The coolest contraption for your next barbecue

I discovered the coolest way to keep food cold at an outdoor party: meet inflatable serve ware.  Have you seen this stuff before? My neighbors used it at our annual block party and it was so cool!

These buffets are like mini-kiddie pools for your serving table. Fill them up with ice and nestle potato salad, fruit plates, drinks- whatever you need to keep cold!  They are bright and fun, provide easy access for loading up your plate and are less bulky an awkward than serving out of a cooler. The best part is they are inflatable, making them easy to store. You can find them at party supply stores.  The polka dot buffet is from Birthday Direct.  The striped red version is from Birthday Express

They are also available at Oriental Trading, Amazon, Target and more. Just search for "inflatable buffets" online and you'll have many options.  Prices range from $10-$20 each. Isn't this the coolest serving contraption {pun intended}?! 

Fast Fourth of July Wreath

Hi friends! I took an impromptu vacation, which was nice, but I'm so sorry for not posting for ages!

Here is a fun patriotic wreath idea. It is so very last minute but I leave up my Independence Day decor for the whole month of July- maybe you do the same?  The good news is that this is really simple to make so you could whip it up quickly or save the idea for next year.

My wonderful mom made this one so she gets all of the credit.  I don't have a formal tutorial for this one, but read the directions and you'll find it is pretty simple to make.  You can always contact me with questions.

Materials

• Styrofoam wreath form (you could use straw as well)
• Yarn - it usually takes between 1/2 to 1 skein (ball) of yarn- it depends upon your wreath form size
• Scraps of fabric 3-4 inches wide ( we used a star-spangled printed cotton,  blue felt and burlap)
• Needle & thread
• Hot glue gun & glue sticks
• Scissors
• Optional: Holiday sign to hang on the wreath. My mom bought her vintage sign at JoAnn's. You could tuck a flag in the wreath instead or you could also use a free printable patriotic sign.  I've collected a few on my Pinterest boards.  Feel free to look through them here and print them if you want.

Instructions:

1. Hot glue the end of your yarn to any spot on the back of your wreath and begin wrapping the yarn around the form.  Keep the wrapping tight for a uniform look and make sure to cover the Styrofoam as you go.

2. When you have covered the form entirely, cut the yarn from the skein and glue the loose end somewhere on the back of the wreath.

3. Embellish! We simply added round fabric pin wheels to the wreath and pinned the sign on it. They are similar to the fan I made for this wreath. You do a simple basting stitch down one length of the fabric, then pull the thread until the fabric gathers, form it into a circle and glue it together. Here is a link to a tutorial  that I found online that explains making fabric pinwheels from Happy Together.  (They are quick, I promise).

Thanks for sharing, Mom!

I hope you have fun plans for the holiday!