Perfect Princess -4yr- Paper Mache Frame

My little girl just celebrated her 4th birthday with a wonderful princess party. I had so much fun planning this party and put a lot of time into it. I felt like it might be the only princess party that I ever plan, so I wanted to get it right! 

INVITATION: The invitiations were printed free from Pinterest (they were pink with a castle and a dark haired princess like my daughter.) I used a caligraphy pen to fill them out. I also included with the invite a note card that told the guests that they were welcome to dress princess-like, that the party would be outside weather permitting, and that they would be receiving accessories.

DECORATIONS: When the guests arrived, there was a sign with Karly's Kingdom" and an arrow pointing them to go around the house to the backyard- they were to follow the magical path (creek rocks that my daughter painted the morning of her party.) There was a long table set up that was kid level with small kid chairs around- pink table cloth tule bows on each chair and a balloon tied around each. Potted pink and purple flowers with small silver wands were the centerpiece. There was a card table set up for drinks which also had a clear bowl of cheese balls connected to a white horse which was the pumpkin coach! Pink and white paper lanterns were hanging from tree branches. Inside the house I had a table with a purple table cloth, which held the cake and all of the other sweets. Behind the table on the wall was a banner that read Happy 4th Birthday Karly. I printed it from card stock and connected it with ribbon. 

FAVORS: A brown paper gift bag was at each child's spot personalized with a pretty tag and decorated with light pink princess stickers. They contained a silver star wand, crown, princess notebook, bracelet, pink and purple flower seeds, nail file, bubbles, and pink or purple bouncy balls. They were also given an amulet, which I made by hot gluing two purple gems found at the craft store together with a paper clip between and put it on a silver stretchy cord. The princess hats were made by cutting out posterboard to make a cone covering it with a pretty pink and purple pasily fabric stringing tule and ribbon out of the top and hot gluing it together. I then glued a pretty piece of lace around the bottom of the hat and attached a silver stretchy chin tie to hold it on. The girls were able to wear these and the crowns throughout the party and then take them home.

ACTIVITIES: After receiving their accessories and gifts, the girls colored a cinderella picture until everyone arrived. I also decorated a plain white long mirror by hot gluing a painted wooden castle from the craft store at the top and pretty ribbon hanging down. It was placed outside so that the girls could see themselves dressed as princesses throughout the party.  

The next activity was the craft- each girl decorated a paper mache picture frame with jewels princess foam stickers and glitter glue. I will send a picture with the thank you note that I send, which they will be able to put in the frame that they made.  On a card table I had a music player with princess music playing and a hershey kiss guessing game for the adults. After the girls (and the adults) ate we played pin the crown on the princess.

The next activity was present opening. My daughter invited four birthday guests since she is 4 years old. Since it was a small number present opening at the party seemed appropriate and didn't take a long time. After the present opening came the piñata- a castle filled with candy. Each girl had a bag to collect the candy with their name already written on it. While the adults cleaned up from presents eating and the piñata another adult led the princess bingo game, which I had purchased and printed from Etsy for a small price.

Next I dressed my mother-in-law up as a fairy godmother. She wore a blue cone hat that I made a blue snuggie blanket and silver ribbon tied around her waist. Even though she was at the party the entire time not in costume some of the girls really thought she was a fairy godmother! She read two princess books as the girls sat on a blanket in the grass with their own princess cone hats that I had made for them. My daughter was given a new book to unwrap and then the fairy godmother read that as well. The story time was a highlight of the party. The girls hung on every word and sat so nicely. I think it was a nice break for them from all of the party activities thus far. 

After all adults at the party had made guesses for the number of hershey kisses we found the winner and they received a bottle of "Castle Rock" wine to take home. As guests left they were able to put all of their treats and in their bags to take home. For guests who stayed later into the evening "Tangled" (a princess movie) was put on for the children while the adults continued to socialize. It was a perfect princess party! 

PARTY SNACKS: We served pizza on pretty plastic trays, fruit salad, veggies chips, and pasta salad. For treats, there were decorated crown cut-out cookies, chocolate covered pretzel rods with purple and pink sprinkles, chocolate carriage lollipops, personalized wrapped large lollipops, and the castle cake. Pink lemonade was placed in a dispenser that the girls could get freely. 

CAKE: I made a castle cake with a 10 inch layered square cake on the bottom and 6 inch layered cake on the top covered with white icing, used regular ice cream cones connected end to end with pink melted chocolate as pillars, and sprayed them with pearl colored cake mist. For the peaks of the castle, I coated sugar cones with white chocolate and sprinkled with purple sugar and placed on top of each pillar. There was also an upside down ice cream cone with a sugar cone on top in the center of the top layer. I used fondant to make her name for the front of the cake as well as the door and windows. Sugar flowers were used to decorate and a small flag with a 4 was made out of card stock and a toothpick for the center cone. Since Sofia the First is her favorite I used card stock to print and cut out characters of the show and placed them on the front of the cake. Her face when she saw it was priceless. It was a perfect princess party!"