YAY

Garlands with tissue tassels and balloons?  This DIY is certainly YAY-worthy. Spice up your next wine night or surprise birthday party with this fabulous garland. Although it may be somewhat time consuming to cut the tissue paper for your tassels, it is t-totally worth it. Plus, it costs less than $15 to make! 

ONE. TWO. THREE.

Materials:

Gold balloons

Gold foil tissue

Pink tissue paper in various shades

Scissors

Tape

String

Details:

Step 1 - Fold a piece of tissue paper lengthwise. Then, fold in half widthwise. Fold in half widthwise again. 

Step 2 - Cut your tassel strips from the unfolded end. Make sure you leave about 1 inch from the top of the fold. Your strips can be however thin or thick as you please. Mine are about .5 of an inch wide.  

Step 3 - Unfold once and cut from the top of the fold to the end of the fringe. You should now have three pieces. Two pieces will be smaller than the third. Make sure you cut the third larger piece in half. You should then have four pieces of fringed tissue. 

Step 4 - Once you have unfolded your fringed pieces, begin to roll the tassel along the crease lengthwise. 

Step 5 - Once rolled, begin to twist the center area until tight and make a loop. 

Step 6 - Use your tape to secure the tissue loop in place. 

Step 7 - Repeat steps 1 through 6 until you have the desired number of tassels. 

Step 8 - Cut a piece of string for your garland. Add one tassel at a time. I attached each tassel with a simple knot. Add your balloons as you see fit.

Step 9 - Blow up your balloons with the straw provided and tape the tail to the back of the balloon.

All done! The best thing about the garland is that it is totally reusable. You can pack it away in storage and inflate the balloons again at your next shindig.

A Fun TWIST on Pretzels

OMG is right! Who doesn't love a good pretzel? These letter-shaped pretzels are AMAZING and quite delicious. I have never made homemade pretzels before, so it was quite the learning experience. Although my letters didn't turn out 100% perfect, they were still so much fun to make and are the epitome of edible cuteness. If you are looking for a fun project to do with friends, and you have a couple of hours, the pretzel letters are a must!

Cookie cutters - I bought 3" letters from Sur La Table

Pretzel Recipe:
— 1 1/2 cups warm water
— 1 tablespoon sugar
— 2 teaspoons salt
— 4 1/2 cups of flour
— 1 packet of dry yeast
— 1/4 cup butter, melted
— 10 cups water
— vegetable oil
— 2/3 cup baking soda
— 1 egg yolk
— pretzel salt for dusting

1. Pour the warm water, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl. Sprinkle the packet of yeast over the water and let sit for five minutes.
2. Add the flour and the melted butter and mix until the dough is smooth. 
3. Rub another bowl with vegetable oil and place the dough inside. Cover with a towel and place in a warm place. Allow the dough to rise for one hour.
4. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and grease your baking sheet. Pour 10 cups of water and 2/3 cup baking soda in the pot on the stove and bring to a boil.
5. Place it on a floured surface and use your palms or a rolling pin to flatten the dough to about 1/2-inch thick.
6. Use your alphabet cookie cutters to cut out your desired letters. Place them on the oiled baking sheet.
7. Once the water in the pot has come to a boil, drop in the pretzel dough and leave to sit for 30 seconds. Remove from the water with a slotted spatula and place back onto the baking sheet. Repeat for each letter.
8. In a separate bowl, mix an egg yolk with one teaspoon of water.
9. Brush the tops of the dough and sprinkle with pretzel salt.
10. Place the pretzels in the oven for 9-10 minutes or until browned.

ENJOY!

*Recipe/how-to via Sam Ushiro