I absolutely love summers on the Connecticut shoreline! I adore the farmer’s markets, food truck events, wine tastings, and summer parties. So far this summer, I have attended some milestone parties for my friends and neighbors, and I took these gatherings as opportunities to showcase some fun and beautiful summer DIYs. I know we’re starting to get some cooler days and downright chilly nights, but summer isn’t over yet. The unofficial end of summer isn’t until Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 4, and summer doesn’t officially end until Friday, Sept. 22. So, long live summer and here are some fun ideas that will help make you the hostess with the most-est, and the guest everyone wants to invite.

Pineapple Champagne DIY

My friend who had recently bought an old house and had completed major renovation over the past year was so excited to finally have her housewarming party. When they bought the house a year ago, I was already thinking of fun housewarming gifts, and when she mentioned that Ferrero Rocher were her favorite chocolates as a kid because they looked “fancy,” I immediately knew what I was going to make.

I can’t think of a more perfect combination than champagne and chocolate (other than wine and cheese). And since pineapples are a universal sign for welcome and housewarming, I knew this was the perfect gift! Although time consuming, this DIY consisted of me putting on some music and whipping out the hot glue gun for an afternoon. It’s pretty straightforward gluing the candies to a champagne bottle and using the wrappers as filler between each chocolate, but she later thanked me for the explanation, which saved her from a Pinterest fail.

What you’ll need: 48-pack of Ferrero Rocher (I went to Costco or you can check to see what is available on Amazon), glue gun, green paper (I used one with natural fibers), and a bottle of champagne.

What you need to know: I placed the wrappers in-between the chocolate pieces to fill the spaces and add texture.

For the leaves, it’s easier to use thinner paper rather than card-stock or craft paper because you can curl the edges and give an authentic look. Cut the strips into varying lengths and sizes and build around the neck of the bottle (use longer and more vertical pieces in the middle and they gradually become shorter as you reach the bottom).

Hand Stamped Wrapping Paper DIY

And to really drive the pineapple theme home, I hand-stamped some wrapping paper for picture perfect gift wrap. I have found that carving potatoes is easier than apples for hand stamping (no core to worry about and an uncooked potato is easier to cut through with a knife to get just the right pattern or shape)—just a tip.

What you’ll need: Raw white potato, knife, paintbrush, white butcher paper, and paint (I like to use acrylic because it comes in vibrant colors, dries quickly, and is permanent—be careful not to get it on your clothes!).

What you need to know: Potatoes are cheap and easy to carve, especially if you mess up and need to start over!

I used a brush to paint onto the stamp instead of just dunking it into the paint so it was a thin coat that accurately stamped all the details that I had carved.

Cupcake Bouquet

My neighbors recently welcomed twin girls to their beautiful family and hosted a baby shower/tea party for our neighborhood. Their names, Lily and Rose, are so feminine and sweet, I thought it would be perfect to continue the flower theme with a cupcake bouquet. As Julia Child said, “A party without cake is just a meeting,” so I had to make cupcakes for the party! I searched for a strawberry cake recipe that didn’t consist of Jello pudding mix and white box cake (like...really?) so I had to take some creative freedom and craft my own strawberries and cream cupcake recipe. I used strawberry preserves from Staehly Farm’s local market (I love shopping local whenever I can!) and kept the rest of the recipe straightforward to really showcase that strawberry flavor and beautiful pink color.

Tip: If you don’t want to use red or pink food coloring for the cake or frosting, using beet juice is just as vibrant and completely natural! (For those of you scared of beets, it doesn’t change the flavor, just adds a bright magenta hue.)

Using a flower pot that I had spray painted white, I put a round Styrofoam ball that fitted inside and used toothpicks to keep the cupcakes in place. I frosted the cupcakes to look like different types of flowers and refrigerated them beforehand so the frosting wouldn’t be too soft. I finished it with pieces of white tissue paper to fill in the blank spots and voilà!

What you’ll need: Your favorite strawberry cupcake recipe that makes about 15 cupcakes, your favorite frosting or buttercream frosting recipe, frosting bags (or Saran Wrap using tip below) and varying frosting piping nozzles/tips, a clay pot with weight, a styrofoam ball (in a size that nests into the top of the pot), spray paint, three-inch toothpicks, tissue paper, and ribbon.

What you need to know: Spray paint the pot and put a weight—I used a small rock—in the bottom (this offsets the weight of the cupcakes so it’s not top heavy). Frost the cupcakes using varying flower techniques and place them in the refrigerator so the frosting can harden a little. To create the flowers, check out YouTube tutorials on frosting effects. To make the hydrangeas, I used a Wilton 1M tip, and for the roses, I used a 2D.

Color variation tip: Once you make your frosting, separate it into three or four small bowls to add different amounts of food coloring, making sure to keep some white. Lay out a piece of Saran Wrap and use a rubber spatula to place a strip of each color lengthwise across the Saran Wrap. Roll the frosting into the Saran Wrap and cut one end and place into a piping bag with piping tip (this makes it easier for you to change the tips, change colors, and makes cleanup 100x easier instead of just putting frosting directly into the piping bag).

Use two toothpicks per cupcake—start with the bottom layer and work your way around and up to the top. For the bottom layer, place the toothpicks a little more vertical so the cupcake doesn’t just fall off. Cut small squares of tissue paper to gently place between each cupcake to fill the space—you can use green tissue paper to symbolize leaves or use the dominant color of your bouquet for a more monochrome look. Place a bow around the bottom of your bouquet.

Basket of Books DIY

I made this after a fun Michaels craft store run for a wooden basket, white spray paint, and some ribbon.

Instead of a gift bag that is just thrown away, the basket could be used to hold toys, diapers, or anything, and it still looks bright and chic.

What you’ll need: An inexpensive wooden box, spray paint, tissue paper, paper for letters, marker, string, and the gift (books in this case).

What you need to know: Spray paint the wooden box. For the name banner across the front, cut small triangles for each letter and string them across the length of the box. Place the gift inside with tissue paper. Usually if you check out the sales at Michaels and Home Goods, a small wooden box or basket will be less expensive than gift bags and more useful!

Grill Cupcakes

My neighbors host an annual BBQ. I thought, “What a perfect opportunity to make cupcakes that look like kabobs on a grill!” This is a dark chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting, gummy bears on a toothpick to look like a kabob, and dark chocolate “grills.” The day I did this, the humidity really was not helping whatsoever when it came to melting and cooling chocolate. There was a brief panic moment of me trying to peel chocolate (that somehow became a gel-like consistency even after being in the freezer) off the parchment only to have a gooey chocolate mess. I sat there with black dyed hands thinking, “The party is tomorrow and a cake with red frosting and a toothpick of gummy bears will make no sense without the grill!” I laughed, thinking that these are my problems. Everyone should be so lucky. In the end, I was thankful that some worked out perfectly.

What you’ll need: Your favorite cake recipe, your favorite frosting recipe, dark chocolate melting wafers (plus black food coloring), gummy bears, toothpicks, wax paper, and a squeeze bottle.

What you need to know: Trace the size of circle for the grill, and place as a reference underneath the wax paper so you can see the circle. Melt the dark chocolate and place into the squeeze bottle. Trace the circle with the chocolate with the chocolate, then put in refrigerator to harden (or freezer if it is really humid). Cut gummy bears and put on toothpicks.

Star Cupcakes

For any occasion where you want to be patriotic, I have to share the cupcakes that I made last year. This is a lemon cake with raspberry buttercream (I have come to adapt this as my signature recipe because I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t love this perfectly tart combination that just the right amount of sweetness, bright flavors, and colors).

So when I saw this on Pinterest and thought, “This sounds straightforward(ish). I feel like I can do this!” but it is definitely harder than it looks and, in my opinion, looks pretty hard to begin with.

This consists of baking a separate, blue-dyed cake; cutting star shapes; and carefully standing them up in the center of the cupcake tins. (The trick is to under-bake the cake a little so it doesn’t crumble at the edges and also since this part will be in the oven twice.) Pour the second batter over the top and bake normally. When cutting the cupcakes, make sure you cut in the center of the star lengthwise in the direction in which is was placed—if it’s cut in the opposite direction, it will just look like a blue blob and not give that perfectly festive effect you worked so hard for!

What you’ll need: Favorite cake and frosting recipe, food coloring, and a star cookie cutter.

What you need to know: Dye some of the batter and place a small amount in a square pan; cut out star shapes once it has baked. Place the stars in the cupcake tins and pour un-dyed batter over the top; bake normally. Cut lengthwise to show the star shape.

Mini Glitter Champagne Bottles

I celebrated my best friend’s birthday in Las Vegas earlier in the summer and checked a bag because I wanted to bring five mini bottles of champagne as a gift to start off the weekend. I don’t think I could complete a DIY story without something containing glitter—my vice. I have a vial of glitter hanging from my rear view mirror in my car “for emergencies” and if you laugh thinking, “Who would ever have an emergency crafting need for glitter?” it’s this girl right here.

What you’ll need: Gold spray paint, spray glue, glitter, tag and ribbon, and a paper straw.

What you need to know: Spray paint the bottles gold and use spray glue before sprinkling glitter over the base of the bottle. Use a hole punch on the tag to string the ribbon and also place the straw at an angle

Kara Pierson is a graphic designer at Shore Publishing and a resident of East Haddam. Read more of her fun ideas at www.karapierson.com, and follow her design journey on fb/instagram @KaraPiersonDesigns.