Creative Party Blog

So cute. I only made one of these hats for the birthday boy. It was my son’s first birthday party. They could be made for each child as a favor as well.

Resources: Felt, Scrap Booking Paper and Pipe Cleaners found at craft stores like Michaels. Small elastic for chin strap found at fabric stores.

Directions for Project: Pig Face Party Hat Directions

To See Template:
Click below link through 2 screens.

Pig Face Party Hat Template

Image taken by Amy Hall Photography, Portland, OR.

A crown invitation can be used for a Princess Party, A Queen of Hearts Party or any party wanting a royal touch.

Resources: We used plain invitation paper and envelop to match that can be found at many stationery stores. Embellishments were done with stones found at Michaels or other hobby or craft shops. Sequins could even be used to allow for easier mailing.

Directions for Project: Invitation Directions

To See Template:
Click below link through 2 screens.

Princess Crown Invitation Template

Image taken by Amy Hall Photography, Portland, OR.

This template was used to cut out crowns that were slipped on straws for a fun drink embellishment. Very simple and effective.

Resources: Heavy Stock Scrap Booking paper found at any store selling scrap book supplies.

Directions for Project: Princess Party Idea Directions

To See Template:
Click below link through 2 screens.

Princess Crown Template

Image taken by Amy Hall Photography, Portland, OR.

Below is a template for the Knights Templar Cross. We used the template to make Knight Tunics. We gave the tunics as party favors to the little boys who came to my daughters Queen of Hearts birthday party.

Resources: Yardage of Felt found at any fabric store. Double Sided Red Satin Ribbon 1″ wide. We bought online. Cross made from Inkjet Dark T-Shirt Transfer Paper found at office supply stores.

Directions for Project: Knights Templar Cross Tunic Directions

To See Template:
Click below link through 2 screens.

Knights Templar Cross Template

Do you want to make your own Birthday Party Hat for the birthday boy or girl? Or do you plan to make party hats for each of the party goers? This simple hat template is easy to cut out and put together and with additional embellishments can look great. Or make the hats out of a fancy paper and then you wouldn’t have to do anything else but put them together.

Directions:

• Use Template to cut out hat.
• Cut slits on each side edge of hat where indicated on template to fold it together.
• Cut slits on either side at bottom and where indicated to attach elastic cord.
• Tie on or wrap elastic around and cut to length needed for going under a child’s chin.

Note: If I am making many hats, I tend to cut corners like taping the hats together and cutting a little hole to tie the chin strap on. If I’m only making one for the birthday girl/boy, I will tend to make it right.

Resources: Template for the Hat, Plain hats can be made out of one sheet of heavy scrap booking paper found at many craft and scrap booking supply stores. Or use a heavy duty scrap booking paper with a fancy design for a simple hat.

To See Template:
Click below link through 2 screens.

Birthday Party Hat Template

Photo taken by Amy Hall Photography, Portland, OR.

Make these Fire Truck Invitations for a Fire Truck Birthday Party. See Resources for a link to detailed instructions on making your own Fire Truck Party Invitations.

Resources: Sheet foam for parts came from Michaels. Brads can be found at any store selling scrap booking supplies. Directions for Project: Fire Truck Party Invitation Directions

To See Template:
Click below link through 2 screens.

Fire Truck Invitation Template

Photo taken by Amy Hall Photography, Portland, OR.

These Dalmatian Party Hats are perfect for a Fire Truck Themed Birthday Party. See Resources for a link to detailed instructions on making your own Dalmatian Hat.

Resources: Hat was made from Heavy Scrap Booking paper found a most craft stores. Felt for parts found at craft or fabric stores. Super small elastic found at fabric stores. Directions for Project: Fire Truck Party Hat Directions

To See Template:
Click below link through 2 screens.

Dalmatian Party Hat Template

Photo taken by Amy Hall Photography, Portland, OR.

The attached template was used to create Garbage Truck Birthday Party Invitations for my son’s Car and Truck Birthday Party. See Resources for a link to detailed instructions on making this invitation.

Resources: Scrap Booking Paper and brads can be found at many art supply stores. Blinking lights come in a pack of two and are sold int he wedding section at Michaels. Directions for Project: Garbage Truck Invitation Directions



To See Template:
Click below link through 2 screens.

Garbage Truck Invitation Template

The attached template was used to create Dump Truck Birthday Party Invitations for my son’s Car and Truck Birthday Party. See Resources for a link to detailed instructions on how to make.

Resources: Scrap Booking Paper can be found at many art supply stores. Lights are wedding lights and come in a pack of 2 found at Michaels. Brads for wheels can be found at any store selling scrap booking supplies. Directions for Project: Dump Truck Invitation Directions

To See Template:
Click below link through 2 screens.

Dump Truck Invitation Template

Following is a couple of car templates that can be used for T-Shirts. Be sure if you are using a patterned fabric for the car that you use a fabric with a tight/small pattern on it. Larger patterns will not look as good. And use the heaviest weight fabric you can find for that. Although it shouldn’t be heavier than denim weight fabric. The sky is the limit with all the quilting fabric that is available these days.

Resources: Fabric found at any fabric store and fusible webbing found at most fabric stores as well. Complete directions: Car T-Shirt Party Favor Directions.

To See Template:
Click below link through 2 screens.

Car Party T-Shirt Template

This template is of a dump truck that is perfect size for the front of a T-Shirt for a dump truck or other truck theme birthday party. Simply cut the truck and the wheels out of two different heavier weight fabric. Like a denim but not quite that heavy. See instructions on how to make under the Truck Party Category or the Favors Category.

Resources: Fabric found at any fabric store. Full Directions: Dump Truck Party T-Shirt Favor Directions

To See Template:
Click below link through 2 screens.

Dump Truck Party T-Shirt Template

The below template is my own freehand drawing of 2 different cars that I used for my son’s car and truck birthday party. I cut these car images out of solid scrap booking stock paper and glued on top of pre-made boxes that I purchased at Michaels. The boxes were 6″ X 4 1/2″ X 4 1/2″. To get detailed instructions of how to make them, look at my previous post.

Resources: Velum, Scrap Booking Paper and Box all came from Michaels but can be found at many art supply stores. Directions for Project: Car Party Favor Box Directions

To See Template:
Click below link through 2 screens.

Car Party Favor Box Template

Photo was taken by Amy Hall Photography, Portland, OR.

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.

This box template is sized to hold a regular size cupcake.  Print out both templates and tape them together matching line A and line B up and use this as your master template.  When making boxes via a template, it is critical to be as precise as possible.  Cut along solid lines.  Fold along dotted lines.  If you are using heavy scrap booking stock paper to make your boxes, do not fudge on the sides of the boxes.  The place to fudge on is the side tab.  The bigger the better but you can glue a small tab and your box will be fine.

Resources: Scrap Booking papers from any art store. Ribbon from any art store or fabric store. Directions: Cupcake Favor Box Directions

To See Templates:
Click below links through 2 screens.

Cupcake Box Template Side One

Cupcake Box Template Side Two

Photo taken by Amy Hall Photography, Portland, OR.

This Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe is great for cakes and cupcakes where you want a really moist yummy frosting. It won’t do as well on cupcakes or cakes where you want the icing to have perfect corners or shapes. I use this icing a great deal because I think it tastes divine and that trumps the decoration being perfect. I want the best of both worlds. Who doesn’t? And I find that I don’t like the icing that you use to cut shapes out of nearly as well.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
2 oz cooking white chocolate
(1) 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 Tbl Heavy Cream

Directions:
1. In a double broiler, melt white chocolate over low heat and let stand ’til room temperature. Note: If you don’t have a double broiler simply put a metal mixing bowl over a pot of boiling water. This insures that you don’t burn your white chocolate.  And you don’t have to sit and stir it the whole time.

2. Sift and measure confectioners’ sugar and set aside.

3. In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add in the white chocolate and vanilla and beat until mixed well. Gradually mix in the confectioners’ sugar and mix until the batter is nice and fluffy. Beat in the heavy cream.

Hints: This can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 30 days. Don’t tell anyone but I’ve kept it longer than that and it works just fine for those small batches of cupcakes you make for your kids. Make sure you let it warm up to room temp before trying to frost cupcakes.  And after cooking cupcakes, let them cool to room temp or the icing will slide off the side!

Photos taken by Amy Hall Photography, Portland, OR. Continue reading Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

I don’t know about you but I seem to always have left over party favors. Honestly, I’m always paranoid that more kids will show up than what I have favors for and I don’t want anyone going home empty handed!

Now the question is what do you actually do with these extra toys and such???  Well, we keep them on hand to give other kids who weren’t able to make it to the party but give us a gift.  Or we even give favors to kids who invite us over for play dates post party.

What do you do with the ones that are still left over?  I’m at a loss.  Many of them get integrated into our own toy box but then we have numerous of these around.  I can’t wait for them tear up or break.  Do you have any good suggestions of what to do with these left over favors?  Please share your ideas.  We can all benefit from them here!

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!