Today, I am so pumped to share a fun DIY Disney Floral Ear tutorial from my friend, Carrie.

Grab your craft supplies and then craft along with her video as she shows you how easy it is make your very own custom DIY Disney floral ears – even if you don’t think you’re very crafty! These are super cute to wear whenever you’re feeling fancy, but also perfect for the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival. Can’t you just imagine posing amongst the Mickey topiaries in these? 

DIY Disney Floral Ears

Are you as obsessed as much as I am with the new trends of Disney floral ears? As I spend hours pining over Etsy and feeling like I could easily be on an edition of Hoarders: Disney Ear Edition, I finally broke down and decided to make my own.

After all, there’s no need to go broke just because you, like me, MUST have every variation of floral ears there is in existence.

Floral Ears Supply List

Thankfully, making your own ears is fairly simple. All you need are a few basic supplies:

• Thick Headband – You can use one you have already, or grab two for $1 at Dollar Tree! Of course, they can be found almost anywhere including Amazon too.
• Bendable Wire – You’ll need 4 pieces of this. It can be any color you’d like. I use floral wire, which can be easily found at any craft store.
• Wire Cutters – Take it from me, you’ll need these! Scissors won’t really work with cutting wire, especially if you bought a thicker wire.
• Fake Flowers – You can get these anywhere. I suggest a few different colors and not too large ones!)
• Hot Glue and Hot Glue Gun

Steps to DIY Disney Floral Ears

1. Grab two pieces of wire and hold them together with ends aligned. Then, twist them together from one end to the other.
2. Cut the wire down to about inches – this is your first ear.
3. Then, repeat with another 2 pieces of wire. 
4. Bend each twisted wire over the top of your headband…this will form the rough shape of your mouse ear.
5. The easiest way I’ve found to do this is to hot glue one end of the twisted wire at a time to your headband. Make sure to leave a space in the middle of the ears that’s about 2″ wide.
6. Then, glue all remaining ends of the ears onto the headband. Don’t worry about what the glue looks like…it will be covered by the flowers!
7. Speaking of, now it’s time to add those pretty florals! Pop off the tops of your faux flowers. Make sure to pull or cut off some of the greenery as well.
8. Next, use glue to add the green leaves to the middle of your ears. I also recommend adding some around the base of the wire.
9. Now it’s time to add the flowers. Pro tip: before gluing, arrange your flowers on your headband first. Once you’re happy with how they look, then go for the glue.
10. Check the back of your headband too. You may want to glue in leaves to cover any exposed pieces. You can even add flowers on both sides so you can make a reversible set of DIY Disney Floral Ears
11. Want to take it up a notch? Add in a mini figurine if you would like to create a theme to your DIY Disney Floral Ears!

Thank you for crafting with me and let us know if there are any crafts you would like to see in upcoming blogs! See you in the parks!

For more amazing Disney information, head over to Disney Express Lane. Take a peek at these Four Things I Will Never Do At Disney Again. Plus, make sure to check out these 7 Disney-Inspired Crafts!

Yield: 1 headband

DIY Disney Floral Ears

Print

This DIY Disney floral ears project is the cutest! Learn how to craft one up for yourself.

Active Time 30 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Materials

• Thick headband
• Bendable wire (such as floral wire)
• Fake flowers
• Hot glue

Tools

• Wire cutters
• Glue gun

Instructions

1. Take two pieces of wire and twist together from one end to the other.
2. Cut wire to ~8 inches
3. Repeat with other 2 pieces of wire. Twist and cut.
4. Bend your wire over the top of your headband to form the rough shape of your mouse ear.
5. Hot glue one end of the twisted wire at a time to your headband leaving a space in the middle of the ears 2-3 fingers wide.
6. Glue all remaining ends of ears onto headband.
7. Pop off the tops of your fake flowers and take the greenery off as well.
8. Use glue to adhere green leaves (on their side) to the middle of your ears, followed by some around each base of the wire.
9. Before gluing, arrange your flowers on your headband and when you are happy with the desired look, glue them in.
10. Go to the back of your headband and glue in leaves to cover all of the "behind the scenes" glued in pieces. OPTIONAL: You may add flowers on both sides if you want a reversible set of DIY Disney Floral Ears!
11. Glue in any sprigs or extra pieces to add depth to your new ears.
12. OPTIONAL: Add in a mini figurine if you would like to create a theme to your DIY Disney Floral Ears!

The post How to Make DIY Disney Floral Ears! appeared first on WaltExpress.com.

Easter Egg Cake Pops with a Disney Spin

Join us on another Disney inspired baking adventure, just in time for the Easter holiday!

Allergy Friendly

If you have a food allergy, then you probably know finding sweet treats that are gluten free while at a Disney Park can be a challenge. Now, there are some out there to be found but not quite as many as we would like. So, this specific recipe is geared toward those of us with a gluten allergy. BUT don’t worry, you can still use this same recipe using regular ingredients.

What You Will Need

We need to get all of our ingredients together before we start. Grab a pen and paper or just screen shot this section of the blog and head on out to the grocery store. I use both Betty Crocker and Pillsbury products. I shop by sale or whichever is available at the time. There are several other brands available that will work just the same.

Cake Pops

• 1 Box – Gluten Free Cake Mix – (Sub for Regular if desired)
• 2 (16oz)- containers of Gluten Free Frosting (Sub for Regular if desired)
• 10 to 12 Ounces gluten free semi-sweet baking chocolate

Decorating

• Food Coloring 
• 1 pack – Lollipop Sticks – (optional) 
• Sprinkles, Decorative Sugars, Marshmallows, Mike & Ike Candies (or jellybeans), decorative eyes, gels, and any other items for decorating you desire.

Instructions

First, prepare the cake mix according to the package directions. I just used a square cake pan. You can use any size pan you would like. I don’t suggest a cupcake pan unless that is the only one you have available. Only because we will just be crumbling up the cake in the next steps.

While the cake is baking, go ahead and prepare your decorations. Mix up different color frostings. Place marshmallows and candies in a bowl for easy access and so you don’t get frosting all over the bag while decorating.

Prep 

Once the cake is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for about 30 minutes. Place the pan on a counter or cooling rack. You don’t want to leave it on top of the warm oven. While the cake is cooling line two baking sheets with parchment paper. You will need to place these in the freezer later so use this time to make sure there is space in the freezer for the pans to sit flat.

Next Steps

Once the cake has cooled, in a large bowl crumble the cake with your fingers.  Add half a can of the frosting and press the cake together using a spoon. You will want to add more frosting as necessary until the mixture is smooth.

Shape the mixture into egg shaped pieces. You can make other shapes or just round as well. Place each shaped piece onto the baking sheets you prepared earlier. Once you have shaped all of your cake mixture place your pans in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Or up to a few hours if you plan to decorate later.

Using Lollipop Sticks

If you are planning to use the lollipop sticks you will need to prepare them before you begin decorating. First, you will need another cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. In a microwave safe bowl, melt 10 ounces of the semi-sweet chocolate on high for 30 seconds at a time. Stirring in between until the chocolate is melted and smooth.

Stick the tip of one side of the lollipop sticks into the melted chocolate. Place them on the lined cookie sheet and freeze for one minute until the chocolate is set. If you are not using lollipop sticks just leave each egg on the cookie sheet.

Let’s Decorate

Now, for the fun and messy part! Decorating. I don’t know about you, but I like recipes that are fun and easy. To decorate, I just simply frost each egg and then used the gels, candies and marshmallows to create eggs that represent some of my favorite Disney characters. 

Don’t be afraid to get creative! Trust me, unless you are a professional chef who has been trained, they are likely not going to be perfect. That is ok, just go with it have fun and let the kiddos make a mess all while you create some Easter memories. Place any left over cake pop eggs in an air tight container and store in the freezer.

Easter Egg Cake Pops With A Disney Spin are such a cute way to incorporate a little Disney into your Easter holidays! If you enjoyed this recipe you may want to also want to give our Dole Whip Cupcakes a try!

We would love to see your egg cake pop decorations! Snap a photo and come share it with us over on Facebook at Disney Express Lane. 

The post How To Make Easter Egg Cake Pops With A Disney Spin appeared first on WaltExpress.com.

Hello Spring With A Disney DIY UP Inspired Easter Basket

If you weren’t one of the lucky travelers to grab some of those magical Spring Break park reservations in time, lets celebrate Easter with a little Disney magic at home. What better way to create the Disney holiday magic at home than with an adorable DIY UP inspired Easter Basket. Say goodbye to plain Easter baskets and let’s sprinkle a little pixie dust to make a super fun floating house basket. This was first shown to us by Disney Family. I was inspired and did it myself!

Supply List:

• Any size basket in any color you want. The best kind do NOT have a wide base but DO have a tall handle. I tried the big base and it looked a little odd.
• Scissors, Hot Glue, Glue Gun
• Printout of UP House (the image I used is here printed on cardstock for durability, however you can take pastel colored paper and cut your own out if you choose)
• String or Yarn  
• Colorful Plain Plastic Easter Eggs
• Goodies To Fill Your Easter Basket

Steps: 

1. Print out your UP image on cardstock for best results and cut out image.
2. Cut string to a bit smaller than the height of your basket. Extra can always be cut off later.
3. Hot glue each string to the back of an egg ( only the eggs that go on the bottom have string and glue at the exact spot where the two halves of the egg meet. This will secure your eggs from falling apart as well.)
4. Glue eggs on the bottom of the basket handle, followed by the front of the basket handle and top of the basket handle. Once these three spots are done, you can glue eggs in front to make balloons have a fuller look.
5. Bring your strings down to a point and glue them to your house. Then cut off any excess string.
6. Sit your basket on a flat surface and hot glue your house so that it sits level with the floor onto the front of your basket.
7. Fill your basket with Easter goodies. Some cute ideas are to add in UP themed items like Grape Soda or an Adventures Savings Jar. Also add some pretty balloons for inflating and of course lots of candy!.

We would love to see your Disney DIY UP Inspired Easter Basket when you finish it! They are so fun and extremely easy to make at home. Message us if you have a craft you would like to see us make LIVE on Facebook on our Walt Express Blog page or break down step by step on here. We also have some amazing plans for future crafts for kids as well as yummy Disney inspired food and treats!

For more great Disney information, head over to Disney Express Lane.

Disney On Ice: Dream Big And Why You Need To GO NOW!

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We are all spending a lot more time home right now and if you are like me, you are missing the Disney Parks and all of the Magic that we all love to experience. Since we can’t be at our favorite place on earth right now, the only thing we can do is create some MORE Disney Magic at home. I want to share with you 5 things that my family has been doing during this time to help us keep that Disney Magic Vibe.

MORE Disney Magic At Home

These are just a few of my favorite things to keep the Disney vibes alive in my home.

Disney Movie Marathon Night

Confession: I am obsessed with Disney Plus. I have been watching it daily. If it’s not on the main TV, it’s on my phone or tablet. I have watched so many new movies, as well as Disney Classics. Also, some of the originals made only for Disney Plus. I am not going to lie, I have binged watched A LOT of the shows. Now, I have to wait for more to be released. Whether you have Disney Plus or if you have a digital Disney collection, having a movie Marathon with the family will not only help bring you some Disney magic at home, it will also make great family memories. So, go grab a big bowl of buttery popcorn, cozy up and enjoy your favorites.

Disney Inspired Recipes

We have all been doing more cooking so why not spice things up and make some Disney inspired recipes. I personally love to cook and enjoy making new dishes. There are so many copycat recipes that can be found out there on the world wide web. A few of my favorites are the Churro Bites, The Grey Stuff, & Mickey Waffles.

Listen To Disney Park Music Loops

I am going to let you in on something I have been doing for years! That is listening to music loops from the Disney Parks, Attractions, resorts and any music you would hear while on vacation. Anytime I am planning a trip to Disney World, I listen to the music loops. It just brings more excitement to the upcoming trip so it’s no surprise that listening to it now while we are home helps to keep the excitement going. Just knowing that another trip will soon happen again. These music loops can be found by searching YouTube.

Share Stories About Your Favorite Trips

We all have so many wonderful memories and magical moments that have happened to us on our magical vacations. Why not share your favorite story. You can do this at home with your family, zoom call a friend or come join our Disney community Disney Express Lane on Facebook. We would LOVE to hear your stories about finding MORE Disney Magic. One of my favorite memories was when Chip & Dale tried to steal me away from my husband when we were on our honeymoon. It was so funny and made a great memory that we still laugh about even today.

Grab Your Favorite Disney Mug

You know you have at least ONE favorite Disney mug. Some of us have many, but we aren’t going to start calling people out! LOL Having more than one mug is totally normal, right? Drinking out of a Disney mug brings a bit of joy to the day whether you are enjoying a quiet house before the kids get up, sitting out on the front porch or just cozied up in your favorite chair. So, decide which mug you will use today, go grab it and fill it up with your favorite beverage of coffee, tea, or whatever you may need for this particular day. We won’t tell. Enjoy the moment and even imagine yourself on a Disney Vacation. This happy moment will bring just a bit of joy to your day.

Finding MORE Disney Magic

We hope these 5 tips help your to find MORE Disney Magic. We would love to hear about ways you have been creating more Disney Magic at home! After all, we are all needing and looking for MORE Disney magic right now.

The post 5 Ways Our Family Creates MORE Disney Magic At Home appeared first on WaltExpress.com.

Disney Magic At Home

We know that everyone has been missing Disney while the parks have been closed, so we have compiled a list of ideas for you to be able to bring the magic to you. Our Disney Magic At Home list ranges from home movie nights to some Disney knick-knacks and much more. Keep reading to get some great ideas for you and your family.

Disney+

We love us some Disney+ at my house! You can watch all of your Disney favorites through this streaming service. Disney has all kinds of added shows on there as well, such as The Imagineering Story which takes you on a behind the scenes look with some Disney Imagineers. Of course it also has the classics, such as The Lion King and some of the newer movies like Frozen II. I’d be embarrassed for y’all to know just how many times we’ve watched Frozen II already LOL. During our movie time, we use our Disney Popcorn Buckets that we purchased while we were at the parks. I feel like this just adds a little extra magic to the experience. Honestly one of the best ways of Enjoying Disney Magic At Home!

Disney Coffee Mugs and Tumblers

Something that I use every single day is some kind of Disney Coffee Mug. I am a HUGE coffee lover, so I combine my two favorite things together.. Disney and Coffee! I typically end up purchasing a new coffee mug each trip, so I have plenty to choose from. I also use the refillable mugs that you get if you stay on property at a Disney resort. They have different prints on them according to what time of the year you’re there.

Another good option for some Disney Coffee is to order some coffee from Expedition Roasters. They incorporate Disney into the names of their coffee according to what the flavor is! This company has stolen my coffee loving heart! I also have a love for water! So I use my Disney Tumblers throughout the day to keep my water in it. The Disney Tervis Tumblers are the best!

Disney Knick-Knacks

Having little keepsakes from my Disney trips as little memory reminders is a huge thing for me. I use my Disney Knick Knacks all throughout the year, and I switch them out according to what season it is! I have way too many to talk about all of mine so I’m just going to give you a couple of examples of how I use some of mine. I LOVE the Disney Sippers that you can find at the parks and I use them in my house as decorations. I also have a small ceramic bowl that has little Mickey heads on it, and it sits on my nightstand and it holds my everyday jewelry. Having subtle touches of Disney in my house just makes me happy.

Disney Scentsy

My family loves some of the smells that are iconic to Disney, such as: the resorts, The Confectionery, some of the rides, and even some of the snacks. Disney and Scentsy have teamed up to recreate some of these smells and they are heavenly! Scentsy also has put a smell to some of the characters, and they have some wax-warmers that look like some of the characters and/or landmarks at Disney! If you didn’t know about this collaboration then you definitely need to look into this! I love when my house smells like some of my favorite Disney smells!

Disney Puzzles

Who doesn’t love puzzles!? Puzzles are a great way to keep yourself busy and include the family as well! And what better puzzle than a Disney puzzle! You can find them practically anywhere, and they have all kinds. Our newest one that we have is a Star Wars puzzle that we found at Walmart. My favorite ones are the Disney Thomas Kinkade prints!

Disney Plushies

Shop Disney is my favorite place to grab some of the cutest Disney Plushies. I love how they have specific ones for the upcoming holidays that you can order. I also find myself getting them while I’m at the parks too. They make great decorations and they are so easy to change them out in your house!

Disney Books

Another favorite thing to do is sit down with a good book and zone out! And I love when I can find a book that I love that’s about Disney or incorporates the author’s own spin on something Disney related. One of the series that I like to read is the Disney Villains by Serena Valentino. This series is the story through that particular Villain’s point of view. These books are so good. Another series that I just purchased is A Twisted Tale. This is a “What if..” book. What if Aladdin had never found the lamp, Sleeping Beauty had never woken up or the Sea Witch had never defeated the Little Mermaid? I can’t wait to read these!

Disney Recipes

Disney Food is a big thing at our house! I’m a huge foodie so when we find something we like to eat at Disney then sometimes we recreate the dish at home. The Mickey Waffle maker that we use for breakfast and brunch brings so much joy to us. Another Disney Dish that we like to make at home is Sanaa’s Butter Chicken. Check out my recipe by clicking that link. If you can’t have it at Disney right now then you might as well enjoy it at home.

Enjoying Disney Magic At Home

Even if you don’t live near Disney World there are some awesome ways that you can incorporate it into your everyday life. The ideas that I mentioned above are some easy ways to add some Disney touches to your home without it being too much! Let’s see yours! Head over to our Facebook Group, DISNEY EXPRESS LANE, and show us how you bring a little Disney Magic At Home.

The post A Guide To Enjoying Disney Magic While Staying At Home appeared first on WaltExpress.com.

Mickey Mouse Disney Wreath

I made mine a few months ago and it is still going strong and gets a lot of compliments when we have people over to our home. Without waiting any longer, here is what you do!

First gather up all of your materials. Amazon had everything we needed. It is super convenient and it will be delivered right to your door. You do not need to go anywhere! Especially during this time when we aren’t supposed to leave our homes but for essentials, this works out great. Also, it gives you something to do while you are inside your four walls. Grab a glass of wine, put on some Disney music, send the kids to their rooms and start crafting. If they want to help, well then tell them, this is only for adults and then run and hide. Quickly! Ha!

Material you will need:

• 1- 16″ Boxwood Wreath
• 2- 8″ Boxwood Wreath 
• 8- Red Roses 
• Zip Ties
• Hot glue and Hot Glue Gun

Once you have all of your supplies, get ready to put it all together. This is so simple and easy, you will seriously wonder why you have not done this already.

• Grab all three of the wreaths you ordered from Amazon. Place the biggest wreath on a clean surface.
• Place the two smaller wreaths on the sides where Mickey’s ears would be.
• Use as many of the zip ties you need to tie the three wreaths together.
• Grab the red roses and snip the buds off of the stems with garden trimmers or sharp scissors.
• Hot glue the buds into the wreath wherever you would like to put them. Decorate with as many of the roses you would like. Use as little or as many as you would like.

That is it! Told you! So simple and easy!

Hang your wreath inside or outside. I like keeping mine inside so we can enjoy it for longer since we have more humid weather during the Spring and Summer. But, it will work in either place.

We love decorating with Disney decor especially if it Farmhouse Disney Decor! Please share with all of us your creation after you make yours. We would love to see! Tag us on IG or Facebook with your pictures.

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