Cute miniature polka dot lanterns strung in a garland are a great way to add color and a festive mood to any event or party! The secret is tissue paper. And the best reason to use tissue paper–it’s available in almost any color.

You will need: tissue paper, 1″ circle punch, 3.5″ mini paper lanterns, Mod Podge

1 – For each lantern you will need to 1) assemble your lantern, and 2) punch out 12 1″ circles from the tissue paper.

2 – Gently glue the tissue paper onto your lantern with the modge podge. Evenly space your circles with three rows of dots – 4 on the top, 4 in the middle, and 4 dots on the bottom row.

Styling and photography by Sara Schmultz. 

There’s gold in these hills! Introduce your kids to the old time fun of panning for gold. Make faux gold nuggets by painting aquarium gravel with gold metallic spray paint. If you’re doing this activity at home you can fill a kiddie pool with sand, water and gold nuggets and let the kids sift through with old pie tins. If you’re traveling to the lake, just sprinkle some gold nuggets on the shore. Make your own bags to give each child to hold their gold nuggets. Print out this “gold rush” image onto inkjet iron-on transfer paper and iron it onto a muslin bag. After everyone has had a chance to strike it rich, let them trade their gold for goods at the trading post. Happy prospecting.

Photos and graphic design ©One Charming Party.

Road Trip Kit. Even if you aren’t going on an official summer vacation (or if you’re back from vacation and your kids are using the “b” word–bored), unplug and take a break from electronics. Fill your kids’ packs with fun things to keep them busy and exploring outside. Some things might include: first aid kit, car games, coonskin cap, field notes, flashlight, Charlie Harper coloring book of birds, deck of cards, mad libs, yo yo, and a poison ivy id card. And of course don’t forget to give them a camera and a good book.

Photos and graphic design ©One Charming Party.

In case you missed this cute idea from last summer: chocolate dipped mini ice cream cones. Perfect for serving up cones at birthday parties, when your kids just want some ice cream, or when you have extra kids at your house. Only a small serving per person, so it doesn’t  matter if they come back for seconds. Less mess and less waste–for those kids whose eyes are bigger than their stomachs.

For a little bit of a twist, melt some chocolate in the microwave and dip the tops of your cones in the melted chocolate. Then dip into the sprinkles of your choice. Everyone will feel like they’re at the ice cream shoppe and you’ll feel like a star.

Photos ©One Charming Party.