Theme 2: The Pirate Party - Invitations

Carrying on from my recent blogs, I want to introduce my 
second theme which is distinctively different to the Fairy Party. This party theme is perfect for your child's party (mainly the boys!) , of course it can only be the Pirate Party.
From walking the plank, (not literally) to pinning the patch on the pirate, the children are sure to have a fun packed and unforgettable time- so get planning!

I am going to start from the beginning and my upcoming blogs will help you plan the perfect pirate party, but today I am going to talk you through the all important invitations. 


Pirate Invitation

1) My idea fits very well with the theme but also contains a rather fun element to it too- when I think of Pirates I often think of treasure and treasure maps which is I believe can be fitted in to the invitation.

2)To make the map, just use a blank marker to draw some white copy paper. Have some fun and keep it loose and graphic. Make a big island with jagged shores. 

3) Put a giant 'X' to mark the spot of the party whilst adding to it the address of where the party is going to be held. 

4) Make a bold, curving, dashed line for a path around the island and put several obstacles or landmarks along the way, each one giving a clue to the party ( time, date, whether its fancy dress or not, etc)

What to include in the invitation

• The Date
• The Venue
• The times of the party 
• Dress Code
• Theme ( You could introduce the party as  Pirates of the Carribean themed)
• RSVP

Similarly to my tips posted in the Fairy Invitations Post, I always think that adding a sentence that will go along with the theme adds a little fun to the invite! Some examples are below...

- You could use Pirate language such as 'Ahoy Mates' 

- 'aarrrrggghh you ready to have a good time mateys?'

- Call your guest lists 'ship mates'

To be more creative, how about some rhymes...

-'You are invited to an afternoon of fun, for this little pirate is turning one!'

-'Aidan is turning five years old!  And in his backyard there is a treasure I’m told, so on (June 14^th,) he wants you to come round…and no one can leave until the treasure is found.' 

I hope this has inspired you to start planning a Pirate party for your little'un- Check out my upcoming blogs that will give you some more tips on how to create a party for your child to remember. 

You can of course contact us, (Once Upon A Time Parties) if your feeling a little lazy- we are more than happy to come entertain your child bringing along this theme! 

Thank you 

Theme 1: The Fairy Party - Invitations

So I thought it would be a great help to my readers to give some tips and advice theme by theme and topic by topic, starting with my favourite theme of the fairy party!

Appealing to children of all ages, the glittery, pretty, fantastical fairy party is a timeless hit that never gets boring. From fairy tea parties to fancy dress to makeovers to baking, there are literally hundreds of ideas on how to get the fairy party started!

Today I am going to start at the very beginning: the all important party invitation!

Fairy themed party invitations can be really easy to make, and your little one will enjoy getting involved with the card making activities.

Fairy Wand Invitation 

1) Cut out a star shape from coloured card

2) Either print invitation onto card, or handwrite using pen (try metallic or glitter pens to make it more fun) or paint. You can also use tags and attach to the wand.

3) On the back of the card, attach either a skewer or straw to make the 'wand' using sticky tape.

4) Add streamers or ribbons to the base of the wand

5) Decorate the wand with glitter, stick on sequins, dried flowers, feathers and whatever else you can get your hands on!





What to put in the invitation?


- Date and time
- Age, name of child
- Location
- Activity and theme
- Dress Code
- RSVP

To put some fun into your invite, try making up a little rhyme to go along with the theme! Some examples are below:

• You are invited to an afternoon of fun, this little fairy is turning one!

• Fairies slip on your dancing shoes, For Fairy Roxanna is turning two!

• Come one come all to this fairy tea, Fairy Emma is going to be three!

• To enter fairy land: Knock knock knock on our fairy door, As little Tanya is turning four!

• Fairies, Pirates, Pixies and Elves, All come together and jive! For this is no ordinary party as Dexter is now turning five!

• Fairy dust, spells and magical tricks, What are you waiting for? Leona will be six!

I hope this has inspired you to get to work on your home-made fairy wands!

Check back for my next post on decorations to create a magical fairy setting for your child's birthday party!

Once Upon A Time Parties x

Cheap Party Idea and Take Home Gift for Older Kid's

Wouldn't it be nice if children could stay at those magical ages of 5 and 6, where they are easily pleased by traditional parties and everything is exciting and new for them... But sadly they don't, so you  have to get more creative. Here is a party idea for slightly older children (7+) which should keep them well entertained and best of all, combines the entertainment AND the party food!

I am talking about a cooking party!

There seems to be a bit of a trend for baking and making at the moment, but for a fun party I would recommend keeping it simple - we are talking more decorating rather than flambéing!  Personally, I would opt for pizza and cupcakes, as both pizza bases and cupcake bases are easy to buy and would suit a tight budget.  

For the pizza you will need the following:

- Pizza bases

- Sprinkling cheese

- A large variety of vegetables

- Tomato pizza sauce

- Tuna

- Olives

- Different meats

- Onion

- Whatever else you can think of!

For the cupcakes you will need:

- Plain individual sponge cakes

- Frosting

- Edible glitter

- Sweets (dolly mix, jelly tots)

- Edible decorations - go to any baking section in a supermarket!

And then let the children create their own foodie masterpieces, encouraging them to add their favourite ingredients to the pizzas and cupcakes and challenging them to make it as aesthetically pleasing as possible! 

While the pizza's are baking, you can play some party games with them, or send them on a scavenger hunt around the garden or your house (or both!), and then sit down to a lovely party tea.

A great idea for a take home gift that goes well with the cooking theme is a home-made recipe book.  Put together some yummy and simple recipes that children can make with their parents. Google or check out my next blog for some great ideas.  Get the birthday child to design the front page and then copy and print your pages and bind them, staple them take them to a copy shop to get them bound professionally.  

For some great recipe ideas to put in your cook book, check out my next few blogs!

For some great scavenger hunt ideas, keep reading my Once Upon A Time Parties Blog!

Thanks for reading!

Emma x