Active Hosting & Entertaining Posts
News: Inventing the Universe With Cookie Dough
Christoph Niemann kneads up some whimsical holiday cheer for his New York Times feature Abstract City.
How To: Organize an Oktoberfest Party
If you’re planning to hold a party this October, what better event to model your event after than Oktoberfest? The German beer festival began in Bavaria, Germany in 1810 to celebrate a royal marriage. Since then, it has been celebrated annually by millions of attendees these past decades and has spread throughout the world. Of course, Oktoberfest would not come to be without the beer.
How To: Manage Your Time Planning a Scavenger Hunt
When you're aiming to set up a scavenger hunt, you might be pondering how much time frame you are committing oneself to. It's a great thought, and one which does not have a single size that matches everyone's resolution. But this unique guideline will furnish the facts you need so that you can figure out just how long implementing a scavenger hunt or clue hunt will take. You might want to be aware of a small amount with regards to which variety of quest you are preparing. Is it a common scave...
How To: Prep for Burning Man festival
Here are some camping and party tips for you would-be burners out there. Be prepared for some serious excitement around the water truck.
How To: Apply Pinhead from HellRaiser Halloween makeup
Want to go as Pinhead from Hell Raiser for Halloween or your next themed party? This clip shows you how you can do a convincing make-up with little money and a lot of free time.
How To: Make a working Ezio from Assassin's Creed hidden blade out of Knex
The hidden blade from Assassin' Creed is a super fun weapon to use, and Ezio a very distinctive and cool idea for a Halloween costume. IF you've come to the same conclusions, watch this video to learn how to make a DIY working hidden blade out of Knex that will not get you arrested, hopefully.
How To: Write a Wedding Invitation
How to Write a Wedding Invitation The wording you use for your wedding invitation is very important. Follow these steps to help ensure that your invite is as formal as the big day.
How To: Make a costume of the Michael Jackson "Jam" suit with the bandoleers
While the song might have come out a little past Michael's prime, the video for "Jam" featured one of his classic looks, with the bandoleers of bullets around his shoulders and waist. Watch this video to learn how to start making a DIY Halloween costume of this classic outfit.
How To: Make Valentine's Day Memorable with 5 Cheap, Lazy and Last Minute Ideas
Make this Valentine's Day one to remember! Well... because you forgot. But don't worry, you can still make that heart pitter-patter for your love by saving face and getting some last minute Valentine gift ideas on the cheap. There's no reason to shop at Hallmark or buy expensive jewelery—just use your heartwarming ingenuity to make those cheeks blush.
How To: Melt broken crayons to make heart-shaped crayons for Valentine's Day
Broken crayons kind of suck. They make it hard for you to stuff all your crayons back into your crayon box uniformly, plus then you have to ditch the wrapper and it all looks like a mess.
How To: Craft a pretty jordan almond flower wedding favor
Jordan almonds are muy delicious, so why not treat your wedding guests to a yummy treat by giving them jordan almonds as wedding favors? And we're not just talking about the normal, boring route of placing a bunch in bags and tying them with a ribbon.
How To: Craft a ribbon butterfly favor box for your wedding
Weddings are super expensive these days and can cost as much as a new car - seriously. The average wedding costs about $27,000, so you want to save money where you can, right?
How To: Craft a sparkling crystal tree wedding table centerpiece
Modern weddings can be expensive. Old-time weddings could be held outside barns with simple stools found around the house for seating and the bride would wear a dress passed down along generations of women from her family.
How To: Construct a beautiful flower and bow diaper cake
This video is a tutorial on how to make a diaper cake. The cake is not edible. To begin, you will need a pack of diapers and rubber bands. Roll up the diapers from the waist down and secure them with the rubber bands. Put several rubber bands around a bottle of wine and secure the diapers in tiers around the bottle of wine. Cover each tier with tissue paper before adding the next one. Wrap each tier in blankets. Top off the cake with a can of formula wrapped in a decorate blanket. At this poi...
How To: Make a balloon cloud party decoration
Balloon clouds make great decorations for any party. Watch this how to video and learn how to make a balloon cloud for your upcoming party or wedding. Balloon clouds are a simple and fun party decoration that your can create fairly quickly.
How To: Fold an origami napkin swan for a lavish dinner presentation
Nothing decorates a dinner table better than a napkin swan. It's cute and it makes dinnertime feel like a celebratory event. So, if you want to learn how to make a napkin swan, just follow the folding instructions in the video. Follow along and see what your napkin swan looks like!
How To: Make a balloon arch for your kid's circus birthday
Make a balloon arch for you kid's circus themed birthday party. You'll have more fun than you ever imagined when you create this circus-themed birthday party for your kids!
How To: Enjoy New Year's Eve Fireworks Anywhere & Anyway Possible
For most people, New Year's Eve means watching the ball drop in Times Square. It means celebrating the New Year with friends and family. Countdown parties, clocks, confetti... passing out before the clock strikes midnight because you drank too much. But there's one more thing, and it's something we usually only see one other time each year— fireworks.
How To: Make a Star of David with popsicle sticks
Celebrate your Jewish heritage this holiday season by creating a Star of David with this easy instructional video. Make a Star of David by following along with this easy instructional video. Materials needed to complete this project include blue paint, a paint brush, ribbon, popsicle sticks and a glue gun.
How To: Celebrate 2011 with These Fun New Year's Eve Party Ideas
Want to celebrate New Year's Eve, but haven't a clue how to do so? Maybe some of these New Year's Eve pa
News: Holiday Greetings from Zero Gravity
The crew from NASA's International Space Station wish planet Earth a heartwarming Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. (Check out flight engineer Cady Coleman's hair. Zero gravity is awesome.) For the nostalgic, the legendary Apollo 8, the first manned mission to the Moon, wishes the world Merry Christmas in s live television broadcast from lunar orbit, December 1968:
How To: Celebrate Festivus 2010 - The Seinfeld Anti-Christmas Holiday
Forget Christmas, it's all about Festivus these days. But what is Festivus? When is Festivus?
How To: Play several different variations of the White Elephant party game
The White Elephant gift exchange is a popular game to play at holiday parties, and there are several variations to the rules. This vidoe gives you a quick description of each, so you can decide which version is the best for your own party.
How To: Create a retro mod tablescape for the holiday season
Whether you're going for a Mad Men theme this holiday season, or just like the retro mod look, this tutorial is for you. Create a tablescape that looks like it came straight out of the Sixties using these tips and hints.
HowTo: Make a Mini Mug-Perching Gingerbread House
If you're looking for a last minute holiday project, try Not Martha's widely popular mini mug-perching gingerbread houses. Super cute, the project came out last holiday season, and this year Howcast offers alternative instructions for those who prefer to learn by video.
How To: Dress up your poinsettia with golden fabric wrap
Chances are you will have a poinsettia plant in your house before the end of the holiday season, whether it's due to them being on sale at the local grocery store or you receiving them as a hostess gift.
How To: Decorate your table top like an interior designer for the holidays
With Christmas coming up in a little more than a week, it's prime time to start thinking about how you'll be adorning your holiday table. While we know you're probably focused on getting together the perfect menu, what good is sumptuous turkey and beautiful sugar cookies if they're arranged messily on the table?
How To: Host a holiday party in a small house or apartment
Living in a small space doesn't mean you have to forego hosting a holiday get together! This tutorial gives you some great tips on how you can not only host a party in a small house or apartment, but how you can do it on a budget, too.
How To: Make a dreidel to celebrate Hanukkah
This season, teach your kids all about the fun side of Hanukkah with a homemade dreidel. In this video, you'll be shown how to make a dreidel with some simple art supplies. All you need is polymer clay, glue, scissors and some posterboard.
How To: Make your own festive sprig of mistletoe at home
If you're planning on hosting a holiday party this year, you can't not have mistletoe hanging from a convenient doorway! This tutorial shows you how you can make your own festive sprig mistletoe out of artificial plants and some Christmas ribbon.
News: When to Ship Your Holiday Packages: Deadline Cheat Sheet
Alleviate your holiday shopping stress with this handy shipping deadline cheat sheet. It's all about organization (or the willingness to shell out extra for speedy delivery rates).
How To: Create a festive green and silver holiday table centerpiece
One of our favorite parts about the holidays is the decorating. There's nothing that makes you feel moer Christmasy than waking up on Christmas morning to the fresh scent of pine from your glittering Christmas tree and garland swags adorning every doorway.
How To: Gift wrap a t-shirt if you don't have a box
If you find yourself running out of boxes with piles of clothes still left to wrap, have no fear. Just watch this tutorial and follow along as you're shown how to gift wrap t-shirts with pretty wrapping paper and ornaments. You'll amaze with your pretty wrapping paper skills.
How To: Shop for fun and meaningful Hanukkah presents
If you're looking for some good ideas on what to get your friends, family and loved ones this Hanukkah season, check out this video that lists several creative and inexpensive ideas, such as a personalized dreidel platter or personalized menorah labels.
How To: Set up outdoor Christmas lights on your roof using C9s
You can create a really beautiful set up on your home using C9 bulbs. Line your roof line or accentuate your gables, and you can customize the lights as you wish. Use multicolored bulbs, and always be careful when splicing your wire. Set up outdoor Christmas lights on your roof using C9s.
How To: Make a snowy DIY centerpiece using artificial snow
By using fake snow, you can create a lovely and festive snowy centerpiece. In addition to the snow, you will also need some candles, pine cones and nuts to round out the decoration. Best of all, the artificial snow is biodegradable!
How To: Make festive votives out of ice, leaves, and fruit
This is a very simple technique you can use to light your walkway. You will need several used soda container with the tops cut off, a few poinsettia leaves or frozen cranberries, distilled water, plastic cups, rocks and small votive candles.
How To: Wrap an oddly-shaped present
If you've ever experienced the frustration that comes with wrapping a gift that doesn't fit neatly into a box, then this video is for you. You won't need much else besides the usual - scissors, wrapping paper, tape, and some ribbon.
How To: Make a layered cookie recipe jar as a holiday gift
This is a wonderful gift to give away for the holidays! Find a clear glass jar and the ingredients for your favorite cookie. Gently layer all your ingredients in the jar, and then attach a recipe tag to the neck.
How To: Make a monogrammed gourd as a fall or winter craft decoration
By adding a little paint and a monogram to a gourd, you can create a unique and personalized gift! Aside from the gourd, you will need some acrylic paint in several colors and some rub on monograms or lettering stencils.