Looking for some pretty ways to show your patriotism this Independence Day? Well, thank your lucky stars and stripes, because Elfster has a handful of helpful hints. This weekend, we’re celebrating the land of the free by rounding-up a few complimentary party-planning ideas to help make your Fourth of July sparkle.

Take a look at these great tips and tutorials from our favorite holiday events bloggers, and feel free to join the blog party by adding your own ideas and links!

Pretty Printables- Sparkler Holders

Porch Decoration- Patriotic Bunting

Party Favors – Let Freedom “Ring”

3D Cookie Cupcakes- Tutorial

Berry Lemon Napoleon- Dessert Recipe

Polka Dot Tablescape

Star Medallion- Tutorial

Pennant Banner Printables

Pie Decoration and Party Ideas

Tee-Shirt Pom-Poms- Tutorial

Strawberry Shortcake Popsicles

Red, White and Blue Kabobs

Confetti Popper Rockets- Tutorial

Photo credits: Lisa Storms , Simply Creative Insanity

Friday the 13^th isn’t just about avoiding ladders and knocking on wood. (That stuff is mere “Child’s Play”, if you ask us!) No, this day is the perfect excuse to dust off the culinary cobwebs and revisit some sinfully sweet Halloween treats.

Though you might be hesitant to go anywhere near the kitchen on such a notoriously unlucky day, here are a few recipes from our favorite food bloggers for those of you willing to tempt fate.

1. Ghost Crepe Cupcakes

2. Owl-Ween Treats

3. Meringue Bone Cookies

4. Black Cat Cookies

5. Gingerbread Skeleton Cookies

6. Silhouette Cookies

7. Spider Web Shortbread

8. Owl Cookies

9. Mini Ghost Cupcakes

10. Gingerbread Sandwich Bats

11. Spooky Sugar Cookies

12. Mini Cookie Cut-Outs

13. Nutter Butter Ghosts

Photo Credits: Cupcake Project , Celebrations at Home

Tonight, we throw a season-end soiree to rival Mrs. Claus’s bachelorette party! In celebration of a Christmas well-done, the Elf Week Glitter Gala will honor our new initiates for their hard work and dedication. Newcomers will be officially inducted into the Christmas Club, enjoying bottomless eggnog drafts and all-you-can-eat cookie dough hors d’oeuvres (served raw, of course).

But just because the Holidays are over doesn’t mean you can’t keep the seasonal spirit alive!  New Year’s is just around the corner, so we recommend you take a look at these handy articles for your own party-planning pleasure!

• Selecting a Venue: Bonjour Events’ Dinner Planning Advice

• Eggcelent Eggnog Alternatives

• Tickled Pink Cocktails

But those can wait!  Let’s get back to the party…

Glitter Gala Highlights

At a great gig like the Glitter Gala, every elf is a winner! Here are some of the perks enjoyed by our new elf inductees:

• Official “Santa’s Helper” uniform

• A pair of the pointiest shoes on the planet

• Occasional use of the Company Sleigh

• Full health benefits, including: Frostbite insurance and full Ear-Care coverage

• Commemorative Christmas ornament

• Free cookies for life

• The privilege to experience Elf Week all over again next year!

Happiest of Holidays, everyone!

Photo credits: George Deputee ,  Pink Sherbet Photography

This year, finding eye-catching, affordable Christmas ornaments doesn’t have to feel like searching for the Eternal Fountain of Eggnog. (Oh, it’s out there…)  But an easy, natural solution to tree trimming is as close as nearest the produce section!

We admit, sometimes the “smell of Christmas” can be about as subtle as a dip in a vat of aftershave, and the hunt for a more muted fragrance can be equally daunting.

That’s why when we came across this project from younghouselove.com, we couldn’t wait to show you their simple solution!

If you’re as excited about the Elf Week Glitter Gala as we are, you’re probably spinning garland in anticipation at this very moment. But with homemade dried citrus ornaments, you’ll get the added benefit of aromatically accenting that Christmas tree smell without overpowering it.

Here’s how…

• Cut citrus (lemons, limes or oranges ) into quarter-inch slices.

• Bake in oven on a cookie sheet for 2-3 hours at 225 to 250 degrees, checking often to be sure nothing’s burning. It helps to crack the oven door from time to time to release a bit of the built-up heat to encourage drying as opposed to singeing.

• When fully dried, remove from the oven and cool.

• Place on silver ornament hooks and hang. Arrange the ornaments about an inch in front of the individual bulbs of your tree lights for a pretty “glowing” effect.

There you have it! Natural ornaments with a refreshing subtle scent for your holiday home.

Photos and instructions courtesy of: younghouselove.com

We know your egg timer is counting down the minutes to the Elf Week “Rookies n’ Milk Marathon”, so now is the perfect time to start training with some savory sweets.

To help you pre-heat, we’re giving you a list of Santa’s all-time favorite cookie recipes from around the globe. He knows a thing or two about dessert, so thanks to some great international food bloggers, here are the Claus’s “Top 10” picks:

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Crumb roll, please…

• Raspberry, Olive Oil and Thyme Shortbread (Great Britain)

• Meringue and Raspberry Baskets “Korzinki” (Ukraine)

• Ma’moul Cookies (Lebanon)

• Chocolate-Dipped Palmieres (France)

• Almond Cookies (China)

• Alfajores (Nicaragua)

• Nutmeg Tea Cookies (Indonesia)

• Hamantaschen (Israel)

• Sweet Potato Cookies (Liberia)

• Amaretti (Italy)

With these international favorites on the plate, Santa is sure to stop by your place first this year!

Photo credits: Steven Depolo, The British Larder, Foodista, Global Cookies, Gourmet Traveller 88

We love how PubliQue Living transforms plain sheets of recycled paper into charming table pieces for every occasion. (Check out the products on their website.) But in the Pilgrim spirit of “making do,” this Thanksgiving, we just had to try the idea ourselves… DIY-style!

We armed Intern Steph with some Bristol Paper and an X-Acto knife, and told her to re-create the Mayflower for our Thanksgiving table… After a good cry, she got right to work and this was the result!

Say what you will of her historical accuracy (or the judiciousness of giving an intern a knife), we think Stephanie did the pilgrims proud on this one, and here’s how you can create your own!

Materials:

• Large sheet of bristol paper or poster board
• X-acto knife
• Pencil
• Silhouette drawing or clip-art

Instructions:

First, draw or trace a simple line rendering onto your canvas, using your imagination or clip-art. Position the image somewhere around the corner of the page, an inch or two from each edge.

When creating your image, be sure to account for “negative space” by drawing closed, polygonal shapes within the overall outline.

Next, carefully use your X-acto to cut out these interior shapes, little by little, with a cutting board underneath.

After the interior shapes have all been removed, trace the overall outline with your X-acto, leaving the image’s bottom horizontal line uncut.

Finally, fold the image upward (along the bottom horizontal line) to bring your pop-up to life!

Well snap out of it! Halloween is no time to neglect your friends, or your crafting either. You’ve got no time to waste going to the store to buy more candy and party supplies, so you’ll have to make do with the bare essentials…

Don’t just stand there! Grab that old pad of construction paper, and find some scissors and tape, pronto! Today we’re making decorative fun-sized candy bags. Even though you still have a tummy ache, and your tongue has yet to return to its original color, with these cute little favors, your guests might just overlook your stinginesss with the sweets!

Directions:

1.  Cut a standard sheet of construction paper in half, lengthwise.

2.  Fold the longer two sides inward to meet at the middle of the page.

3.  Make a fold (inward) at about 4.5 inches from the edge of the page, on each end.

4.  Cut the paper on the four creases created in the middle, stopping at the edge of the folds.

5.  Glue or tape the outer edges of each side together.

There you have it. You now have your very own miniature party favor bag, in any festive color that you want! Think of it as a blank canvas. Now, using more construction paper, you can customize the bag to look like just about any Halloween character imaginable.

For our motley crew, we created an owl, a mummy, a bat and, of course, Frankenstein. But the possibilities are endless. This Halloween, if you want to save your guests a trip to the dentist, give them these bite-sized party bags. (And enjoy the extra treats ’til Turkey Day!)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

makes 12 muffins

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice mix (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and lining a muffin pan with liners. In a large bowl, mix together the almond milk, vegetable oil, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract until smooth. In a different bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix to combine, and add in the chocolate chips. Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix together until combined, but don’t over work it! Spoon the batter into the muffin pan and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Photo and recipe: Another One Bites the Crust

The wine duo includes a bottle each of Andretti 2006 Montona Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Andretti 2003 Montona Reserve Zinfandel Port (375ml), marked down over 50% when purchased as a pair! They hail from the legendary Napa Valley, on Mario Andretti and Joe Antonini’s Old World Italian vineyard. The Sauvignon marries notes of blackberry, cassis, rhubarb and cranberry, while the limited edition Zinfandel Port captures dark chocolate, blackberry and caramel.

Photo courtesy of Andretti Winery

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Pop open a bottle and sit back with these custom hand-painted wine glasses! Providing an alternative to generic wine glasses, HuePhoria offers hand-blown, hand-painted, dishwasher safe stemware with a unique painted ball design. Your guests will never lose track of which glass is theirs from now on! They offer a grand selection of wine and martini glasses, salt and pepper shakers, and decorative ornaments as well!

Photo courtesy of HuePhoria

Note: This post includes products provided to us by the brands and/or their representatives.