Fondant Cake Toppers

With my sons Camping themed party approaching I recently visited a cake shop to see about having a cute cake made for him. I was a little surprised by what they told me it would cost. Not including cake the small fondant animals I wanted were going to cost $25 each. So I decided to take a different approach. I am still purchasing a cake just an undecorated one. I am having someone from etsy make my fondant accents. I wanted to share some of what is available there in case you too are looking to have a cute cake without a whopper of a price tag. These farm animals above are available at TheLilDetails for $32.00 and would look so cute on a farm themed cake.

This is actually a cake topper and is only $15.95. CookieCovers makes this and these super cute pirates below. These are made for cupcakes and for $16.95 you get 12.

You can even find party packs like these fun lady bugs. KidsCakes makes lots of different themes and you get the cake topper, the cupcake toppers and even the wrappers for around $45.00

When I started looking on etsy there were almost 3000 listings for fondant toppers. There is something for every persons budget. Hopefully, this shows you a less expensive way to get a big impact at your next party!!

Party Feature: Bowling Chic

If your kids are anything like mine, bowling is always something they have fun doing. But, I have to admit that I've been hesitant about ever having a bowling party for them. This will definitely make you think twice about that! Featured on PisForParty.blogspot.com and created by swanky-chic-fete.blogspot.com, this is a fun and chic way to turn a bowling ally into a party spot!

The details are fairly simple but the consistent color scheme and use of printables really gives it a festive and custom look.

By far the cake is an "over-the-top" aspect but the other details are very budget friendly.

Polka Dot paper creates place mats and table runners, printables double as centerpieces, and paper straws add fun color to simple white cups.

Paper straws are a big trend and are inexpensive. These can be found online at party supply stores and even on etsy. They come in many colors and patterns.

Cute plastic trophies can be found at your local party store and are very budget friendly. Adding a custom sticker from a party pack makes them look custom.

Gumballs serve as "bowling Ball" party favors.

I hope looking at these pictures makes you think a little bit more about having a bowling party. P is For Party is also nominated for the Top 25 Party Planning Blogs and definitely deserves a vote.

Safari Party

I recently ran across this party and had to share it with you!

The table scape is so cute but simple and pretty easy to recreate. Apples were used to be the stand for the cupcakes. White milk glass pedestals were used to hold the sandwiches.

The cupcake toppers are so cute and available at http://www.nofussfabulous.com/

I love the detail of the lions face....Want to create your own? Buy a lion digital file online (etsy has a huge assortment of digital files for sale, normally $2-$5) or use stickers from your local craft store. Then use a punch to cut out scallopped circles to use as the backing/hair of the lion.

Tissue paper and jute turn a simple wrapped sandwich into a festive part of the party!

I Love this idea!: Each child had a bag that was pre-filled with their food. This way, they could just pick up their bag and begin eating without parents having to help fill plates.

Instead of each child getting a gift bag, each family had a bag labeled with their last name.

Obviously, the standout feature of this party is the large safari animals.

These were cutout and then painted.

Easily recreate the "Boston" Banner by cutting out squares of burlap and then adhere paper or cloth letters spelling out the name. You could also use black paint to paint on the letters. Then string together with jute or raffia.

For more details from this party checkout www.nofussfabulous.com, while you are there check out her great etsy shop...it's party decor with a vintage flair!

Woodland Party Camp Badges & Bag

I am preparing for my oldest son's birthday party in April. As I do different projects for the party I am going to share them and then at the end of this month I will show the party pics of how it all came together. I am creating badges for every activity that the kids do. I have to make 8 different badges but these are the first two I created. I used my cricut to cut the circles and characters out. But, if you don't have a cricut you can also use a 1 1/2" punch for the outer circle and a 1" or 1 1/4" punch for the inner circle. Then use stickers that coordinate with your own activities. In case you are wondering the turtle badge is actually for turtle races. Something we did as kids and I thought was so much fun. You rope off or draw a large square and give each child a numbered turtle. The kids then walk to the center, sit their turtles down and then stand outside of the square. The first turtle out of the square wins.

I am making the goody bags out of canvas bags, green felt, brown burlap and letters. I plan to then put a piece of Velcro on the back of each badge and a piece of Velcro onto the bag. This way they can attach their badges as they complete their activities. You can also use wide ribbon or fabric to create sashes. However, I figured a party for mostly boys at the age of 6-7 wouldn't function well with them running around in sashes!:)

The bag, still a work in progress. Stay tuned to see how it all comes together!

Camping Party

If you have boys, and there anything like mine, they love the outdoors!! I love the idea of a camping themed party! I actually love it so much that it's the theme for my 6 year old's birthday this April. The Blackberry Vine has such a cute camping party that I wanted to share some of the photos and ideas from the party. I love the sash/badges that the kids get for completing each activity. It's a great way to really get the kids involved and instead of prizes make a badge that fits the activity they are doing. These were actually made from a cricut but similar stickers can also be found at local craft & scrapbook stores. I am an invitation nut. I LOVE cute invitations and have said before how I think it's one thing you shouldn't over look. It's what I call "the first impression" of the party. These invitations are so clever and cute. Now, maybe not practical if you have to mail invitations. However, if you are handing them out they are a great way to get the kids excited for the upcoming party.

Table Scape Idea: Kids Party Venues set up this outdoor camping inspired table.

What A Hoot Party!

What a Hoot! This is one of my favorite parties! Owls are a big trend right now in parties and this is like a cross between that and Dr Seuss. How can you not look at this and smile! Anj from Snowy Bliss mixed her super creative nature, along with a little help from etsy and this is what she created. Anj goes into great detail on her blog about how she pulled of every detail. The window below, she had printed. The bed above is a great way to take a normal table and make it over the top cute!

Invitations, to me, are the first impression of what your party is going to be. With etsy you can buy a template for some very cute invitations and have as many as you want printed from walgreens, walmart, or any other picture printing service.

Plastic plates with super cute patterns are available at just about any store you go into these days. Some of the cutest patterns and shapes I've seen can be found at Hobby Lobby, Pier 1, and Target. They range from about $2-5 each.

Now if you are crafty like Anj, you can send home each of your guests with a custom made owl of their own. If it's within budget you can purchase them on etsy. Or, look in your paper for seamstress ads. The felt is super cheap and many of the seamstresses charge by the hour (or at least in KC they do) and you could have great favors for cheaper than you think.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. I think I need to borrow a friends little girl just so I can have a party like this!

Vintage Inspired CIrcus Party

Well, I'm in the beginning stages of planning a circus party. I am doing Mock-Ups of each table...Sweets Table, Party Favor Table, Food & Drink Table, & Dining Tables. I wanted to share as I started with the sweets table.

I plan to create center pieces like the one I created below (my work in progress) with popcorn pales and cupcake covered styrofoam balls. I also used these vintage inspired liners to cover paper lanterns that I am planning to string on light strands.

I have to make approx 36 cupcake toppers like the ones pictured below. Made with crepe paper, loli-pop sticks and vintage Circus centers. ( available on www.maddysonslane.etsy.com)

I painted a 1950's table red & yellow to fit the theme. I am planning to paint about 10 more for the party.

I ordered these party hats from The Round Top Collection and plan to fill bags with cotton candy on a stick and then stick them in the hats.

Any thoughts or ideas? Share the with me! I have a week to complete mock-ups and a few months before the party,I love feedback or thoughts!

Cowboy Birthday Party

Yee Haa! It's a Cowboy Party!



When my middle child turn 1 we decided to have a cowboy party. One fun activity we planned was to rent shetland ponies to give the kids a ride around the yard. This was such a big hit!

I ordered each of my boys custom western theme outfits online. Each guest received a blue or red cowboy hat upon arrival.

Have fun with the cake and food and tie it into the theme too! The cake below is perfect for that. Depending on your menu label each food item with a cute cowboy name. We had barbecue and had "Rustler Ribs", "Buffalo Beans", and I ordered a branding iron online to brand the steaks and potatoes.

As you know, I love stand-ups. This barn makes a great photo opt and is available at shindigz.com for $50.

I bought a bolt of denim from a fabric store and used it to cover all my tables and embellished the edges with bandannas. I then used vintage cowboy boots filled with sunflowers as the center pieces. I opted to use hay bales as chairs.

We had a wide age range at our party so I tried to come up with games to keep all kids busy. Besides the horse rides, we set up several sets of horse shoe tosses. We had a calf rope with a bales of hay. We also had a panning for gold activity. We brought in a large amount of sand and filled it with rocks that I had spray painted gold. We then had lots of sifters and even buckets of water for the kids to clean them off with.

*One idea that I didn't use but will in the future is to turn your tables in to cover wagons. By taken two flexible plastic rods. Bend each into a U and attach one at each end of the table. Then take a piece of painters cloth or burlap and cover . If you want to get really creative, set up wagon wheels at the ends to complete the look.

Circus Party

Under the Big Top Circus Party!

If you are about to throw a Circus party now is the time to do it! This theme has really taken off and the supplies and options are endless. Karas Party has some really great photos of an over the top party. Hopefully, this will get your wheels turning on ways to incorporate some of theses fun ideas!

The below picture is some of the decorations that are avaiable at Shindigz.com. You get all that is pictured for $30.00!

This Stand is also available on Shindigz.com. It is a little pricier at $100. However, it is costomized for free so where it says Westbrook PTO carnival it would be great to put Happy Birthday.

This Circus tent stand up stands over 5 ft tall and is on sale for $65

As always m go to place is Etsy. Throwing a party to me is all about the small details! If you have never done custom party supplies try it for your next party and see the reaction. I found this group of DIY printables at Bloom Events by Sm. You can purchase a full set of customizable DIY party supplies for under $30.

For party favors use popcorn boxes and fill them with fun treats. The boxes cost around 15 cents a piece at party stores. Cracker jacks and Circus Animal Cookies each can be bought for under $1. Remember, get creative, personalize and focus on the small details! A great party can be created without breaking the bank!