Craft party for ds (9 ) - ideas please

[sophy]

DS has now decided he wants a craft party for his 9th birthday because he will be able to invite more people than for a cooking party.

So, we have had a look at the Baker Ross website and he is very keen on the umbrellas which you decorate with fabric paints. I think we will need more than just umbrellas to fill 1 1/2 hours of party time though, and wondered if other mnetters can recommend other craft activities which have worked for you. Maybe also using fabric pens as will have to get those anyway.

We'll have about 15 boys and girls aged 8 and 9, and have a reasonable budget of about £100 (which I would normally spend on an entertainer). We're having the party at home.

Very grateful for any helpful suggestions, as I find organising kids' birthday parties v. stressful at the best of times. Thanks.

paint t-shirts to wear

buy cheap photo frames from Ikea (3 for £1 ish)

decorate photo frames with bits and pieces - maybe mosaic pieces, stickers etc

if you have a digital camera, laptop and printer, take a photo of the group, and print out while at the venue - put photo into frame to take home

dd had a birthday in the Egyptian Museum and they painted tshirts with their names in hieroglyphics (went down well but they were in the museum anyway so fitted). You might want some kind of overall theme.

Hieroglphics:
www.scu.edu.au/schools/edu/ICT/student_pages/sem2_2005/mdermody/activ4.html

Another party she had they were in a different museum and made coins to look like anicent Roman/Greek ones. They just made a ball of clay, used a stamp on it (eagle etc, she had some relevant ones), later when they were dry the kids painted their coins silver or blue and sewed a little leather pouch (circle of leather, punched holes at intervals around the outside and threaded a leather strip through the holes, pulled together to make the pouch. They filled it with their coins to take home.

The dc were a lot younger than your group though

not silver or BLUE obviously! Silver or gold. Sorry!

I had a craft party for DD (8) last year. I bought various kits from a place similar to Baker Ross. We had beads, and also foam things that you decorate (bookmarks and visors). The craft bit was only for about half an hour. We also made pizza and did lots of playing outside.

I know the umbrellas you are referring to. We had them last year at our church holiday club. They are quite girly though - can't imaging a boy using them afterwards. The boys did enjoy the decorating though, and there is a lot to decorate. You also need to be ready with a hairdryer to dry them off before hometime.