Princess Party Invitations and Decorations

Princess parties are quite popular, so you can find princess-themed invitations at many discount and party supply stores.  You could also design your own with your computer, or you could make them from scratch.

Crown-shaped cards would be very fitting.  You could add stick-on jewels from the craft store, or some silver or gold glitter.  Other shapes that are good for princess party invitations include castles and glass slippers.

For decorations, you could make a princess banner and put up lots of pretty streamers and coordinating balloons.  A princess needs a throne, and you can whip one up in no time using a chair, a sheet, some ribbons, and a soft pillow to sit on.  Piñatas are decorative and serve as a party game as well.  Choose something like a unicorn or castle to go with the rest of the décor.

Princess Party Favors and Food

There are lots of party favors that would work well for a princess party.  Wands, goblets and costume jewelry are nice if you’re going with store-bought favors.  You can also find inexpensive paper crowns to use instead of the standard party hats.

You could easily make your own party favors to save money and add a creative touch.  Card stock paper will make a fairly durable crown, and you could provide stick-on jewels and other pretty things to the girls and let them decorate their own.  You could also cut out stars from cardboard, decorate them with glitter, and glue a dowel to the back of them for homemade wands.  For a simple yet elegant favor, put some assorted candy in some pretty tulle and tie it up with a ribbon.

Miniature sandwiches make a dainty food for a princess party.  Simply make regular peanut butter and jelly or ham and cheese sandwiches and cut them into quarters.  Pink lemonade or fruit punch served in goblets or teacups provide royal refreshment.

Castle cakes are a hit at princess parties.  Most bakeries can make them.  If you want to make your own, you could use a regular sheet cake with a smaller cake centered on top of it.  Add upside-down ice cream cones at the corners to create a castle shape.  Then decorate with icing, and add a tiny princess figurine to complete the look.

A princess party doesn’t have to be expensive to be fun.  You can make almost everything on your own, or you can find inexpensive favors and decorations at your local discount store.  Your little princess will have a memorable birthday, and her friends will talk about what a great time they had for weeks to come.
Resource : “Princess Party” By Party By Mom

Pirate Party Invitations and Decorations

Invitations for pirate parties can be lots of fun.  You can probably find a variety of designs at any party supply shop, but it’s much more fun to make them yourself if you have the time.  Your soon-to-be birthday boy will probably be glad to help.

Treasure maps are ideal for pirate party invitations.  You could make a regular card with a treasure map on front, or you could make an authentic-looking treasure map with the party information on the back.  Using parchment paper, or paper that is of a similar color, will make the maps look more authentic.

If you’re hand delivering the invitations, a message in a bottle is lots of fun.  Simply write the party details on some parchment or similar paper, roll it up and tie it with string, and put it in an empty glass single-serving soda bottle.  You could even put in some sand or small shells for added effect.

For decorations, you could use Jolly Roger flags or toy swords hung on the wall.  Pirate or ship piñatas also make great decorations, and they provide an easy party game as an added bonus.  Large treasure maps also make great decorations.

Pirate Party Food and Favors

There are several types of cake that would go well with a pirate party.  A skull and crossbones cake is a popular choice.  A cake with blue icing would make a great base for a pirate ship cake topper.  Alternatively, you could use cupcakes topped with pirate-themed toppers or candies.

Fish-shaped snacks go nicely with a pirate party.  Goldfish crackers or gummy fish could be served with the cake.  You could also cut apples, pears, or other fruits in half and stick a toothpick in the middle of the flat side, adding a triangular piece of paper to make a pirate ship.

Small pouches filled with chocolate coins make fun and simple party favors.  Goodie bags can also be filled with items such as eye patches, small toy swords, and other treasures.  A treasure hunt makes a great party game and allows guests to “earn” their favors.

Planning a pirate party is lots of fun, and the party itself is even better.  Playing pirate is great, and it’s even more enjoyable when you have lots of props and plenty of friends to play along with.  Make sure you have a camera on hand, because there will surely be many memorable moments. Here is a great resource guide to preparing your very own “Pirate Party”.

Many of the party games you would purchase for a theme party are adaptations of traditional games.  Why not come up with your own twists for these games?  Doing so will can you money in many cases, and you might come up with something even better than you could buy in a store.

Musical Chairs

Musical chairs is a favorite game for kids.  It’s also very easy to adapt to virtually any theme.  If the party theme is based on a certain movie or cartoon, for example, you could use songs from its soundtrack.  Circus themes call for circus-type music, and so on.

If you have a hard time deciding on music, ask your child what kind of music she would associate with the theme.  You might be surprised with what a great choice she can come up with.

Pin the Tail on the Donkey

This is a classic party game, and it works very well for parties that do not have specific themes.  For parties with themes, you can simply use other animals or characters.  For a circus party, for example, you could simply substitute a lion or elephant for the donkey.  If your child is having a princess party, you could create a “Pin the Glass Slipper on the Princess” game.  If you look hard enough, you can find something to pin on just about anything.

Treasure Hunts

A treasure hunt can go with any party theme.  All you really need to do is make the prizes fit with the theme.  You could write the clues so that they go along with the theme as well, but that is optional.

Memory

You may be able to find Memory cards in the theme of your child’s party at the dollar store.  If not, it is easy to make your own.  Just cut cards out of construction paper or poster board, and draw pictures relevant to the theme on them (two cards with each unique picture).  If you don’t consider yourself an artist, get your child to do it or buy two sets of stickers to use on the cards.

Games are a fun part of any party.  By taking traditional party games and changing them a little, you can make them go right along with the theme of your child’s party.  The kids will love it, and you can save money by not purchasing expensive store-bought games.

If you’re playing party games, gifts could take the form of prizes.  But unless you come up with a way for every child to win something, you’ll also need some party favors to give everyone.  Here are some ideas for thoughtful gifts that won’t break the bank.

Party Favors

You can often find inexpensive party favors to use in grab bags at your local dollar store.  It’s possible that they’ll even have something that matches with your theme.  If they don’t have items that have exactly the same theme, you can almost always find some more general favors like costume jewelry, bouncy balls, or toy cars.

Some nicely packaged candy is an appreciated and inexpensive favor.  You’ll just need a large bag of candy, some small cellophane bags or tulle, and some ribbon to tie them up with.  You can also add shaped beads or other decorations if you like.

Letting kids make their own favors provides a fun party activity and a unique favor to take home.  It’s even better if you can find a project that fits well with the theme.  For example, girls at a princess party could make tiaras out of construction paper or poster board and decorate them with markers, paint, or stick-on gems.

You could also use more general items for projects.  For example, you might buy inexpensive items such as plastic visors and provide paint for the kids to personalize them with.  These types of projects are inexpensive, easy and fun.

Prizes

If the kids will be playing games for prizes, offering something a little more elaborate than the standard party favors is in order.  It doesn’t necessarily have to be more expensive, just something above and beyond what everyone is getting.

Filling a jar with jelly beans, hard candy, or some other small treat provides both a game and a prize.  Guests can write down their guesses as to how many of the items are in the jar, and the one who gets the closest can take the jar home to enjoy.  Or, if you prefer, you could provide another prize and let everyone have some of the candy from the jar.

The dollar store should also have some good items to give away as prizes.  Small stuffed animals, jump ropes, and other inexpensive but fun toys work nicely as prizes.  You could also get a few even less expensive items and put them into a gift bag or basket for a special prize.

Gifts in the form of party favors and prizes will give your child’s party guests something to remember the party by.  They also let the guests know how much their presence was appreciated.  These gifts do not have to be expensive to be appreciated.  It is, after all, the thought that counts.

Shamrock biscuits are a nice snack, and something the kids can help make.  Take two refrigerated biscuits, or sugar cookies, and cut them in half.  Put the three sections together to make the shamrock and shape the fourth piece into a stem.  They can either sprinkle green sprinkles on them, or “paint” them with water with green food coloring added and then bake.

Side Dishes and Appetizers - Soups are a great side dish or appetizer for a traditional Irish dinner.  A cabbage and lamb stew would be very fitting.  Or you could add potatoes, carrots and other vegetables to the lamb.  Another soup would be Beer Potato Soup, which is based on a chicken stock with cream added, in addition to the beer and potatoes. Add a little onion, celery, sugar and salt and pepper to taste, and you have a hearty, tradition soup.

Main Dishes - Corned beef and cabbage, also known as Bubble and Squeak because the cabbage bubbles and squeaks while it cooks, is probably one of the most popular Irish dinners for St. Patrick’s Day and it is fairly simple to make.  Combine some onion, whole peppercorn, cloves, parsley and the corned beef in a pot of water.  Cover it and let it simmer until the meat is tender.  Then add the cabbage that has been cut into sections, and let simmer again until it is also tender.  Add some horseradish to sour cream to serve with it.

Shepherd’s Pie is another traditional dish to serve for St. Patrick’s Day.  You can use either lamb or beef in this dish.  There are several ways to prepare it, but it is still fairly easy.  Cook some onions in either butter or oil; add some other vegetables like carrots, peas or other favorites. Stir in some flour and cook until it’s browned a little and add some beef stock. Boil it for about five minutes, and then add the meat, which has been finely chopped, and boil again.  Spread the mixture into the bottom of a baking dish. Cover it with mashed potatoes and then bake at 350 for about a half hour. You can add shredded cheese to it when there is about ten minutes left.

Breads - There are many different types of bread that can be served at a traditional St. Patrick’s Day dinner.  Scones are a nice, light option.  You can also make Irish bread that has baking powder and soda instead of yeast.  Many people like to add raisins or currants to the bread. Irish Brown Soda bread is a whole wheat bread that also uses baking soda, instead of yeast. It also has rolled oats and buttermilk, giving it a heavier texture.

Desserts - What would a holiday meal be without desserts?  A green velvet cake with white frosting is a sweet end to the meal.  Shamrock shaped cookies are also a fun thing to have.  A Killarney Cake can be made with a chocolate fudge cake mix, with crème de menthe or peppermint extract instead of water. Stir in chopped green cherries.  Top with whipped cream and more chopped green cherries.  It can be put together as a layer cake, with a layer of whipped cream between each layer.

Traditional Irish foods are the perfect addition to any St. Patrick’s Day celebration.  Even if you aren’t Irish, you may soon find some of them to be new family favorites you might even fix all year round.