My oldest daughter just turned 5! I think 5 is a great age for a big party. They'll remember it (hopefully), they are old enough to participate in fun activities, they are starting to have real friends, etc. Its just such a fun age! And its still such a magical age too, so I was really wanting some kind of character.... TINKERBELL!!!
So much can go along with Think too. Disney/Cartoon, Pixie Hollow, A Garden Theme, A Woodland Theme, A Tea Party, and so on. I went with a cross between a woodland and a garden theme... Lots of flowers, greenery, butterflies.... At one point my husband told me that it did not look like a 5-year-old's party at all and more like I was having a tea party with my friends. So, I added a few cartoon/Disney fairies in the mix, and of course those were my daughter's favorite!
DECORATIONS
I bought this wreath thing from Ikea awhile back and its been sitting in my basement. I added the "5" and the butterflies and berries (from The Dollar Tree) and this was my favorite decor at the party. I'm going to swap put the "5" for a "ONE" for a friend's baby "First Fairy ONEderland Party."
Banners and Balls
So, I invited 15 kids, thinking since it was Summer time that a few of them would be out of town and wouldn't make it.... But all 15 came! So I had to set lots of extra little table settings all over the house.
Each place setting has a doily, fairy wand, and a ring on the plate. A straw and jeweled plasticware on the napkin. A Tinkerbell cup (need that cartoon in there for the kids) and a butterfly box full of candy.
You can't see it well here, but this Happy Birthday Banner is my favorite I've ever made. The pin-wheels were on clearance at Joann's Crafts and I hot-glued moss onto styrofoam to stand them in (moss and styrofoam form The Dollar Tree). Butterfly bags are Ikea (I recently discovered Ikea's great paper/party section!! Check it out!)
More table settings....
I arranged flowers and stuck butterflies in them.... I filled the vases and baskets with little wood pieces too.
"Faith, Trust, and aLittle Pixie Dust"
Centerpieces....
"Photo Wall" in the background
I got the "R" from Joann's Crafts with a coupon and during a sale for only about $14.... I feel like had I made it myself it would have cost WAY more, it would have taken a long time, and I would have gotten lots of hot-glue gun burns on my fingers.... I added the butterflies (from The Dollar Tree.)
I borrowed all the big, round wood pieces from a good friend. She had them made for a wedding she did a long time ago. They really made the whole party so pretty and perfect! They were the big finishing touch. My cake and cupcakes were just from the grocery store, but they were displayed so cute on this wood cake stand.
The front of my table had 2 banners I made (different shapes and sizes) and a long piece of greenery. I loved how the greenery looked in the middle.
My biggest part of my decor I think was my "Photo Wall".
I got the flowers from
Amazon and I got all the butterflies form Ikea. I put them on the whole wall, so it was a huge part of the decor because it took up my in the whole room basically! But then everyone could stand in front of the beautiful wall and take a great photo with Tinkerbell!
TREATS AND FOOD
Jelly Beans for "Enchanted Beans"
Kit Kats for "Sticks"
Pixie Stix for "Pixie Dust"
I love how these "Fairy Wands" turned out!!
Star cookie cutter, grapes and strawberries and a kabob stick
"Garden Veggies and Twigs"
Butterfly sandwiches. Butterfly bread, butterfly meat, and butterfly cheese slices
(cut with a cookie cutter)
ACTIVITIES
We decorated Fairy Wings (and swords). Super easy. I bought a bunch of wings and swords from The Dollar Tree and a bunch of foam stickers to stick on them. The kids were 3 to 5 years old and I didn't want to mess with glue or anything. Kids can stick stickers on things forever.
And then Tinkerbell made her special appearance!
My Tinkerbell came from Part of Your World Princess Parties in Utah:
http://www.yourprincessparty.com. She was AMAZING! She stayed in character the whole time, was very knowledgable of all things Tinkerbell, and so good with the kids. I didn't have to do anything! She did a fun interactive story, gave my birthday girl a gift and they did a fun craft! The craft she did was a little Pixie Dust necklace, it was so much fun! She also took an individual photo with each kid.
Part of Your World Princess Parties can do any princess (and other characters too) and I will be using them again and again in the future.
Pixie Dust Necklace
