50s Retro Barbie Fashion Party - 5yr - On The Catwalk

For my daughter's 5th birthday, I decided to have a 1950's Retro Barbie Fashion Show Party!!! 

I sent out invitations that I got from Hallmark.  They were from the "Fashion Girl" line.  The invitations themselves looked like dresses from the 1950's and were on hangers.  On the inside, I wrote the time, date, and place..which was "The House of (child's name)"!  Included in the envelope along with the invitation was a Barbie Fashion Card (I created using my computer) which had a place to write the Barbie's name, her "agent"(guest's name), and a place to write down the "ensemble" that the guest's Barbie would be wearing for our Fashion Show.  Also in the envelope, was a card I created (using a font called "New Yorker")that instructed the guest to fill out the Fashion Card and bring it to the party along with her Barbie (you could also place a stamp on the back and have them mail the cards back to you).  The card read-  You are cordially invited to The House of (child's name)  For your Barbie's big fashion debut  As her agent, please complete the "Fashion Card"    And return it to book her place on the runway!   \*If you have any questions or need directions, please have "your people call my people" at (phone #)   Most people mailed their cards back and the ones that didn't brought them to the party.

I decorated my house with life size 1950 Barbies that I just used an overhead projector to blow up and I painted them.  We also had about 50 balloons floating freely around the house.  My daughter's grandfather built a runway that I designed for the girls to walk their Barbies down.  The runway was in a "T" shape just like the real Catwalks in New York.  I painted it black and glued a picture of a 1950's Barbie on the top and put hot pink organza material around the bottom.  No runway would be complete without lights, so I added white Christmas lights around the top for a completed look.   I hooked up my son's karaoke machine, which had a microphone, to the tv and had a friend, with a very sophisticated voice, be the announcer and read the "Fashion Cards" that had been filled out.  We all gathered around the "runway" and each girl got a chance to walk her Barbie down a lighted "catwalk".  Each little seemed to enjoy the spotlight!  I let my daughter's Barbie be the "Show stopper" and her Barbie was the "Timeless Silhouette Barbie" from Avon. 

After the Fashion Show, the announcer announced that it was time for presents.  Our guest dined on pbj sandwiches that I cut into a high heel shoe shape, a hat, a purse, and a lipstick tube shape.  We had lip shaped strawberry cream cheese sandwiches, strawberries with pink fruit dip, petit fours that looked like presents, and individual strawberry and banana trifles in plastic wine glasses complete with a spoon for a 50's look. 

My daughter's birthday cake was the old fashion Barbie dress cake and it looked just like the dress her Barbie wore on the "catwalk".  The candle she blew out was in the shape of a high heel pink shoe that I got from Hobby Lobby.  We played pin the "Ponytail on Barbie" and gave away Barbie outfits as prizes. 

As our guests left, my daughter handed them a gift box to say thank you for coming.  I used little white gift boxes that I got from paper shack.  Inside, I put pink shredded paper you can get at any arts and craft store, a Barbie compact, Barbie lipstick, fingernail polish, old fashion pink bubble gum, Barbie bubbles, and some retro note pads I found at Target in the dollar section.  I tied black organza material with different colored curly string up around the box and attached a Barbie shaped flower that I cut out of different colored foam.  The Flowers were all different and said things like."Work it girl", "Strut your stuff", "Way to turn", ""Way to smile", 'You go girl", "Strike a pose"..etc.

We also sent out "Thank you" notes thanking each person for coming and for the gift they brought.  I included in the note a card that said-  Attention (guest's name):  Vogue has just named your Barbie (Barbie's name) as Super Model of the year!  She will be on the cover of their spring issue! Congratulations!  from "The House of (Birthday girl's name)...After the party, my daughter said this was the BEST birthday ever!!!  It sure was FUN!!!