Shirley's party advice part 4 - Better at party planning than Pippa Middleton

[BlatherskiteOfTheLivingDead]

New thread :) Everyone welcome.

This lady has just put mermaid-y labels on sweets

that's a good idea to make them sandy before hand, and stickers will be cheaper than buying ceramic paints for mugs. I could make sandcastle flags myself with cocktail sticks with each guest's name on, & pop them in the top of the (bottom of the) plant pot. That way they will look more like sandcastles AND will be easily identifiable.

Those buckets are cute too but probably plant pots would be more usable??

LOVE the idea of the blown up cellophane bags, really cute. I could probably use freezer bags? Will give it a try later

these would work well for sticking on, if you can face PVA glue and have time for it to dry? You could find some sequins to be treasure as well?

hmm I saw those earlier stealth but not sure 20 kids with PVA glue is a good idea... plus would only have an hour to dry... would that be long enough?

How old are they? (but basically yes, I share your reservations about PVA, including the drying time. Shame)

How about these? they are very mini, though...

cool table confetti / party bag decoration / pot decoration?

I like the idea but it would depend on the age group, I think

If you had a very patient friend who could sit and glue the bits on with a glue gun under the child's supervision the sticking might work.

Foam stickers might be your best bet. Do BR/YM do any with the right theme?

Hobbycraft are generally good for large tubs of foam stickers. Baker Ross do have little wooden treasure chests, though...

The ones I used for DD's party were from Hobbycraft. They were really, really sticky. I think they'd work

I have an entire box in my new shiny really useful box craft storage system full of hobbycraft foam stickers left from various parties - and they are indeed very sticky. The letter ones are good too, if the pots are large enough.

We were using them to stick together the Baker Ross cardboard crowns in the end as - despite being made for children - even the very smallest pre-cut setting was too big for even the 5 year olds!

I seem to recall having that issue - I think I sent my DM home to fetch a stapler!

they are 5 going on 6.. so tempting because it would be good..

could do those sticky square things but that would get expensive..

oops sorry I started that post 10 posts ago & had to pop out. will read the posts since now

stealth I've already got those confetti stuff (wasn't sure what for yet)

will check out hobbycraft, thanks

I saw those wooden treasure chests too, they ARE cute but maybe a bit too small?

I'd say treasure chests have much broader appeal for a pirate and mermaid theme. If you filled them with sweets it wont matter that their small and you should be able to get choc coins easily on clearance at the moment.

Yellow moon have the wooden ones but you can buy them in papier mache which would be far easier to decorate with tissue paper/glue stick/pens.

hmm doctors wife you might be right.. the only papier mache ones I can find (on little crafty bugs website) are a lot more expensive than the wooden ones on baker ross (£1.75 vs £1)..

Have a look in Hobbycraft, they'll have paper ones.

Do you have a Boyes shop near you? They always have paper ones cheap. Or trinket boxes etc.

Morning all.

Thank you for the birthday wishes! Had to laugh because after my complete non event birthday, mil rang up and said would you all like to come for a party tea on sat as its fil birthday. And dh is gushing about it. I was a bit

Anyway, i've had my hair done so i feel human-ish. Still coughing and starting to pray it is whooping cough because whilst nothing can be done i know it'll end. If its a virus god knows how long it'll last.

Birthday...

I've made a rainbow tutu and no.1 top in rainbow colours. I've got rainbow paper for the illicit book collection. I've painted dolly and i'm in loce with her face! I tried making her tutu last night but it snapped so i'll try again later. I'm going to attempt to put thread on her arms as sleeves too. I've borrowed a cake stand from a friend so i can put a tutu roynd the cake too. And ive chosen a present. I'm on a roll!!

*Love with her face

You found rainbow paper - well done! (and all the other stuff, of course )

I hope they make a big fuss of you as well as FIL, otherwise DH should be blooming well wearing his "birthday tea"

Whilst browsing, if anyone finds any fairly easy-looking airbrushed cakes, let me know - DH bought me an airbrush kit for Christmas and I haven't played yet. It was FIL's birthday today, and I might have done something for him (we met them at a pub half way for lunch), were it not for suddenly discovering on Friday night that DD was not in fact talking nonsense and that she was invited to a party on Saturday morning (host mother had failed to send the text invitations ) so I had to come up with a bag in a hurry instead.

Send me a text with a photo of the face DW! I wanna see :)

I really hope your DH makes a fuss of you at this birthday tea too. If not, you should seriously consider "forgetting" about his birthday as well - see how he likes it.

How about, you and me (and Stealth if she can make it?) meet up over half term (at Twin Lakes maybe?) for a belated birthday lunch instead?