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 (ARA)
- Themes make kids' birthday parties extra special, particularly
when they're based on the child's own interests and when every
element of the party is related to the theme. This is a professional
party planner's secret to success.
But parents don't need a pro to throw a great kids' party. With
imagination, enthusiasm and a few simple props, they can create
a fun-filled occasion that will outshine those planned by even
the most practiced professional. Here are ideas and decorating
tips to spark your imagination in creating birthday parties that,
literally, take the cake with kids aged three to six.
Ask any parent: boys love trucks. Trucks, tractors and hefty
earth-moving vehicles are colorfully depicted on a dynamic wallpaper
border in the Zero to 60 collection from the Piper Designs division
of S.A. Maxwell Co. The border measures 20-1/2 inches high and,
like most wallpaper borders, comes in five-yard spools. A couple
of spools of this border will put your boy's truck party on the
right road.
To help guests rev up, use the border
for invitations. Using the full-depth of the design, cut strips,
3-3/4 inches wide.
With the pattern on the outside, fold the top down and the bottom
up to create a 9-inch-long folder. For each invited guest, write
the details -- name of the celebrant, occasion, date, time and
place -- on colored construction paper cut to the same size as
the border-folder. Slip the invitation inside the folder and
put it in a business-size envelope. Invitations should be delivered
or mailed two to three weeks prior to the event. |
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For decorations, use a length
of the border as a table runner down the center of the party
table or cut 18-inch rectangles of it as placemats.
For name cards, cut road signs from the extra length of the border,
paste one for each guest on a piece of construction paper, and
write the guest's name at the bottom.
A toy dump truck full of candy makes a great centerpiece, and
smaller trucks will be welcome take-home favors. For a total
tie-in, you can even buy or make a truck-shaped cake.
Girls in this age group are more apt to opt for hearts and flowers,
and they love pink and purple. That's why we included a pink
wallpaper border of antique hearts in the Country Chic collection
from S. A. Maxwell Co. This border makes a great table runner
for a "Pretty in Pink" little girl's tea party. Try
using a pair of the borders, side by side, and trim around the
diamond pattern at each end of the table. Diamonds, cut from
this border, can also be used as a background for the invitations.
A bouquet of pink, yellow and lavender roses in a pretty teapot
will tie in with both the colors of the border and the theme.
Sprinkle a few rose petals here and there. You might encircle
a straw hat with flower buds and petals for a centerpiece.
For favors, sew simple heart-shaped bags from yellow, pink or
lavender satin and fill them with an artificial rose and colorful
candy. The cake, of course, will be heart-shaped, set on a lace
doily, and decorated with flowers and the name of the birthday
girl in a delicate, feminine script. |
