Creative Party Blog

It’s always good to have drinks at a level that all guests can access them. You will have enough to do during the party. So, you don’t want to have to act as bartender as well. Whether your party is indoors or out of doors, it’s always good to have drinks on ice and it’s always festive to have a “drink bucket.”

Fill your bucket with big and small water bottles, juice boxes or other drinks you want to provide. The great thing about individual bottles and boxes with drinks, is that you don’t have to provide glasses or cups as well. But it’s also not always considered “green.” You’ll have to decide yourself which one has more or less impact. We’ve always felt that it’s better to recycle plastic bottles than to be throwing away waxed cups.

Photo taken by Amy Hall Photography, Portland, OR.

How much fun to drink out of a straw with a crown embellishment!!! This idea is so simple yet makes a big impact.

I found some scrap booking paper that I liked and thought looked like a princess and cut out a crown. After making 2 slight slits with a straight edge blade, you simply slide the straw in. If you are using this for a party with little ones and there is a risk of the crown getting wet, you might consider laminating them before you cut them out. Just laminate a sheet of scrap booking paper either at Kinko’s or using your own laminating paper and cut the shape out from there. This will make the Princess crown hold up better. I hope this is a birthday idea you can use and transfer to other themes as well.

Resources: Template for Crown, Scrap Booking paper found at any store selling scrap booking supplies.

Photo by Amy Hall Photography, Portland, OR.

A Train Birthday Party can be so colorful and fun without having to be Thomas the Train. Here a is a beautiful table with a train spread across the table and each train has it’s own special decorations. I’ll be doing a post specifically on the cake so look for it.

This table has a few flowers to tie in the colors, a plastic throw away table cloth, Colorful bowls with a few candies and confetti scattered around.  It was so picturesque.

This train birthday party was at the child’s home and we all walked down to the local park for some child entertainment.

In planning your birthday party, you need more time that you think.  Unless you plan to go out and purchase everything out of a box and give it to someone else to organize, planning a birthday party does take some thought and effort.  But with the right tools your brainstorming can be a pleasurable experience!  Below we’ve put together the best Birthday Party Planning Timeline for those of you who like to stay organized.

6-8 Weeks in Advance

• Choose Theme/Idea for Birthday Party with your Child (There may be a fair amount of negotiation in this step and will take longer than you think!  I’ve been negotiating with my child over her next Birthday Party and it’s 7 months away!)
• Plan a Date and Time
• Locate a party facility and book it.  (or have the party at home)
• Quiz host location on what service/items they will provide or help you with.  Every place that caters to birthday parties will have their own system and it’s good to know that up front.
• Email Save the Dates

4 Weeks in Advance

• Make Guest List
• Create Invitations or order them from a stationer
• Plan Events or Activities
• Decide on Decorations
• Look for and decide on Party Favors

3 Weeks in Advance

• Make or begin making/assembling Decorations
• Make or begin making/assembling Activities
• Make or begin making/assembling Favors

2 Weeks in Advance

• Send Invitations (could also be sent earlier but if you email a save the date, folks should already have it on their calendar and this is just a toggle reminder to get the kids excited)
• Order Cake or Decide on Cake to Make and what it will look like

1 Week in Advance

• Order Food or Decide on Food to prepare.

2 Days

• Confirm with Cake Maker and Food if ordered or begin grocery shopping/preparing.
• Charge Photo and Video Camera Batteries
• Decorate if at home or assemble everything that goes to the party in one location.

Post Party – Within 2 days

• Write or have your child write thank you notes.  They don’t have to be professional or long but must be done and the sooner the better.
• Gather all keepsakes and put in one location (photos, wrapping paper for scrapbook pages, sample of invitation, sample of thank you cards, favor…..)

Most of all.  When you are starting your next Birthday Party Planning Session…….Have FUN!

It’s all in the details. For the fire truck party, I wanted to exploit every idea I had. If you take a very close look, the candle holder is the back of a dalmation puppy.

I found these candle holders in Mexico City at the San Angel Saturday Market. We have a set of them. Only one is a dalmation and it was perfect in the middle of the 3 candles.

Now, I’m not saying that you need to travel to Mexico to purchase these from the only lady in the world making them. I show you this to cause you to think. Pick a theme early enough for you to keep an eye out at any place or store you visit and think outside the box.