Pinwheels {+ Make Your Own}

Do you recall playing with these as kids? The fun of seeing their vibrant colours spin around? 

Just perfect for J's Vintage Picnic Party.

This is what I started with. A paper pad of Amy Tangerine paper in all sorts of deliciously fruity colours. Now perhaps it was the implication of citrus (I am a total sucker for all things citrus - particularly citrus scents, or pretty much any other fruity thing), but when I saw this book of scrap-booking papers, I KNEW what I would use them for!

{MAKE IT!}
I measured in ***** from each corner diagonally and made a slit. I also punctured a hole in the centre of each one (all of which is a whole heap easier if you have a template on hand! I would advise making one if you are going to do this yourself and are making a few). Then in the corner of each triangular part of the corner, make another hole. All of mine I initially did with the tip of the craft knife blade, or on some of them a dressmakers pin.

At this point I knew I was already low on time, so I enlisted the help of  Mr. Kelp. It was his job to work on attaching them to bamboo rods painted in the signature blue for the party - Dulux Mineral Shower - and cut them into appropriate lengths. Once done, he drilled the holes for me too (I think it's good for dad's to take part in prepping for a party - they feel involved, and the kids love that their dad was part of it all). All the others I had seen on the internet said to just use a push pin to attach the pinwheel to the stick - but we found that it didn't spin freely, so my gorgeous man cut lengths of wire the right size for the drilled holes, and affixed them in place.

He also cut lengths of straw to use as spacers. A small one between the stick and the centre of the pinwheel, a long one between that and the triangles you fold over, and another small one at the front. Then onto the wire was threaded a bead and the wire was folded over to anchor it all together.

There you have it! Some fun for the whole family ('cos you know that they adults played with them just as much as the kids did!!!).

Happy creating, and come back later this week for more on the party.

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Saturday

Vintage Picnic Birthday Party

About five weeks ago I was talking with Jellyfish about his soon to be here birthday, and was re-checking with him what he wanted to do. Originally I had told him I wasn't going to throw a birthday party since he had a big one last year (that somehow I never really posted about), but that I wanted to keep it just for us. At the time he said he wanted to go for  a picnic - which I thought was pretty cool.

Fast forward till the end of August. He still held to the picnic idea. But there was more. This almost five year old knew what he wanted. A caravan. Made of cardboard. Like the Jeep that Daddy had made the year before. Actually, he asked for an Airstream caravan (Which he didn't get because the effort of getting the cardboard rounded in 3D was more effort than we wanted to expend).

Waiting to go outside...

 
During the morning of the party the kids played vintage games. Bean bag toss, sack races, and egg and spoon races. We substituted golf balls for the eggs since they are about the same weight. Prizes were items such as Kazoo's, little pinwheel hair clips, vintage matchbox cars and vintage style candy for the team games. There were hula hoops for young and old to play with, and a game of Boules for the adults. The majority of the time though they spent playing in the caravan.

The food was served in picnic baskets. I gathered the picnic baskets that I already had, and took a trip to the local oppy (thrift store) to gather a few more. Cleaned them up and filled them with quiche, gourmet sandwiches (which my hunky hubs made on the day), various salads, and scones that my SIL made. Ooh were they good! :) Once filled, we put the picnic baskets in the middle of the picnic rugs (we asked everyone to bring a rug), and the sharing of baskets and time began!

On a table set with vintage linens (the yellow gingham was thrifted) were caramel popcorn, pecan pie, two types of Oreo truffles (OK, well they weren't exactly vintage, but the two older boys had a blast helping me make them a couple of days before the party - we just stored them in the freezer till party day) watermelon, strawberries, vintage jars of candy, gluten and dairy free brownies and orange cake, and vintage Vacola preserve bottles that were my Mum's filled with pin wheels for the kids to play with/take home.

 The cake was a numeral 5, topped with cloudburst frosting, and strawberries and mint, which Jellyfish had asked for months before hand, and kept asking for.

He ended the official party with gift opening, and then he handed out the pinwheels to all the children and sugar crunch Caravan biscuits to everyone as they were leaving. Tired does not begin to describe how I felt - but it was totally worth it!

Happy Birthday my gorgeous five year old! You are amazing, and it is such an adventure watching you grow, learn, love and explore.  We love you so much!!!

P.S. Stay tuned for more Vintage Picnic Birthday details!

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