I am so thrilled to be a contributor to The Sparkle Spot – Ebony Sparkle’s blog on her site Sparkling Events & Designs. Ebony hosts the super-fun Designer’s Challenge series where party pros plan a themed event using just $100. Definitely a fun blog and I’m in great company with the other guest contributors – please check it out.

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So today, I have a post up over at Ebony’s about turning trash into treasure — specifically, into favor boxes. And here at Double the Fun Parties, I’ll be sharing the full tutorials this week and on Monday. Up first: takeout containers.

Here is my before shot:

I saved four of these containers after a trip to the American Girl Bistro. (A really fun afternoon with your daughter if you have a store locally.) Just wash out your container, and make a coffee filter flower and tag for the top. Here’s how.

Supplies

Takeout container (could be any size or shape, as long as it’s plastic)

Coffee filters

Pipe cleaners

Hot glue

Thank you stamp

Stamping ink

Food coloring

Scallop punch

Hole punch or scissors

1/4″ ribbon

(I had everything I needed for this project in my pantry, except the “thank you” stamp, which was on sale, so the cost was about $2.50!)

Instructions

1 – Make your coffee filter flowers. I modified this tutorial from Little Birdie Secrets. I didn’t need a stem, so I used a pipe cleaner to hold together my filters. I used six filters in my flowers. Once your petals are all attached to your pipe cleaner, scrunch them up and together. Turn on your oven to 350 degrees and have a cookie sheet standing by.

2 - I dyed the petals by dipping the edge of the flower in watered down food coloring. Choose any color you like. I used five red drops to create a pink flower. More drops = more intense color.

3 – Add about half a cup of water. This will help the color travel up your flower petals.

4 – Dip the edges of your flower and keep them in the water until the color has traveled up your flower. This takes about a minute. If you want more intense color, just hold the petals in your dye longer. This is what my flower looked like just before I pulled it out of the dye.

5 – Gently open up your flower and place it pipe cleaner down on your cookie sheet. Bake it to dry the petals, for about 10 minutes. Watch this closely. When you pull it out of the oven, let it cool. Then, crush the flower and re-fluff.

6 - I used a “thank you” stamp to create the tag (also from a coffee filter). You could use card stock, but the coffee filter created a look more in keeping with the flower.

7 – Let your stamp dry. Then, punch out your tag. The filter didn’t punch out cleanly, but I liked the kind-of organic, soft look.

8 – I used a hole punch to create a slot for the ribbon. You could also just cut a small slit with scissors.

9 – Add ribbon to the tag and hot glue it to the center bottom of the flower.

10 – Slather more hot glue across the bottom of your flower and apply it the lid of your container.

And here’s your finished container! If you try this, I’d love to see your photos!