Let’s get started together!

I used the following:

• Pink cardstock (Martha Stewart Crafts)
• Polka dot scrapbook paper (Martha Stewart Crafts)
• Scrap of black cardstock
• 1 inch circle punch
• Chipboard Printed Glitter Accent Cupcake (Colorbok #65966A VU)
• Tape runner or similar adhesive
• Dimensional foam adhesive dots
• Printer

Instructions:

Honestly, I just layered this free hand. I didn’t really make measurements for the papers, except all of the layering pieces were cropped 1/4 inches in. I punched out two circles using my circle punch and adhered them with foam dots to turn it into a Mickey Disney Cupcake (think the Oreo Bon Bon Cupcake). I also used my printer to print out “Valentine…Knowing You Is Such A Treat!” in Jungle Fever Font. For your own version, just layer and adhere the papers any way you think it looks best.

Give your favorite Valentine a little “taste” of Disney with this quick, layered card : )

Oreo Bon Bon Cupcake?! Meet you at the BoardWalk Bakery!

Craft Time: 10 minutes

Fran’s Tips:

~Don’t forget, feel free to swap out this embellishment for your favorite Valentine goodie with a Disney twist. This idea works for a birthday card, too.

For Fran Cassano, paper crafts have kept the magic of Disney a part of her everyday life. Fran invites us capture our own memories through Practically Perfect DISNEY Crafting… Break out the tools that have been gathering dust. And let’s figure out how, together!

The post Practically Perfect DISNEY Crafting: Layered Valentine Card appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Hi Everyone! A few months ago I posted what I called a Disney “Parks Ready” Style Board. I showed you some digital techniques to create your own Disney-inspired fashions using clip art from the web. And when you wear them, some people call this “Disney Bounding,” after a tumblr. site of the same name (Our own MakAttack excelled at this on the WDW Radio Cruise 2.0). Babble and Disney Parks themselves are even getting into the game.

I recently heard that Disney Mary Poppins on Broadway draws its final curtain on March 3. So, I wanted to put together a tribute to one of my all time favorite musicals in style board form. I took a bunch of clips, fashion ideas and other images that remind me of the best of Mary Poppins and arranged them into two outfits for everyday life.

I think the Mary Poppins look is, of course, “practically perfect” for a rainy weekend at work.

I couldn’t forget all you Berts out there. And here, I replace his signature scarves and vests with a muted red button down.

If you haven’t seen Disney Mary Poppins yet, it is still on U.S. tour. For more information, visit: http://www.marypoppins.com/. But better get those tickets, Spit Spot!

What Disney style boards you will come up with? What former show, event or ride will inspire your future projects?

It’s a “Jolly Holiday”, when we style ourselves away!

Photo credits: Disney Mary Poppins, DisneyStore.com, D23, Old Navy, Jo-Ann, Vera Bradley, Piperlime and Pinterest. Style Boards by Fran Cassano.

The post Practically Perfect DISNEY Techniques: Style Boards to Salute Mary Poppins on Broadway appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Hi Everyone! 2013 has just been dubbed the “Year of the Ear” by Disney Parks as part of their Limited Time Magic celebration. It’s not surprising, since the Parks release some pretty fantastic ear hats and headbands we all can’t wait to purchase. The recent Disney Electric Holiday collaboration with Barneys New York even released couture Ears by runway fashion designers.

So, why don’t we create our own Mickey or Minnie Ears to celebrate the “Year of the Ear” at home? Let’s get started together!

You’ll need:

• Mickey and Minnie Ears Template (courtesy of Spoonful)
• Plastic Headband
• Hot Glue and Tacky Glue (such as Aleene’s brand)
• 1 sheet stiff Black Felt (or any color stiff felt you like)
• Scissors (dedicated for fabric)

Optional Items:

• Scraps of felt, fabric, ribbons, etc. to embellish your Ears

Instructions:

Only cut out the ear portion of the template. Cut out two Ears using the ear template and the stiff black felt (or any color stiff felt you selected). I made my Ears a little smaller to look better on my head.

Wrap both Ears around your headband leaving enough room between them for the iconic Mickey Mouse look. Using a hot glue gun, glue around the edge of the Ears and fold over, matching each side to secure. Allow to dry.

Now you can wear your Mickey Ears. How easy was that?

But, if you want to dress up your Ears, you can add your favorite embellishments. And if you like, use some Velcro on the backs of these embellishments to mix, match and change your Ears as often as you like.

Try these ideas for some fun Ear options:

~I made a little Mad Hatter Hat for my Ears. I you would like to do this, cut the hat portion of the template out of felt. (I used shimmery green tulle over white felt). Next, add a ribbon and secure around the hat as a hat band. Then, take a piece of card stock and snip it to resemble the “10/6 tag” and stuff it into the ribbon. Use a dot of tacky glue to secure. I also used a glitter headband and pinking shears to give my Ears a bit of a “Wonderland” look.

~I also made Haunted Mansion Ears: Cut out a black felt bat that can also resemble a bow. Secure to gathered tulle or a small, white lace doily. Then add this to center of your Ears.

~ For Minnie Mouse: Tie a bow and secure onto either Ear or in the center of the headband for the iconic Minnie Mouse look.

~For Sorcerer Hat Ears: Use blue felt with white, yellow or silver felt stars and a moon.

~For Princess Ears: Create a felt tiara (Aurora’s is an easy one to make) or a cone hat with a tulle veil coming out from the top.

~For Dumbo Ears: Make a mini clown hat out of yellow felt. Timothy and the Magic Feather are optional : )

~For Formal Ears: Fashion a black felt top hat and add to center of the headband.

~For Bride Ears: Just add some flowers and enough tulle to make it look like a bride’s veil.

~To create the look of the Barneys New York Mickey Ears, cut a larger version of the Ear templates and select a non-fraying fabric of choice. Then stuff with batting before gluing around the edges. You can add some black netting to the front if you want it to have the look of a trendy birdcage veil.

What will you wear to celebrate Disney Parks “Year of the Ear”?

Photo of Mickey Ears by Disney Parks

Photo of Couture Ears by Barneys New York’s Disney Electric Holiday

Photo of project by Fran Cassano

For Fran Cassano, paper crafts have kept the magic of Disney a part of her everyday life. Fran invites us capture our own memories through Practically Perfect DISNEY Crafting… Break out the tools that have been gathering dust. And let’s figure out how, together!

The post Practically Perfect DISNEY Crafting: It’s The “Year Of The Ear”! appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Hi Everyone! Can you believe that New Year’s is only a few days away? (Wasn’t it just Thanksgiving and Christmas?) Rather than post a craft this week, I am sharing four tips to add just a hint of Disney sparkle to your 2013 celebration.

1) Confetti In Your Hair:

I always mean to stop in front of World of Disney, where the Fairy Godmothers-In-Training offer to sprinkle your hair with pixie dust. So, when I heard the Harmony Barber Shop was sprinkling Mickey confetti in your hair before this year’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, I knew it was a must. Best part? Totally free.

Why not try this idea for your New Year’s Eve? Take Halloween glitter spray or a glitter wand and add a little shimmer to your hair. Or, do as the Harmony Barber Shop did: spray hair with aerosol hairspray (theirs was tacky to the touch) and sprinkle metallic confetti in your hair. The tack holds the confetti in place. And you can simply shake it all out at the end of the evening. (Photo by Fran Cassano).

2) Icy Mickey Garland:

The day before your gathering, add water to your Mickey Ice Tray (or any shaped ice tray) and drop a few Craisins (or other small berry) inside the molds. Next, loop some embroidery floss or biodegradable cord in and out of the molds. Freeze. Use this garland to wrap around your punch bowl or your other chilled offerings. You can even string it in the shrubbery outside your door. (Ice Stars idea and photo from Spoonful, Mickey ice tray photo from DisneyStore.com).

3) Floating “Mickeys”:

• Add three blueberries to Prosecco, Champagne or other sparkling beverage (for the kids, add them to sparkling grape juice or ginger ale).
• Add three olives (or pearl onions) to your martini.
• Float three lemon slices over your bowl of Rrrrum Punch.
• In tradition, we Italians drink Sambuca with three espresso beans to represent health, happiness and prosperity.

4) “Lime Cordial! Delicious!” ~Jane Banks

Speaking of drinks, what’s better than a Disney-themed drink for your gathering? Here is a Lime Cordial recipe from Epicurious:

Ingredients

• 6 1/2 cups water
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup strained fresh lime juice (from 8 large limes)
• club soda or seltzer

Preparation

Heat water and sugar in a 2-quart saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, then cool to room temperature.

Stir in lime juice and chill, covered, until cold, about 3 1/2 hours.

Pour about 3/4 cup lime cordial in a tall glass filled with ice and top off with club soda or seltzer.

(Jane and Michael Banks Mary Poppins photo courtesy of Pinterest).

See what just a little Disney sparkle can do for your New Year’s. What will you try in 2013?

I wish you and yours a very healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!

For Fran Cassano, paper crafts have kept the magic of Disney a part of her everyday life. Fran invites us capture our own memories through Practically Perfect DISNEY Crafting… Break out the tools that have been gathering dust. And let’s figure out how, together!

The post Practically Perfect Disney Crafting: Adding A Little Disney Sparkle to Your New Year’s appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Hi Everyone! The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights on the Streets of America at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is pure magic. I had the pleasure of experiencing it for the first time on its opening evening last month, when new lifelong friends invited me to join them. Seeing the Osborne Lights this way was a perfect start to the holiday season. And it was the inspiration behind this week’s project, a super easy layered photo ornament.

This craft is so quick and simple that you can capture any memory within days of Christmas and have an ornament ready for your tree in minutes. So, grab some of your own favorite photos and let’s get started together!

I used the following (and definitely feel free to do a variation that fits your own theme):

• Photos you don’t mind cutting up
• 1 half sheet of black card stock
• Tape runner or similar adhesive
• Dimensional foam dots
• Precision scissors
• Piece of black embroidery floss or monofilament

Instructions:

Cut out all images you want to use to create your ornament. Then, adhere the images to the black card stock first, before you cut around it. Judge which portions of the cut photos work better with the dimensional foam and/or the tape runner. I did a mix of both. (Use the project photo, if you want, as a guide). Next, cut around the card stock, giving each piece a thin border. Then layer these pieces together, however you like (or as shown). The dimensional foam sets the card stock back from the image itself, adding depth to places you like with minimal effort. Just add a piece of embroidery floss to hang your new ornament.

How fast and easy was that?!

Wishing you all magical moments this holiday season!

A very special thank you to Shelley Benhoff, Jason Benhoff and friends met at The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. I will never forget that evening. (All photos used in this project are from screenshots of a video taken by Shelley Benhoff).

For Fran Cassano, paper crafts have kept the magic of Disney a part of her everyday life. Fran invites us capture our own memories through Practically Perfect DISNEY Crafting… Break out the tools that have been gathering dust. And let’s figure out how, together!

The post Practically Perfect DISNEY Crafting: Easy Layered Photo Ornament appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Hi Everyone! On my WDW Radio Cruise 2.0/Walt Disney World trip, I met some people who I truly believe are going to be lifelong friends. I received a message from one of them last week, and it contained one of THE best holiday crafts I have ever seem.  So, I invited her, who is another member of our WDW Radio Family, over to Practically Perfect DISNEY Crafting  for the holidays. This week, we welcome Alyssa Wiseman and her AMAZING Peppermint Plate (with a Disney Twist).

Peppermint Plate (with a Disney twist)

Hello, my name is Alyssa Wiseman, but I am also known as ajwiseman09 on the forums and in The Box.  I am thrilled to be asked to guest-blog on Fran’s Disney crafting blog. I need to start off by saying that I am not a creative person.  If I can make this peppermint plate, then anyone can make one!  I have seen this craft on websites like Pinterest and always wanted to try making one, however, I just never found the time.  Last week my mother-in-law sent me a picture of a peppermint plate that she had made that afternoon and I was determined to try it out.  However, like any other aspect of my life, I wanted to find a way to add a Disney twist.  So, after searching my house for any gadgets that would add some ears to my Christmas craft, I was off to my in-laws to begin my experiments.  The finished product is adorable (I think) and I hope my fellow Disney-lovers can try this craft out and maybe attempt some other alterations that I didn’t think of!  Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Supplies:

• Starlight Mints (red and green if you want)
• Parchment Paper
• Any type of pan (round, 9×13, or larger)
• Cookie cutter (optional)
• Oven

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 350.

Step 2:

Unwrap the starlight mints (I only used whole ones, but you may be able to keep small pieces in certain designs)

Step 3:

Place your pan on the parchment paper and trace the bottom of the pan onto the parchment paper, making sure to cut the actual paper about 1/8 inch larger than your tracing.  This will allow you to have a little bit of a lip on the paper, so that the edges of the candy do not stick to your pan. (one thing that I found out is that even if the candy does stick to the pan, it will come right off of the side when it cools)

Step 4:

Place the parchment paper along the bottom of the pan, making sure to crease the paper along the edge of the pan, so that the paper will stand on its own.

Step 5:

Begin placing the mints into the pan, beginning with the outside edge of the pan, working your way towards the middle.  You will place the mints side-by-side so that the edges are touching each other.

Step 6:

When the pan is full of mints, then you will place it in the oven and cook it for about 7 minutes or until the mints have melted flat.

Step 7:

Remove the pan from the oven and allow the pan and plate to cool before flipping the pan over and catching the plate as it comes out of the pan.  Make sure that the plate doesn’t hit the counter as it is fragile.

Step 8:

The parchment paper will most likely fall off the bottom of the plate, however you can just set the plate on top of the paper to prevent it from sticking to the surface.

That is all that you need to do to create a peppermint plate.  Now for my Disney touch: I used a cookie cutter that was in the shape of Mickey’s head.  I first used it to make a Mickey-shaped peppermint plate, but then got extra creative and made a peppermint plate with a Mickey silhouette in the middle.

In order to do this, you will place the cookie cutter in the middle of the pan.  Fill both the cookie cutter and the pan with mints.  Place the pan in the oven and allow to back until the mints have melted, then remove from the oven and allow to cool a little.  Using a towel or potholder, pull the cookie cutter from the mint plate by working it out of the mints.  If it works, you should leave the shape of the cookie cutter in the plate with just a small cut out of where the cutter was.  To make sure they are melted together, place the entire pan back into the oven and cook for just a few minutes.

I read on the Internet that you can take these to parties with cookies or other treats and people can break off a piece of the plate if they want, but they can also just be used as decorations.  Now I just need to find a way to preserve them year to year!

I have also attached a few extra pictures of the other types of peppermint crafts I also attempted while making the plates.

To see the photos of all the steps and the extra crafts, please click this link: Be Our Guest Alyssa Wiseman Web Album.  All photos are by Alyssa Wiseman.

Thank you so much, Alyssa! Love, love, love it.

Are we all ready to buy bags and bags of Starlight Mints to get started?

Wishes and dreams for a very safe and very Happy Holidays to you and your family.

 For Fran Cassano, paper crafts have kept the magic of Disney a part of her everyday life. Fran invites us capture our own memories through Practically Perfect DISNEY Crafting… Break out the tools that have been gathering dust. And let’s figure out how, together!

The post Practically Perfect DISNEY Crafting: Be Our Guest Alyssa Wiseman appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Hi Everyone! This week, we are all Dreaming about our trips to Disney…

And so, today I offer a freebie download that I created just for you:

Disney DIY Luggage Tags

Just snip and enjoy.

I LOVE Disney clip art! I have a ton of them and I use them all the time. So, I will be sharing more Practically Perfect Freebies with you as we go.

Enjoy your day and Dream away!

Practically Perfect Freebies are for your personal use ONLY.

With thanks to AAA, Disney, and VisitOrlando.com

Like so many of us, Fran Cassano’s life is sprinkled with Mickeys. From collecting Park brochures as a child, to creating ideas for her own Disney Fairy Tale Wedding, paper crafts have kept the magic of Disney a part of her everyday life. Fran invites us capture our own memories through Practically Perfect DISNEY Crafting… Break out the tools that have been gathering dust. And let’s figure out how, together!

The post Practically Perfect Freebies: DIY Disney Luggage Tag appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Hi Everyone! The WDW Radio Cruise 2.0 is now days away. I was not on the first cruise, so I really loved that the Flag Contest came back for this trip. But I have to admit, at first, I didn’t know where to begin. Should I take a “scrapbooking” angle and use multiple images? Or do I try another route?

I went back to the WDW Radio Cruise planning page and re-read the Flag Contest information (which is under #4). ” The theme for the WDW Radio Cruise 2.0 flag contest is: “SHARING THE DREAM WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY.”” I figured that no image embodies this more than of Walt Disney himself. In fact, Walt is ALL over the Disney Dream~from the Enchanted Art to the fantastic tiled wall of Walt as you approach the theater from the shops.

Another thing that I kept looking at is a Jolly Roger magnet my sister gave me. One skull with cross bones on a solid black background. So, like many of my other projects, I put two ideas together. Now, all I needed was a good motto and an image of Walt I could work with. I wanted a simple and clean look for my flag.

On this blog, one of my mottos is “Let’s figure out how together!” (or a variation of that). One of my favorite Walt quotes is “If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It”. So, when I thought of how Walt would spend time “sharing the Dream with friends and family” I came up with my flag’s motto: Dreaming and Doing Together.

A few days ago The Walt Disney Family Museum tweeted a pumpkin carving template of their logo, which happens to be a rendering of Walt Disney’s smiling face. I love that logo and knew I could use the template for this project. I printed it out and quickly realized the only way I could accomplish this was using stiff felt and an X-Acto knife. And I could incorporate the Disney Dream ship logo into the “Dreaming” part of the flag’s motto. I found a perfect sized logo (right on the Cruise planning page itself).

Here is my finished project~A Jolly Walter!

I used the following (but definitely feel free to do a variation that fits your own theme):

• Bolt of white felt (cut to size you want to work with~I left room for a dowel loop)
• 1 Sheet of gold felt (I found non-stiff work better for the swirls)
• 1 Sheet of stiff black felt (stiff is better for cutting small crevices within the image)
• X-Acto Knife (be careful using this~the blade is very sharp. A cutting mat is recommended)
• Scissors (dedicated for fabric)
• Sticky back gold felt lettering
• Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue (fabric glue is not enough of a bond for this project)
• Templates of Walt’s face and Disney Dream logo

Please take a look at my photos to see how I made my flag. It only took me an afternoon. So, it’s definitely not too late for you to get started on your own flag in time for the cruise.

We all can’t wait to see yours aboard the Disney Dream!

Enjoy your day and design away!

With very warm thanks to The Walt Disney Family Museum and our own WDW Radio.com.

Like so many of us, Fran Cassano’s life is sprinkled with Mickeys. From collecting Park brochures as a child, to creating ideas for her own Disney Fairy Tale Wedding, paper crafts have kept the magic of Disney a part of her everyday life. Fran invites us capture our own memories through Practically Perfect DISNEY Crafting… Break out the tools that have been gathering dust. And let’s figure out how, together!

The post Practically Perfect DISNEY Crafting: A Jolly Walter (or, an adventure in flag making!) appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Hi Everyone! A few weeks ago, the Disney.com site relaunched and I immediately went to the new videos section. They have these Disney exclusive nail tutorials by CutePolish. Now, if you are anything like me, you might be intimidated by trying a manicure design on your own. But after watching their exclusive Cinderella Nail Design Tutorial, I realized, “I can do this!”

For a long time, I have been thinking about The Lion King and two places I have not been yet~Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and Sanaa. After watching the tutorial, I dug around and found some leftover temporary tattoos of The Lion King 3D. They passed them out at the 2011 D23 Expo. And so I began my very own “Hakuna Matata Manicure”.

I used the following (but definitely feel free to do a variation that fits your own theme):

• Disney themed temporary tattoos with designs sized small enough for fingers (CutePolish used Cinderella, I used The Lion King)
• Solid color nail polish (I used a light gold color)
• Small crafting scissors
• Wet paper towel (to transfer design to nails)
• Nail stick
• Clear Top Coat

Instructions:

Paint your nails with a solid color. Wait until completely dry. Snip the portion of the tattoo design you like best for your nails. Follow transfer directions of the temporary tattoos. Usually you use a wet paper towel (or similar). If necessary, carefully use a nail stick to tuck excess portions of the tattoo under nail or flick excess portions away from skin. When all of your nails are decorated, seal with one or two coats of the Clear Coat. Wait until you nails are completely dry.

See, “no worries”!

Enjoy your day and paint away!

Craft Time: 1 hour +

Fran’s Tips:

~To replicate my nail tips, you can use an orangey-red striper and a dotting tool for purple and red dots. (And the yellow sunburst tattoo I used has Hidden Mickeys around it).

~Check out CutePolish’s other Disney Exclusive nail design tutorials including a Lion King Sunset and Perry the Playtpus.

With thanks to Disney.com and CutePolish.

Like so many of us, Fran Cassano’s life is sprinkled with Mickeys. From collecting Park brochures as a child, to creating ideas for her own Disney Fairy Tale Wedding, paper crafts have kept the magic of Disney a part of her everyday life. Fran invites us capture our own memories through Practically Perfect DISNEY Crafting… Break out the tools that have been gathering dust. And let’s figure out how, together!

The post Practically Perfect DISNEY Crafting: Hakuna Matata Disney Manicure appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Hi Everyone! Last week, I showed you how to make a Walt Disney World Planning Folder. But what if you have a bunch of smaller documents like your Annual Pass, Tables in Wonderland card, Disney Gift Cards…and how about all the receipts you are bound to amass?

This week, I am going to show you how to make a Stylish Mickey Gift Card Wallet to keep them in. You can also create this to give gift cards for birthdays or the holidays. Let’s get started together!

I used the following (but definitely feel free to do a variation that fits your own theme):

• 12 x 12 Heavy duty, decorative textured card stock
• “Carton Wallet” template (This project uses a template for another similar craft).
• Scissors
• Tape
• Pencil
• Crop-a-Dile or single hole punch
• 3 Buttons to form a Mickey Silhouette (1 average size and 2 small size)
• Scotch Restickable Strip
• Bone folder, ruler (optional)

Instructions:

Cut both portions of the template out and tape it together. Arrange template on 12 x 12 card stock atop the image pattern you would like shown. Trace around template with pencil (disregarding the holes~we do not use them for this craft). Then trace over all the dotted lines of the template to score all the folds, pressing firmly. Cut out the card stock.

Make clean folds to create the basic shape of the wallet. You can use a bone folder or ruler if it is easier.  Following the fold lines you scored by tracing, create an accordion fold on each side of the wallet. Then squeeze these folds together. Fold the top flap over and down, where scored.

Add a Mickey Silhouette accent to the front flap of your wallet. Secure flap with a small piece of Scotch Restickable Strip. But you even use a scrap of velcro.

Put gift card and/or receipts in wallet and bring with you to the Parks. Or use to give as a gift to your #1 Mickey Fan.

Enjoy your day and craft away!

Craft Time: 10 minutes

With thanks to Disney FamilyFun.

Like so many of us, Fran Cassano’s life is sprinkled with Mickeys. From collecting Park brochures as a child, to creating ideas for her own Disney Fairy Tale Wedding, paper crafts have kept the magic of Disney a part of her everyday life. Fran invites us capture our own memories through Practically Perfect DISNEY Crafting… Break out the tools that have been gathering dust. And let’s figure out how, together!

The post Practically Perfect DISNEY Crafting: Stylish Mickey Gift Card Wallet appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.