[$25 DIY Party] Vintage Teal Birthday Party

This party cost less than $25!

I threw a little party for my sister's birthday this weekend...and it all cost less than $25.

Here's what you need to buy to re-create this vintage-style party:

1. 1/8 Yard Teal Fabric: $1.00 (Joanne's)

2. 8 Inch Round Doilies: $1.00 (Dollar Store)

3. 8 Sheets Teal Cardstock: $2.00 (Joanne's)

4. Teal Paint: $0.59 (Joanne's)

5. 1 Yard Teal Lace: $1.00 (SAS Fabrics in Tempe)

6. Wooden Skewers: $2.00 (Grocery Store)

7. Lindt Chocolate Bar: $1.79 (Grocery Store)

8. Angel Food Cake: $4.00 (Walmart)

9. Boysenberries: $1.50 (Grocery Store)

10. Strawberries: $2.00 (Grocery Store)

11. Key Lime Pie: $5.00 (Grocery Store)

12. Whipping Cream: $3.00 (Grocery Store)

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TOTAL: $24.88

Here's how you put it all together:

 Paint the doilies teal.

 Cut the cardstock down to 9 inches.

 Then Cut about 1 1/2 inch strips. So that would be strips that measure 9 inches by 1 1/2 inches. Make a paper chain with those strips.

 Cut 2 different sized flags with the extra cardstock. Glue onto 2 wooden sewers using hot glue.

 Cut out about 5 small triangles from the teal fabric. Glue them together using a small dab or hot glue.

Glue the ends to 2 wooden skewers.

 If your lace is really wide like mine, cut it in half.

Then cut it into about 3 inch pieces and tie it around the wooden skewers.

Wash the strawberries and set them on a paper towel to completely dry.

 Break the chocolate bar and place in a double bowler. I used 2 small pots. Remember, you don't want the water touching the bottom of the top bowl--just the steam.

 Mix and mix the chocolate. Remove it from the heat when all of it is just about melted. Remember to keep mixing it. Now here's the key: You know that the chocolate is ready for use when it is cool to the lip. This might take about 20 minutes after you remove it from the heat. So, keep testing it by actually placing a dab of the chocolate onto your lip. When it feels cool on your lip, it's ready to go.

Dip the strawberries in the chocolate.

 Set the strawberries on wax or parchment paper. NOT the plastic container like I did here! (I didn't have any wax paper.)

Then, if you want, you can get a little crazy with the chocolate. I didn't want to waste the chocolate, so I decided to get a little crazy with it.

Now it's time to make the whipped cream for the desserts. First pour the heavy cream in a bowl and get out your mixer.

 Keep whipping it.

 So you want it to look like this when you are done. Stiff peaks. But be careful, because a few seconds more and it will turn into butter. (Yup, and now you know how to make butter.)

Start decorating your angel food cake. I start at the top. Put the whipped cream on there pretty thick.

Then start pushing the whipped cream to the edges and sides of the cake.

After you've covered the entire cake, clean the platter with a damp napkin.

Then add the boysenberries around the sides to make it look pretty.

I used the extra whipped cream to put on the pie. Why? Because I really like whipped cream. And because the frosting that was already on the pie got a little messed up while in the box.

Place the skewers with the lace into the strawberries.

 Add the skewers with the flags into the pie.

And add the skewers with the fabric banner into the cake.

And there you have it. So easy. Really elegant. I call this effortless elegance on a budget.
(And I made the font in bold, like my mom told me too. Is it better in bold?)