Book Club Kit: A Touch of Whimsy
If you're like me, and you've ever been curious about where this whimsy trend originated, I did a little bit of digging. Okay, one quick Google search (hardly any digging). But here is where the word itself originated from...
Whim-Wham (1520s): The linguistic root is an old rhyming reduplication (similar to flim-flam) of unknown origin, meaning a toy, trifle, or fancy gadget.
Whimsy (1605): Appeared in print as an independent spin-off from whim-wham.
Whimsical (1653): Formed later by adding the adjective suffix -ical to the noun whimsy.
Whim (1640s–1680s): Evolved as a clipped short form meaning a pun or play on words before shifting to mean a sudden turn of mind.
And today it means....colors! Sparkles! Paper chains! Playfulness! Perfectly imperfect parties! It's just all so much fun and I totally think your next book club should be whimsy-themed. Plus, you can make it fit with any book.
Okay, let's plan this book club and have a whim-wham of a time!
First things first, and you can probably guess exactly what I'm going to say. You must have paper chains and they must be everywhere. Luckily, they are extremely cheap and easy to make. If you need help, have a friend come over a few days before and knock these out while you watch a show together.
Paper Chain Tutorial: https://jenniferrizzo.com/how-to-make-an-easy-construction-paper-chain/
If you like the gold star garland look, that's really easy too. And I highly recommend having both for maximum whimsy.
Gold Star Garland Instructions
Gold glitter or foil paper Scissors
String or fishing line
Step One: Trace a star onto your paper and cut out as many stars as you'd like to be on your
garland.
Step Two: Tape the string on the middle back of each star. Make sure to space them out how you like.
Step Three: Hang and admire the whimsy!
Tinsel fringe curtains are definitely a must for decor, too. They are so fun to put in doorways or even hang on a wall for a photo backdrop. Here are a few options:
You really can do so much with so little. Add a few candles, use some bright colored tablecloths, and toss some confetti onto the table tops and you're basically done decorating. It's easy peasy! That's one of the reasons I love this theme so much.
Whimsy snacks are simple and easy. Candy buffets. Homemade cupcakes that are messily frosted. Homemade cakes with candles in it just because. Homemade cookies that are a little misshaped. Key word = homemade! And don't forget the sprinkles.
Of course, you can buy stuff too, if you don't like to cook/bake, but just try to find stuff that looks homemade. Whimsy is all about embracing the mundane and what makes us human. No room for perfection here.
Cucumber sandwiches (pro tip: use cookie cutter shapes to add whimsy to these sandwiches. Stars, hearts, or something like a butterfly would be so cute!)
If you even remotely like Taylor Swift and/or also don't live under a rock, I know you have heard of friendship bracelets. This totally fits the whimsy vibe, but...what if we took it a step further?
That's right. You guessed it. Friendship safety pins!
I made these at summer camp one year and thought they were so cool. This would be a perfect craft for a whimsy book club because it adds the whimsical elements while still being a little unique. And they're so cute and so much fun!
Well, there you have it folks. Your step by step guide to planning the whimsiest book club ever. Remember that with whimsy, imperfections are absolutely embraced. Nothing needs to be perfect. Just slap some pretty sparkly things together and somehow, it just all works.
A Quick Note: All my blog posts are written by me. Any em dashes, semi-colons, and the like all come from my own head and heart. :)
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