These totes from Bayanhippo’s Etsy shop would be adorable as bridesmaids gifts for a nautical or seaside wedding. Or (if you’ve got the budget or a small guest list) for out-of-town guest gifts.

… but also just as a pretty beach bag, which is exactly why I’m sneaking off to buy one!

It’s finally warming up here and we had a fully GORGEOUS weekend. I know another cold (well, “cool”) front is on its way, but I can’t help getting in the spring-time mood. Here are some happy details that are inspiring me today…

• Mustard Dill Tortellini Salad Skewers from Southern Living
• Orange storage tub and brightly colored acrylic tumblers from Crate and Barrel
• Flowery monogram pins from Martha Stewart
• Daffodil windowbox centerpiece from Brides
• Citrus vases from CB2
• Porcelain flower pin escort cards via Style Me Pretty

Hope your day is beautiful!

I thought I had looked EVERYwhere for these straws when planning a party last year, but I guess I didn’t look hard enough! You can get ‘em at Bake It Pretty.

Is there a better way to spend New Year’s Day than eating chili (and competing) with friends?

For this festive and light-hearted party (our own Carly’s annual family event!), we designed a carnival-inspired theme with fun chili details throughout. Banners, balloons and chile lights were hung for a festive feel, and we created a standin (based on an illustration purchased at iStockphoto) to serve as a photo op.

Each chili was assigned a number and guests wrote down their favorites on our “vote” cards designed for the occasion. Popcorn Balls wrapped in red and white striped cones were displayed as favors, cake pops in coordinating colors provided another sweet treat, and the hostess’s signature Bloody Mary worked to cure any lingering hangovers.

We had a blast planning this cookoff… and an even better time enjoying the party!

{All photos and designs by Make Merry!}

I wanted to take some time today to highlight a few blogs that have given Make Merry! a little love lately – either by commenting here, linking to us, or featuring our designs & content. All are great party inspiration that I’m sure you’ll enjoy.

Birthday Girl
Becca celebrates the love of all things Birthday with inspiring real parties, fun details and custom inspiration boards.

Celebrations at Home



I’ve been reading Chris’s blog since the beginning of ours – she finds the perfect details for all kinds of parties and presents it in a fun and approachable way. She just started a Personalized Event Inspiration Board service – check it out!

Divine Party Concepts
I discovered Shelley after she linked to our Super Bowl cocktail flags and football whoopie pies. She’s serving up tons of party theme ideas and details – and some super-cute real parties.

Jackie Fo
Jackie’s been giving us a lotta love lately, and I’m happy to return it! She dishes out her party adventures with a really fun and entertaining spirit – every post makes me smile.

Jackaroo Love

Brooke featured our ribbon photo display in January and I’ve been checking in on her blog ever since. She has great creative style and a charming little etsy shop with paper goods, wedding crafts and gifts.

One Pretty Thing
Rachel’s site is filled to the brim with DIY inspiration – so many ideas in one spot! Definitely the first place to go when you’re hunting for a project to tackle.

The Party Dress

Kelly and Brittany provide a gorgeous wealth of modern and stylish party-planning inspiration (as well as a stationery shop, WH Hostess). A definite daily read.

……….

Hope you take a minute to check them all out (if you aren’t already a fan). Thanks for the love, ladies!

I’m rounding out our Valentine’s Day inspiration with another easy and versatile DIY project – vintage game tile-inspired “love letters”.

I fell in love with the game tile favors from Parcel (as seen on our Valentine’s inspiration board) but I wasn’t so in love with the price or the time spent hunting down tiles on my own. I also wanted a little more creative freedom in the letter styles… lower case, script, different color backgrounds, etc.

So – why not make them?

You’ll need:

• Small square wooden tiles (I bought these on sale at Michael’s) – from 3/4 inch to 1 1/4 inches.
• Old magazines, newspapers, or other printed material
• A craft knife/razor and a cutting mat or other safe cutting surface
• Decoupage glue (I make my own by mixing 1/3 to 1/2 parts water to PVA glue)
• Foam or other small soft brush

1. Hunt through your printed material and cut out the letters you need – have one of your wooden squares at the ready to place over the letter and make sure it’s a good size. I tried to vary the styles, letter colors and background colors for an eclectic look; also, keep in mind the order that the letters will be in. (If you have trouble finding a few that you need, you can cheat a bit and print them out on regular copy paper.)

2. To create the tiles, place your wood square against the letter and use the craft knife to cut around it.

3. Brush glue onto the back of the cut out letter and place onto the wood square, being careful to line it up with the edges. Let it dry, then brush a thin layer of glue over to seal. You can add additional coats for a more shiny and smooth finish.

4. That’s it! Repeat for all your letters and let them fully dry.

There are so many ways to use them… for Valentine’s Day, weddings or other parties:

• Gifts or favors in a muslin bag – just add a tag, or stamp text onto the muslin
• Place cards or table signs – display right on the table or on a wooden Scrabble rack (you can find a ton on eBay)
• Table decor – place them on the table as part of the centerpiece or near each place setting
• Beverage tags – drill a small hole and add a wire hoop, then use to identify wine glasses and beer bottles
• Napkin wraps – drill and string letters together, then wrap around each napkin

Happy Valentine’s Day!