40 Sucks!

I am not proud to say it but I am a procrastinator! A horrible little truth that I have never liked about myself. Oh, I wish it wasn't true, but it is! I always said I would change. Change never came. I will confess that my best research papers, projects and creations came out of my last minute endeavors!  
I planned on making something for our dear friend's 40th birthday. Hey, I planned ahead by buying the cute little red cup string of lights (which totally remind me of him) from the Dollar Tree about 3 weeks before. In my head I was going to make a really cool "thing". What the heck can I do? I searched Pinterest and crafty little websites. I ran out of ways to search for anything that would bring me inspiration. I found nothing! Really? 

The day of the party I was determined. A little flame behind my tail made me set my clock early (for a Saturday) so I could run my little bottom back to the store with all the knick knacks a crafty person could dream of, that cost $1! I walked through the isles in desperate need of something that would make my creation AMAZING. 
Our great and wonderful friend so needed an awesome centerpiece for his 40th...I couldn't let him down...even if he didn't expect it!!

I left the Dollar Tree with 2 bags and 3 balloons and a little shiny idea that became this!! 40 Sucks!!

Items from the Dollar Tree:
3 strings of red cup lights
foam cooler
2 bags of dum dum lolly pops
1 balloon holder
black tissue paper
3 balloons

Additional items (I happen to have):
Patterned paper (I cut the letters and numbers with my Cricut, buy you can hand cut or print)
foam pieces
thin wire
wood sticks
batteries 

I ended up adhering the cup light strings to the bottom part of the cooler with metal wire. I flipped the top of the cooler over, hot glued foam pieces to the middle of it to hold my lollypops. I used the black tissue paper to cover the green foam and taped it to hold. I then pressed the lollypops into the foam near the front sides and back, leaving the middle open. I took apart the balloon holder and used the metallic wire stars and long skinny things and stuck and glued into the foam. I used small wood sticks I had from an Easter project and glued the numbers on. I poked them through the foam in very center of the lid.  The 3rd string of lights were tucked into the sides of the foam and lid and nestled between the lollypops to hide any open spots. I hid the batter packs inside the cooler! There you go! Something fun and different for our special friend! I think he enjoyed it. My husband said everyone was asking who made it. Job completed...onto the next last minute creation!

Craft on my friends!