How to Make Free Printable Watermelon Placemats for Your Next Party

With fruit-inspired projects being all the rage lately, we thought it was time to throw ourselves into summer and show you an easy way to jazz up your summer party tablescape. With a few pieces of white paper and a printer, you can turn your guests’ place settings into slices of fruity deliciousness. They’re cheap, unique and disposable, which means less cleanup for you (hallelujah!) and more time to concoct your next summer ice cream social.

Materials:

– 8.5 x 11 white paper

– printable watermelon placemat (download here)

Extras:

– paper plates and spoons

– watermelon ice cream cone printable wrappers (download here)
– chocolate sprinkles (to look like watermelon seeds!)

– pink and green chocolate candies

Instructions:

1. Print the placemat on 8.5 x 11 paper (normal paper works great, no need for cardstock!)

2. Trim the edges since most printers won’t print to the very edge.

3. Place on the table and get to styling that bright and beautiful summer tablescape.

After placing each watermelon printable placemat down on the table, top them with some festive plates and spoons to allow each guest to concoct their own ice cream cone masterpieces. And whatever toppings you decide to toss on the table, don’t forget the chocolate sprinkles! Tiny sprinkles that look like watermelon seeds? Yes, please!

How fun would a scoop (or two) of pink strawberry ice cream be in one of these watermelon waffle cone wrappers topped with chocolate sprinkles? Or lime sherbet? Or dare we say, BOTH? Oh, the possibilities are truly endless.

What fruit-inspired party would you like to see next? (Last year seemed to be pineapple everything!) Leave your favorite fruits in the comments below!

Can you believe that there is actually a whole holiday dedicated to eating as many beignets, King Cakes, and loaves of rainbow bread as you want?! Mardi Gras, we love you, but our bodies are glad you’re just a one-day holiday and not a week long ;) Inspired by the beautiful rainbow bagels made by the Bagel Store, this loaf also has some purple, gold and green hues to amp up the Mardi Gras spirit. Hand letter your own printable bread wrap to give it as a gift, or slice it up and top it with cream cheese and sprinkles. This recipe will yield three loaves of bread, but you may want to make more, because once it’s adorned with sprinkles, this fairy bread will have everyone coming back for more.

Ingredients:

  • 10 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 Tablespoons sugar
  • 3 packets rapid rise yeast
  • 3 teaspoons salt
  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 1/4 cups water
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • purple, yellow and green food coloring (we used a mix of McCormick neon and assorted food coloring)
  • plastic wrap
  • dish towel
  • printable bread label

Instructions:

  1. Mix one cup of flour, one tablespoon of sugar, one teaspoon of salt and one packet of rapid rise yeast in a mixing bowl.
  2. In a microwaveable bowl, mix 3/4 cup of water, 1/4 cup of milk, one Tablespoon of butter and about 10 drops of food coloring. Microwave on high for 45 seconds.
  3. Pour liquid mixture into the dry mixture and mix throughly. Once mixed, slowly add another 2 1/2 cups of flour.
  4. Repeat steps 1-3 for each color of dye.
  5. Rip apart the colorful dough into small pellets and twist together to form a rainbow marbled effect.
  6. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and a dish towel and let it rise for one hour.
  7. Cut the risen dough into three equal loaves, place into greased pans and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.

This bread will yield three loaves of Mardi Gras goodness, so make sure you have enough of all the ingredients. Grab a mixing bowl and mix 1/3 of the dry ingredients together — one cup flour, one Tablespoon of sugar, one teaspoon of salt and one packet of yeast.

Grab a microwaveable bowl and mix 1/3 of the wet ingredients together — 3/4 cup of water, 1/4 cup of milk, one Tablespoon of butter and about 10 drops of food coloring. Microwave for 45 seconds on high.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Let’s also just call attention to that awesome purple color :)

Mix the wet and dry ingredients together, and then start slowly adding in another two and a half cups of flour. Mix it all the way until it forms one huge ball of dough.

Repeat the first set of steps for each color. Each will yield one loaf but we will be mixing the colors together to form rainbow magicalness.

Last but not least — the green! Don’t be afraid to try other colors. This is a great recipe to create any holiday loaf. (Don’t be surprised if we do it for Fourth of July too!)

Once you have all three loaves, pull apart each color into little pellets. Layer the colors when you put them in the bowl to get maximum color variation.

Use your hands to give this mega loaf a good couple of twists.

Cover with plastic wrap and a dish towel and let the dough rise for at least one hour.

Divide your loaf into three sections and place into a greased pan. If you don’t have a loaf pan, you can totally make a rounded loaf in a cake pan or on top of a cookie sheet. Bake for 30 mins at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wait for the bread to cool and then slice into magical rainbow bread.

If you’re nice enough to gift one of these loaves, we suggest printing out a bread wrap printable and hand-lettering a fun saying. Tie up with some baker’s twine or embroidery floss.

Sadly, there is no baby inside of this sweet dessert. But hey, we’re totally all for you continuing the King Cake tradition and adding the little trinket into your sweet loaves. Just remember to warn your guests ;)

Add sprinkles and enjoy!

Show us your rainbow bread on on Instagram and check out our email newsletter for more recipes!

DIY Production and Styling: Kelly Bryden
Photography: Brittany Griffin

This post has been updated.

Fans of Fourth Wing are on pins and needles because Rebecca Yarros just announced she's finished writing the third book in the Empyrean series! It's us, we're fans — along with over half of BookTok.

We can't believe we're getting closer to reading more about Violet Sorrengail's journey, but we know you have a ton of burning questions about the release date for Book No. 3.

We may not have all the answers, but we've done a little digging to share as much as we can because who doesn't want to know what Rebecca Yarros has been up to?

I'm new to the Empyrean series. Are "Fourth Wing" and "Iron Flame" really worth reading?

Amazon

I'm not going to lie to you. The editorial team, including myself, are extremely biased about Fourth Wingand Iron Flame. From my perspective, I think these are great books for anyone who had the pleasure of growing up during the great Harry Potter era and moved on to watchingGame of Thrones and House of Dragons.

Did she announce the name of book no. 3?

Rebecca Yarros/Instagram

YES! Book No. 3 is titled Oynx Storm.

Knowing what we do about the manifestation of Violet's powers, I think this could hint she's going to play an even larger role in the series. According to a fan theory shared on TikTok(via Empyrean Riders), it's believed that Violet and Xaden Riorson are actually gods. Stay with me here.

Empyrean Riders noted that Violet's last name means heavenly and that she's able to control time thanks to her connection to the young dragon Andarna (I love her so much!). That sounds pretty god-like to me.

And when asked which two Taylor Swift songs describe Onyx Storm, Rebecca Yarros chose "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?" from The Tortured Poets Department and "So It Goes..." from Reputation. "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?" is one of Taylor's most powerful songs and definitely translates the idea that Violet's powers are going to be stronger than ever, while "So It Goes..." is equal parts suspense and seduction, and is TOTALLY about "all the pieces fall right into place" to get together with the right person.

There's so much more to unpack so I suggest grabbing a yummy snack while you fall down the rabbit hole. All I'm sure of is that Onyx Storm is going to leave our emotions in shambles just like Fourth Wing and Iron Flame did.

When did Rebecca Yarros announce she's done writing book no. 3 in the series?

Rebecca Yarros/Instagram

On June 17, Rebecca Yarros shared this image of her laptop to indicate she'd finished the third book in the Empyrean series.

She wrote, "(Pic from one of the very many locations in which this book was written)," towards the end of the caption before adding a few relevant hashtags to it.

When will Onxy Storm be available for purchase?

Rebecca Yarros/Instagram

Rebecca Yarros exclusively told Good Morning America that fans can expect the book to hit shelves January 21, 2025! That gives us a little over six months to prepare our emotions for what's sure to be a storm of a book.

She said, "There will be politics, new adventures, old enemies and of course, dragons." There's no way she could forget the dragons because I'd willingly riot over them. They deserve to have their stories told forever.

As luck would have it, Cosmopolitan received an exciting first look at what's to come in Onyx Storm. The excerpt begins with Violet realizing the Venin have found their way into Basgiath War College and are wreaking havoc. Alongside Rhiannon, Sawyer, and Ridoc, she races to stop the Venin from releasing Jack Barlowe from his prison cell.

However, Violet's shocked when she discovered one of the "dark wielders" has a long silver braid that closely resembles her own. Before she can fully react, the woman disappears. According to Screen Rant, there are possible theories about why Violet saw her and what this means for her growing power.

Towards the end of the excerpt, Violet discovers the Venin want to capture her too. Also, Xaden makes his long-awaited appearance and it's clear their playful banter in the face of danger hasn't changed. That he hasn't fully changed into the Venin Violet's used to seeing.

I officially can't wait to read the rest of the book in January!

Has Rebecca Yarros revealed the cover for Onyx Storm?

Today/Bree Archer, Elizabeth Turner Stokes for Entangled Publishing

Onyx Storm

Yes!

TODAY received an exclusive look at the cover for Onyx Storm and it doesn't disappoint! Unlike its predecessors, it appears Rebecca Yarros is hinting that darker events will take place.

Fans of the Empyrean series aren't the only ones who are excited to see what fate has in store for our favorite characters though. In a statement to TODAY, Rebecca revealed how elated she is to be working on the series again. "It's amazing to be back with these characters again. She also said, ""I can't wait for readers to see what Violet, Xaden, and the rest of the quadrant have in store for them in Onyx Storm!"

Are you excited for the release of Onyx Storm? Follow us on Facebook for more entertainment news!

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

This post has been updated.

It's that time of year again, when apples are ripening, days are getting shorter and school is starting up. So if you're obsessed with all things back-to-school, then check out these awesome (and free!) printables. This year, we're saying hello to bright agenda stickers, fruit-themed designs and chic book covers. Even adults will want to try these. Scroll through and download a couple of these 17 super fun back-to-school printables.

1. Composition Book Covers: Back in the day, all our notebooks were splattered with a cartoon unicorn at best. These emoji-inspired book covers will have you hitting the download button immediately. (via Damask Love)

2. Fill-in-the-Blank Lunchbox Notes: Leave cute love notes for your kids or partner that will have them smiling each time they open up their lunchbox. Everyone loves a fun reminder of just how great they truly are. (via Five Mari Golds)

3. Paper Pencil Tube Printable: Skip the traditional pencil cup and try your hand at these fresh and unique paper pencil tubes. They’re perfect for holding markers, pens and, of course, pencils. (via Hello Wonderful)

4. Book Covers: Instantly update your textbooks with these undeniably classic, modern-inspired book covers. Aside from their stylish exterior, they might even protect your books from an accidental coffee spill. (via Better After)

5. Lunch Notes: Inspire your loved ones to do and be their best. These cute lunch notes are sure to brighten anyone’s day — even yours! (via Living Locurto)

6. Daily Checklist: If writing in a boring planner every day sounds like your worst nightmare, this is the printable set for you. You'll get tons of cute pages that are full of motivation and personality. (via The Sarah Johnson)

7. Lunchbox Jokes: If you'd rather write a funny one-liner than a sentimental note, then these lunchbox joke printables are just what you need. Google some kid-safe jokes for inspiration. (via Paging Supermom)

8. Have a Bright School Year: Present your favorite student with this year's highlighter set by binding it with a cheery and colorful printable tag. Or attach the tag to a pencil cup to remind yourself where you keep your markers. (via The TomKat Studio)

9. Colorful Monthly Prints: If you need a calendar in under 30 minutes, we've got the printables for you. Be prepared for lots of colors and fun fonts. (via Short Stop Designs)

10. First Day of School Signs: Kids are never too old for a first-day frame to mark those back-to-school pictures. It works for kindergarten, high school or even college. (via Mother's Niche)

11. First Day Signs: This is another great first-day-of-school printable to capture that morning full of possibilities. The classic design has the advantage of being black and white, so it'll save you color ink. (via Remodelaholic)

12. Food Sticker Printables: Get ready to take class head on with these adorable stickers featuring food-inspired prints. Plus, these can double as both agenda and binder decor stickers. (via Design Eat Repeat)

13. Motivating Lunchbox Stickers: There's nothing better than going to school with a positive mindset and feeling like someone truly believes in you. Make your loved ones feel special with these motivating lunchbox stickers. (via The Crafted Sparrow)

14. Summer Printables: Back-to-school printables don’t just have to be about calendars and stickers. These, for example, are the perfect touch for adorning a fun keychain or binder cover. (via Oh Happy Day)

15. Planner Stickers: Planner stickers should be fun, sassy and full of color. These printable labels are just what you need to stay organized and plan out your weekdays. (via Craftsposure)

16. Watercolor Binders: Watercolor inspired notebooks are a perfect way to start each and every morning. Check out these fun and motivational journals that you can DIY. (via Eighteen25)


Want more organization inspo? Follow us on Pinterest!

This article has been update from a previous post.

Kate Winslet is THE Hollywood actress to me. Not only has she starred in box office smashes like Titanic and Avatar: Way of Water, but she's proven her acting chops in breakout indie flicks and provided mothers and daughters everywhere with eternal Christmas movie nights thanks to The Holiday. But the actress' consistently viral kindness, her dedication to embracing her natural beauty, and her sophistication don't mean she always feels confident. Kate Winslet just spilled on the one movie from her career that had her "sh—ing" herself, and I just had to dive in.

Here's what Kate Winslet had to say about her scariest movie experience ever.

  • Kate Winslet made a name for herself with Titanic, Sense & Sensibility, and The Holiday.
  • However those movies aren't the film she wants fans to ask about!
  • The actress spills on the movies she's proud of, and the one job that had her "sh—ing myself."

Talking to Vanity Fair for her newest film Lee, Kate Winslet revealed one project she wishes fans asked about more is Iris. The 2001 film stars Kate as a young Iris Murdoch against Judi Dench's older counterpart. And for Kate, nothing was more terrifying than working with such a wonderful actress.

"People don’t really ask me about Iris. It’s such a delicate film," she says. "It was the first thing I had done after having my daughter. Going to work with a baby, I’m playing Iris Murdoch, looking to Judi Dench’s older Iris Murdoch — I was sh—ting myself."

Considering how nervous I get when I meet my heroes, I can only imagine what it was like to meet Dame Judi Dench. Talk about a dream! Another film Kate loves is Revolutionary Road, and not just because she got to reunite with Leonardo DiCaprio.

"The thing that people say is, 'You got to work with Leo again.' Then they go off on the whole Leo tangent, which I totally understand," she says of the film, which follows an ambitious couple who find themselves trapped in the reality of 1950s suburbia. "But Revolutionary Road — f—king hell, it just knocked us all sideways. Unbelievably difficult material. I was very proud of that film and what Leo and I were able to create as Frank and April. It was so brutal."

The process for getting Lee into the world sounds equally brutal, considering Kate started working on it over a decade ago. As producer, Kate tells Vanity Fair she doesn't mind the fact she's done more for the film than if she only had an acting credit. "That has felt very necessary for this film. But it’s also just really important to me," she says. "It’s important to me that people know that it’s out there and might feel compelled to go and see it."

Because it turns out, commercial success or stardom on its own doesn't actually help your movie get made! "It doesn’t matter who you are," she says. "No one’s going to go, 'Oh, I’ll just back that pony because she was in Titanic.' It doesn’t happen that way, and I never expected that. That’s really important to say."

"I've gotten older and I’ve learned more and felt more confident in myself about whether or not I could actually do it," she adds. "It’s not something I would’ve done had I not felt so passionately about the subject, and Lee was just—she wouldn’t let me go."

Let us know your favorite Kate Winslet movies in the comments, and since we've officially entered cozy season, check out Why The Holiday Movie Ending Is The Most Important Scene while you're at it!

Marvel movies are known for their heroes and their hopeful outlook on the world. But in 2025, we're getting a brand new team: the Thunderbolts. This team is made up of antiheroes and former villains, and it's sure to be the wackiest and strangest, as well as one of the most memorable, superhero movies we've seen in recent years.

Keep reading for the latest news on Thunderbolts* before it hits theaters in 2025.

Marvel Studios/YouTube

Thunderbolts* comes out this May, and the cast just showed off some brand new footage at the D23 convention — and thanks to the new 'Celebrating 85 Years' spot, we have the first look too!

We get a look at Bucky Barnes, The Red Guardian, John Walker, and Ghost. Plus, Yelena Belova, of course. This heartbreaking detail about Yelena's new look connects Florence Pugh's Yelena to Scarlett Johansson's Natashaand I'm WEEPING.

Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Studios

And at D23 Brazil, we got a brand new look at my new favorite team. "There’s something in this film, in terms of superpowers and superheroes, that shows that our superpowers lie in how ‘broken’ we are," David Harbour said at the event. "As if our superpowers came from our relationships.”

What is the plot of Thunderbolts?

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney

Thunderbolts* Plot

Consider Thunderbolts* to be The Avengers' edgy younger sibling. The movie follows Yelena Belova (who we know off the bat is a "depressed assassin" thanks to a Marvel Studios press release). She's joined by Bucky Barnes, The Red Guardian, and John Walker. Based on a leak, it looks like we'll see this group of misfits team up against Valentina Allegra de Fontaine after she sends them on a deadly mission.

Thunderbolts* Release Date

Jesse Grant/Disney

Thunderbolts* Release Date

Thunderbolts* hits theaters May 2, 2025.

Who's on the Thunderbolts team?

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney

Thunderbolts* Cast

Thunderbolts* stars Florence Pugh, Geraldine Viswanathan, Lewis Pullman, Hannah John-Kamen, Wyatt Russell, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Sebastian Stan, and David Harbour.

This is a huge cast, and Viswanathan just revealed how crazy the first day of filming was. “My first day didn’t feel real," she tells Vanity Fair. "I felt this extra pressure of, ‘Know your lines, babe. You can’t really play around like you usually do.’"

Historically, sci-fi fans haven't been kind to actresses in their favorite projects (remember when Star Wars fans bullied Kelly Marie Tran off social media?). But Viswanathan is already thinking ahead. “If it’s overwhelming, I’ll log off. But I like discourse around pop culture,” she says. “[Thunderbolts*] felt a little bit edgier and fresher, more existential and dark.”

Jesse Grant/Disney

The rest of the cast also enjoyed working together. “Everyone is going to f—kin’ love me! It’s really, really, really fun to be with a group of actors that you have a good time with," Wyatt Russell says at Comic Con (via Variety), while David Harbour adds, “Florence Pugh [is] just electric to work with. There’s warmth and humor, but there’s also a lot of pathos.”

“This is why we can't stop laughing together, because we genuinely just had such a wonderful time with each other and we've loved working with one another," Pugh tells People. “I feel like this is something that we've never seen before from Marvel...it's a very open and honest and truthful idea. And I'm just really excited for people to watch it.”

Are you excited for this brand new chapter in the MCU? I really feel like Thunderbolts* will usher in a whole new generation of fans and I, for one, CANNOT WAIT! Let us know your thoughts on Facebook.

Lead images via Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney

This post has been updated.