Creative Party Blog

This pirate party birthday cake decorated with a skull & crossbones was just the best.  The best part about it is that I didn’t have to make it!  Don’t get me wrong……I LOVE to make the party cakes.  Mostly because my kids know that I’ve made them and that makes the party special.  BUT I’m not the best decorator.  There are tons of other folks out there who can decorate cakes better than I can. And it seems like I’m up ’til all hours the night before the party when I need to be getting sleep!

This party was held in the downtown Portland, OR area. I want to the Ben & Jerry’s that was about 5 blocks from a show that we were seeing and asked if they could come up with a pirate style birthday cake. The cake designer was so excited that she was able to be creative and that I just let her go. This can go both ways of course but I had seen some of her work and knew that she was talented. So, I let her go and that took one big job off of my plate.

Now, having said all that…..if you want to create your own skull & crossbones or pirate birthday cake, you can certainly take this design and tweak it to make it your own.  Loved the colors and loved how it turned out.

This was an ice cream pirate cake.  I think I’ve said this before, but please please take it out of the freezer in time to let it soften or it will NOT cut.  Ask the ice cream store what they recommend as all types are a bit different in hardness.  They will be able to advise you.  Also have a cup of warm water to dip the knife in and this will help as well but won’t solve it being hard  as a rock.

Getting the wording just right for your child’s birthday party invitation can be daunting.  It certainly makes the invitation more personal if you can come up with at least one line of creative writing.  No need to make it up yourself!  Use ours.  I doubt any of the children coming to your party came to this one!

Wording goes like this:

AHOY MATEYS!
Shiver Me Timbers
Captain Carson is Turning 7!

Join us for cupcakes and Gorg
As we celebrate his big day!
Sunday, October 24th 2:00 -3:30 pm

Captain Henry’s Pirate Store
At Lloyd Center
(Located on the 2nd floor next to Eddie Bauer,
and near the ice skating rink.)

RSVP Ye Landlubbers to 503-222-5555

Invitation from Paper So Pretty out of Dallas TX.

What was also fun was when the invitation had a pirate sticker covering up the fold of the envelope.  So, you knew when it came in the mail something great was inside.  How often do we get exciting things in the mail these days?  And can you imagine what a kid feels like when they get mail?  Start the excitement with the envelope!

You know Pinatas are really fun for kids to have at birthday parties. And having a pirate skull head is the best!

I don’t believe the hostess made this one but there is no reason why you couldn’t. It’s been a long time since I’ve personally made a pinata but maybe I’ll endeavor one and give you a run down. But this one looks super simple. Just a balloon and some paper sticking out for the cross bones would be all you need for this pirate paper mache pinata.

Speaking of making the pinata for a pirate party….why not have your kid be involved in making their own pinata for their birthday party. My daughter is in first grade and she just did paper mache in her class and did a great job. It may not look like a professional but if your child is like mine, she love to be involved in the planning process……when I let her……I know that’s terrible.

What ever you decide, kids never tire of smacking something like a pinata with a bat. Might as well be something you don’t mind them tearing up. Fill it full and don’t forget to hold some back for the kids who aren’t as aggressive and don’t get any candy.

Ar….There is nothing better for a birthday party than a little story time activity. Especially during a Pirate Birthday Party that can easily get out of control, a story being read will calm those crazy energy bugs down!

The great thing about this activity during a Pirate party is not only that this type of party can be crazy. But there are some great Pirate books out there that can be read. You can even have the kids participate by repeating the words that the crew does.

My favorites are: How I Became A Pirate and Pirates Don’t Change Diapers. I think you would be hard pressed to not find this author. And if I’m not mistaken, I think there is another coming out. These stories are very fun and a great activity for a Pirate Party!

Let me hear you say “Arh.” These were common words to hear coming out of this captain’s mouth. At birthday parties, moms and dads are often busying around with the party and all the details that go with it and aren’t enjoying the party itself. Whether it’s a pirate party or another theme altogether, you are going to have the same experience.

Just like you might hire a caterer or servers for a dinner party, hire a party “captain.” This gal was part of a package that the birthday boy’s mom purchased at a local store that sells pirate garb. But even if you are having your party at home, you can still do this. Now, I’m not talking about an entertainer. I’m talking about a person who takes the planning that you have set into motion and carries it out. This leaves you to pay attention to the pirates or to other moms.

A college student would be perfect but really any responsible kid could carry it all out. My daughter “big kid helps” at my son’s preschool. She is only 7 and totally guides the little ones in the activities for the day. I don’t see why she wouldn’t be able to carry out the basic functions of a birthday party if she were allowed to be in charge.

Regardless or not if you have someone else run the party for you or it’s you yourself running the party….don your favorite pirate captain’s costume and it will make the party all that much more fun for the kids. And it helps you get into character as well!

We recently went to a Pirate Birthday Party at one of our local malls. The store was a Pirate themed store and in the back they had an area for the kids table and room for activities. What a great idea to generate extra revenue for those guys!!!

Anyway, during party times and peak times, they have a “warm up” guy out front of the store to greet the kids. He makes all kinds of balloons into swords and hats and whatever can be dreamed up. I can see this being a fun addition to the beginning of any birthday party. Really not even just Pirate parties. There are tons of clowns and balloon guys around who could do this to warm kids up and set the tone for the party.

So for the next Pirate or other type of Birthday party, consider just having a balloon maker come to warm the kids up or to be the primary entertainment.

So, as you all know the Build A Bear stores are all in the malls. That is a good and a bad thing but when our kids want a certain type of party we make do with what we have…..right?

This party ended with the kids having a snack outside the Build A Bear store in the middle of the mall walkway! They so don’t care. And if it’s a mall that has tables around, you can just move a few in front of the store. Now depending on your mall, you MIGHT have to talk with them and let them know what you are doing. But I don’t think it would be a problem. People are eating out in the mall hallways all the time.

There are several positive aspects about this. You have control over the food and cake. Often when you go to certain party places, they require that you use their food and cake. Not the case here! And it’s indoors. So, no matter what time of year it will be warm and dry. Always a plus. I had a party for my son last year that was FREEZING in May and it was outside. Disaster.

Anyway, even though you are thinking of having a party at a particular store in a mall, don’t let that box you in. No matter if it’s Build A Bear or some other store, think outside the store and use your surroundings.

If you are having a bear themed party or even a formal Build A Bear Party, go out on a limb and make a cake that looks like your child’s favorite bear!!! Honestly it’s not that hard. Just a little time and tlc. As you can see, this cake looks just like the birthday girls favorite Build A Bear.

The mom took the bear and as you can see next put it right next to her work as she was making it. Don’t forget when you are cutting out and preparing your own custom cake that you do it on the serving platter or plate.

One thing you may or may not be able to tell is that the bear has a double layer of cake on the nose to make it higher.

Honestly, these are my favorite kind of cakes. You can certainly pay several hundred dollars for a beautifully decorated cake and if you don’t have the time or don’t want to fool with making the cake yourself then I’m not downing the idea at all! I just like to stay up ’til midnight the day before my kids parties to make and decorate home made custom cakes…..ha! Seriously, it does take some time. But the kids love it no matter what it looks like and they do see the time you are putting in to THEIR Birthday cake.

Resources: This cake was made by a friend, Kerry Scroggins, and was willing to allow me to share her masterpiece.

Anywhere from a first birthday for as long as kids love stuffed animals, you can have a teddy bear themed birthday party. My daughter recently attended a birthday party at Build a Bear and she is in the 1st grade. We were even at the mall this weekend and there was a girl walking out with a Build a Bear box and she had to have been in like 5th or 6th grade. So, it’s just up to your child and their interests as to what age you can have a party like this.

Anyway, let’s talk invitations!!! This is another really cute popup I found that can be generic or for the Build A Bear Birthday Parties! So simple to make in comparison to some of the other popups. You could do a bunch in no time. This is even one that your daughter or son could help you cut out. Below is a link to the website where you can find the templates for the pop up cards.

Suggested wording as follows (just print it out on your computer before attaching the bear):

(On the left hand side)
He’s squishy and loyal
We love him so!
Who? Jonathan?
No, His Build a Bear!
Join us to celebrate Jonathan’s Birthday.

(On right side)
Meet us at Build A Bear
Location
Date
Time
RSVP

Resources: Paper – Scrapbooking weight paper found in any scrapbooking store. Templates found on www.RobertSabuda.com.

Have fun with these! I’m loving the pop up birthday card invitations!

I found by accident this guy who creates pop up books. What an art!!! Anyway, by luck, he also had some fabulous pop up card templates on his site. I have the web address below. Anyway, in looking through them, I was able to use several by just adding color and some personal touches.

This particular popup card could be used for a First Birthday Party Invitation or even a Baby Shower invitation. So easy to make. It took a little time to cut out the animal shapes so I don’t know that I would want to make 30 or more but they are soooo worth it. I don’t mind spending a little extra time on the invitations. When I’m watching T.V. with my husband, I just sit and cut.

Wording as follows:

Two by Two
They’ll say to you….
Happy Birthday John!

(under ark)

Join us for John’s 1st Birthday Party
Date
Time
Location
RSVP

Resources: Get the template for this and other Pop up Cards at www.robertsabuda.com.

If you have a party without a specific theme, a good way to set the stage for the party is with a fun loving photo of the birthday boy or birthday girl. This child was turning 4 and the party was at an inflatables party place.

All the photo copying sites are offering these great photo quality invitations that are very cost effective. And my kids love to carry around photos of their friends so it was like having a new toy!!!

Use these words or expand on them. Wording as such:

Cake, ice cream, and more….
It’s my birthday and I’m turning 4!

Join us at Pump It Up!
Address
Date
Time
RSVP

Being creative with your invitations and the wording of it doesn’t mean that you have to make them yourself. Just that you are thinking outside the box.

I decided that I wanted to make a pop up card for one of my kid’s birthday party invitations. Maybe I was a gluten for punishment….not sure. Anyway, I thought I would have to create them all from scratch so I set out to learn how to do pop ups. Ugh. This is a real art.

Then shazam, I found this website from a man who produces pop up books. AND…..he has some free templates on his site that allow you to print out and make your own cards. The selection is not vast but you can find some cute ones. The ladybug being one of them!!

I simply printed out the template on colored paper and then embellished it with dots. For you purists out there, I know that the dots are not perfectly symmetrical like they are suppose to be. But whenever my daughter draws ladybugs, she never makes the dots right. So, I went on her lead and did them random as well.

I have done several of the pop up cards on this site and you will be able to see them under the invitations section of our blog.

Have fund creating your own ladybug party invitation for your bug or ladybug inspired birthday party!

Resources: Template available on www.robertsabuda.com, I used light weight scrap booking paper but not too lightweight. If it’s like construction paper it won’t hold enough shape!

A Bug Theme (or “Insects” as my daughter’s 1st grade class is now calling them) lends itself to some very creative parties and activities. We are actually using the “insect” or bug theme to make their school class auction item…..but I digress.

It’s fun to share different wording options for birthday party invitations. Sometimes it’s impossible to be creative with the wording. But whenever possible, I at least try and put in a couple of creative lines on the invitation. Following is just a suggestion but if you have others please share them with us!

Bug Party Invitation Wording is as follows:

“We’re bug-eyed and happy to say
It’s time to celebrate John’s 3rd Birthday
Picnic (without the bugs) at Crutch Park
Saturday, June 2 from 12 to 2 pm
Join us behind the swings.
RSVP”

Resources: For information on how to make this invitation, go to our post on the Lady Bug Party Pop Up Invitation.

These preprinted thank you notes were just perfect for this Kindergartener! Or any child who can write a little but writing out all the thank you notes would be just too awful….for you and your child. Ha! This just allows your child to feel like they are a part without being too overwhelming.

This card has the child’s name and a cute little image on the front and then this message reads as follows:

Wording:

“Dear________________,
Thank you so much for the
______________________
______________________
That is just what I wished for.
Love,__________________”

I’d love to give the printer credit for the card but they didn’t put their information on the back!!! And knowing this family as I do, I know that they didn’t print them out themselves. I would imagine any of the small custom card printers out there would be more than willing to print the inside of the card like this for you!

It’s so hard to decide to hand over the thank you note writing to your child! I personally like to send a flowery note with a meaningful thank you. No one ever does this anymore and people really appreciate them! I can’t tell you how many verbal thank yous I get for written thank you notes that I send.

But put this aside. We are now talking about your child. We went to a party for a kindergartener and I felt that this note was the perfect one. There was enough involvement from the child that they understood the process yet it didn’t cause the mom to pull her hair out in the process of getting them written.

The card was one that can be bought or made by anyone. Then the on the inside there was a color photo on one side of the card. On the other was a typed thank you note that the mom totally did. But there were spots left free for the names. Perfect. You could tell that even the birthday girl cut out and pasted everything inside the card. And you know…..as much of a perfectionist as I am…..I’m O.K. with this. A personal touch doesn’t have to be a perfect one. And having the message glued on crooked is totally a personal touch.

Be creative in how you involve your child. The important thing is that at some age around kindergarten or first grade, they should become involved in thanking folks for their gifts.

This is another great way to do a personal thank you note! I’m just lovin’ the photo idea. It does take a little work after the party is over. Sometimes you are spent and don’t have the energy to pop something like this out after the party but if you plan ahead for it, it’s really pretty simple.

Pick out the best image of the birthday girl or boy for your note. Then pick any number of photo sites that allow you to customize the image and allow you to put text on the front. Upload and send off the image and within a week you should get your thank you cards back.

I’m pretty sure that this card was done on a MAC. If you don’t have a MAC, you could look into Shutterfly or a friend of mine does these with nice card stock. Her site is www.PaperRabbitDesigns.com. She will totally customize it to look exactly as you want it and then it comes out on a nice heavy card stock.

Bottom line, it’s always important to say thank you for coming to the party and for bringing a gift. My daughter is 7 and still remembers who gave her things over 2 years ago!

This might be one of my favorite thank you notes that we’ve ever gotten! This was an outdoor vintage theme party and it was held in downtown on a boardwalk. Because it was in the middle of summer, the hostess put out a water sprinkler and the kids went wild.

The thank you note was a photo taken from the party. Not only did it have both my kids in it but it had the party girl in it as well! The personal note was written on the back. Now, what is so interesting about this is that the card was an actual photo. Then the backing looked like a postcard backing that was a sticker that was just applied to the photo.

This particular postcard backing was from Photopostos.com. They are made in the US. They are acid free so the image will keep forever! I haven’t done this yet, but I feel it coming in the near future!

Nothing like a magic show theme for a kids birthday party. There is that special age where they still buy into everything and the tricks are really magical for the kids. I love watching their faces. Once they get to like 2nd to 4th grade, the kids get too skeptical and you have to have a really good magician to fool them.

This was the invitation for a party we went to and the kids loved the party. The tone was set when the invitation arrived. It was address to the kids and it was to both kids so we know right away who is invited. Then a kid appropriate stamp was chosen which is another little detail that enhances the party planning process!

The Magic Show Birthday Party Invitation wording went as such:

Magic Show
Birthday Party

Abracadabra William is turning 5!
Join us for cake, fun and a furry surprise!

Date
Location
RSVP and Date

This is such a fun theme even if you don’t like this invitation there are so many out there to chose from. This one was ordered from Tiny Prints.

If you are inviting new friends or you live in an out of the way place, it’s always thoughtful to assist your guests in finding the party location! I have to be completely honest, this is a detail I personally often forget.

It seemed like for so many years we were inviting friends to our parties who knew our neighborhood. Now, that my daughter is in first grade, we are inviting a whole new set of folks. It’s no longer the kids of my friends who are coming but her friends from school. And not very many of them live in our specific neighborhood so they get lost!!!

Really all it takes is a simple sign that your kids help to make. Or get a couple of extra balloons to tie to the front gate or a stop sign where they need to turn.

Another nice gesture is to put a copy of the directions in the invitation and not just an address. I’m so dependent on my IPhone to get me where I need to go that I forget not everyone has one or uses theirs in that way. This is really easy to do if it’s your home. Just type the directions in a word doc and size it small so you don’t have to resize all the time to print. Save the Directions Document for all the parties you throw.

So, no matter what kind of party you are giving or gathering, it’s helpful to assist your guests in arriving on time and with as little stress as possible!

Magic Show Birthday Parties are becoming very popular. And what’s a magic themed birthday party without a real magician? For the right age kid, it can really be fun for them. This birthday boy is obviously having a great time.

I’ve been to several of these types of parties over the last year or so and really it doesn’t matter much how good your magician is. The kids seem to love all level of talented magician. There was one in particular that the adults didn’t really care for but the kids loved him. Then there have been others that both adults and kids love. The best way to find these guys is just by word of mouth referrals.

As you can tell by the faces of these kids, this magician was a bit hit. I will say that kids get to a certain age and they really try figuring out how the tricks work. You’ll have to base it on your child and their friends. But I think that the perfect age range for a magician is where the kids are from say 4 to 8…..maybe 9. At some point, they start heckling the magician and that’s not fun.

This particular magician was at a birthday party for a 5 year old and his name is Presto from Portland, OR. I’ll just say that the kids loved him.