Howdy

Over the weekend we had a fantastic party... It was a western theme for my son's 4th birthday party.

For the next few posts, you're invited to share in the fun!

We'll go over decor, food, games, and more!

 

Fold on the Dotted Line

One little detail that is simple and fun is napkin folding... and it doesn't have to be only for formal parties.

Say you are having a Hula theme... you could fold your napkins into t-shirts as seen right here.

Oh how I wish I had found this fish fold for the Under the Sea party!

And how cute is this adorable bunny for a Spring time or Easter luncheon?

 

 



As I was saying, folding napkins can be fun and add a little extra touch to your party!

An Easy Money Saver

One of the areas that I save on my party budget is on the invitations. Now you might be thinking, "Wait a minute, invitations can really add up!" And that is totally true...invitation costs can sneak up on your budget very quickly.

What I like to do is this: make my own. I have found quite a few free digital scrap booking kits {and I have purchased some as well} that have fit my party theme. Then, in an editing software {I use Photoshop Elements} I create my own. This is fun and I get to make the invitations exactly how I want them.

But where is the money saver? Walgreens. Target. Or any other place that has a 1 hour photo lab. For 19 cents a piece, I get 4x6 invitations that are completely unique, just how I want them, and for a killer price. Sometimes I will have the invitations printed for me on cardstock, which also looks very nice.

So there it is, one of my best kept money saving secrets.

It's Time to Play

Just about any party needs a game or two. Something fun or exciting to pass the time.

Now, with all the picture taking I did for the Under the Sea party, I somehow managed to *not* take a picture of the crafts {which were a hit with the kiddos.}

Here was one:

You can find it here on my pinboard.

I made a few changes to make it easier for the kids. I had prepared the plates before hand - both painted and glued them together. Also, instead of scrapbook style fish I used these from Oriental Trading Company. The other change I made was to not do the clear plastic over the top...it was going to need to much involvement from me and I wanted this to be all about the kids.

It was fun and the kids got to take something home other than candy.

All in all the party was a ton of fun for the kids and it was a blast to put together!

Have a Bite

Food is an easy way to keep a theme going. It can be fun and imaginative or straight forward and practical... there is no limit to what your food can be.

For the Under the Sea party, I wanted the food to really show off the theme. But finding food that was really convincing as "Under the Sea" wasn't coming to me right away. So then I went to my good friend Google to get a few ideas.

First off, I made an "Ocean in a Cup," otherwise known as blue gelatin and graham style crackers. Slightly labor intensive, but the end result was too cute to pass up. First, crush the crackers into crumbs and put in a clear plastic cup. Then prepare and cool the gelatin...once it is mostly set, pour it into the cups. Voila! Ocean in a cup!

We also had clam shaped cookes and strawberries that we called "Sea Berries."

Finally came the octopus hot dog...it was something my daughter had done in preschool one year when studying the letter "O." Here's what you do... take an uncooked hot dog and from the middle down to one end, cut it in half. Then, cut each on of the halves in half. Throw it in boiling water and POOF, the ends curl up to make an octopus!

Here was how the plates looked once they were all put together.

 



And of course, I can't forget the cake. With an EASY {VERY easy} DIY fondant recipe, cookie cutters, and wavy candles...it was a lot of fun to put together. Oh, and a few more crushed graham style crackers for "sand." It was a fun way to put the final touch on the food.

 

 

 

It's All in the Details

So what is my favorite part of planning parties? The details...from the food to the way the plates and silverware are set out. Everything is important. The details are what takes an idea to reality. Details don't have to be big or grand, but rather small touches here and there. They can elevate the simplest occasion to something a little bit more.

As I mentioned, my daughter chose an Under the Sea party. It was to be an indoor affair. Admittedly, the first place I turned for inspiration was Pinterest {I am quite nearly addicted to pinning...you can follow me here} After browsing and coming up with a few ideas of my own, it was time to get started.

For every party, I try to have one standout detail...something that really sets the party off. In this case, I pinned blue netting below the ceiling. Then, between the ceiling and the netting I put balloons...light blue, dark blue, and white...sea foam. It really gave the feeling of being under the sea.
 

 

One of my favorite decorations of this party were the handmade jellyfish. From paper bowls, watercolor, and ribbon came the jellyfish forest. Then, hung from fishing line, they looked like they were floating.

 

And what's an Under the Sea party without a school of fish?

 

 

 

Next time we'll look into the food...mmm, one of my favorite parts!

Choosing a Theme

In some ways choosing the party theme can be one of the more difficult aspects to putting on a party. It can be so daunting...especially with kids. What kind of party does he/she want? Will the desired theme work for the time of year? Will the theme still be desired when the time comes, or will the birthday boy/girl want something new? There is a lot to think about when it comes to kids.

As far as choosing a theme, I let my children help me choose as much or as little as I allow them. They feel important for making decisions, but I am not pulling my hair out with having to go over details again and again because of the constantly changing mind of a toddler. About 10-12 weeks before the party date, I seriously start talking theme {I start thinking about the next party about a week after the previous one...but that is just me}. I usually throw out 1-3 ideas and let the child choose. But, we have a rule...once the theme is chosen the other ideas are put away until next year. I do let new ideas about decoration and food roll in until the very last. I think that those easily changed aspects can be the most fun to think about and change...so that is where I let my child have more free rein in the party process.

When my daughter turned 5, she decided on an "Under the Sea" party. That is all well and good, but we live in Colorado and her birthday is in January. I knew the theme would have to be shown in the details instead of a literal pool party. It was going to be a fun challenge.

This week I will be breaking down the Under the Sea party. The details, the food, the decor...everything that went into it.