Thursday, March 10, 2011

An Easy & Inexpensive DIY St. Patrick's Day Party Table, Part 2

As promised, here are the super EASY and INEXPENSIVE DIY tutorials and ideas for the St. Patrick's Day Party Table that I shared yesterday.


I will start with the superstar of the party...the Rainbow Jell-O! I have to admit, I am not a Jell-O fan. But, I was dying to try to make this colorful concoction and my kids were beyond thrilled to try it out.

Here's what you need:

- A 3oz box of each color Jell-O: blue, yellow and red
- A box of knox gelatin
- Cups of your choice (I used Chinet "Cut Crystal" Cups in the 9oz size)

To create your Rainbow Jell-O cups, mix the blue jello with 1/2 an envelope of the knox gelatin. Pour in 1 cup of boiling water. Dissolve the gelatin. Add 1/2 cup of ice. Stir until thick. Remove any remaining ice cubes and any bubbles that may have formed. Pour into each cup, filling about 1/3 of the way. Let set in the refrigerator until firm. Repeat with the yellow jello and pour it over the set blue. Repeat with the red jello and pour it over the yellow. Easy peesy, right! These Jell-O cups are beautiful when the sunlight hits them. And the kiddos will love diving into them and seeing all of the "extra" colors that were created from the primary colors being stacked. Lots of fun!
** The amounts listed above made 4 9oz filled Jell-O cups **


Next up are the Chocolate-Covered Pretzels. I did another post on creating these around Valentine's Day BUT I came up with an even easier version. Here's what you need:


- 1 bag of Synder's Pretzel Dips (or a similar brand)
- Candy Melts in the colors of your choice
- 1 Squeeze Bottle (can be found at craft store in baking section)

This is SO EASY! In the past, I have dipped my own pretzels into chocolate. Then I stumbled across Pretzel Dips. Why didn't I think of using pre-dipped pretzels before?? Simply lay your dipped pretzels out on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Place candy melts in your squeeze bottle and microwave in 30 second increments until melted. Next, squeeze/drizzle the melted candy melts over your pretzels to create the look that you are going for (I happened to have green candy melts in my pantry, which was perfect for St. Patrick's Day. If I had planned ahead, I would have used a variety of colors to create Rainbow Chocolate-Covered Pretzels). Place baking sheet in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or until candy has hardened. Serve and enjoy!



To dress up your napkins, make these easy, DIY Rainbow Ribbon Napkin Rings. To create, I used a wide piece of red ribbon and hot glued smaller yellow, green, and blue ribbons to it (see pictures below. I apologize for the horrible picture quality...not really sure what happened). Once complete, simply wrap around your napkin, glue, and cut off any extra ribbon. I chose to embellish my rings with handmade shamrock toppers. Yours will look just as fun and colorful, either way!


And last but not least, you can create cute and inexpensive Favor Bags for your St. Patrick's Day Party by using small colored paper bags (found at your local craft store), some ribbon, and a little embellishment of your choice. Simply fold the top section of your bag down and punch a hole near the crease. Open your bag up, fill with goodies, and wrap a ribbon around the bag lenght-wise. Tie and embellish as you wish!



I hope that I have inspired you to create a fun little St. Patrick's Day Shindig of your own. It really is that easy!

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing your creative secrets! I'm not a fan of Jell-O either but I love the inexpensive look and most kids love to eat it! Aside, I enjoyed the pretzels (thank you!) and love your shortcuts, especially the squeeze bottle for candy melts. Ashleigh

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  2. How creative! Love this and would love to share on my blog!
    http://amandaparkerandfamily.blogspot.com

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