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Parties/celebrations

Whether you're planning a birthday or a hen do, you'll find plenty of ideas for your celebration on our Party forum.

Shirley's party advice part 3 - in which Shirley may make a guest appearance

994 replies

stealthsquiggle · 20/04/2012 22:58

We appear to have filled another thread Shock

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Blatherskite · 07/09/2012 13:25

Remind me what the fabric looks like again....

Could you do simple backpacks with tails?

Blatherskite · 07/09/2012 13:26

Something like this with a dragon tail hanging from the bottom seam?

stealthsquiggle · 07/09/2012 13:32

Hmmm. Possibly. I think the fabric may be a bit too busy for that. I will try and take more photos of it later.

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Tinkerisdead · 07/09/2012 13:42

Pmsl at blathers adding a tail on and making more work. But it is inspired. If no tails then i say make little tote bags as better for books etc. ive got a ton of drawstring bags but they are never big enough for a full kit or books.

Well done on moving along with the plans. My bunting i did fast and cheap with pinking shears one sided. It was more than enough to add the splash of colour and rustic charm. Do you want it to last? Or knowing us all will you be on to the next thing next time anyway?

Littlefriend just take a look at the time i posted. 5am i was thinking of your party!!

Right i need help. Dilemmas regarding guest lists. Ok settle down and make sense of this:
With 4 sets of grandparents, 3 sets if godparents (with kids) and cousins etc our parties always end up around 40 adults 10 kids. Ok, so im def booking the hall now. Grandparents insist on coming on actual birthday and would be mightily pissed off to miss the party.

Dd1's rapunzel party will be far more geared up for 4-5 year olds, hair braiding, pin the nose on flynn rider, crafting etc. Do i still invite all the smaller kids and risk them just colouring in at some table or piss everyone off and do a big cull? Big girls only event. I wanna try a lantern release so littlies might like watching that.

And dd2's now hers will be her 1st birthday but she's acquired five little baby friends of her own. Should i do a big party with all the known to us kids or just her own little group?

I could hire the hall and do a cake/tea slot for family farts then party starts that way they could leave if they wanted but their bound to want to stay. I cant keep catering for 40 rellies for a party of 10 kids!!!

Blatherskite · 07/09/2012 13:42

The top fabric on that bag is quite busy. I guess this isn't the time to suggest buying plain fabric for the bottoms though Grin

Blatherskite · 07/09/2012 13:49

Sounds like you definitely need a cull. Parties where the adults outnumber the kids are OK when they're 1/2 but bigger DD will soon be having very firm ideas on what she wants for her party and it might not always be a big hall that the GP's fit in. Can't they visit in the morning and then leave her to her party? Do they really need to be at a Rapunzel party?

Tinkerisdead · 07/09/2012 13:56

No i dont think they do but the inlaws will want to be at the party as all their grandkids would be in one room at one time so they'd want to be there. My mum would prob sulk to not be at the party. Shes always one to dress up etc. godparents all have smaller kids like 2/3 and below but obviously we see them a lot and they reciprocate. The problem is that 'outsider' friends like nursery kids are intimidated and shy at this room full of adults and its not fair. It'll be easier when shes at school cos i could say school friends only and family can visit adhoc but at the moment her social circle is family and family friends. Sigh.

stealthsquiggle · 07/09/2012 14:20

Sadly, I think you will have to swallow it for this year - once she has school friends it will be easier to separate them. An earlier start time for adults is a good idea, though - then you could make it abundantly clear that anyone who stays is then a helper, not a guest.

I am coming round to Blathers' bag design (someone talk me out of it, quick - I will hate myself by bag number 20). I have a complementary fabric which would work for tails, and lots of felt left from wings, and I need to get plain lining anyway.....

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Blatherskite · 07/09/2012 14:35

Bwah ha ha ha Grin

They'd look so cute! Little dragon topped bags with a plain, deep green bottom and a little tail hanging down. Imagine all the little 'dragons' marching off home with their little back packs on, tails swinging as they go....

They could be simple tails too. Whizz around a tail shape on the machine, cut out and flip the right way round and then pop in a little stuffing. You could even pad them with wadding then there'd be no need to stuff.

Blatherskite · 07/09/2012 14:36

You don't have to go this far

stealthsquiggle · 07/09/2012 14:43

I am so not letting DS see that. His current school bag has a dragon coiled round it and the matching skeleton on the inside.

If I was making one, I wouldn't hesitate. But it will be nearer 30......

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Blatherskite · 07/09/2012 14:48

Did you see the picture of the OTT bags I did for the wedding activity packs?

stealthsquiggle · 07/09/2012 15:31

I did - they were lovely.

You do realise that if I cave on backpacks with tails, that means no big tails or wings?

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Tinkerisdead · 07/09/2012 17:44

Cant we have just a few wings and tails to take tufns on? Or a set snd a photo backdrop and do like a dragon photobooth with the props. Come on stealth!!!

And oi, i didnt see the wedding bags!

YoHoHoAndABottleOfMilk · 07/09/2012 18:35

Hello everyone, can I please join you? I was guided here by stealth (thanks!) I've started planning my DD's pirate themed birthday party for November.

I initially wanted an entertainer, but have scrapped that idea now, and will have either a bouncy castle or soft play with a face painter. Have emailed a few local face painters for quotes.

Anyway, I found these loot bags on Ebay:
here

Are they worth it? Or do they look a bit tacky? It would add up to over £20 for 30 bags. Someone on another thread recommended putting just one quality item like a book in a loot bag instead, so I'm wondering if that's the way to go. The last party DD went to, she got 1 pencil and a pot of bubbles.

I've also found this website which is quite cheap for buntings and other things for children's themed parties:

here

I thought the treasure chest pinatas were really cheap.

SayHelloToMyLittleFriend · 07/09/2012 20:01

I noticed the time DoctorsWife, I'm touched you were thinking of ideas for my party so early in the morning haha.

Love the sound of your bags stealth, hope you'll all post photos of your parties afterwards would love to see what you've made.

Hi YoHoHo. I like the idea of a hall with the bouncy castle and face painter as that way you can decorate as you like and stick to your theme whereas if you hire a soft play place it may be harder to do this. As for ideas for loot bags I'm sure someone will be over soon to give you some good ideas. I've went for normal party bags with bubbles, sweets etc in them but I'm actually wishing I went for something a bit different. Have a look at Karas Party ideas website (I'm a bit addicted to it) and look at the Pirate themed 5th Birthday Party, it looks fab.

Tinkerisdead · 07/09/2012 20:50

Yohoho - if it was me i'd stick to a hall and do games etc yourself. It'll save u cash and give you more flexibility around the theme. Instead of party bags, get one of those chests fill it with wrapped gifts and get them each to do a lucky dip on leaving.

Or do a scavenger hunt/treasure hunt for gold coIns to put into party bags at the end. If you give each kid an eye patch/foam sword ir such like to dress the part during the party that can be your parting gift. Dont think you have to fill a bag with cracker toys, the parents will think its tat, the kids will like it for the car journey home. Aim for one more substantial thing if you can over pocket money plastic bits. Or a bag of sweets we always recommend sweets!!!

stealthsquiggle · 07/09/2012 21:58

I'll think about the tails and wings, DW - maybe they can put them on to do dragon egg and spoon races?

Hello YoHo.. I wouldn't go for the bags, TBH. I think plain paper bags with one nice thing (like these, or a pirate scarf, or an inflatable sword) is nicer/ more memorable, but of course it depends on budget. Blathers also has a good line in cellophane cones of sweets - you could tie something piratey to it, maybe.

How many DC and what age? I am sure we can come up with plenty of games and craft ideas.

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stealthsquiggle · 07/09/2012 22:00

YoHo - lots of nice pirate stuff on Baker Ross as well

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Blatherskite · 07/09/2012 22:09

Yo Ho - I'm with Stealth, I think 1 nice item is often much better than a bag full of plastic bits which inevitably end up in the bin - often without hours of getting home.

The swords Stealth linked to are good - DS got similar at a Knights party he went to over the summer along with a little pouch simply stitched from brown left with a ribbon to tie it up filled with chocolate gold coins which would easily pass for pirate-y too. Earlier in the year, he was at another party where the boys all got a mini football which he's played with all summer. It went over the fence once and he was heartbroken which shows what a successful gift it was. The Book people often do packs of themed books which would can split for bags too. They usually end up being about £1 each.

Tinkerisdead · 08/09/2012 03:00

Julia Donaldson Set

I was on a website this week and they had foam swords on clearance and it was something ridiculous like two for 50p or something amazing i'll try to remember where. I should have linked to it just in case but i never thought.

Tinkerisdead · 08/09/2012 03:25

Ok ive looked and looked and cant find them. I'll keep looking at the next boob feed!!

Blatherskite · 08/09/2012 08:00

If you can stretch to £2.49 per child, this book is pirate themed and lovely. DS has it and loves it.

stealthsquiggle · 08/09/2012 09:25

How about this?

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stealthsquiggle · 08/09/2012 10:14

good news - not only does friend's mother not appear to think I am a complete loon, but she has decided on a (different) date for her DD's party. Off to book 3rd choice hall now (still nice, just a bit further away for some people).

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