My friend, Lara Shriftman; Lifestyle, fashion, luxury and entertaining expert, asked us to create some designs for her to use for an Origami Owl “jewelry bar” party she was hostessing for her friends.  Lara has told me about Origami Owl and I was SO excited to see the party she had.  I just knew this event would be full of style and class!  I want to make my own Origami Owl charm bracelet after seeing what these ladies put together!

Read on for the party details, as told by Lara herself!

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It’s a Charmed Life: Origami Owl, Sprinkles Cupcakes and Kreation Kafe Pressed Juices Afternoon Soiree

As a host, I am constantly looking for fun and unique ways to entertain. I love to get creative and I love doing anything to spice up just your normal party. Origami Owl is my new favorite thing to do at any party.

Origami Owl is a jewelry company launched in 2010 by fourteen year old Isabella Weems. Bella started brainstorming ways to earn money and decided to make and sell jewelry. Her parents matched the $350 she had earned for babysitting and she enlisted her friends as buyers. She began selling her signature jewelry items – which she now calls ‘Living Lockets’ – at every opportunity including house parties, boutiques and local jewelry shows.

Origami Owl encourages ladies to host “jewelry bars” where friends can mix and mingle while working with designers to create “Living Lockets” that are fun, fashionable, and meaningful. Origami Owl has bracelets, necklaces and earrings.

I love the necklaces and the charm bracelets. Making them is the most fun part, it is a great way to interact at a party with people you don’t know or get creative with some of your besties. First you pick your locket. They come in various colors and sizes, gold, silver, rose gold and matte black. Then you pick your chain and after that you pick what goes in the locket. You can put plates in the necklaces such as “Family,” “Love,” and “Hope.” There are hundreds of charms of all different themes including birthstones, religion, hobbies, animals and travel. All these different options allow you to create something that is meaningful to you and no two people will have the same locket.

Customized Origami Owl lockets

Origami Owl founder, Bella Weems

Origami Owl is my new go to gift and a must have gift for my friends.

It all started when I brought my son, Lucas, to the Hamptons and thought what would be the perfect hostess gift for my two friends, Ava and Sophia Schrager. Instead of giving them something bought at the store, I decided to put together a mini travel kit and custom create lockets with them. It was the most fun afternoon. They loved them so much they asked if they could have some friends over and get creative.

Then, I made one as a baby gift to my friend, Kelly Rowland, when she told me she was having a boy. I put in it all the charms having to do with a baby boy, a blue heart, baby feet, “Mom.” When I gave it to her, she loved it so much she then came over and made lockets for her friends.

I was in Laguna Beach with my friend Lara Flynn Boyle, who saw the necklace Lucas made me for mother’s day and insisted she must have one too. Lara is big on her initials, so we made her a custom one with her initials and four leaf clovers and everything related to her. Every time I wore my locket, people always ask me where they could get one, so I decided to host a cupcake, juice and locket making party at my house and invited all the people who told me they liked my locket. I had about 15 people over for Sprinkles Cupcakes and Kreation Kafe pressed juices. Everyone who came made different lockets and it was an afternoon of meeting new people.

Guests included art photographer Tierney Gearon and her daughter Grace, Insider host Thea Andrews and her sons, Jack and Tucker, Ava MD partner Christine Nell and her daughter Avery, actress Maeve Quinlan, TV and fashion expert Rachel Zalis, Marvivi Garcia, celebrity fitness author and guru Andrea Orbeck, pregnancy doula Lori Bregman, Natalie Bloomingdale and Carolyn Trattner and her son, Spencer. Everyone made different necklaces and stayed for hours.

At a recent event we went to, The Planes of Fame Airshow at the Chino Airshow. We set up an Origami Owl jewelry bar at the Horsemen Flight Team party. It was a great activity in between the airshow. Almost everyone was interested in making lockets. We had a similar jewelry bar set up at the Planes of Fame Airshow when the Horsemen Flight Team, the world’s  only P-51 Mustang formation aerobatic team, returned to the Chino Airstrip. There, Matt Damon’s kids, Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber’s daughter, Kaia and Marvi and Andy Garcia’s son, Andres, all made lockets for their moms for mother’s day.

How to Host an Origami Owl Jewelry Bar at Home or at a Location

1. Set a Location: Consider your guests when choosing party site. Your home can provide an intimate setting for a group of close friends. Make sure the space you choose is comfortable and equipped with large tables for friends to design their lockets!

2. Create a Great Guest List: Invite interesting and creative people. This will allow guests to mingle with old friends, while hitting it off with new ones. Also try to request specific charms from your Origami Owl designer if you think your friends will like them! Always over invite and confirm with all guests the day of the event!

3. Keep the Menu Light: Hold parties after lunch, but people arrive at parties hungry so I always provide bites for guests to nibble on. For this party I had Kreation Kafe pressed juices, Sprinkles cupcakes and sandwiches from Joan’s on Third.

4. Customized Labels: A great way to mix it up is customized labels from Anders Ruff. I went to Trader Joes and bought water and switched out the labels for Origami Owl branded ones. I also used branded labels on the Sprinkles cupcakes.

5. Décor: Origami Owl colors are blue, pink and white. I got pink peonies and pink lemonade from Kreation Kafe. I recycled things around my house like pink lamps that matched Origami Owl’s color scheme. I also styled the table so guests had room to create their necklaces.

6. Help a Cause: Origami Owl’s mission is to be a ‘Force For Good.’ In January 2014, Origami Owl partnered with Childhelp®, a nonprofit organization, whose mission is to meet the physical, emotional, educational and spiritual needs of abused, neglected and at-risk children. Origami Owl pays a portion of profits to Jewelry Bar hosts. Opt to donate your commission to a good cause. This is an especially nice touch, as your friends will be able to shop guilt-free, knowing that they are doing good.

7. Become a Designer: As an Origami Owl Independent Designer, you make your business whatever you want it to be. You can create fun, personalized jewelry bar experiences with hosts. This is a great way to earn money as you work the hours that work best for you and tailor your business to reflect your life priorities. To apply, visit here

Anders Ruff my favorite design duo created a cute invite with the same color palate as Origami Owl.

The gorgeous Origami Owl Jewelry bar at my house

Each guest made lockets. Many stayed hours crafting the perfect locket to tell their story.

Christine Nell, Suzanne Trott and Thea Andrews

I created custom water bottle labels. I bought the bottles at Trader Joes and had Anders Ruff create the labels. I took off the original labels and double-stick taped these on.

My son, Lucas Bacardi Shriftman, making Origami Owl Living Lockets

Thea Andrews in Jeannie McQueeny and her Origami Owl Living Locket

Everyone loves Sprinkles. I ordered vegan, gluten free and assorted flavors. Anders Ruff made adorable Origami Owl flags for the Sprinkles cupcakes. None were left after the party.

Origami Owl has become one of my favorite gifts to give and I think it is the best way to create something unique and personalized for the people you love.

To learn more about Origami Owl you can visit their website.

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Thanks so much, Lara, for sharing your gorgeous party with us!