decor.

Thanksgiving Table Decor

Brittany

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November 24, 2021

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Thanksgiving Table Decor

To make the magic happen, we needed some help. Luckily for us, we partnered with Spoonflower to make the Thanksgiving table decor ideas happen, and I have to say, they delivered. So, here we go: here’s one table in two different tablescape ideas.

one table two ways

Larsgiving Table Decor

Our first Tablescape rendition is vivid, full of color, and just the thing to brighten up a brown, Utah November. Introducing our classic Larsgiving tablescape! Featuring gold silverware, dusty pink plates, and a magnificent fruit smorgasbord of color, this tablescape is a showstopper. But what really makes the tablescape is the essential addition of the Spoonflower tablecloth and napkins. Combine the warm, cozy colors and geometric pattern with the sprawling, fruit centerpiece and the result is vivid, eye-catching, and just so fun. gold silverware

And the bonus is that Spoonflower not only has an endless amount of patterns to choose from, but you can apply those patterns on a myriad of products like napkins, tablecloths, table runners and more.

The centerpiece

For our fruit harvest, I used a combination of papaya, dragon fruit, lemons, asian pears, yellow squash, and loquats. These may not be available at your average grocery store. I went to our local Rancho Markets, but you should also be able to find them at a Mexican market in your area. Some specialty grocery stores may also carry them. Bonus–it’s also cheaper! papaya on the table

I wanted it to feel harvesty, colorful, and a bit tropical to go with the pink of the tablecloth. I love how it turned out! Thanksgiving table decor

Dinnerware

Target was our go-to for dinnerware. We found most of our plates, silverware, and cups there! Listed below are the links to the items we used:

Gold Silverware
Brown plates

Spoonflower tablecloth

I spent HOURS searching for the right tablecloth for this. Literally, so many hours. And I found SO many great options. I saved them all in this collection here. I chose one from Miamaria, a Norwegian designer as it turns out. She does really great color combinations in awesome geometrics. Thanksgiving harvest fruits

Spoonflower napkins

Last but not least, let’s talk about our napkins! This was such a fun project and I really love how it turned out. I knew I wanted them to be colorblock to go with the geometric pattern of the tablecloth, so I went to Spoonflower once again because they have some great solid options. In fact, the designer made a collection of solids based on the tablecloth, so I picked out one yard of each color. You can pretty much find a solid in every color of your choice. You can find our color choices here. Here are the steps to making your own colorblock napkins.

DIY Colorblock napkins

The first step is to pick out the two colors you’ll be using for your napkin.
Then, cut out one rectangle of each fabric. The total dimensions of the napkins are 12”x14”, which means each half will be 6”x14”. Important note: don’t forget to take into account the seam allowances and hems! With seam allowances and hems being ½”, cut out two pieces that are 8”x16” (1” all the way around each piece).
Now you’re ready to sew the pieces together! With right sides together, sew the pieces together, lengthwise, using a 1” seam allowance.
Iron out the two pieces along the sewn line, flattening the two sides of the seam apart.
Now fold each side of the center seam under, reversed, into the center seam line. Press and secure with a straight stitch. Make sure you don’t sew the top portion of your fabric! You don’t want this showing through to the front of the napkin.
Now you’re ready to do the corners and hems. We used a special technique here, so the corners are especially precise. See our tutorial here! The only difference with this rendition of our napkins is that we used a straight stitch all the way around the outside hem, rather than a zig zag.
The last step is to simply fold your napkin in thirds, so the colorblock is revealed in its full glory. The napkin should be divided equally in half between the two colors.

That’s a wrap for our first Thanksgiving table decor idea. Happy Larsgiving!

My personal Thanksgiving table decor

My personal Thanksgiving tablescape was a whole different game. I wanted to go with something a bit more elegant and bright, but a little more subtle than our Larsgiving tablescape. For my tablescape, I decided to go with a gold and yellow theme, and white accents to brighten things up, but also something a little different than what you normally see. The effect was elegant, sophisticated, festive, and cheery. I was thrilled with the result!

Here’s what you can do to recreate my personal Thanksgiving tablescape. yellow and neutral fruits and veggies

The centerpiece

My centerpiece consisted of a lovely combination of traditional yellow, golden, and brown Thanksgiving fruits and vegetables. The effect was a soft, magical glow of cozy warmth! To get the effect, try a combination of onions (white or yellow, with the brown outer layers still hanging on), spaghetti squash, cantaloupe, honeydew, asian pears, and yellow squash.

Dinnerware

As with our Larsgiving tablescape, Target was our go-to for dinnerware. We found most of our plates, silverware, and cups there! Listed below are the links to the items we used:

Gold silverware
White plates (similar)

Spoonflower tablecloth

Again, in all my searching, I arrived at this lovely fall-inspired pattern by Danika Herrick. You can find it here along with the rest of the Thanksgiving fabrics I saved here. Follow the link to find the exact tablecloth, as well as some other options that were in the running. We chose a beautiful white and gold option that intertwined beautifully with the fruit, dinnerware, and napkins. The effect was breathtaking! fall tablecloth

Spoonflower napkins

I paired the fall-inspired tablecloth with this golden stripe by Holli Zollinger. No sewing this time, so if you don’t consider yourself a pro at sewing, these napkins are for you! You can pretty much turn any fabric into a napkin (or table runner, tablecloth etc). Adding a touch of class and elegance to the party, I knew these subtly-striped, golden napkins would be the perfect way to complete my personal Thanksgiving tablescape.

And voilà! There you have it, two jaw-dropping table decor ideas to spice up your Thanksgiving. Would love to hear what you’re doing for Thanksgiving! foraged leaf on napkin

Shop the look:

More Inspiration

Fell in love with these Thanksgiving tablescapes? Us, too. Don’t worry, the fun doesn’t have to be over yet! Here are some more amazing projects featuring Spoonflower fabrics, wallpaper, and more. Lemons care package and tablescape with Spoonflower, DIY Spoonflower picnic blanket tote, and Our office makeover with Spoonflower.

That’s a wrap for our first tablescape. Happy Larsgiving!

4 Ways to Make Succulent Pumpkins

Brittany

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October 26, 2021

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1. A Pumpkin Family with Succulents and Squash

In the spirit of my Halloween decorating philosophy (classic harvest season decorations are always a win!), I will be providing you a few tutorials on how to create a lovely Halloween. First up, a DIY pumpkin family. Are you dying from cuteness overload yet? I nearly did as we shot this. It’s too much. I teamed up with the succulent expert Cassidy Tuttle of Succulents and Sunshine (a blog all about succulents. She even has an ebook!) and illustrator of the most adorable faces, Michelle Christensen of My Little Belleville to bring you the world’s cutest pumpkin family. Succulents as hair and a painted face. I die. AND, Michelle made you some templates so you can recreate her faces. You can find them in our Halloween shop here. Score!

Materials:

Light-colored pumpkins (I found that white works the best)
Acrylic paints (black and red and white are all you really need)
Fine paintbrush
Carving knife
Pumpkin faces PDF template (download here)
Pencil
A variety of succulents
Rocks for succulents

Instructions:

Carve out the top. You won’t need it so feel free to discard.
Scoop out the seeds.
You can trace the faces onto the pumpkin by positioning the template where you want the face and then pressing hard with a pen or pencil.

OR 4. You can use pins or toothpicks to transfer the image onto the pumpkin.

OR 5. Use the template as a stencil and cut it out and paint over it with your brush.

6. Paint in the lines with your acrylic paints.

7. Die of cuteness overload.

8. Put some rocks into the pumpkin and insert your succulents. Try a few in the head or just one larger succulent.

I mean…

Greenery AND pumpkins? I love it. Look at how adorable and colorful this pumpkin family is! You could also make this DIY pumpkin family resemble your own family! How cute would that be?

Photography by Cassidy Tuttle of Succulents and Sunshine

Illustration by Michelle Christensen of My Little Belleville (check out her adorable shop!)

Assistant: Audrey Ellsworth

Art direction and crafting: moi

2. Succulents and flowers on pumpkins and squash

I also thought it’d be fun to add some succulents onto some pumpkins as if they were flower petals or a mandala. Super easy yet lovely. We’ve been thinking about many ways to decorate pumpkins with succulents, and this one is fun for all ages!

Materials:

Pumpkins (light-colored work best)
Succulents in various shades
Glue gun

Instructions:

Break off the succulents carefully at the very base of where they meet the trunk.
Apply hot glue onto the pumpkin and then apply the succulent. I found that when you applied it onto the succulent, it’s more prone to fall off.

DONZO.

You know that I’m more comfortable working with paper and fabric than succulents! But I do love greenery, and these tutorials are a great way to work with plants, even if you’re not an experienced gardener. This tutorial is especially perfect if you have succulents around the house that are falling apart. Don’t let those beauties go to waste! Use the leaves to decorate a pumpkin!

Photography by Cassidy Tuttle of Succulents and Sunshine

3. DIY Words made from Succulents Pumpkins

Here’s the third of four projects that Cassidy and I collaborated on. She made these adorable pumpkins spelling the words “BOO” written in succulents.

This DIY is pretty easy, and it doesn’t require many materials! We stacked the pumpkins in this tutorial, but you can always place them next to each other to spell out whatever phrase your Halloween decor calls for. Gah! Stacking pumpkins is harder than it looks!

Materials:

Succulent Cuttings
Pumpkins (live or fake!)
Hot glue or floral glue
Toothpicks
Permanent marker

Instructions:

If you’re opting to stack your pumpkins, I applaud you! The first step is to stack the pumpkins how you want them displayed
Use a permanent marker to trace the letters on your pumpkins (we decided “BOO” was a cute and easy phrase!)
Attach the succulent cuttings to the pumpkins with hot glue, floral glue, or toothpicks. Cassidy decided that toothpicks work best for larger succulent cuttings. According to Cassidy, floral glue also works very well when working with succulents!
If you decide to use the toothpick method, stick the toothpick into the pumpkin, leaving about 1/2″ sticking out. Then take your succulent cutting and stick it on the toothpick. Voila!

Get the full scoop on how to do it and pictures of the process on her blog, Succulents and Sunshine. Let me know in the comments what you chose for your phrase and how your own succulent worded pumpkins turned out!

These worded succulent pumpkins will surely turn heads of passersby. And as if these worded pumpkins are not cute enough…

BAM! Dogs make everything 15 times cuter.

4. DIY Succulent Monogram Pumpkin

These succulent monogram pumpkins are the final project in my collab with Cassidy of Succulents and Sunshine. This was my first time working with succulents and I have to say that I love the little fellers. They’re so perky and sweet. But leave it to me to find a way to kill a couple suckers. Gah! That’s why I work with paper flowers.

Cassidy made this monogram succulent pumpkin. Luckily, it’s not too difficult to make your own! Trust me, even if you’re not great with plants, it’s still such a fun tutorial and offers a twist on classic Halloween decor. If you’re looking for an easy way to amp up your holiday decorations, this is it!

Materials:

Succulent Cuttings
A pumpkin (live or fake!)
Hot glue gun or floral glue
Marker (for tracing initials on the pumpkin)

Instructions:

Use the marker to draw an outline of your letter on the pumpkin
Glue small succulents onto the marker line
Cover the rest of the pumpkin with succulents of your choice!

Pretty simple, right? Head on over to Cassidy’s blog to check out the full instructions with pictures of the process. She even suggests which succulents to use for placing your pumpkin outdoors in freezing temperatures!

Succulent Pumpkin Variations

If you’re not that great at handling live plants, you could use fake succulents and a fake pumpkin to save it for future holidays. If you love succulents AND flowers, check out some of our paper flower tutorials here and here (with many more tutorials throughout the Lars archives!) to position flowers between your succulents. Place your succulent monogram pumpkins on your doorstep or inside your home for a stylish, succulent-filled Halloween!

Need more Halloween pumpkin inspiration? Take a look at a Lars favorite, these DIY Rainbow Pumpkins! Add more pumpkins to your monogram succulent decor with a DIY Rainbow Pumpkin Arch. Use your pumpkins to decorate for a Halloween dinner party, or display them to get into the Halloween spirit!