If you're like most parents, you are looking for easy, affordable and fun birthday parties for your children. With a little planning, a Princess Birthday Party is the perfect party for your little girl!
Here's some easy to implement ideas for your little Princess:
• Take some time to plan ahead by thinking through some of the logistics of your party. What day of the week will work so that a majority of your guests will be able to attend? What time of the day works for your age group? Remember, if you're planning for little ones nap times may still be an issue so it’s best to plan the party for a time when you know the kids won’t be overtired or cranky because they missed nap time.
• If you plan on having “outside entertainment” secure that early as well. Some great ideas for a princess party entertainer would be a balloon artist, magician or a children's storyteller. Check your local yellow pages under "Party Entertainment" or search the web for ones near you.
• Send your invitations out at least 2 weeks before your party date with some party planners suggesting a 6-week advance invitation. Purchase some linen paper from the office supply store and use a calligraphy font on your computer for printing the royal invitations. For your more local guests, roll the invitation into a scroll and tie with gold organdy ribbon and hand deliver them. If mailing the invitations, use cute stickers or rubber stamps to decorate the envelope in royal fashion.
• Begin making your party decorations early too so you’re not rushing at the last minute. Plastic champagne flutes or wine glasses hot glued with inexpensive jewel pieces make fabulous royal goblets. Do the same with clear plastic plates with the jewels along the outside ridge. Tie the napkins with purple organdy ribbon and you’re set. Inexpensive and fun!
• Balloons are a must at any birthday party and your princess party should be no exception. Tape balloons around your entrance door for a royal archway. Have a bunch of helium-filled balloons tied to the mailbox to show your guest the way to the ball. Even silver, white and gold colored balloons all over the “dance floor” creates a wonderful effect. If you have very young ones you want to be careful with balloons, but kids love them…so get lots! Most craft and party stores sell inexpensive helium tanks so getting the balloons filled is a snap!
• Plan the royal menu. Keep it simple, but make it look royal with glass serving plates with real or wax grapes as a side garnish. Serve typical "high tea" fare, finger sandwiches, chocolate dipped strawberries (actually, chocolate dipped anything would be a hit!) and bubbly punch in your plastic champagne flutes.
• The little princesses will be so adorable and you’ll want to snap lots of photos, so be prepared with fresh batteries for the camera. Take a separate photo of each of the party guests with the princess of honor and send a copy to that guest with your thank you note.
• Relax and have fun. Don’t overdo. Most kids just love to play and have fun. Organized games are great but don’t make the party so structured that the kids don’t have time to just interact with each other, spin around in their costumes or dance in the balloons.