Toddler Valentine Basket Ideas (On A Budget!)

While I was browsing the Valentine section at Target, I got the bright idea to make a Valentine’s day basket for my daughter, Hailey. I know that a Valentine basket technically isn’t a thing, but I love holidays and will take any excuse to celebrate. I started to ponder what I would put in my basket, and I was pretty bummed that I thought of the idea as we were essentially leaving the store. So, I made a list and decided to go back and grab what I needed another time (you know… before the inevitable meltdown began). I knew that I wanted my basket to be Valentine-themed, but I didn’t want to waste money on cheap crap or novelty items that she would only use for a day. This momma is on a budget and every purchase counts. So, I filled up Hailey’s basket with a few items that were fun, but could be used year round. Pretty much everything came from either Dollar Tree or Target!

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Here’s what I put in my Toddler Valentine Basket:

Red and pink snacks- Since Hailey is only 16 months old, I didn’t want to fill her basket with chocolates or candy. So, I grabbed some of her fave snacks and some new ones for her to try. She loved it and wanted her pouches and yogurt bites right away!

One stuffed animal- She’s not big on stuffed toys, so I grabbed this monkey from the dollar tree. She’s having a monkey moment since she knows how to make the sounds!

Bubbles- Hailey LOVES bubbles, so this big pack from the dollar store was perfect for her basket!

Toddler paint and paint brushes- I love to paint, so I decided to get a wooden heart from the Dollar Tree and some paints to go along with it. I can’t wait to paint with her again- we haven’t done it since she was a tiny baby!

Hershey Kisses- I had to give her some kind of chocolate! It’s a Valentine’s Day tradition. And what’s sweeter than a kiss?

Crayola Bath Items- I found these paint soaps at the dollar tree and I thought they would be a fun addition. At first she was very confused and even got mad at us for putting the paint soap on her! After a few tries, she realized she loved them and kept asking for more paint.

Valentine Book- Hailey loves the Halloween version of this book, so I decided to get her the Valentine version too! We’ve been reading it at night and she seems to like it.

Valentine Basket- This was actually something I had laying around the house if you can believe it! I was going to buy a basket but I figured I’d save the money. I have plenty at home I can use! Maybe next year (or for an older child) it would make sense to get a basket just for this- especially for a kid that likes to play with them.

Well, that’s all there is to it! There are so many items that you can add to a basket for your kids. You just need to be creative and think about what they like! Pick 2-3 colors for your basket that you’d like to stick to and it’ll be perfectly pretty. Or, just grab their favorite items and make it a “love” basket- you know, full of things they LOVE!

What would you put in your child’s basket? Let me know in the comments below!

Hailey's Faves: Best Books for a One-Year Old

Ok mommas, you know the drill- babies need bedtime stories and you need something that doesn’t bore you to tears after reading it 3,645 times. A lot of books you end up getting at your baby shower are way too long to keep baby’s attention. Or, maybe you’re just looking for something new that your toddler will love and hopefully won’t make YOU fall asleep while reading. Either way, I’ve got you covered! After 16 months of books, I’ve found a few that Hailey loves to read over and over again- and, I think your little guy or girl will love it too!

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These are all the books I practically have memorized but still love to read anyway. I’ve also shared more about them, including why I like them so much! They're in color order, because we all know I love a good rainbow to organize things.

1. Mommies are Amazing This book is filled with cats and their kittens and talks about all the amazing things mom can do! We are a cat-loving family, so this is one of our faves. There’s also a dad version that features dogs, if you prefer!

2. My Mom is Magical Another fave! Personally, I love all the amazing drawings in this book. The words are different than the typical book, featuring phrases like my mom is “sillier than a band of bananas” with matching drawings that are equally as silly and elaborate. Again, there’s also a dad version called My Dad Is Amazing which is equally adorable and funny, but Hailey prefers the mom version.

3. Toes, Ears & Nose! A Lift the Flap Book This is a newer book that we purchased using a gift card from Hailey’s first bday party, but it’s quickly become a favorite for her. She loves moving the flaps to see what’s behind! There is a whole collection of books in this series, so try the affordable box set to get more bang for your buck- and fun for your baby!

4. Where’s Boo? Although this is a Halloween book, it’s one of Hailey’s faves. She loves to “knock” on the door to reveal the final page. I just got her the Valentine version too, so hopefully we can keep the fun going year round! I like that this book is a quick read, but also love seeing her “knock” for Boo at the end.

5. Feminist Baby We got this book as a gift for my baby shower, and it’s really fun! Hailey loves the baby in the book, since she’s on most of the pages. Personally I find the words and phrases funny and I like the message behind them. Hailey also loves the sequel Feminist Baby Finds Her Voice. Her favorite page is “Feminist Baby says ‘ba’ for her bottle” and she always says “ba” as soon as she sees it! There’s also a boy version, but I think the other two are fairly gender neutral even though feminist baby is a girl.

6. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? This story itself isn’t the most interesting for me. However, the sliders make it really fun for baby. I remember when Hailey was really small, she figured it out and it made me want to cry with pride. It makes up for the fact that the story itself is insanely repetitive. Also, she likes to kiss the teacher and students sometimes which is pretty cute. Plus, it’s a classic!

7. The Wonderful Things You’ll Be I love the amazing pictures in this book. The message is really sweet and it has a foldout that Hailey loves to look at! Plus, it’ll grow with your baby as they get older.

8. A Parade of Animals This was one of Hailey’s favorite books, although she seems to have outgrown it a bit at this point. But, it covers a bunch of animals plus counting so I figure she’ll get back into it soon!

9. Alphaprints ABC This book is pretty cool because it has textured animals made with fingerprints! I like to feel the textured book (I can’t be the only one!) and Hailey likes to point at all the misc materials that are used to make the animals.

10. Disney Bunnies All Ears This book isn’t particularly interesting, but it has moveable ears. The best part is that Hailey figured out how to move the ears and was able to match the story on her own! She likes it because it’s interactive and essentially a stuffed animal.

11. Good Night, Little One This book is short and sweet, and teaches your baby all their various body parts (and animals) through good night kisses. I like to touch the parts of her that the book references (good night nose, good night head) and I also teach her about the animals. She now makes monkey noises when we get to the monkey and gorilla pages! There are some other similar books by the same author, like this one and this one.

12. My First Book of Things To Learn Although Hailey doesn't actually interact with the book the way it’s meant to (it’s kind of a matching game in a book) she does enjoy all the pictures. There’s different sections, like matching animals to their sounds and baby animals to their parents. It’s definitely something that will grow with her, although right now it’s more of just a picture book!

I don’t know when my little baby became a big girl, but here we are. These pictures almost look like picture day pictures! The kind you’d get in school with a fake background of books, haha. She loves to pull them out and read them, so I’m glad she has so many that she can grab and look at! You can find more details about her room and how I organized her nursery here.

These are some of my favorite books (and Hailey’s!) but I’m always looking for new suggestions! What books are a favorite in your household? Let me know in the comments below!

My Baby Photo Essentials

When I first started taking photos of my daughter, Hailey, I wasn’t sure where to start. The truth is, taking pictures of a baby can be difficult since they can’t sit up, pose, smile, or generally cooperate. So, while my process was a lot of trial and error, I figured not everyone needed to go that route! So, I’ve rounded up my baby photo essentials, starting from newborn all the way to their cake smash session! Although you don’t need all of these items for a successful shoot, they will be helpful. You might even find items around your house that you can use!

For newborns:

Heater- newborns get really cold, especially since a lot of their photos involve being nude or barely dressed! You should invest in a heater for the photo session, which you can also use if it’s cold. We have a Dyson heater/fan, which we keep in Hailey’s room for the winter. It’s perfect for setting to a reasonable temperature (for us, it’s 75) and it comes on when the room goes below that temp. For newborn sessions, keep the heater high and closely to ensure baby stays warm and cozy.

Butterfly Pillow- Newborn babies can be a little “mushy” so one of these pillows will help you pose baby so that they look cute!

Donut Pillow- Ditto for this one, except it’s also perfect for putting inside a basket. You can adjust all the mini pillows inside too!

Swaddles- Swaddles are perfect for keeping baby in position, staying warm, and being comfortable so they don’t wake up. You can get a set of knit wraps or a few of these swaddles for your photos so that baby looks nice and “dressy”. As an alternative, you can use lacy or patterned fabric for swaddles. Check your local fabric store for something fun! Just make sure it’s soft and pre-washed for baby’s sensitive skin.

Fur Blanket- Give your photos some fun texture with a fur blanket! This will help your photo look “warm”, even when baby’s sitting around naked.

Basket- perfect for keeping baby in position and having some visual interest in the photo! There are tons of options and I’d recommend hitting your local Target or Home Goods for affordable options!

All ages

White blanket- This is my favorite backdrop for photos! I have a large blanket that’s probably full or queen size that I use to cover my headboard, lay on the floor, etc. It’s wrinkle resistant and easy to wash, which makes it perfect for photos!

Stepstool- If you want to take photos of baby laying down, you could use a bit of height! This step stool is SUPER light but also very sturdy. Perfect for taking around the house and being super safe while you’re at it! I fell off a chair and fractured my toe, so I don’t recommend using one for pics. Get a step stool. Better safe than sorry!

Boppy- you probably have one of these pillows already for nursing or bottle feeding baby, but they make perfect photo props! You can use them for tummy time pics, to let baby lounge, or to help them sit up in photos. There are so many uses!

Monthly Blanket- this is a really easy way to have consistent milestone photos plus it provides a nice backdrop for your pics. There are tons of different cute options for every style!

Monthly Milestone Markers- Use these to easily distinguish how old baby is! You can get stickers, wood markers, or even blocks!

Photo Equipment

A Great Camera- You can definitely use your phone for your pictures, but I would highly recommend getting a camera if you’ve been on the fence! I personally have the older version of this Canon EOS Rebel (mine is the T6) but this newer one has such great features! Touchscreen is a newer feature, plus this set includes a remote which means super easy shooting if you want to do some family portraits on timer mode!

Lightroom/Photoshop - these are my go-to apps for photo editing! You can do so much with these apps for only $10/month. If you want a more budget friendly option, try the LR phone app! It has tons of free features.

Tripod-  Perfect for taking photos with your baby! If you want to try and take your own photos, I would highly recommend this tripod! It folds up really small, plus you can tilt the head so that you can take landscapes or portraits! It's light, compact and folds up small. It's perfect for taking on the go and storing in a closet when it's not in use. This is the exact one I use for my photos!

Phone Tripod Mount- If you want to attach your phone on this tripod, you'll need a special adapter. I use this one, which does the trick! You just swap out the head it comes with and then expand it for your phone. The great part is that it's adjustable, so you can use anyone's phone. I'd recommend checking the measurements if you have a newer iPhone though. Those things just keep getting bigger and bigger, so I'm not sure if this particular one will get big enough.

Mini Tripod- If you want a tiny tripod for a tabletop or even easier portability, try this one! I haven't used this one personally, but it had great reviews on Amazon. I'm considering getting one myself, especially since I like to take videos of Hailey doing cute stuff. She always stops when she sees me holding the camera, so with this I can go into stealth mode! If you want something more affordable, try this one instead.

Box Lights- These are a bit of an investment, but I honestly can't recommend them enough! I use them for practically all my blog photos and occasionally whip them out when the lighting isn't ideal for portraits. Another option is these umbrella lights, which aren't quite as bright. Both of them fold up super tiny and can take up just a corner of a closet! It's actually pretty remarkable how mighty yet tiny they are. Just a note that these won't make a dark room bright, but they will assist in compensating when the room just isn't bright enough for a good picture.

Ring Light- These are perfect for low light situations. Full disclosure- I’ve never used one, but I know a lot of people have great luck with them. For the love of all that is holy, don’t blind your child with flash! You should never use flash- it’s just not flattering at all.

Cake Smash

Once your baby turns a year old, you may want to do a cake smash! These are so much fun and there are so many ideas on the internet (especially Pinterest!) that will help you decide on a theme. I’ve got a blog post all about my cake smash I did with Hailey, including what I used for it! No fancy lights or even a backdrop required! You can check that out here.

Once I started taking my own photos, I realized the importance of having the right equipment to be able to take the best pictures possible. Taking these photos helped me to feel more connected to my baby, and break up the monotony of the day!

DIY Cake Smash (& Milk Bath) Photoshoot

Last week, Hailey turned one year old! It was a rough week because she had a cold or was teething, poor thing! There was one day that she was feeling slightly better, so I decided this was the day to do her cake smash session. You see, I had originally had these grand ideas of setting up a backdrop indoors, adding all this colorful stuff behind her, creating an amazing cake topper and making it an experience. However, life is what happens when you’re busy making plans. So, I took what I could get and figured if she was feeling slightly better right now, this was the time to do the cake smash pics!

Hailey was in a pretty good mood until I left her to set up the cake smash. By the time I was done setting up (which by the way I did in a super fast manner and totally different than my original plan) she was completely snotty nosed and red in the face. Instead of playing with all her toys in the playpen, she decided that she wanted to cry because she kept seeing me walk by her and not actually interact with her. All this to say, it doesn’t have to be perfect when you’re setting up your shoot. All that matters is that you get it done and have those memories to cherish. I could’ve given up in that moment, because let’s let’s face it I was READY to. But I kept it on, lived to tell the tale, and decided to share what I learned because it really isn’t as hard as it looks. I was even able to throw in a bonus milk bath photoshoot afterwards!

Setting Up For Your DIY Cake Smash Photoshoot

For starters, you’ll want to find a well-lit spot for your cake smash session to happen. Things can get really messy, so make sure that it’s somewhere that you don’t mind getting dirty. Doing it on your carpet would not be wise unless you have a tarp or plastic tablecloth of some sort to protect it. I have a backdrop stand that I was planning to use, but as I had mentioned there was no time for such shenanigans! Because of this, I took a look around my home (which by the way, was dark because it was cloudy and not the day I planned to take the pictures originally) and then took a look outside. I realized that taking the pictures outside would not only provide me with a natural backdrop stand ( the fence around our deck) but also had much better lighting than there was inside the house.

Lighting for Your Cake Smash Photoshoot

On that note, let’s talk about lighting. If you’re taking pictures outdoors you’ll want to make sure you do it either in a shady area or during golden hour, which is when the sun is going down. Make sure you don’t take the pictures right in the blinding sun, as your baby will be very cranky with the sun in their eyes and the pictures really won’t come out so good.

For indoor photos, keep the session near a window or a large sliding screen door. You want to find a room with the best lighting at that time of day so that the pictures come out as magical as possible. If your room is dark, your pictures may turn out OK with a cell phone or on automatic mode. However, when you go to edit them you’ll notice that they came out pretty grainy. That’s because your camera is struggling to find the light within a dark room. So, to avoid that, always find the best, most well-lit area for your photo shoot.

Cake Smash Backdrop

Next up is the backdrop. There are tons of options for what you can use as a backdrop. On Amazon you can find backdrops that you can purchase for this purpose, but very often those are filled with wrinkles. Make sure you reserve some time to remove them with a steamer or an iron. Personally, I absolutely loathe trying to get wrinkles out of things, especially the deep folds that always ends up on backdrops. For this reason, I would recommend either using a rolled-up vinyl backdrop (which you probably wouldn’t know unless you read the Amazon reviews or asked how it was shipped) or a paper backdrop. I have these at home and love them. Just know that as the baby is moving, the paper may end up with wrinkles or folds. If you have a very active child, this may not be your best choice. Another option is to use some fabric that you purchased at the store. But, I think the best way to do it is to use a tablecloth! For my pictures, I used a sequin tablecloth that I had on hand and I covered it with a piece of tulle that I had left over from trying to make a wedding veil and used at Hailey’s half birthday party. The tablecloth was the perfect length for the backdrop and added a little sparkle, while the tulle kind of diffused the shine and created a more matte surface that was less reflective. To prevent the backdrop from moving, I used backdrop clips that I had on hand and attached them to my deck railing. Then at the bottom, I used blocks from Hailey‘s baby shower. The wind was blowing and everything was flying up, so you want to make sure that everything is stuck in place so you don’t have to worry about it while you’re shooting. An important note to make, make sure that whatever you use to hold up the top part of the backdrop is not heavy. If your baby moves or pulls the tablecloth, you don’t want it to come crashing down on their head. It’s for that reason that I used a clip, but you could probably also use some other sort of clip like a hair clip, although it wouldn’t work as well. You could probably also tired up in someway with a knot, but I recommend investing in a pair of these clips as they’re the most effective route and won’t fall down. 

Cake Smash Cake

I had gone to the grocery store and picked up a cake, but it had this very ugly dark purple icing all around the top edge. I bought it because I wasn’t sure if I would have time to find a better cake or make one, but I knew I didn’t want the cake to look like that. So, I went to my local home goods which is right next to the grocery store and picked up small cake pans. I wasn’t sure what I’d have time to do because I intended to do her photo shoot earlier in the week. However, since Hailey was so sick I had a few extra days to create the cake. I ended up making a strawberry cake and just used box cake and premade icing to cover it. I used a flat spatula to smooth out the edges so that it didn’t look totally horrible. While I was going to BJ’s looking for Hailey’s birthday party cake, I noticed that they actually have a lot of small “cake smash” cakes that actually come in a variety of colors. I managed to get a pink one for her party, but this is a great alternative if your grocery store only has hideous cakes like mine did.

Cake Smash Cake Topper

The cake topper was another funny part of it. You see, I was so concerned about having the right cake that I forgot all about the topper! So, I was scrambling around the attic looking for the right craft supplies to very quickly make my own cake topper while she was still in a good mood. This was, of course, before she started being very upset with me. I may do a blog post on how to create the cake topper I made, but overall it was really simple. I used wooden skewers, wood balls and a fringe embellishment/ribbon that went across it. Then I used wooden letters that I glued on to spell her name. To add a little more sparkle, I added some paper punched glitter card stock and put those on toothpicks. To be honest, the smaller sparkly stuff was totally unnecessary, so I’d recommend skipping it altogether. As soon as the baby starts eating a cake, hand over fist, you won’t want to pokey things in there and you’re going to remove them. I’d recommend picking one great topper or keeping it towards the front of the cake, letting them really feast on the cake towards the back.

Cake Smash- The Little Details

Now let’s talk about the little details. I went to her closet and picked out a dress for the shoot. I knew that my cake did not have any dyes, so I wasn’t too worried about it having a lot of staining. Either way, I figured that this is probably not something she would wear every day and wasn’t too concerned about it getting messed up. If you are worried, you can just do a tutu with a necklace on top or an affordable dress. Another option is to add a cute bib that will protect her dress or his little outfit, but also matches the theme. So anything about cake or it being the baby’s birthday is ideal. Then, I added a little hat that came with Hailey’s birthday party outfit. You can purchase a similar one on Amazon or Etsy, or you can make your own crown. I knew I wanted a little extra color in the photo shoot, since the background was just silver with that light peach overlay. So, I grabbed a tassel garland that I had left over from Hailey‘s half birthday party. I also attached the garland by sticking it under those backdrop clips so that everything was kept together nicely with no risk of falling. I put Hailey‘s cake on a plastic plate, because I was worried about her possibly knocking over a cakestand and breaking it. However, she actually was fairly tame the whole time and probably could’ve been fine with a glass plate. Use your discretion on that one!

DIY Cake Smash Photos

Now that your scene is all set up, it’s time to commence the cake smashing! All that’s left to do stick your little baby at the back of the cake, grab your camera and get ready to take pictures. I recommend taking all sorts of angles and distances. For example, you want to take a picture of the cake before I get smashed, a picture of the baby with the cake before they smash it (if you can!) and then a picture of their full body. After that, you want to get in on some details. The little hands grabbing at the cake, the little foot covered in icing and cake, and their little mouth. Take all sorts of angles and get in on those little details! This is how you would have a nice, well rounded session. Try to make your baby smile, but also acknowledge that they may just be so into eating the cake they don’t even bother to look up at you. For my shoot, it was difficult because as soon as she saw the cake she was happily eating, although she still mad at me for having ignored her. Because of that, her face is still a little bit blotchy from the crying and I feel like her eyes say it all.

How to Edit Cake Smash Photos

Once you’ve taken your photos it’s time to edit them! I always say it but I’ll say it again, the magic is in the editing! I really want to make sure that you take the time to go in and edit your pictures. Pick out your favorites, And load them into your favorite editing program. My favorite is Lightroom (or the LR app),but you can also use a ColorStory, Snapseed or PicMonkey. From there, you want to do things like lift the shadows, add some brightness, and increase the vibrancy (if you like your photos bright and colorful like I do!). Then you want to export them from there and save them into a folder on your computer somewhere you can easily access them in the future.

DIY Milk Bath Photoshoot

After the cake smash, you can also do a really cute cleanup session! Keep everything set up as it is, just add a milk bath and a few flowers, fruit, toys or rubber duckies. I used warm water and heavy cream to get a nice, milky bath without using a gallon of milk. We used her regular bathtub, but I would say that a round tub would probably be nicer. Then, I added a crown and placed her in the tub. At that point, I added in all my pre-sliced fruit (oranges and grapefruit) plus my flowers. I trimmed the stems and they floated nicely at the top of the water. The fruit was perfect because Hailey ate it while I took pictures. She LOVES citrus, especially lemons!

So, that’s all there is to it! It’s actually really simple to do a great DIY cake smash session with your baby. Even if you cannot hire a professional photographer, I think it’s really important to capture the special moments with your baby. If you’re interested in improving your pictures further, I have an extremely affordable class for moms so they can learn how to take professional photos of their baby. It’s called Dreamy Baby Photography and teaches you how to set up a great shoot, how to make sure you got the best lighting in your home or outside, and how to keep your baby happy. Additionally, I go over how you can sort your photos with ease and edit them in a flash. I’ll even teach you how to “copy and paste” your edits! You can find that right here.

DIY Glitter First Birthday Crown

On the morning of Hailey's half birthday, I suddenly decided I needed to do an impromptu photoshoot. I had to post about her being 6 months old on social media, because I was pretty amazed at how fast the time had gone. And, since I had plans to do her half birthday party, I knew I wanted to make her a crown. Unfortunately, I didn't think to do it sooner, so I found myself on the morning of her half-birthday scrambling around the attic to find the supplies I needed. Luckily, it wasn't hard to do and I was able to make the template and the crown within just an hour! Imagine how quick it'll be for you since the template is already made. What can I say except “you're welcome"! (Anyone else get that Moana reference?)

The template contains all the numbers and two different sizes, so you can decide what’s best for your baby/toddler/child/yourself. It also contains directions and a bonus cake topper template! Oh, and it’s totally free. By making it yourself, you’ll save money. It's really easy and you can get everything you need on Amazon (lifesaver!) or save even more money with a trip to your local craft store.

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These tutorial pictures were taken on my kitchen table as I worked so that I could give you guys a nice step-by-step tutorial without having to go up to the attic and try to cram in a blog post PLUS a craft project while Hailey napped, so it's not quite as detailed as I usually am. However, I figured done is better than perfect! I knew that if I put this project onto my never-ending to do list, you'd probably get this post when Hailey's going off to college.

You will need:

Template (see below)
Printer (I use this one and love it!)
Glitter paper (similar here)
Felt (similar here)
Scissors (similar here)
Trim (similar here)
Glue gun (similar here)
Elastic (similar here)

The printable is available in my resource library, which you can get totally FREE access to, just by signing up. What exactly do you get? Access to all my printables, including party planning guides, checklists, and my projects. By signing up, you'll have access to all projects- past, present and future! 

Directions:

1. Download and print your template. It consists of 3 pieces- a crown template with the space for the numbers, the template for the numbers, and a bonus cake topper.

2. Before cutting anything out, test your trim on the template and make sure it's wide enough that you can glue it on without covering the numbers. If not, add a bit of height by placing the template a few cm's above the edge of your glitter paper.

3. Cut your crown template out of glitter paper and felt liner. When cutting your glitter paper, I recommend leaving a little bit extra on the sides so you have some width to play around with. This will make it easier to glue your crown shut.

4. Now some cutting tips! First, place your template against the bottom edge of your glitter paper so you'll get a nice, straight edge and one less thing to cut. Second, when cutting out your triangle points, or any small area like in the cake topper, I recommend only putting your scissor tip as far as you need to cut. Meaning.... don't intend to end your precise point in the middle of your scissor blade, because most likely when you cut it, you'll end up going a bit too far and your inside points won't be neat. I hope this makes sense- it’s hard to explain!

5. Once you have your glitter paper crown and felt liner cut out, it's time to add the numbers! Cut them out of felt, using a colored pencil or washable ink marker to draw the template onto the felt. If you're thinking, “ok Cathy there is no way in freakin HECK I can cut numbers out of felt that small, ya looney”, never fear. I have 2 alternatives! Either purchase felt numbers and glue those onto your crown instead or in the scrapbook paper section, they have a flocked paper that looks like felt, but the backside has a cardstock backing. This will be much easier to trace your numbers onto and cut out. Just remember, ESPECIALLY with the flocked paper but the felt too, you should be tracing your numbers backwards so that the front is the correct direction and looks nice and neat with no ink or pencil marks.

6. Glue your numbers onto the glitter paper, following the template. Add your trim to the bottom and glue that on too.

7. Cut a piece of elastic large enough for your baby's head. I used 1/8 inch wide. You'll want to glue the elastic between the glitter paper and the felt liner, placing it by their ears so that it fits neatly and isn’t an eyesore. Then, glue your felt to the glitter paper.

TA-DA! You're done mama! Now place that crown on your baby's head and snap some photos. They're gonna look SO CUTE!

When you make this project for your babe, you have to tag me so I can see! I love baby photos.

Total Cost:

Template FREE!
Glitter paper $2
Felt $1
Trim $3
Elastic $2

Total: $8

Such a bargain! I've seen similar crowns on Etsy for $20 plus shipping, so you'd save a lot by making your own! Plus, you can customize the colors and you don't need to wait for it to ship or even worse, have to spend extra for rush shipping prices! Because us mommas are always doing everything at the last minute, amiright?