Easter Avenue Craft Party

I was pretty pumped to host Easter Avenue's first craft party!

The menu was a no brainer.

HAM SLIDERS

VEGGIE CUPS WITH RANCH

SPINACH BROWNIES*
BOTTLED WATER

+

TRIPLE CHUNK BROWNIES for dessert
(I'm a make it from scratch kind of girl but this brownie box mix is my go to in a pinch)

The craft idea came straight from Martha Stewart Living.
(click on her link for the tutorial)

I ordered most of the supplies from Tandy Leather Factory and tried out the 
project to make sure it was easy enough for any skill level.
(scroll to the bottom for a complete supply list)

On average, it took about 6" of leather per key chain.  

Each guest would make 2 keychains, so I ordered 12" of leather per person

and a few extra feet for any last minute guests, and to cover any mess-ups.

I also bought Tandy's alphabet stamp kit, leather hole punch, 
grommets, and grommet setter.

The key rings, waxed twine, and craft paint came from Michaels.  
Rubber mallets came from Home Depot.

I made this little 'flyer' with a beautiful mess and posted it to instagram and Facebook.

By the end of the day, half of the spots were filled.  So exciting!

I calculated the cost of the supplies and food and figured that $15 per person 

would cover the event.

Some people prepaid on my website https://easteravenuecompany.squarespace.com, 

others paid the night of the party.

I came out of pocket a little but it was worth it.

I lined the tables with black craft paper and spread out supplies (mason jars of clean water, paint brushes, paint, straight edges, and exacto knives).

Each guest got a black paper bag with their name written in chalk.  Each bag had two 6" leather strips (that I precut), two key rings, and a printout of instructions 
on how to use the grommet setter. 

(I just made copies of the instructions that came with the grommet kit.)

I gave a quick tutorial and showed examples 
of finished keychains.

Look at em go!

We used old magazines for cutting mats.  

Exacto knives with new blades cut through the leather surprisingly easy.

I set up a hammering station on a sturdy table in the dining room where we took turns punching holes and embossing initials into the leather.

Look at these pros!

BYOB brought down the cost a lot.

Roxy and Kristen...keychain making gurus!

I didn't decorate for the party since it was October and 

my Halloween decorations were up, 

but I did stick with the black color scheme 

(black paper bags, black craft paper table covering, etc.)

Easter Avenue's first craft party was a success!

*SPINACH BROWNIE RECIPE

(These are sooooo good!)

SUPPLY LIST

• 12" of leather per person (plus a few extra feet just in case)
• 2 key rings per person
• leather hole punch
• alphabet embossing kit
• grommet setter
• grommets
• rubber mallet (guests took turns)
• waxed twine
• craft paint
• paint brushes
• cups or bowls for water (I used mason jars)
• paper towels
• exacto knives
• old magazines (used as cutting mats)
• straight edges (we used rulers and right angles)
• craft paper to protect tables 

If you host a crafty event, upload your pics to instagram and hashtag it #EACcraftparty 

Fudgy Mascarpone Brownies

If you want a fudgy, creamy brownie...this is it!

I found the recipe here.

I changed it up a bit and added two layers of ganash.

It was worth the extra step.

Delish!

Our Little Cottage Gets a Fresh Coat

Our little cottage needed some fresh paint.

1: Off with the clamshell awnings!!

2: Pressure wash (while I watch). 

3: Choose paint color.

Dovetail by Sherwin Williams

4: Use cash from scrapped awnings to buy paint. 

5: Assemble crew (preferably strong and cute, and willing

to work for pizza and beer).

6: Get crackin!

We still have some painting and lots of scraping to do

 but we're almost there!