Ballerina Birthday -5yr- Chocolate Strawberries

For my daughters 5th Birthday, she wanted a ballerina birthday!  I declorated the house with pink and white balloons, silver curl ribbon, and white streamers. I attached a balloon to each chair and five balloons to my daughters. I wrote on the balloons with a permenant marker. Things such as ballet, dance, happy birthday,#5,etc. The table was declorated with a ballet shoe pattern table cloth, with matching plates, cups and napkins, and pink spoons that i bought at the party store. With window markers I declorated every window and mirror that she would see that day.  This was fun to use!!! I bought them at Target for about 3.00.

I made the invitations that said, Dance and Twirl with the Birthday girl. It will be Tu-Tu much fun! Name,Date, Place, etc...I tore out a ballerina barbie from one of her coloring books/learning books, and changed the size at work with a copy machine to fit on the front of the invitation. I added roses all around the picture from my computer.  The party was only from 1-3pm.  Very cute!  For starters, when the children arrive, its always best to have a craft of some sort. It never fails that one will arrive early and one or two children late.  Please remember that they don't usually leave all at once,and one or two children will be left to where you wonder if their parent forgot.

For the craft, i had the children color a small ballet girl or ballet shoes,(one of the two) and cut them out. I had bought some 12" paper doillies form the dollar store. (Think about 30 came in a package) They glued the coloring page in the center of the doilies and then wrote their names on it and declorated it with an assortment of ballet shoe, stars, hearts, and rose stickers.  They all declorated them very pretty and unique. When they were finished i covered them with contact paper on both sides and cut around the edges, which was scalloped.  And in the end they each had a placemat to take home. 

I let the kids play for a bit while i got ready for pin the tail on the donkey and musical chairs. I kept these games traditional as i think that tradition is fun in a party.  Musical statue was an option too had it been nice weather, with ballet music of course. Soon after we had cupcakes and ice cream.  The cupcakes were white with pick crystals and a barbie heart ring for the tops.  I found the rings at a cake declorating store for 15 cents a peice.  I bought Neopolitan ice cream for the "pink" kind, but also the "white" and "chocolate" for the picky eaters.  The girls loved it. Then my daughter got to open presents.  In the end of the party, I had a ballet tape from the library that the girls all danced with until there moms got there.  As all the girls were leaving my daughter handed out a rose with a little note attached that said thank you for coming to my party.  It was a fake rose I bought in a bundle at the fabric store 40% off.  You can get 6-7 roses on one bundle...for around 75 cents. 

As party favors i bought leis, 4 for 1.00 at the party store, body glitter - 3 in a package at the dollar store, a lip gloss bubble pen from the dollar store, the cake top ring, a hair tie found at the dollar store, their placemats, and their thank you rose.  It was wonderful.  I did have an idea of taping some ballet music on some blank tapes i had and giving them as party favors too. But I ran out of time. Also, please note, i tried dipping strawberries in chocolate on my nieces and nephew. They enjoyed dipping but wouldn't come close to eating it. Strawberries also stain like crazy. So if this is an option for someone aprons might be a good idea. 

A bright idea is always to shop at the dollar stores first and shop early. I used a piece of pink ribbon(bought 90% off), a doll rod, paper clip, earing fastener that screws together, and earing loop hook, and a small eyelet. I made the ribbon about 3'6" long. Opened up the paper clip into and triangle shape, and ran the ribbon through and stapled.With the earing fastener (that screws together) just slid on one end of the paper clip.  From there I attached the earing loop hook onto the earing fastener.  So now from the top you have the earing loop, hanging from that you have the earing fastener (that screws together),hanging from that you have the paper clip in a triangle shape, and hanging off of that you have the ribbon.  I cut each doll rod in half just with a regular hand saw and screwed and eyelet in the end of each one.  From there you hook your earing loop to the doll rod and Voila!

The girls loved spinning and twirling there new ribbons as they danced around.  Just a note, I did try just attaching the ribbon to the doll rod but the ribbon can't turn right.  Basically search around the house for things like an old pair of earing that you don't wear any more or an old piece of chain that can be taken apart, just remember that it has to be able to hang freely and spin on its own, and make it age appropriate.  Good Luck!