Fish Party Table Decor

Plates, Chargers and Goblets

Materials:

12 sheets Calypso rainbow fish paper #27356
4 clear glass plates
4 larger clear glass plates (for the chargers)
4 clear goblets (plastic is ok)
Beacons Liquid Laminate
scissors
sponge brush
sponge

Steps:

1. Place the plate, upside down, on the Calypso paper, centering it over the part of the design that you want to have show through (figure A).

2. Using the plate as your template, cut a circle 1/2 inch larger than the plate.

3. Spread a generous coat of the liquid laminate on the back of the plate and on the face of the paper with a sponge brush, making sure that all edges are coated (figure B).

4. Place the coated side of the paper on the coated underside of the plate, taking care to center the paper. Press down (a damp sponge is a great help here) until it is secure and all air bubbles have been pressed out. Allow to thoroughly dry, then trim the edges with a sharp craft knife or scissors (figure C).

5. Apply anywhere from three to seven coats of the liquid laminate on the back surface of the paper, allowing each layer to dry between coats. At three layers, the plates should be hand washable; more laminate makes them even more durable.

6. To make the goblets: Cut out the spiral shapes from the Calypso rainbow fish paper; then follow plate instructions above (figure D).

Materials:

sheet of Calypso "rainbow fish" paper #27356
8-1/2" x 11" card stock paper
double-stick tape
white glue or liquid laminate (optional)
felt marking pen

Steps:

1. Cut out fish shapes and 2-1/2" x 6" rectangular pieces of bubbles from the Calypso paper (figure E), and cut out same size rectangular pieces from the card stock (figure F).

2. Using either double-stick tape or one of the adhesives, adhere the Calypso bubbles strip to the card stock.

3. Fold the strip (Calypso paper on the outside) twice at 2-inch intervals; this will leave a small piece at the end that will fold back to the inside, to make a triangle. Adhere the small fold to the inside; you will now have a self-standing triangle.

4. Print names on the cutout fish, and adhere these to the front of the triangle. Invite your friends for an afternoon party!

Materials:

3 mustard grass rope hanks #30787
8 baby fish (2 ea. green stripe #00445, lilac teal #00446, sunshine dot #00447, and autumn brown #00448)
river cane #05090
24" green scallop fish #08060
emperor gold fish #04072
17" silverside fish #06053
green zebra fish #02050
Play-Pak natural abaca twine #936009
sheet Mandalay cloud vanilla handmade paper #14278
2 lbs. polished beach pebbles #77130
10" terra cotta pot
Beacons Liquid Laminate
fish hook
sponge brush
scissors
glue gun and hot glue sticks

Steps:

1. If using an old pot, clean surface so that adhesive will hold.

2. Starting at the bottom, hot glue the grass rope to the pot, working in 3- to 4-inch lengths at a time and working your way in a spiral manner up the pot to the bottom of the pot rim (figure G).

3. Hot glue the baby fish around the rim of the pot (figure H).

4. Create an incredible menu (maybe a fish fry?) either hand-written or using a computer, and make the menu a bit narrower than the width of the green scallop fish. The menu will be vertical on the side of the fish.

5. Cut an 8-1/2" x 11" piece out of the Mandalay paper and photocopy your menu onto it; then tear the menu out, leaving the edges irregular, and make sure it will fit on the side of the green scallop fish (figure I).

6. Using the sponge brush, apply a thin coat of liquid laminate onto the side of the green scallop fish. Gently position and press your torn menu onto him, applying another thin coat of the liquid laminate to smooth out and seal the menu in (figure J).

7. Repeat these steps to create a bait sign to fit the side of the small green zebra fish, but this time the torn paper will read horizontally across the fish.

8. Determine how tall you will want your "fishing pole" and cut river cane to that length.

9. Using the abaca twine, tie the emperor goldfish and the silverside fish by their tails on either end of the twine, cutting the twine to desired length to hang from your river cane pole. Tie the green zebra bait fish by his tail on another piece of twine, and tie this to the first piece, positioning him to hang nicely next to the other two fish.

10. Insert a fishhook into the mouth of the menu fish, and hang him on a piece of the twine.

11. Using scissors, cut a small (1/4 inch) notch on opposite sides of one end of the river cane, and hang your "fish string" through the notch, allowing two fish to hang on one side and one on the other (figure K).

12. Do the same with your menu fish but make a knot on the twine at the length you want the menu fish to hang. The knot needs to be large enough to hold at the notch.

13. Insert the river cane fishing pole into the center of your pot and fill with either sand or gravel, leaving room at the top for a dress coating of polished beach pebbles.