
Hosting a DIY party is *so* fun because kids love to get creative, and when they get to be creative with their besties while getting their DIY on, it makes birthday parties that much better. Come to think of it, it sounds like a party we adults would want in on too ;) If your mini maker has a birthday coming up, throw a DIY party to celebrate. Whether they spend the whole party dreaming up DIYs or it’s more of an extra addition to their already-epic party, they’re sure to have tons of fun. Scroll down to check out DIY ideas for your kid’s next birthday celebration.
1. DIY Stuffed Balloon Animals: Nothing brings you back to childhood like a stuffed balloon animal. This DIY is the perfect way to teach little ones how to sew, and they get to make their new fave stuffed animal at the same time. (via Little Inspiration)
2. DIY Gem Sidewalk Chalk: What kid doesn’t love sidewalk chalk? Add a DIY station to the party and have the kiddos make it at the beginning of the bash since the chalk has to set for a couple of hours. After some pizza, pin the tail on the unicorn and a little cake, the kids will be ready to give your driveway some serious color. (via Oh Joy!)
3. Canvas Painting Party: When in doubt, you can’t go wrong with a canvas painting party. Set up a station for each little one and let them go cray cray with watercolor. The parents will be happy that the mess is at your house and not theirs ;) Plus, they’ll get to bring home a new masterpiece for the gallery wall. (via Jen Loves Kev)
4. DIY Foodie Friendship Necklaces: Your mini maker needs a modern friendship necklace that’s anything but boring. While this one might take a little extra supervision on your part, the finished product is so fun the kiddos will want to wear them on the reg. (via Studio DIY)
5. Space Crayons: Just like sidewalk chalk, you can’t go wrong with DIY crayons. Whether they’re making simple solid colors or a crazy rainbow pattern, your kids and their friends will have a blast creating them. (via Minieco)
6. Build-Your-Own Cupcakes: It’s not a birthday party without a few sweet treats. Opt for an edible DIY and add a cupcake station where the kids can decorate their own. Let ’em go crazy with the icing and sprinkles — it is a birthday party after all. (via Jen Loves Kev)
7. DIY Cotton Cord Bracelet: Is your munchkin a total fashionista? If so, gold leaf cotton cord bracelets are the answer to their DIY party prayers. Pick up a few cord colors and some jewelry findings so the kids can make their new favorite statement piece. (via Brit + Co)
8. DIY Pom Pom Party Hats: Make sure there are plenty of party hats for the photo booth fun. Pick up a pack of plain hats at the party store and give the kiddos pom poms and paint to kick them up a notch. (via Tell Love and Party)
9. DIY Perler Bead Emoji: If there’s one thing kids (okay, and adults!) love more than anything, it’s emoji. Use perler beads to create fun graphics with the kids and see what they can dream up. (via Brit + Co)
10. Geo Wood Magnets: This DIY is not just fun for the kids to make, it’s also super useful. Paint wood magnets with craft paint and send them home with a DIY their parents can hang on the fridge to show off the grade-A test scores. (via Tell Love and Party)
11. Tissue Paper Lanterns: How fun are these tissue paper lanterns? Set up a station with tissue paper and other supplies so that making them is a cinch. Once the get-together is over, your little guests can hang them in their rooms so the party lives on a little longer. (via Tell Love and Party)
12. DIY Dream Catchers: Every kid has to DIY at least one dream catcher during their childhood. To make these, wrap wooden embroidery hoops in washi tape and top it off with a few strands of yarn to create the dream catcher effect. (via Art Bar Blog)
13. Candy Necklaces: The best kinds of DIYs are the ones you can eat after you finish making them. Let the little ones string their favorite candies onto a colorful ribbon for an accessory they can wear *and* eat. (via Hostess With the Mostess)
14. DIY Play Dough: Play dough is one of the highlights of childhood, so the fact that you can DIY it is basically your kid’s dream come true. Follow this recipe to whip up a batch and see what they can make from it. (via Modern Parents Messy Kids)
15. DIY Watercolor Lacing Cards: These DIY lacing cards are perfect for kids that are on the younger side. Simply hole punch watercolor paper and create the lacing using mason line. Then, they can use paints to give them some extra oomph. (via Art Bar Blog)
16. Giant Lucky Charms Barrettes: The best part about these DIY Lucky Charms barrettes is that you probably already have all of the supplies in your craft closet. A ball of air dry clay, some food coloring and bobby pins are all it takes to make your little one’s squad’s new fave hair accessories. (via Handmade Charlotte)
17. DIY Pencil Pouch: Snag a few zippered canvas pouches at the craft store or online and use fabric markers to customize them. This DIY will *definitely* be put to good use, since every kid needs a pencil pouch or two. (via Mama Miss)
18. Pipe Cleaner Flowers: Pipe cleaners are a must for any DIY project with the kids. They can be used to make just about anything, but these pipe cleaner flowers are a must-make to help fancy up that kitchen table for a while. Add paper petals and beads to amp ’em up, and pop them in a milk bottle or vase to finish off the DIY. (via Art Bar Blog)
19. DIY Painted Mugs: Having a tea party? Hand over the paint pens and a plain white mug so the kiddos can draw on any pattern they want. Once they’re finished, bake the cups and saucers to cure the paint, and they’ll be ready for *all* your future tea parties. (via Small for Big)
Are you throwing your kiddo a birthday party? Head over to our Pinterest for more inspo.
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
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Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
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You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures